January Wrap Up
January might feel like the longest month, but that means plenty of time for reading! I read 13 books last month: 2 5⭐ reads (which means that I loved them), 9 4⭐ reads (which means that I really liked them), and 2 3⭐ reads (which means that I liked them). My book of the month was the one that I read first:
The first book that I read in 2023 was God: An Anatomy by Francesca Stavrakopoulou, which I read over Christmas and the New Year.
God: An Anatomy is a long book, but it never overstayed its welcome. Francesca Stavrakopoulou picks out references in the Bible to God’s body, dealing with different aspects of His body in turn, and places them in their historical context to present God as He was originally envisioned by ancient worshippers. With clear, engaging, and interesting writing, Stavrakopoulou tracks how the Western idea of God developed. God: An Anatomy is one of the best written, and most thought-provoking books I have read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next was the New-Year-themed It Ends at Midnight, the only book I hadn't yet read by Harriet Tyce.
It Ends at Midnight is Harriet Tyce’s latest legal thriller, and I devoured it in one sitting. As Sylvie presides over a difficult case, she is forced to confront a secret from her past that she would rather stay hidden. I loved the way Tyce kept the reader guessing, across multiple storylines, without resorting to an overly complicated plot. And I loved the fact that the courtroom drama focused on a judge rather than a barrister. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I continued to #beatthebacklog in January, with The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman.
The Man Who Died Twice is the second book in this cosy crime series set in a luxury retirement home, and focused on four of its members, as well as their various friends and family, who belong to the Thursday Murder Club. When an old acquaintance of Elizabeth gets in touch, the Club find themselves embroiled in a case involving stolen diamonds, spies, and the mafia. I found the characters irresistible, the story gripping, and the writing laugh-out-loud funny. An enjoyable break from reality.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My next pick was the brilliantly-titled Not Exactly What I Had in Mind, by Kate Brook, which I'd had my eye on for some time.
Not Exactly What I Had in Mind starts with two roommates who sleep together, then immediately wonder if that was a bad idea. The story spirals out over quite a long stretch of time, to include not only the will-they-won’t-they romantic plot involving the two roommates, but also a plot focused on the sister of one of the roommates, who is trying to conceive a baby. This book is such an easy and engaging read, but it manages to cover so many important topics in interesting ways. I really enjoyed this one, and could quite happily have read it in one sitting.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
January was the month that I finally read A Tidy Ending, the latest book by Joanna Cannon.
A Tidy Ending is an offbeat murder mystery about a serial killer targeting a suburban housing estate. Told from the somewhat unconventional perspective of Linda, one of the estate’s residents, this one will keep you guessing until the very end. I found A Tidy Ending a little difficult to get into, but after a slow start, I was soon hooked. This one might take a while to get going, but it’s worth the wait.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next was another one with an eye-catching title: We Had to Remove This Post, written by Hanna Bervoets and translated by Emma Rault.
We Had to Remove This Post offers a thought-provoking glimpse into the world of social media moderators. I loved the premise, and the way Hanna Bervoets plays with the difference between what’s allowed and what’s right, and explores the effect working as a moderator has on the characters. I liked that this book is short enough to read in one sitting, but I was a little thrown by the abruptness of the ending.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'd only heard good things about You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi, but I didn't find time to read it last year.
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is a page-turning romance that packs an emotional punch. As Feyi tries to move on from her past, you’re never quite sure where this story is going to land. I loved the friendship between Feyi and Joy, and the balance between reality and fantasy. This is a story you can escape into, but the plot isn’t what you expect. I loved Emezi’s attention to detail, and I am very tempted to add The Death of Vivek Oji to my TBR.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I continued to catch up with 2022 releases with One Day I Shall Astonish the World, the latest book from Nina Stibbe.
One Day I Shall Astonish the World charts the friendship of Susan and Norma over more than two decades. This is a mostly light-hearted book, peopled with quirky characters, and written with wry humour. Three stars rather than four because I didn’t always find the story as engaging as I would have liked, I found some of the contemporary references a little earnest, and as much as I enjoyed the characters, I sometimes found them a little unconvincing.
⭐⭐⭐
Up next was a new release that I couldn't resist: Nobody But Us by Laure Van Rensburg.
