December Wrap Up
December was a busy month for me, so I only read 6 books. But I caught up with the backlist of a few favourite authors, got hold of some new releases that I was excited about, and my book of the month was Africa Is Not a Country by Dipo Faloyin.
The first book I read in December was the sequel to the brilliant The Rabbit Factor: The Moose Paradox, written by Antti Tuomainen and translated by David Hackston.
The Moose Paradox is the second book to feature Henri, the Swedish actuary who inherited his brother’s adventure park and the problems that went with it. But just as Henri is starting to settle into his new life, someone turns up who changes everything. Henri is a delightful protagonist, and I loved the way The Moose Paradox continues the story of Henri and his adventure park, while creating an entirely new set of obstacles and adversaries. It can be read as a standalone, but you would be depriving yourself of the kind of offbeat humour you can’t get anywhere else.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Craving a seasonal read, I turned to The Chalet next, the only book by Catherine Cooper I hadn't read before.
The Chalet is set in a luxury ski resort in the French Alps. As the story alternates between characters and timelines, revealing a fatal skiing accident during a past blizzard much like the one being experienced in the present, it becomes clear that everyone has something to hide. I can’t resist a page-turning thriller set in a luxury location, and peopled with untrustworthy characters. I loved the way each twist made me think differently about what was happening. I devoured this book in one sitting.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
After this I read the latest book from one of my favourite authors: Suicide Thursday by Will Carver.
Suicide Thursday moves between characters and timelines, to tell the story of Mike’s suicide: the events that lead up to it, and the effect it has on his friends. It questions why Mike killed himself, whether his friends did enough to help, and whether their version of events can be trusted. This is a darkly humorous book, which deals with some important issues in a way that forces the reader to confront them. The characterisation is brilliant, and the way Will Carver writes about writing feels close to showing off. An imaginative and page-turning read that gets under your skin.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
My next pick was the brilliantly-titled Africa Is Not A Country: Breaking Stereotypes of Modern Africa, by Dipo Faloyin.
Africa Is Not a Country sets out the history of how Africa’s countries were created, and shows the impact this is continuing to have on the way these countries are developing. Faloyin writes with clarity, wit, and passion about how Africa is presented in charity campaigns (a must-read during the season of Do They Know It’s Christmas) and Hollywood, and about museum repatriation. He also writes about the specific political climates in specific African countries, drawing connections and highlighting differences. One of those books you want to press into the hands of everyone you meet.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
December was the month that I finally read By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart, which had been on my to-read shelf for too long.
By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept is a beautiful, lyrical book about an all-consuming love. Some of the language might be a bit much, but there is a plot behind the poetry, and I particularly loved how this story is set in a very real world, of war and morality laws. A book to lose yourself in, short enough to be read in one sitting but with writing you will want to savour.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The last book I read in December was The Anomaly, written by Hervé Le Tellier and translated by Adriana Hunter, which came highly recommended.
The Anomaly starts with each chapter focusing on a different character. The story builds up in this way, with events starting to happen that made me want to find out what was going on. Then comes an explanation (of sorts), followed by a working-out of the speculative mystery at the heart of the book. This is a book of parts, which meant it didn’t completely hold my attention throughout. But it’s not like anything else I’ve read, and while the writing isn’t entirely to my taste, there was a lot about The Anomaly that I enjoyed.
⭐⭐⭐
What did you read in December?
The first book I read in December was the sequel to the brilliant The Rabbit Factor: The Moose Paradox, written by Antti Tuomainen and translated by David Hackston.
The Moose Paradox is the second book to feature Henri, the Swedish actuary who inherited his brother’s adventure park and the problems that went with it. But just as Henri is starting to settle into his new life, someone turns up who changes everything. Henri is a delightful protagonist, and I loved the way The Moose Paradox continues the story of Henri and his adventure park, while creating an entirely new set of obstacles and adversaries. It can be read as a standalone, but you would be depriving yourself of the kind of offbeat humour you can’t get anywhere else.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Craving a seasonal read, I turned to The Chalet next, the only book by Catherine Cooper I hadn't read before.
The Chalet is set in a luxury ski resort in the French Alps. As the story alternates between characters and timelines, revealing a fatal skiing accident during a past blizzard much like the one being experienced in the present, it becomes clear that everyone has something to hide. I can’t resist a page-turning thriller set in a luxury location, and peopled with untrustworthy characters. I loved the way each twist made me think differently about what was happening. I devoured this book in one sitting.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
After this I read the latest book from one of my favourite authors: Suicide Thursday by Will Carver.
Suicide Thursday moves between characters and timelines, to tell the story of Mike’s suicide: the events that lead up to it, and the effect it has on his friends. It questions why Mike killed himself, whether his friends did enough to help, and whether their version of events can be trusted. This is a darkly humorous book, which deals with some important issues in a way that forces the reader to confront them. The characterisation is brilliant, and the way Will Carver writes about writing feels close to showing off. An imaginative and page-turning read that gets under your skin.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
My next pick was the brilliantly-titled Africa Is Not A Country: Breaking Stereotypes of Modern Africa, by Dipo Faloyin.
Africa Is Not a Country sets out the history of how Africa’s countries were created, and shows the impact this is continuing to have on the way these countries are developing. Faloyin writes with clarity, wit, and passion about how Africa is presented in charity campaigns (a must-read during the season of Do They Know It’s Christmas) and Hollywood, and about museum repatriation. He also writes about the specific political climates in specific African countries, drawing connections and highlighting differences. One of those books you want to press into the hands of everyone you meet.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
December was the month that I finally read By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept by Elizabeth Smart, which had been on my to-read shelf for too long.
By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept is a beautiful, lyrical book about an all-consuming love. Some of the language might be a bit much, but there is a plot behind the poetry, and I particularly loved how this story is set in a very real world, of war and morality laws. A book to lose yourself in, short enough to be read in one sitting but with writing you will want to savour.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The last book I read in December was The Anomaly, written by Hervé Le Tellier and translated by Adriana Hunter, which came highly recommended.
The Anomaly starts with each chapter focusing on a different character. The story builds up in this way, with events starting to happen that made me want to find out what was going on. Then comes an explanation (of sorts), followed by a working-out of the speculative mystery at the heart of the book. This is a book of parts, which meant it didn’t completely hold my attention throughout. But it’s not like anything else I’ve read, and while the writing isn’t entirely to my taste, there was a lot about The Anomaly that I enjoyed.
⭐⭐⭐
What did you read in December?
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