January 2024 Reading Wrap-Up

I started January pretty strong and finished 12 books. Five of them I listened to on audio, three were e-books, including two e-ARCs. 7 books out of 12 were from the library. The two e-ARCs that I read have separate reviews on this blog (one them is also on my favorites list below). I gave 5 stars to 4 books, and these are my new favorites. Out of these 4, Chain Gang All-Stars was by far the best. In fact, it prompted me to do a deep dive into non-fiction about the US prison system and activism surrounding the abolition of prisons.

Chain Gang All Stars is a dystopian novel set in not so distant future in the US. We follow convicted prisoners who fight Hunger Games like style for a chance to earn "high freedom" - release from prison. Each fight is to the death. The book is extremely graphic and violent. However, it focuses with a laser-like precision on the US prison system of today - there are extensive informative footnotes that indicate that many of the elements in the book are taken directly from our current reality. It had a chilling affect on me, and as I mentioned, I ended up seeking out and reading a couple of non-fiction books on the subject. One of them I completed in January and it also made my list of favorites - Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis. 

The biggest disappointment of the month is pictured below.

This was a new Red Tower release. In the wake of the success that The Fourth Wing had garnered for this publishing house, there were multiple pre-orders for romantasy books with pretty sprayed edges. I fell prey to the hype and did pre-order this book. What a disappointment. I honestly struggled to get through it and already barely remember the plot. I promptly canceled any other pre-orders I had for Red Tower books and already got rid of my copy. Definitely do not recommend.

The other books on my January list were middle of the way. I am very happy I found 4 favorites this month and I hope February will be a strong reading month also.