January 2025 Reading Recap

I know I say, "Can you believe it's already [fill in the month]?!" in almost every reading recap post, but really ... where did January go?! 

Anyway, I managed to read nine books in January, so I'm quite pleased! (I finished one of them on February 3, but since I read most of it in January, I'm choosing to count it with my January books.) That does mean, however, that this post is quite long, so consider yourself forewarned!

All covers are linked to Goodreads.

Nonfiction

Selling Sexy: Victoria's Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon, by Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez

★★★.5

Genre: Nonfiction

"The story of how Victoria’s Secret skyrocketed from a tiny chain of boutiques to a retail phenomenon with more than $8 billion in annual sales at its peak—all while defining an impossible beauty standard for generations of American women—before the brand’s tight grip on the industry finally slipped." (From Goodreads)

I decided to read this as my nonfiction of the month because it's adjacent to January's theme of Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month due to Victoria's Secret's connection with Jeffrey Epstein, which the book does address.

Selling Sexy was simultaneously immensely interesting and extremely boring. Interesting because it tied together so many biographical and historical elements (it's basically a biography of Les Wexner as well as the origin story of fast fashion) and boring because it's basically just a rehashing of all of Victoria's Secret's marketing campaigns from the 1970's until the present day. I felt like it was mostly a recitation of facts ("and then this happened, and then this happened ...") without much analysis until the 3-page epilogue.

Paper TBR

Me vs. Brain: An Overthinker's Guide to Life, by Hayley Morris

★★★.5

Genre: Nonfiction

"In her warm and witty debut about living with intrusive thoughts and anxiety, bestselling author Hayley Morris shows—with her signature sparkling humor and unflinching honesty—that being an overthinker is both a blessing and a curse. She confronts the funny (if painful) moments that arise when your brain and body refuse to cooperate and your inner voice won’t shut up. No subject is too taboo for Hayley, whether that’s forgetting how to walk when people are watching or the frustrations of dating. Me vs. Brain is for any reader hoping to befriend their brain, even when it’s 'scatty, annoying, and wrong about basically everything.'" (From Goodreads)

I finally read it! I discovered Hayley Morris on Instagram a year or two ago and I've been putting her book on TBR lists on my blog since last summer. Since I generally avoid buying books if I can, and this one isn't available through my library system, I had to wait until I got it for Christmas.

This book was super easy to read, as the chapters were all fairly short and the writing uncomplicated. It was hilarious and sad–hilarious because of how relatable it was, and sad also because of how relatable it was (well, and also because of what happens at the end). It felt like reading a whole bunch of stand-up sketches in one book: not really connected, easy to pick it up and read a few chapters in between tasks. However, towards the end everything got more serious and the whole thing came together nicely. I feel like I know Hayley very well now, and it's heartwarming how much she loves her parents.

Book Club

The 13th Gift: A True Story of a Christmas Miracle, by Joanne Huist Smith

★★★.5

Genre: Memoir

"After the unexpected death of her husband, Joanne Huist Smith had no idea how she would keep herself together and be strong for her three children–especially with the holiday season approaching. But 12 days before Christmas, presents begin appearing on her doorstep with notes from their 'True Friends.' As the Smiths came together to solve the mystery of who the gifts were from, they began to thaw out from their grief and come together again as a family. This true story about the power of random acts of kindness will warm the heart, a beautiful reminder of the miracles of Christmas and the gift of family during the holiday season." (From Goodreads)

Funny story about this one: I put the wrong book on my Winter TBR, not realizing that "13th" wasn't spelled out in the title.

This was really hard to read at the beginning. I couldn't read more than a chapter at a time. I think anyone who has lost someone dear to them–or is in the process of losing someone–will find this book difficult at the beginning, but by the end it was full of hope and joy. I loved the characters, and knowing that they are real people made this story even more special.

I'm still not quite sure what the 13th gift was? My mom (who also read this book, as it was our book club's January read) thinks it was the family's healing, but it was never stated outright, and it's bothering me. 

Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, by Elif Shafak

★★★.5

Genre: Historical Fiction

"'In the first minute following her death, Leila's consciousness began to ebb, slowly and steadily, like a tide receding from the shore. Her brain cells, having run out of blood, were now completely deprived of oxygen. But they did not shut down. Not right away...'

"Our brains stay active for ten minutes after our heart stops beating. For Leila, each minute brings with it a new memory: growing up with her father and his wives in a grand old house in a quiet Turkish town; watching the women gossip and wax their legs while the men went to mosque; sneaking cigarettes and Western magazines on her way home from school; running away to Istanbul to escape an unwelcome marriage; falling in love with a student who seeks shelter from a riot in the brothel where she works. Most importantly, each memory reminds Leila of the five friends she met along the way - friends who are now desperately trying to find her. . ." (From Goodreads)

Beautiful, weird, sad ... I know how I *feel* about this book, but I'm not sure what I *think* about it. I loved the writing, and the characters intrigued me, although Leila was, rightfully, my favorite, so I didn't like the second half as much. I'm glad we got to learn why and how she died, but part of me feels like the first half would have been a better story on its own.

I keep thinking about this quote from late in the book (from Zaynab122's perspective): "If she were summoned by God one day, and had a chance to sit in His presence, she would love to ask Him just one simple question: 'Why did you allow Yourself to be so widely misunderstood, my beautiful and merciful God?'"

