Reading Roundup: January 2024

January 2024 Reads and Reviews

I’ve always struggled with how to approach posting and sharing reviews for books I’m reading. Part of it is always changing my mind on how to format it but mostly, I’m just terrible at being consistent. I took a different approach last year with monthly posts (which devolved into quarterly) and I did like that method. Meanwhile on Instagram, I’ve been sharing mini-reviews of almost everything I read which I’ve also enjoyed. So here at the end of January, I’d like to collect all of my reviews as well as add some manga mentions. 

Want to see something from my reviews or this post? Let me know! 

Format	Goal	To Date	Completion %	Pace
Physical	35	7	20.00%	82
Audiobook	15	0	0.00%	0
E-book	5	2	40.00%	23
Graphic Novel	175	9	5.14%	105
Total	230	18	7.83%	211

Books: 

• Daughter of Redwinter by Ed McDonald
  • 12/10/23 – 1/8/24

This book started a bit on the slow side and (trigger warning) has a super toxic relationship right out of the gate. Specifically there was some physical and emotional abuse. However once you dig into it a bit there’s a unique and fascinating magic system and a really creative twist on the “MC can see ghosts” trope. The main character’s development was gut wrenching but powerful; however, I’d include the disclaimer that this is coming from a male reader. 

I would have liked to learn a bit more about how the magic works but I have a hunch that will come in the next book. Speaking of, I have the sequel, Traitor of Redwinter on my TBR and, hopefully, I’ll be able to talk about that next month! 

• India Muerte and the Ship of the Dead by Set Sytes
  • 12/21/23 – 1/10/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Indie book)

Overall I was pretty mixed on this book. I think I wanted to like it more than I did but when push came to shove, the final 20% or so was incredibly effective. I think the series has a lot of potential based on this starting point.

• Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
  • 1/1/24 – 1/3/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Mundane Jobs)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (About Starting Over)

I’ll be honest, there’s not much I can say that hasn’t already been said. It’s cozy, wholesome and beautiful. Easy five stars and a huge tone-setter on the year. 

Even as I try to expand on my Insta blurb, I find myself struggling. If there was one aspect I would touch on its this: the anxiety of someone taking risks for themselves to attain something they aren’t sure they deserved. You don’t need to be a battle-weary orc to feel like you don’t deserve the things you want. And you don’t need to be a battle-weary orc to be wrong. 

This book, at its heart, is a reminder that you deserve to be loved. You deserve to be happy and that’s nothing to be ashamed of, no matter how frightening the concept may be. 

• Jim Butcher Shorts:
  • 1/4/24 – 1/6/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Short Stories)

This was a tricky one for me for a few reasons. Reddit Bingo has a “Read five short stories” box every year. Having blasted through several Dresden books over the last year or so, I thought this would be a great time to read some short stories. Unfortunately that meant bouncing around and selecting five that wouldn’t spoil books I still haven’t read. Someday I’ll finish Brief Cases and Side Jobs in their entirety and give them a proper review.

• Hounded by Kevin Hearne
  • 1/10/24 – 1/23/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Druid)
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Favorite Genre – Fantasy)

The depth of Celtic lore was really fun to see looped into a modern day setting. That said, the humor fell flat and the book dragged which is rough when it’s all of 260 pages.

• The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
  • 1/20/24 – 1/26/24
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Set in Paris)

This book was exciting, fast-paced and clever. Some reveals were predictable but others hit just right. My biggest issue came early on where all of the key players were introduced and the book felt so focused on making you suspicious of them that they didn’t feel like real people. That resolved itself as the story played out though and by the end I was really impressed by how everything came together. This is a really well mapped out mystery where every detail matters.

Crazy fun mystery ✅

Absolute page turner ✅

Super toxic people that make you feel better about yourself ✅

Recommended if you want a quick, thriller-mystery!

