What I Read and Loved | January 2025

Eight books, two musical artists, and more

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash

This post is too long for email, so click on over to Substack for the full reading experience.

So, January. It did its usual January thing and sucked 93% of the life out of me. But I used the 7% I still had left to read many fantastic books! I finished eight this month, three of which are five-star reads. I’m thrilled to start my reading year on such a high. Take a look at what I read and loved, then share your picks in the comments.

What I Read

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad: When Suleika Jaouad was in her early 20s, she was in a new relationship and living in Paris. She sought medical treatment for what she thought was a routine issue and received a leukemia diagnosis instead. This memoir chronicles her time in treatment, the fellow patients she met and drew strength from, the loyal boyfriend who helped her parents care for her, and the road trip she takes while in remission.

Jaouad is a masterful storyteller. Her vulnerability is on full display in this book, making the reader feel as if they're walking through the journey right alongside her. While this book is certainly sad, it's also full of resilience and hope. It was inspiring to see how Jaouad found purpose and leaned on her creativity during an unthinkably difficult period for her and her loved ones. Jaouad reads the audiobook, which made this reading experience even richer for me. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the memoir genre. (Audiobook, 5/5 stars)

Honey by Isabel Banta: This debut novel tells the story of fictional '90s pop star Amber Young. Abandoned by her father as a small child, Amber was raised by a self-absorbed single mom who could never quite give Amber what she needed. Her big break came during a school concert when an agent in the audience heard Amber's impressive voice. After leaving a girl group and setting out for a solo career, Amber achieves fame, faces public shame, falls in love with a boy band member, and forms a friendship with a rival pop princess. Her story is reminiscent of the '90s pop stars we know, such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

Honey has the ingredients to be a great book, but it never rose above mediocre for me because the story never took any chances. I wanted incisive commentary about stardom or a new take on being a woman in the entertainment industry, but nothing about Amber's story felt exciting or inventive, though I did like that the book included magazine interviews and articles featuring Amber. Even though we're given a lot of information about her and her life, I never felt invested in Amber as a character. She fell flat, as did most of the other characters and their relationships with one another. When I chose this book, I wanted a lighthearted audiobook, and that's mostly what I got. I just wanted more surprises and depth from the story. (Audiobook, 2/5 stars)

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney: Sally Rooney's latest and most ambitious novel follows two brothers mourning their father's recent death. Peter is a successful lawyer living in Dublin. He's seeing Naomi, a twenty-something student, who relies on him for money and other forms of support. Peter is with Naomi even though he's still in love with his former girlfriend, Sylvia, with whom he remains friends.

Ivan is Peter's younger brother who was closer to their father. Ivan has always been a bit nerdy and awkward compared to Peter, and this difference in status and personality has caused a rift between the two men. When Ivan participates in a nearby chess tournament, he meets Margaret. Though she's 36 and he's 22, he quickly falls for her and she for him. Margaret is going through a divorce from her alcoholic husband, and worries about what people will say about her new love.

Rooney is exceptionally gifted at writing dialogue and well-rounded characters. Peter, Ivan, and the women in their lives feel so real and vibrant, as if they're standing right in front of the reader. Each time I picked up and read Intermezzo, I felt transported by the stream-of-consciousness style and became completely engaged in the characters and their messy lives. To give you an idea of the book’s style, here’s a scene in which Peter is meeting up with Sylvia:

“Mercifully no rain. Not to think, not to think, only to be near her, breathe each other's breath for a while, decide nothing. At the south gate he sees her, waiting. Faintly golden the colour of her hair like wheat, and she's holding two coffee cups, umbrella hooked over her arm. She sees him, starts to smile, waiting for him to cross. That feeling, he thinks: all he has wanted, all his life. To walk towards her, to reach her, to accept from her extended hand the warm paper cup of coffee.”

I swooned when I read that. SWOONED. This book is over 450 pages, but I could have stayed with these characters for many more chapters. I think this is Rooney's best work so far. Her sensitivity to grief and the flawed yet lovable characters she's created makes for an excellent piece of fiction and a memorable reading experience. (Print, 5/5 stars)

Orbital by Samantha Harvey: This recent Booker Prize winner is a poetic meditation on humanity, science, and the state of the world. It follows six astronauts from around the globe for 24 hours as they orbit Earth. One is grieving the death of her mother and another is thinking about his wife. The astronauts watch as a typhoon develops, feeling helpless in the face of a natural disaster they can see but not stop.

Despite the setting leaving readers trapped with six people in a small spacecraft, Orbital isn't really about them. It's about what they're witnessing and how the borders humans put up are imaginary when looking at the world from outside it.