Mood Reads

Moon of the Crusted Snow, by Waubgeshig Rice

★★★

Genre: Horror

"With winter looming, a small northern Anishinaabe community goes dark. Cut off, people become passive and confused. Panic builds as the food supply dwindles. While the band council and a pocket of community members struggle to maintain order, an unexpected visitor arrives, escaping the crumbling society to the south. Soon after, others follow. The community leadership loses its grip on power as the visitors manipulate the tired and hungry to take control of the reserve. Tensions rise and, as the months pass, so does the death toll due to sickness and despair. Frustrated by the building chaos, a group of young friends and their families turn to the land and Anishinaabe tradition in hopes of helping their community thrive again. Guided through the chaos by an unlikely leader named Evan Whitesky, they endeavor to restore order while grappling with a grave decision." (From Goodreads)

Things I liked:

1. The dreams. They got progressively nightmarish as the book went on, and while they always foreshadowed what was going to happen next, they never prophesied it exactly.

2. The Indigenous history, language, and folklore sprinkled throughout the book. It wasn't heavy-handed at all, and it was actually really interesting how the younger generation on the reservation didn't know all of their own traditions and songs, because their parents hadn't been allowed to practice or teach those things for so long.

3. The relationships, particularly between Nicole and Evan, Evan and Isaiah, and Nicole and her kids (Maiingan and Nangohns).

Things I didn't like as much:

1. The writing wasn't my favorite; it wasn't bad, it just felt like it was written at a 5th or 6th grade level.

2. The whole book felt a little ... dare I say ... anticlimactic. I think I've heard in various places that this book is either thriller or horror, but it didn't really feel like either to me. (I mean, I guess that's good, as that means it was at a level even I could handle.) But I really had to work to put myself in the story to feel anything about it.

I'm not sure if I liked the ending or not. The author left it kind of ambiguous whether Evan was alive or not, but I'm choosing to believe that he was alive.

The Winners, by Fredrik Backman

★★★★★

Genre: Fiction

"Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there’s something about this place that prevents it. The residents continue to grapple with life’s big questions: What is a family? What is a community? And what, if anything, are we willing to sacrifice in order to protect them?" (From Goodreads)

This might end up being the longest (and best) book I read in 2025. It made me tear up and laugh out loud. Right off the bat (is that a bad idiom to use about a book about hockey?), Fredrik Backman started throwing punches at my heart, and he didn't stop. He kept me guessing and then, just when I thought I'd figured out what happened, he pulled the rug right out from under me every time. I loved all the new storylines–Hannah and Johnny, Tess and Bobo, Aleksandr, Alicia. Maya and Ana were in peak form. And Benji. Oh, Benji.

I can't imagine the mental stamina that went into the writing of this book–not only to keep track of all the twisting plot points and characters, but to write about Ruth's story. I thought it was brilliant how Backman wove Ruth into the whole book. It was really about her even though *SPOILER* she was dead before it started. *END OF SPOILER*

All in all, an outstanding conclusion to an unbeatable and unique series!

Keeper of the Lost Cities, by Shannon Messenger

★★★★.5

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

"Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain. Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known. Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come 'home.' There are secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for. In this page-turning debut, Shannon Messenger creates a riveting story where one girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first." (From Goodreads)

Harry Potter vibes in the best way! Sophie gets in even more trouble than Harry does though, probably because she has a stronger conscience and ends up telling on herself (and she doesn't have an invisibility cloak). I really liked the supporting characters, especially Dex and Keefe, and Sophie herself was very believable. I think I'm going to continue on with the series!

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch, by Julia McKay

★★★

Genre: Contemporary Romance

"When doppelgänger best friends trade one’s cabin Christmas vacation for the other’s Hawaiian would’ve-been-honeymoon, both might just find love they weren’t expecting." (From Goodreads)

This was cute, and I liked the premise, but the beginning and the end left much to be desired. Honestly, I'm not sure what could have been different about them to make me like them more, but the first chapter really didn't grab me (I was seriously considering DNFing the book) and the epilogue had so much clumsy exposition that I was cringing. However, since I ended up reading this a month *after* Christmas, I liked that it wasn't too Christmasy. It felt like a good New Year's read, actually.

Daindreth's Assassin, by Elisabeth Wheatley

★★★★.5

Genre: Romantasy

"An assassin falls for the archduke she was sent to kill, but killing him might be the only way to save his soul." (From Goodreads)

WOW. This fully lived up to my expectations, and it was one of the best enemies to lovers romantasy books I've ever read! I love Amira and Daindreth so much, and I'm very glad that Elisabeth Wheatley wrote a whole book about Thadred–I'll definitely be reading that after I finish the series!

My only complaint is that Elisabeth makes a big deal out of her books being Viking-inspired, and maybe I just don't know that much about Vikings, but it didn't seem super Viking-inspired to me? I mean, they dance a minuet (a FRENCH dance that originated in the 1600s) at the ball. And Amira's dresses are imaginatively gorgeous, but not very Viking-y, I don't think?? It's okay, Amira and Daindreth are precious and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

In my opinion, Elisabeth Wheatley is right up there with my other favorite romantasy authors–Trisha Levenseller and Brigid Kemmerer.

Reading Challenge Update

Oh, what's this? Yep, I'm adding a new section to my monthly Reading Recap post! (Hope you don't mind. If you do, you can always just stop reading.)

2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge: 3 books

Fantasy/Sci-Fi Reading Challenge: 1 book

2025 New Release Challenge: 0 books

And my personal challenges:

Books I Didn't Get to Last Year: 6 books

National Month: 1 book

Middle Grade: 1 book

How did you do with your reading goals in January? What books are you most excited about on your February TBR?