What I'm Reading: January Recap

I’m always enthused about books. I read a couple of lists other people wrote of books they read throughout 2025, and I started wondering what my actual reading history would look like. The obvious answer was to keep track, so here is the first step in that effort. I plan to post a monthly update on what I’m reading. I will count the book in whatever month I read (or listened) to most of it. Some books I may have read before.
 
I notice this month leans heavily toward Audible books. This is partly due to the fact I was working on a project that was fairly brainless for a while, so I had lots of time to listen. I also noticed this month's reading was mostly nonfiction. Although not included, I have been working through a bunch of proofreading for the school library and have a couple other physical books beside my chair as well. That doesn’t count The Messenger, the German books I’m slowly struggling with, paragraph by paragraph, or the other random things I read.
 
I do not plan to apologize for my eccentric taste in books. I never know what to say when people ask me for book recommendations, because I feel like my interests are a little different than many of my friends. That being said, I enjoy a wide variety of book types—Everything from The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Lord of the Rings to Sherlock Holmes to the Killing series by Bill O’Reilly to books of poetry. I am well acquainted with Elizabeth Bennet, Anne of Green Gables,  Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, Mrs. Pollifax, and Hercule Poirot. This is basically just to warn you of the possible unpredictability of what I might read.
 
What is a list of books without some type of recommendation attached? I’ve decided on system using dollar signs instead of stars, because one needs to know if books are worth the time and money, and time is money, right? At least, that’s what they say. Hopefully the following chart will help you sort out my opinions on what I’m consuming. And so, without further ado, may I present the January list of What I’m Reading.
 
 

	$	$$	$$$	$$$$	$$$$$
Recommend-ability	I highly recommend not reading this book.	Don't bother.	You might enjoy it.	Would definitely recommend	Absolutely loved it. I will likely recommend to every person I talk to for the next month.
Writing Style	Extremely poor	Well, they know how to spell and what a period is.	Average. Just… Average.	Good job. I might be a little envious of their way with words.	I stand amazed.
Likelihood of Reading Again	Are you kidding? I lost enough brain cells the first time.	Nope.	Maybe, but doubtful.	Probably will read again.	I will definitely re-read. Way too many things I found fascinating.
Thought-Provoking	What thoughts?	I think there was a thought somewhere.	Sort of basic thoughts, but accurate.	Some lingering thoughts. That's a good sign.	So much to think about. My brain is on fire!
Subject Matter of General Interest	There should not have been ink and paper wasted on this book. I now understand tree-huggers.	Not my style, personally, but might be interesting to someone of a different temperament.	Interesting, but may be specific to my personal tastes.	Fun things to think about. May be quotable. Likely to appeal to a variety of personalities.	Positively fascinating. I will be quoting this for years. Absolutely everyone should read this book.

 
 
The Knight in the Rusty Armor
By Robert Fisher
Allegory; 74 pages
Physical copy
 
Have I read it before?
Yes. Many times.
 
How did I find it?
OK, this is actually a random story. Years ago, I purchased a couple boxes of what were supposed to be children’s books, sight unseen, from the Oklahoma City Booksale. They were cheap, and I love surprises. One box was most definitely not children’s books. Apparently, it had been accidentally mis-labeled. I think I threw away everything in the box except this one book.
 
What is it about?
This is one of my favorite allegories. It tells the story of a knight who becomes stuck inside his armor of pretense and fails to even know the truth of who he really is. There is a lot of food for thought about being vulnerable, learning to be comfortable in silence, and real honesty with yourself. It is more lighthearted than many allegories. You might find yourself smiling at places.
 
Any warnings?
One thing I noticed reading it this time, was how humanistic the story really is. I think many times when I’ve read it, I sort of just inserted my own thoughts, like, “Of course that’s true, when God is involved.” But the book doesn’t actually say that. I think there is still a lot of food for thought, however.
 
What’s a quote?
“Look,” Sam replied, “if you face the dragon, there’s a chance it will destroy you. But if you don’t face it, it will surely destroy you.”
 
Recommendability: $$$$
Writing Style: $$$
Likelihood of Reading Again: $$$$$
Thought Provoking: $$$$
Subject Matter of General Interest: $$$$
 
 
Unreasonable Hospitality
By Will Guidara
Memoir, Leadership; 288 pages, 8hrs. 37 minutes
Audible
 
Have I read it before?
No.
 
How did I find it?
This book was discussed over Thanksgiving dinner! I added it to my Audible Wishlist so I could remember the title.
 
What is it about?
Will Guidara tells about commitment to serving others, particularly in the restaurant industry and specifically in the capacity of fine dining. The books contains some insightful tidbits, and I enjoyed the peek into what affluence really means in eating out, though I have no desire to experience it for myself. One outstanding moment is when a server hears a family visiting the U.S. talk about their desire to go sledding. They round up sleds and help the family’s wish come true. Generally included with your service when dining out? Absolutely not!
 
