I got a good start on my reading list in January. Also, I added to it, and it’s growing faster than I can read, though I read a lot. Writing, not so much. I know that writing every day is where I need to get, but for now reading is the daily work I’m doing. I’m learning a lot and there’s a lot to admire and model in these books.
Station Eleven: A novel — Emily St. John Mandel – I had high expectations for this novel that has been made into a series. The idea of a traveling “symphony” (really a troupe of theater and music performers) after the viral apocalypse was novel and interesting. Ultimately, though, it wasn’t enough to distinguish this book from others in the genre.
The Last Thing She Ever Did — Gregg Olsen – Engaging while I was reading it, but unfortunately it wasn’t particularly distinctive or memorable.
Welcome to Cooper — Tariq Ashkanani – So noir you can almost smell the smoke, taste the whiskey, and feel the air of Cooper, Nebraska pressing you down, down, down. This first novel by Scot (!) Tariq Askanani grabbed me from the opening page and kept me reading to the end. A couple favorite lines: “She leaned in close and her perfume leaned closer.” “I tasted blood in my mouth and it wasn’t mine.” I only caught one Britishism: “torch” for “flashlight”.
Her Name Is Knight (Nena Knight Book 1) – Yasmin Angie – This novel about a kick-ass assassin with the darkest imaginable backstory unfolds in two parallel threads: past and present, and both are compelling and (too often) disturbing. I can’t wait to see that Nena in Book 2, coming later this year.
Norwegian Wood — Haruki Murakami – I’m not sure entirely why I picked up this book—something about the title and a picture of a Japanese wood gave me a sense of intrigue and, at the same time, peace. Unfortunately, though often told beautifully, I didn’t really care about the characters, their angst, or their sex lives (and there wasn’t much else there). Maybe it was ground-breaking in 1987, but I think maybe this was a literary moment that I just missed, or that missed me (this was, after all, the same era as Less Than Zero, another book filled with self-loathing characters I didn’t care about when I read it back then). To be honest, I did something I very rarely do: I skipped ahead to find that the inevitable conclusion was reached, and half the book was enough (too much, really) for me.
Edgar Nominees – Best Novel
In January, the Edgar nominees were announced. I started reading the five nominees for Best Novel and finished these three before the end of January. I’ll give a more complete report in a later post when I rate the nominees and pick my winner.
The Venice Sketchbook – Rhys Bowen – Beautifully drawn historical drama set in Venice with the backdrop of Nazism and Fascism and the start of the second World War, with a modern protagonist trying to piece things together.
How Lucky – Will Leitch – Quirky, engaging story with an unconventional protagonist.
No One Will Miss Her – Kat Rosenfield – City meets Country in this tale of murder with some interesting twists.