My January Reads
Well, you’ll never believe it but I did it! I gave up watching the soaps! I know!
I stopped watching Eastenders about ten years ago, but I’ve been hooked on Emmerdale and Coronation Street for as long as I can remember. I have absolutely nothing against either of them, I hasten to add, but the truth is they’re on too often for me. I realised they were taking up a big chunk of my evening and that my heart would sink some nights when I realised all my time would be taken up just keeping up with the latest episode. I mean, it’s an hour and a half on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, plus an hour on Thursdays and half an hour on Tuesdays. That’s six hours just watching soaps each week, and I realised if I wanted my time back they were going to have to go.
I do pine for the good old days when Corrie was on for half an hour three times a week, and Emmerdale was on half an hour twice a week. However, I do appreciate that for some people the characters are like old friends, and that these soaps do a good job of staving off loneliness for many people, so I’m not saying it should return to those days.
What I am saying is, if I wanted to have time to watch other things - like history documentaries (oh my word, I’ve watched tons of them lately and I love them!) and one-off or short serial dramas (like Play Nice, which was absolutely fantastic!) - or read more books, then something was going to have to give. And I really wanted to watch other things and read more books. So bye bye, soaps.
Anyway, in January I read ten books. Yes, ten! And that’s despite my obsession with David Olusoga’s, Lucy Worsley’s, and Neil Oliver’s fantastic history programmes. Plus my stress levels have gone down. I mean, how many times could Carla Connor get clouted over the head? How many trips to the hospital did the Emmerdale characters clock up in a year? How many Dingles and Platts and Battersbys ended up in jail? Too stressful!
I haven’t given the books I read a rating on here, although I’ve rated them in my bullet journal (yes, still keeping up with that!) and if they’re 4 star or over I’ve rated them on Amazon. I will say that all the ones here privately earned pretty good ratings from me. So yes, I think I struck lucky with my reading in January! Here are my reads for the month with their covers, blurbs, and buy links, so I’ve made it easy for you to get your own copy if any of them appeal.
I’ve listed them in the order I read them, not in order of ratings, so no clues there! You might sense a theme emerging… Yes, I did miss Gilmore Girls now I’ve finished watched the entire series! So a few of my books had definite Gilmore Girls vibes. I think I got quite a good mix of books, though.
And not only did I tick off January’s Read Christie 2025 Challenge book, but I also crossed off the first square in my 2025 book bingo: a book that had been on my to be read pile for more than a year!
Happy reading!
The Secret Christmas Bookshop by Cressida McLaughlin
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Can their Christmas love story last a lifetime?
In a village by the sea, where wintry skies bring a dusting of sparkling snow, somebody is opening an unexpected gift…
When Sophie receives a surprise package, she’s intrigued to find a beautifully bound book inside.
Sophie is desperate to discover the mystery sender, and her hunt draws her to the enigmatic Harry. The subject of much gossip since his return from London, Harry keeps to himself in his crumbling manor house.
But they are both about to learn that the best stories can take on a life of their own.
Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
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(January’s read for the Read Christie Challenge 2025)
Beautiful Caroline Crale was convicted of poisoning her husband, yet there were five other suspects: Philip Blake (the stockbroker) who went to market; Meredith Blake (the amateur herbalist) who stayed at home; Elsa Greer (the three-time divorcee) who had roast beef; Cecilia Williams (the devoted governess) who had none; and Angela Warren (the disfigured sister) who cried ‘wee wee wee’ all the way home.
It is sixteen years later, but Hercule Poirot just can’t get that nursery rhyme out of his mind…
The Vanishing Bookstore by Helen Phifer
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1692. On the outskirts of Salem, a bookstore stands covered in overgrown vines. Inside, a young woman hides a linen-wrapped journal under a loose floorboard and runs away, panicked by the sound of hounds barking in the distance. The bookstore vanishes into thin air…
Present day. Stepping inside a pale-pink house on one of the oldest streets in Salem, Dora can’t believe she’s about to finally meet the mother she thought died tragically when she was just a child. But the excitement is short-lived. Dora’s mother has fear in her eyes, and with a trembling voice she whispers: ‘my life is in danger, and now so is yours…’
Desperate not to lose her mother all over again, Dora digs into her family’s mysterious past, and stumbles upon a seemingly impossible secret: the key to their survival is hidden in a bookstore that no one has seen for generations.
Losing herself amongst thorny brackens and twisted ferns, Dora eventually finds the path that leads to the bookstore. But someone is watching her. They’ve been waiting for her.
As she pushes open the beautiful blue door hidden amongst the sharp brambles, and stands in front of rows of crumbling leatherbound books with faded pages, she has no idea of the secrets she is about to uncover. Or that her life is in more danger than ever before…
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore
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When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.
Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor’s gossip at all costs. But Jeanie’s arrival disrupts Logan’s routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.
