#January reads

[apolline-lucy]

what was your favourite January read?? mine was THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH 💜

[poetic-gays]

January Wrap-Up

- Alone With You in the Ether: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

- 10 Things That Never Happened: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

- Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

- The Atlas Complex: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

- The Ghostkeeper: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

- Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

- Gwen & Art Are Not In Love: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

- Every Time You Hear That Song: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

- The Only Girl in Town: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

- The Henna Wars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

- Playing For Keeps: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[lunarheslwt]

Hi! I'm back with the first 28th appreciation fic recs of the year! I wanted to put together all the fics I've read and loved over January for this month's 28th appreciation, so here they are! Click on the links for full tags and summaries. If you read any of these make sure to show the authors some love by leaving kudos and comments!

🌿Is it a sign? by @greenblueish

(25k | E | deaf character au)

the one where Harry meets a certain handsome alpha at his sister's wedding and learns that speaking verbally doesn't have to be the only means of communication.

Thoughts: incredibly sweet, a perfect light and easy read, the way they connect in this story just feels so real and so wonderful!

🌿Stroke of twelve by @larry-hiatus

(2k | E | new years eve pwp)

He was close, he was so close, and he knew it was much too soon; the countdown to midnight hadn’t even begun yet.

Or the one where Louis wants Harry to hold off his orgasm so they can come together at the stroke of twelve on New Year’s Eve.

Thoughts: so bloody hot, top notch desperation, for some reason I was holding my breath till the countdown hit one which really says something

🌿Whoever, however by @brooklyn-babylon / @twopoppies

(8k | E | amateur porn filming au)

Louis could feel his heart rate pick up as he positioned the camera and Harry slowly stood up. They both knew what came next –– it had been clearly outlined in the advert Harry answered. The studio Louis worked for was filming a new series of camboy videos. Louis’ job was to make it look like amateur porn –– sweaty, sensual, dirty –– but well lit and edited. He was an artist, thank you very much.

—-

Or: Louis has a much better day at work than he’d expected.

Thoughts: incredibly hot, desperate Harry is so >>>> the descriptions in this are amazing, I just love the idea so much. The visuals!!

🌿Pretty miscalculations by @hellolovers13

(5k | E | Dom/sub pwp)

After rudely interrupting Louis’ Christmas shopping, Louis offers Harry a choice and an opportunity to try out his new purchases.

Thoughts: so hot, love how caring L is yet willing to push Harry a lil, how sweet and shy Harry is, I'd read more in this universe any day

🌿Take care by @sun-lt

(4k | M | service top L)

“What do you want, then, beautiful?” It’s a silly, cheesy pet name, but it feels so very true when Louis says it. He hopes Harry knows that he means it, that he means every pet name he’s ever called Harry. Doll, beautiful, love, baby.

“Want you to take care of me,” Harry repeats.

_

Or, Harry’s exhausted and needy and Louis loves him entirely too much to ever say no.

Thoughts: the softest thing I've ever read, incredibly comforting, tender and so so lovely pls go read!

🌿in the pub that we met he’s got his arms around you by @onlythebravest

(13k | T | best friends to lovers au)

Harry's best friend Louis comes to visit him where he attends uni, meets Harry's friends, who point out that they don't know what platonic means.

Thoughts: comfort read!! Incredibly soft, realistic friendship dynamics, 10/10 read if you're touch deprived tbh these are very soft boys and a very soft story

🌿Sweaty palms and racing hearts by @onlythebravest

(1k | G | first date au)

A short story of two shy, nervous and blushing boys on a date at the cinema

Thoughts: so pure, so sweet, these shy boys have my heart, the author writes fluff in the softest ways

🌿Printed against the sky by @larrysballetslippers

(4k | M | non sexual age play, canon compliant)

after some intense weeks of promo, Harry really wants his daddy. Louis happily fulfils his needs, but it wasn't the best day to do so.

Thoughts: everything she writes is gold, this is so pure, and so very sweet

🌿Lust for life by @maroonmoonlouis

(32k | E | 1970s Hollywood starlet au)

or the 1970s au where the pressure of being an aging starlet begins to weigh heavy on Harry's heart before he meets Louis

Thoughts: a gem!! Very much sucks you into the era and story, so much preciousness in this little beauty!

🌿Bless you! by @neondiamond

(2k | G | kid fic au)

Harry and Louis’ young daughter, Ava, really enjoys when Harry says ‘bless you’ after she sneezes.

