January 2025 Reading Wrap-up

January was quite a good reading month. I got through a surprising number of books, which is phenomenal because it didn’t feel like I had read many books, and yet I got through more than I had planned to read. This means I put a decent dent in my overall TBR. In my January 2025 Reading Wrap-up, I share all of the books I read and give a mini-review of those books.

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January 2025 Reading Wrap-up

Doomsday with My Dog Vol 1 by Yu Ishihara

I had been excited to read this one, the concept sounded like it would be a fun read, and to a certain point, it was. However, the 4Koma style (where the story is told in double columns on a page and each page is essentially a complete story) wasn’t for me. I doubt I will continue this series.

Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol 1 by Itaru Kinoshita

This was a fantastic book. I had been excited to finally read this and it was well worth the wait. I loved this world where dinosaurs never went extinct and there are parks where people care for dinosaurs and visitors can come to see them (basically a dino zoo). The characters were an interesting bunch and I was highly invested in knowing more about them, their pasts, and of course the dinos themselves.

A surprising amount happens in this volume and the ending had me crazing the next volume, which I will have to get my hands on soon because I need to know what will come next.

BL Metamorphosis Vol 3 by Kaori Tsurutani

This volume was quite a bit different than the previous two, as Urara and Ichinoi didn’t spend much time together. It made the experience feel a bit off. However, I feel like it also highlighted how important their friendship is and that time away from each other punctuated this point.

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

I didn’t know much about this one going in. I only know I had seen a lot of people talk about it and figured I’d give the audiobook a try.

The story itself was fairly interesting and had some unique aspects to it. However, I found myself regularly wandering away from it but coming back to it fairly easily. I’m not sure if it was the narrator or the story that made me do this.

While I didn’t outright love the book, I am glad that I gave it a chance and may check out other books by the author in the future.

BL Metamorphosis Vol 4 by Kaori Tsurutani

This was an enjoyable volume as Urara embraced the idea of becoming a manga artist, and the parallel we see between her struggles and that of an established mangaka added an extra element to the story. I loved how Ichnoi was instantly supportive of Urara’s idea, even though she didn’t quite understand what it meant, she was there for her friend.

Snow White with the Red Hair vol 26 by Sorata Akiduki

It had been so long since I last read a book from this series that I wasn’t sure if I would remember where I had left off. And yet, I easily fell back into this story. This volume highlights how much all of the characters have grown since the beginning of the story, especially Ryu. It has me excited for what is to come next – although with the manga having been on indefinite hiatus for a year, I’m not sure when the next volume will happen.

BL Metamorphosis Vol 5 by Kaori Tsurutani

The final volume of this series, and I didn’t want this to end. I’m unsure how I feel about this one. Part of me loved it, and part of me felt that the ending was a touch disappointing. I feel that this is one of those books that I need to think about for a while before I can give my proper opinion.

Yona of the Dawn Vol 42 by Mizuhi Kusanagi

Wow, I was not ready for what this volume had in store. I don’t want to say much so as to avoid spoiling this for anyone who hasn’t read this volume yet. However, I will say that I found this utterly gripping from start to finish, and it has me dying to read the next volume – even if it looks like things aren’t going to be happy for a while.

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

This book was a surprise. I picked it up on a whim after seeing another book reviewer talk about it and didn’t expect much, but wow, did I love it. The start was a bit slow, but then it continuously ramped up, and I was absolutely addicted to the story. The way the time travel was woven into the story was fantastic and I truly enjoyed the character development and overall storyline. I highly recommend this book.

We’ll Prescribe You A Cat by Syou Ishida

I listened to the audiobook, and it was quite good. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, though I will admit I liked the first two stories the most out of all five. These stories show the positive effect a cat can have on not just their owners but the people in their owner’s life. The ending was a bit strange, something I wasn’t expecting at all, but overall, it was a good book.

January 2025 reading wrap-up stats

• Books read: 10
• Books purchased: 15
• Books gifted: 3
• Books unhauled: 1
• Books DNF’d: 0

I hope you enjoyed my January 2025 Reading Wrap-up. What did you read in January?