One of my goals for 2024 is to read 60 books this year, especially since I can read wherever using my Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle app on my phone – choosing to read a few pages over scrolling through social media helps my book count add up quickly. I gravitate towards thrillers, but also try to read within the non-fiction or self-improvement genre as part of my morning routine each day.

Here are the seven books I read this month:

what i read in january

manifest: 7 steps to living your best life by roxie nafousi

5/5 stars

This is a great introduction to manifestation, and I feel like it really set a positive tone for the month/ new year.

It’s not too woo-woo or “out there.” There are journal prompts and tangible steps you can take to easily incorporate manifestation into your life and see quick yet lasting results.
100% recommend this to anyone who feels stuck in a rut or ready for a change; a lot of self-improvement books make you feel like you have to change everything/ make big changes but this book meets you where you are.
My biggest takeaway was seeing the cycle of self-sabotage illustrated out so you can recognize cues and break out of it.
The author did an interview prompting this book on Life with Mariana and it summarizes the book pretty well so you could listen to that instead without missing much.
Read it here.

the woman in me by britney spears

5/5 stars
Probably one of the most anticipated memoirs, this feels authentically her. I have seen some criticize the simpler sentence structure, but it feels like a conversation with a friend, and her humor definitely pokes through at times, which I loved.
Detailing her life from childhood until now, it’s fascinating how she takes her larger-than-life experiences and makes them relatable by reflecting on how things made her feel in such a vulnerable way. In some ways this book reads like a time capsule on fame and media attention through the early 2010s, but it’s also very raw and real.
Some will read this because they’re fans, but I truly think this is a book everyone can learn from, especially girls and young women. Themes include boundaries, learning self-compassion, the crippling effects of shame, and navigating relationships (especially with family).
As someone who is also working through a tendency to people-please, I really appreciated what she had to say on the subject, from simply being able to relate to how she felt to the advice she shared through the lessons she has learned.
Favorite quotes:

“There have been so many times when I was scared to speak up because I was afraid somebody would think I was crazy. But I’ve learned that lesson now, the hard way. You have to speak the thing that you’re feeling, even if it scares you. You have to tell your story. You have to raise your voice.” (p. 92)
“Help is good, but not if it’s not asked for. Not if it doesn’t feel like it’s a choice.” (p. 160)
“We, as people, have to test the world. You have to test your boundaries, to find out who you are, how you want to live.” (p. 185)
“I can start over. I’ve been through a lot. The reason why I’m alive today is because I know joy.” (p. 250)
“Through the fear, I remembered that there were still things I could hold on to: My desire for people to understand what I’d been through. My faith that all this could change. My belief that I had a right to experience joy. My knowledge that I deserved my freedom.” (p. 255)

Read it here.

the lawyer’s truth by j.j. miller (followed by the lawyer’s heart)

3/5 stars and 2/5 stars

These are books two and three of the Cadence Elliot series; not as good as the first.
The series definitely leans more towards Law and Order vibes, rather than suspenseful thriller.
The plot of each book has loose ties to real-life events or court cases that are relevant to present day so the books feel very modern and timely, and you learn some police/ law tactics as you read.
The main author Cadence is likeable and smart; I want to see her backstory wrapped up so I plan on reading the next book in the series but I hope it is the last one as I think the plot will get too farfetched the longer it is drawn out.
Read book two here and book three here (both are free through Kindle Unlimited).

what lies in the woods by kate alice marshall

3/5 stars

This was recommended to me by a book blogger on Instagram who rated the book 5 stars, so I had high hopes for this. Ultimately, I liked it but didn’t love it.
There were a few twists that were genuinely shocking and enjoyable.
Spoiler alert: I didn’t love the ending of a friend turning on another. it reminded me of a few true-crime stories that went viral in the media and ended up feeling distasteful to me.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).

the maid’s diary by loreth anne white

3/5 stars

This is told from multiple perspectives, including a maid who snoops through her clients’ homes and as well as a detective and one of the couples she cleans for. It’s not difficult to differentiate from the different perspectives.
The chapters are short so it’s a quick-paced page turner.
There are lots of plot twists; it very much gives Gone Girl vibes.
The book catches your attention from the beginning, but the ending fell short and was blah in comparison to the tension built in the first half of the book.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).

pretty girls by karin slaughter

5/5 stars

This is a true psychological thriller that is very dark, graphic, and reminiscent of Criminal Minds. It may be triggering for some as it is pretty violent.
Even if you read a lot of thrillers/ true crimes, this plot will feel new and fresh, not predictable or overdone.
It’s told from multiple perspectives, but it isn’t difficult to differentiate between the different narrators.
There are lots of twists and turns, and the suspense builds until the very end.
I loved this; it’s perfect for a weekend in but could also create good book club discussions.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited).

do you remember? by frieda mcfadden

2/5 stars

Frieda McFadden is a very popular author on Kindle Unlimited; many of her psychological thrillers are hard to put down but they’re hit or miss for me.
This is about a woman who loses her memory and replays her days; the writing doesn’t feel repetitive even though she starts each day over with no recollection of the past.
I did NOT love this one; it felt overdramatic but was a quick read that you could finish in a day or two.
Read it here (free through Kindle Unlimited), but I’d recommend her other books Ward D, The Inmate, and The Coworker instead.