Thoughts: the most precious little fic ever, so so so sweet and it made me smile bless

🌿All the lights are sparkling for you, it seems by @thebreadvansstuff

(3k | T | disaster birthday au)

Harry is determined to make Louis' birthday count, but his plans turn into a fiasco.

Thoughts: so fucking precious, I could hug Harry in this, sweet and funny

🌿the prettiest customer (and the cutest barista) by @onlythebravest

(1k | G | awkward coffee shop flirting)

Louis is the pretty customer that comes in and orders hot chocolate while Harry is the cute barista that takes his order.

Thoughts: so very precious, awkward shy Harry has my whole heart, the cutest lil thing you'll ever read

🌿Leather over lace by @larry-hiatus

(4k | E | pwp)

Harry wasn’t planning for his trousers to rip on stage. He also wasn’t planning for everyone to see his lace knickers when it happened. But what he really wasn’t planning on was his boyfriend punishing him for it.

Thoughts: so fucking hot. Begging y'all to go read it. Em deserves so much credit for how quick this was and how unbelievably good it was.

I probably would've read way more too but the second half of that month had me using all my free time to finish up my own fic. But anyways if you check these out please show the writers some love. @ writers: kisses for y'all bc I appreciate you and your work sm 💗

[princessofbookaholics]

January was a short reading month. I already have my first 2 star read of the year and no 5 stars which isn't shocking since I was in a reading slump. Hopefully the romance readathon of february is going to fix that for me! Here's the wrap up:

The Villa ⭐⭐⭐

What Lies in the Woods ⭐⭐

Divine Rivals ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ruthless Vows ⭐⭐⭐

Next of Kin ⭐⭐⭐

The Tourist Attraction ⭐⭐⭐

[franticvampirereads]

January has been a wild ride, with a snow and ice storm that knocked out power for a few days, reading way more than I had planned, and birthday celebrations! It’s been interesting to say the least. I think the thing that I’m most shocked by was just how many books I’ve managed to read this month, so here’s what I read:

Daja’s Book 4.5⭐️ {review}

Us 4⭐️ {review}

Epic 4.5⭐️ {review}

Briar’s Book 5⭐️ {review}

The Dragon’s Betrothed 4⭐️ {review}

Last Courtesan Of Olympus 4⭐️ {review}

A Psalm For The Wild-Built 4⭐️ {review}

I’m Kinda Chubby & I’m Your Hero 4.5⭐️ {review}

Omega’s Forever Home 3.5⭐️ {review}

Omega’s Runaway Love -currently reading

My favorite books this month were The Dragon’s Betrothed and Last Courtesan Of Olympus. They were both so much fun!

[sophiesbookishthings]

January Reads

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

My non fiction read for the year! I listened to the audio book for this one which I definitely recommend. Jennette McCurdy deserves only good things for the rest of her life.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire

Wayward Children #5! Such an underrated series. Jack and Jill and the moors are my favorite. Also it's gay.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Queer cozy fantasy! I loved how chill and kind this book was.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I think about this book daily. The way everything tied together in this book was brilliant. I loved the concept of the reveurs in particular.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Ah the faerie books. I finally gave in and read this. It was fine. It was very basic fantasy romance. It wasn't bad, it was just unfortunately overhyped. Don't love the mc though she's kinda annoying.

3.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

Return of the King by JRR Tolkien

Lord of the rings my beloved! I could scream about any lotr book forever so I'm just gonna say Samwise Gamgee is the character ever and I love faramir and he deserves only good things forever. Also the ending of this series takes my heart out and stomps on it.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Tj Klune is a master of found family and I will read everything he writes forever. This book also had an autistic ace mc, an anxious roomba, and a sadistic nurse droid and I adored every single one of them.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

I feel like I should like this book more than I did. The mc just felt too perfect and like a societal ideal of masculinity that I really didn't care about that much. And I think to some extent it may have been the point but it still felt off to me. Started this in print and switched to audio cause the writing was not my favorite. Idk if I'll continue this series or not.

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

I went into this thinking it was about a satyr because of the cover. I was disappointed a few chapters in when I realized it was not. I did however really enjoy this book anyway. Very interesting how it resolves.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

Definitely better than acotar. Feyre's somewhat less annoying. Still think this series is overhyped but I do get it now. Also I don't get why everyone acts like this is straight porn. It's so tame lol but I read fanfic so 🤷. I do appreciate that this book went more into the politics of the world. Definitely made it more interesting.

