January 2023 in Books

1. Daughter of Moloka’i - Alan Brennert ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence - Doris Pilkington ⭐⭐⭐
3. The Girl in the Green Glass Mirror - Elizabeth McGregor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5. With the Fire on High - Elizabeth Acevedo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. Puddin' - Julie Murphy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. The Muse - Jessie Burton ⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. The Serial Killer's Wife - Alice Hunter ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. The Serial Killer's Daughter - Alice Hunter ⭐⭐⭐⭐
10. Me - Elton John ⭐⭐⭐⭐
11. Invisible - Cecile Anne Paterson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
12. Pumpkin - Julie Murphy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
13. Born a Crime - Trevor Noah ⭐⭐⭐⭐
14. Sixteen Souls - Rosie Talbot ⭐⭐⭐⭐
15. Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
16. Queenie - Candice Carty-Williams ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
17. Attachments - Rainbow Rowell ⭐⭐⭐⭐
18. The World That We Knew - Alice Hoffman ⭐⭐⭐⭐
19. I See You - Clare Mackintosh ⭐⭐⭐⭐
20. Bullet Train - Kōtaō Isaka ⭐⭐⭐⭐
21. Being Elvis - Ray Connolly ⭐⭐⭐⭐
22. The Woman in the Golden Dress - Nicola Cornick ⭐⭐⭐
23. This Mournable Body - Tsitsi Daragabembga ⭐⭐
24. Passing - Nella Lawson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
25. The Heartbreak Bakery - AR Capetta ⭐⭐⭐⭐
26. Devil's Way - Robert Bryndza ⭐⭐⭐⭐
27. The Handmaid's Tale (Graphic Novel) - Margaret Atwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
28. Rock Paper Scissors - Alice Feeney ⭐⭐⭐⭐
29. The Ghost Woods - CJ Cooke ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
30. Our Missing Hearts - Celeste Ng ⭐⭐⭐
31. The Strawberry Thief - Joanne Harris ⭐⭐⭐⭐
32. The Lady of the Lake - Andrzej Sapkowski ⭐⭐⭐⭐
33. The Shift - Theresa Brown ⭐⭐⭐
34. Under a Painted Sky - Stacey Lee ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
35. Once a Grand Duchess: Xenia, Sister of Nicholas II - John Van der Kiste ⭐⭐⭐⭐
36. Life After Life - Kate Atkinson ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Born a Crime - Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. His father is a white Swiss-German man, and his mother a Black Xhosa woman and at the time of Noah's birth their interracial relationship was illegal under apartheid legislation. Noah refers to this with the title of his 2016 autobiography Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Trevor Noah himself. I enjoyed listening to stories of the mischief Trevor and his friends got up to, and almost shed a few tears when I listened to the last chapter about his mum's shooting.

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 1: A book with a subtitle.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda is starting 9th grade, she has no friends, even her former best friend is angry with her about something that happened over the summer. Melinda went to a party and called the cops, not to snitch on her friends, but because she was raped. She didn't tell anyone about that though, in fact she's not speaking to anyone about anything.

Melinda's struggle is real, she plagues herself with what ifs. Her journal is raw and it's clear she's hurting. It's not all pain and anguish, there's dry humour too.

Read for the PopSugar 2023 Reading Challenge.
Prompt 18: A book that's been banned or challenged in 2022.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Sixteen Souls - Rosie Talbot

Charlie Frith is a sixteen year old boy who survived meningitis. He briefly died during his illness and now he can see ghosts. He also happens to live in one of the most haunted cities in the UK: York. But now ghosts are disappearing from his town and there's the appearance of a new kid who can see ghosts as well. When one of his dearest ghost friends disappears, Charlie has to find out what's going on and who is behind it.

I gave this book 4 stars, because of its potential. The execution would probably be more like 3 stars, rounded the 3.5 up to 4 altogether.