Will Jeanie’s happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won’t fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
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Since its first publication, The Artist's Way has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert, Tim Ferriss, Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron guides readers in uncovering problems and pressure points that may be restricting their creative flow and offers techniques to open up opportunities for growth and self-discovery.
A revolutionary programme for personal renewal, The Artist's Way will help get you back on track, rediscover your passions, and take the steps you need to change your life.
Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang
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(Square 1 in my book bingo chart ticked: A book that’s been on my to-be-read pile for more than a year.)
THIS IS ONE HELL OF A STORY.
IT’S JUST NOT HERS TO TELL.
When failed writer June Hayward witnesses her rival Athena Liu die in a freak accident, she sees her opportunity… and takes it.
So what if it means stealing Athena’s final manuscript?
So what if it means ‘borrowing’ her identity?
And so what if the first lie is only the beginning…
Finally, June has the fame she always deserved. But someone is about to expose her…
What happens next is entirely everyone else's fault.
Accidental Magic by Iris Beaglehole
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Life’s a struggle for Rosemary Thorn and her teen daughter, Athena. But their regular troubles are turned upside down after Granny Thorn’s mysterious death.
Despite her cousin's sinister manoeuvrings, Rosemary returns to Myrtlewood and the sprawling, dilapidated Thorn Manor. But there's more to the old house than meets the eye, as Rosemary and Athena soon find out — in a whirlwind of magic, adventure, mystical creatures, and endless cups of tea.
Life in Myrtlewood would be bliss if Rosemary could only clear her name in a certain murder investigation, solve the mystery and stay out of mortal peril – for at least a little while!
A small town with endless secrets, strange activities, and a house with a mind of its own.
Stop Worrying, Start Selling by Sarah Painter
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Do you want to sell more books? Terrified at the prospect of marketing and ‘self promo’? Confused by author branding? Are you wondering whether it’s worth all the time and money?
Bestselling novelist and host of the Worried Writer podcast, Sarah Painter, felt exactly the same way… Until she changed her mindset around marketing, money and selling her work.
From worried debut novelist with a traditional publisher to happy and empowered hybrid author, earning a healthy income and connecting with her readers, Sarah shares the tips, strategies and attitude changes which have helped her to succeed.
Sarah will show you how to:
• Treat your writing career as a business
• Value your creative work and earn more money
• Find the type of marketing which suits you and learn to embrace it
• Understand author branding
Plus much more!
Packed with Sarah’s trademark honesty, this is your practical and supportive guide to taking control of your success as an author and building your readership.
Don't give into the starving artist myth: Stop Worrying and Start Selling today!
A Forever Home at Honey Bee Croft by Jessica Redland
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New friends, new life, new love…
Single dad, Joel Grainger, is devoted to his little girl, Imogen, doing all he can to be a key part of her life. But with Imogen’s mum being ever more difficult and Joel’s job suddenly in doubt, he’s worried that everything is about to change. Joel has given everything to Imogen, and he doesn’t regret it, but maybe he’s lost himself along the way…
Since her dad’s heart-breaking dementia diagnosis, Poppy Wells has been struggling and desperately needs a break. An opportunity to stay in gorgeous Whisperwood Farmhouse nestled in the Yorkshire Wolds and a stone’s throw away from Bumblebee Barn couldn’t be more perfect. Finally able to breathe, Poppy begins to see a new life ahead, a place where she can heal her broken heart and be part of something special. But can she ever leave her beloved dad to get the happiness she craves?
When Poppy and Joel meet there’s an instant connection. But with both of them at a crossroads, a future together seems impossible. Can they find the strength to overcome their challenges to secure their forever home together?
Coming Home to Starr’s Fall by Kate Hewitt
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Welcome to the town of Starr’s Fall, where Autumn can feel like it goes on forever, and two people have a chance to fall in love…
The leaves are falling, with a crispness to the air, along with the scents of coffee and pumpkin spice, past a half-empty street of shuttered storefronts and a bandstand that has seen better days…
Just like the whole town of Starr’s Fall, thinks Laurie Ellis – as she and her beloved dog Max head to collect the store keys. Maybe she has seen better days, too, but she’s certainly ready for a new start—and to leave her past behind. Still Laurie wonders whether she made a terrible mistake in coming to lovable but shabby Starr’s Fall. Will she even find customers for her pet store and bakery, never mind a community to welcome and accept her?
Not according to Joshua Reilly, the handsome but grumpy manager of the bookstore across the road, who claims he’s never heard of anything so ridiculous as a bakery for dogs.
But Laurie remains stubbornly undeterred. She’s starting over, right here. Not least because she has another secret reason for being here… one she isn’t telling anybody, at least not yet, as it involves her own tragic past.
What she doesn’t yet know is that a clue to the mystery is hidden deep in Joshua’s bookstore. And he doesn’t yet realize that Laurie herself might be the key to mending his own battered heart… for Laurie and Joshua and the whole town, it’s going to be a fall to remember.
