It’s time for a new monthly recap series I’m going to try out! I want to talk about my the books I read in January, which one was my favorite, my favorite TV shows and movies, and a little more!
January books
QUICKSILVER by Callie Hart — Saeris Fane, a 24-year-old thief with secret powers, accidentally opens a gateway to a world of ice and snow after a fateful encounter with Death. She finds herself caught in a deadly conflict between the Fae, bound to a mysterious warrior named Kingfisher, whose own secrets may cost her everything. Forced into a dangerous alliance, Saeris must navigate this treacherous world if she hopes to survive and find her way back home.
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Rating: 4/5
Read my full review here!
THE FAVORITES by Layne Fargo — Katarina Shaw has always dreamed of becoming an Olympic skater, and when she teams up with Heath Rocha, the boy from the foster care system that she grew up with, their bond and chemistry propel them to ice dancing stardom. However, their partnership is abruptly shattered after a shocking incident at the Olympics. Ten years later, a documentary threatens to expose their past, prompting Kat to finally share her story—the passion, ambition, and painful breakup that shaped her legacy. Inspired by Wuthering Heights, The Favorites explores the intense love and rivalry that defines both success and heartbreak.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Read my full review here!
THE HOUSE OF MY MOTHER: A DAUGHTER’S QUEST FOR FREEDOM by Shari Franke — Shari Franke’s childhood was shaped by the façade of her family’s popular YouTube channel, 8 Passengers, where her mother, Ruby, presented a picture-perfect life to millions of followers. Beneath the surface, however, Ruby’s extreme, tyrannical parenting—exacerbated by the influence of life coach Jodi Hildebrandt—created a nightmare for Shari and her siblings. After Ruby and Jodi’s arrest in 2023 for child abuse, Shari finally breaks her silence, revealing the terrifying truth behind the family’s rise to fame and her personal struggle for survival against her mother’s cruelty.
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 5/5
Read my full review here!
HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL, MAGDA EKLUND? by Anna Montague — Magda, a therapist in her seventies, is coping with the recent loss of her best friend, Sara. When she discovers Sara’s plans for a road trip they’d meant to take together, she sets out on the journey alone, carrying Sara’s urn and crossing the country. Along the way, she encounters quirky characters, unearths long-buried truths about her friendship with Sara, and confronts deep questions about her identity and sexuality. A story of love, loss, and new beginnings, this novel reminds us that it’s never too late to embark on a new chapter in life.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 2/5
Read my full review here!
All of my bookish progress is on my Goodreads, which you can access here:
January TV shows
Surprisingly to no-one, working 3 jobs does not allow me a lot of time to watch TV and movies these days. But I love television and I always have, so I always have to have something playing. I used to be addicted to the limited series’, where a whole story can be told from start to finish in ten episodes. However, these days, I noticed that I tend to go for longer shows. I have no clue when or why that changed. But, here are the TV shows I was watching in January!
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER — This has always been one of my comfort shows. I loved it so much in high school and loved it even more as a girl in her twenties. Hayden had never seen it, so naturally, I forced him to sit through all nine seasons. Despite the controversial ending, there isn’t anything I don’t love about this show. I’m emotionally attached to all of the characters and I will 100% do another rewatch in a few years. It took us a few months but we just finished watching in January!
GREY’S ANATOMY — Another forever comfort show. I actually had never seen this until 2022 and decided to do a rewatch a few months ago. All the rumors are true– there’s a million & one seasons, so it’s taking me a while to finish, but I just love this show so much. I’m ~only~ on season 18 (lol) so it will definitely also be in the February recap.
Between those two shows being as long as they are, I hate to admit that that’s really all I watched TV show-wise in January!
January movies
13 GOING ON 30 — I guess January was just my month for comfort entertainment, as this is my all-time comfort movie, and I decided to re-watch it with my boyfriend on one side of me and my best friend on the other side. It’s been at least a few years since I have seen this movie, but it remains as a tried and true favorite for me. I just love it and it might end up back on my list one of these months.
That’s literally the only movie I watched in January. That can be a new goal of mine– to watch at least two movies a month.
Honorable mention goes to the entire TWILIGHT saga, which I re-watched on the plane rides back and forth to Hawaii in December. That was late December, so it kind of feels like January, haha. But for the sake of honesty, I won’t include them. The five Twilight movies are also tried and true comfort movies for me, and those I typically re-watch every year.
January music
Top artist: THE 1975
Top song: DOWN BAD by Taylor Swift
Favorite new release: BALLOONERISM by Mac Miller
Top albums
1. WICKED Soundtrack
2. BEING FUNNY IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE by The 1975
3. HONEYBEE by BØRNS
January Podcasts
1. THE BROSKI REPORT with Brittany Broski
2. REGARDLESS with Skylar Sorkin
New thing I tried in January
Crocheting! Hayden got me three packs of The Woobles for Christmas and I have already completed two (:
One of my goals is to try something new every month! So woop woop!
Even though I’m uploading this kind of late into February, I just thought of this idea and it would be so cute for future me to look back and see what I was up to in January 2025. I suppose I’ll see you soon for the February recap!
— mal
Leave a comment