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 23: An alliterative title.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Pumpkin - Julie Murphy

Waylon Russell Brewster is a fat, openly gay boy in Clover City, West Texas. He is biding his time until he can move to Austin with his twin sister Clementine (Clem). Waylon finds out by accident that Clem has other plans and is devastated. While waiting for his sister to come home, he creates an audition tape for his favourite drag show. The tape is leaked and Waylon becomes a nominee for Prom Queen...

Julie Murphy does it again! Though this book was a slow starter for me, she managed to make me want to finish this book in one sitting again. Waylon is an adorable guy, his love interest is a cute hunk and seems like a lovely dude.

Read for the PopSugar 2023 Reading Challenge.
Prompt 22: A book with a queer lead.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Queenie - Candice Carty-Williams

Queenie Jenkins is re-entering the dating world after her break-up with Tom. She has a knack for finding losers who are only interested in her for one reason: sex. After a series of hook-ups, she has a break-down. Things look bleak for a while and to top it off, her family doesn't believe in therapy but she goes to see a therapist anyway and struggles her way back...

I've dated some losers in the past, but Queenie takes the punch on this one! Especially her 'relationship' with the Welsh bloke is horrible. Queenie is a fun read, even if there is a mental break-down, her descriptions are on point and witty. I was sad to see the book end...

I gave it 4 stars initially, but changed my mind, definitely 5 stars in a genre I generally don't read!

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 17: By a Caribbean author.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The Muse - Jessie Burton

The Muse by Jessie Burton features two storylines, one in 1967 starts when Odelle Bastien starts a new job as a typist under the tutelage of Marjorie Quick at a London gallery. At her best friend's wedding, Odelle meets Lawrie Scott, and they start seeing each other. Then Lawrie brings a painting into the gallery to be appraised and the gallery's expert thinks it's a painting by Isaac Robles. Odelle starts her search for the truth about this painting.

The second storyline is set in 1936 Spain when a talented painter called Olive Schloss meets siblings Isaac and Teresa Robles. The 3 become friends and in this storyline we learn the truth about Lawrie's painting...

I really enjoyed this book, it's well written, it has a decent mystery and it kept me on my toes. I gave it four stars only because I didn't enjoy it as much as Burton's The Miniaturist and The House of Fortune.

Read for the PopSugar 2023 Reading Challenge.
Prompt 1: A book you meant to read in 2022.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Invisible - Cecile Anne Paterson

Jazmine has been in 4 different schools in the last 4 years since her dad died (when she was 9). She's partially hearing and needs a hearing aid. She joins the school drama production and discovers one of her class mates, Liam, speaks AUSLAN. He introduces Jazmine to his group of friends and she feels like she's finally fitting in.

Until... the school bully finds out how Jaz' dad died - something Jaz didn't know herself.

Nicely written; I really enjoyed this book. I will be checking out the sequels because I have to find out what happens with Jazmine and Liam!

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 5: Title starting with the letter “I”.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Me - Elton John

In his first and only official autobiography, music icon Elton John reveals the truth about his extraordinary life. Me is the joyously funny, honest and moving story of the most enduringly successful singer/songwriter of all time.

Elton John is brutally honest about his addiction to booze and cocaine, about hating some of his own songs (not my favourite songs either), about his temper tantrums and the pranks he pulled on other musicians, about his kids and his health scares. I like the man, flaws and all, and I have rediscovered his music. Thanks Elton!

Read for the PopSugar 2023 Reading Challenge.
Prompt 8: A celebrity memoir.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Puddin’ - Julie Murphy

Puddin' is the sequel to Dumplin'. If you've read Dumplin', you will remember Willowdean Dickson's friend Millicent (Millie) Amethyst Michalchuk. Millie is fat, but she is happy with herself especially since she came second in the Miss Clover City beauty pagent. Millie has a crush on Malik, and she works at her uncle's gym after school. When the gym gets broken into and trashed, Millie recognises one of the masked culprits on the security tape and tells the police who it is. Callie Reyes who was part of the group who trashed the gym refuses to give up her co-conspirators. Millie's uncle decides to give the girl a break and asks she works off her debt to him at the gym. Millie and Callie become friends even though they seem polar opposites.

