What's On My Nightstand (January)

January is the month of restarts. Refocusing on our goals (simple or complex), refocusing on our health, refocusing on what we want to change by the time December rolls around again. Our houses get a refresh as we remove all the tinsel and trappings and put away the sparkle for the next eleven months. Our Instagram feeds are full of inspiration and ways to renovate ourselves this year, with a healthy dose of "cozy" vibes to keep us firmly in winter mode. It's easy to think that January is the only month that this can take place, and while it's true that it comes most naturally this time of year, I like to look at each day in the same way most of us look at the first of January. Every day is a new opportunity to try something new, made a different choice, eat better, move more, gripe less, and learn from yesterday's mistakes. So whether you stuck with all of your goals for the last 31 days or not, remember: tomorrow is another new start and it's never too late! 

My Simple Goal list included reading 24 books this year. As I said then, I would love to push that to 36 or 48 or even my original 2025 goal of 60, but we're going to start small and work up and if we go beyond that, I'll give myself an overachieving high five. January was a pretty strong start (as it usually is - winter being my best time for reading), and here are the books I checked off my list over the last 31 days...

1. Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson & Jay Cooper - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was on my wish list for a while, and then (without knowing it was one my wish list) a friend gave it to me for my birthday last month and I absolutely loved it. Yes, I still just gave it four stars (because, come on, five star books need to really be five stars!), but for a little graphic/short paragraph book, this was pretty fantastic. I wasn't actually sure what to expect, but from page one I found myself snorting. If you've read any Agatha Christie mysteries or other similar British murder series, you'll recognize many of the seemingly innocent yet surprisingly sinister characters and locations, bound to be full of murderous intentions (beware all village fêtes, for example, and stay away from the church bell tower!). If you, or someone you know well, love a cozy British murder, this should definitely be on your list for next year's stocking (along with a cute bookmark - another friend gave me a tea bag bookmark, similar to this one, which you could actually make with scraps!). {Amazon Associates Link}
2. From a Far and Lovely Country by Alexander McCall Smith - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I always love a trip to Botswana to visit Mma Ramotswe. The stories are simple and yet, surprisingly, complex, involving regular life and common troubles that makes the characters relatable, even if you've never left your mid-west hometown. In this particular book I was getting a little concerned at how he was going to wrap up all the loose threads of the story. And even though McCall Smith waited until the very last chapter to wrap up every story line...he did so, beautifully, as always. When the world appears to grow more insane by the day, I encourage you to take a trip over to Zebra Lane or make a stop at the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and have a cup of red bush tea with Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi. Always a pleasure. {Amazon Associates Link}
3. Let the Biscuits Burn by Abby Kuykendall - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ If I were just viewing this through the lens of what I got out of it, I would give it two stars and say that it offered nothing earth shattering (hospitality was a normal thing in my family). However, if you're new to it this is a good starting point because we are all called to "practice hospitality," not just those who have the gift of it. Kuykendall offers real life examples of how she first practiced hospitality as a single woman, and now as a relative newlywed and new mom. This is also where she lost me a bit because I chuckled over her being "so busy," but the things she shares are still valid and good, food for thought and encouraging to those who didn't grow up in a hospitality-rich environment. In a world where opening your home to others is a lost art...people are just happy to be invited. Personal Note: Making people feel at home in your house follows learning how to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, because only then you will learn how to love your neighbor as yourself...and your door should begin to open because all you're really doing is loving your neighbor. {Amazon Associates Link}
4. The Missing Pets Mystery by Rachel Ward ⭐⭐ I actually have this as a set of five books for Kindle, but each one is a full book (and can be purchased separately), so even though Kindle will mark it as having read one book, I'm counting it as five. Now that that's out of the way, here's the nitty gritty: This was a definite improvement from the first book (in no way was it clean, mind you, still f-bombs and innuendo, but at least no graphic sex scenes this time), and it feels like the author is settling in a bit. However, it is a reality stretch because how many mysteries can a supermarket employee be involved with that involve the same supermarket staff? Although, to be fair, I guess it's no different than the number of murders per capita in Cabot Cove, Maine, where Jessica Fletcher lived (Murder, She Wrote). Here's the only thing you really need to know: Would I recommend the series? No, I still would not. That hasn't changed from Book 1. I'm only continuing on because I already own Books 1-5 (the $2.99 special for all five). Had Book 2 taken after Book 1, I would have shut it down. Even so, my recommendation is: Pass.
5. Steve McQueen: The Salvation of an American Icon by Greg Laurie & Marshall Terrill ⭐⭐⭐ In the introduction, Laurie says he's never written fiction before, clarifying that the "fiction" part of this story is his road trip in his classic car, though not saying whether he actually met up with the people he talked to about McQueen (getting there by plane and rental car instead of an epic road trip) or if he used the phone or if it was all research from his co-author. He said the road trip itself was a "literary story-telling device," but he could have done without it and I wouldn't have been left guessing what was fact and what was fiction. That aside, as much as I appreciated how Laurie intertwined his life story and its similarities with McQueen's formative years...there were times when his own self-importance-through-survival rubbed me the wrong way. Is this about Steve McQueen or Greg Laurie? Did both Laurie and McQueen have difficult childhoods? Yes. Did God save them both? Yes. Although, on that count, we didn't get there until the very end of the book (just as McQueen didn't get there until the end of his life). Laurie does a decent job wrapping it up in the closing chapters, and because this was one of the last books (if not the last) that my mom read before she died, I am willing to say it's an okay book (and one that spoke to her during her own final weeks battling cancer). Even though it wasn't a favorite book of mine, it could be an encouraging read for others, as it was for my mom.{Amazon Associates Link}
6. Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I read this in a day, practically in one sitting! Such a sweet story, with a total lack of impropriety, unnecessary crassness, foul language, uncomfortable bedroom scenes, or anything else that makes so many other books these days something that I am totally uncomfortable handing my teenage girls. But this is like taking Beauty and the Beast and mixing it up with Jane Austen (but with some hand holding, a couple of marital kisses, and some longing looks). My only complaint is that it's only on Kindle, but at least there are several books in the series. I also saw a trailer for a movie they are making from the book (done with a kickstarter compaign) which I'm looking forward to seeing whenever it's finally released (this year, according to their website). {Amazon Associates Link}
7. Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a really lovely follow-up to book #1 (Seeking Persephone). Although the plot line and inevitable ending were obvious from page 1, that didn't stop me from enjoying the book or the progression of Miss Lancaster's relationship with a certain family friend. Sweet, clean, and the ultimate happy ending for all. My biggest complaint about this series is that it's Kindle-only, and I would love to have these books in paperback for my girls (who don't do ebooks), but otherwise, a really lovely set of sweet, innocent romance stories (something I'm not typically a fan of, so this has come as a bit of a surprise). {Amazon Associates Link}
8. Midwinter Murder: Fireside Mysteries from the Queen of Crime by Agatha Christie ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I think I was around 13 or 14-years-old when I first picked up an Agatha Christie mystery (I believe it might have been Murder on the Orient Express), and I was hooked. It's been a few years since I have re-read any of her detective stories (though I did read her autobiography in October 2024), but I love Christie's writing. I love her short stories (though not as much as I love her longer tales). But mostly, I adored the cover and interior of this (Hardcover from the UK) book (absolutely beautiful - my copy is pictured above). If you want the beautiful cover, you have to cough up for the hardback, because the U.S. paperback just isn't the same. My one complaint was that there wasn't necessarily a winter theme to all of the stories, but that's not enough to make me give it less than 5 stars. Perfect January read. ❄️ {Amazon Associates Link}
   
