Balancing the Books – January 2022

The book slump from December decided to follow me into the new year so reading was slow going. Here’s what I managed to read or finish:

Reading was however very slow. I started a few books but couldn’t find myself wanting to finish them. It wasn’t the books. I was enjoying them but I couldn’t seem to settle. Eventually I found one I could finish, and then another. The curse wasn’t lifted, as my reading all month has been sporadic at best, but it did get me moving in the right direction.

1. Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, sent for review by Viking.
2. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T J Klune.
3. The Mystery of Henri Pick by David Foenkinos. These two books were chosen as a prize from a Twitter competition to nominate your favourite independent bookshop.
4. My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley, sales shopping and a signed copy to add to the collection.
5. Midnight in Everwood by M A Kuzniar, another sales purchase and another to add to the signed collection.
6. Give Unto Others by Donna Leon, sent for review by Hutchinson Heinemann.
7. City of the Dead by Jonathan Kellerman, sent for review by Century.
8. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, a Penguin Clothbound edition to add to my newly started collection.
9. The Mercenary River by Nick Higham, sent for review by Headline.
10. The Burning Boy by Nicola White, sent for review by Viper.
11. City of Vengeance by D V Bishop, another purchase.
12. The Hunting Ground by Will Schindler, sent for review by Hodder & Stoughton.
13. Jumping Jenny by Anthony Berkeley.
14. Post After Post-Mortem by E C R Lorac, both of these were sent for review by The British Library.
15. Meredith, Alone, by Claire Alexander, sent for review by Michael Jospeh.
16. Memphis by Tara M Stringfellow, sent for review by John Murray.
17. The Last Good Funeral of the Year by Ed O’Laughlin, sent for review by Riverrun.
18. Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson, sent for review by Century.
19. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, chosen from my wishlist by Litalist.
20. A Killing in November by Simon Mason, sent for review by Quercus.
21. Wet Paint by Chloe Ashby, sent for review by Trapeze.
22. Just for Today by Nell Hudson.
23. The Perfect Find by Tia Williams, these last two were sent for review by Team Bookends.

Here’s what arrived this month:
January. For some it will have felt 3 years long, for others it will have flown by. I don’t mind January. It’s time to rest and recuperate, ready for the next year ahead. And yes it can feel like a slow month but the rest of the year is bound to seem speeded up so I make the most of a month that feels like an actual month.

1. B: A Year in Plagues and Pencils by Edward Carey.
2. City of the Dead by Jonathan Kellerman.
3. The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown.
4. Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie.
5. Punishment of a Hunter by Yulia Yakovleva.
6. Jumping Jenny by Anthony Berkeley.

I also gave 7 books to one of the school mums. So that’s in 23 and 13 out. Nowhere near balanced but considering I spent half the month thinking I wouldn’t finish a book I’m not too disappointed. With February being a short month I can’t see much coming in or going out but we shall see. I hope you enjoyed whatever you read in January and here’s to the same in February.