January Book Review

 

My goal this year is to try and read at least four books a month and to finish all of the books on my TBR list and my pile of half-finished books. Looking at my bookshelves and my iBooks, Kindle and Kobo apps, I have plenty to keep me busy!

January ended with me having finished six titles. In no particular order these were:

The Priory of the Orange Tree (buy here) - Samantha Shannon

This was a spillover from December that I had put down for a while. Initially, I didn’t really get into it. There were a lot of characters to get to know and a number of different story lines that didn’t seem to gel. I almost gave up on it. I am very glad I didn’t though. At a certain point things suddenly started connecting and the story really took off. I found myself staying up far too late on many an evening, not wanting to put it down.

In brief, the book follows the politics and intrigues of a number of different nations where a single religious narrative is followed from different viewpoints. It is because of the differing but devout beliefs that these countries have remained at odds for almost a thousand years. However, Queen Sabran of Inys and Ead of the Priory of the Orange Tree find themselves having to abandon all preconceived notions when death and dragons bring them together on a quest to bring down a thousand year old institution.

Highly recommended for lovers of High Fantasy!

Silver in the Wood (buy here) - Emily Tesh

This delightful novella tells the story of two men who meet in a wood. One has been there for all of his life, the other is a handsome curious visitor. The two bond over a shared love of the trees and the myths that are caught up in them. I absolutely adored this book and cannot wait to read the second one.

Big Magic (buy here or listen here) - Elizabeth Gilbert

This was my audiobook for January. I find myself listening to more and more audiobooks recently. They make for perfect partners on long walks or long drives. Big Magic is a book for anyone who is creative and anyone who wants to be more creative. As Ms Gilbert says, we are all creative just by virtue of being human, and creativity is constantly banging on all of our windows. All you have to do is let it in. I really enjoyed listening to her narrate this book herself. It felt like she was walking along with me and explaining her ideas about writing, about her own success and about how anyone can do something creative if they want to. All in all, an enjoyable pep talk!

In the Dream House (buy here) - Carmen Maria Machado

This was a hard book to read. It is excellently written and the vignette framework reflects perfectly the fragmented and tricky structure of a trauma memoir, but I cannot say it is one you will enjoy. This is not for entertainment. Ms Machado charts the story of her relationship with an abusive girlfriend using the 'dream’ house in which it all happened as the anchor for each event. It is an important book, well researched and carefully crafted. It would be a perfect choice for a book club.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue (buy here) - V.E. Schwab

This was my chonky choice for January - I do love a good epic saga. Unfortunately, this one fell a little short of the mark for me. I know I will not be popular for saying this because everyone else seems to have absolutely loved it. And I can see why they love it. It is well-written, as expected, and the premise is an absolutely fantastic one. Addie Larue, born in the 17th century, dreams of a life of freedom and beauty. On the eve of her wedding to a village boy, she makes a pact with the darkness. As we all expect she gets her wish, and the caveat is harsh. She can live forever, but no one will ever remember her.... until one day, three hundred years later, someone does.

Her story is told with love and sensitivity and the choices she must make are hard. However, for me, certain decisions were made with the story that just didn't make sense and the finale was just a little too obvious. I didn't necessarily want the book to be different, but there were a lot of moments when I wanted to jump into the story and tell her to do something different, if only because it would have meant she had a lot more fun!

Anyway, rant over, it is definitely worth the read and lovers of Schwab's other books like ‘The Near Witch’ and 'The Dark Vault’ will enjoy it immensely.

Juliet Takes a Breath (buy here) - Gabby Rivera

I simply adored this book. It's definitely in my top five for YA titles for the past year. I really enjoy reading YA fiction because it is often so much more hopeful and positive about the future. It's a good counterbalance to all the apocalyptic dystopian sci-fi. The writing is fresh and as upbeat as the characters, and this book has all of this in spades. It tells the story of Juliet Palante, a freshman at college, who has just come out to her Puerto Rican family on the eve of her departure to go and follow an internship with a hippie white woman in Portland who wrote a book about empowering your lady parts. There is much angst, sarcasm and wit and a good helping of of down to earth telling it like it is. Keep a hanky nearby because there are a few tearful moments as well.

That's it for January. In February I'll be finishing and reading as many self-published titles as I can, so if you have any recommendations for me, let me know in the comments!