What a way to kick off the year! I read 12 books in January, mostly due to being able to read ebooks while taking care of my baby. I challenged myself to read as many physical books as possible, too, since I am always trying to tone down my screen time before bed, but it’s next to impossible to read a physical book while I am rocking the kiddo to sleep.

One of my goals for this year is to track what I read, so I’ve been using a rather robust Google Sheets template to do so. It even has a rating system! I’m still getting used to that, but one thing I know is a rating over 5 (out of 10) means I’d recommend it to a friend!
This list does not include what I read for my Bible study which has been focused on the New Testament lately as our church goes through the Bible cover to cover.
I did start two books that I did not finish, neither of which are listed below. One was the first in a series, and it just could not hold my attention, and the other is a nonfiction book that had to be returned to the library. I plan to check that book out again so I can finish it!
Here is the list of the books I finished with a link to their Goodreads listing so you can check them out for yourself:
- In the Field of Grace – Tessa Afshar
- Point of No Return – Susan May Warren (Missions of Mercy #1)
- Mission Out of Control – Susan May Warren (Missions of Mercy #2)
- Undercover Pursuit – Susan May Warren (Missions of Mercy #3)
- Cinder – Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #1)
- Scarlet – Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #2)
- Cress – Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #3)
- Winter – Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #4)
- Love’s Reckoning – Laura Frantz (Ballantyne Legacy #1)
- Love’s Awakening – Laura Frantz (Ballantyne Legacy #2)
- Love’s Fortune – Laura Frantz (Ballantyne Legacy #3)
- Pearl in the Sand – Tessa Afshar
I’ve read Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles before; even though they were a re-read, they were also my favorite books this month. I really enjoy fairy tale retellings, and the futuristic setting of the series offers neat worldbuilding.
Tessa Afshar is a new author to me. In the Field of Grace is an interpretation of the story of Ruth, and Pearl in the Sand is an interpretation of Rahab’s story. It was neat to see Afshar’s version of Moses in Pearl in the Sand and imagine what it would have been like for these two women of faith in their day-to-day lives.
February is already a slower month for reading since I was working hard to get my novella, Winter’s Wedding, out into the world. Add in a growing seven month old, and you can probably understand why February will showcase fewer books!
What are you currently reading? What are the books that you love to re-read?


