Best Books of January 2023

I read 12 books in January, many of which were very good. While I liked some a lot more than others, all were decent reads. Always remember just because a book wasn't for me, many of you may find it enjoyable. In my reviews, I try to relate what worked for me and what didn't.
5 Stars: Loved it and highly recommend.
4 Stars: Really enjoyed it and recommend.
3 Stars: It was good.
2 Stars: Not for me right now.
1 Star: Nope.

The Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny. Louise Penny is always reliably good. I am not a Penny fanatic but do typically enjoy her books. This is the 14th in the Three Pines/Inspector Gamache series. In it, he and two other people are named executors of the will of a complete stranger who may or may not be delusional. People die, and there is a mystery to solve. As with the other Gamache books, there is a subplot. This one concerns a large amount of dangerous narcotics that the Inspector has inadvertently allowed to be released into the public domain. This one was 3.5 stars for me. Reliably entertaining, but not earth-shaking.

A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle. This book was promoted as a closed-door mystery in the style of Agatha Christie. It takes place in the 1930s on a luxury ocean liner on its way to New York from London. Priceless artwork disappears and an elderly man is found dead at the bottom of a staircase. Troubled ship's officer Timothy Birch teams up with sketchy Scotland Yard Inspector James Temple to get to the bottom of things. My son gave me the book for Christmas, which I had wanted because of the UK cover. Unfortunately, the book didn't live up to my expectations. Too many characters to keep track of and repetitive descriptions of "nostrils flaring" made this a 2.5 Star book for me. But you know what? The slow atmospheric plot may be just the thing for many of you if you are in the mood.

A Helping Hand by Celia Dale. Published in 1966, this may be hard to find. I understand you can pre-order it on Amazon, as it is scheduled to be re-published in the US this March. The subjects of this book are the Evans, an ordinary middle-aged British couple who take a series of elderly women into their home to provide companionship and "care" for them. Only the old ladies all deteriorate slowly and eventually die, leaving the Evans as beneficiaries in their wills. The author writes with such subtlety, that at first the reader is taken in, but as the book progresses, one gets a bad feeling about what is going on. The book did remind me somewhat of Stephen King's Misery in the plot (but without violence), and ever so slightly of Shirley Jackson with her between-the-lines "get a clue what's really going on here" writing style. One could see (or at least hope for) the twist at the end coming. I really enjoyed it and read it in just a few hours. This was a well-written suspenseful book, and definitely not "horror" as stated on the cover. 4 Stars.

Along with most everyone else in the world, I read Spare by Prince Harry when it came out in January. I was fascinated by his story and felt he was sharing his honest feelings about how he perceived he had been treated by the British Press and the Royal Family. Frankly, it turned my views of him and his wife around. No matter what "team" you are on, one must agree Prince Harry has been damaged by his experiences. I listened to the audio version. 5 Stars.

Sam, by Allegra Goodman, is a coming-of-age novel featuring Sam, a girl who is 7 years old at the start of the book. Sam adores her mostly absent father, who has his own demons that prevent him from keeping his promises to her. An interesting portrayal of how kids often yearn for the parent who left. Sam's mom struggles to make ends meet, and always encourages Sam to work hard and do her best. As she matures, Sam develops an interest in rock climbing, clearly a metaphor for her struggles and challenges in life. You will root for this young girl and be thinking of her after the book ends. I enjoyed it, but it didn't blow my socks off. 3.5 Stars.

The Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor. Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor. Umm. No. Not for me, not right now. This book seemed unnecessarily long and repetitive. Endless incidents of corruption and depravity and violence. I do not understand the hype for this book. The original premise of a rich man sticking his servant at the wheel of a car after a crash was interesting, but this story went south real fast. Not my cup of tea. And go figure, it is going to be a trilogy. 2.5 Stars.

The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin was interesting from a historical point of view, but I felt many sections of the book were belabored. In actual fact, in 1888 there was a sudden blizzard that took many people in the Dakota and Nebraska Territories by surprise. It occurred right at the time children were being dismissed from their rural schools and many were caught unprepared. The descriptions of people freezing to death seemed endless. The story of the survivors went on and on. I just kept hoping the book would end.
2 Stars.

OK, if you are still with me, things are about to get a lot better. 

