FIVE Favorite FIVE Star Reads from January!

I'm a little late with this post (seeing as February is almost over already), but it's been a crazy month and I've had so many other fun posts I've been working on. I didn't want to miss this post, though. In January, I did a month-long social media fast (which I loved!) and I spent a lot of my "extra" time reading instead of scrolling, which felt so nice!

Here are my five favorite five star reads from January!

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion vol. 8 by Beth Brower

I have loved this entire series, but The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion vol. 8 has been my favorite so far! Islington has always been one of my favorite characters and I especially loved his character in this one. I also loved the way the grief theme and the friendship theme were explored. Every time I read a new one, I think, I couldn't possibly like the next book more, and every time I am wrong.

So, here's to saying, I couldn't possibly love the ninth more than this one!

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese

I was surprised by how much I loved this book. This is a nonfiction collection of different recipes that the author found or came up with for items often bought at the store or in a restaurant, interspersed with her experience around the recipe and her opinion on whether it is worth it to buy it or make it. It was very enjoyable for me and left me wanting to try some new recipes!

The Last of the Really Great Whangdodles by Julie Andrews Edwards

A neighbor recently came by with some books they were getting rid of and this was in the box. I hadn't realized Julie Andrews (the actress) had written any children's books, but she's written several! I've always liked her as an actress and this makes me like her even more.

This was such a fun middle grade read! It follows three children who befriend a professor and go on a quest to find a whangdoodle--the last of its kind. To do so, they have to overcome things like fear and really dig into their imagination.

The Girl Who Kept the Castle by Ryan Graudin

In The Girl Who Kept the Castle, Wizard West has died but his ghost lives on and hosts a tournament to find his successor. The groundkeeper's daughter must make the tournament a success using magic she shouldn't be using in order to save everything she loves. This middle grade fantasy was a lot of fun and had a great character arc. I also loved the twists at the end and the cast of characters!

Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt

Buffalo Flats is an LDS young adult historical fiction set in Canada in the late 1800's. There is romance, history, and friendship as the book explores the hardships faced by pioneers and explores what life was like for early latter-day saints. I loved the characters and the story of this one!

Bonus:

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice For Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was my main reread of January and I loved it just as much rereading it as I did the first time I read it! I love Vera's character so much and I love the satisfaction that comes as she meddles in people's lives by bringing them food and just loving on them.

Those are my favorite reads from January this year! Have you read them? What did you think? What is one of your favorite reads recently? Let me know in the comments below and we can chat!