My January Reads - Monthly Round-up
Hello fellow readers! Where, oh where has January gone? It’s hard to believe that we’re already into the second month of 2021. My reading has ebbed and flowed – some days, it’s all I want to do and others, I have no inclination to touch a book despite my extensive TBR pile. In any case, here’s a little round up of my reads for January.
This Time Next Year
Genre: Fiction | Romance | Contemporary fiction
Author: Sophie Cousens
Year: 2020
Pages: 237 (iPad edition)
I saw this book everywhere in December, with bookstagrammers and book bloggers singing it praise. I love a good rom-com so it should come as no surprise for me to say that I thoroughly enjoyed This Time Next Year. It’s a heart-warming, quirky little tale that follows Quinn and Minnie’s slow-burner romance through flashbacks and real-day events.
Minnie Cooper’s bad luck began on her birthday, New Year’s Day, 1990, when her name was stolen from her. Minnie’s birthday has always been unlucky after Quinn Hamilton beat her by minutes to be the first baby born in the New Year, winning a big cash prize. After being locked in a bathroom during a New Year’s Eve party, Minnie comes face to face with her name-stealing nemesis. Quinn seems to have it all – he’s handsome and charming, and a savvy business owner. Despite sharing the same birthday, Minnie and Quinn’s lives are completely different. So, why do they keep bumping into each other? And after every encounter, why do they both keep wanting more?
There’s plenty of feel-good moments interspersed with wit and humour. This Time Next Year is ideal if you’re a fan of Sophie Kinsella’s work.
Two Can Keep A Secret
Genre: Fiction | Young adult | Mystery | Thriller
Author: Karen M. McManus
Year: 2019
Pages: 327
After reading a lot of the same genre over and over again, a gripping, page-turning thriller was just what I needed. Similar to McManus’ debut novel One of Us Is Lying, this book alternates different perspectives with a compelling and engrossing plot.
Two lost homecoming queens. Will history repeat itself? The picturesque town of Echo Ridge is full of dark secrets. In 1995, high school senior Sarah Corcoran disappears without a trace. And just five years ago, Lacey Kilduff was found dead in Murderland, the town’s Halloween park. Everyone suspects Lacey’s boyfriend, Declan Kelly, who was arguing with her in the days before her body was discovered.
Twins Ellery and Ezra Corcoran return to Echo Ridge with their grandmother to see out their senior year. But it seems that the killer has returned, leaving cryptic messages all over town. And despite just arriving in town, Ellery finds herself in the running for homecoming queen. Will she meet the same fate as her aunt?
I really enjoyed this book. It has an engaging storyline that got me back into the groove of reading. The plot pacing is good – there wasn’t any point where I felt the story stagnated, and there’s an abundance of twists and turns to keep you in suspense. Full of drama and intrigue, this tale is just as good – if not more so – than One of Us Is Lying.
Loner
Genre: Fiction | Coming-of-age
Author: Georgina Young
Year: 2020
Pages: 247
Now I will admit, I was drawn to this book by it’s pretty cover. When I read the synopsis, I was hooked and knew I had to read it.
For art school dropout Lona, life doesn’t seem to make sense anymore. She seems to be wandering through life aimlessly, completely unsure as to what she should do next. Her photographs don’t bring her joy anymore, her parents don’t understand her how she’s feeling and her best friend is slowly beginning to drift away. Not even the introduction of a charming bass-playing suitor can dissuade her from her feeling of hopelessness.
This novel encapsulates the past year perfectly. With so many things put on hold, jobs lost and lives uprooted, 2020 was difficult year. For me, the world pandemic put into perspective my hopes and dreams for my career, and made me think more realistically about my future. I think this is why this book resonated with me so profoundly.
Loner is a must-read for anyone leaving high school or is in their twenties and is unsure what they want out of life. This is also set in Melbourne, and as a fellow Melburnian myself, it was wonderful and strange to see street names and locations that I have been to before. The ending isn’t exactly satisfying if you’re like me and you like your book’s ending to be wrapped up in a neat little bow, but it’s still a brilliant debut novel. It’s got short, hard-hitting chapters so it’s a book you can speed through. You’ll definitely like this if you liked the writing style of Olive Kitteridge and any other works by Elizabeth Strout, like Amy & Isabelle.
Maybe in Another Life
Genre: Fiction | Romance | Contemporary fiction
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Year: 2015
Pages: 336
This was the first novel I ever read by Taylor Jenkins Reid and it made me want to buy more of her work. Maybe In Another Life is a perfect beach read, something light and entertaining to read as you soak up the summer sun.
Hannah is twenty-nine and still searching for a place to call home. She’s lived in countless cities and always finds herself wondering about aimlessly and pondering what she wants out of life. When she arrives back in her hometown of Los Angeles, her best friend Gabby takes her out for a welcome home gathering. There, she sees her ex-boyfriend, Ethan, who’s just as handsome and charming as he was in high school. When the night comes to an end, Hannah has to make a choice. Will she go home with Gabby or will she stay out with Ethan? Because each choice has consequences that Hannah could never have foreseen.
Maybe in Another Life is such a comfort read – it’s a book I can go back to time and time again. While I always remembered this as a quick, lighthearted story, rereading it has made me realise that it is quite nuanced. Each of the two, alternating lives Hannah leads has big implications for herself and the people closest to her. I’ve always preferred one storyline over the other but it’s still an engrossing tale of fate and love. Alternating chapters between the different Hannah’s makes you want to keep reading to find out what happens next.
That’s my wrap up of January’s reads! I’ve also been wanting to read some classic fiction for a while, even though I find it a bit of a struggle. I’m not as quick in reading it as I am with contemporary literature. Nevertheless, I started reading Little Women and at the time of writing up this post, I have not yet finished the book. But hopefully I can by the end of February!