The end of any year is difficult for me. Suddenly the culmination of twelve months—three hundred and sixty-five days seems to hit me all at once. Some months I read a lot and some months I read less following a natural ebb and flow that I have grown accustomed to, but this year I want that to change.

After reading On Writing by Stephen King at the end of last year, I have been hyper-motivated to increase my book count for the year. It’s amazing how many more books I was able to read (and enjoy) by putting away my phone and watching less television. As anyone can guess from my reading list, it seems as though I just grab whatever books I fancy at the time and then from there start reading an eclectic collection of books. Some of that is true. I do choose books that call to me or that I am in the mood to read. But my real aim is to have a little bit of a strategy when I choose my books which allows me to read several books at once.

First off, I generally do not read several books in the same genre at the same time. As you can see from the list below for the month I did not read several classics or several sci-fi books at once. I chose a classic, a dystopian, a cultural sci-fi if not horror, an eerie literary piece, a murder mystery, cultural literature and at least one book from a series. For this month I had, in fact, two books from a series which happen to both be murder mysteries. (My strategy is not an exact science) What is missing from this list is a long-running series of something historical.

Historical Fiction is my favorite genre, hands down and I am always reading some sort of book in regards to history in all types of genres. Coming in a close second and third are Classic Literature and Dystopian Literature. I am a big fan of some Fantasy series, ex. The Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings, and also of some Science Fiction writings by authors such as H.G. Wells, Sylvia Moreno-Garcia, Octavia Butler or Ray Bradbury.

In previous years I have tried to read around three books a month. This year I have increased the challenge to five each month. Below are some of the books I chose to read in January to get me back into a good reading rhythm and perk my imagination:

KLARA AND THE SUN BY KAZUO ISHIGURO

From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. In Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

I really enjoyed Klara and the Sun much like I enjoyed Never Let Me Go. Ishiguro does such a wonderful job creating a dystopian world that just is and isn’t created from some cataclysmic event. In this book, it is perfectly normal to cause kids to be “lifted” and for people to adopt AI machines for their children. Not only is it normal, it is believable. Ishiguro also makes Klara, an AI machine, invoke human aspects and cause the reader to empathize with a non-human entity. The frailty of the mother was also believable and made me think of my own challenges in motherhood.

ONCE UPON A RIVER BY DIANE SETTERFIELD

On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.

I recently reread The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and finally decided to try reading one of her other books. At first, Once Upon a River was a little too eerie for me to read at night so I began to read this one during the day until I understood more of the creepy elements of the story. I greatly enjoyed this book as it had that cozy, elegant flow that Setterfield does so well and I enjoy books that use different chapters to share different character storylines and perspectives. I despise books that are easily predictable and thankfully Once was not as predictable as I thought it was going to be. By the third act, I was completely drawn in and found the end to be far more satisfactory than what I had given the book credit for.

THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU BY SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA

A lavish historical drama reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.

I listened to The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and will attest that the narration by Gisela Chípe is extraordinary. Her ability to maintain distinct male and female voices as well as Mexican, French and English accents elevated the account of the story. The book itself was interesting in that the setting in the Yucatan was different from other books. I thought that TDODM was good, but toward the middle and end of the book, it felt a bit more soap opera-ish. Carlota gives herself so freely to Eduardo but then turns on him just as quickly. I do like SMG’s writing and will continue to read her books.

ETHAN FROME BY EDITH WHARTON

The classic novel of despair, forbidden emotions, and sexual undercurrents is set against the austere New England countryside. Ethan Frome works his unproductive farm and struggles to maintain a bearable existence with his difficult, suspicious and hypochondriac wife, Zeena. But when Zeena's vivacious cousin enters their household as a hired girl, Ethan finds himself obsessed with her and with the possibilities for happiness, she comes to represent.

I have wanted to read a book by Edith Wharton for a long time, but when I do, I hardly get started and then lose interest. I tried to read Ethan Frome in another attempt since it is fairly short (less than 200 pages) and the storyline intrigued me. I am working on a project where in a similar sense of fate, the protagonist regrets a major life decision and it affects his whole family. I listened to this book and it was a good start to reading the works of Wharton.