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

[emachinescat]

A Year in (Book) Review: My 2024 Reading Journey 📚

#8 - The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis

Fantasy / Chronicles of Narnia #6 / 176 pages / published 1953 / Finished Jan. 15 (reread)

One Sentence Review: From the peak of giant mountains to deep within the earth, The Silver Chair takes readers on a journey through all levels of Narnia and reminds us with poignant allegory of our responsibility in the fight against evil.

Quotes of Note

"'You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you,' said the Lion."

*

"Crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do."

*

"Courage, friends ... whether we live or die, Aslan will be our good Lord."

*

"'Yes,' said the Lion in a very quiet voice, almost (Jill thought) as if he were laughing. 'He has died. Most people have, you know. Even I have. There are very few who haven't.'"

My rating: 4/5

Additional thoughts after the break (spoilers):

My thoughts on the book: I really enjoyed it. I love that the villain is of the same race of people as Jadis, the White Witch. Again, the allegory was on point. I do wish, however, that the final battle with the serpent was longer and more fleshed out.

What I found the most interesting, intriguing, challenging, and/or surprising: I found the fact that Jill and Eustace did not start the quest off on the right foot and that they forgot several of the signs fascinating. And yet Aslan worked - and was victorious - even with that!

What I took away from this book: Even when we stray from the path or plan God has for us, even when we fail, it doesn't have to be the end. As long as we are willing to let God keep working through us, sometimes even when we aren't willing, He can and will still use us.

[little-book-of-spells]

ACOWAR review card

[browneyesandhair]

Hey! It's ya girl!

I got no chill and a large obsession with a lot of things. So this year, I'm tracking it! (three red wine glasses in, let's goo!). Okay, so this year, is the year of recs! (you may have seen some of my posts, but I also have an extensive queue, so maybe not (check out the #recs on my page)).

Anyways, I've created a collection for this year overall and then also for each month! Let's check out January's stats -

Works read (&finished): 72

Fandoms (top 8):

1 - The Vampire Diaries: 17

2 - Bridgerton: 16

3 - Harry Potter: 14

4 - Teen Wolf: 12

5 - PJO: 4

6 - Knives Out: 4

7 - ATLA: 1

8- Star Trek: 1

The rest didn't make the first drop down section of AO3, so oh well! Let's check in on relationships (top 10):

1 - Klaroline: 17

2 - Polin: 16

3 - Stydia: 8

4- Percabeth: 4

5 - Marta Cabrera/Ransom Drysdale: 4

6 - Eloise & Penelope: 4

7 - Harmione: 3

8 - Jily: 3

9 - Tomione: 3

10 - Sterek: 3

Only one add to my recs list:

patron (saints/tequila) by DollyPop, hi_im_august

Summary:

Honestly? She can think of considerably worse ways to spend the last dregs of her birthday than being escorted home by a guardian angel wearing a Slipknot t-shirt.

Notes: wow! Okay - warning this is a Polin modern AU, so if that's not for you keep scrolling. But hot diggity dog, this story was so fun and such a delight to read, I'm obsessed. 10/10 random fandom girlies recommend.

Alright, that's all folks (mostly), for fun, here are the top 10 additional tags from the stories that I read in January:

1 - Alternate Universe (15)

2 - Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence (12)

3 - Alternate Universe - Modern Setting (10)

4 - Fluff (8)

5 - Angst (8)

6 - Slow Burn (8)

7 - Hurt/Comfort (5)

8 - Cunnilingus (4)

9 - Rough Sex (4)

10 - friends to lovers (4)

Yay! You made it to the end! That means you get cookies (please go find/eat/buy a Snickerdoodle on me, if you knew my venmo, I would pay any requests for a Snickerdoodle cookie out.)

[haleyslibrary]

january reads ✨🐉🗡️🧚🏻‍♀️

[fairyinpages]

★ — january wrap up

january was a very overwhelming month, things just kept being thrown at me and i honestly did not have the time to even breathe properly. this month was not easy on me, so to say i'm proud to have finished three books is an understatement.

books read: 3 — total pages: 1.350

happy place by emily henry — 5 stars

birthday girl by penelope douglas — 3 stars

pride and prejudice by jane austen — 5 stars

and here's for february — let it bring more readings. ✨

[lifesshort-imshorter]

January turned out to be enemies to lovers month for me. I sincerely wish there were more true enemies to lovers that weren't mafia-based, but I'll take what I can get!

Dark Verse series 1&2: 10/5. FMC POV, but some MMC snippets. Both books were fantastic. This is a great slow burn and the tension made me squeal. First two books are based on true enemies to lovers. Within the first chapter there is already an attempted murder of one of the MCs. Love the darkness! Great spice. I will read these two again over and over and never tire.

