New year, new books!
I mentioned it in my recap of the best books I read in 2022, but my goal this year is 50 books.
I hit 49 (so close!) last year, so I definitely think it’s do-able as long as I don’t have an overly-long fire season this summer. So far, I’m on track, but my reading does usually slow down during the summer, so I’m trying to use all my free time this winter to get ahead.
Anyway, here’s what I read this January.
(As a reminder: I always track my reading both on Goodreads and via Instagram stories.)
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“HOW NOT TO DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER” BY ANGIE CRUZ
4/5 stars:
Cara Romero has spent most of her adult life working in a factory, but after the early 2000s recession left her unemployed, she found herself participating in a workplace talent program. Throughout the course of 12 interviews with a career counselor, we learn everything about Cara’s life.
This book was adorable. I want to be best friends with Cara! She’s fierce and fearless and protective, and has zero boundaries. She shamelessly tells it how it is, and I couldn’t get enough of her life story.
“ONE BY ONE” BY RUTH WARE
4/5 stars:
Ten tech moguls leave for an idyllic ski resort weekend in France, sponsored by the tech start-up they all work for, an app called “Snoop.” But, shortly after their arrival, an avalanche hits their chalet, leaving the 10 moguls — and the two chalet resort employees — without power or phone service. Then, the resort guests start disappearing and dying, one by one.
Ruth Ware thrillers are usually pretty disappointing, even if they are pretty captivating, and this one was better than most. Even though it was easy to pick up on who the killer was since the book was only narrated from two points of view, this thriller was still an enticing read. This one gave off a lot of “And Then There Were None” vibes (and reminded me a lot of “An Unwanted Guest” by Shari Lapena — same secluded cabin setting and everything) but honestly, what modern thriller writer doesn’t cull inspiration from Agatha Christie?!
“OUR MISSING HEARTS” BY CELESTE NG
3/5 stars:
In the near-distant future, the U.S. economy has come crashing down. The blame quickly shifts to China, and in the wake of a widespread depression, the U.S. government has enacted “PACT” — the “Preserving American Cultures and Traditions” act, which leads to a rise in anti-China sentiment and Asian-focused hate crimes. When Bird, a young Asian-American child, receives a cryptic letter from his mother, a poet who disappeared from his life when the PACT resistance started, he begins investigating to find out what led to her disappearance.
I loved the dystopian concept of this book. Loved it. I just thought the execution could have been better. This book had all the slow pacing Celeste Ng is known for, but none of the deep character development. The ending felt unfinished and left me unsatisfied, and the lack of quotation marks was cumbersome and frustrating. I felt like this was a young adult novel trying too hard to not be a young adult novel, and it just felt incomplete and scattered.
“NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO PANIC” BY KEVIN WILSON
5/5 stars:
It’s the summer of 1996 in Coalfield, Tenn. 16-year-old Frankie, an awkward aspiring writer and social loaner, meets Zeke, an equally awkward teenager new to town. The two immediately bond over their love of art, and decide to make something. The “something” they make — they create a poster emblazoned with the phrase “the edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us,” and post it across town. Soon, their creation sparks rumors, that lead to serious repercussions, including death.
I loved this book! It was full of ’90s nostalgia. I’m always a little wary when male authors write young female characters, but Kevin Wilson nailed this one. I was a socially awkward teenager, and I related to Frankie a lot. The awkward, obsessive thoughts, the teenage existentialism. I liked that this book found chaos in the ordinary. I just wish the story kept going!
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See ya come February!
