The Looooong and the Short of It: January 2024 Wrap-Up Post and Looking Forward to February

January was really long, but school really went by fast because we had so many snow days! So far we won’t have to add any on to the end of the year because now thanks to the pandemic, we are all set up to do remote learning days. I think thanks to the lovely snow days my reading was up, especially as I had two weeks at work where I didn’t really get to read on my break because I was alone in the library with my clerk out with her son in the hospital. I also no longer am reading for the Gateway award, only reading what I want, so that helps. I did have a few DNFs though. I got 17 books finished.

• # of pages read: 3983 – I had some shorter books mixed in with some longer ones this month.
• Amount of time spent listening to audiobooks – Since I only count what I finished in my personal calculations, my time spent was 26 hours and 28 minutes for 3 audiobooks

I’m really enjoying StoryGraph for my stats still too! Here they are for January:

January Reviews

Of the 13 specific titles listed last month, I got 11 read and most reviewed and 2 DNFs.

• [3 Jan] Arya Khanna's Bollywood Moment by Arushi Avachat ★★★★★
• [4 Jan] Somewhere in the Deep by Tanvi Berwah ★★★★½
• [9 Jan] Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan ★★★½
• [10 Jan] Sun Don't Shine by Crissa-Jean Chappell ★★★★★
• [12 Jan] A Drop of Venom by Sajni Patel ★★★★★
• [16 Jan] House of Ash and Shadow by Leia Stone ★★★★★
• [18 Jan] Face Off by Teagan Hunter ★★★★★
• [19 Jan] My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland ★★★★★
• [19 Jan] Wayward Son by Jay Crownover ★★★★★
• [23 Jan] Wake Me Up Before You Cocoa by Kimberley Montpetit ★★★★
• [24 Jan] Just Do It by Maxine Morrey ★★★★½
• [26 Jan] Baby, One More Time by Camilla Isley ★★★★★
• [29 Jan] Star Trek: Trek the Halls by Robb Pearlman, Luke Flowers ★★★
• [29 Jan] On a Tuesday by Whitney G. ★★★★★
• [29 Jan] Hooked by Lynn Stevens ★★★
• [29 Jan] Baking and Babies by Tara Sivec ★★★★★
• [29 Jan] Five Minutes Late by Rich Amooi ★★★½
• [29 Jan] The Natural History Novellas by Erin Mallon ★★★★★
• [30 Jan] The Lost Ones by Lauren DeStefano DNF
• [30 Jan] Once Upon An Algorithm by Clara O’Connor DNF
• [30 Jan] Blue Balls by Tori Ross DNF
• [30 Jan] Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart: And Other Stories by GennaRose Nethercott DNF
• [31 Jan] Through the Glen by Samantha Young ★★★★½

Challenge Wrap-Up

My goal is 24 for the year using the prompts that are listed, and I got two done. Although one I kind of switched to an ebook I decided to read.

1. Prompt: On your TBR 5+ years – Five Minutes Late by Rich Amooi
2. Prompt: Anthology or omnibus edition – The Natural History Novellas by Erin Mallon

I set my goal for 6 posts for the year, so that’s one every two months. I didn’t get one done this month, but as long as I do next month I’ll be on track.

My goal was one book a month. I actually got two done this first month.

1. Hooked by Lynn Stevens
2. Five Minutes Late by Rich Amooi

My Goodreads and StoryGraph Goals of 150 books are on track with 15 books read so far, putting me ahead of schedule. I’m also still trying to keep my Netgalley percentage above 80% and I’m still at 81%, so that’s good too!

What to Expect in February

It’s a shorter month of course, and I’m hoping this month to be able to go down to my mom and stepdad’s Branson cabin on President’s Day long weekend as long as the weather doesn’t mess those plans up again. Don’t know how much reading I’ll get done on lunch break at work with my clerk probably gone again a lot.

Here is my proposed TBR for December:

1. Bride by Ali Hazelwood – Another I thought I’d get done in January, but see reasons above, should be posting review on the 3rd or 5th
2. Lonely for You Only by Monica Murphy – e-galley review for the author’s review team should be posted on the 5th or 6th
3. The Reason I Married Him by Meghan Quinn – also for the author’s review team, should be posting the review on the 6th or 7th
4. The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond – an e-galley I requested and hope to post the review on the 10th
5. Hannah Tate Beyond Repair by Piper Lee – an ARC I requested from the publisher and I should be posting the review on the 12th
6. The Boy Next Door by Cheryl Terra – signed up to do a blog tour review of this one on the 15th
7. Conditions of a Heart by Bethany Mangle – an ARC from the publisher for a review on the 19th
8. Cappuccino Mugs and Firefighter Hugs by Katie O’Connor – next book that I signed up for in the Coffee Loft series, should be reviewing on the 21st.
9. Snowglobe by Soyoung Park – I got this ARC back at AASL in October and should post a review on the 24th
10. Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards – the publisher sent me a link to an e-galley, but I’m not sure because the other book in this email I DNFed. If I read and like this, the review would be on the 26th.
11. Living La Vida Mocha by H.M. Shander – another book in the Coffee Loft series, should be posting a review on the 28th.
12. The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall – the publisher sent me the ARC of this, should be posting a review on the 29th.
13. Promchanted by Morgan Matson – an ARC I think I got at AASL? Should read at the end of the month and post the review March 2nd
14. Something Wilder by Christina Lauren – the audiobook I was listening to at the beginning of the month
15. Any other audiobooks I listen to
16. Any books from my Backlist challenge I get to, hopefully two of them since my goal is 24 for the year!

Final Thoughts

How was your January? Mine was snowy and stressful at work. Hoping February will be better! Enjoy a picture of the fun Valentine’s display I made for my school library with a shout out to my Chiefs and Taylor Swift!