What I read in ~~ January 2021

[Alias Reader]

Here is the Folder to tell us what your monthly reads for January 2021 were.

Please provide:
~ A GoodReads link
~ A few sentences telling us how you felt about the book.
~ How would you rate the book

[John]

(Does not include titles reviewed under my challenge list)


The Cannibal Queen: A Flight Into The Heart Of America ⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Gallows Court ⭐⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



The New Jerusalem ⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


A Mortal Bane ⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



Going with the Grain: A Wandering Bread Lover Takes a Bite Out of Life ⭐⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...



SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome ⭐⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[madrano]

Good hodgepodge of places and times, John. I'm more drawn to the last two on your list. My husband echoed what you wrote about SPQR, so it's on my list, although when is another question.

[Petra]

John, you took a couple for the team this month. But you've also had a few good books. I've added Gallows Court to my TBR list. The library has it handy. Thanks.

[John]

madrano wrote: "Good hodgepodge of places and times, John. I'm more drawn to the last two on your list. My husband echoed what you wrote about SPQR, so it's on my list, although when is another question."

Thanks for the feedback! I think folks here would probably appreciate the bread-specific reporting more than I did.

[John]

Petra wrote: "John, you took a couple for the team this month. But you've also had a few good books. I've added Gallows Court to my TBR list. The library has it handy. Thanks."

I'm looking forward to it's sequel Mortmain Hall.

[Petra]

I had a varied but so-so month.

The Case of the Reincarnated Client (3-star) - I always enjoy a visit with Vish Puri. These light mysteries look at Indian culture and everyday life. As well, the mysteries are humorous and entertaining.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Black Cathedral (3-star) - very good writing and an interesting story. However, I feel that I missed something that someone from Cuba, especially during this time, would have understood. Worth reading and I'll look for more by this author.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Laughing All the Way to the Mosque (2-star) - I enjoyed the TV series Little Mosque On The Prairie, which this author wrote/scripted. This book came across as forced and very selective in what she wrote. Very light......too light. There wasn't anything said in these pages.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Arabian Sands (3-star; audio) - I enjoyed this look at a lifestyle & culture that probably doesn't exist anymore. The book is set at the time when Western culture is just starting to enter the Arabian countries. The old ways still exist but the West is starting to infringe on them. Very interesting quest to cross the Empty Quarter section of desert.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Cold Comfort Farm (2-star) - this started out strong with lots of humour but then just repeated actions over and over again. There wasn't any conflict. It was too sweet.
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[madrano]

Petra, you certainly traveled far & wide with these books. I agree with your assessment of Cuban Marcial Gala's book. There are bits i still remember, as well as the way he shared them. Overall, i feel i missed something, however.

As i've mentioned previously, i appreciate reviewers because they enhance my own sensations about reading, which i find tough to nail down. In this case, in your review of Stella Gibbons's book you wrote, "Don't get me wrong, it's humorous & light; just not funny." Perfectly put & it fits many books i read with the thought they were funny. Nice but not the laughs i expected. Thanks.

[Julie]

John wrote: "(Does not include titles reviewed under my challenge list)


The Cannibal Queen: A Flight Into The Heart Of America ⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"

Gallows Court sounds good - adding to my reading list.

[Alias Reader]

I posted the 2 news items in this thread in error. I moved them to the Book Salon thread. Sorry !

[Alias Reader]

John wrote: "(Does not include titles reviewed under my challenge list)


The Cannibal Queen: A Flight Into The Heart Of America ⭐⭐⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"

You had a very nice reading month, John.

[Alias Reader]

Petra wrote: "I had a varied but so-so month.

The Case of the Reincarnated Client (3-star) - I always enjoy a visit with Vish Puri. These light mysteries look at Indian culture and everyday lif..."

Thanks for sharing your January reads. Sorry you didn't have a big winner. Let's hope it's waiting for your in February.

