read in January | wow, what a month

*WERBUNG/AD |note: every book marked as “ARC” was a free review copy I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Hoohoo, guys.

January was one of the most stressful month I’ve had in a long time. I had to do a lot of translations and a presentation. It was exhausting and I’m so glad it’s semester break soon (let’s forget I have to write papers for a second) and I have more time for photos, blogging, crocheting, baking. And reading, of course. The thing is, despite all the stress this has been my best reading month in quite some time. Curious, right? But without any more babbling away, here are the 8 books I read in January:

This Winter by Alice Oseman

Novella | 120 pages | gay, bi & depression rep | TW: depression, eating disorder, self harm, homophobia

This Winter is a companion novella to Alice Oseman’s first novel, Solitaire. It has three parts, each one told by another Spring sibling. That way, we get PoVs of all three, get to know them and their feelings better. It’s kind of a sad story but also one about hope and love. The characters are realistically written and all of them are sarcastic and have big hearts which speaks to my soul. I relate.
> goodreads

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin (ARC)

contemporary YA/NA | Macbeth retelling | 336 pages | Penguin Books | TW: murder, blood, rape, assault, mental abuse

In this book, we follow Elle, a rape survivor, on her quest to take bloody revenge on her rapists. The book is written in sharp, staccato-like sentences, the lines full of rage and power. It was really dark and twisted. The story is well thought out, the original Macbeth is amazingly put into the modern world, the characters are transferred so well. I also loved the girl friendship of the MC and her coven. They are full of power and knowledge and anger and they are magic. This whole book is kind of disturbing but so. Fucking. Amazing.
> full review
> goodreads

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez (ARC)

Bolivian inspired YA fantasy | Page Street Publishing | 384 pages | TW: public execution, death

Um yes, this was such a good book. I fell in love on page one and haven’t fallen out of it since. This book has a rich world inspired by Bolivian politics & history. It tells the story of a girl torn between the world she grew up in and the world she is thrown into when she’s stuck at the enemy’s palace as the decoy condesa. Ximena learns that the world isn’t as black and white as she always did and she also have to cope with the struggles that realization brings. This books features wonderful friendships and my favourite trope, enemies to lovers. Oh, and amazing food and amazing animals.
> full review
> goodreads

Percy Jackson and the singer of Apollo by Rick Riordan

novella | 112 pages | Puffin

This is a really, really short story written for World Book Day. We follow Percy and Grover for one day where they have to find a background singer that ran away from Apollo. Of course, the god needs her but doesn’t want to go and search for her himself. As usual, the story is full of fun and sarcasm and stupid ideas from both Percy and Grover. I enjoyed it and it made me realize how much I’ve missed Percy.
> goodreads

Of Curses and Kissen by Sandhya Menon

contemporary Beauty & theBeast retelling | 384 pages | Hodder & Stoughton | Indian rep

I don’t know, I’m a bit sitting on the fence with this one. On one hand, I enjoyed it, on the other the protagonist just annoyed me so much. In this modern Beauty & the Beast retelling, the Indian princess Jaya enrolls in an american boarding school to get revenge on a British aristocrat who basically ruined her sister’s life, endangering all of her family. But she soon realizes that nothing is how it seems. It was the typical Sandhya Menon feeling of a fuzzy warm story and makes me all smiley but unfortunately, aside from the protagonist, some things also felt rushed to me.
> full review
> goodreads

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

2nd book in the Star-touched Queen duology | YA fantasy | inspired by Indian myths | 384 pages | Wednesday Books | TW: death, blood

This book, guys. This book. It has been sitting on my shelf for ages and I’m so angry at myself because of it. A Crown of Wishes just blew me away. I loved both Gauri and Vikram. I’d die for them both and I’d let them stab me or outwit me and thank them for it. Ahhhhh I love them. I also loved the whole world and world building, all the magic and the rich details and beautifully described places. This book was packed with romance, mysteries, myths and banter. So much love.
> goodreads

Bringing down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

historical adult romance | Piatkus | 368 pages

Oh, this book was so much fun! Annabelle is one of the first female students at Oxford. She’s got a scholarship for which she joined the suffragettes and she has to bring rich, powerful men to join their cause. Her first target ist the Duke of Montgomery, one of the mightiest men in England who is also single. This was a highly enjoyable read with a smart MC who speaks her mind and a grumpy duke who actually isn’t that grumpy and such a nice relationship development.
> goodreads

Gefahr im Roten Meer by Patrick O’Brian

Original title: Treason’s Harbour | 9th book in the Aubrey Maturin series | historical | Ullstein | 412 pages | TW: rape mention, death, war

I missed the characters, I missed the ships, I missed everything about these books. As the others as well, this one was so well written, with a charming sense of humor and details about the world in the beginning of the 19th century and about naval life. In this, Captain Jack Aubrey and his best friend Stephen Maturin are on Malta, a mission to the Red Sea and in the eastern Mediterranean. I just love the ship Surprise and her crew a lot and I also liked this book a lot.
> goodreads

What about you? What did you read in January? What was your favourite?

Until next time,