I started out the month, and the year, SO strong—ready to make up for losing steam in December—but then found myself fumbling once again. The Polar Vortex struggle is real. I DNFed a few things, read a book for the RWA RITA Awards that I can’t name for obvious reasons (I still have six more of those to go!), and I just really need to thaw out as I head into February. However, I am really glad that what I did finish in January was awesome.

Sangu Mandanna’s A Spark of White Fire is a gorgeous SFF novel inspired by The Mahabharata. I spent the entire book wriggling like an excited puppy over every reference I recognized. Zoey Castile and Alyssa Cole’s contemporary romances gave me all the happy sighs and warm fuzzies I could’ve asked for in the middle of winter. Meanwhile, Tasha Harrison ripped my heart out with The Truth of Things, and Theresa Romain put it back together with her latest historical romance, Lady Notorious—which features resourceful women working for the Bow Street Runners!

The Reading Rundown:
Hired by Zoey Castile (contemporary romance)
Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole (LGBT contemporary romance)
At His Lady’s Command by Nicola Davidson (erotic historical romance)
The Truth of Things by Tasha L. Harrison (contemporary romance)
Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley (mainstream fiction, historical fiction)
A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna (science fiction, fantasy)
Lady Notorious by Theresa Romain (historical romance)
Flinch by L Setterby (erotic BDSM romance, short story)

Backlist adventures: Because I am that perverse histrom reader who hasn’t read all of Lisa Kleypas’ Hathaway books and is reading them out of order, I finally got around to Love in the Afternoon. It was supercute. Now, I think all I have left is Poppy and Harry! God only knows when I’ll get to that. Maybe 2020?

On the TBR/wish list:
Internment by Samira Ahmed (out 3/19)
Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty
Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik (out 2/5)
Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse (out 4/23)
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas (out 2/5)