[Alias Reader]

I started the new year with:

The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Edith Eger
Rate: 5/5
Memoir
This is an excellent memoir by Dr. Eger. This is an harrowing story by an amazing women. A must read. Sixteen year old ballet dancer Edith is sent to Auschwitz. The second half of the book is about her experiences after the camp is liberated. I think many will find her story inspirational. I plan on reading her other book
The Gift: 12 Lessons to Save Your Life

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds
Rate 4/5
Non Fiction
Audio book and eBook
Audio book is wonderfully narrated by Jason Reynolds
This book is a remix of Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
I did a mix of the audio book and eBook depending on where I was. I thought it was really well done.
Ibram X. Kendi’s Anti-Racism Books are going to be adapted by Netflix.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Rate 5/5
Fiction.
I loved this author's novel A Man Called Ove
This one doesn't disappoint. In turns it's poignant and funny.
This was on my 2021 Determination List of books to read.

Negroland by Margo Jefferson
non fiction/ Memoir ?
Rate 2/5
This is the story of the negro elite in the 1950s-1980's. This could have been an interesting topic but I found the book so disjointed as to be almost incomprehensible at times. In interviews she calls her writing style a collage. Sorry, for me it was a jumble. I read it with two friends. One didn't even want to finish it. The other thought it had merit and liked it. So your millage may vary.

[madrano]

It seems you had a pretty good reading month, Alias. It's disappointing that the Jefferson book didn't work for you. The topic sounds very good. Whether i'll give it a try or not, i cannot say. While i sometimes like experimental or unique writing styles, i cannot say i like them in my nonfiction.

The Eger story sounds remarkable. Thanks for the introduction to it.

[madrano]

January seems to have flown by for me but i see i spent a hunk of it reading, so maybe this is why.

The Black Cathedral--Marcial Gala. This novel is set primarily in Cuba with a story told from multiple points of view. Descriptions were good but throughout i felt i was missing something. This is pretty much what Petra wrote above, i realize, so let's just consider this an echo of her comments.

The Arctic Fury--Greer Macallister. My first DL completion for the year. This has two timelines, one being an Arctic expedition composed only of women. The second timeline is later, in Boston, where the leader is charged with killing one of the expedition members. Initially i felt the court story dragged the book down, however toward the end, that was the reason i couldn't stop reading. Go figure. Annette reviewed this book last year, which is where i heard about it. Thanks.

Miss Benson's Beetle: A Novel--Rachel Joyce is primarily set just after WWII and mostly in New Caledonia. Miss Benson, having spent her adult years as a teacher, and not liking it, decides to seek a beetle her father told her about just before his death. She hires an assistant & the story is about their journey. I liked this & thank John for the title.

The Thirty Names of Night--Zeyn Joukhadar is about NYC's "Little Syria", spanning two timelines. Fascinating to me was the recurring theme of birds and how they help illustrate the story about a transitioning Syrian and her memories of her mother. I really like feathers, so this book called to me stronger than expected.

The Murderer in Ruins--Cay Rademacher. When John shared about this one, i was all in. This is set in Hamburg immediately after WWII. Police find a nude body among the bombed ruins. The story is made remarkable as we see post war Germany--the ruins, the people who live in them, the rationing and then the way the British live there.

Studying with Miss Bishop: Memoirs from a Young Writer's Life--Dana Gioia. Poet Gioia begins by telling readers of his love affair with books as a child. Then he shares stories about his relationship/encounters with 5 poets/writers--Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Fitzgerald, John Cheever, James Dickey and Ronald Perry, a man i had never heard about or read his poems. This was probably my favorite book of the month, my only nonfiction, i also realize. However, if you don't like poetry, you probably won't care for it.

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder--T.A. Willberg. This is set in London, in the early 1950s. In the tunnels of the city a private investigation firm is homed, training agents and inventing detecting devices. This initial mystery (for a series is planned) is about a murder of their own, in their setting. I didn't like this nearly as much as i thought i would but it wasn't bad. The main character, Marion, in training for the job was well written but the others seemed written just for their quirkiness, which wasn't fun.

The Cottage of Curiosities--Celia Anderson was actually a sequel, unbeknownst to me when i began. However, it worked very well as a standalone. A woman visits a seaside Cornwall town because she's learned her birth mother spent her life there. This woman experiences the memories of other people when she is near them & is trying to harness this ability to help others while also learning how to shield herself from them. I wouldn't read more in the series yet i liked this quite a bit.

