January was mostly a good reading month, although my “catching up on anticipated 2022 releases” plan fell apart about halfway through the month and then never really got back on track? There’s always February…But I finally got to some books I’d been planning to read for a while, reread two top-tier classics for book clubs, and liked almost everything I read.
Here’s everything I read in January, loosely grouped into tiers and arranged by author’s last name:
Rereads
Emma by Jane Austen
I discover something new to appreciate every time I reread an Austen novel. This time around, I loved the sharply observed social dynamics of Highbury and found myself chuckling over and over again at Austen’s sly humor, especially every time Mr. Woodhouse appeared on the page. Emma herself, imperfections and all, is one of my favorite romantic heroines of all time.
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
I reread this meditative modern classic, about two young sisters under the care of their eccentric aunt, for January’s Fiction Matters book club and could have unpacked it for hours and hours more. Every sentence in this book is layered with meaning and it’s rich in a way that rewards slow reading and rereading. I was especially fascinated by the way Robinson writes about community: how it’s made, how it’s broken, and how those who don’t fit into the strict confines of one community can find home with each other.
Favorites of the month
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
As cozy as a cup of hot tea, this quiet, philosophical read about a traveling tea monk, the robot they encounter, and a whole lot of questions overflows with care for both its readers and characters. Becky Chambers is one of my favorite speculative fiction authors for her humor, empathy, and imagination and I’m so glad I finally got to this one. The optimistic vision of the future she presents here is refreshing and even a little bit radical. (I could write an entire essay about the ways that I think Chambers’ writing challenges genre conventions but I’ll refrain.) As a bonus, this contains the most endearing robot I’ve ever met—I never imagined I would feel this attached to a fictional robot but that’s just Chambers’ magic at work. Recommended for sci-fi and non sci-fi readers alike.
Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
The third installment in Dade’s Spoiler Alert series is about two costars who find out they’ll be filming on a remote island for years together…after a steamy one-night stand that ended with her slipping out in the night and him having a lot of feelings about it. Olivia Dade is so, so good at character work and both Maria and Peter are real, complex characters with their own issues to work through. The amount of mutual respect that they develop for each other is downright swoony and I loved seeing them work their way towards a healthy relationship. Plus the based-on-Game of Thrones show at the center of this series is a hilarious depiction of modern watercooler television and its accompanying fandom. (Open door.)
A Restless Truth by Freya Marske (#2 in The Last Binding Series)
Simultaneously a gripping fantasy, shipboard romp, and heartfelt romance, this follow-up to A Marvellous Light sucked me in from the first page to the last. Marske has created a really interesting magical system and version of Edwardian England, but her world building never feels overwhelming or impenetrable. Even if you’re not a big fantasy reader, I would recommend giving this series a try. This book felt very much like the beginning of Maud and Violet’s tender, tentative love story yet still manages to be a satisfying romantic arc. I can’t wait for book three. (Open door.)
Really liked
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
I started off the year with this sweeping saga that deftly weaves together a set of unexpected connections and convergences and also serves as a love letter to libraries and librarians. The prose is beautiful and subtle and I especially appreciated the way that Doerr uses recurring imagery. A literary accomplishment that would appeal to a wide range of readers.
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
This opposites attract romance between a doctor increasingly trapped by her family’s expectations and a big-hearted small town carpenter pulled off the delicate balancing act of being adorable and having substance. Jimenez deals thoughtfully with the difficult topics this book handles and is such a solid storyteller. She lets the reader share in the delight of watching these two people falling for each other, helped along by the dual POV structure, and crafts two incredibly appealing protagonists. I also feel obliged to tell you that there’s a baby goat wearing pajamas. (Open-door, but just barely.)
You Be Mother by Meg Mason
I picked this one up after really enjoying Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss last year while I was reading the Women’s Prize shortlist. You Be Mother revolves around Abi, who impulsively moves to Australia when she becomes pregnant after a relationship with an Australian exchange student, and the friendship she strikes up with her charismatic next-door neighbor Phyllida, albeit one based on a tiny white lie. This was an engrossing book about complicated female relationships that manages to be both funny and emotionally affecting. There's a lot of charm to Mason's skillfully drawn characters, even when they behave badly, and I badly wanted to spend an afternoon chatting with Phil by the pool. The pages just fly by and the pacing is spot-on.
