A Cuppa Cosy Reads – january & February 2021

Ah, the start of a new year. A fresh reading year full of new, endless possibilities. I’m combining two months into one as our January was manic and I wasn’t able to get the post up before we flew out of Germany, so instead of trying to put up a subpar post, I just decided to consolidate two months into one. I didn’t do as much reading as I intended, so ultimately it probably doesn’t matter much. 

Also, hi! It’s been a month since my last post and I am going to take a second to give a little hello. I took the month of February off, as it seems to be a good annual time to take a step back and just evaluate everything. This happened to also coincide with our move back to the USA. More to come on that experience, but this post is my way of getting back into my weekly blog posts. 

***I apologize for the lack of purchase links, March’s wrap up will be fully back to normal.***

So, let’s get into it. 

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton 4 Stars Well, I just started off on a strange (for me) foot for 2021. I’m not a Sci-Fi girl, but I had heard that this book was great if you wanted a little bit more in depth than the movie and I can confirm that it is. The only part I didn’t enjoy was the portions devoted to Chaos Theory, but that’s mostly my own issue. Overall, if you liked the movie and want more, then give the book a shot. 

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers 4 Stars I LOVED this. This was so far out of my standard genre’s (seriously, the last time I picked up a space sci-fi was a few years ago now) and I’m so glad I read it. In this book we follow a rag tag crew of a spaceship as they are creating a “tunnel” to one of the farthest, most volatile planets. It is incredibly character driven, but not so much so that the story doesn’t move forward. There is an element of science and space exploration, but it’s not overpowering, you aren’t focusing constantly on the logistics of it all. Highly recommend this one as well. 

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker 5 Stars I LOVED this book. Wecker has a way of spinning a story similar to Carlos Ruiz Zafon or Madeline Miller. There is something about her words and her descriptors that just really spins this beautiful web for you to get stuck in. This was incredible, and not just because there was so much Jewish and Arabic/Middle Eastern mythology that I could see a lot of my own views in. 

A Close and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers 4 Stars Ah, I really enjoyed this second, companion novel to The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. In this companion novel we are following to side characters from the first book as they navigate some pretty big changes. It serves as a way of expanding this massive universe, learning about some more of the politics around different creatures. I don’t know if I loved this one AS MUCH as the first, but I really enjoyed expanding the world and learning about some of the other characters and their struggles. 

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi translated by Geoffrey Trousselot 4 Stars I feel conflicted about this read. On the one hand I enjoyed the concept and some of the stories really pulled at my heart, BUT I also felt like at times it was a bit slow to read. In this collection we are following a small coffee shop that, within rules, can transport its’ patrons back in time. 

Whiteout by Ken Follett 4 Stars A pandemic related thriller set in Scotland during a snow storm? Yes please! I actually really loved this one, but I do think that short, plot driven stories are not Ken Follett’s forte. Having read his Pillars trilogy, reading something short and more plot, rather than character, driven felt like putting on a pair of pants two sizes too small and the wrong cut. As much as I enjoyed it (and would recommend), it felt like he could have really taken these characters and ran with them.

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica translated by Sarah Moses  3 Stars This takes the spot of “most disturbing book” I’ve ever read. In Tender is the Flesh humans are living in a period after all animal consumption has been banned due to a disease pandemic. Animals are not able to be consumed, so humans have turned to their own for protein. It is not only disturbing in content (serious content warnings here), but also just in the fact of what humans are capable of when pushed. 

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer 4 Stars I enjoyed this concluding novel to the trilogy and felt like we had FINALLY reached some turning points that we were anxiously awaiting in the second book. On the whole, I really enjoyed the trilogy and would recommend it for a good in between the serious books trilogy to read. 

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson 3 Stars I have absolutely nothing to say about this book. Honestly, I’m trying to think of anything that stood out to me, but there’s nothing. It’s just a standard “high school girl goes missing, but is she really dead” story. I feel like there was some good commentary on civil issues, but overall, it wasn’t memorable. Obviously.

