It’s a new year and a new chapter of books I read! I wonder if I can surpass last year’s number of 81? I have set my Goodreads goal to 87 books, so it’s not too many more. It may seem like a random number. In fact, it’s the average of the last two years (2023 and 2024) totals. It will also be a nice £87 in my pot for next year’s books!

I found it helpful to use the CAWPILE rating system last year, so I will continue with that for the books I read. I may do a couple of re-reads this year of favourite books before using this, to compare my ratings.

This year didn’t get off to a good start. At the beginning of January, I came down with the awful flu that was going around. I slept a lot, so I didn’t get a lot of reading in – physical or audio. I had just started to get back into a flow when, toward the end of the month, Barney had to have emergency surgery. He was in critical condition at one point, so that was an emotional, stressful period leading into February, too.

What I did manage to read, I wasn’t overly taken with, so it’s been a bit of a bad start to the year! Anyway, let’s have a look at what I managed to read.

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver 3*

This was the first read of the year for my in-person book club. (And for me!) I’ve previously read Demon Copperhead by the author and loved it so I had high expectations for this. However, I wasn’t as keen on it. It just didn’t hit the mark for me.

The pace felt slow, and it didn’t feel like it was going anywhere for much of the book. There were too many politics that didn’t feel like they had a place in the story. However, I did learn something new about the secret women’s vote in the 1800s.

I couldn’t warm to any of the characters other than the dog and the baby! The ending also felt like a completely different story from the beginning, with the change in the characters and the way it was written. If this were my first read by the author, I’m not sure I’d pick up another!

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett 2.5*

This was my first time delving into anything by Terry Pratchett. I watched the TV adaptation of Hogfather years ago and remember enjoying it, so I was looking forward to reading it for one of my online book clubs! However, it just wasn’t for me. I never really got into the story because I was confused and not sure what was happening at any point in time!

There were way too many characters to keep up with, although I did like the God of Hangovers and the Death of Rats! It wasn’t all bad – there were a lot of laugh-out-loud moments from the characters’ actions and words. I’ve been assured that it probably wasn’t the best Pratchett/Discworld book to begin with. I will tentatively pick up another at some point!

The Foundling by Stacey Halls 4*

This book had been on my TBR for a while, but was bumped to the top when it was chosen as the monthly read for my in-person book club. The storyline pulled me straight in and kept a good pace and steady flow throughout. It was quite predictable, however, I kept wanting to pick it up (or listen to it.)

The characters developed well. I disliked one of the main female characters, but as I learned more of her backstory, my empathy grew. The author did a great job with the grim atmosphere of 1700s London, so it was easy for me to form a picture in my head. The ending was a little expected, but I did feel content with it. I’ll be picking up more by Stacey Halls!

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon 3*

This was another read for one of my online book clubs. It isn’t one I would have chosen to read myself, so I was tentative going into it, too, especially considering the length! I found it difficult to get into this book too, as there were so many different points of view and characters to keep up with, plus a lot of fantasy world-building, which I always struggle with.

Saying that, the writing was excellent and when I eventually got used to the characters I found they did develop well. The audio performance was fantastic, but if I hadn’t used an Audible credit, I think it would have ended up on my DNF pile! I don’t think I’ll read another book by this author, however, I’d recommend it if you’re into longer fantasy and dragon-themed books.

Want by Gillian Anderson 3.5*

As no stranger to smut (not so much nowadays, but lots in the past!) I was intrigued to read this when I saw it was due for publication. It wasn’t until I started reading it that I discovered it was a modern version of My Secret Garden, published in the 1970s.

<p>There isn’t much to say about it except that it’s a collection of fantasies submitted by anonymous females from all walks of life. There is quite a variety inside: from voyeurism to just wanting to be loved. However, a handful of them did make me go wide-eyed! (Let’s just say aliens…)

I’m not sure I’d recommend this to anyone as it was just “okay.” Maybe if you feel the need to get you in the mood!

The Foundling was my favourite of the books I read in January. Have you read any of these? What was your favourite book of the month?