I read a total of eight books in January, which puts me three books ahead of schedule to reach my goal of sixty books for the year (thank you to GoodReads for the metrics).
Beach Read, by Emily Henry
A lot of people raved about this novel during 2020 and it looked like a nice “lighter” read for early in the new year. The plot moved quickly, but I found some of the characterizations to be frustrating. For example, the female lead drove me nuts between her overreactions and indecision. However, there are both depth and some serious themes to the story. It is hard to characterize, which is in part by design (that fact reflects the plot in a fun way). It isn’t light, per se, but it isn’t too serious either. Maybe it is a good beach read. Be aware that it has some “open door” romance scenes.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, by Olga Tokarczuk
I had never even heard of this book until it showed up on my Kindle deals list. When I saw that the author had won the Nobel Prize in Literature, I snatched it up. It was an interesting work — the narrator is fascinating. She is odd, eccentric, and you start to question her reliability early and often. The book could be classified as a literary mystery, if such a genre is a thing. Overall, the writing was incredible but the plot did drag at points. It is not a page turner, but if you’re looking for a unique work with an eerie feel, this would be for you.
Shadow of Night, by Deborah Harkness
This is the second novel in the “All Souls” trilogy. I’ve read all three before, but after doing a real-time re-reading of the first book in 2020, I decided to reread the second as well (and will likely do the same with the third). My husband refers to these as my “academic vampire” books because, well, because they’re about academics who also happen to be vampires (and witches). This novel sees the main couple time travel back to Elizabethan England so the the main character can find a teacher powerful enough to help her harness her own powers. If you like paranormal books but prefer better writing than popular offerings like Twilight, these books are for for you. (Start with the first one: A Discovery of Witches.)
The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America’s 16th President and Why it Failed, by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch
As a Lincoln-phile, I can pretty much be counted on to buy any Lincoln adjacent book that shows up on the Kindle deals list. This one was a fast read (short chapters!) and went into detail about a little-known, Baltimore-based plot to murder Lincoln while he was traveling to his first inauguration. It involves Allen Pinkerton, his team, and the larger Lincoln circle.
The Hazel Wood, by Melissa Albert
This book could be described as a twisted sort of fairy tale and I’m going to be honest — it wasn’t what I was expecting. But overall, I enjoyed the story (save a few scenes) and found it to be an engaging, if dark, story. While the protagonist is a teenager, this is definitely a book for older teens and adults. It might appeal to readers of Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series.
The Lost Queen, by Signe Pike
Selected this one on a whim based on a blog post suggesting it might be a good winter read. It is a work of historical fiction based on a little-known queen in early, present-day Scotland who also may have been the twin sister of the man who inspired the character of Merlin. The book was long, but given what it was trying to accomplish I’m not sure I know what I would have cut. It had beautiful descriptions and if you’re a fan of the genre it would be worth a try.
Magpie Murders, by Anthony Horowitz
If you love Agatha Christie, you will appreciate this book. This is a two-in-one whodunit. There is the present-day mystery of what really happened to an author as well as the mystery presented in the last installment of his detective series. I’ve only read two or three Christie novels, but this book definitely captured the essence of that specific style. Great book for a rainy weekend with some tea on the side.
The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel
Favorite book of the month. Hands down. I devoured the entire book on January 31st, which had not been my plan, but I felt pressed to keep going. If you’ve read Mandel’s most famous work, Station Eleven (which I also HIGHLY recommend, but be aware it involves the fallout of a major global pandemic), you will find that this book follows a very similar style. It also draws in a few characters from that book into this storyline. The Glass Hotel would be great for a book club.
What I’m reading currently:
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, by Kai Bird & Martin J. Sherwin
Katherine Tuttle, Ph.D. 