The Lost Shtetl by Max Gross 3 Stars This one was a tough one for me to read as I really wanted to love it. There aren’t a lot of “Jewish” stories out there that are not Holocaust related and this one just sounded so great. We are following a small Jewish town (called a Shtetl) in the heart of the Polish forest as they discover, through a series of small events, that the world has entered a modern era. In parts I loved this story and could picture a lot of what was happening (Eastern European Jew over here), but there was also a feeling of nothing truly happening. At least not in the manner that you would expect from a novel. This is very much a…town coming of age novel and while I enjoyed it, I also felt a bit let down in the same way. 

Tomie by Junj Ito translated by Naomi Kokubo NR In a massive shift from my normal, I decided to pick up a horror manga. I knew nothing about this going in, and overall enjoyed the entirety of this collection. The artwork was incredible and the storyline truly horrifying at times. 

The Deep by Alma Katsu 4 Stars I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this book from Alma Katsu. I think the Titanic is always a hard one to cover, but she did it in a way that brought a new touch. In The Deep we are following a group of characters that are traveling on the Titanic, but all have some form of connection to each other and to one major event. In a dual timeline, we are also following two Titanic survivors as they are once again reunited on the sister ship the Britannic. This was beautifully written, hauntingly enchanting, and a true feat. What I missed in her other novel, The Hunger, was brought to life in this novel to perfection. There were still some slower moments, but I just really loved the overall novel as a whole. 

I did DNF (Did Not Finish) a book in January, A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik. I don’t know if this was just when I read it or something different, but the 80 pages or so that I read were quite juvenile, jarringly written, and I found myself not caring. This would have been my third by her and while I enjoyed the other two (Uprooted and Spinning Silver) this was just not my cuppa. I also DNF’d The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon in February. I had such high hopes for this book and this series, but something about it just did not connect with me. 

And that’s it! All the books I’ve read in the first couple months of the year. Any stand outs? What about your reading?

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A Cuppa Cosy Reads – October 2020

The spooky month has come to an end! I tried to focus solely on spooky/creepy/thrilling reads for this month, BUT towards the end of the month I HAD to switch things up a little bit. Overall, I would say after a meh start to the month, I ended really strong. My overall stats this month were good (better than I expected) with a total of 11 books read and 3.66 average rating. We are starting to approach the end of the year I am looking at wrapping up series, and some 2020 releases over the next couple months. BUT we are getting massively ahead of ourselves, let’s talk about what I read in October. 

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid (PURCHASE) 3.5 Stars: I am not entirely sure how to talk about this book? In this short novel we are following a couple while they are on a road trip to “meet the parents”. The night quickly unravels as they make a last-minute stop that changes everything. This is easily one of the most unnerving books I’ve read of recent. I’ve been reaching for books that are just weird, that I can’t explain, that are just…out there and this is no different. It isn’t inherently terrifying, but rather an unnerving thriller where you are more scared by the lack of…anything than anything else. 

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (PURCHASE) 4 Stars: I LOVED this one. What a twisty turny ride of a story. Here we follow what you would consider the All-American Family- husband, wife, son, daughter, living in a gated suburban community. He is a tennis coach, she a real estate broker. BUT who are they really? What secrets do they hide? This story will have you questioning if what you see if real and who really pulls the strings. I really enjoyed this one. While I did sort of know what was coming down (who/what/why), I did like watching it all unfold in the deliciously dramatic way it did. 

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (PURCHASE) 3 Stars: Ah, may be a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I found this to be OK. Maybe it’s because I prefer haunted house stories in a visual way OR because this was just a staple of its time, but either way it was just OK. This is what you would consider a “typical Haunted House” story, with a paranormal investigator and three others set up to spend a stretch of time in one of the most active haunted houses. The house itself is strange, but the people seem primed to make things happen around them. Will they make it out alive? Like I’ve already said, a solid but average read. 

