January 2023 Wrap Up

2023 started off great. Book down on day 1. I can only hope I can keep up the great start for the rest of the year. 

In January, I read 6 books. 

1. All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley - I received this book from NetGalley in return for a review (thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins) and I have to say it was definitely something. An LGBT+ YA novel featuring a mystery. I liked the way it was told. It was interesting. I'll be posting a fully review on it's own that you should check out!!

2. Wilder Girls by Rory Powers - This one was not what I was expecting. There were definitely moments I was not prepared for, and I loved every minute of it. I will have to caution you, if you don't like body horrors, steer clear of this one. While not super graphic, there are descriptions of certain effects of the Tox that aren't for everyone. Giving this one a 4.5/5. I would have liked a further exploration of the romantic relationships between the three 'main' characters and maybe more on the government's involvement, but it was still good in the end.

3. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree - Definitely a strong 4.5/5 stars. I would have liked it a little longer with more on the relationship between Tandri and Viv to get that last half a star. I loved how we follow Viv, an Orc, who just wants to retire from fighting and do what makes her heart happy. We get to see her build the life that she truly wants for herself. I hated what happened and I am definitely glad she could come back and learn what is really important in life. 

4. In a Book Club Far Away by Tif Marcelo - One of my Book of the Month club picks, and I wasn't exactly blown away by it. It was good, and I believe I gave it a 4/5. I liked how Adelaide kind of used her predicament to kind of force her friends to interact and actually work out their issues. It was worth the read. 

5. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende - My roommate will likely never let me live this one down. I had been struggling to read another edition of this book, like, it took a week and a half to get through 75 pages. Picked up the digital edition, and read the entire rest of the book (350 pages) over the weekend. I liked the book well enough, and I'm glad that the movie adaptation changed a few things...otherwise I'm not sure people would have watched it. 

6. Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose - The nonfiction book of the month for a writing server I'm in on Discord. I'm not entirely sure what I was supposed to take a way from it, but it was definitely an interesting read. I am looking forward to finding other things by the author.