Happy New Year everyone! I am so excited to be back with our usual monthly appointment with January Hot off the press.
Certainly, this year will be a great one for books!
There are so many new releases I am looking forward to, mostly some series I have been reading! But without further ado and spoilers, let’s dig in the January releases 🙂

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ONE OF THE GOOD ONES by Maika Moulite & Maritza Moulite
January 5th, Inkyard press
ISN’T BEING HUMAN ENOUGH?
When teen social activist and history buff Kezi Smith is killed under mysterious circumstances after attending a social justice rally, her devastated sister Happi and their family are left reeling in the aftermath. As Kezi becomes another immortalized victim in the fight against police brutality, Happi begins to question the idealized way her sister is remembered. Perfect. Angelic.
One of the good ones.
Even as the phrase rings wrong in her mind—why are only certain people deemed worthy to be missed?—Happi and her sister Genny embark on a journey to honour Kezi in their own way, using an heirloom copy of The Negro Motorist Green Book as their guide. But there’s a twist to Kezi’s story that no one could’ve ever expected—one that will change everything all over again.





THE AWAKENING OF MALCOLM X by Ilyasah Shabazz, Tiffany D. Jackson January 5th, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
No one can be at peace until he has his freedom.
In Charlestown Prison, Malcolm Little struggles with the weight of his past. Plagued by nightmares, Malcolm drifts through days unsure of his future. Slowly, he befriends other prisoners and writes to his family. He reads all the books in the prison library, joins the debate team and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm grapples with race, politics, religion, and justice in the 1940s. And as his time in jail comes to an end, he begins to awaken — emerging from prison more than just Malcolm Little: Now, he is Malcolm X.
Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family’s sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. For years she’s pushed away any thought of revenge against the man–now a god–responsible for their deaths.
Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.
The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore’s decision to bind her fate to Athena’s and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost–and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.





CONCRETE ROSE by Angie Thomas
January 12th, Balzer + Bray
If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.
Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.
Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.
Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.
When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can’t just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.





YELLOW WIFE by Sadeqa Johnson
January 12th, Simon and Schuster
Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Brown was promised her freedom on her eighteenth birthday. But when her birthday finally comes around, instead of the idyllic life she was hoping for with her true love, she finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half-Acre, a jail where slaves are broken, tortured, and sold every day. Forced to become the mistress of the brutal man who owns the jail, Pheby faces the ultimate sacrifice to protect her heart in this powerful, thrilling story of one slave’s fight for freedom.





ANGEL OF GREENWOOD by Randi Pink
January 12th, Feiwel and Friends
Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Wilson is, on the surface, a town troublemaker, but is hiding that he is an avid reader and secret poet, never leaving home without his journal. A passionate follower of WEB. Du Bois, he believes that black people should rise up to claim their place as equals.
Sixteen-year-old Angel Hill is a loner, mostly disregarded by her peers as a goody-goody. Her father is dying, and her family’s financial situation is in turmoil. Also, as a loyal follower of Booker T. Washington, she believes, through education and tolerance, that black people should rise slowly and without forced conflict.
Though they’ve attended the same schools, Isaiah never noticed Angel as anything but a dorky, Bible toting church girl. Then their English teacher offers them a job on her mobile library, a three-wheel, two-seater bike. Angel can’t turn down the money and Isaiah is soon eager to be in such close quarters with Angel every afternoon.
But life changes on May 31, 1921 when a vicious white mob storms the community of Greenwood, leaving the town destroyed and thousands of residents displaced. Only then, Isaiah, Angel, and their peers realize who their real enemies are.





WRITTEN IN STARLIGHT by Isabel Ibañez
January 26th, Page Street Kids
If the jungle wants you, it will have you…
Catalina Quiroga is a Condesa without a country. She’s lost the Inkasisa throne, the loyalty of her people, and her best friend. Banished to the perilous Yanu Jungle, Catalina knows her chances of survival are slim, but that won’t stop her from trying to escape. It’s her duty to reclaim the throne.
When Manuel, the son of her former general, rescues Catalina from a jaguar, a plan forms. Deep in the jungle, the city of gold is hidden, home to the fierce Illari people, who she could strike an alliance with.
But the elusive Illari are fighting a battle of their own—a mysterious blight is corrupting the jungle, laying waste to everything they hold dear. As a seer, Catalina should be able to help, but her ability to read the future in the stars is as feeble as her survival instincts. While searching for the Illari, Catalina must reckon with her duty and her heart to find her true calling, which could be the key to stopping the corruption before it destroys the jungle completely.
Some other books to look out for this January:
-“A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life” by George Saunders;
-“Wings of Ebony” by J.Elle;
–“No heaven for good boys” by Keisha Bush.
I’ve heard some really interesting things about written in starlight and I would love to try and read it in the upcoming months. Lore also sounds like a book that I would really enjoy.
I really love the visuals of this post! You have a really beautiful blog x
Thank you so much for your words, Kayleigh! They really mean a lot! There’s also a first book from the same author which is “Woven in Moonlight” which is a great read too! Let me know if you get to read them and what you think about them x
Hey Cristina, I haven’t heard of any of these titles, and they look so interesting to me. The cover art for these books is amazing too! Thanks for sharing, I’ll be checking them out one by one and deciding whether to add some of them to my wishlist/TBR pile. 🙂
Thank you so much for your words, Ming! It’s always nice to share new books and find people that might love them x
Thank you for these recommendations! I’m going to add some of these to my TBR list this year 😀
Thank you, Merry! Hope you like them x
Thank you for the book recommendations. I just finished series and am looking for something good. Lore might be a fun one, thanks!
What series were you reading? I always love to share a good book recommendation x
Great recommendations of books to read! I’ve got a huge pile of books under my bed ready to read xx
Thank you, Della! Believe me, I have so many books waiting, but I keep buying new ones anyway 😂
Great recommendations! Gonna refer this to my bookworm cousin. Thanks for sharing!
http://www.lifebeginsattwenty.com
Thank you so much, Monique! I am always glad they get shared x
These look like some great books. I’ve got so many I want to read this year. My goal is to read more than ever before, and with these great recommendations, I definitely won’t run out of books I want to read.
Thank you so much, Kelly! This year I set to my reading goals the highest I had done so far! Finger crossed we will achieve it x
Great post – I’ll be adding some of these to my list!
Thank you so much, Ali! Happy reading x
Written in Starlight and Angel of Greenwood sound like beautiful books; I love titles that are poetic and say something about the writing inside. 🙂
Thank you, Jaya! If you’re interested in “Written in Starlight”, there’s also another book from the same author “Woven in Moonlight”, and it’s a great read! x
These all look great! Thanks for the recommendations 🙂
Thank you so much, Ellie! Hope you found something you like x
Nice recommendation. I love the book Lore by Alexandra Bracken. I’m looking forward to it.
Thanks, Virginia! I am quite intrigued by it too! x
I am actually more a blog post readers not much into books but my sister is so I will give her the tips tx 🙂
Thank you so much, Renata! It’s always nice to share them with other readers! 🙂
Oooo so many great recommendations! Thanks for sharing!
Katie | katieemmabeauty.com
Thank you, Katie! Hope you found some you like x
As if there wasn’t enough books that I wanted to read this year! Thank you for these recommendations 🙂 x
I know Jenny! There’s never enough time to read them all! Thanks for reading x