Hoping that late is better than never? I’ve only hand most of January written up for all of February. In the interest in avoiding TL;DR, I’m going to share brief feelings on each book and link to the summary online.
The last few years have been a little disappointing for me, in regard to my reading. 3 job changes that brought depression and anxiety did not help. Now things are starting to feel settled (some) and my reading is improving. Here are short summaries of what I read in January.
The Last Ranger by Peter Heller was fantastic. I loved Heller's writing so much. He brought Yellowstone to life for me with his lovely writing. His characters were so real and the mystery was great, but it was the nature writing that won me over. I will be reading Heller again.
I reread two more Fables (Arabian Nights and Homelands) volumes in my quest to read them all. It’s still fun.
I freaking LOVED Shark Heart: a Love Story by Emily Habeck. It’s a weird little story set in a world where people can mutate into other animals. The couple in this novel are newlyweds and are suddenly facing one of them mutating into a Great White Shark. My heart ached, my heart sang.
I reread All Systems Red because I plan on catching up on this series. Just as fantastic as ever. How do you not love Murderbot?
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth was everything I love. So haunting. So mystical. So perfect. The audio was really well done with Indigenous performer Tonantzin Carmelo. Just loved it.
Bittersweet in the Hollow was a very pleasant surprise. Reminded me of Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen’s writing but for young adults. Beautifully dark story of four sisters with unusual talents. There’s even a Mothman like creature thrown in for fun.
February is usually a slow month for me, but this year was awesome! The momentum of January carried me through and I read some really great reads.
Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire (seriously, how great is that name?) kinda made me want to drop everything and move to London to become a rare book dealer. It sounds so much like my jam! Darkshire got into rare bookselling by accident but embraced it like it was made for him.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher was a reread and it was just as good the second time! This Fall of the House of Usher reimagining is so weird and fun. Legit will never look at mushrooms in the wild the same way again. Or hares.
The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year written and read by Margaret Renkl was a joy but a joy I think I would have enjoyed more if I had read it (instead of listened to it) with the seasons. We are in neighboring states, so it would have matched up pretty well. Renkl has a keen eye and a lyrical voice that shine in this book.
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher is set in the same world as What Moves the Dead with a few of the same characters. I plan to review this one but suffice it to say, I loved it. Pretty sure T. Kingfisher can do no wrong for me.
Night Theater by Vikram Paralkar, read by Raj Ghatak was another reread! but not because I wanted to read a sequel, but because I actually wanted to reread the book. I plan to reread at least one book a month this year (and maybe from now on?) cause I enjoy rereading mostly. Some books are too good to read only once! And this is one of them!! It was even better in audio too. Raj Ghatak really brought the characters and their complex emotions to riveting life.
Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine has the most kick-ass cover. I just love it and is totally what led me to pick it to listen for a quick listen on the way to work and back home. The premise sounded good, but somehow fell flat for me. It’s a short book, with little character development and I never felt much connection with the main character. It was just kinda disappointing.
Here’s hoping I will be back with March reads before April. How is your reading this year? Tell me your favorite book so far!
I didn’t much like Murderbot in audio either. I have TomorrowX3 on my TBR. I really need to get to it!! And more Heller!
Thank you for the reminder to look for Peter Heller's book. I loved The Dog Stars, and have read one or two others, but not this one. I'm also interested in the Murderbot series. I tried the first installment on audio and couldn't get interested, so I'll give the print edition a try.
My favorite book(s) so far this year is either Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow or Since We Fell (Dennis Lehane).