Reading Recap: First Quarter
What I read in January, February, and March (better late than never!)
The first three months of the year were a whirlwind. With my next to last semester of graduate school behind me, I can finally take a breath and reflect back on what I read in the early months of the year. Out of 14 books, I read 3 nonfiction and 11 fiction titles. One of my goals for 2023 is to read more backlist and less shiny new releases, but I’m not really succeeding at said goal! Out of 14 books, 9 of these were just published this year! I am a sucker for a new release, but I have a stack of library books I’m hoping to get to this summer.
January
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
I had to read this for a class on death and dying, and it has been on my TBR for years! I learned so much and was surprised by how insightful it was about aging, dying, and what we prioritize in end of life care. I highly recommend it.
The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen
This was just okay. It was recommended by Elizabeth Barnes, Book Buyer at Fabled Bookstore in Texas. She’s known in the bookstagram world for her quality taste in murder mysteries. This is about a missing person and a detective who is struggling in his personal life, and I just thought it was too long and repetitive. I like it but didn’t love it.
Games and Rituals by Katherine Heiny
I freaking loved these funny, smart, sharp short stories! I don’t usually read short stories but these were all so delightful that I couldn’t wait to get to the next one! They’re about relationships, weird people, and how life can be equally tragic and hilarious at the same time.
February
The Line that Held Us by David Joy
This was published in 2019, and it is about an accidental death that leads to a crime. It is full of unlikable characters, and I found it to be too violent for me. But, if you like fast-paced, dark, and deeply flawed characters, you might like this one!
The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland
I am intentionally reading more historical fiction and nonfiction by Jewish authors. Did you know anti-semitism is on the rise in the United States? This is a story about one of the only Jewish people to break out of Auschwitz. It is fascinating, heartbreaking, and so compelling. It would be a great alternative to any true crime book about another serial killer.
My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin
As with many of my favorite books, it is hard to describe exactly what I loved about this one! I loved the writing and the main character’s relationship with her father. I loved the college setting. This is about a coming of age story about power, the world of academia, the burden of student debt, and what it means to make decisions and choices that will stay with us forever.
Stealing by Margaret Verble
I did not want to read this because it features a child as the narrator which I am usually not into. But as soon as I started turning the pages, I couldn’t put it down. Did you know that Indigenous children were taken to boarding schools as late as the 1950s?! where white people attempted to crush their Native language, faith, and traditions. It is deeply sad and made me feel ragey at times, but I did not know about this dark period in US history and found it to be very important.
I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
I am a huge fan of literary mystery—books that have an element of mystery but are written with eloquent prose instead of a more fast-paced style, like that of a thriller or suspense. I could probably spend thirty minutes talking to you about this one. Did I like it? I think so. For me, it wasn’t worth the hype. It was a bit too unoriginal, and I didn’t care for Bodie, the main character. I felt like it was over done and didn’t bring anything new to the genre of literary mystery.
March
All My Knotted-Up Life by Beth Moore
I listened to this on audio because Beth Moore reads it herself! Beth tells about her childhood and growing up in a home with a lot of secrets and abuse, but also love. I don’t know how she does it, but she manages to be both respectful of her parents while also showing how unhealthy their home was. She details her breakup with the Southern Baptist Convention in the same way—respectful and totally from her perspective, rather than a tell-all (which is what I really wanted). It was really good.
Go As A River by Shelley Read
I am surprised that I finished this one. I’m sorry, but the word coming to mind is ‘boring’! It was slow, glacially, and left quite a lot of plot holes. I loved the Colorado setting, but otherwise, not for me.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
This would make such a great beach read! It follows a wealthy family in New York City, their messy family dynamics, and the drama that comes with being rich. It was quick and easy with just enough substance.
All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay
I did not read Landay’s popular book Defending Jacob, but I watched the Apple+ adaptation and thought it was okay. This book was pretty good! A better literary mystery, I thought, than I Have Some Questions For You. This book is about one woman’s disappearance and the repercussions that has on her children and her husband, who is the prime suspect in the crime. It was much more about what happens after a tragedy rather than the mystery itself, but I thought it was really good!
Inheritance by Dani Shapiro
This is one of my backlist titles! I absolutely loved Signal Fires by this author which came out in the fall of 2022. This is the story of how she discovers that her father was not actually her biological father. She grapples with her Jewish heritage, her family dynamics, her identity, and her childhood that wasn’t at all what it seemed. I love Shapiro’s writing and will most definitely be reading more of her work.
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Oprah! She knows how to pick a book. I loved this family story about a young man named William who grows up without a family and finds one in the Padavano sisters in Chicago. I was thrilled to be on the Paperback Readers podcast to talk about it with fellow fans of the book Julie and Joe. It is sweeping, hopeful, thoughtful, and just a jewel of a book. I would definitely describe it as more character-driven than plot-driven, but it isn’t slow at all. This would be perfect for fans of Ann Patchett and Emma Straub.