January ’24 Reading & Watching Wrap-Up: Reading Slumps, TV Bingeing, & Cold Days

Posted on by Lauren

Hello, everyone! Happy February. 🙂 One month down, eleven more to go!

January was a very interesting month for me, because for the first time in many years, I actually had a burst of energy with the new year. Most times, I feel just the same if not worse with the transition. However, a lot of that energy has gone into things other than reading — a good deal of them book-related. I’ve been posting consistently here on my blog and my bookstagram (which is far more than can be said for the beginning of last year). Additionally, I finished painting and chartering a Little Free Library in my local area, and have been curating a collection of books to eventually sell out of a mini-bookstore on wheels (which is more of a passion project than one for profit). So, actually reading has fallen through the cracks a little bit but I’ve still read some!

Books

Landra Jenning’s Wand marks my first read of the year, and I think it’s such a lovely note to start out on. As I spent a good chunk of time reading middle-grade books last year, I’m enjoying taking the good of 2023 with me into 2024, especially with all the changes going on. I think the lighter, heartwarming stories keep me grounded! (4 stars.)

Gone Girl was also one I was looking forward to for the wintertime (despite it being primarily set in the summer). I only pick up thrillers on occasion, and I knew the midpoint twist already, so I thought my reading experience might be a little bit foiled. However, that wasn’t the case! The employment of the narrative styles, the verbose prose as both narrators are writers, and the masterful relaying of information made this a really fantastic read. The first half was admittedly very slow, making me wonder if I would really enjoy this book the whole way through. But the implementation of new information was done so well, and the switch-up in the story’s center was so superbly done in my opinion. I did listen to the audiobook alongside reading it physically which also really helped my focus, and, in all honesty, I may not have made it through without it. I’m glad I decided to employ audiobooks back into my reading routine! (4 or even 4.5 — I’ll say 4 stars for now, though.)

Currently Reading

Most of my focus has been on reading Mercury (I’m about halfway through now) but when I finish it, I’ll probably get through the other two more quickly and I won’t have to put them in another monthly reading wrap-up.

Up Next

Eileen has been sitting on my bedside table for a while, and I’ve just added library copies of Rouge and Steelheart. I’m very much looking forward to all three of these!

Lights DNFs / Saving for Later

You may recall, I mentioned setting All’s Well aside until I get a physical copy of it in my mid-January Update. Well, I did just buy a physical copy of it so I’ll probably pick it back up sometime this year, but I have so many other books on hand and on my mind right now. I may pick up More Appalachian Folk Stories on occasion to read one sliver at a time but I’m going to mostly set it aside for the time being.

Books Completed: 2
Average Rating: 4.00 stars.
Most Read Genre: Fantasy & Thriller
Top Intended Audience: Middle Grade & Adult

Films

I did recently get a Disney+/Hulu bundle subscription, so I’ve been taking advantage of that in the evenings when I don’t have any energy left to read!

  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005), dir. Andrew Adamson [available on Disney+]
  • Queenpins (2021), dir. Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly [available on Netflix US]
  • Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), dir. Mel Stuart [available on Max]
  • Theater Camp (2023), dir. Molly Gordon & Nick Lieberman [available on Hulu]
  • Not Okay (2022), dir. Quinn Shephard [available on Hulu]
  • Lady Bird (2017), dir. Greta Gerwig [available on Netflix US and Hulu]
  • Gone Girl (2014), dir. David Fincher [I borrowed a DVD from the library]

Films Watched: 7
Average Rating: 3.79 stars.
Most Watched Genre: Comedy

TV

You can see the employment of the bundle subscription here, too, with a fair bit of Netflix streaming thrown in as well.

  • Normal People (2020) [Hulu]
  • The X-Files (1993-2018) [I watched on DVD but I believe it’s on Hulu]
  • Percy Jackson & the Olympians (2023) [Disney+]
  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-) [Hulu]
  • Boy Meets World (1993-2000) [Disney+]
  • Shameless (2011-2021) [Netflix]
  • This is Us (2016-2022) [Netflix & Hulu]

Of these I’ve finished Normal People (which I enjoyed), the eleventh and final season of Shameless (the quality of the show definitely waned in the last few seasons but I still love the show overall), the sixth and final season of This is Us (the pacing of the season felt a little strange — there were parts I really liked and parts I really didn’t), and Percy Jackson & the Olympians (I really loved this season, and I hope it gets renewed for years to come). The rest, I’m at different parts of the first season for each, having gotten the furthest in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The X-Files!

January was very busy with its share of ups and downs but, overall, I can say I’m happy with it, even if I only read two books. I think my efforts will regulate more in February, so I’m hoping to see more of a balance!

How was your reading in January? Any new favorites? Least favorites? What movies and/or shows have you been watching? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

[DISCLAIMER: Photos in this post may be paired with Amazon affiliate links, meaning I’d earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support!]

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Published by Lauren

Hi! I’m Lauren (she/her, 22), and I like to read and write; I’m still trying to figure out the rest.

5 thoughts on “January ’24 Reading & Watching Wrap-Up: Reading Slumps, TV Bingeing, & Cold Days”

  1. Great wrap up!! I loved the Gone Girl novel so much for the way the story was revealed and told. It was a little hard to like the film after that, as it was almost impossible to tell it in the same way. Rosamund Pike though… 🫣🔥 so good!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you! And I completely agree — I felt bad for not liking the film quite as much because I thought it was still well done and I still enjoyed it but the novel was so masterfully done, I can’t help but have a preference, haha! (And, again, totally agree — Rosamund Pike is splendid!)

      Liked by 1 person

  2. I’ve seen the movie version of Gone Girl, but I’ve been wanting to read the book for a while now! I usually don’t listen to audiobooks, but I might give it a try now! Loved reading your post! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you! I definitely really enjoyed it, and I hope you do too if you pick it up! And I’ve been off and on with my relationship to audiobooks but they can definitely be very convenient if you have time to listen but not time/energy to physically hold and read something. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  3. […] The fantasy and horror sections are the first to thin once the sale actually starts, so I was able to snag the Stephen King ones from volunteering ahead of time, as well as The Name of the Wind. I’m really pleased about that because I’ve been searching for these titles for a while! The classics and science fiction were ones I got more on a whim. Sharp Objects seemed like a good one to pick up considering how much I loved Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl earlier this year! […]

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