Mid Month Check In: January 2021
As I said in yesterday’s Weekly Wrap Up, this has been a strange month in a month that is normally endless. But the last 10 months have been endless haven't and strange haven’t they?
One thing I’ve enjoyed a lot this one is rereading new releases right away. I am very lucky in that I’m never in short supply of books, but I have really missed the excitement of reading a highly anticipated book the moment it lands in my hands. So far this month I’ve gotten to do that twice and it feels GOOD.
The two new releases I’ve read are Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas and Roman + Jewel by Dana L. Davis. I LOVED Concrete Rose. Like every Angie Thomas book, she crafts characters that pull you in their stories so easily. I loved Maverick in The Hate U Give so I was so happy to get to learn of his story. I honestly could not put this book down and can’t recommend it enough.
Roman + Jewel was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it released on the first Tuesday of 2021! It was fun and explored the themes of mental health that I didn’t anticipate, but appreciated.
I also read a sweet YA called New Years’ Kiss, which was sugary sweet and full of young adult cliches. But sometimes that’s what we need, right?
Like most of the world, I fell into a deep obsession with Bridgerton so I began reading my first historical romance. At the behest of my friends Diane and Haley, I read The Duchess Deal. It was steamy and full of swoon worthy moments, but sadly I had just finished it when the coup happened at the US Capitol on January 6th. I feel like I didn’t get to reflect on the ending as much because well, democracy was in danger. But I do plan on reading more of the genre!
I finished You Have a Match by Emma Lord as well, even though I didn’t love her first book, Tweet Cute, as much as the rest of the world did. Again, didn’t vibe with it. It was just too cheesy for me but I think the intended audience of young people will enjoy it.
I also read The Comeback by E.L. Shen and it was the perfect cozy middle grade novel! I connected with the author when I learned of the book from my favorite indie bookstore, The Bookstore Plus, in Lake Placid. My review is here. It’s a book I loved now and would have loved at 12 as well!
My favorite new hobby I’ve picked up this month is bullet journaling! It’s been really calming for me and something that has made me remember the joy of “hobbies".
How has your January been? I’d love to know!