Winterland by Rae Meadows
A compelling historical novel set in the USSR in the 1970's about Anya, a young girl enlisted in the country's prestigious gymnastics program and her older neighbor Vera, who survived ten years in the labor camps and who may hold the key to the mystery of Anya's mother's disappearance years ago. Meadows really sinks the reader into the world of 1970's Siberia, from the brutal winters to the hedonistic summers, and the cutthroat atmosphere of Soviet-era gymnastics. Anya is an appealing protagonist, the side characters are well developed and occasionally heartbreaking, and I would recommend this to anyone looking for non-World War II historical fiction.
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro
A messy family story and an “everything is connected” book are two of my favorite things. This novel does both beautifully. Shapiro brings her characters to life in a few deftly sketched sentences, as she traces the ripple effects of a fatal accident in 1985 on a suburban Jewish family over the years. I think that what worked for me so well about Signal Fires is that it’s a big feelings book that still felt grounded. I felt for and with the characters and let out a peaceful sigh at the end.
Liked, with some quibbles
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
A dual-timeline thriller that was a good palate-cleanser in between a few denser reads. Hawkins keeps the action racing along and inserts some clever fictional pieces of media throughout the book, from a feminist horror novel to a Tapestry-esque classic album. I was much more interested in the 70's timeline, full of rock'n'roll and romantic drama, than the modern-day timeline about two frenemies and think I would have preferred the whole book to be set in the 70’s.
Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson
The fifth installment in Johnson’s YA mystery series finds quirky detective Stevie Bell solving a decades-old mystery in London and (unfortunately) undergoing more relationship drama with her boyfriend David. The English country house mystery and Stevie’s method of solving mysteries were a lot of fun—I was obsessed with Nancy Drew growing up and Stevie feels like a more eccentric, modern Nancy. But I just do not care about Stevie and David's relationship and I am hoping that book six will please either bring her a new, more appealing love interest or break them up for good. Preferably both.
On a Night Like This by Lindsey Kelk
A modern day Cinderella story about a beleaguered personal assistant who finds herself falling for a handsome stranger and attending a legendary ball on a tiny Italian island. This is pure fluff and basically a 2000’s rom-com in a book. Kelk writes with a fizzy sense of humor, especially when it comes to describing the simultaneously glamorous and ridiculous ball Fran attends. This is very focused on Fran and I wanted a bit more depth from her love interest but I’d recommend this or Kelk’s other books if you want a fast and fun read. (Kissing only.)
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
A doomed love story between a young Catholic school teacher and a married older Protestant lawyer set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. I enjoyed the second half, where everything comes together into a dizzying gut-punch, much more than the first but it took me a while to get into it. I suspect I may be burned out on the older man-younger woman-illicit affair dynamic for now? If you’re not, however, and if you’re a fan of Sally Rooney (all credit to Mary in the Fiction Matters community for the comparison), this might be a great read for you. What did really work for me was the sense of time and place, the pervading atmosphere of desperation and danger, and the spare yet haunting writing.
Northern Lights by Nora Roberts
I read this romantic suspense novel set in a small Alaska town for my romance book club and although it’s very clear this was published in 2004, there was a lot to enjoy here. A lot of the characters had more depth than they seemed to possess at first glance, the Alaskan setting was well described and researched, and the mystery engaging and surprising. It’s a hefty book and yet I was totally hooked. I'm definitely planning on picking up more Nora Roberts, although probably one of her romances rather than another romantic suspense. (Open door.)
Not for me
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
Nora Goes Off Script has received a lot of love from other readers but sadly was just not for me. I liked the heroine’s voice and thought there were some well written moments, but wanted more build-up to Nora and Leo getting together and conversations about how their very different lives would work together before the end of the book. I also tend to prefer longer romances and at only 257 pages, so much happened that the pacing felt off. If you want a mix of a relatable heroine and Hollywood fantasy, this might be for you? (Closed door.)
Currently reading: Persuasion by Jane Austen, for my classics book club. The yearning is killing me and it is perfect.
What’s bringing me joy this week:
Live theater! I was a drama major in college and one of my favorite things about living in NYC is the chance to regularly see shows. I saw the musical adaptation of Some Like It Hot last weekend (big, splashy, and with a great chase scene that doubles as a dance number) and have plans to brave the cold to see Kimberly Akimbo this weekend.
Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups. This one is self-explanatory.
Breaking out my record collection again. I listened to Golden Hour, Kacey Musgroves’ shimmery dream of an album, last night and there’s something satisfyingly tactile about listening to vinyl instead of always defaulting to Spotify.
Yes yes yes to those dark chocolate peanut butter cups and music on vinyl (two of my very favorite things!)
I read Sorrow and Bliss last month, and will now be requesting You Be Mother ~ thanks for the recommendation!