Nobody But Us opens with a crime scene, then jumps back in time to the start of the romantic trip that ended in bloodshed. This page-turning thriller is set over only a few days, but with the help of flashbacks the truth is slowly revealed. This one only ended up being a three-star read for me, because I found it a little long, and more than a little clichéd. But I enjoyed the plot’s twists and turns, and I think Laure Van Rensburg does an excellent job of inhabiting the mind of an abuser.
⭐⭐⭐
I returned to the James Bond series next, with From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming.
From Russia with Love is a gripping thriller, whose plot is surprisingly similar to the film adaptation, but which also makes brief references to the previous books. When 007 is marked for death by SMERSH, the Soviet counter-intelligence agency, he is drawn into a web of lies and danger. I had forgotten how much I loved Ian Fleming's cinematic writing style, which gives us a much more human Bond than the films, and which has a wonderful eye for detail. But I could have done without the sexism.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Since From Russia with Love ended on a cliffhanger, I continued with the next book in the series: Dr. No by Ian Fleming.
Dr No is another gripping thriller with the same basic plot as the film adaptation, but Fleming gives us much more detail. When M sends Bond to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of the station chief, he expects a mission that doubles as a vacation, for the agent still recovering from the events of the previous book. But Dr No has other ideas in mind. Fleming's writing is a joy to read - appalling language aside - and I devoured this book in a day.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wanting a change in tone, I turned to another book from the backlog (with a cover I couldn't resist): The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw.
The Secret Life of Church Ladies is a beautiful collection of short stories, many of which explore a forbidden love. The writing is exquisite, and the stories fit nicely alongside one another but each story is different from the next. The characters feel real, and the lives they live certainly could be. I'm excited to see what Deesha Philyaw writes next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I finally caught up with one of my favourite series at the end of January, just before the next book is published, and read Forced Confessions by John Fairfax.
Forced Confessions sees William Benson, a criminal barrister with a murder conviction, try to defend a married couple with something to hide, even as his own past catches up with him. The courtroom scenes are particularly gripping, as Benson sees things in a way no-one else does. The writing is engaging and the plot kept me guessing until the very end. It was both satisfying and a little disappointing to finally find out the truth about Benson's past, so I look forward to seeing where the series goes next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
What did you read in January?
The first book that I read in 2023 was God: An Anatomy by Francesca Stavrakopoulou, which I read over Christmas and the New Year.
God: An Anatomy is a long book, but it never overstayed its welcome. Francesca Stavrakopoulou picks out references in the Bible to God’s body, dealing with different aspects of His body in turn, and places them in their historical context to present God as He was originally envisioned by ancient worshippers. With clear, engaging, and interesting writing, Stavrakopoulou tracks how the Western idea of God developed. God: An Anatomy is one of the best written, and most thought-provoking books I have read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next was the New-Year-themed It Ends at Midnight, the only book I hadn't yet read by Harriet Tyce.
It Ends at Midnight is Harriet Tyce’s latest legal thriller, and I devoured it in one sitting. As Sylvie presides over a difficult case, she is forced to confront a secret from her past that she would rather stay hidden. I loved the way Tyce kept the reader guessing, across multiple storylines, without resorting to an overly complicated plot. And I loved the fact that the courtroom drama focused on a judge rather than a barrister. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I continued to #beatthebacklog in January, with The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman.
The Man Who Died Twice is the second book in this cosy crime series set in a luxury retirement home, and focused on four of its members, as well as their various friends and family, who belong to the Thursday Murder Club. When an old acquaintance of Elizabeth gets in touch, the Club find themselves embroiled in a case involving stolen diamonds, spies, and the mafia. I found the characters irresistible, the story gripping, and the writing laugh-out-loud funny. An enjoyable break from reality.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My next pick was the brilliantly-titled Not Exactly What I Had in Mind, by Kate Brook, which I'd had my eye on for some time.
Not Exactly What I Had in Mind starts with two roommates who sleep together, then immediately wonder if that was a bad idea. The story spirals out over quite a long stretch of time, to include not only the will-they-won’t-they romantic plot involving the two roommates, but also a plot focused on the sister of one of the roommates, who is trying to conceive a baby. This book is such an easy and engaging read, but it manages to cover so many important topics in interesting ways. I really enjoyed this one, and could quite happily have read it in one sitting.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
January was the month that I finally read A Tidy Ending, the latest book by Joanna Cannon.
