What I Read In January 2025
The year of January is done (seriously, why was this month SO long??) and I am thrilled to say I started 2025 off with some stellar books. Take a look at everything I read below to get some recommendations for what you should pick up next!
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If you’re looking for some female/femme rage books right now, this is a great one to pick up. Bright Young Women is part historical fiction and part thriller. It follows a young woman after a man breaks into her sorority house in the 1970s and kills two of her sorority sisters. As the sole witness, she’s thrust into a world of trying to convince (mostly) men that she’s a believable witness and to convict the man responsible, who turns out to be a serial killer.
Trigger warnings: Murder, rape, sexual assault, homophobia, sexual violence and grief.
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This is a masterpiece of a YA fantasy novel and probably my favorite book of the month. Bree is a 16-year-old girl trying to learn more about her mother’s sudden death. She starts an early college program at UNC Chapel Hill, where she finds herself engulfed in a secret society with descendents from King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. But they’re not the only ones with access to magic on campus, and Bree must infiltrate the order to figure out what happened with her mother.
Trigger warnings: Racism, death of a parent, grief, slavery, rape.
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This was a re-read in anticipation of the release of Onyx Storm. I might be in the minority of folks who enjoyed this book even more than Fourth Wing due to its action, world building and that cliff hanger… iykyk.
Trigger warnings: Sexual content, violence, torture, death, war.
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I had really high hopes for this book, but unfortunately it didn’t deliver for me. The story follows a character, Daniel, who has “the memory.” This means he remembers all of his past lives, including a woman he calls Sophia who he is deeply in love with. Each life he fights to get to her and help her remember him. The story fluctuates from present day (2009) and previous lives when he’s been able to connect with her. The concept of the book is so good. It was a slow burn and at times it felt as though things could have been cut down or summarized better. But what really fell flat for me was the ending, which felt abrupt and offered little closure to the store. I’m typically one who loves a messy ending, but this one didn’t do it for me.
Trigger warnings: Child abuse, death, drug use, gun violence.
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Here’s the thing… if you’re going into this book hoping for tons of romance and action, you might be disappointed. Onyx Storm was chock full of world building and pertinent information and I enjoyed every second of it. This might be my favorite book of the series yet, particularly because I loved Violet’s growth and her relationship with Xaden. All of that is not to say you won’t be stressed reading it. But I wouldn’t say it was the most action-packed or steamy book, which is why I think others have felt disappointed. For me? This was a win and I cannot wait for book four.
Trigger warnings: War, violence, death.
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Legend by Marie Lu is a fast-paced YA dystopian novel that follows two teens from opposites ends of the tracks, if you will. One has been raised in luxury and has become the government’s most deadly weapon. The other was raised in poverty and has become the government’s most dangerous opposer. Once the pair meet, though, they find they might have more in common than they thought.
Trigger warnings: Death, violence, torture, gun violence, murder.
This is our TNB Teen Book Club pick for February. Learn more about TNB Teen Book Club here.
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There may or may not be a reason I’m re-reading this series… but more on that later. I think there are plenty of us who have re-read books from our teens only to be a bit disappointed. The Hunger Games did not give me that feeling at all. It stands the test of time and I found myself devouring it just like I was in high school again.
Trigger warning: Death, violence, alcoholism, grief.
Need other recommendations? Ask me for some ideas!