What I read in January

January was a wonderful reading start to the year! I read a lot of books on my shelf, including three books from my #23in2023 challenge (A Little Life, State of Wonder, A Man Called Ove). One of my standouts was The Dangers of Smoking in Bed - I can't wait to read more by Enriquez and read more translated literature this year.

Blew me out of the water; loved! (5 stars)

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez: I LOVED this bizarre and disturbing set of short stories. There's a lot of wonderful literature coming out of South America.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara: This is a must-read for any literary fiction lover, or those who love a character-driven novel. I went into this thinking it was more coming of age vs a sweeping epic of someone’s lifetime, which coupled with Yanagihara’s truly STUNNING writing makes this a masterpiece. This is a dark and at times disturbing read that won’t be for everyone. Could I have done without the graphic descriptions (and maybe have like 2-3 less traumatic events happen to Jude) and still given this five stars and it would have had the same impact? Yes. It feels weird giving such a dark and sad book five stars, but I can’t let go of how I felt when reading it and how Jude, Willem & Harold will stick with me forever.

I liked it! (4 stars)

Spare by Prince Harry: Of course I read Spare. It was not as salacious as some have touted (but also, Charles doesn't have a spine). The first 1/4 and last 3/4 were the most interesting, but if you follow the royals even casually, there won't be a lot of new info here. I hope he has found peace through writing this and telling his story.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett: This story follows a midwestern woman to the Amazon where she looks into the legitimacy of her colleague's death while he was in Brazil working on a valuable new drug. This is very different from other Patchett books I’ve read - the jungle setting makes it feel like there’s much more at stake between her characters. The audio was wonderful too - narrated by Hope Davis!

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman: An entertaining cat and mouse thriller. Nothing too special, but it was fun to read. There are some Succession vibes here.

It was good (3 stars)

The Cloisters by Katy Hays: Really loved and was intrigued by the premise, and it was a great listen. It focused more on the dama and relationships between characters vs. the tarot (which I wanted more of).

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert: I think if I were more of a creative person I would have enjoyed this more. I did like some of the stories she told and her examples of 'Big Magic'. I think, if anything, this is a nice reminder to pursue your ideas, hobbies, and passions.

Maame by Jessica George: A very character-driven book and I liked being in our narrator's head - her trust in Google was funny and relatable. It follows 20-something Maddie in her own coming-of-age story, with a sick father and a complicated relationship with her mother. If you liked Queenie or Ties that Tether, I'd recommend picking this one up.

Drinking Games by Sarah Levy: The timeline of essays in this memoir were a bit jumpy; my favourite was her chapter on manifesting. Other sober books/memoirs I've read had a lot of negative things to say about the 12-step program, so it was nice to hear this author's positive experience. This was a bit overhyped for me (at some parts I was thinking, oh can anyone write a book now)?

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin: I had high hopes for this one given I loved The Night Swim. The main character was insufferable(!), rude, and entitled. Her vibe ruined the story for me. The twist at the end was good!

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman: This was just ok for me! I didn't really love it until the very end. I think I much prefer a 'cast of characters' Backman vs. one character predominantly featured. I loved the supporting characters here.

Unimpressed (2 stars)

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins: This thriller set in Italy was company while doing housework but I didn't really care about either timeline. Not worthy of the White Lotus comparisons imo!