After a rough reading year last year, I was worried my reading slump would carry over into the New Year. Thankfully, I was able to find a few books that I was really excited for to kick off the New Year. While I do not expect all these books to appear on my end of year favorites list, I enjoyed almost every book on this list. Here’s what I read:
- Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (★ ★ ★ ★ ★)
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Even though from the description it contained some elements that I thought I would enjoy, like a ragtag team of characters, I was initially put off by how I never finished Illuminae and the mixed reviews from people who loved Illuminae. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed this book and look forward in continuing the series.
- The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory (★ ★)
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory was one of my favorite contemporaries two years ago, so I put The Wedding Party on my TBR shortly after. Since The Wedding Party was nominated for a Goodreads choice award, it appeared as a Kindle Daily deal early this year. Unfortunately for me, The Wedding Party suffered from a lot of missed opportunities. While this book had a lot of potential, it missed the mark in several ways for me.
- Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (★ ★ ★ ★)
Everyone is gushing about Tweet Cute, so as a fan of contemporaries, I immediately picked it up. I’m not someone who rushes out and buys a book, especially for authors that aren’t my auto-buys, but this sounded right up my alley. While I overall enjoyed Tweet Cute, some of the pacing (especially in the ending) was a little off for me.
- First and Then by Emma Mills (★ ★ ★ )
I have read one other book by Emma Mills, Famous in a Small Town, and my feelings towards that book are similar to how I feel about this book. For me, Emma Mills is an author with A LOT of set-up in the beginning of the book. While there’s always some emotional punch in the end, for me, it often feels like a lot of work to get to for the reward. While I think Emma Mills is a talented author, I think this style just isn’t my favorite.
What were your favorite January reads?
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I preordered Aurora Rising (mostly for the Memento novella incentive) and never got around to reading it because of all the meh reviews. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. That gives me hope! 😉
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