Monthly Wrap-Up

Monthly Wrap-Up: January 2025

Dini @ dinipandareads24 Comments

Okay, where did January go? Seriously, this month felt like 100 days but it also passed by in a blink! 🤭 In fact, I can hardly even remember what I did in January because what was even time last month? I can’t seem to recall a thing (I’m really too young to be this forgetful). That’s why I’m going to leave it to some photos to cover the highlights, lol. It’s mostly my catto, Kiki, books and food (and my new hair!) but it does sum me and my month up nicely.

A thing I was quite proud of in January was how active I was on bookstagram. I guess you can say that I was there at the start of the rise of bookstagram and I burned out really hard when I tried to do too much. It was to the point that I stopped all of my social media and stuck to Twitter to only share my blog posts. One of my goals in the last two years has been to try and get back into the scene, regardless of how much engagement my posts get. Most years, I’ve failed at this goal after a brief reappearance but this January, I was on there a lot! Obviously, that has pros and cons as I wound up spending too much time mindlessly scrolling but I’m enjoying my time on there and while I don’t think I’ll ever get the same level of engagement as before, I like the chill low-pressure vibes. 🤭

I read 15 books last month and though it’s the least I’ve read to start the year compared to previous years, I’m happy with that number. I didn’t have any 5-star reads in January but I did have a few great contenders so again, I’m not disappointed! Where I really flopped in January was with writing reviews because other than ARCs, I didn’t review a single one of the books I read. It’s very unlike me. I took notes on Notion as I’m using a great template there as my main detailed reading tracker, but did I turn any of those notes into actual reviews? Nope. 🙂‍↔️ Let’s hope February will be better on this front!

While it was a close call, I think my favourite this month is 🥇 Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera 🥇 because I ate that book up and had so much fun doing it! I get why it’s so popular and I’m happy that it’s off my TBR (and I completed a challenge prompt at the same time)! I would highly recommend the audiobook because it made for a great immersive experience with how the podcast episodes were brought to life!

*COVERS are linked to Goodreads and the TEXT is linked to my review, if available*
*books are arranged by READING ORDER from first to latest*

4.5 pandas

Exit, Pursued by A Baron by Aydra Richards, The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow, I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang, Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

(ARC) I Am Not Jessica Chen

4 pandas

The Wilde Trials by Mackenzie Reed, Midnight by Beverly Jenkins, Church Girl by Naima Simone, Captive of the Horde King by Zoey Draven

(ARC) The Wilde Trials

3.5 pandas

A Language of Dragons by S. F. Williamson, A Touch Wicked by Katrina Kendrick, Lady Diana’s Lost Lord by Aydra Richards, Night Song by Beverly Jenkins, Claimed by the Horde King by Zoey Draven

(ARC) A Language of Dragons

3 pandas

Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley

less than 3 pandas (or no rating)

Gifted to His Dad by J. Wilder (not rating)

I planned to participate in a fair few challenges in 2025 and I’m on track with all of them. I managed to fill a few of the prompts in the PS Reading Challenge, which I’m thankful for because that’s going to be the toughest of the lot, I think!

✔ Goodreads Reading Challenge: 15/150 books
✔ Beat the Backlist: 📚 4 backlist books // 📱 0 backlist ARCs ⇢ 1 Bingo Space
✔ 2025 Buzzword Reading Challenge: January (“truth or lie”) ⇢ Listen for the Lie
✔ 2025 Year in Aeldia: January: Published in 2024 ⇢ Church Girl
✔ Popsugar Reading Challenge: 4 books ⇢ Prompts 6, 19, 20, 35

This one’s a bit too wide to see properly…

And that’s it for January! How did your first month of the new year go? What was your favourite read? What’d you get up to? I’d love to know! There’s a lot of tumultuous energy in the world right now and I hope everyone is doing well and taking good care. 💜

24 thoughts on “Monthly Wrap-Up: January 2025”

  1. These are the books I read in January and the countries travelled to

    I Married a Catman by Regine Abel set in Space,
    Sudden Attraction by Rebecca York set in USA, Louisiana
    Overwhelming Attraction by Rebecca York set in USA, Louisiana/Maryland
    Lady’s Steed by Eve Langlais set in Dystopia,
    Colonyside by Michael Mammay set in Space,
    Orbital by Samantha Harvey set in Earth’s orbit,
    Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Krentz set in USA, California Diagnosis:Attraction by Rebecca York set in USA, Louisiana/Maryland/Alabama/Tennessee
    The Hero she Loves by Anna Hackett set in USA, Alaska/California
    Dark Hope by Christine Feehan set in Netherlands,
    Claiming Cure by Cynthia Sax set in Space,
    The Legend of Scorpio by Eve Langlais set in Antarctica/Iraq/USA, Nevada
    Guarding Autumn by Kaylea Cross set in USA, Oregon
    Arrival by Veronica Scott set in Space
    Gill

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    • At first I thought you were actually listing all the countries you went to in January and I was thinking that’s a long list! I can see you’ve been spending a lot of time in Space – practically an astronaut at this point haha 😄 I haven’t read that many space themed books – most recent one was probably ‘Goldilocks’ by Laura Lam

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      • Haha, I saw this comment before reading Gill’s comment and I was like “spending a lot of time in space?! who what?!” 😂 On a more bookish note, did you enjoy Laura Lam’s book? I think I’ve heard good things about that one (but ages ago, maybe?)!

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        • Haha 😂

          I have to say I read ‘Goldilocks’ three years ago and I don’t remember it that well, but I’ve just dug up the review I wrote on it previously and apparently ‘I really enjoyed this book’ 😅 I have a vague memory of liking it, but I guess it didn’t stand the test of time

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          • Fair enough! I totally get that because I have the *worst* memory ever and I quickly forget details even for the books that I massively enjoyed reading recently. 😂 I’ll have to check if I actually have that one on my shelf somewhere!

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  2. January felt SO LONG. And now February feels like it’s flying by. I’m currently reading A Language of Dragons and enjoying it so far. I’ve seen a few reviews where people had issues with it. 😔

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    • It’s so weird how January felt like it went on forever and yet, it also felt like it sped by at the same time. 🫣 February is definitely flying by—I forgot how short a month it is! I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying A Language of Dragons. I thought it was a fun read overall although I did have issues with it. That said, I know a lot of people have and will love it and I hope you continue to do so the further you get! Happy reading 🙂

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  5. You are doing well with your reading challenges. Look at all those PS spaces filled, and 4 backlist *high five*. It’s great that you have found a renewed zeal for bookstagram. It’s a lot of work, but it sounds like you are being kind to yourself and enjoying it as well.

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    • I just realised that I’d kept the covers of the “chosen but unread books” in the Popsugar image so it definitely looks like I’ve read a lot more than I have but I am happy that I’ve made decent enough progress in the first month already! Bookstagram is definitely a lot of work but it helps that this time I’m going into it with the mindset of low-pressure and not needing to make things “perfect” or overly complicated for myself because I’m very good at doing that, haha. 🤣

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  6. Oh thats a good start on your challenges 👏🏼

    If that comfort you, time passes faster as an adult compared to teenger/kids because your brain like & save new experiences better… and as you get less of those growing up, your brsin don’t “save” as much- making time pass like a blur

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