Recent Reads, January 2025

longest month ever = lots of good books!

Since we’ve all agreed that January was the longest month ever, I shouldn’t be surprised that I had such a prolific (for me) reading month! I read 19 total books, and I’m here today to share the ones in the children’s categories with you all. And since February is blowing by at a much faster pace, I should probably finally publish this post before I get too behind. 😉

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Here are the books I read in January, with mini-reviews. (If you’re new here, I have a footnote for you!)¹

📚. Middle Grade

• Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp :: This graphic novel is a bit of a picture-book-crossover in my opinion. It can be read in one sitting easily, and can be summed up in the most simple review ever: Funny, absurd, dark, and clever.
  4.5⭐s

• The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson & the Olympians #3) by Rick Riordan :: I continue to enjoy this series! It’s funny and full of hijinx while also constantly referencing Greek mythology. I love how the characters are developing over the course of the series. This volume brought in some new characters, another quest, constant peril, and some tough losses.
  4.75⭐s

• What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski :: This is a fantastic book that all middle school girls should endeavor to read! I loved the mixed media format which includes emails and podcast transcripts in addition to narration. I loved how Anna set out with an idea and the reader gets to watch her project morph and take on a life of its own as she gets to know the people involved (and one of my favorite elements is that she goes right to the primary sources/characters to try to figure out why Rachel is such a pariah— even to Rachel herself). This book carries an important message/theme (sexual harassment) but is not presented in a didactic way but rather in an age-appropriate boots-on-the-ground way. The characters are realistic and the reader is drawn in to get to know them through Anna’s investigation.
  5⭐s

• Linked by Gordon Korman :: This book about the ongoing aftermath of a middle school dealing with swastika vandalism tackles heavy topics (antisemitism /racism) but in a nuanced, approachable way for upper elementary/middle school-aged kids. I like the multi-POV format with a variety of realistic characters, and how they range from apathetic to greatly affected. It’s really cool how Mr. Korman took a real student-led movement (the paperclip project) and inspired his fictional characters into action in a similar but new way. Link’s character arc was incredibly well-drawn and the ending was quite surprising.
  5⭐s

• The Fairy Tale Fan Club: Legendary Letters Collected by C.C. Cecily by Richard Ayoade :: I picked this up right away after loving his first MG book last year (The Book No One Wanted to Read). It’s funny, silly, clever and witty. The illustrations and book design only make it more enjoyable. This will be fun for any fairy tale fan looking for something a bit “out there”/weird.
  4⭐s

I don’t often pick up what I call in my library “Early Chapter Books,” but this month I read two, and then ended up reading one aloud over a 3-week span. These are both about the same size as a Mercy Watson book, great for a child’s first foray into independent chapter-book reading, or for a quick readaloud “novel.”

• Stella and Marigold by Annie Barrows :: (Early Chapter Book Series Starter) This is a sweet sister story, that would be perfect for a kid who has been read aloud chapter books like the Ramona series but is looking for something a bit shorter. I love how Stella and Marigold model a relationship where they love each other and have fun together while each having their own experiences and challenges. I listened to it and also flipped through the hardback, which I’m glad I did, because Sophie Blackall’s illustrations are delightful and add a lot to the book. Book two comes out in September of this year.
  4⭐s

• Orris and Timble: The Beginning by Kate DiCamillo :: (Early Chapter Book Series Starter) A darling early chapter book with sweet characters exploring friendship and the power of story, with a callback to the “mouse and lion” fable. I read this aloud to my first-grade classes and they loved it. It has some delightful “cliffhangers” between the chapters that allowed us to do some predictions. Book two comes out April 29, 2025.
  5⭐s

📚. Young Adult

• Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter :: I reread this old favorite to prepare to read the new sequel (which will be reviewed in the February edition!). Here’s my still-standing review originally from 2021: I loved this book! My own love of rom com movies, soundtracks, the fake dating trop, and all those high school milestones made this book an easy home run for me. I always love a character arc where the protagonist is figuring out the difference between who she thought she was and who she really is. Liz, or Libby, as some people call her is a unique and sweet girl who grows a lot in the span of this book. Wes is thoughtful and kind and brings out the best in her, both of which surprise Libby and delight the reader. And this fake dating scheme is fake dating with high stakes (a parking spot!!) and a childhood history which is super fun. And Wes just might be my new favorite YA book boyfriend.
  5⭐s

• Rebel with a Donut by Chrissie Q Martin :: A cute indie romance/friendship story about a teenage girl spending the summer with her grandma at a retirement village, that’s like The Breakfast Club meets Golden Girls. I found the main character a bit unlikeable at the beginning. But as she began to warm up to her surroundings and new friends, she grew on me. My book club read this one and we enjoyed discussing it over mini donuts.
  3.5⭐s

• A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson :: Late to the game on this one, but so glad I finally picked it up. I loved the format, the characters, the interwoven threads, the mystery itself! So good. I will keep reading the series (eventually) and I can’t wait to watch the show as well (though that might be more scary for me than book form!). My only complaint is… why didn’t we get the original British setting/characters? It’s strange to me that they Americanized it. At least they kept the name Pip which feels quite British.
  5⭐s

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I hope you find something here that you or a young person in your life might like to read. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Happy Friday and happy reading,

Nicole

I always use affiliate links with Bookshop.org when I link to books. If you purchase through my links you support me a tiny bit, and more importantly, you support indie bookstores. Thanks!

1. Caveat: I go by publishing market standards for these mini-reviews: middle grade refers to books with a general audience of 8-12 years old, and a typical young adult audience is 13-18 years old. I sometimes mention other more-specific age demographics/recommendations in my mini-reviews, but this is all ultimately up to each reader and their parents. I find that many readers continue reading and enjoying middle grade books in their favorite genres well into high school and beyond.

I share my own opinions (not affiliated with anyone/any institution but me), but keep in mind, I’m 43 years old, i.e. not the target audience, so I do try to also look at books from a young reader’s perspective when I can, and I always like to mention when a book has been liked my own kids or students. I will mention if a book was an ARC (advanced reader copy) that I received for free with the intent to review. I also keep my reviews on my StoryGraph profile.

From a writing standpoint, I have the utmost respect for authors and their book babies. My mini-reviews are just one opinion, and represent my own tastes and preferences, and I use star ratings to reflect that.

I rate books with a 5-star system (with decimals!), that can be described as follows:

5 ⭐s: I absolutely loved it and it hit some of my favorite tropes/story elements. I loved the experience of reading it, too, and I heartily recommend it!

4.5 ⭐s: I loved it but it may have had one element or trope that’s not my personal fave. I strongly recommend it!

4 ⭐s: I really liked it (though it probably had more than one element that I don’t always love)… I can see this would be a good fit for _________ and will recommend it.

3-3.5 ⭐s: I liked it. I can see it would be a good fit for ____________ even though it wasn’t just right for me.

2 ⭐s: It was okay, but definitely not for me. I still finished it (though maybe reluctantly).

1 ⭐: I regret finishing it because it was really not for me and/or it had specific things I really didn’t like. I may have DNF’d it.