January Reading Recap

Featuring the beginning of a new author project?

January was a long, chaotic month. I read fifteen books in January and feel like I’m still trying to reestablish a solid reading routine, as well as how to balance my reading with the writing work I want to prioritize. It was very much a month where I picked up titles on impulse, often after hearing recommendations from other readers, and a lot of those impulses paid off. I also managed to read all three of my bookclub picks this month, something which I wasn’t great at in 2024 but want to refocus on in 2025, and loved getting to discuss them with passionate, lively communities of readers.

My January reading categories were:

• One romance published over 15 years ago: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

• One book that’s won the Booker, the Women’s Prize, the Pulitzer, or the National Book Award: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

• One book that’s over 500 pages long: Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel

• One book recommended to me by a friend: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

My February reading categories are:

• One romance from the eighteenth or nineteenth century

• Two books from series I enjoyed but never finished or am behind on

• One book in translation

• One book set outside North America or the UK

Favorites of the month

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

When pragmatic, clever Jessica Trent sets out to rescue her brother from the bad influence of the infamous Lord Dain, she’s instead surprised by an irresistible attraction to the brooding Dain…one that he’s equally wrecked by. I’ll caveat that not all of this novel, published in 1995, has aged perfectly but I loved reading it anyway. It has the high drama, passion, and vivid, wonderfully crafted writing that I crave in historical romance. On a sentence level, the writing is excellent, especially the way that Chase parallels Jessica and Dain throughout the book. I was also obsessed with Jessica: our cunning, determined, witty heroine who feels fresh and modern and exciting but still right for the time period. Brooding alpha heroes aren't usually my thing but Chase does such a good job of portraying Dain's deep hurt and rage that I felt for him and found his emotional journey to be well done and satisfying. Reading this gave me the giddy feeling I felt picking up some of my favorite historical romances for the very first time and it has a permanent place on my shelf. (Open door, medium steam.)

Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin

The story of two cousins, the women they fall for, and the question of how to build a happy life that was exactly the kind of warm, witty, and perfectly observed story that I yearn for but can't always find. It's a delicious comedy of manners, it's funny while still having depth, and it's a fascinating glimpse into a New York of decades past. The characters felt so real and appealing and I was particularly fond of self-described scourge of God Misty. Reading it made me give a little shiver of happiness, made me laugh out loud several times, and had me running to the bookstore to purchase more of Colwin’s work. I have the feeling she might become my 2025 author project.

Really liked

Blue Light Hours by Bruna Dantas Lobato

A quiet, tender mother-daughter story about a young Brazilian woman studying at a small college in Vermont while her mother remains behind in Brazil and the ways their relationship shifts over the years. This was a really lovely, reflective story that captures the experience of learning a new land, the joys and heartaches of digital communication, and the ways parent-child relationships change. I was also moved by the friendships our narrator forms with the other international students on campus. The prose is sparse but full of feeling and I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a new take on the campus novel.

Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel

A sprawling group biography of five female Abstract Expressionist artists that encapsulates a movement, a city, and a whole lot of drama. I read this slowly over the course of about a month--an approach I would recommend--and let myself savor all its details and Gabriel's expressive writing. I especially liked how well this blended the epic and the intimate. By the end of the story, I felt like I knew Lee, Elaine, Grace, Joan, and Helen but also like I'd been on a journey, a bit like the book equivalent of a really good, prestige-y ten episode miniseries. I think this could be a great read before a trip to New York, especially if you’re planning on visiting some of the museums where these women’s paintings hang.

Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard (Taming of the Dukes #1)

After a chance meeting in Covent Garden, a stony-faced duke makes an out-of-work ballerina an offer: be his pretend fiancee for the rest of the season, in exchange for the fortune she needs to restart her life. This was exactly the kind of historical romance that I'm always looking for: smart, well-written, steamy, and with palpable chemistry between its main characters. There’s some clever nods to Pretty Woman, a delightful group of friends that Neve makes, and intriguing ballet details. (I am longing for more ballet romances!) It's well written and while it's always a fun read, there's real emotional stakes to it that had me deeply invested. I very much enjoyed Neve and Lysander's final confessions of love to each other, as well as how they bantered with and challenged each other. (Open door, high steam.)

Flirting With Disaster by Naina Kumar

A second-chance romance between an estranged couple brought back together when one of them flies back to Houston to finally get their divorce papers signed--and finds herself stuck with her husband during a hurricane in the home they once shared. There's something grounded and calming about Kumar's writing that I enjoy, as well as a 90's classic rom-com feel that I think could appeal to occasional romance readers. I also really liked the portrayal of a heroine who's committed to making a difference through politics, the palpable chemistry between Meena and Nikhil, and the ways they've both grown and changed in order to be able to come back together. (Open door, low steam.)