9. Romancing Daphne by Sarah M. Eden ⭐⭐⭐ So far, this has been my least favorite of the series, but it was still enjoyable and I read it in a day. While the first two books received four stars from me, this one, however, was just a three star. For one thing, there were some inconsistencies (like Adam's clear threat not to physically touch Daphne, and yet it was ignored almost immediately), and the ending with the Lancaster's father wasn't tied up. However, it was still delightful to see another sister married off, and I look forward to giving the next book in the series a go. {Amazon Associates Link}
10. Out to Canaan (Mitford #4) by Jan Karon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I have lost track of the number of times I have read through this series, but it never gets old. The perfect cozy series for hard times, crazy seasons, dark winters, or just because. Father Tim seems to get better with each reading, mostly because as I age I begin to understand him more. I can see things in his character that I couldn't understand before, ways of looking at the world and at people, feelings that resonate as they just didn't when I was 20 years younger. And yet, there's something for everyone in this story and series, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. I'm quite excited that she's coming out with a final book in the series and look forward to getting my hands on it later this year! {Amazon Associates Link}

One month in, ten books finishes. I'm quite pleased with that start! We'll see what February holds, but I've been working to develop some habits that will hopefully help me to continue to making reading a priority in 2026. In the mean time, hit me up with the best book you read in January! 

Happy Reading!