What better way to wrap up the longest month of the year than with a post about the books I read to pass the time? For those of you who are into visuals and data (like me), here’s my reading for the month, as presented via The StoryGraph’s monthly wrap-up graphics. 

For those who want to get into the details, below is a listing of all the books I read, or am in the process of reading, in January with a quick blurb as to why I enjoyed them. I am linking to the full post so you can dive deeper, if you so choose. This is in order of when I completed them, but I would think it’s fairly obvious which ones I liked the most…

Title: The Night Flowers

Author: Sara Herchenroether

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Rating: ★★★★☆

Why I read it: Random library find

Summary: In 1983, deep in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest, the bodies of a young woman and two children were found. Who were they? How did they get there?

Thirty years later, two women find themselves drawn to the cold case. Librarian Laura MacDonald begins her own investigation as a way to distract herself from breast cancer treatments and becomes consumed by her search for answers. Jean Martinez is a veteran detective determined to keep working cold cases for the Sierra County police force even as her family begs her to retire. With only fragments from dusty case files and a witness who doesn’t want to remember, this unlikely duo is determined—no matter the cost—to uncover the truth behind the murders. And with their help, the woman in the woods is finally able to tell her story on her own terms and summon the power to be found.

The Night Flowers—a haunting debut thriller written with pulse-pounding precision and a deep understanding of the psychology of violence and the tenacity of those who combat it—announces the arrival of Sara Herchenroether as an exciting new voice.

My thoughts: I love a good ghost story! I quite enjoyed the ghosts being a POV throughout the book as I thought it added a unique dimension, though, at times, the book moved slower than I would have liked. All in all, I thought this was a solid read, especially considering it’s the author’s debut. The book does touch on dark themes, but I really appreciate how the author handled these topics with restraint, focusing on their weight without delving into graphic details—a skill not every writer possesses. Fun fact: the story is inspired by a real case. This is a perfect example of why it’s always worth reading the author’s acknowledgments! Full review here.

Title: Dinner for Vampires

Author: Bethany Joy Lenz

Genre: Memoir

Rating: Unranked

Why I read it: Book  club selection for January

Summary: In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to breakthrough as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her career was about to take off, but her personal life was slowly beginning to unravel. What none of the show’s millions of fans knew, hidden even from her costars, was her secret double life in a cult. Written with powerful honesty and dark humor, Dinner for Vampires is an inspiring story about the importance of identity and understanding what you believe.

My thoughts: Although fascinating, I had a difficult time connecting to the story. I have an insane amount of empathy for her and what she endured. To be in a cult, trying to work, with your entire life dictated by essentially a self-serving dictator who doesn’t have your best interests at heart—that’s awful. I’m grateful she was strong enough to share her story with us, so that, if nothing else, we can all better understand abuse victims—of all kinds. Full review here.

Title: Yes Please

Author: Amy Poehler

Genre: Memoir

Rating: Unranked

Why I read it: because I thought it would be interesting

Summary: Do you want to get to know the woman we first came to love on Comedy Central’s Upright Citizens Brigade? Do you want to spend some time with the lady who made you howl with laughter on Saturday Night Live, and in movies like Baby Mama, Blades of Glory, and They Came Together? Do you find yourself daydreaming about hanging out with the actor behind the brilliant Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation? Did you wish you were in the audience at the last two Golden Globes ceremonies, so you could bask in the hilarity of Amy’s one-liners?

If your answer to these questions is Yes Please then you are in luck. In her first book, one of our most beloved funny folk delivers a smart, pointed, and ultimately inspirational read. Full of the comedic skill that makes us all love Amy, Yes Please is a rich and varied collection of stories, lists, poetry (Plastic Surgery Haiku, to be specific), photographs, mantras and advice. With chapters like Treat Your Career Like a Bad Boyfriend, Plain Girl Versus the Demon and The Robots Will Kill Us All Yes Please will make you think as much as it will make you laugh. Honest, personal, real, and righteous, Yes Please is full of words to live by.

My thoughts: I greatly enjoyed this book but I went into it with all of the wrong expectations. Throughout the book, I learned a lot and have a newfound respect for her as an actor and a performer. Would I have preferred more behind-the-scenes Parks and Rec content? Absolutely. Maybe she’ll indulge me in her next book (just kidding, Amy!). Full review here. 

Title: The Villain Edit

Author: Laurie Devore

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Why I read it: I unwrapped my “blind date with a book” I purchased in December and decided to read it

Summary: Romance novelist Jacqueline Matthis’s big career has gone bust and she’s ditched the bright lights of New York City for her more affordable South Carolina hometown. Desperate, Jac dreams up a comeback plan—she is going to be a contestant on the 1, the most obsessively watched reality dating show in the world.

On set, Jac quickly establishes herself as a front-runner for bachelor Marcus’s heart, but she’s shocked to discover who’s actually pulling the strings. How was she to know that Henry Foster, her last one-night stand before the show, was actually a longtime producer on the 1? Henry is just as horrified…but they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other.

Heartbreaking, smart, and sexy, this novel is for anyone who has ever secretly rooted for—or felt like—the villain.

My thoughts: I gave it three starts but make no mistake, I really did enjoy the book. I just have numerous qualms with the execution of the storyline. If you have ever seen the Bachelor or even have just been curious on what goes on behind the curtain, you’ll want to give this a read! Full review here. 

Title: Follow Me

Author: Kathleen Barber

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Rating: ★★★★☆

Why I read it: Random library find

Summary: Audrey Miller has an enviable new job at the Smithsonian, a body by reformer Pilates, an apartment door with a broken lock, and hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers to bear witness to it all. Having just moved to Washington, DC, Audrey busies herself impressing her new boss, interacting with her online fan base, and staving off a creepy upstairs neighbor with the help of the only two people she knows in town: an ex-boyfriend she can’t stay away from and a sorority sister with a high-powered job and a mysterious past. 

But Audrey’s faulty door may be the least of her security concerns. Unbeknownst to her, her move has brought her within striking distance of someone who’s obsessively followed her social media presence for years–from her first WordPress blog to her most recent Instagram Story. No longer content to simply follow her carefully curated life from a distance, he consults the dark web for advice on how to make Audrey his and his alone. In his quest to win her heart, nothing is off-limits–and nothing is private. 

My thoughts: After a long time away from mysteries and thrillers, this felt like a breath of fresh air. I greatly enjoyed this book and thank the author for the reminder to always be watching my back online. It was a fast read and I was hooked almost immediately, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this is the one for you. Full review here. 

Title: My Brilliant Friend

Author: Elena Ferrante with Ann Goldstein (Translator)

Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary

Rating: To be determined

Why I read it: NYT 100 best books of the 21st Century list

Summary: Beginning in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Elena Ferrante’s four-volume story spans almost sixty years, as its main characters, the fiery and unforgettable Lila and the bookish narrator, Elena, become women, wives, mothers, and leaders, all the while maintaining a complex and at times conflicted friendship. This first novel in the series follows Lila and Elena from their fateful meeting as ten-year-olds through their school years and adolescence.

Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between two women.

My thoughts: to be determined! It’s starting out a bit slow for my taste, and I’m having a hard time with the female main character being so young. The imagery is thick yet vivid, and I’m hoping in the second half of the book I learn a little bit more as to why there are four books in this series.

Have you read any of these titles? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!