Top 5 Books I Want to Read in January 2021

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I am very enthusiastic about the new way I am planning my reading. I always need somewhat of a plan because that's just me. Seasonal plans leave too much time for me to get bored with the books on my list. A long list in general overwhelms me. But a Top 5? It's perfect! I want the best reading year ever so I have picked 5 books I think I will love the most. If I read more than that's great but my reading has been slower the last few months and that's okay. I love the start of the new year and the bookish possibilities!

First, the bad news: an ancient evil—you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal—is about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad 312 is standing by to save the day. They’ve just got to take care of a few small distractions first.

Like the clan of gremps who’d like to rearrange their favorite faces.

And the cadre of illegit GIA agents with creepy flowers where their eyes used to be, who’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on Auri.

Then there’s Kal’s long-lost sister, who’s not exactly happy to see her baby brother, and has a Syldrathi army at her back. With half the known galaxy on their tails, Squad 312 has never felt so wanted.

When they learn the Hadfield has been found, it’s time to come out of hiding. Two centuries ago, the colony ship vanished, leaving Auri as its sole survivor. Now, its black box might be what saves them. But time is short, and if Auri can’t learn to master her powers as a Trigger, the squad and all their admirers are going to be deader than the Great Ultrasaur of Abraaxis IV.

Shocking revelations, bank heists, mysterious gifts, inappropriately tight bodysuits, and an epic firefight will determine the fate of the Aurora Legion’s most unforgettable heroes—and maybe the rest of the galaxy as well.

Aurora Burning - I absolutely loved Aurora Rising! The varied personalities, mystery, adventure, and plot twists. At that time the only fast thing I read was manga but that doesn't count! It was so good so I must read Aurora Burning first thing in the new year. I am anxiously awaiting what will happen next and honestly worried for the characters...

THE PRINCE OF NO VALUE

Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has lived content as the nonessential spare heir to a throne secured many times over. A trade and political alliance between the human kingdom of Gaur and the Kai kingdom of Bast-Haradis requires that he marry a Gauri woman to seal the treaty. Always a dutiful son, Brishen agrees to the marriage and discovers his bride is as ugly as he expected and more beautiful than he could have imagined.

THE NOBLEWOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE

Ildiko, niece of the Gauri king, has always known her only worth to the royal family lay in a strategic marriage. Resigned to her fate, she is horrified to learn that her intended groom isn’t just a foreign aristocrat but the younger prince of a people neither familiar nor human. Bound to her new husband, Ildiko will leave behind all she’s known to embrace a man shrouded in darkness but with a soul forged by light.

Two people brought together by the trappings of duty and politics will discover they are destined for each other, even as the powers of a hostile kingdom scheme to tear them apart.

Radiance - There have been a couple of booktubers like Riley Marie raving about this book. I love slow-burn romance. It's the best type of romance. Reluctant couples, misunderstandings, forbidden love, hate to love, or even apparently two different species who are disgusted by the other become friends and slowly fall in love with each other is something I like. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to a romance that is slow burn. I miss reading romances and most of the romances I try are just lustful or aren't clean like I want. Who knows if this is a clean romance, most likely not, but I need to feel the romance before they get to the physical part. Here's hoping this one is as perfect as I think it will be!

Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture…a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes.

But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.

When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter - Another book that has been hyped by a booktuber. This time Megwithbooks. She's raved about this one and recently read the sequel. This has elements that I love. It's basically a retelling with a whole cast of characters that I can read and fall in love with their stories. There's a mystery with a historical setting and fantasy elements. Sounds wonderfully perfect!

As a fussy baby, Anne de Bourgh’s doctor prescribed laudanum to quiet her, and now the young woman must take the opium-heavy tincture every day. Growing up sheltered and confined, removed from sunshine and fresh air, the pale and overly slender Anne grew up with few companions except her cousins, including Fitzwilliam Darcy. Throughout their childhoods, it was understood that Darcy and Anne would marry and combine their vast estates of Pemberley and Rosings. But Darcy does not love Anne or want her.

After her father dies unexpectedly, leaving her his vast fortune, Anne has a moment of clarity: what if her life of fragility and illness isn’t truly real? What if she could free herself from the medicine that clouds her sharp mind and leaves her body weak and lethargic? Might there be a better life without the medicine she has been told she cannot live without?

In a frenzy of desperation, Anne discards her laudanum and flees to the London home of her cousin, Colonel John Fitzwilliam, who helps her through her painful recovery. Yet once she returns to health, new challenges await. Shy and utterly inexperienced, the wealthy heiress must forge a new identity for herself, learning to navigate a “season” in society and the complexities of love and passion. The once wan, passive Anne gives way to a braver woman with a keen edge—leading to a powerful reckoning with the domineering mother determined to control Anne’s fortune . . . and her life.

The Heiress - This is influenced by another book I loved last year - The Clergyman's Wife. It's part of a series that takes on stories of minor characters in Pride and Prejudice to see what happens to them. This one is on Anne de Bourgh and she's going to take charge of her life. I am a little worried for her but I must read what happens to her. Molly Greeley is a brilliant writer!

For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) take over her abuela’s role as head baker at their panadería, 2) move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything—including Lila herself—fell apart.

Worried about Lila’s mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell.

A teashop clerk with troubles of his own, Orion is determined to help Lila out of her funk, and appoints himself as her personal tour guide. From Winchester’s drama-filled music scene to the sweeping English countryside, it isn’t long before Lila is not only charmed by Orion, but England itself. Soon a new future is beginning to form in Lila’s mind—one that would mean leaving everything she ever planned behind.

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow - I have to read this Cuban American book. It's my obligation as a Cuban American to do so. And it features food - one of my favorite themes - so it's a must. But not just any old food - Cuban food! The best kind 😁. Lila is bringing Miami to England and falling in love along the way. Ugh. I love it all. I am always worried about liking a romance especially in YA but I have to give it a shot because it's a Cuban book. This might just be part of one of my Hispanic book discussions that I haven't done in a while. We will see...

What are you most excited about reading in January?