Monthly Wrap Up: January

I know today technically isn’t the last day of January, but I have a review planned for tomorrow, so you get my wrap up today! I did a lot of reading in January. So much reading. And I consistently wrote blog posts! 2019 is working out well so far; let’s see if I can keep up this momentum for the rest of the year.

I finished a total of 21 books this month (almost done with 22, but I can’t 100% say that until I finish Dread Nation). About half of them were probably graphic novels (Spider-Man), the rest mostly young adult novels with a few adult novels thrown in. I reviewed every single one on Goodreads (yay!), and got most of my ARCs on here. That’s a pretty successful review month, if you ask me.

January Reading Challenges

Time for a check-in regarding reading challenge progress. Specifically, Book Riot’s Read Harder and the 2019 Unreadshelf Challenge (read more about both challenges here!).

The challenge for the Unreadshelf was: any unread book. For this, I read:

• The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin

For Read Harder, we had two challenges. An epistolary novel or collection of letters:

• When You Read This by Mary Adkins (review to come soon!)

An alternate history novel:

• Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (I’m so close to finishing!)

Check out what I’m planning to read for these next month in my February TBR post coming this weekend

January Best and Worst

Sometimes, it’s difficult for me to pick out exactly what book I thought was the best for the month, especially if they all run together (like they did this month). But! It’ll will make my end of the year post easier if I consistently write out my favorites.

Best: The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson

I loved basically everything about this book, as I do most Shaun David Hutchinson novels. It didn’t pass Elena Mendoza for me, but I loved the fact that a friendship was at the core of the novel, instead of a romantic relationship. How refreshing.

Worst: The Girl King by Mimi Yu

Okay, this book got a lot of hype, but it just wasn’t for me. It felt like the world building was a little lacking, and I didn’t feel invested by the end of the book.

January Books Read

The Girl King by Mimi Yu (2.5 stars)

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 7: Book of Ezekiel by J. Michael Straczynski (4 stars)

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 8: Sins Past by J. Michael Straczynski (3 stars)

Fireside Chat with a Grammar Nazi Serial Killer by Ryan Suvaal (3.5 stars)

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 9: Skin Deep by J. Michael Straczynski (4 stars)

The Last Romantics by Tara Conklin (4 stars)

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 10: New Avengers by J. Michael Stracyznski (4 stars)

Edge of Spider-Geddon by Jed McKay (3 stars)

Spider-Geddon by Jed McKay (3 stars)

Spider-Geddon: Cover-Ops by Gerry Duggan (3 stars)

Let’s Go Swimming on Doomsday by Natalie C. Anderson (4 stars)

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (4 stars)

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness (5 stars)

The Giver, Graphic Novel by Lois Lowry/P. Craig Russell (4 stars)

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson (4.5 stars)

Spider-Man: The Other by Peter David (3 stars)

Apocalypse Five by Stacey Rourke (4 stars)

When You Read This by Mary Adkins (3 stars)

New Kid by Jerry Craft (5 stars)

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 4: Graveyard Shift by Dan Slott (3 stars)

Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5: Spiral by Gerry Conway (3 stars)

What’s your favorite book you read this month?