January Reads
Everything I read this month to kick off my 2025 Year of Reading!
Ahhhh, Winter. A time to indulge in inside activities and achieve the main objective of just staying warm! It’s bone-chilling cold here; I definitely don’t want to be doing anything else. So until mid-to-late February, you’ll find me toasty, under my electric blanket (or electric Snuggie my husband got me for Christmas, highly recommend), with a book in hand if I am not on my laptop or watching something on television.
I’m happy to report I am still reading heavily. I smashed twelve books this month. All because I don’t want to go outside or do anything but read and stay cozy. This leads me to the conclusion that…
January is the best reading month.
January’s thirty-one days feel like they drag on for eight-four years, but that’s really only because it’s a major slow down following the hectic 8-12 week stint of holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas). It’s cold AF — at least, in my neck of the woods. We’ve been blessed with not one but two rounds of a frigid polar vortex… so far this season, anyway. To top it off, we’re still trying to shake off the foot of snow that fell earlier this month. Luckily, I have no plans to do anything but stay home, read, and catch up on some TV I’ve missed. Sounds great to me!
I feel like my slate of books really started the year off strong. I bought a handful of hardcovers during Barnes & Noble’s 50% off sale a few weeks ago, plus received my Book of the Month box for January… so, basically, there is no shortage of physical books to read this month. The hardest part was deciding where I’d start. I grabbed something off the shelf, put some things on hold via Libby, and let the dice roll.
I ended up reading four physical books and eight via Libby (that breaks down to five audiobooks and three eBooks). Give it up for my library card, which never lets me down! 🥳
With my reading recaps this year, I’m going to include my star ratings (based off what I give a book on Goodreads) and who I think the book is ‘for’ (who would enjoy reading it, that is). I posted on Instagram what my star ratings mean, if you’d like to take a gander.
As always, if you have a recommendation or something you know I’ll love to read, please put it in the comments, DM me, send a smoke signal, tell me on Goodreads — basically, whatever it takes to get the book on my TBR!
[Heads up: this is a long one. This might cut off in your email/inbox, so please make sure you go to the website to view it in its entirety.]
FICTION
CREATION LAKE, by Rachel Kushner
Who it’s for: Those who like spy stories + anthropology
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Slow burn. We’re following Sadie, a private contractor/former spy, with the mission to infiltrate a group of anarchists in France. She has hacked into the account of the group’s mentor, who will only communicate through email. She reads his messages, which are mostly about Neanderthals, their way of living, and how reverting back to it could be what saves modern society. I say it’s a slow burn because it’s very much like what you’d expect a story about a secret agent to be while they are infiltrating a group — a lot of slow movement. You’re not going to get an action-packed thrill ride from this one. It’s a lot of long days/weeks/months of acting “normal” to gain the trust of the people around you, and seeking your opportunity to strike to carry out the orders given by those in charge. This was a highly-recommended read in the last quarter of 2024 and deservedly so — it’s gorgeously written and so very intriguing.
THE OVERNIGHT GUEST, by Heather Gudenkauf
Who it’s for: People who enjoy suspense/thrillers
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thrilling. This is a perfect, suspenseful winter read! I stayed up way too late to finish because I simply couldn’t put it down. This one is about a true-crime writer, Wylie, who rents a house in the middle of winter to finish her latest book. The house just happens to be the setting of a murder and from where a couple of kids went missing. A big snowstorm hits — she finds a child who escaped a car crash nearby, nearly frozen. Taking in the child, she soon discovers they are not safe from the storm, or from someone looking for the child, within the walls of this farmhouse. I won’t say more, but I will share I was delightfully surprised by how it ended.
ANDROMEDA, by Therese Bohman
Who it’s for: Those who like a story about a non-conventional relationship
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beautiful. I have to say, this is not what I thought it would be, and I am happy about it. This story is about a woman, Sofie, who gets an internship at a well-known publishing house and by giving her honest feedback, she gains the attention of the editor-in-chief, Gunnar, who is quite older than her. They spend loads of time together, becoming quite close. The tangible tension between them, from Sofie’s POV, is undeniable. The first half is about her experience, and the second is his. This story, translated from the author’s native Swedish language, is beautifully written. At its core, it’s about exploring power dynamics, the importance of literature’s role in culture, and the thickness of unspoken feelings.
THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW, by I. S. Berry
Who it’s for: People who like spy thrillers
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gripping. I love a spy thriller, but I haven’t read any in a while! I grabbed this on a BOGO sale at the end of 2024 (it was even a signed copy!!) and couldn’t wait to crack it open. This is about a CIA operative, Shane, who is stationed in Bahrain during the Arab Spring. It’s his final operation and he’s about to retire. It moves kind of slow but picks up at the right times — which makes it very realistic, IMO. A classic tale of espionage with murder, an uprising, a revolution, and so much more. Highly recommend. I would love to watch this as a limited series or a movie, too!
RIPE, by Sarah Rose Etter
Who it’s for: Those who enjoy literary fiction weaved with darkness
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Full of tension. The cover grabbed me at the bookstore and it immediately found a place on my TBR. When it became available through Libby, I couldn’t open it fast enough, nor could I put it down. Ripe is about a young woman, Cassie, who works for a start up in Silicon Valley. Etter does a fantastic job of capturing the start up hustle culture within her prose, creating a hectic view of the unrealistic expectations on people submerged in that world, and really nailing the unbelievable conversations “Believers” have. (If you’ve worked in a start up, you’ll get it.) Cassie tries to stay afloat in this world while her lifelong pal, The Black Hole, keeps her company. That sentence makes the story sound like the black hole is her friend, but in reality, it’s her depression that has followed her around since she was born. Pick it up for the unbelievable tension Etter creates on the page, stay for the saga that is Cassie’s life.