This book is beautifully written, but I never felt absorbed by it like I did while reading Intermezzo. I would have liked more character development, but I can appreciate what the author was trying to do. This book might not have been the perfect fit for me, but it's worth reading thanks to the lovely prose. (eBook, 3/5 stars)

Rental House by Weike Wang: Nate and Keru meet at a college party and fall in love. He's white and she's Asian, but their cultural conflicts aren't enough to keep them apart. After dating for several years and being married for five, they rent a house, take a vacation, and invite their parents to visit. They know things won't go well if both families come at once, so Keru's parents, who worry about germs, arrive first. Nate is the odd man out when Keru's parents speak Chinese and expect more traditional gender roles from the couple.

When Nate's parents arrive, it's Keru's turn to feel othered and left out. Her mother-in-law is never satisfied with the amount of attention she gets from Nate, and Keru feels as if she's blamed for their distance. Nate and Keru have decided not to have children, and this decision causes Nate's mom a great deal of distress, which she has no problem sharing with the couple.

Rental House is a wonderful book about family legacy, gender roles, and class. Parts of the book are funny, but others are tense, thanks to the awkward situations Weike Wang puts her characters into with their families, including Nate's older but irresponsible brother, Ethan, who shows up uninvited. I appreciated how Wang explored wealth and privilege by using the setting (nice rental properties by the water) as an important part of the story since they showed that Nate and Keru had money and used it differently than their parents would have had they also had wealth. (eBook, 4/5 stars)

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke: For one of my book clubs, I had to read a graphic novel for January's meeting. In an effort to read more books I own, I pulled Seek You off the shelf. Kristen Radtke uses beautiful illustrations to explore loneliness through different pieces of art, people, and events. The section I found most interesting concerns Harry Harlow, known for his horrific experiments on monkeys. He studied loneliness while being a terribly lonely man himself, despite marrying twice and having children.

As an introvert who recharges by being alone, I'm always interested in the topic of loneliness, especially when it's contrasted with aloneness. Aloneness is what allows me to refuel while loneliness is what makes me feel sad and separated from my community. Anyone else interested in those subjects will enjoy this inventive read and is sure to learn something about the danger of being lonely. (Print, 4/5 stars)

Thick: And Other Essays by Tressie McMillan Cottom: In this impressive essay collection, professor and writer Tressie McMillan Cottom considers a wide variety of topics such as Black womanhood and beauty, race in academia, social media, and Trump rallies. I could read Thick repeatedly and get something new out of it each time. McMillan Cottom is a brilliant essayist and thinker, infusing her writing with humor, truth, and surprising connections.

One of my favorite essays concerns itself with female beauty. I was challenged by McMillan Cottom's assertion that Black women are only considered beautiful if their beauty reflects some form of whiteness. She writes:

“When I say that I am unattractive or ugly, I am not internalizing the dominant culture’s assessment of me. I am naming what has been done to me. And signaling who did it.”

If you care about feminism, class, and race, grab a copy of this book and have a highlighter handy. Even though it was published in 2019, it’s a particularly great read in the current political season. (eBook, 5/5 stars)

What Goes with What: 100 Recipes, 20 Charts, Endless Possibilities by Julia Turshen: I was sold on this new cookbook as soon as I saw the word "charts" in the subtitle. I was flipping through a copy in Barnes and Noble and when I saw the charts in person, I knew this book had to come home with me.

I don't always read my cookbooks cover to cover, but that's what happened with this one. Along with her simple yet yummy recipes, Julia Turshen has included some essays and moving conversations with her mother and other women in her family. Come for the charts, stay for the thoughtful writing. (Print, 5/5 stars)

What I Loved

MUSIC: Cut Worms

One of the things I love about Spotify is finding new artists so I don’t just listen to Taylor Swift all year. They suggested Cut Worms (a.k.a. Max Clarke) to me, and I was immediately smitten. His sound reminds me of 1960s British music, which I enjoy. I’ve listened to multiple Cut Worms albums, but my favorite is the one I’ve linked here, Nobody Lives Here Anymore. I’ve had the track “Veteran’s Day” on repeat for a somewhat embarrassing amount of time. It has over 2 million plays, and a decent number of those are from me, I think. You’re welcome, Cut Worms.

MUSIC: Rufus Wainwright

I’ve listened to Rufus Wainwright off and on for about 20 years, but I was reminded how much I love his voice by watching this stunning duet between him and Sara Bareilles in which they sing “She Used to Be Mine.” (When the video cuts to people in the audience crying, I was right there with them.) Wainwright has such a unique and dynamic voice. It’s been a treat to rediscover his work.

What I Wrote

---

If you’d like to support my work, comment, share, upgrade to a paid subscription, buy me a coffee, or shop my bookshop or affiliate links. I love doing this work, and I’m thankful to have you in this community!

---

What did you read and love in January? I’d love to hear what’s been giving you joy!