January Reading Wrap Up 2025 | Cup of Kee
Something crazy happened this January… I read 10 books.
Maybe this is a lot to you, maybe it isn’t, but to me, this is pretty insane. My goal for 2025 is (was?) 25 books. I read 27 last year despite my goal of ten, but to keep things reasonable I thought that 25 would suffice, and now one month in, I’m wondering if I should up the stakes. As well as my reading goal, I’m also putting £2 in my savings account for every book I read, so I’ll keep you updated as the year goes to see how much money I’ve saved!
Let’s get into the wrap up…
This month, I’ve saved a total of £20 thanks to reading 10 books, and this will probably go towards a bookish treat in the next few months! I think this is a really fun incentive to save some money for a little treat, alongside my actual savings.
The first book I read this year was Dead Poets Society by N.H. Kleinbaum. This is a book adaptation of the film, which is one of my favourite films of all time, and it was a great short read to start the year. It really felt like I was just watching the movie as I read this, and so I enjoyed it a lot! It’s also one that has been sitting on my shelf for years, so it really was about time.
Page Count: 166
Rating: 4
Format: Physical
Next up was Bunny by Mona Awad. I had seen this book everywhere for months but had yet to pick it up, and I’m glad I finally did! In my opinion it had a really strong start but fell off a little for me towards the end but I did enjoy it overall. If you’re looking for a satirical dark comedy with a splash of horror, or a “weird girl” read, then this is definitely one I would recommend.
Page Count: 334
Rating: 3.5
Format: Kindle
The third book I read has become a firm favourite, and that is My Throat An Open Grave by Tori Bovalino. I picked this up as part of a Waterstones ‘Blind Date With A Book’, shoutout to @bookseller.iz at Waterstones for picking this one! This is a folk horror with themes of religious community and subsequent religious trauma, and speaks on the treatment of women and young girls by the church and religious communities, abortion rights, guilt, shame, and lies. This is an incredible book to read, particularly at this time as we navigate a terrifying political climate in the USA, and the poor treatment of women globally. I have not stopped thinking about this book since I read it, and I will be recommending this to everyone!
Page Count: 320
Rating: 5
Format: Physical
Book four for January was The Body by Stephen King. This had been on my shelf since late last year, but is one I’ve been meaning to read for probably the last ten years! I love the movie Stand By Me, which was based on this book, and I’d really like to read more of King’s books - so this, being one of his shortest, felt like a good (re)starting point. I will give you a little warning for pretty consistent use of slurs throughout this book - even though I expected it, it was definitely jarring, so something to keep in mind if you’re considering reading this one.
Page Count: 192
Rating: 4
Format: Physical
The fifth book I read this month was Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka - another one I think is particularly topical. This had been on my shelf since I worked in a bookstore back in 2022, so it had been a long time coming; I really wish I hadn’t waited so long! Turning the serial killer narrative on its head, this book opens on the execution day of serial killer Ansel Packer, but instead chooses to focus its story on the three women who knew him and had their lives irreparably changed by him. As a Criminology student who strongly opposes the death penalty and also hates the glorification of serial killers, I absolutely loved this book. I felt such a deep empathy for the women in this story, and really appreciated the ways in which this book navigated such a complex topic.
Page Count: 320
Rating: 4.75
Format: Physical
Book six was Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, a translated Polish mystery that I had been meaning to buy for months. I picked up the physical copy in December before realising this month that it’s on Kindle Unlimited, so I did end up reading it on my Kindle. I don’t often read translated fiction, but I’m glad I decided to step outside of my comfort zone with this one. This book follows a reclusive woman who has a strong preference for the company of animals over humans, feeling a deep empathy for how animals are treated by said humans, about which she is very vocal. Her neighbour is found dead, and soon many other bodies are appearing in increasingly bizarre circumstances, and although Janina is convinced she knows who did it, the people in her town are quick to dismiss her as crazy. I was so invested and immersed in this mystery, and came to really enjoy this book the more I progressed with it.
Page Count: 274
Rating: 4.5
Format: Kindle
The seventh book I read in January was I Who Have Never Known Men Jacqueline Harpman, which has become another favourite of mine so far this year. This modern classic is a haunting feminist dystopian story of 39 women and a young girl who are imprisoned in a bunker underground for reasons unknown to them. Despite the women having somewhat accepted their lives in this cage, the young girl strives to find answers and perhaps even escape. I loved reading this book. It filled me with so many questions, very few of which were answered, but somehow I was not dissatisfied with the unknowing. ‘I Who Have Never Known Men’ explores humanity in an inhumane circumstance, and the importance of connection in unimaginable conditions.
Page Count: 208
Rating: 5
Format: Physical
Book eight was We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a feminist essay adapted from a TedX talk of the same name - yet another topical read for the times. I really want to explore more non-fiction reads this year, particularly exploring topics of inclusive, intersectional feminism, the criminal justice system, and history, and this was a good non-fiction starting point for the year. If you want more of an introduction to topics like this, then I would absolutely recommend starting with this one!
Page Count: 65
Rating: 4
Format: Kindle
The ninth book I read was one I had been waiting for since October: Don’t Let the Forest in by C G Drews. This is a queer, dark academia vibe YA horror set in Wickwood Academy boarding school where our main characters Andrew and Thomas attend. Andrew writes twisted fairytales and Thomas draws the monsters within them - monsters that somehow come alive in the forest just beyond the fence around their school. There is so much more to this story and its characters than just fairytales and monsters, and it was such an emotional, heart wrenching read. I knew before picking this up that I would love it, and I’m so glad it proves me right!
Page Count: 336
Rating: 4.25
Format: Physical & Kindle
And book ten for January was The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden. I wasn’t sure I was going to read any more of The Housemaid series, but on a whim I decided to download this one on Kindle Unlimited. I ended up reading it in just a couple of hours, which is one thing I really do love about these kinds of books. The story brings us back to the protagonist from book one, and takes us on another insane journey that really tests some boundaries of reality for me personally, but, I’m not against suspending my belief for the sake of a fun thriller - so I did really enjoy this one too!
Page Count: 318
Rating: 3.5
Format: Kindle
January Reading Stats
Total Books Read: 10
Total Money Saved: £20
Total Pages Read: 2,533
Highest Rating: 5
Lowest Rating: 3.5
Average Rating: 4.25
So that’s my reading wrap up for January! I truly cannot believe I’ve already made it 40% of the way through my year’s reading goal in just one month. I can’t wait to see what the year has in store for me in terms of books!
I’d love to know what you’re reading and if you’ve read any of the books I shared above, so please feel free to comment on this post, interact on my socials, or slide into my DMs for book chat
As always, you can find me on Instagram, GoodReads, and Storygraph for all things books
Stay cosy, and happy reading!
Kee