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (Perveen Mistry #1)

A well-written and researched, smart, and thoughtful historical mystery set in 1920's India, with a compelling heroine at its start. I loved Perveen and her determination to both protect vulnerable women and see justice done. Massey strikes the exact right balance between the present-day mystery and Perveen's backstory, which adds a new layer to her character and her drive to help the titular widows living in seclusion. The setting comes to life in rich detail and I especially enjoyed learning more about Parsi culture. The central mystery is satisfying while the dynamics in Perveen's personal life are intriguing and set up rich ground for future novels in the series. Highly recommended for fans of historical mystery looking to dive into a new series.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

A quietly magnificent, deeply reflective novel written in the form of a letter from the Reverend John Ames to his young son as Ames contemplates what it means to live a life of faith as his own end draws nearer. This book is dense and requires nothing less than the reader's full attention--there were some paragraphs I had to go back and reread to make sure I was sure of what I had just read--but it rewards that kind of patience with beautiful writing and moments of emotion that sneaked up and then had me floored with their power. Relatively simple at first glance, it reveals the richness in even the most quiet of lives.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

When her beloved is captured by the Sorceress of the dangerous Midnight Sea, kind-hearted Tress sets out upon an unexpected adventure to rescue him. This is a whimsical, big-hearted fantasy with a cozy feel, some creative world-building, and The Princess Bride vibes. I found our heroine Tress deeply endearing and also quite liked the supporting characters, a ramshackle group of pirates with good intentions. Sanderson has a real gift for engrossing storytelling and for world-building. The idea of the spore seas is just so cool and the way he describes them brings the world to life in a marvelous way. A delightful read overall and the perfect way to start my reading year.

There’s some structural quibbles but I also really responded to these (aka the Elif Shafak section)

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

A woman remembers her life in the moments after her murder, from her strict childhood to her hard life as a sex worker in Istanbul to the close-knit group of friends that brought light to her life there. I had some structural questions, particularly when it came to the '10 minutes, 38 seconds" framing and with wanting to see more of Leila as an adult, but there's also a warmth and depth of feeling here that I found so compelling. I loved the depiction of Istanbul, which feels like another character in the novel, and the gorgeously vivid writing that Shafak uses to bring it to life, as well as the moments of friendship and love that these characters manage to snatch out of a hard life on the margins of society. The plotting also feels a lot tighter than There Are Rivers in the Sky and I appreciate her ambition, compassion, and big-hearted writing style. Definitely check content warnings before picking this one up.

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

This expansive novel follows the path of a single drop of water, from ancient Mesopotamia to Victorian London to 2014 Turkey and Iraq to 2018 London. I really enjoyed parts of this: its expansiveness, the Dickensian feel to the Victorian storyline, the enormous amounts of research that Shafak blends into a sprawling story, some beautiful passages of writing, and the reflection on memory and history. What was less successful for me was the uneven pacing, including what feels like a rushed ending after some very leisurely storytelling where I found my attention wandering, and the fact that I didn’t find the 2018 plotline as compelling as the others. But I do have a soft spot for books that braid together stories from different times and places and for books that just try things. I’d recommend checking content warnings with this one too.

A fun time when I needed it

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

This pleasantly bonkers paranormal romance asks one very important question: what if the Loch Ness monster was a hot, cursed man? A knowingly ridiculous and surprisingly sweet romp that feels like Ferguson had a great time writing it. It’s part grumpy-sunshine monster romance, part sweet family story and although it felt a little long (almost 400 pages), this was exactly the read I needed on a bitterly cold weekend. I’m definitely going to pick up more of Ferguson’s writing when I’m looking for another fun, absorbing read. (Open door, high steam.)

I have quibbles but I also zipped through these at the speed of light?

Rebel Blue Ranch series by Lyla Sage (Done and Dusted, Swift and Saddled, and Lost and Lassoed)

I read this series of fast-paced cowboy romances when my mental battery was drained and I needed a bit of a brain break…and they delivered. The line-level writing is very straightforward and I did find myself wanting richer character interiority and better sentence flow, as the prose tends towards the choppy. (Note that it does get better over the course of the series!) But there’s something super engrossing about Sage’s storytelling style anyway and obvious chemistry between each of the central couples. I found the Ryder family and the way they care for and support each other deeply appealing and there’s a cozy feeling to the whole series that drew me in. (Open door, high steam.)

Let me know your favorite read of January in the comments!

---

Currently reading: I’m almost done with Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage, hence its inclusion here, and planning on picking up either Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams or the next in Amalie Howard’s Taming of the Dukes series.

Recommendations, miscellany, and little bits of joy:

• Free Fridays at the Whitney, where I went with a friend last Friday to soak up the art, and pizza from L’Industrie on Christopher Street afterward.

• Finally giving up on bringing a shoulder bag to work and investing in a laptop backpack from Calpak. My shoulders have never been happier and I can actually fit more in this one than my old bag?

• The chewy cocoa brownies recipe from Snacking Bakes by Yossy Arefi, which were incredibly easy to make and so, so good. (My boyfriend, noted dessert connoisseur, said they were some of the best he’d ever had.) I also love Arefi’s Snacking Cakes, if you’re looking for a low-effort, high-reward cookbook.