2023 Q1 Reading Wrap-up

I haven’t done one of these types of posts in a long while, and thought I’d update you with what I have read so far this year. I had a good start to the year with my favourite five-star read, and haven’t read a bad book yet. Here’s a little round up of the books that I have read so far in this first quarter of 2023.

All My Mothers

All My Mothers is a tender story about love, longing, female relationships and a young girl’s desire to find out where she belongs. This was my first read of the year and is currently still my favourite. It’s utterly phenomenal, I’ve never read a book like it. I raced through All My Mothers like a true voracious reader – I practically devoured this book in a little over two days, I feat I haven’t achieved in a long, long time. I couldn’t put this book down and adored everything about it: the writing, the humour, the themes, the protagonist. Glen has such a way with words and the writing style was short, sharp and punchy. The story stayed with me for a long time after finishing it, and I’m already keen to reread All My Mothers just four short months on.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Malibu Rising

I pride myself on being a big Taylor Jenkins Reid fan before her books blew up on social media. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her older books like her debut novel Forever, Interrupted and Maybe in Another Life, as well as her most famous story of all The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, so it would be an understatement to say I was excited to read this novel when it released in 2021. After two years, I thought it was about time for a reread and I appreciated the story even more the second time around (a common theme in this Q1 wrap-up).

I enjoyed the continuation and expansion of one of the characters in Evelyn Hugo – this book centres around one of Evelyn’s many husbands, Mick Riva, and his children. The family are preparing for the party of the year, a party where the family’s secrets coming crashing to the surface. As always with TJR, the writing is captivating and immersive, and the story is easily readable with interesting characters. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Evelyn Hugo, but it’s still a throughly enjoyable read.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

A Slow Fire Burning

I always turn to Paula Hawkins if I’m after a good suspenseful thriller oozing with mystery and intrigue. I was looking to read, or reread in this case, a gripping thriller and Hawkins’ latest novel didn’t disappoint. Into The Water will always be my favourite book of hers, but I do love how Hawkins can write such captivating, edge-of-your-seat thrillers. A Slow Fire Burning features memorable characters and an intriguing premise – Laura, Miriam and Carla’s lives become intertwined after a shocking death in the community. Laura is misunderstood and deeply troubled, Miriam’s harrowing past comes bubbling to the surface, and Carla is reeling from the fact that both her sister and nephew are dead, only a few weeks between the two deaths. All three women have secrets and all three are capable of murder.

It’s a teensy bit predictable in terms of the big twist, but it’s still a brilliant, gripping read. Perhaps because I am a big fan of hers, I can spot Hawkins’ plot twists from a mile away! I’m also pretty pleased with myself for getting my hands on a signed copy! 🙌

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Almond: A Novel

Genre: Contemporary fiction | Young adult
Author: Sohn Won-pyung (translated to English by Joosun Lee)
Year: 2021
Pages: 259

This short YA book is another beautiful, heart-breaking tale. According to my StoryGraph account (a great app I use to keeping track of my reading – I’m not being paid to say this either, I just really like using the app), I’m reading a lot of emotional, reflective and sad books. Well, I definitely seem to be running with this theme lately!

Yunjae is born with a condition that makes it difficult for him to understand and feel emotions. On his sixteenth birthday, Yunjae’s life is torn apart by a terrible act of violence and he suddenly finds himself alone in a world he doesn’t understand. Slowly, with the help of his new friends, Yunjae is forced to venture out of his comfort zone and begins to learn more about himself and the world in ways he could never have imagined.

The bite-sized chapters make this book unputdownable and compulsively readable. The writing is just stunning, I originally got the ebook a couple of years ago and highlighted so many passages. When I finished the ebook of Almond, I decided to go out and purchase a physical copy. This is a great, short yet poignant read.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★.5

The Other Half of Augusta Hope

After thoroughly enjoying All My Mothers, I thought I should try reading The Other Half of Augusta Hope. I didn’t enjoy as much as Glen’s latest book, but it’s a brilliant debut filled with sharp, impactful prose and an emotionally-charged story. The story centres around Augusta and Parfait. Augusta doesn’t quite fit in with her bright, bookish, awkward nature and her twin sister Julia is the favoured child. From a young age, Augusta decides that her favourite country is Burundi. Parfait lives in Burundi with his siblings, trying to avoid the violence plaguing his home country as he longs for a future across the sea.

Augusta and Parfait’s lives are interwoven throughout the novel, which at first, I was confused about, but it makes more sense as you read on. The chapters alternate between Augusta and Parfait and are skilfully woven together. It gives me a similar vibe to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, so if you liked that book, I think you should give The Other Half of Augusta Hope a try.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Lonely Castle in the Mirror

Lonely Castle in the Mirror is a beautiful, touching story about the power of friendship and courage. I will admit, fantasy is not something I tend to gravitate towards when choosing my books, but I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and picked this book up. I’d heard so many rave reviews about Lonely Castle in the Mirror, so I thought I’d give it a go.

On a seemingly normal morning, seven teenagers wake to find their bedroom mirrors are glowing. Within each mirror is a portal to a magical castle, a place of refuge from home and school life. The children meet the keeper of the mysterious castle, the Wolf Queen, who instructs them to find a set of clues that will help them uncover a key to a secret room hidden away in the castle. In this room, the finder of the key has the chance to make one wish. But there’s a catch – once they make their wish, all memories of the castle and each other, will fade away. And they must leave the castle by 5pm every afternoon, or risk being eaten by a hungry wolf. Perhaps if the seven children are brave enough to share their stories with each other, they might just be saved…

I thought the blend of magical realism and heavier topics, like bullying and grief, was done so cleverly in this book. I was so engrossed in the story, utterly mesmerised by the writing and the characters. The pacing was good and I enjoyed the character development of our protagonist, Kokoro. My only little complaint was that the story drags slightly in the middle – perhaps the book could have been a little shorter. Despite this, I still thought Lonely Castle in the Mirror was a truly *magical* read – sorry for the pun, I couldn’t help myself!

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Unsettled Ground

Genre: Fiction | Contemporary fiction | Domestic fiction | Psychological fiction
Author: Claire Fuller
Year: 2021
Pages: 289

I reread Unsettled Ground a couple of months ago after eyeing it on one of my many book stacks. I couldn’t quite remember the story, and felt in the mood for a twisty, uncomfortable read (Fuller is described as a ‘latter day Daphne du Maurier’ by The Times). Twins Jeanie and Julius unearth decades of secrets after their mother suddenly dies. Their content lives in the rural countryside begin to unravel as the lies their mother kept secret threaten to destroy them.

I thoroughly enjoyed my second read of Unsettled Ground, and you can read my full review of this book here.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★.5