Dark Verse series 3&4: 5/5. Dual POV. Book 3 is a childhood friends to lovers couple; book 4 is marriage of convenience/grumpy x sunshine couple. All set within the same set of friends/family. Both had great spice and suspense/angst. Some mentions of SA. They were great reads and great couples, but can't beat 1&2. Can't wait to read books 5&6.

Hit / Marked: Also 5/5 for me. Dual POV. Some mentions of SA. Set in the late 80s and real enemies to lovers - they are from rival mafia families and MMC is tasked with killing FMC but it doesn't go as planned. Great spice. Love that the FMC was a badass! Will very likely read again.

Beautiful Fiend: 10/5 for me. Dual POV. This is *truly* dark and does have some SA/noncon in it. MCs are from rival gangs. Great enemies to lovers. The absolute commitment of the MMC for the FMC killed me. I will read this over and over. Great spice. There are further books in the series, but I'm not so interested in the characters those are based on, so I haven't read them.

Corrupt: 5/5. Dual POV. This was a wild ride and kept me guessing. It wasn't very enemies to lovers because they both were obsessed with each other, but MMC fights it the entire time. FMC does something to MMC's friends and so he is compelled to hate her and get revenge, but wants her bad. Great spice. There are further books in the series, but I haven't gotten to them yet.

The Sinner: 4.5/5. Dual POV. Book two in L.O.R.D.S. series. Very dark read and many SA instances, including grooming of a minor. Not so much enemies to lovers, but very jealous/possessive MMC, lots of spice. First book less dark and less SA mention. Everything in this series involves BDSM/secret society/slight breeding kink. I've only read the first two, but will get to the others when time allows.

Empire of Sin: 3-3.5/5. This was okay. Standalone in a series. Kind of enemies to lovers, but more lovers (one night stand) to enemies to lovers. Okay spice. The fact that I can't remember why I kept reading speaks volumes to me. Not sure I'll read any more in the series.

Corrupted Chaos: 3/5. Also okay. Standalone in a series. Enemies to lovers trope, but it's really they just like to argue with each other. Forced proximity due to the MMC. The FMC cracked me up, and there was some good spice, but fell a little flat. Likely won't read any more in the series.

My DNFs for the month:

Wolf (Halloween Boys 3): 2/5. This is a reverse harem series and each of the four men have their own book with the story of their relationship with the FMC. I enjoyed the first two books, but couldn't finish this one as it's a werewolf MMC and mentions tying. The cringe was too real. The first two books are demon/vampire x dragon and were enjoyable with good spice.

Evil Boys (Spine Ridge University): 3/5. Second book in the series of standalones with dark bully trope. I enjoyed the first book, but the set of characters in this one lost my interest about halfway through. Good spice.

The Sacrifice (L.O.R.D.S. series 3): 4/5. The only reason I didn't finish this one was because there was mention at the beginning of a complete tool/abuser/a;slkjdf; from the second book and I was too mad at the time to keep going. I'll go back and read it, but need a breather between the second and third. The spice in this series is great.

[datamodel-of-disaster]

The Riemann Report: January

I suppose you could say my New Year’s resolution was to do more… idk, real-feeling things. Stuff that feels tangible, like I actually do something with my time and my life.

So… as the year started, I’ve started reading books, again. My result stack for January is small but proud. A shitty job, mental health issues, and life events kinda stole all my attention span and drive to pursue real hobbies last year, so knowing I’m coming from rock bottom I’m genuinely happy with my progress. So… behold the books I finished!

And well… since this is sort of a “book report”, you can find my opinion on them below the cut!

Purple Hibiscus - Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie

Am I late to this party? Probably. But holy shit. A genuine page turner, somehow, despite the subject matter. If you’d told me I’d find a book about a domestic abuse situation this hard to put down I wouldn’t have believed it, and yet. There I was, sneaking pages while on the toilet at work, completely enthralled. I can’t explain it, you have to read it yourself.

Delta of Venus - Anaïs Nin

Anaïs Nin should be glad she wrote long before the advent of TikTok, because this book is Problématique (and proud to be so). A series of erotic short stories that read like snapshots from a parallel universe, like a voyeur’s dream -where every action is titillation, every body exists to be seen and fucked, and cheating, prostitution and even assault are but sexy games people play. The only jobs anyone seems to have are model and painter -and even those are but an excuse to get up to sexy shenanigans. In short: it’s absolutely delightful. A peak into the pornoverse, anno 1940.