I loved Dumplin' and was sure this was a tough act to follow, however, Julie Murphy did it again. She sucked me in, and I absolutely loved it! I am a wee bit older than the target audience, but I *am* a fatty and identify with so much in this story (or I should say I recognise it from when I was that age). I'm looking forward to book 3 which I will read for the PopSugar 2023 Reading Challenge.

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 22: A body-positive message.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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With the Fire on High - Elizabeth Acevedo

With the Fire on High tells the story of teen mum Emoni Santiago who follows her passion to become a chef. Emoni signs up for a cooking class in school, and as part of this class, she gets to travel to Spain and work in the kitchen of a restaurant. Emoni juggles her life as a single mum with school and following her dreams as well as a new love interest.

I was unsure whether to read this book or not, as I absolutely hated Acevedo's Clap When You Land. With the Fire on High is predictable, but I enjoyed listening to the audiobook nonetheless. A minor criticism: baby girl is over used.

Read for the PopSugar 2023 Reading Challenge.
Prompt 41: A book written during NaNoWriMo.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams

At first a brand-new toy, now a threadbare and discarded nursery relic, the velveteen rabbit is saved from peril by a magic fairy who whisks him away to the idyllic world of Rabbitland. There, he becomes "Real", a cherished childhood companion who will be loved for eternity.

It's a very short book, but a cute story, hence the 4 stars. It reminded me a little of Pinocchio.

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 6: Under 200 pages.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The Girl in the Green Glass Mirror - Elizabeth McGregor

My favourite book by Elizabeth McGregor!

Catherine Sergeant is newly separated from her husband. She has a keen interest in the Victorian painter Richard Dadd. Dadd spent most of his life in the psychiatric faclities Bethlehem Hospital (Bedlam) and Broadmoor Hospital after he murdered his father. Catherine discovers a copy of the painting The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke, Dadd painted while he was at Broadmoor, in a private collection. Catherine and the owner of the painting, John, bond over their love for Dadd's oeuvre.

I love the history in this book, the art, the description of Dadd's paintings. That's what makes this my favourite book by McGregor.

Read for the PopSugar 2023 Reading Challenge.
Prompt 7: A book with "Girl" in the title.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence - Doris Pilkington

I heard about a film based on this book and was very interested in reading it.

This book is based on true life events. Three half white, half Aboriginal girls escape the repressive life at the Moore River Native Settlement in Western Australia. They were taken from their homes with their Aboriginal mothers to the settlement to become more white. Life in the settlement is terrible, the beds are cold and hard, the food is horrible and the windows are barred. The barefoot girls follow the rabbit-proof fence back to their homeland in the north.

It's a terrible tale, and the scary thing is that it happened in the 1930s. It's an important story that needs to be told but unfortunately the writing is ropey and dry.

Read for the 52 Book Club Challenge.
Prompt 15: Set in Australia.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐

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Daughter of Moloka’i- Alan Brennert

I read Moloka’i by the same author in December last year and loved it so much, I immediately bought the next book of this duology. The sequel Daughter of Moloka’i is a fabulous read as well.

This book follows the life of Ruth, a girl born to a Hawaiian mother and a Japanese father who both suffer from Hansen’s disease - more commonly known as leprosy. Ruth was taken from her parents who lived in the leper colony on Moloka’i as a newborn and placed in a home for children of lepers. When she was 5, she was adopted by the Watanabe family in Honolulu and they moved to California a few years later.

During WW2 they were placed in an internment camp and their story of their time in the camp is heart wrenching. After the war, Ruth is reunited with her birth mother Rachel Utegawa, the protagonist from Moloka'i.

I loved learning about Hansen’s disease in the first book, and was very upset to learn what happened to Japanese people in the USA during WW2 . I had heard of the internment camps, but never knew what they entailed exactly.

This is a fabulous book and I highly recommend it.

Read for the PopSugar 2023 Reading Challenge.
Prompt 34: A historical-fiction book.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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