…in March. Since I haven’t finished a single book in February (at least that’s what it feels like). And don’t even get me started on my fall reading list.
However, January was quite a successful reading month, not least because I got sick and had to R&R for a few days, which gave me ample time to read a few light-hearted books. The third and last installment in India Holton’s hilarious Dangerous Damsels series, Charlie N. Holmberg Whimbrel House series, and Ann Aguirre’s Fix-It Witches all provided me with excellent entertainment on my way to recovery.
Apart from romantasy I also read another fantasy series, a much-hyped TikTok sensation, and some ‘serious’ books for good measure. Overall, I liked or even loved most of the books I read this month, with notable exceptions that I didn’t anticipate…
Let’s take a look at my January 2024 reading 🙂
As always, mild spoilers ahead.
The Fix-It Witches series:
Book 1 — Danica & Titus in Witch Please
As so often, this series was off to a weak start. I found book one rather boring, to put it bluntly, and the main conflict — the possibility that Danica could lose her magic once she marries Titus — doesn’t seem to be a big issue for Danica for a good reason, as we will learn (and it’s also pretty foreseeable 🙄). Titus being a 33-year-old virgin with a (surprising?) talent for providing sexual satisfaction feels a bit too fabricated but hey, what do I know about the educational profundity of modern porn and heavy petting. Entertaining, but not one of my faves (by far).
Book 2 — Clementine & Gavin in Boss Witch
The witch and the witch hunter, what a setup. The dynamic between the main characters worked better for me, though it still felt a bit off at times while reading. I didn’t understand Clem’s plan and how her starting a fling with the witch hunter, which put her at enormous personal risk, would do anything to keep her coven safe. Is the potential distraction worth the risk? In the end, it seems so, as this book is much more fun than the first one.
Book 3 — Leanne & Trevor in Extra Witch
Granted, this one I loved. All 3 books are mood reads, but this one simply struck the right cord. Love Leanne and Trevor, both on their own and together. Leanne the overachiever and Trevor the slacker — a match made in heaven, at least it feels like it. I was rooting for them from the start and they did not disappoint.
Whimbrel House series
Heir of Uncertain Magic (2) and Boy of Chaotic Making (3) by Charlie N. Holmberg
Hulda, Merritt, and Owein are back and some loose strings are wrapped up while other issues will (probably/maybe?) only conclude in part 4 of the Whimbrel House series. While Heir of Uncertain Magic brings back some of the dark magic and mood from book 1, Boy of Chaotic Magic feels more like a cozy mystery with magical elements. I enjoyed both books — thanks to NetGalley and 47North for the ARC of Boy of Chaotic Magic — and I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.
The Order of the Seven Stars series by Luanne G. Smith
The Witch’s Lens
Set in the battlefields of WWI, a group of witches who could so far evade conscription is recruited by Josef to support the war effort in a secret mission. Petra, the only woman of the group and the female main character of The Witch’s Lens can see spirits through the lens of her camera and aids Josef in detecting the dead amongst the living. However, it’s not that black-and-white in war, and soon Petra discovers that learning about herself and her magic can have unforeseen consequences.
The Wolf’s Eye
Thanks to NetGalley and 47North (Amazon), I got the ARC of the second book immediately after finishing the first one. Focusing on Petra’s history and special abilities, as well as the increasing instability of Josef’s ’special condition’, The Wolf’s Eye continues the narrative where we left off in book one. I read somewhere (I can’t remember where I got that from) that this is a duology, and the second book serves a good conclusion if this is truly the case. However, there are still some things left unsaid, so I’ll wait and see what happens. I would definitely love to meet Petra, Josef, and their crew again.
Jenna Levine My Roommate is a Vampire
Entertaining, funny, light-hearted. Jenna Levine’s My Roommate is a Vampire is a mood read with a cute romance and not much drama. I’m not sure if there’s a lot of worldbuilding happening — how do vampires generally live amongst society, what’s their history, are there other supernatural beings… — or if I somehow missed it. Either way, it’s not like this book would need some elaborate background. It’s the story of Cassie and Frederick, getting to know each other, learning from one another, and ultimately, finding a way to share more than just an apartment with each other.
