Books Read in January

 

 

The month of January saw my book reviewing gig come to an end. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to work this gig. It really challenged me as a reader! I also learned a lot as a book reviewer and got to enjoy spending so much time reading books. Or, should I say, getting paid to read books.

 

This particular gig is seasonal, so I will be working it again when it rolls around later in the year.

 

However, I’m happy that I was able to push myself to read as many as four books in one week. That’s pretty awesome! What isn’t so awesome, however, was falling behind on some other things because of that challenge (I’m looking at you, unfinished novel-in-progress). But I am working on getting caught up on those things.

 

In fact, I plan to spend the day tomorrow wrapping up writing my short story and sending it off for edits!

 

January saw the end of some other things too. I finished editing stories for an anthology, finished revising a children’s book, finished research for another children’s book, and I finished revisions on a couple of short stories (one of which I submitted).

 

But some things also began during this month, too. I created a GoFundMe to help us raise the money needed to pay for my corrective eye surgery, which is scheduled for the first of April. I started journaling every day for this month and so far, it has been successful.

 

And, of course, I started a new year for my reading journal entries! I decided to keep logging the books I read every month (and keeping track of the number of books that I read every year) for as long as I am able to. I have heard of some people keeping personal journals for years. I plan to do that with my reading journals! (I wonder if I will be able to do both this time around. My ability to maintain a personal daily journal hasn’t been all that great, but now I’m going to see if I can keep it up!)

 

While some people have suggested that I keep track of my reading progress through websites or apps, I prefer to use good old pen and paper for this task. I am also taking note of which books to include in the “Top 26 Books I Read in 2026” blog post that I will be posting on here at the end of December.

 

For the month of January, I read a total of 14 books. That’s more books than I read last January (which was 8). There were quite a few poetry books read this month. I’m glad I also read a history book, a memoir, and a book for research. I also read some extreme horror, fantasy, and a ghost story.  

 

Here are the books that I read in January:

 

1. Owls: Whoo Are They? by Rita Jarvis and Denver W. Holt

2. 19 Doors by Rob Roy O'Keefe

3. And Now, Back To Me: Stories from an Empty Nest by Rita Lussier

4. Matthew's Journey: The Return Home by William Joseph Birrell

5. The Cult of the Spider People by Heddy Johannesen

6. The Body Can Tolerate: Poems by Loria Mendoza

7. From Steam to Silicon: The Development and Diffusion of General Purpose Technologies by Anonymous

8. Piece by Piece by Sheryl Hauk

9. Rotting Pinata: A Gross Love Story by Dan Shrader

10. Dazzling of Birth: The Turbulent Life & Tumultuous Times of PTOLEMY XII, FATHER OF CLEOPATRA VII by Stewart Addington Saint-David

11. Love, Life and Mother Nature: Picture Book of Poems by James C. Glassford

12. Winter by Rhya Tenney

13. The Lady and the Unicorn by Ophelie

14. Dead Inside by Chandler Morrison