January 2024 Wrap-Up

January was incredibly quick and slow all at once. Blink and it was over, yet I accomplished quite a bit and read quite a lot.

My kiddo just turned 9 months and it’s surreal to think that she’s been out of the womb and in the land of the living for as long as she was growing in my belly. Being a new mom has continued to be the highlight of my life and I love watching our little girl grow.

I managed to finish 10 books in January and quite a few hit my personal goals to read more diversely; 2 nonfiction, 3 books by Jewish authors, 1 book by a BIPOC author, and 1 book about a plus-size main character. 6 were books already on my pre-2024 physical owned TBR, 2 were ebooks, and 1 was an audiobook. Mind you, I had started reading 4 of these books before the end of the year, so I had a bit of a head start. I’ll be starting off February with 4 current reads, so I guess I’ve got a similar advantage happening again.

Check out my monthly bookish wrap-up below to help inspire your own reading adventures.

I’d love to hear from you: What did you read this month? What did you love that you can’t stop recommending? What’s up next for you?

Books I read this month

1. Loved | Main Character Energy by Jamie Varon | Paperback purchased in the New Year’s Eve OUABC box

2. Loved | Everyone But Myself by Julie Chavez | Paperback gifted from Zibby Books

3. Loved | Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer | Jewish Author | Chronic Pain | Paperback purchased

4. Loved | Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren | e-ARC gifted from NetGalley

5. Enjoyed | Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros | Romantasy | Spicy Romance | Hardback purchased from B&N

6. Enjoyed | What You Do To Me by Rochelle B. Weinstein | Jewish Author | Paperback purchased

7. Enjoyed | Fearless by Rebecca Minkoff | Jewish Nonfiction Author | Hardback purchased

8. Enjoyed | A Risk Worth Taking by Jessica Joyce | e-book purchased on Amazon

9. Enjoyed | Gwen & Art are not in love by Lex Croucher | Hardback purchased in a OUABC YA Box

10. Enjoyed | Coming Home by Kennedy Ryan | Audiobook included on Audible | BIPOC Author | Spicy Romance

Currently reading

• Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood | YA debut | Paperback in a OUABC box

• Microjoys by Cyndie Spiegel | Hardback borrowed from library

• The Starter Ex by Mia Sosa | audiobook included with Audible membership

• Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman | Paperback purchased

Books I added to my shelves this month

Books I purchased new:

1. Aardvark January selection - Chain-Gang All-Stars — signed special edition by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah ($18)

2. Book of the Month January selection - Interesting Facts about Space by Emily Austin ($13.99)

3. Book of the Month January add on - Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross ($10.99)

4. January book club pick - What You Do To Me by Rochelle B. Weinstein ($12.50)

I pre-ordered 22 books during the Barnes & Noble 25% off preorder sale plus premium members got to stack their 10%! I finally decided to cancel my Ipsy Glam Bag annual subscription which was about to renew for $300 - girl math vibes means it was essentially a financial wash.

Audiobooks & e-Books added to my virtual shelf:

1. E-book | Amazon January First Reads Pick - The Real Deal by Caitlin Devlin | included with Prime membership

2. E-book | Amazon January First Reads Pick - Almost Surely Dead by Amina Akhtar | included with Prime membership

3. E-book | Seven Summer Weekends by Jane L. Rosen | e-arc received from the author via NetGalley | One of my most anticipated reads of the summer!

Received as gifts from publishers & authors :

1. Paperback with goodies | Everyone But Myself by Julie Chavez | Pub 1.9.24 by Zibby

2. Paperback | Arya Khanna's Bollywood Moment by Arushi Avachat | Pub 1.9.24 by Wednesday Books

3. Paperback | Living the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron | Pub 1.9.24 by St. Martin’s Press

4. Hardback | Resilient: The Untold Story of CrossFit's Greatest Comeback by Brooke Wells | Pub 1.16.24 by St. Martin’s Press

5. Hardback | Drunk-ish by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor | Pub 1.16.24 by Gallery

6. Hardback | The Getaway List by Emma Lord | Pub 1.23.24 by Wednesday Books

7. Hardback | Diva by Daisy Goodwin | Pub 1.23.34 by St. Martin’s Press

8. Hardback | Keeping Finance Personal by Ellyce Fulmore | Pub 1.23.24 by Hachette Go

9. Hardback | Madness by Antonia Hylton | Pub 1.23.24 by Legacy Lit

10. Hardback | The Royal Game by Linda Keir | Pub 1.30.24 by Blackstone Publishing

11. Hardback | Flip Your Life by Tarek El Moussa | Pub 2.6.24 by Hachette Go

12. Hardback | White Supremacy Is All Around: Notes from a Black Disabled Woman in a White World by Akilah Cadet DHSc MPH | Pub 2.6.24 by Hachette Go

13. Hardback | Love by Design: 6 Ingredients to Build a Lifetime of Love by Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh | Pub 2.6.24 by Balance

14. E-arc & Hardback | Running Mates by Emily Locker | Pub 2.14.24 by Bancroft Press

15. Paperback ARC | Call Forth a Fox by Markelle Grabo | Pub 4.2.24 by Page Street YA

16. Paperback ARC | You’re Not The Problem by Helen Villiers & Katie McKenna | Pub 4.9.24 by Hachette Go

Books I purchased used for $0.50 each:

1. Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monagh | Paperback - saved $10.26

2. Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson | Hardback - saved $11.20

Books I checked out from the library:

1. Micro Joys by Cyndie Spiegel | Hardback - saved $19.66

Unhauled 14 books sold on Pango - this means more book giveaways coming in February! Follow me on Instagram to get updates on active giveaways.

Entertainment - TV Shows & Movies

• Started watching the Percy Jackson TV series on Disney+

• Started binging Zombies and we just finished season 2.

• Watched seasons 6, 7, & 8 of Suits. We finished season 5 a while back and got distracted and totally forgot we had a few more seasons to go.

• Movies: Good Grief | The Holdovers | The Barbie Movie | A bunch of fun Hallmark Channel movies that I can never remember the titles as soon as the movie is over