A Tidy Ending is an offbeat murder mystery about a serial killer targeting a suburban housing estate. Told from the somewhat unconventional perspective of Linda, one of the estate’s residents, this one will keep you guessing until the very end. I found A Tidy Ending a little difficult to get into, but after a slow start, I was soon hooked. This one might take a while to get going, but it’s worth the wait.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Up next was another one with an eye-catching title: We Had to Remove This Post, written by Hanna Bervoets and translated by Emma Rault.
We Had to Remove This Post offers a thought-provoking glimpse into the world of social media moderators. I loved the premise, and the way Hanna Bervoets plays with the difference between what’s allowed and what’s right, and explores the effect working as a moderator has on the characters. I liked that this book is short enough to read in one sitting, but I was a little thrown by the abruptness of the ending.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'd only heard good things about You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi, but I didn't find time to read it last year.
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty is a page-turning romance that packs an emotional punch. As Feyi tries to move on from her past, you’re never quite sure where this story is going to land. I loved the friendship between Feyi and Joy, and the balance between reality and fantasy. This is a story you can escape into, but the plot isn’t what you expect. I loved Emezi’s attention to detail, and I am very tempted to add The Death of Vivek Oji to my TBR.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I continued to catch up with 2022 releases with One Day I Shall Astonish the World, the latest book from Nina Stibbe.
One Day I Shall Astonish the World charts the friendship of Susan and Norma over more than two decades. This is a mostly light-hearted book, peopled with quirky characters, and written with wry humour. Three stars rather than four because I didn’t always find the story as engaging as I would have liked, I found some of the contemporary references a little earnest, and as much as I enjoyed the characters, I sometimes found them a little unconvincing.
⭐⭐⭐
Up next was a new release that I couldn't resist: Nobody But Us by Laure Van Rensburg.
Nobody But Us opens with a crime scene, then jumps back in time to the start of the romantic trip that ended in bloodshed. This page-turning thriller is set over only a few days, but with the help of flashbacks the truth is slowly revealed. This one only ended up being a three-star read for me, because I found it a little long, and more than a little clichéd. But I enjoyed the plot’s twists and turns, and I think Laure Van Rensburg does an excellent job of inhabiting the mind of an abuser.
⭐⭐⭐
I returned to the James Bond series next, with From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming.
From Russia with Love is a gripping thriller, whose plot is surprisingly similar to the film adaptation, but which also makes brief references to the previous books. When 007 is marked for death by SMERSH, the Soviet counter-intelligence agency, he is drawn into a web of lies and danger. I had forgotten how much I loved Ian Fleming's cinematic writing style, which gives us a much more human Bond than the films, and which has a wonderful eye for detail. But I could have done without the sexism.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Since From Russia with Love ended on a cliffhanger, I continued with the next book in the series: Dr. No by Ian Fleming.
Dr No is another gripping thriller with the same basic plot as the film adaptation, but Fleming gives us much more detail. When M sends Bond to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of the station chief, he expects a mission that doubles as a vacation, for the agent still recovering from the events of the previous book. But Dr No has other ideas in mind. Fleming's writing is a joy to read - appalling language aside - and I devoured this book in a day.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wanting a change in tone, I turned to another book from the backlog (with a cover I couldn't resist): The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw.
The Secret Life of Church Ladies is a beautiful collection of short stories, many of which explore a forbidden love. The writing is exquisite, and the stories fit nicely alongside one another but each story is different from the next. The characters feel real, and the lives they live certainly could be. I'm excited to see what Deesha Philyaw writes next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I finally caught up with one of my favourite series at the end of January, just before the next book is published, and read Forced Confessions by John Fairfax.
Forced Confessions sees William Benson, a criminal barrister with a murder conviction, try to defend a married couple with something to hide, even as his own past catches up with him. The courtroom scenes are particularly gripping, as Benson sees things in a way no-one else does. The writing is engaging and the plot kept me guessing until the very end. It was both satisfying and a little disappointing to finally find out the truth about Benson's past, so I look forward to seeing where the series goes next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
What did you read in January?
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