January Wrap Up (2023)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm here with my January Wrap Up (obviously since you've seen the title)! 

I always like doing January Wrap Ups because they're the only books there on the Goodreads Reading Challenge page. 

I read a total of 10 books this month, and even though 6 of them were graphic novels, I can't pretend I'm not proud of that. 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy it. 

1. Just Sayin': My Life in Words, by Malorie Blackman 

My favourite author of all time, writing an autobiography. This was just what I needed. A chance to see inside her head, to read about her as a person, and see how she comes up with such wonderfully, imaginative ideas and find out more about how she came to be the person she has become. 

Wonderfully poignant, honest, such a joy to read. I'm happy to say that my undoubtedly sky-high expectations were met. 

2. Where Am I Now?, by Mara Wilson 

I did it! I finally finished this! When I was packing to temporarily move out of home (half of my household had gone down with the dreaded lurgy) I grabbed my headphones with no hesitation. 

This book has been on my TBR for the longest time: I was intrigued to find out about Mara's take on one of my childhood films, Matilda, as well as reading about her relationship with Danny DeVito, who not only started in film, but also produced and directed too (and made sure that her Mum, who had cancer, got to see the film before she passed). This was so much more than what I was expecting of course. It dealt with body shaming, body issues, the shock of going from a regular child to a well-known star, thrust into the limelight, and that's just a few of the issues that are discussed in this novel. 

3. Life is Strange: Dust (Life is Strange Comics #1), by Emma Vieceli 

4. Life is Strange: Waves (Life is Strange Comics #2), by Emma Vieceli 

5. Life is Strange: Strings (Life is Strange Comics #3), by Emma Vieceli 

6. Life is Strange: Partners in Time: Tracks (Life is Strange Comics #4), by Emma Vieceli 

7. Life is Strange: Coming Home (Life is Strange Comics #5), by Emma Vieceli 

8. Life is Strange: Settling Dust (Life is Strange Comics #6), by Emma Vieceli 

Another send-off to a series I've been collecting volumes for, since the start of 2022. An extremely accurate interpretation of the videogames, they didn't feel any different from the characters I knew from before, but the plotline felt seperate. It didn't go off on an unrealstic tangent either. Nothing felt rushed, the artwork was gorgeous, and each graphic novel left me wanting the next one. 

Aside from that, there were cameo characters from the second and third games! 

All in all, a near perfect series. 

9. Scattered Showers, by Rainbow Rowell 

I was going to reach for Fangirl, after finishing the Life is Strange graphic novel series. But then I remembered this! Still Rainbow Rowell, but reading this was a chance to knock off a book from my unread pile! 

I'll be honest, I was a bit hesitant going into this, knowing that it was going to be a compilation of short stories. I thought it might be hard to get into them. But I was actually surprised by how quickly I became engrossed in the stories! 

And there was a Reagan story from Fangirl! I was so surprised and happy when I read that! I'd gotten my wish! 

Anyway, this is a quick and easy read that contemporary fans will 100% love, especially if they've read Rainbow Rowell before! 

10. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson 

This was one of the essay novels we (my english group) discussed for my GCSE class when I was 15/16 years old. When I came across it in Grimsby the other month I just knew I had to re-read it. 

When I realised that it was actually The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde and other stories I downloaded the audible copy soon after. 

Honestly, a very good listen. The narrator had a similar accent to the characters that were in the story, it was very easy to get pulled into, and it never felt too wordy, despite when it was written.

I do think this might have been the shorter version, and I'm quite tempted to try and find the full physical at some point. 

Okay! Those are all the books I read this month! I'm extremely happy with how this month has gone and I'm very much hoping for a just as successful one in February! 

I hope you have a wonderful day, feel free to comment as usual, and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeee! 

-Abi xxxx