January was a bit of a slower month for me… partially because of how often I hit play on Heated Rivalry (yes, still!), partially because I picked a few longer books, and partially just because of life! As much as I love to read, if I ever find myself in a bit of a slump, I try hard not to force myself past it. Sometimes I just need a little break! I’m never worried that I won’t find my way back. And by the end of the month, I did. Here’s everything I read in January.
Women, Seated by Zhang Yueran
This is kind of an “upstairs-downstairs” story of wealth and corruption, centered around Yu Ling, a nanny for an ultra-wealthy Chinese couple. The story kind of drops you right into the middle of the action, having to sometimes work backwards to figure out what exactly is going on. It kept zigging when I thought it would zag, and the characters kept surprising me. It really made me think, and it has an ambiguous ending that would be perfect for discussing with friends or a book club.
Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Libro.fm | Amazon.com
Bound by Ali Hazelwood
This is an audio exclusive, but it’s available everywhere. Honestly, it wasn’t my favorite… the beginning was a bit slow, and it took a while to get to the meat of the plot, which is rough when it’s a short novella! It follows a con artist graduate student, Vero, who is tapped by a mysterious professor to help make a replica of a valuable antique manuscript he owns. While Vero definitely has her share of secrets, it turns out that the professor does, too. It was fine, but not high on my list of Ali Hazelwood favorites!
Buy the book: Libro.fm
Little One by Olivia Muenter
(Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for my ARC – this is out now!) This is a slow-burn of a thriller that kept me totally engrossed the whole time I was reading. It’s been years since Catharine ran away from her childhood, where she grew up at a “farm” that was seemingly idyllic but actually a cult led by her domineering father. While she thought she had left her past behind her forever, a determined journalist has discovered the truth of her history and forces her to confront memories she thought she had buried. The narrative keeps going back and forth between the present and Catharine’s past, and the ending?! Had me completely shocked.
Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Libro.fm | Amazon.com
Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy
(Thank you to Libro.fm for my ALC!) I am… just really not sure how I felt about this book. It follows a forbidden teacher-student relationship between high schooler Waldo and her English teacher, Mr. Kurdy. I love Jeannette’s style of writing, especially with the themes of the book – it’s direct and to-the-point – and I don’t think the relationship was being glamorized. But I felt like there was a disconnect between the maturity of Waldo’s thoughts and her actions. I don’t know! I think I need to sit with this one a bit more.
Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Libro.fm | Amazon.com
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
This is a beautiful generational epic – and I do mean epic, as my version clocked in around 700 pages. When Sonia and Sunny have a chance meeting on a train in India, they already have a complicated history – they have their own baggage, and they have a failed matchmaking attempt between their families. This is a story about them, but also about their families, about live in America and India, about trying to find happiness amidst alienation… it’s really hard to pin it down to any one particular thread. I think if you’re looking for something with a super strong plot, this is not the book for you, but if you’re willing to be taken on a ride with these characters, you won’t regret it.
Read the book: Bookshop.org | Libro.fm | Amazon.com
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad
This is incredibly important to read, but wow, is it difficult. It’s all based on a tweet from the author, where he said: “One day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” It’s nonfiction, and it’s about the author’s own disillusionment as an immigrant to the US with the current state of the country, and about morally figuring out how to live under that feeling. It’s a really raw and powerful book.
Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Libro.fm | Amazon.com
This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
(Thanks to NetGalley and The Dial Press for my ARC – it will be out on February 10.) This is such an interesting family saga – the story starts with the death of Sylvia and Helen’s sister, and a misunderstanding over a dessert spawns a years-long feud between the siblings where they refuse to see or talk to each other. The book then takes us through the lives of the different family members – Sylvia and Helen’s children and even grandchildren – in little vignettes. It’s a really beautiful story about love and family and connection. While each vingette can almost be read as a standalone short story, I think the real beauty comes in the comparisons across families and generations.
Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Libro.fm | Amazon.com