TW: Abuse and homophobia

• Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill
  • 1/27/24 – 1/28/24
  • Reddit Bingo ‘23 (Couldn’t put down)

I’m usually a bit hesitant when it comes to post-apocalyptic sci-fi as it has a way of being a bit more cynical than I can stomach. And while I wouldn’t say this is a “cheery” book, it does have a very strong emotional core that still leaves you feeling hopeful.

It’s worth mentioning that there are some notable political mentions in the first half or so. Depending on your political affiliation this can range from inflammatory to depressingly accurate.

That said, once the thick of the story takes over, the political aspects fade away in favor of the themes of individual identity and choice.

I blasted through this book in one weekend and recommend it to any sci-fi fans!

• The Cage by Bonnie Kistler
  • 1/28/24 – 1/31/24
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Legal Thriller)

The awkward thing about me reading a legal thriller is I can only really compare it to one thing: Suits. And while there is a lot to love in this book, there are chunks of legalese that make me think, “God I miss Mike and Harvey.”

Despite all that, this book took a really fun premise – two women enter an elevator, one is dead by the ground floor – and really explored every avenue of it. Some reveals were predictable but others were a total (and satisfying) surprise. And in the end there were some true boss bitch moments.

All in all I enjoyed the book, but I don’t know that I’ll be going out of my way to read any legal thrillers in the future.

• Long Chills and Case Dough by Brandon Sanderson
  • 1/28/24 – 1/28/24
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Quick Read)

Long Chills and Cold Dough is…weird.

This is the latest Sanderson Curiosity, pulled from some of his early years of writing. Before you think I’m on some kind of tear, this book comes in at all of 56 pages and I read it in a collective 45 mins.

The nutshell (which is tough for such a short story) is: a PI who lives his life like a 1920’s noir detective navigates a case in 2151 Chicago.

Sanderson seems to be lovingly embracing the classic noir style while poking fun at its inherent misogyny. It’s an odd vibe and, if I’m being honest, pretty low on my list of Sanderson works, but the short read time makes it easy enough to gobble up.

On one hand, I want to know more about this MC and his place in this world. On the other, I want someone to slap him stupid for calling women broads and dames and generally being a jackass.

Graphic Novels

• Doom Breaker by Blue-Deep

I picked up the first volume while browsing a Target and loved the concept. I haven’t continued (yet) but that’s not a reflection of the series. The pros are wildly fun art and (again) a crazy dope premise. For cons, it relies a bit too much on rpg styles which I don’t care for. Either way I like the setup from the first volume and will read through the rest in the future. 

• YuYu Hakusho by Yoshihiro Togashi

I was able to finish this series early in the year, specifically the end of Chapter Black and the Three King arcs. Obviously Togashi’s art was incredible as ever and I loved the large scale moral ambiguity of Chapter Black. I was a bit more mixed on Three Kings because the concept was thrilling but the conclusion was…kinda slapstick? I have read some other perspectives and I get the thematic value of it but the whole vibe didn’t really work for me personally. The good news is, I still love the series as a whole. 

• Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami

Well after the Shibuya Incident destroyed me on a fundamental level in the anime, obviously I was going to continue. So I’ve begun my journey through the Culling Game – it’s been an interesting transition moving from anime to manga, but I’ve really enjoyed it so far. I look forward to catching up to all the spoilers that TikTok and Twitter have already subjected me to! Jokes aside I really am very excited to catch up and read the series real-time. 

What am I Currently Reading? 

• A Witch’s Sin by Daniel B. Greene
  • 1/3/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Audiobook)
• The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
  • 1/11/24 – TBD
  • Booklist Queen ‘24 (Reread a favorite)

Ongoing Manga: 

I don’t know that I plan on reviewing or commenting on every series below. I may do a quarterly or mid-year discussion on each? I don’t know! Either way, I plan on including the list. As I catch up to things or (crosses fingers) series’ end or are canceled I’ll update it. 

• My Hero Academia
• One Piece
• Martial Master Asumi
• Kagurabachi
• Sakamoto Days
• Kaiju No. 8
• Kaiju No. 8: B-Sides
• Dragon Ball Super
• Boruto Two Blue Vortex
• Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
• Black Clover