January & February Reads 2023
What’s your 2023 reading resolution? Reading more books? Fab, mine too! So, if you’re looking for some book inspiration, here’s what I’ve been reading in January and February.
Want some more book suggestions? Here are my recommendations from November & December, September & October & July & August!
This Is Not A Pity Memoir – Abi Morgan
I sought this book out after hearing Abi on a podcast, talking about the tumultuous couple of years she’d been through. Tumultuous doesn’t begin to describe it. Her partner Jacob suffers a life-changing brain infection, resulting in Capgras Delusion, where he fails to recognise Abi and believes her to be an imposter. And then Abi develops stage 3 breast cancer. All whilst raising two children. As a successful screenplay writer, Abi was able to see how her own narrative could unfold into compelling literary material. As the title suggests though, this is not about evoking pity or sympathy. It’s about getting on with life, about coping with trauma and seeing the light in the darkness. And about the “if you can’t laugh, you’ll cry” mantra.
(Technically I read this one in 2022 but I’ve included it here!)
This is My America – Kim Johnson
Tracey Beaumont’s father has 267 days left on Death Row for a crime that she does not believe he committed. And when her beloved older brother Jamal is accused of killing a white girl, the finger of guilt is pointed at the Beaumont family once more. But Tracey is determined to save her father and brother, and to investigate the lingering aftermath of her Texan town’s racist history. I was drawn into Tracey’s tale immediately; she is tenacious and bold, and determined to uncover the truth with the help of a fictional organisation called Innocence X. The story, although fictional, explores the systemic racism in America and in the US criminal justice system. It’s a heavy and emotional read at times, but ultimately hopeful as well.
Wild – Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah does it again with another 5* read which made me shed a tear in the last few chapters. A young girl appears from deep within the Olympic Peninsula forest, mute, alone (apart from a wolf pup) and apparently feral. Child psychiatrist Dr Julia Cates is drawn back to her hometown to help unlock the secret’s of the girl’s past, whilst her police chief sister Ellie tries to uncover her identity. Both women are emotionally scarred themselves, Julia by a former patient who committed an atrocious crime, and Ellie by a string of failed romantic relationships. Yet the estranged sisters begin to bond, with each other, and with the wildling that comes into their life. It’s a story of hope, resilience and new beginnings, of small town dynamics and professional challenges. A captivating read.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow – Gabrielle Zevin
The world of video game development makes an unusual backdrop to this book about lifelong friendship, growth and loss. It reflects on how people can connect to video games in the same way that others connect to art or literature or movies. Our protagonists Sam and Sadie are flawed. At times they are stubborn, frustrating and downright unlikeable. Yet, they feel real. Their shared love of gaming brings them together, and then tears them apart at times. The third point of this triangle is Marx, who loves both Sam and Sadie in his own way. Sam reminds me in places of Jude from A Little Life. Without as much trauma. And a little nerdier. Zevin uses several different storytelling techniques throughout the book, including one beautiful sequence played out as characters within a video game. This is a much-hyped book for 2023 and I can only add to those recommendations.
Still Life – Sarah Winman
From the East End of London, to a boarding house in Florence, Ulysses Temper is starting a new life in Italy. With him is dear friend Cressy; Alys, the daughter conceived by his wife Peg whilst he was away at war; and a blue African parrot called Claude. His love of Tuscany had begun with a chance encounter with art historian Evelyn Skinner in 1944, and their lives remain intertwined over the next four decades. This is a character-driven novel, with a rich cast of characters that are easy to fall in love with. Even if I wasn’t familiar with Florence, Winman’s evocative descriptions would have transported me through the narrow cobbled streets opening out to sundrenched piazze with magnificent churches looming ahead. This is a novel best savoured slowly, to devour the beautiful, lyrical writing, and witty dialogue.
Chasing the Boogeyman – Richard Chizmar
At last, a book that I think Pa Lee would enjoy! This fiction book is unusually written as its written in the style of a true crime memoir, with the author himself as part of the cast of characters. It’s not until the author’s note at the end does it become clear which parts are real and which aren’t. Rich Chizmar returns to his Maryland hometown just as a serial killer begins his grisly spree, mutilating teenage girls. As an aspiring horror writer, with a wannabe investigative reporter as a childhood friend, Rich finds himself trying to get one step ahead of the detectives working the case. The unusual writing style really works, with plenty of personal details woven in between the macabre murders.
The Dance Tree – Kiran Millwood Hargrave
In a similar vein to The Mercies, The Dance Tree is another historical fiction book from Kiran Millwood Hargrave featuring sapphic relationships and courageous woman. In the summer of 1518, a dance fever has plagued Strasbourg. Women relentlessly dance in a frenzy. The cause is unexplained. Set against this backdrop of hysteria, KMH tells the story of three women; pregnant Lisbet, her best friend Ida, and her mysterious sister-in-law Agnethe. The book covers forbidden love, loss and grief, loneliness, and the strength of friendship. It’s heavy subject matter at times but there are so many glimmers of light that this was never a chore to read
Fingers Crossed: How Music Saved Me From Success – Miki Bereyni
In the early 90s, before Britpop was a thing, there was Lush. The band’s half Japanese, half Hungarian frontwoman Miki Bereyni has written a brutally honest memoir, about childhood abuse and neglect, about friendships and break-ups, grief and suicide, and about being a female frontwoman in the laddish mid-1990s. It’s a riveting peek into a complicated life, both before and during fame, but not an easy read at times. There is humour though, and Miki’s personality – difficult as it can be at times – shines through. There are few autobiographies from women in the music business during this time but I found this – and Skin’s autobiography – fascinating so will definitely be looking out for more.
The Winners – Fredrik Backman
First there was Beartown. Then there was Us Against You. And finally, completing Backman’s wonderful trilogy is The Winners. And I think a little bit of my heart is in Beartown – and even in Hed – as we wave goodbye to Amat, Bobo, Benji, Maya, Ana and so many others that we have grown to love. It’s heartfelt and tragic and complex. Backman ramps up the tension; you always know that something traumatic is just a few pages away, and I found myself holding my breath on several occasions, trying not to let my eyes jump to the end of a page. The Beartown trilogy is about hockey, but more than that, it is about family, community, identity and belonging. The Winners is a five star book to complete my January & February Reads 2023 round-up.
Currently Reading
Shrines of Gaiety – Kate Atkinson
Finley Donovan Knocks ’em Dead – Elle Cosimano
Rodham – Curtis Sittenfeld
My favourite books of January and February 2023 were The Winners; Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow; and Wild. I had a spate of DNFs in January and February as I struggled to find the perfect Kindle reads (enticed by all those lovely Christmas hardbacks waiting for me). Black Cake by Charmaine Johnson and Bernadine Evaristo’s Blonde Roots went back onto the TBR shelf; maybe I’ll return to them in spring.
What books have been on your January and February Reading pile? And what books are you looking forward to reading this year?
I’ve read 8 books so far in 2023! You can keep up with my reading lists by connecting with me on Goodreads