Verity by Colleen Hoover (PURCHASE – but don’t) 2 Stars: This book was one giant nope from me. In Verity we are following a young, practically unheard-of writer, who gets hired to continue a famous series of books after the original author becomes unable to complete them. She goes to stay in said writers’ home and starts to realize that maybe all isn’t as it seems. Look, I’m all for pushing the reader, pushing the boundaries, but this was just…not it. I spent the entire reading experience shaking my head, screaming at characters (of which none were likable), and just wondering why I was still reading. Finished it in 24 hours somehow and am now getting rid of it.

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole (Purchase) 4 Stars: I loved this book. It not only tackles very real problems in our very real world, but gives the reader a way to maybe see something that they wouldn’t normally see through various characters eyes (literally a wide array of people could probably empathize with at least one of the many characters in this story). In this story we are following two characters battling with the changing look to their neighborhood. It seems that the expansion project may not be as…beneficial as organizers think it is and there may just be a sinister element to this “rejuvenation” of the neighborhood. Look, this one is a good read to get a grasp on certain topics that very much exist and apply to our world without necessarily reading a nonfiction book. The only reason I docked a star was for the pacing, which was a bit off throughout the story. 

Heartstopper Volume 1 (PURCHASE) 3 Stars: This was just a heartwarming graphic novel. In Heartstopper we follow Nick and Charlie as they work to find themselves, find friendship, and tackle “high school”. This is just a sweet story and was a nice way to break up the creepy reads that have basically been my October. 

Becoming by Michelle Obama (PURCHASE) NR A book that I think just about everyone has heard about, but tells the story of Michelle’s life. I listened to the audio book (which I think is the way to go with most memoirs) and found the experience and stories she shares to be moving and informative. There are so many take lessons that you can take from the life that she has already lived, and it was a good listen.

The Hunger by Alma Katsu (PURCHASE) 3.5 Stars. This was the book that made me realize…maybe it was time to stop reading all the creepy reads. In The Hunger we are following along the disaster ridden Donner Party as they make their trek west. What really happened? Was there something more to the story? This is a story that creeps up on you, similar to what is happening to our characters in the story. It is creepy in a way that maybe you don’t recognize at the beginning (until you start having nightmares that mirror the story). 

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman (PURCHASE) 5 Stars Man, I didn’t go into this book expecting a 5-star read, but boy did I get one. In Radio Silence we are following a teen who thought she had her life figured out…until she didn’t. A modern coming of age story that deals with technology, current themes, and much more this is well worth picking up. I ended the book crying the tears that can only come after you spend a whole book rooting for a group of characters to succeed. I think Radio Silence is a good read for both teenagers and adults (for a multitude of reasons), so HIGHLY recommend. 

Finding Freedom by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand (PURCHASE) NR I think we all know what this book is, but if you don’t this is basically the Meghan and Harry (Duke & Duchess of Sussex) story. The story of their relationship, life, and subsequent step down from The Royal Family. A fun fact about me, but I love the British Royal Family and have been for quite a long time (from a history perspective too, not just in the modern sense). Without getting into too much detail about all of that, this book was OK. It’s basically written in a series of long form blog posts discussing and refuting each aspect of their lives from the beginning of their relationship to their stepping down. I wouldn’t say that there was a lot of information or insight gleamed with the reading of this book, rather than a feeling of vindication on behalf of the authors in getting to tell “the other side”.  They obviously spoke to close friends and sources; however, a lot of information has since been refuted by Meghan and Harry (in their ongoing legal case against tabloids) so take it with a grain of salt. 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (PURCHASE) 5 Stars I just don’t think it gets any better than classic Agatha Christie mysteries. In this one we are following a group of 10 guests as they are invited to a mysterious island, where shortly after arrival they start to be murdered. I don’t have much to say about this one, other than it’s great. A classic who done it, that really makes you feel just as lost as the island’s inhabitants. This was a book that truly proved the adage of Agatha being the queen of crime. 

And that was it! All the books I read in the month of October, whew. What did you read in the past month? Any catch your attention?

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