I think I’m going to ignore the fact that the first month of 2023 is already over.

I’ve hardly done ANY hiking this month, and there has been little snow. So I’m not acknowledging winter passing.

On the bright side, I did have plenty of time to read, what with having a cold and ending up with vertigo.

All of which means it’s a good thing I read plenty of good books in January.

Fantasy

Unexpectedly, I read a bunch of new fantasy–including a new-to-me author! Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes was delightful. It’s what happens after the adventuring, when the hero wants to retire. Except the hero isn’t a he, and isn’t human, and wants to do something entirely new: open a cafe. It could have been written as a joke, but reminded me of Drew Hayes stories, which seem like they would be ridiculous while actually been thoughtful.

And I adore that cover–it’s a throw-back to so much 80s fantasy I read.

A Matter of Magic (1994) Patricia C. Wrede 9/10
Legends & Lattes (2022) Travis Baldree 8/10
There Will Be Phlogiston (2014) Alexis Hall (Prosperity) 8/10
A Bump In Boohail (2022) Kimberly Lemming (Mead Mishaps) 7/10
Soul Taken (2022) Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson) 7/10

Mystery

I am still rereading Agatha Christie mysteries, but I’m going through the series I don’t remember (or might not necessarily have read), which is interesting, although I don’t like them anywhere near as much as the Miss Marple stories.

The new mysteries by Josh Lanyon and KJ Charles were good, and I think that I’ll end up rereading Hide and Seek, because it was interesting and I was suffering a bit with the cold when I read it.

Hide and Seek (2022) Josh Lanyon 8/10
Masters in This Hall (2022) K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) 7/10
Agatha Christie
Superintendent Battle: Murder is Easy (1939) 7/10, Towards Zero (1944) 7/10
Tommy & Tuppence: The Secret Adversary (1922), Partners in Crime (1929) 7/10
Lessons for Survivors (2018) Charlie Cochrane (Cambridge Fellows) 6/10
Murder by the Book (2018) Lauren Elliott 5/10

Romance

I feel like The Holiday Trap is the first Roan Parrish story I’ve read with a FF romance. It was a cute trading places / holiday romance, but unlike her recent books for Harlequin, went a little bit more into the struggles of the characters instead of glossing past those problems. There is nothing wrong with glossing past struggles, it is just really weird for a Roan Parrish story to do so.

The Holiday Trap (2022) Roan Parrish 8/10
The Geek Who Saved Christmas (2021) Annabeth Albert 7/10
The First Snow of Winter (2021) Joanna Chambers (Winterbourne) 6.5/10

Comics

100% comfort reads.

Check, Please! Book 1: # Hockey (2018) Ngozi Ukazu 8/10
Check, Please! Book 2: Sticks & Scones (2020) Ngozi Ukazu 9.5/10

Audio Books

I finally finished Murderbot and after a brief struggle started the Raven Boys series.

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater narrated by Will Patton: The Raven Boys, Audio Edition (2012) 9/10, The Dream Thieves, Audio Edition (2013) 9.5/10
Network Effect, Audio Edition (2020) Martha Wells narrated by Kevin R. Free 9.5/10