If you, like me, don’t mind fantasy elements being used as a backdrop for comedy and love and not being the center of a story, then this could work for you. However, if you prefer a focus on worldbuilding and want to know everything there is to know about the world the story is set in, this book may feel underwhelming. Think Stephanie Meyer OR Sarah J. Maas (regarding worldbuilding, obviously. No indication concerning the spice level 😏🌶️🌶️)
Caitlin Doughty Will my Cat eat my Eyeballs? And Other Questions About Dead Bodies
Back in December when I had Covid, I discovered Doughty’s YouTube channel and spent hours learning about death and destruction in (US) history. Therefore, when I got sick in January, I picked up her book Will my Cat Eat my Eyeballs? And Other Questions About Dead Bodies on libby and learned even more about death and what happens to a body once it’s over. Edutainment at its best.
Disappointment of the month no. 1: Adam Thirlwell The Future Future
Sometimes the best about a book is its cover. This cover is absolutely stunning.
Disappointment of the month no. 2: Hannah Nicole Maehrer Assistant to the Villain
Again: the cover is fun. The rest of the book…not so much.
Serving as the perfect example of why ‘tell, don’t show’ does NOT work, this book, though trying to be funny, has no plot to speak of, no characters to build any connection to, and above all, what should have been just one book will be a trilogy. Based on what I don’t know, but the author will TELL us. Or rather, the publisher’s marketing team will…
For the record, I watched some of Maehrer’s TikToks that serve as the basis for this TRILOGY (ugh), and while some were funny, ultimately I found it rather stressful. Granted, that’s probably my ADHD brain being overwhelmed, but still, I’d say that one book would have been sufficient.
Will I be reading the next one? Of course I will! First, I’m curious AF, and I also want to find out if there’s a bit more showing and less telling so that what could be a good story has any chance of surfacing…
Favorite of the month: India Holton The Secret Service of Tea and Treason
Book no. 3 in the Dangerous Damsels series and this time it’s Alice Dearlove’s and Daniel Bixby’s turn to tumble their way into each others’ hearts and lives. The setting is hilarious as always, with the protagonists finding themselves in a constant struggle against themselves and death at the hands of pirates and witches alike. And though it is lighthearted and funny, the author again doesn’t shy away from difficult topics like abandonment issues, trauma, and loneliness. Despite this, all ends well and the book concludes with a lovely reunion of some of the most important characters of the series.
Oh, how I loved this series! Unfortunately — as I would love to meet them again, especially Lottie and Alex — The Secret Service of Tea and Treason is the last part of the Dangerous Damsels series, with The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, the first title in a new series by the author coming in July 2024. I will write about this series in another post, now that I’ve finally read all three parts. Let me just say that these books are hilarious, highly entertaining, and absolute comfort reads for my fuzzybrain 🙂
Another favorite of the month: Daniel Mason North Woods
What a book… Spanning over several centuries starting in the days of the Puritan invasion of North America until present-day USA, Daniel Mason’s North Woods tells the story of one house deep in the woods of New England through the people who live there. Two lovers fleeing their Puritan heritage, a former soldier seeking solace in cultivating apples, sisters who don’t know any better, an artist who hopes for more, as does a mother and a conman. Celebrating the ways in which we are deeply connected to the places we inhabit, this was one of my best reads this month. Highly recommended!
The (nearly) forgotten read: Sarah James Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen
Perhaps the best place in 1943 Hollywood to see the stars is the Hollywood Canteen, a club for servicemen staffed by those in show business. New in town, murder mystery playwright Annie Laurence mingles with the big names. That is, until her frenemy, film critic Fiona Farris, is murdered at the club and Annie decides to find the killer. To do so, she allies with Fiona’s friends, also known as the Ambassador’s Club, each of whom struggles with professional and personal failures.
Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen was another R&R read on libby and a solid 2.5-star book. Did like some parts, didn’t like others, and already forgot who the killer was (wait, writing about it now I remember again). Overall a nice read and I love the time and setting of the novel.
