What I Read in January 2025

Hi, friends! Now that January is FINALLY over (it’s always the longest month of the year…), I’m sharing my thoughts on the six books I read in January:
ALL ABOUT LOVE by bell hooks
This was a partial re-read since I attempted to read All About Love a while back but I tend to be slower with this genre/format (a collection of “self-help” essays) and I had to return the library book before I could finish it. Reading a chapter or two each day but not every day, it took me a couple of weeks to finish All About Love and I see myself returning to it (at least certain chapters) in the future so I’m happy to own a copy.
I agree with many (but not all) of bell hooks’ thoughts in the book and found it poignant. The biggest takeaway for me was the definition of love being “the will to extend one’s self for the the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth”, reframing so many of the beliefs we are raised with and conditioned to, and the importance of love as a verb rather than a feeling. There was one reference to Monika Lewinsky I personally found to have aged badly, and some sentiments I didn’t relate to or care for as a non-religious person.
INTERMEZZO by Sally Rooney
Sally Rooney might be one of the most polarizing “mainstream” authors, and I will say I never considered myself a fan. I read three of her books (Conversations with Friends, Normal People, and Beautiful World, Where Are You) but I liked them just okay. Intermezzo is undoubtedly my favorite Sally Rooney book yet. It’s a story about two brothers Peter and Ivan and the women in their lives. They differ quite a bit in personalities and career/life trajectories but both are grieving the recent passing of their father in their own ways throughout Intermezzo. While I gravitated towards Ivan’s chapters more, I could really empathize with both of the brothers as well as the women we get to know. While the plot may not be the most exciting or conventional, I recommend this even if you haven’t read or been a fan of Sally Rooney before.
THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach
You have probably seen the cover of The Wedding People on Best/Favorite Books of 2024 lists. I certainly did! Phoebe, having decided to end her life, shows up to the Cornwall Inn, the hotel of her dream vacations, only to find out that there is a wedding happening and literally everyone else is there for the wedding. She somehow befriends the bride during the week leading up to the wedding, which brings so many changes. It’s a bit difficult to categorize The Wedding People into a genre in my opinion–while the tone of the story remains relatively lighthearted, there are heavy subject matters; there is romance in it but it’s certainly not central to the story. The audiobook was incredibly engaging, and I’m confident I liked this book this much because I listened to it so definitely go that route if you’re able to!
FURIA by Yamile Saied Méndez
I don’t know about you but I often forget the details after I add books to my TBR. Furia was no exception so I didn’t realize (or I should say completely had forgotten) that Furia was a YA! I would’ve tackled this much sooner had I realized it was such an easy and short read! Furia is about Camila, a teenage girl living in a small town in Argentina, and it’s actually Camila’s nickname with her soccer team. She dreams of playing professionally and in America one day though her family doesn’t know she is playing at all. The (temporary) return of her first love Diego, who is now an international soccer star, adds even more to Camila’s plate. The way Camila carves a future for herself and chooses her dreams and passions is so inspirational and powerful.
ENDER’S GAME by Orson Scott Card
Rex made me watch Scott Pilgrim vs. the World a few years ago, and he made me read Ender’s Game this time around. I thought it was a weird little sci-fi book recommended by my nerdy partner so I was surprised to see how many people I know (who I don’t consider sci-fi nerds) have read it! Ender’s Game is set in an alternative universe(?) where the biggest worry for the mankind seems to be fighting the Buggers. To prepare for the next war with the Buggers, there is a commander academy at which literal children train (like starting at six years old or something ridiculously young which I kept forgetting).
Most of Ender’s Game is set at the academy where Andrew “Ender” Wiggins is a star student. There is a lot of pressure put on Ender from the start by design as it seems like the entire universe is relying on this literal child to save them from the Buggers. I think I went into it with a little too much hype so I did not find it to be groundbreaking or life changing though it is a clever premise and plot. A part of me wonders if I would’ve liked and believed the story more if the average age of the academy students was just a few years older…
CONNIE: A MEMOIR BY CONNIE CHUNG
Though I did not grow up watching American television, I knew of Connie Chung, of course. Even I knew she was the first Asian woman to become a major journalist in America. Naturally, she chronicles her life and career in her self-titled memoir. It was interesting to hear about her experience covering historical events and the ways in which she broke barriers in the television news industry.
P.S. I’m currently reading The Making of Asian America by Erika Lee and listing to Bottle of Lies by Katherine Eban.