The Case of the Missing Books--Ian Sansom. Had i read this book when i first added it to my TBR, i know i would have reveled in it. However, i couldn't find it over the years until just recently. A London book clerk moves to northern Ireland to be a librarian. However, the library there has closed and there is now only a mobile library...and all the books are missing. The first 1/3-1/2 was a tedious description of his first few days there. Funny back then, i'm sure, but now it just didn't call to me. However, the book improved dramatically as we met real people, as he collected overdue books. There are now 10 or so in the series but i'll be hard pressed to want to read another.

Illuminations--Mary Sharratt. Thanks to Annette and Shomeret for sharing their pleasure in this book. I, too, really liked the retelling of the life of Hildegard von Bingen, Middle Ages mystic, writer about medicine & creator of chants. Taken into the church at age 8 to accompany a royal teenager who is dedicating herself to God, the two are sealed into a cell to live out their days. Well-written and full of details, i liked this one very much.

[John]

Great selection! The German postwar sequels are on my TBR.

[Julie]

madrano wrote: "January seems to have flown by for me but i see i spent a hunk of it reading, so maybe this is why.

The Black Cathedral--Marcial Gala. This novel is set primarily ..."

Wow, you really got a lot read in January. Adding Miss Benson's Beetle to my never ending reading list!

[Alias Reader]

madrano wrote: "January seems to have flown by for me but i see i spent a hunk of it reading, so maybe this is why.
."
Wow ! You certainly had a terrific start to the new year, deb. Congrats on completing a book on your Determination List. I forgot to add that Anxious People was also one of my Determination List books. I'll go back and add that.

As always, I enjoyed reading your reviews, deb.

[Petra]

Alias, you've had a couple of winners in January's reading. I've read a couple of Backman's books and enjoyed them. The Choice sounds very interesting.

Deb, great selection of reads! A couple of these may end up on my TBR list. Very intriguing descriptions.

[Alias Reader]

Petra wrote: "Alias, you've had a couple of winners in January's reading. I've read a couple of Backman's books and enjoyed them. The Choice sounds very interesting.

Deb, great selection of reads! A couple of ..."

The Choice is an amazing memoir. You can find many YouTube videos of interviews with her. She became a psychologist and has helped many with traumas big and small. I highlited so many lines from the book. Here are a few.

~~ “Just remember,” she says, “no one can take away from you what you’ve put in your mind.”

~~ “When we seek revenge, even non-violent revenge, we are revolving, not evolving.”

~~ “The only place where we can exercise our freedom of choice is in the present.”

~~“There is no hierarchy of suffering. There's nothing that makes my pain worse or better than yours.”

[madrano]

Thank you for all the comments. If i added to your TBR, i almost apologize. :-)

Alias, what a healthy list of quotes.

[Meredith]

My January Reads
Maigret and the Old People by Georges Simenon
Rating 3/5
I have been enjoying these mysteriesAso like that they do not have to be read in order
One False Move by Harlan Coben
Rating 4/5
This is a Myron Boliter mystery. I did not guess the murderer As noted I enjoy this series because they generally take place in NYC and North Jersey and because I live in NOrth Jersey I know of the places he refers to
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
Rating 3/5
Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal
Rating 4/5
This is the first book in the Maggie Hope series.. The mystery was good. Although a fictional character was inserted the author stayed true to what was going on in Churchill's office as I recognized a lot of facts from Splendid and Vile
Hornet Flight by Ken Follett
Rating 3/5
mystery centered around the Danish Resistence during WWII
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
Rating 4/5
A historical novel based upon 2 19th century women fossil hunters whose discoveries changed the scientific world
The Castlemaine Murders byKerry Greenwood
Rating 4/5

[madrano]

Meredith, it looks as though you had a good reading month. Of the ones you've mentioned, i've only read the Chevalier book, which i liked very much. I'm glad to see you did, too.

