Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro
I watched the film adaptation of this years ago and had this on my to be read list for a while. I love the mix of a sci-fi backdrop, English countryside, and coming-of-age. Despite the dystopian underpinnings, the story is truly a tale of three friends navigating adolescence, love, loss, and mortality. The movie is a very accurate portrayal of the book, so you won't get anymore explanation of the world, but you do get more of the subtleties of the characters detailed. Recently, I've been seeing people sharing that they are reading What Remains of the Day despite it's original publication in 1989. I'm going to have to give that one a go!
The Essex Serpent
Sarah Perry
A historical novel with complex characters and neighborly gossip of a mysterious serpent to connect them together. Definitely more about the relationships between the characters than any magic. A mix of narration and letters between friends, lovers, and navigating those stages in between. Despite the story mainly following Cora, a recent widow discovering her newfound freedom, her entourage of friends are given enough page time to really develop and the writing is excellent.
Winter
Ali Smith
I read Ali Smith's Autumn, in well, Autumn. So I couldn't resist reading Winter this January. If you enjoyed Autumn, you will love this one as well. But don't expect a sequel. The characters are different but those same good intentions, missteps, mental imagery, and lay-people political discussions. The story is basically the fear everyone has before going to Thanksgiving dinner with extended family.
Pond
Claire-Louise Bennett
You never know the character's name or why we are hearing her story. But this plot-less novel sucks you into the daily activities and musings of our lonely character, and you piece together a little the reason why she now lives in a cottage by a pond. The descriptions are detailed and her thoughts are charming in their bluntness.
The Wife Between Us
Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
This was my Book of the Month pick for December and quite the opposite of my previous reads. A fast-paced thriller with a few good twists. I would describe it as a combo of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. You have a very genuine telling of the experience of someone in an isolating and abusive relationship that looks perfect from the outside and friends' initial warnings that something isn't what it seems. I appreciated that the twists weren't so outrageous (well, maybe the last, last one-sorry, no spoilers) and added to the moral of the story.
What did you read this January?
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