Aaliyah's Book Corner

Hello bookish babes!

I’ve made good progress on my goal of reading 50 books this year, sitting at four so far in January. If you follow me on any of my socials (linked below!), I did finish A Broken Blade which was the first book in my previous post here. I added two curveball picks based on my Threads scrolling and I’m still aiming for 6 books by the end of the month. Here is my mid-month update.

Book 1: A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

What a book to kick off 2025! I loved the plot, the characters, and the gasp I let out at the end was LOUD. Melissa Blair did a great job of creating an immersive world and characters that made me feel every emotion. I reviewed the novel after taking a day to process every aspect of it and I can still find things to gush about. I’m definitely reading the rest of the Halfling Saga, especially since the last book debuted earlier this month.

Book 2: Out of Time by Sienna Mynx

I had mixed feelings about this one. I reread Mynx’s Battaglia Mafia series every year so I had high hopes for this book, an interracial romance and second-chance book. I finished the book in about 1 day; I had to pause a couple times and vent about some of the actions Asha and Kevan made. It was a decent read but not my favorite of the month.

Book 3: The Coffee Shop by Rosaline Jay

Talk about a spice-tastic read! This novella is the debut of Ms. Jay and she delivered the sweet-and-spicy combo we dream of. I was hooked from the first paragraph. Leena is super relatable in the whole “I don’t know my life’s plan” kinda way and the way she was adamant about no relationships reminded me of my current status. Then you throw in two hot bodyguards who are protective as hell and willing to SHARE?? The spice was spicing and I was squealing at different parts of the book, finishing all 162 pages in a whopping 38 minutes… I regret nothing.

Book 4: Spellbound In The Stacks by K. Iwancio

I started this book shortly after finding this bewitching book on Goodreads. I’ve been into witchy books since reading the W.I.T.C.H graphic novels in middle school (IYKYK). This story had me cackling and wishing that it would never end. Faelene is a witch cursed to find her true love by her 26th birthday (13 years after her original transformation into a cat) or stay in cat form for the rest of her life. You can imagine the hijinks that she gets into as she attempts to find Mr. Right, deal with an icy and overbearing mother, and sassy but loving besties. This was a quick but fun read that was equal parts sweet and spicy. Faelene and Aidan are officially on my list for most memorable couples.

The books mentioned in my original January post are the remaining books of the month before I turn my sights on romance picks to celebrate February. If you have any recs for next month, drop them below in the comments or tag me if you are on Threads, IG, Fable, or StoryGraph (@ psych0_4books)

*I do not own the images linked on this post. All rights reserved to the authors and posted from Goodreads*