Weekly Mews: January Wrap Up (the one with all the books) and It's Time Again! (Vote in my TBR Poll!)

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

I am linking up Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.  

Books Read in January

I read like my life depended on it in January. While off the page life may have been trying, I found comfort in my reading. I surrounded myself with book people, both on and offline, jumping back into blogging and attending several book clubs. The first book I finished of this year was Sandwich by Catherine Newman. It was a random selection--I wanted to read an audiobook, and, of my options on Hoopla, that one most caught my eye.

I finally got around to reading the fifteenth book in the Hollows series by Kim Harrison. I am determined to catch up with the series this year. It wasn't quite as jam packed as previous books, but I enjoyed spending time with the characters and in the world Harrison has created. I also was able to fit in a re-read of On the Edge for the COYER Ilona Andrews' Edge and Inn Keeper read-a-long. Although not my favorite of the authors' books, they are gifted at world building. I read a couple of review books I had been meaning to get to, The Mystery Guest and Schooled in Murder, both of which were fun and entertaining. I stretched out my nonfiction read, Being Mortal, over the course of the month. It was such an informative book, compassionately written.

For my January book clubs, I read The Emperor and the Endless Palace, The Lavender House, and The Temple of Fortuna. I also attended a book club discussion for Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, but that doesn't count as a January, or even a 2025 read, since I read it last year. I enjoyed the discussions for all of the books. I loved both Rosen and Harper's novels. I had mixed feelings about Huang's novel, but liked it overall. 

I finished the month off with two graphic novels and one manga novel. The Heartstopper series is sweet and makes me so happy, and Spy x Family remains one of my favorite manga series. 

The book titles with links below will take you to my bookish mewsings:

Sandwich by Catherine Newman, narrated by Nan McNamara 

Million Dollar Demon (The Hollows #15) by Kim Harrison

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

Schooled in Murder (Campus Sleuth Mysteries #1) by Victoria Gilbert 

Lavender House (Evander Mills #1) by Lev AC Rosen

On the Edge (The Edge #1) by Ilona Andrews 

The Temple of Fortuna (Wolf Den Trilogy #3) by Elodie Harper 

The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande 

Heartstopper, Vol. 2 by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper, Vol. 3 by Alice Oseman

Spy x Family, Vol, 13 by Tatsuya Endo

I am always curious to see the break up of formatting of the book I read. While e-books tend to edge out any other formats in recent years, I was surprised to see I read more print books in January. Seven of the books I read were print, four were e-books, and one was an audiobook.

My average rating for the month was 4.08. Two of my January reads earned five stars (I prefer paws, personally): Atul Gawande's Being Mortal and The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper. If I had to name one favorite, it would probably be The Temple of Fortuna, but I feel like that might be unfair because it is hard for me to think of that book separate from the first two books in the trilogy, The Wolf Den and The House with the Golden Door, both of which I read late last year. Being Mortal was such a moving and important book. Of my two five paw January books, it is the book I would recommend to everyone. So maybe that should be my top favorite instead? It's too hard to choose.

My January 2025 Reading Moods (according to Storygraph)

Let's take a look at how I did with my January Chapter Break Bookish Bingo card! Seventeen squares, plus one for the free space isn't too bad. I found a spot for all twelve of the books I read this past month; and since using the same book for multiple categories is allowed, I was able to check off a few more spaces. 

What was your favorite book read in January? Have you made progress with your reading challenges? Did you have a good reading month?

This afternoon I finished reading Home and Away by Rochelle Alers (bookish mewsings to come) and have started reading Murder in The Dressing Room by Holly Stars. This weekend I am beginning both The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett and The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende, which are upcoming book club reads.

 

What are you reading right now?

My TBR List is hosted by Michelle at Because Reading. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books from my TBR pile I am considering reading and let you vote for my next read during that month. My review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise).  

Please help me select my next read! It seems the mysteries have caught my eye again this month. But what to read next? I really need your help with this choice!

Haunting and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery #1) by Ava Burke

Lou Thatcher is haunted by ghosts–friendly ghosts–but when she finds herself involved in a murder investigation, she’s in for the fright of a lifetime in this new cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Ellen Byron.

Tallulah “Lou” Thatcher has a she can see dead people. But in New Orleans, Louisiana, this is not a drawback. On the contrary, her ability to see ghosts helps her host viral ghost tours through the historic Garden District. When rival tour guide Adam Brandt–who accused her of faking her encounters to undercut his business–is found murdered, Lou is the only one who can see him . . . his ghost, that is.