YOU WILL NEVER BE ME, by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Who it’s for: The ones who love a dark tale about friendship gone wrong
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cutthroat. This story was twisty and dark — just like what I imagine the behind-the-scenes of influencing to be! (Thanks for the recommendation, L!) Meredith met her BFF at a social gathering for local influencers and gave her the new name, Aspen, to help her get bigger online. From there, Aspen took off and Meredith was left behind. Their friendship broken, Meredith is stalking Aspen and steals her daughter’s iPad, uncovering everything about Aspen’s life… all accessible at the tap of a finger on a screen. Aspen’s life begins to spiral, Meredith goes missing. This deviously delicious tale of obsessive female relationships and how jealousy can ruin lives is such a thrill ride. Kinda want it to be a movie or TV show, à la YOU.
SUCH A BAD INFLUENCE, by Olivia Muenter
Who it’s for: People who love diving into the dark side of social media
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Slow, but packs a punch. I have followed ’s Substack and dig her writing, so I was excited to dive into her debut novel. This story follows Hazel, whose social media famous (and much younger) sister, Evie, goes missing following an impromptu livestream in her car. You see, Evie became internet famous at the age of five because their vlogging mother posted a video that ended up going viral. Hazel was never into that life — she has managed to avoid being a part of the “family business”. She has always been protective of her sister and weary of her lucrative online life. When her worst fears are realized, Hazel untangles many threads to figure out what happened to Evie. It was a slow burn but man, hang with it — the twists hit as everything comes together. Trust me, you won’t know until you know. The dark side of social media shines in this novel and it was a fun read!
NONFICTION
DINNER FOR VAMPIRES, by Bethany Joy Lenz
Who it’s for: People who love a celebrity memoir + stories about leaving cults
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vulnerable. I knew nothing about Bethany Joy Lenz and I’ve never watched One Tree Hill, but I understand the impact it had on its fans. When I saw this was coming out, the title alone drew me in, but also the tag line. I’m a sucker for a cult story! Lenz bravely writes about her experience in a religious cult — something that took over her life before she could even realize it was happening because she was seeking a place to belong with the strong sense of faith instilled in her from childhood. For her, it started as a group of friends practicing and sharing their faith, and it ended when she finally realized how much she had been taken advantage of by the group’s self-appointed leader(s). Getting out was difficult, but she managed to do so and was able to share her story with the world. This was a bit heavy on the god stuff, but she was in a religious cult. Good for her on escaping and finding her light again.
SOCIOPATH, by Patric Gagne, Ph.D.
Who it’s for: People who love a memoir and also want to learn something
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Intriguing. This was a memoir that had been on my radar since its release and I finally was able to procure it from the library this month. I found Gagne’s story very compelling to hear how an actual sociopath functions in daily life and society. I think her story is much different than other sociopaths, though, which is why she decided to get a Ph.D. in the subject — to help others with the same murky diagnosis. Gagne is raw and honest, really to a fault, and it really comes out in her writing. This was a great audiobook, so if you have the chance to listen, I highly recommend doing so.
WINTERING, by Katherine May
Who it’s for: Those who enjoy wonderfully written conceptional narratives
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Soothing. The concept of “wintering” — retreating into yourself, really — is interesting to me. Taking the time to pull back in order to heal, to rest, to regain a sense of self during these colder months feels natural to me. I have seen these types of posts on social media a lot lately — how we’re meant to rest more in winter, much like animals who hibernate, so it’s natural to feel tired and want to slow down and relax as much as possible during these long, dark months. May’s personal narrative is slow and steady, reflective, and necessary to share. I don’t think I’ll be taking a cold swim in the sea anytime soon, but I can certainly align with wanting to spend time celebrating the solstice and honoring the cyclical effect the movement of seasons has on our bodies and minds.
THE MASTERMIND, by Evan Ratliff
Who it’s for: People who are intrigued by international true crime cases
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Riveting. I was cruising Libby to find another audiobook for this month’s slate and when I read the description of this one, and seeing it was available immediately, I was thrilled. The tagline included “Drugs. Empire. Murder. Betrayal.” Obviously, I was in. This is about Paul Le Roux, a man who started his empire by building an online pharmacy system and eventually expanded into more drugs and guns, and killing anyone who crossed him. He got caught and immediately cooperated, bringing down his whole empire with him. With top notch reporting, Evan Ratliff walks readers through the cat-and-mouse game played by the DEA to bring down Le Roux. The story was so wild, it felt like fiction. Definitely a good one!
CHER, by Cher
Who it’s for: People who are intrigued by international true crime cases
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Iconic. There is no other woman on the face of the planet who could release a memoir (an audiobook that is 16 hours long), titled with her name, and it only be Part One. Part One!!! Cher is an icon for the ages and whewww has she lived, honey. Part One of her memoir takes us through her early life and up until she dated Gene Simmons (which, I had no idea she did!), which happened in the late 1970s. She gets into everything about her upbringing, her marriage and partnership with Sonny Bono, as well as her short-lived marriage to Gregg Allman. This was such a delight to listen to, and it’s one of those celeb memoirs that has everything you want in a celeb memoir. I cannot wait to listen to part two, which comes out later this year!
All the (non-affiliate) links for the books reviewed go to Bookshop.org, a wonderful site where you can purchase your books and support your local independent bookstore(s). 📚
Check out past reads by clicking here. See what my star ratings mean on Instagram.
Follow me on Goodreads!
Thank you so very much for reading SABI and for your kind review. I appreciate it so very much!