Hello dear fellow readers! As you have noticed, I am still getting back into the swing of things in the new year but hopefully I can get back to my monthly reading catch-ups. I hope everyone has been giving themselves time during these difficult, overwhelming, long winter evenings with a good book. I have definitely been spending time with plenty of great books. Here are my highlights from the start of the year:

When Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart was published I pushed, cajoled, lobbied, and in some cases just purchased it for my reader friends. They were all annoyed at me for introducing them to a text which made them cry even as they admitted they were blown away by it. Well what goes around, comes around so when my friend gave me her beat up paperback of Betty by Tiffany McDaniel (which had already made the rounds to her mother-in-law and another reader friend) and told me it would break my heart but I would love it, I knew it was only fair to read it. There is no better review: this book will break your heart, but you will love it. It is a river of emotion but McDaniel’s will confidently guide you through every turn. Betty is a remarkable character based on McDaniel’s own mother but Betty’s father is one of my favorite people I have ever met through the page. You’ll need to be strong to read this and a box of tissues is a must but this is the kind of book that reminds you of the power of the printed word. Take a deep breath, be ready, and read it. 

After Betty I knew I’d need something very different, so I picked up Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders. Although I am a huge fan of The Thursday Murder Club, I was not disappointed in this different cast of characters. It’s a fun, sharp, humorous, world traveling group who solve murders. It’s exactly what it says on the tin, and just like when you open a pack of chocolate biscuits and get to have a chocolate biscuit, I had no complaints.

In the world of nonfiction, David Grann’s The Wager is a truly enjoyable, mind blowing, what-the-hell-kind of book about a truly unenjoyable, mind blowing what-the-hell journey, shipwreck, and return of the crew of the British ship The Wager in 1741. If you are trying to convince anyone to enjoy nonfiction, start with this book. If you already know that truth really is often stranger than fiction, you will love this book. Grann’s narratives are all very well researched and written and once again he shows just how many big stories are still just sitting in the archives. 

Finally, I read the novella Even Though I Knew the End by C. L. Polk. It was a bit like being thrown into the middle of a television series as Polk pushes you into the narrative and the universe of magic without a long, complicated introduction. Trust your instincts and keep reading, you’ll figure it all out quickly and although you will wish you had more time with the characters, you’ll enjoy the time you do get with them. If you’re looking for a female driven fantasy/noir twister with a solid love story at the center, you’ll be happy to pick this one up. 

Well those are the highlights! I hope to return to our usual programming schedule going forward, if only because reading and writing about what I’m reading is one of the best ways to keep my world from spinning off its axis. I hope you all keep reading too.