The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog by Elizabeth peters

The expedition began so happily....Leaving their delightful, but catastrophically precocious, son, Ramses, back in England, Amelia hoped this romantic trip might rejuvenate her thirteen-year-old marriage and bring back the thrills that she feared were fading. She and her dear Emerson were returning to the remote desert site where they had first fallen in love, Amarna, the holy city of Akhenaton and his beautiful queen, Nefertiti. But their return would threaten not only their marriage, but their very lives with perils as chilling as a mummy’s curse. An old enemy was determined to learn Amelia and Emerson's most closely guarded secret: the location of a legendary long-lost oasis and a race of people bedecked in gold.

I think this is the third time I have read The Snake, the Crocodile and the Dog by Elizabeth Peters. I first read through the Amelia Peabody series in 2018 and I felt like I stumbled on a diamond mine. I love the fusion of Egyptology, murder mystery, and period pieces with a strong female protagonist at the forefront and wonderfully intertwined together. I listen to the books narrated by the brilliant Barbara Rosenblat who distinguishes each character even as they age. It amazes me every time I listen to her that she is the only person narrating! This particular book is number seven out of twenty and although is not one of the top books from this series for me, it is still an enjoyable read and I never tire of listening to the descriptions of the Egyptian sunset.

The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley

Although it is autumn in the small English town of Bishop’s Lacey, the chapel is decked with exotic flowers. Yes, Flavia de Luce’s sister Ophelia is at last getting hitched, like a mule to a wagon. “A church is a wonderful place for a wedding,” muses Flavia, “surrounded as it is by the legions of the dead, whose listening bones bear silent witness to every promise made at the altar.”

The final book of ten, The Golden Tresses of the Dead follows, like the others, the young crime-solving youth Flavia de Luce. I’ll admit I still do not fully buy into the eleven or twelve-year-old chemist extraordinaire with a knack for solving the many murders of Bishop’s Lacey. And yet I was drawn to complete this murder mystery series because of the excellent narration by the delightful Jayne Entwistle. I also am one that really leaves a series incomplete so listening to this series via the San Diego Public Library’s downloadable audiobooks kept me moving along with this series.

This final book is after many cases were solved and Flavia joining forces with the Buckshaw Estate gardener, Dogger, to embark in the private investigations business. I could imagine that this series could pick up at a later date, with Flavia at the helm of a private investigation agency and perhaps in a larger city, but for now, I was happy to conclude this series. It felt like there were only so many other hidden skeletons that the town could hold.

Nappily Ever After by Trisha R. Thomas

Venus Johnston has a great job, a beautiful home, and a loving live-in boyfriend named Clint, who happens to be a drop-dead gorgeous doctor. She also has a weekly beauty-parlor date with Tina, who keeps Venus's long, processed hair slick and straight. But when Clint--who's been reluctant to commit over the past four years--brings home a puppy instead of an engagement ring, Venus decides to give it all up. She trades in her long hair for a dramatically short, natural cut and sends Clint packing.

It's a bold declaration of independence--one that has effects she never could have imagined. Reactions from friends and coworkers range from concern to contempt to outright condemnation. And when Clint moves on and starts dating a voluptuous, long-haired beauty, Venus is forced to question what she really wants out of life. With wit, resilience, and a lot of determination, she finally learns what true happiness is--on her own terms.

In the new year, I allowed myself a chance to browse at the library to pick out books for myself rather than just piling up new books for the kids. When I saw Nappily Ever After on the shelf I thought it would be a good easy read and since I liked the Netflix version I thought why not? True to form it was an easy read, but the movie was different from the book, in fact, this was one of the rare cases where I think I liked the film adaptation better than the book. Reading about both women whom Clint was involved with in the story was interesting, but there was also a lot of back and forth that did not work as well for me.

JANUARY 2023 READING LIST