I guess the one good thing about January always feeling like it’s 72 days long is that I got a lot of reading done! I checked out some new releases and also listened to some favorites. I decided in 2022 I need to reread some of the classics I loved, just to see if I still love them as much as I did when I first read them. Here are the 7 books I read in the first month of the year!

Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding

3.5/5 Stars

A former actress now addicted to alcohol has one last chance to turn her life around if she wants to keep her young son, Tommy.

I can appreciate the strengths of this book: a mother's love and devotion, the drowning feeling of addiction, the complicated relationships that affect who we are. Harding renders so perfectly the emotions that come with all these things, and I was especially unsettled by the creeping, cloying feeling of Sonya's counselor-turned-lover who overstays his welcome. I also appreciate the tone of the novel, which strikes the balance between hopelessness and joy in the little things, which I think is what is at the heart of the book.

However, I did feel that the plot was too quiet. To be clear, some of my favorite books of all time could be described as "quiet:" The Remains of the Day, for example. But I just didn't feel like this novel had enough going on to feel satisfying. The story is too straightforward, the scope too tight in terms of time and characters, and there aren't any surprising reveals. It seemed like the characters toed the line of tension, confrontations boiling just beneath the surface but never really punctured, and when they finally do in the end, a character actually says "let's talk about this another time" and we pull out of the tension just as soon as we arrive.

The other aspect that frustrated me was the undeveloped theme of poverty in this novel. Sonya is an unemployed single mother living on benefits and has no one to depend on. You would think that this would all cause extreme mental stress in a person, but Sonya never worries about money. I kept comparing this story to Maid, which is about a mother in a similar situation (albeit different characters) and agonizing over where she will get the next dollar and how to save it is always on that mother's mind. The fact that such worries were nonexistent in this novel was a miss in my opinion. I think there was plenty of room in the novel to develop the factor of poverty in a more realistic way.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

5/5 Stars

The epic tale of the Joads, an Oklahoma farm family who journeys to California for better opportunities during the Great Depression.

I've just finished rereading this, and I'm happy to say I loved it just as much as the first time. As I'm reading it 10 years later, I do look at it through different eyes. I'm much more critical of the weird (and I would say unnecessary) rape talk that John Casey brings up (not to mention the casual way the other characters just take it in stride like it's just a personality quirk), as well as the sometimes overly simplified altruism vs. selfishness theme that the whole book centers on. However, I still love the story. I love the overland adventure, the tone of dread that permeates everything, and the dramatic, biblical ending. I love the scenery descriptions that are filled with symbolism, I love the sad character of Rose of Sharon, and I love the sweeping way the story follows one family but reflects the suffering of a whole population. It's still an enduring classic.

Wild Rescues by Kevin Grange

5/5 Stars

A paramedic’s memoir of extreme rescues in Yellowstone, Yosemite and Grand Teton National Parks.

This was a fascinating, immersive look at life as a first responder in some of the most iconic places in America. The book is almost nonstop rescue stories (some quite terrifying), and yet it pairs the serenity of nature with the beauty of human connection for a really heartwarming effect.

Kevin Grange’s love for helping people and reverence for his field come through on every page. Following his journey from rookie to pro made for a satisfying story arc. He finds the right balance of explaining just enough of the medical details to let us into this world of paramedics, but also keeps it accessible for readers who don’t have a medical background.

The writing is detailed and specific, and you feel as though you’re right alongside Kevin during these rescues. He lets you in on his thought process in real time, so it's educational as well. The pace is quick, moving from one rescue to the next with a few brief reflections on either the success of the mission or general thoughts on life sprinkled throughout. I thought it was a really enlightening read, definitely inspiring and entertaining!

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

5/5 Stars

When George and Lennie find work on a farm in Salinas, their fortunes are looking up and they’re on their way to building the future of their own they’ve always dreamed of. But then Lennie’s tremendous size and simple mind get them into trouble.

Rereading this for the first time since high school, and I'm so pleased to report I still love it! Right up there with The Great Gatsby, it's the rare book that is both brief and phenomenal. A master class in the economy of writing. Somehow in its 30k word count there is still space for setting, lots of dialogue, and a whole cast of characters. It's strange that there really isn't much character development in anyone, except perhaps in George, who accepts defeat in the end, as far as his future with Lennie goes. But even that feels like it was just a matter of time and not a real change of heart.

The characters are set in their ways, and the plot is like a perfect storm that pits them all together just to see who comes out alive.

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

4/5 Stars

A novel-in-vignettes follows a cast of intricately linked characters over hundreds of years as humanity struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague.

I think the concepts of each chapter are imaginative, and I think it does have something new to say about mortality, grief, and loss. It moves from deep sadness to hope and back, and in that way captures the human experience.

The writing is not particularly flowery, not many (if any?) similes but the sentences are well crafted, details specific, and tone reverent. The overall effect is a quiet devastation, and that is pulled off very well.

I have to say the pace is not exactly gripping; I'm not flashing through pages wondering what will happen next. I get that that's the point of this book, exploring the quiet moments that dying brings, and a slower pace also tends to be something I notice in other post-apocalyptic books. The big event has already happened before the book starts, and the story is just sorting through the aftermath with no clear path forward.

That being said, it's such a unique and timely book. The author clearly has command of language, and as I said, the ideas in it are truly imaginative and unforgettable.

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

3.5/5 Stars

A newlywed couple discovers something in the water on their honeymoon in Bora Bora. Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt?

3.5 stars for a decently well-written thriller that was nevertheless unsatisfying by the end. It started our pretty slow for me, and I was disappointed to discover that most of this book takes place in England, not the sunny, tropical locale of Bora Bora as the title, cover, and book jacket blurb would have you believe. Kinda felt short-changed by that, and as a result I resented this book for what it turned out to be.

A lot of the events in the book were a tad unbelievable. There's no way that the characters could have gotten away for long doing all they did. On the other hand, the twists were too believable, as in I could see them coming a mile away. And by the end there were still some loose threads that never get explained, including the biggest mystery of all, which is where did the bag come from and who are the people who wanted it back?

However, I did still find myself wanting to know what happens next, and it ultimately was a pretty fast beach read. If you don't read many thrillers, I think you would still enjoy this.

The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

4/5 Stars

Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist—and confidante—to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own. When a sister Lakshmi never knew she had enters her life, suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened.

I enjoyed this a lot. The plot is juicy, the cast of characters is complex, and the emotional heart of sisterhood and female independence really resonated. This book teaches a lot about Rajasthani culture, from the significance of henna to the various herbal medicines that Lakshmi administers. These teachings were woven in a way that enriched the plot rather than impede it, and I think that reflects the author's abilities well.

In the end, I was a bit let down by the plot because it all hinges on one character changing their mind, which is not particularly exciting or rewarding. It just deflates all the momentum of the plot when we are building toward something only for someone to say "nevermind!"