That Maggie Hope series sounds interesting. Your comments lead me to think this will be a good one for me.

Thanks for your comments, Meredith. I hope the rest of this reading year is as rewarding!

[Petra]

Meredith, great month of reading!

I read Curiosity a few years back and found Mary Anning an interesting person. She got the short end of the stick in history. I'm glad her story is being brought to the surface. I keep meaning to read Remarkable Creatures. Thanks for the reminder.

I'm a fan of Ian McEwen's writing. Haven't read the one you mention.

[Alias Reader]

Meredith wrote: "My January Reads
Maigret and the Old People by Georges Simenon
Rating 3/5
I have been enjoying these mysteriesAso like that they do not have to be read in order
[book:..."

You had a very productive January, indeed ! Thanks for sharing.

[John]

Meredith wrote: "My January Reads
Maigret and the Old People by Georges Simenon
Rating 3/5
I have been enjoying these mysteriesAso like that they do not have to be read in order
..."</i>

I have been listening the Maigret series as audiobooks, paused at #40 [book:Maigret's Revolver when I resume.

[Dem]

Finished The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

My Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/3829616028

[madrano]

Dem, i like your concluding statement...and agree. I like to think that there are stories of survival and strength going on now, what with the Covid and other issues. Imagining our ancestors reading about those people, i hope they'll say the same thing about us.

[Gina]

Dem wrote: "Finished The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

My Review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/3829616028"

I want to read this. I'm on the waiting list at the library. Glad you enjoyed it.

[Marie]

My January reads were:

What's Left of the Night by Alex Gates - five stars. Creepy horror book! This was a sequel to a book I read by this author last year and this book was creepier than that one! :)
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Soul Jacker by William Massa - five stars. I started this series last year and finished it up this year. Awesome dark fantasy series with lots of action. Love this author! Writing style is smooth as silk and very gripping!
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Doomsday Disciples by William Massa - five stars. This was the last of the series by author William Massa and really enjoyed all the books.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Undertaker's Moon by Ronald Kelly - five stars.
Another author I love! Mostly writes Southern horror with a touch of gothic themes attached along with urban legend lore. Love the writing style as it just flows along.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

How the Raven Met the Angel by Jeffrey Caston - five stars. This is really a debut author but he has a few books out now. This book is kind of like a super hero story and it is a very short story as it is kind of like in a serial of books.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Hillary: Retribution by Angel Gelique - five stars. This book was the last of a trilogy that I had started back in 2017. The first two books are on the extreme side with some intense situations and are not for the faint of heart. This book was mild compared to the first two books, but the book was wrapped up nicely by the author.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Afterlife by Duncan Ralston - five stars. This is the sequel to the first book Ghostland by this author and this book is actually in a trilogy. The third book will be coming out this year. This story revisited old haunts from the first book and there was a lot more action and suspense entwined within this book.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Food: The MVP Room by Jeffrey Caston - five stars. This book is very extreme and there is lots of cringe worthy things that happen within this story. Not for the faint of heart.
My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Well that about wraps it up for January! I didn't realize it but all my reads were five stars! I think that is a first ever for me. lol

[madrano]

Wow, Marie, what a great way to start the reading year--all 5 stars! They sound fascinating. I was particularly drawn to Hillary book--what was Miss Billie? Neat.

I love the idea of the "gore suit" you mentioned, too. Such fun!

[Marie]

madrano wrote: "Wow, Marie, what a great way to start the reading year--all 5 stars! They sound fascinating. I was particularly drawn to Hillary book--what was Miss Billie? Neat.

I love the idea of the "gore suit..."

So sorry Madrano - I didn't see this update! Yikes! Glitchy Goodreads I guess!

Miss Billie was a character in the last Hillary book. A southern elderly woman that took a liking to Hillary and tried to show Hillary the error of her ways.

I always put up a statement of a gore suit in my reviews when I read horror books that are either drenched or swimming in the bloody stuff! LOL

[madrano]

Love it, Marie. Clever idea.

I agree about glitchy posts. Most times all runs smoothly, then a random, older post appears. Of course that leads us to wonder what else we've missed...