What I Read: January 2020

Despite being sick for the past week, January was an excellent month of reading for me. Here’s some of what I liked the most:

Storm Front, by Jim Butcher - I listened to this during one of the days where I was sick. I didn’t make it to work and crawled into bed after dropping kids off at school. All I did was listen to this book and blow my nose. It’s a great book though so it made for an ok day. It’s sort of a combination paranormal P.I. mystery noir story and I loved it. I’m really excited because there are 15 or 16 books in the series so I have a lot left in this world.

Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir - I cannot say enough about this book! It’s got skulls, it’s got death (lots of death), it’s got an intergalactic challenge, it’s got enemies that end up having to save each other, it’s got skeleton magic and necromancy, it’s got goth on goth on goth with sunglasses and capes, and it’s got the most excellent dialogue and snarky insults I’ve read in almost my whole life. I LOVED this book and had the hugest hangover from it’s ending. The second in the series is out this year but I need it in my soul now.

The Friend, by Sigrid Nunez - This is a small book that handles big things. It’s got a format that’s a bit unconventional and there is a subject content warning for discussions of suicide and animal harm (not on the page though if I remember right). The story involves a woman who ends up inheriting a great dane dog from her lifelong friend who has died. She and he were both writers and the book examines the topics of friendship, love, writing, teaching, pet ownership, and dogs in startling clarity, honesty, and in a beautifully saturated way for the shortness of this book. I really loved it but I know it won’t work for everyone. It’s written as though she is talking to her now deceased friend and that is interesting too.

Neanderthal Seeks Human, by Penny Reid - This was a contemporary romance recommended on a podcast that I wanted to try but for me it wasn’t as much as I’d hoped for in terms of delight and sparkle. It’s a little long, but I’m still including it here in case anyone looking to dip into romance wants to try one of these. I remember it being pretty tame, so if that’s up your alley, click the link and give it a shot.

Fate of the Fallen, by Kel Kade - I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed this story!! And yet, it also ended on a cliffhanger and the second book is not out yet! It’s a YA fantasy story that has a little bit of everything I really enjoy in the genre and managed to hit all of these with just enough angst and never too much. It has a quest, magical system, a prophecy and a chosen one, a cantankerous horse, a rag tag group of heroes and thieves, luscious settings, and many MANY things that do not go according to plan. I was also happy with the YA content here because it’s light on the “does he/she LIKE me??” and also not too much on the “so much blood and so much angry!!” and it’s just perfectly executed - though there is a severed head in a burlap bag that is a major part of the story so, you know, not entirely gore free. It’s a great quest and made me get those Hobbit meme feelings “I’m going on an adventure!” and if that sounds good you should definitely pick this up.

Why We Can’t Sleep, by Ada Calhoun - This is a fascinating book of non-fiction. I read Calhoun’s other book, Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give, and remember being really impressed by the writing and her honesty in the subject so I was really curious about what this book would be like. Calhoun examines the impact and causes of stress on Gen-X women and why they all seem to feel exhausted. Too much of everything and none of it helpful or restorative, this book is a really interesting and well written examination of the political, environmental, cultural, and otherwise situational aspects that have contributed to these feelings. It’s really interesting and I guarantee that you know someone who feels like this if you don’t yourself. Worth reading and it’s not too long.

Dealing with Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede - We listened to this all together in the car during some driving recently and it kept everyone entertained and interested. It flips the princess story around and in this case she WANTS to go find a dragon and amusingly has to tell off all the princes that try to rescue her because she is living her best life already. First in a series and we’re planning to read through it all during various road trips this year.

Such a Fun Age, by Kiley Reid - This one has been everywhere and was basically the book club book pick for all the things in January. In my opinion in totally lived up to the hype and I could not put it down. I read it in a weekend and loved it. Reid’s writing is so clever and precise. She manages to switch tones so you know exactly who these characters are and know people like them in your own life. She tackles race issues and prejudices, bias and cultural issues with excellence and makes it compelling and engaging. Some people I’ve heard from haven’t enjoyed the ending but for me it felt real and that was part of what made the book so good. It’s not a revenge, but a spark. I loved it and highly recommend you read it.

Meet Cute, by Helena Hunting - This is a really cute romance that has a great scene on periods that I really appreciated. The setup is that this girl literally runs into the star of her favorite teen drama years later when they turn out to be in the same law school program…and class. Then several years later, he needs legal help and she ends up being the one in charge of that situation. From there the two get to know each other and it’s really cute.

The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern - I’m probably going to write a separate post about this one and my feelings around it.

Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5), by Gail Carriger - This is one of the best series I’ve recently read and finishing this book, the final one that I know of, was bittersweet. It was definitely an excellent book and I loved the twists and turns in the story. It’s hard to talk about a fifth book in a series without giving anything away but if you like paranormal fantasy with snark, a bit of romance, and well written mysteries to solve I HIGHLY recommend you check out this series at the start with Soulless. It’s so good.