Any warnings?
None.
 
What’s a quote?
“If you let your ego get in the way of asking for what you need, you’re going to let the whole team down.”
 
Recommendability: $$$$
Writing Style: $$$
Likelihood of Reading Again: $$$$
Thought Provoking: $$$$
Subject Matter of General Interest: $$$$
 
 
Edison’s Ghosts
By Katie Spalding
Historical, Trivia; 352 pages, 10hrs. 53 minutes
Audible
 
Have I read it before?
Honestly not sure. I thought it was new to me, but then some parts sounded familiar and I wasn’t sure if I’d heard those stories other places or actually listened to the book previously. I might have listened to part of it at an earlier date and then abandoned it.
 
How did I find it?
This book was an Audible recommendation. I thought it looked interesting.
 
What is it about?
This book tells about the strange and quirky sides of famous people from history, including Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Isaac Newton, Nicola Tesla, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, NASA, and more. These stories are a good illustration, in many cases, of how genius is often accompanied by a lot of eccentricity. Nicola Tesla not paying for his lodging, Isaac Newton gazing at the sun, Albert Einstein getting rescued from drowning multiple times, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle completely believing the fake fairy photo was a genuine image of tiny beings are some of the things included.
 
Any warnings?
Several warnings accompany this book. There were a few chapters that I ended up skipping because they didn’t meet my moral markers. The book would have been better with less profanity. And the story telling is done with a great deal of snark and sarcasm which I actually started becoming weary of by the end.
 
What’s a quote?
I didn’t find anything really worth quoting.
 
Recommendability: $$
Writing Style: $$$
Likelihood of Reading Again: $$$
Thought Provoking: $$$
Subject Matter of General Interest: $$$
 
 
The Puzzler
By A. J. Jacobs
Journalism, Memoir; 368 pages, 9hrs. 18 minutes
Audible
 
Have I read it before?
Yes. I can’t be sure, but I might even have a copy on a bookshelf somewhere.
 
How did I find it?
One of my cousins talked about a different book by this author years ago. I found it interesting, and looked for other books by Jacobs.
 
What is it about?
This author is known for choosing a topic and then living it out in every way he can. For this book, Jacobs was sure that puzzles have made him a better person. He determines to try out every type of puzzle he can, and devotes a chapter to each. He often ropes his family into trying out some of the world’s hardest challenges along with him. This book mentions Rubik’s Cube, mazes, crosswords, escape rooms, ciphers and codes, scavenger puzzles, and Japanese puzzle boxes. The Japanese puzzle boxes completely intrigue me. I’d love a chance to explore some of them.
 
Any warnings?
Jacobs is agnostic, which is apparent by his view of the world. There may be some inappropriate language. The content of this particular book is fairly clean, but before you seek out any of his other books, I personally have found chapters in some of them that I skip.
 
What’s a quote?
“During our meeting, Peter told me one of the keys to solving crosswords is to keep your mind flexible. Keep it open to new perspectives. Don’t fall in love with your hypothesis. Good advice for both life and puzzles.”
 
Recommendability: $$$
Writing Style: $$$$
Likelihood of Reading Again: $$$$
Thought Provoking: $$$$
Subject Matter of General Interest: $$$
 
 
House of Rain
By Craig Childs
History, Archeology; 512 pages, 15hrs. 21 minutes
Audible
 
Have I read it before?
No. The book and author both were new to me.
 
How did I find it?
It came up in conversation, so I added it to my list of things I wanted to read sometime.
 
What is it about?
This book is an interesting account of the author’s search for information and insights into the ancient Anasazi culture and the mystery of their disappearance. I loved that Childs went out and spent time walking in the desert to better understand the people he was searching for. There were definitely new facts introduced about the advancement of this native people’s civilization. Their art, trade, farming, and engineering may have actually been as up-and-coming as that of other cultures, such as the Mayans. One thing that caught my attention was a reference to how parrots were raised commercially.
 
Any warnings?
My reaction to a particular book generally tells me as much about myself as it does about the book. What I discovered with House of Rain was that when I’m reading a factual book, what I want is facts. OK, maybe any book that isn’t poetry. Childs’s writing style is beautiful, but I got impatient sometimes because I wanted to get to the root of the idea. It reminded me of how I often skip the descriptions in Anne of Green Gables. Please don’t disown me if you are one of my friends who loves those flights of fancy.
 
What’s a quote?
“The words unfolded from my mouth like origami.”
 
Recommendability: $$$
Writing Style: $$$$$
Likelihood of Reading Again: $$$$
Thought Provoking: $$$$
Subject Matter of General Interest: $$$
 
 
If you’ve read any of these books, please feel free to share your opinions in the comments. Also drop in titles you think are must-reads, and I might add them to my list as well! We will ignore the fact that The List is already ridiculously long.