It’s no secret Adam and Lou were feuding and with the absence of a suspect, she’s the only one with a clear motive. After detective Dylan Finch, Lou’s longtime crush, reveals the murder weapon was a ceremonial dagger from Lou’s shop, she’s officially declared the prime suspect. Determined to prove her innocence, Lou starts investigating right away.

Weaving her way through Adam’s business partnerships, friendships, and kinships, Lou must uncover who wished to see him dead before the killer tries to silence her forever. [From the Publisher]

A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay

Two former serial killers trying to keep their past buried realize that old habits die hard in this “wildly original, razor-sharp thriller” (Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark).

I wasn't smashing the patriarchy; I was killing it. Literally.

Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they're murderers. Well, they used to be. They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to rid from the world. Then Hazel got pregnant.

Now, they’re just another mom-and-dad-and-baby. They gave up vigilante justice for life in the suburbs: arranged play dates instead of body disposals, diapers over daggers, mommy conversations instead of the sweet seduction right before a kill. Hazel finds her new life terribly dull. And the more she forces herself to play her monotonous, predictable role, the more she begins to feel that murderous itch again.

Meanwhile, Fox has really taken to being a father. Always the planner, he loves being five steps ahead of everyone and knowing exactly what’s coming around the bend. Plus, if anyone can understand Hazel needing one more kill, it’s Fox. But then Hazel kills someone without telling Fox. And when police show up at their door, Hazel realizes it will take everything she has to keep her family together. [From the Publisher]

The Case of the Missing Maid (Harriet Morrow Investigates #1) by Rob Osler

The acclaimed author of the Anthony, Agatha, Macavity, and Lefty Award-nominated Devil’s Chew Toy delights with the first in a new historical mystery series set in turn-of-the-19th-century Chicago, as America is entering its Progressive Era and Harriet Morrow, a bike-riding, trousers-wearing lesbian, has just begun her new job as the first female detective at the Windy City's Prescott Agency...

Chicago, 1898. Rough-around-the-edges Harriet Morrow has long been drawn to the idea of whizzing around the city on her bicycle as a professional detective, solving crimes for a living without having to take a husband. Just twenty-one with a younger brother to support, she seizes the chance when the prestigious Prescott Agency hires her as its first woman operative. The move sparks controversy—with skeptical male colleagues, a high-strung office secretary, and her boss, Mr. Theodore Prescott, all waiting for her to unravel under the pressure . . .

Only an hour into the job, Harriet has an Discover the whereabouts of a missing maid from one of the most extravagant mansions on Prairie Avenue. Owner Pearl Bartlett has a reputation for sending operatives on wild goose chases around her grand estate, but Harriet believes the stunningly beautiful Agnes Wozniak has indeed vanished under mysterious circumstances—possibly a victim of kidnapping, possibly a victim of something worse . . .

With Mr. Prescott pushing a hard deadline, Harriet’s burgeoning career depends on working through a labyrinth of eccentric characters and murky motives in a race to discover who made Agnes disappear. When her search leads to Chicago’s Polish community and a new friendship in Agnes’s charming older sister, Barbara, clues scattered across the city slowly reveal just how much depends on Harriet’s inexperienced investigation for answers . . . and the deep danger that awaits once she learns the truth. [From the Publisher]

Thank you for voting!

New to my shelves:

The Fervor by Alma Katsu

The Song of Orphan's Garden by Nicole M. Hewitt 

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Mouse's Additions: 

Monster Cats, Vol. 1 by Pandania

Ghostkeeper by Johanna Taylor 

There's Something About Mira by Sonali Dev

Death in the Details (#1) by Katie Tietjen

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think? 

Following in the footsteps of Deb of Readerbuzz, who shares three good things in her Sunday Salon posts, I thought I would try to do the same. With all the worries and stressors in life, I want to highlight some of the good, even the seemingly small stuff. 

1. My mom, Anjin, Mouse, and I attended our local independent bookstore's Drag Queen Story Hour this weekend. There was a nice size turn out, and everyone had a good time. It was such fun! We enjoyed dinner out afterward at Mouse's favorite restaurant. 

2. Our mailbox is fixed! We actually didn't find out until we drove all the way to the main post office to pick up our mail this morning, and the postal clerk informed us. We used the opportunity to stop for doughnuts on the way back home. And when we stopped at our mailbox (it's a community mailbox, our street's mailboxes all in one place, each of us with our own locked box), sure enough, there was mail inside.

3. Anjin, Mouse, and I have been spending more time playing Mario Kart. They always beat me but we have so much fun playing together. 

What have you been up to this past week? 

I hope you have a great week! Let me know what you have been reading!

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