In Praise of Older Women - Stephen Vicinczey

A fake memoir of a Hungarian man with a remarkable life. At once a ridiculous tall tale, a sexy fantasy, and a surprisingly convincing “true to life” narrative, always balancing on the very edge of believable. Excellent read. Avoid if you are easily upset by…. Let’s call it non-ideal sexual situations.

The Field Guide to Understanding “Human Error” - Sidney Dekker

A bit of nonfiction. Sidney Dekker talks about plane crashes and offshore oil rig accidents, from the perspective of a safety expert and accident investigator -but underneath the specific examples, he talks about the human condition and its many pitfalls and logical fallacies. About how to approach the aftermath of disaster with willingness to understand rather than eagerness to condemn. About what “safety” actually is, and how it can be both built up and eroded in human interaction. Highly recommend even if you work a desk job.

En Dan Nog Iets - Paulien Cornelisse

A Dutch book! Title translates as “And Another Thing”, but I’d wish anyone luck trying to translate the contents. Written by a Dutch cabaretière, it’s a collection of witty observations of the Dutch language in its natural habitat -with its idioms, expressions, trendy words, but mostly, the many almost untranslatable ways people give themselves away in the way they talk.

Girls in White Dresses - Jennifer Close

Did I like this book, or did I find it horrendous? Both. The blurb on the back sells it as a chick lit about a group of women who struggle with romance while continuing to attend the weddings of others. What it actually is, is a painfully astute dissection of life in your twenties and thirties, in all its small-minded, vapid, petty, anxiety-riddled, hopeful, generous, and truly all-too-human glory. “Relatable!”, the blurb promises. I’d say, take that as a threat.

The Social Life of Information - John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid

More non-fiction. An IT book from the year 2000, I can hear you think “what relevance does that even have anymore?” -and you’d be surprised. Most of the book is not about tech. It’s about people, and how people form an indispensable part of any IT ecosystem. It’s remarkable, how relevant much of the contents still are, from the isolation of the home office, the battle against bad actors on the Internet, and the difficulties of transferring knowledge, to the endurance of paper within the office and the value of informal information exchange. A niche read, but valuable.

The Hotel Life - Javier Montes

Did I like this book? No. Would I recommend it? Also no. Was it memorable? Very. This book was at once boring and baffling. Nothing happens for ages; the narrator is not particularly interesting, even as he sinks into an increasingly unhinged parasocial fascination with a female porn director he met only once. There’s nothing sexy or even fascinatingly dark about the main character even as he essentially becomes a stalker. He’s boring, even while insane. (There’s also an almost random murder near the end that happens bizarrely blasé and doesn’t get addressed?) Anyway. A book like a developing psychosis. Proof no one becomes interesting by going mad.

….

Let’s hope I also manage to read some the coming month!

[staciass]

[housebaylor]

(click for a better quality)

[clinchcoverenthusiast]

January is finally over! The only good thing about it lasting forever is I got a lot of reading done. A tumblr friend brought The Tea Dragon books to my attention and bless her for it because they were so soothing and beautiful. Overall, it was another satisfying reading month but other standouts were Parasocial, The Saint of Steel series, Game On, and The Love Con. I own Chain-Gang All-Stars but switched to the eaudio from Libby about halfway through. The Anti-Hero was on KU, and everything else was from either Hoopla or Libby.  

The Anti-Hero (The Goode Brothers #1) - Sara Cate

Parasocial - Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson

Dracula Motherf**ker! - Alex de Campi, Erica Henderson

The Hunger and the Dusk #5 - G. Willow Wilson, Chris Wildgoose

Mickey Chambers Shakes it Up - Charish Reid* **

Paladin's Grace (The Saint of Steel #1) - T. Kingfisher

Chain-Gang All-Stars - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah* **

The Tea Dragon Society - K. O'Neill**

The Tea Dragon Festival - K. O'Neill**

The Tea Dragon Tapestry - K. O'Neill**

We'll Never Have Paris (Paris, je t'aime #1) - Adriana Anders

Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology - edited by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.* **

Game On - Seressia Glass* **

The Love Con - Seressia Glass* **

Paladin's Strength (The Saint of Steel #2) - T. Kingfisher

Paladin's Hope (The Saint of Steel #3) - T. Kingfisher

Nettle & Bone - T. Kingfisher

Swordheart - T. Kingfisher

* = author(s) of color

** = main character(s) of color