January was a slower reading month for me, as I was at my grad school residency for eleven days. Those days were full of lectures, community, workshops, and creativity, but left little room for reading. I’m also officially in my third semester, which is the critical thesis semester, so my upcoming reading is rather focused.

So far this year, I’ve read:

• Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn. I loved this one. You can read my full review here!
• Snap Out of It by Maddie Dawson. Another one I really enjoyed! Again, full review here!
• One Two Three by Laurie Frankel. This one was a bit darker than expected, and though engaging, didn’t quite resonate with me as much as her first novel. It’s also considered adult fiction, despite the fact the three protagonists and narrators are all sixteen.
• Apple in the Middle by Dawn Quigley. Apple has such a distinct voice, and I just adore Indigenous characters reconnecting to their heritage. Dawn Quigley’s chapter book series, Jo Jo Makoons, is my favorite chapter book series of all time. She is such a funny author!
• In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph M. Marshall III. This middle grade book blends a contemporary storyline with a historical one for a powerful tale.
• Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani. This middle grade novel is told through letters. The voices, the plots, the characters! So much good here.
• First Fire: A Cherokee Folktale by Nancy Kelly Allen. This picture book was one my fourth grader was ecstatic to find in his school library. I wish they had more recently published Cherokee works, like Traci Sorell, but we enjoyed reading a book version of this Cherokee story that we’re familiar with.
• Star Child by Ibi Zoboi. This middle grade biography was one of the best biographies I’ve come across. The mix of verse and prose, and including handwritten notes and photos, really made this nonfiction stand out.

That’s it! Right now my reading is primarily focused on contemporary books by Indigenous authors that feature Indigenous language. Shout out your favorites in the comments!

What were some of your favorite January reads?