25 Books in 2024: My January Book Roundup
Non-members can read this story here for free.
I’ve set a goal to read 25 books in 2024. Why 25? Well, I read 22 last year and I wanted to increase my numbers. Since my (probably) neurospicy brain likes nice round numbers, I went with 25. I’ll be keeping track of all the books and giving you a monthly update. Enjoy!
Welcome to my January book roundup! In January I finished reading the following 4 books (in order of read):
- Mister Magic, by Kiersten White (3.5⭐) Audiobook narrated by Rebecca Lowman Former child stars from a mysterious children’s show TV with a cult following get together for a reunion podcast. Throughout the novel, we learn that there might be more cult to this show than just the following. Described as a horror novel, this book missed the mark for me. There was a lot to enjoy, but I wanted more from the ending and more from the supernatural elements that were sprinkled throughout the narrative.
- The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig (5⭐) Audiobook narrated by Carey Mulligan (yes, that Carey Mulligan!) My first 5-star read of the year, and definitely well deserved! Do you ever wonder how your life would be different if you had taken a different path? Wouldn’t life be easier if you were rich, famous, or had followed your dreams? A little bit of the butterfly effect mixed into the multiverse. If you ever wondered, “What if?” then this book is for you!
- Hello Stranger, by Katherine Center (4⭐) Audiobook narrated by Patti Murin A fun, romantic comedy about a portrait artist who suddenly develops face blindness after having an emergency brain surgery. In the aftermath, she navigates her budding relationships with two men while trying to paint a portrait for a competition that could be her big break. This novel was extremely predictable (to the point where there was an author’s note about how love stories are meant to be predictable and comforting), but I didn’t hate it. In fact, I enjoyed it enough that I am returning for another comfort read from the same author in February.
- The Ten Thousand Doors of January, by Alix E. Harrow (3.5⭐) Audiobook narrated by January LaVoy At the start of the 20th century, a young woman finds a book that leads her to discover secret doors that open to other worlds. As she explores she learns the truth of her past. This book suffered from an extremely slow start (for a while I was convinced that I had been baited and switched into reading a period novel with no fantasy elements whatsoever) and subsequently rushed through what I think could have been much more interesting story elements. A solid 3.5, but could have easily been a 4 with more portal hopping and less exposition.
Please note: my star ratings are a measure of how much I enjoyed the book, and do not in any way claim to be a measure of the quality of the writing or the content. Did I give a rom-com more stars than a few more serious books? You betcha.
At the end of January, my 2024 book ranking looks like this (in order of enjoyment):
1. The Midnight Library 2. Hello, Stranger 3. The Ten Thousand Doors of January 4. Mister Magic
Coming up in February…
I’ve already sunk my teeth into the audiobook of Winterset Hollow, narrated by the author, Johnathan Edward Durham. I’m also returning to the world of reading print books and I’ve started Bora Chung’s short story collection, Your Utopia, translated by Anton Hur.
What books have you read this year? Is there anything you think I would love to read? Leave me a comment and let me know!
❤ If you’ve been enjoying reading my stories, please consider becoming a follower or a Medium member, and share my stories with someone who you think would enjoy them too.❤