The House in the Orchard by Elizabeth Brooks was so good. I absolutely loved it. It reminded me a lot of Atonement by Ian McEwan. A young girl gets mistaken impressions of what is actually going on and makes decisions that have long-lasting negative consequences. The book is Gothic in style and features a creepy old house. The author explores truth and trust, guilt, and forgiveness. Entertaining and delightfully twisty. I recommend this author’s previous book The Orphan of Salt Winds as well. 5 Stars.

Dominicana by Angie Cruz. This book was short-listed for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction and was nominated and won various other awards that year. The book is about a 15-year-old Dominican Republic girl, Ana, who is married off to a man twice her age. He moves her to New York City in 1965. Ana has many hopes and dreams for her future, similar to many girls her age, but she isn't allowed to go to school, learn English, or even leave the apartment much. And her husband is a real trial. The book follows Ana’s determined path to make the most of her life in spite of numerous obstacles. We get to watch Ana transform from a naive teenager into an assertive young woman who will make the most of her future. I loved this book and the glimpse it gave me into the struggles of immigrants. I listened to the audio version. 5 stars

A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella. I adored Ethan Joella's first book, A Little Hope, which was about several characters in one community who are all going through a hard time. Their lives intersect, and everyone is supported and helped and benefits from the connection they make. In his second book, A Quiet Life, the author has basically used the same format. Three strangers going through a really rough patch find their lives entwined and etc etc etc. So. I love this author. I believe he is probably the sweetest guy on the planet, and I very much want him to succeed. His books are full of love and hope and heart. I love his character-driven books and if he writes another one I will pre-order it and undoubtedly love it as I did his first two efforts. That being said, I am wishing that the author will branch out a bit in terms of the structure of his books. On the other hand, if this is what he does, I'll take it. 5 Stars.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is not an easy book to read. It features the story of Lina, a 15-year-old Lithuanian girl who, along with her mother and brother, is plucked out of her home in the dead of night by Stalin's thugs and transported in a cattle car to Siberia. They end up in a work camp where life becomes a saga of hard work, starvation, and bitter, bitter cold. We are all aware of the story of the Jewish Holocaust, but I'll bet most of us are not familiar with the stories of prisoners who ended up in Soviet hands. I think this book is an important one and should be read. The author is of Lithuanian descent and has stated that when survivors are gone, she believes it is our responsibility to let their truth live on. My only complaint with the book is that it seems to end rather abruptly. 4.5 Stars.

Small World by Laura Zigman is a story about two middle-aged sisters who have drifted apart over the past 20-plus years, and are reunited when both become divorced and end up living together. Joyce is quite nicely settled in her Cambridge apartment when her sister Lydia from California moves in "temporarily". Neither one of them is adept at communication and plenty of past hurts and secrets come to the surface. The sticky situation between the two women isn't helped by the appearance of some very wacky and troublesome new neighbors in the apartment upstairs. The book made me laugh out loud at times, and was a great example of the very best and worst things about being sisters. Overall, it was both entertaining and moving to read.
4 Stars 

Hope you enjoyed my book reviews. February is off to a great start and I'll have some more good ones for you coming up. 

Comments

[Nancy B]

I appreciate your book columns. You choices have good breadth and we have similar taste in reads. I’ve been a Louise Penny fan and Audible Spare is in my queue. If you found the children’s blizzard an interesting story I would recommend the nonfiction version by the same name written by David Laskin. Much better.

[Cindy Ault]

I do look forward to your book reviews, I’m always looking for a new author. There are a couple in this list that I will definitely try.

[Patricia Ludwiczak]

Thank you so much for your book reviews. I have several new books for my TBR list!

[Jan]

Thanks, once again, for the thorough detailed reviews! I've debated about reading 'Spare' & found the very short version in People magazine interesting, so I may give it a try. Happy Valentine's Day!💕

[grace thorne]

interesting and informative reviews...as for SPARE, i am fed up to here with poor little rich boy and his self absorbed wife whining about how they have suffered...his philanthropic trips to africa seem to have evaporated....these people are very fortunate indeed and have no clue how real people live with their own basic struggles. their sole purpose seems to make money....my daughter even said it was extremely boring...