I am aiming to start with my monthly reading posts since these are ones I love writing and a great way to remember and keep a record of the books I read. This was a good reading month notwithstanding I had a brand new adorable baby to deal with. I guess since I spent so much time waiting for her to wake up, the reading was accelerated.
Fiction
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Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Of course I bought a copy as soon as it came out but decided to save it for the last month of my pregnancy but only ended up finishing it in January. What a good start to the year!
This book was a bit of a surprise. When I heard there was a new Sally Rooney I assumed the protagonists would be women and it was a surprise (and I’ll admit a slight disappointment) that it was two men. I usually read books about women, written by women. I did enjoy this one though. I liked how the brothers were portrayed. She did what she does best – intimate character studies and relationships which were gorgeously written. People often complain that there is no plot but if you are reading Sally Rooney for plot, I think you are missing a trick.
2. The First Wife’s Shadow by Adele Parks
I love reading Adele Parks. They are always fun easy quick reads and this was no different. And even after reading all the thrillers I have, I did not see this coming. Highly recommend!
I love how it was set up – it was so well done.
3. Sandwich by Catherine Newman
This was such a fun read but again, its one of those books where the blurb does not correctly describe the book or its vibe. The blurb describes it as a book about the experience of a women of the sandwich generation – young kids and elderly parents. Well, it is not.
The book actually is about a week in a middle aged woman’s life during her beach vacation with her children and parents. It is well written with very genuine realistic characters but there are no real sandwich generation aspects or concerns that are discussed in detail.
4. Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand 4/5
This was my first Elin Hilderbrand book although ironically this is the last one in the ‘Nantucket’ series but its a stand alone read as well. Of course I wanted to read an Elin Hilderbrand book after watching the Perfect Couple (which is based on a Elin Hilderbrand book of the same name).
This was actually more than I expected it to be. A summery beachy read with a mystery thrown in – perfect.
5. Tiny Little Thing by Beatriz Williams 3/5
This book was very American in my mind. Its basically based in 80’s USA where the protagonist is a politician’s wife. It gives very old money vibes and I very much enjoyed it. I especially liked the very realistic portrayal of the sister relationship. I think sister relationships are quite tricky to portray in fiction since they either come across as saccharine sweet and unbelievable or overly dramatic. Its very different from my usual genre since I am not very fond of historical fiction (unless you count the 90’s as historical fiction which I don’t). My criticism would be it could have been shorted. There were some parts of the book where it didn’t feel anything much happened to propel the plot forward and could have been trimmed down.
6. The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes 3/5
I read this one since it was a Reese’s Bookclub pick. Honestly, I am not sure it was for me. It was readable for sure but the plot and ending all left me almost indifferent. I understood what the writer was gong for but in my head it fell flat. Obviously it worked for a lot of people so I would recommend checking out the blurb to see if it might work for you.
7. Table for One by Emma Gannon 4/5 *thanks to Netgalley for this one
This one isn’t coming out till the end of April but I would highly recommend keeping this on your radar. I really enjoyed this one. The plot is not a unique one but the characters were so well written it was such a pleasure to read. I started getting frustrated with the protagonist asking why is so passive about things going on in her life but slowly realising she did what she did for her own good. I liked the interesting aspect to working with your partner that the book covers which of course, comes with its own pros and cons.
8. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan 5/5
This is the second Claire Keegan book I have read and both were five stars for me. (The first one was the story So Late in the Day). She is an excellent writer. Her writing does remind me of Sally Rooney, not for the subject matter but the deliberate specific style. Every word counts, every word matters. Her signature style combined with the subject matter of this story makes Small Things Like These a lovely, sad, disheartening, heart warming book all in one.
Non-Fiction Books
9. The Day by Day Pregnancy Book by D.K. Publishing
I got this from the library last year once I found out I was pregnant. Its nice to have something on paper instead of apps and websites which is the usual now. I really enjoyed having this book around. I was quite consistent and read it day by day but also read ahead a few days to see what to expect. I thought this was very helpful.
One thing to keep in mind is that this book provides an overview and does not include detailed information on specific topics. Its useful to read to get the overall picture. You can then research the specific topics that are relevant to you more in detail. The size and weight of the book is a definite con!
Children’s Books
Lets be honest, my baby is barely two months old so has no idea about any books I am reading to her so this is solely for my benefit.
10. Baby’s First Cricket Book by Jacques Garin 4/5
This was extremely cute. My husband is a major cricket fan and runs a cricket podcast with two other friends. His co-podcasters sent this for our baby and it was a bit hit at least with us!
11. Mr. Greedy by Roger Hargreaves 5/5
This one is absolutely ridiculous and totally adorable.
12. Zoom to the Moon by Pat-a-Cake and Kate Uno 5/5
This is my favourite of the three children’s book. Its so cute! And I really try and make it as exciting as possible to my baby although I have to admit, she does not care at all and is usually asleep in a few minutes. But the concept is really lovely (its about going to the moon and back) and introduces children to various aspects of space. The repetitive words also make for fun reading. Zoom zoom zoom to the moon!
– Anisha
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