{"id":41822,"date":"2024-01-08T06:30:11","date_gmt":"2024-01-07T17:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/?p=41822"},"modified":"2024-01-07T17:22:52","modified_gmt":"2024-01-07T04:22:52","slug":"reflecting-on-last-years-book-booty-january-9-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helenlowe.info\/blog\/2024\/01\/08\/reflecting-on-last-years-book-booty-january-9-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflecting On Last Year’s “Book Booty” (January 9, 2023)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Happy New Year again everybody! (Just in case I didna say it with sufficient verve last week.)<\/p>\n

My chief reflection, regarding the post title above, is whether I read and reported on the books featured on January 9 <\/a>last year. An important consideration before embarking on anything similar for this<\/em> year.<\/p>\n

The answer—hip-hip-huzza!—is that I have read all bar one, but not reported on them all, chiefly for reasons of time, writing, and general life busy-ness. I’ll recap them now, with either a link to my post\/book report, or an indication of ‘how I found them’ and whether or not a longer report is forthcoming.<\/p>\n

To recap, the books I had lined up this time last year were:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/em>1. Curse of Shadows<\/em> by AK Wilder<\/h3>\n

Fantasy \/ Epic Fantasy \/ YA<\/em><\/p>\n

A mighty second installment to Kim’s AMASSIA series: that’s the very short version. To read my full paean, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. \"\"Dogside Story<\/em> by Patricia Grace<\/h3>\n

Contemporary Realism \/ NZ Lit<\/em><\/p>\n

I’m a great fan of Patricia Grace’s writing and Dogside Story<\/em> was no exception. I reported on my read, fittingly I believe, on February 6, Waitangi Day. If you missed it then, or want to refresh, the post is here<\/a>.
\n.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Not One But Two Richard Osman’s: The Man Who Died Twice<\/em> and The Bullet That Missed<\/em><\/h3>\n

Contemporary \/ Crime<\/em><\/p>\n

I raced through these over the summer holiday last year and thoroughly recommend for light, humorous, whodunnit type reading, as reported in the January 9 post.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

.<\/span>
\nAlso on the January 9 list were:<\/p>\n

4. \"\"King of Scars<\/em><\/strong> by Leigh Bardugo<\/h3>\n

King of Scars<\/em> is part of a newer series set in the Shadow and Bone<\/em><\/strong> and Crows<\/em><\/strong> worlds, and another tale I raced through early in the year, only without reporting at all: mea culpa! However, I was pushing for the linear end of WALL #4 at the time, which must serve as my excuse.<\/p>\n

As with Patricia Grace, I tend to heart Leigh Bardugo’s writing, so although Six of Crows<\/em> will probably always be m’favourite, King of Scars<\/em> is an enjoyable read.<\/p>\n

And there—now I’ve not only read but reported back. Two-for-one, heh… \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n

\"\"5. Demon Copperhead<\/em> by Barbara Kingsolver<\/h3>\n

You may recall that at the end of 2021, Barbara Kingsolver’s Prodigal Summer<\/em> was one of my three top reads of the year<\/a>. I’ve since read The Poisonwood Bible<\/em> ( “I know”, so<\/em> late to the party!) so I didn’t hesitate to read for fear of (comparative) disappointment, but because I wanted to have the time to do it justice.<\/p>\n

The upshot being that I finally read Demon Copperhead<\/em> over the recent holiday break. Since it’s recent I am going to bring you a fuller post but the short version is that I loved it, loved it, LOVED it — which I hope will tide you over. \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n

6. \"\"Novelist As A Vocation<\/em> by Haruki Murakami<\/h3>\n

When I posted last year I had already dipped into this collection of essays on Haruki Murakami’s experience of and philosophy on writing, and indicated that I intended to continue to do so through the year.<\/p>\n

The reason I haven’t is not a reflection on the book, since (as I’m sure regulars here know) I love Murakami’s writing, but entirely to do with where I’m currently at in my own writing life.<\/p>\n

In short, I’m fully immersed, and I want to save the essays until the revision is done and I have the time to dig deep into Novelist As A Vocation<\/em> and really reflect on Haruki Murakami’s insights and observations. From what I’ve read so far, they both deserve that time and are likely to repay it.<\/p>\n

7. Other Books<\/h3>\n

The other books that garnered reports last year, which I hadn’t acquired—whether by fair means or foul \ud83d\ude09 — on January 9 were:<\/p>\n