Goodbye January

My January in books

January, in terms of reading, was glorious. I have read more in one month than I did in more than a year after an obnoxiously tiresome reading slump spanning the end of 2024 til basically December of 2025. If this month is any indication of how my 2026 reading journey will continue, I am all for it. Here are the books that were with me throughout January. xx

The Years by Annie Ernaux

Another Annie Ernaux read, another Annie Ernaux loved. This was a distant yet beautiful memoir spanning Ernaux’s life up to 2006, with the social and political climate at the forefront. While focusing less on herself as the subject, Ernaux still managed to let her distinct writing voice shine, with little snippets of her childhood and diary-entry-esque passages. moments. Annie Ernaux, I am indebted to you.

“She feels as if a book is writing itself just behind her; all she has to do is live. But there is nothing.”- The Years, Annie Ernaux

Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy

This one just was not…for me. With a topic as such, there needs to be something said, something new being brought to light, literally anything.

Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg

A debut worth the read. So weird, but actually gave great commentary on the digital age and about not keeping parts of ourselves off social media. The unlikeable main character and her antics, showcasing a deeper problem with the internet in today’s age, are really well handled.

Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix

This was a really interesting perspective given since the narrator is the guilty party, not a surviving victim. It shows how flippant people are to the crisis and unfair treatment that is really just a tiny blip in our day, surrounded by other horrendous events unfolding, everyone becomes desensitized.

So People Know It’s Me by Francesca Maria Benvenuto

The “for fans of Elena Ferrante” stamp of approval wasn’t wrong, for the most part. This is such a heartbreaking look at poverty through the eyes of youth and the desperate need for freedom outside the systems created. I just wanted a tiny bit more from the narration; this is a book that could have benefited from being longer.

Earth Angel by Madeline Cash

A solid short story collection by Madeline Cash, whose newest debut is all over the internet and waiting to be read by yours truly. I think this was a solid look into Cash’s writing style and the digital age.

Paradise Logic by Sophie Kemp

Was this one of the weirdest books I have ever read, and downright the weirdest book cover I own? Most definitely. This one is not for everyone, not for most, but it was for me. Such an interesting look at the societal pressure to make yourself look perfect and “girlfriend-material” to men, and I ate it up.

Heart the Lover by Lily King

Another newish release that just was not for me. There were moments when I found myself relating to the young woman, scared to tell someone how she feels, and how that mirrored my own experiences. However, I just did not personally understand how this was supposed to be “gut-wrenching” and “romantic”, but maybe I’m the problem.

“I’m not good at saying that I feel hurt or forgotten or rejected. There had been no room for that growing up.”- Heart the Lover, Lily King

Letter to the Father by Franz Kafka

Read this little letter in the jacuzzi at 5pm, and I have never felt more seen. Franz Kafka was cursed with the eldest daughter syndrome, and I salute him since I, too, suffer from it as well.

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

I have never been so mad at depriving myself of such beautiful writing for so long. Hands down, my favorite read of the month and perhaps a top book of the year. Going to hopefully watch the movie next month and become a changed woman.

“The leaves crisping at their edges. Here is a season Hamnet has not known or touched. Here is a world moving on without him.”

Hope everyone has a great reading month in February,

Makayla xx