January 2022 was a shaky start! Out of the seven books I read, I only enjoyed very few of the books — at one point I'd end up picking a good read, and then next would either be a flop or just satisfactory. Some of the books I'd ended up reading were backlist titles that have been on my TBR for years!
Here's a rundown of my reads:
(Click on book titles to add to Goodreads)
Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I've had my physical copy for two years already and a couple of friends have recommended that I listen to the audiobook while I read along. And it was one of the best reading decisions I've ever made! It really felt like I was listening to a real 70s rock band talk about their lives and music.
The Guncle by Steven Rowley - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Absolutely wholesome! This is such a heartwarming read about a guncle who becomes the temporary guardian to his niblings (niece and nephew) after the death of their mother. Everything about it is all kinds of wonderful. I've added this book to my list of comfort reads!
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 - I had the sudden urge to reread this book after watching the movie! I read this first in 2017 and I loved it a lot and I still do! I still think it's one of the god-tier enemies to lovers romances out there, but I do acknowledge that there were a few distasteful phrases used by the author in the book which I never noticed before. Unpopular opinion, but the movie left me a little annoyed. I couldn't feel the chemistry between Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell, the actor who plays Joshua Templeman. Three stars for the movie!
The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - I adored the multiple representations in this book! Not only does it feature Muslim South Asian characters but it's also queer! Adding this book to my list of the best Young Adult books I've ever read. I say this as a picky YA reader — this is an amazing read and I'm really excited to read more of Adiba Jaigirdar's works.
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - My first read for January! A great workplace enemies to lovers read, but not a favourite. If you like Emily Henry and Sally Thorne, this one is surely right up your alley!
Save The Date by Morgan Matson - ⭐⭐⭐ - This was almost a DNF but a friend convinced me to push through. I think this was a pretty wholesome and fun read, but the whole big family wedding chaos trope is just awful for my ADHD and I struggled to keep up with who's who. This book would have been better off as a movie.
On Dublin Street by Samantha Young - ⭐⭐ - Oh, this was such a disappointment! My expectations were high diving into this read because so many people had recommended this to me and said it was a great read. WRONG! Reading this felt like a waste of time because the writing was just atrocious. To be fair, I do acknowledge that this was written in 2014, so I think this book is due for a rewrite. This book also showed me how Samantha Young's writing has greatly improved over the years given that her latest books, particularly Flight or Fight, is in my favourites list.
We Were Lairs by E. Lockhart - DNF - I've had a signed copy of this book for years and I never got the chance to read it until it became really popular on #booktok. Unfortunately, this book is just a big no for me. I was so bored, I ended up skimming to the end to find out the big twist, which didn't really come off as shocking to me. Do better, booktok. LOL.
Let's Chat!How did your reading go this January?
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