January’s Reads
January’s reading mix was a continuation of Christmas, and I found this meant an eclectic combination of genres that I found over the Christmas period.
As you can no doubt see, I have a strong preference for non-fiction, true crime and horror, so these themes are usually in there somewhere, but I also like to relax around these themes with cozy reads. I absorb a great many books on women’s themes, feminist books, and honest retellings of women in history. This is my history and I have daughters; I am also proud of the many strong women I have known in my life.
One best read of January for me personally, without a doubt, was Kate Lister’s “Harlots, Whores & Hackabouts: A History of Sex for Sale”. Beautifully told and illustrated, with chapters taking the reader through history in set, relatively short, very readable sections, Harlots is entertaining, informative, and just an all out good read. If you have any interest at all in how women have been maligned through history, there are worse places to start than this one.
The surprise best read contender on the January list was my incredibly random, knee-jerk purchase of “Legends & Lattes” by Travis Baldree. As a teenager I read nothing but fantasy, and I do mean everything from Greek Mythology to Tolkien and the Death Gate Cycle with the Wheel of Time thrown in. Nothing was too heavy. So now, Fantasy as a genre for me is kind of last on the list. So I certainly did not expect to add a fantasy cozy to my own read list. I am on some really good book recommendation sites though, and this kept cropping up as a lovely cozy read.
Not gonna lie, I loved “Legends & Lattes” so much I got the second book, “Bookshops & Bonedust” (actually the prequel), the second I finished it. I saw Legends described as a warm hug, and this is the best description I can offer for it; less about events and more about the calm relaxation and attitude of the book. The LGBTQIA+ romance is gentle and unobtrusive. The whole thing stayed with me as a peaceful oasis in between the heavier options I had been reading. While I did not find Bookshops quite as absorbing, I still read it very quickly, loved it, and am eagerly waiting now for Baldree’s third instalment, “Brigands & Breadknives”, publication due November 2025.
The third book is the one that stayed with me the most after reading; without a doubt this was “The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper” by Hallie Rubenhold. Another fantastic historical synopsis of women’s lives, this book is another that casts doubt on many of the aspersions thrown onto women over time, not least that Jack the Ripper killed prostitutes. The five have been owed an apology for a long time; this book is not before time and it is haunting me now.
Finally this short story is well worth checking out if you like contemporary literature. “The Answer is No” is a beautiful humorous story of someone who just likes being left alone, at a moment in life when that is not going to be allowed by the other inhabitants of his apartment block. It is one of the best short stories I’ve read for a long time, and as someone who hugely appreciates their own time and space, I really appreciated the viewpoint of an individual who doesn’t want to be in the story, let alone have the lead role.
