This round-up includes some Advance Reader Copies (eARCs) from publishers via NetGalley. These books are marked with an *. No affiliate links used. Read my full disclosure policy here.
The one upside to January feeling like it crammed three months into the space of one is the amount of reading I did.
I mentioned in my 2022 wrap-up that I was hoping to read more fiction this year, so I joined a few online book clubs, read-alongs, and buddy reads.
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
This was the Tired Mammy Book Club pick for the month. Set in mid-70s Northern Ireland, Trespasses is an evocative novel centred on an illicit relationship between Cushla, a 20-something teacher, and Michael, an older married barrister. Cushla is Catholic, and Michael is Protestant, so his marital status isn’t the only complicated thing about their relationship. When not teaching, Cushla is either looking after her mother, an alcoholic, working alongside her brother in the family’s pub, or trying her best to help Davy, one of her students, and his family.
Louise Kennedy excels at writing about the quiet, often mundane, moments of daily life and the absurdity of what became the new normal during the Troubles. I liked but didn’t love this one. I didn’t connect with either Cushla or Michael in a way that meant I felt invested in their story.
A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
A Week in Winter was the Maeve Binchy Book Club book of the month. This felt more like a series of connected short stories than a novel, which I think is a testament to Binchy’s love of the short story. Each chapter focuses on a different character with a connection to Stoneybridge, on the west coast of Ireland, or a visitor to Stoneybridge’s newest hotel Stone House. A Week in Winter isn’t my favourite Maeve Binchy, but it is enjoyable.
Farewell Waltz by Milan Kundera
Where to start with this! I needed to remind myself that the absurdity was deliberate. I also needed to remind myself that the misogyny was deliberate. Knowing these things did not make reading it any more enjoyable. By the end, I was hate-reading it!
That said, the Abortion Book Club discussion was worth it. I was relieved that I wasn't the only one hate-reading! Someone summed it up perfectly by saying that it was a terrible book to read but a great one to discuss.
Next, we have the audiobooks that kept me company while walking Arwen, the dog!
I read In Search of Madness: A Psychiatrist’s Travels Through the History of Mental Illness by Brendan Kelly as research for an essay I’m writing. It was informative in parts and frustrating in others.
More than once, during Group, Christie Tate joked about “if it sounds like I am in a cult” before describing either the actions of her therapist, Dr Rosen, or her actions following the homework Dr Rosen set. This says a lot about Dr Rosen’s unconventional methods, as the blurb describes them. I found myself calling his actions unethical multiple times.
How to be Alone by Lane Moore is a humourous collection of essays about trauma, complicated familial relationships, and mental illness, which sounds like a strange mix Moore pulls it off with aplomb.
Out of Office by Charlie Warzel and Anne Helen Peterson combines their experiences of moving to a rural area and working remotely with an examination of the failings of office culture. Given they both live and work in America, it’s US-centric in its outlook. That health insurance is tied to employment in the US makes this outlook understandable. It was an interesting listen, but I’m not the book’s target audience!
I am still playing catch-up with my NetGalley to-read shelf, so these books were advance copies when I downloaded them onto my Kindle but were all published by the time I read them.
No Choice by Becca Andrews*
No Choice* is an in-depth look at the history of abortion rights in America and an examination of the fallout from the US Supreme Court Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe V. Wade. Throughout the book, Andrews interviews people who have had abortions, abortion providers, and activists giving the reader a deep understanding of how reproductive justice isn't only an abstract concept but something that deeply impacts people's lives.
It will make you angry, but it will also make you appreciate the continued work of activists, abortion funds, clinic escorts and clinic defenders. A must-read!
Obsessive Intrusive Magical Thinking by Marianne Eloise*
I’ve been a fan of Marianne Eloise’s journalism for a while, so I looked forward to reading her essay collection. It didn’t disappoint! Obsessive Intrusive Magical Thinking* brilliantly explores the intersection of Eloise’s experience with obsession, neurodivergence and disorder. Marianne is autistic, has ADHD, and was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The standout essays were; Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy, Everything is on Fire, City of Angels, Too Much Memento Mori, Do I Believe in Magic? Sort Of, and Help! The Gorgon Medusa Lives Behind My Fish Tank.
You Don’t Know What War Is by Yeva Skaliestska*
At the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Yeva Skaliestska began keeping a diary. You Don’t Know What War Is* is that diary which details Yeva’s life in Ukraine with her grandmother, leaving their home and, ultimately, their country. An encounter with a Channel 4 news team and an interview about Yeva’s diary meant Yeva and her grandmother were supported as they escaped Ukraine to seek refuge in Ireland.
Throughout the book, Yeva shares text messages from her school group chat, giving us a glimpse at her friends' experiences. They also share their hopes for the future at the end, which is moving.
I read Zlata's Diary by Zlata Filipovic, about the Siege of Sarajevo, when it was published in the mid-90s. I was in primary school, and it is a reading experience that has stayed with me. I hope Yeva’s words have a similar impact on the young(er) people who read them.
Now for the two non-fiction books that didn’t fit in the loose categories I’ve used for this wrap-up, so I’ve grouped them.
Sabotage: How to Silence Your Inner Critic and Get Out of Your Own Way by Emma Gannon is best described as a short pep-talk from a friend. A pep-talk where you know all the information beforehand, but hearing it from your friend allows your brain to absorb it better.
More research (for a different essay) but Mating in Captivity: How to keep desire and passion alive in long-term relationships by Esther Perel is a book I want everyone to read. It is thought-provoking and confronting, yet full of compassion and wisdom. Whether you are in a long-term relationship or not, it’s a book worth picking up.
I didn’t finish Paper Cup by Karen Campbell, the January choice for the Another Chapter podcast read-along. The writing style wasn’t for me, but based on the group chat, I know I’m in the minority here.
In solidarity with the HarperCollins Union, who are currently on strike, I haven’t included the two books I read published by HarperCollins. The union is asking book reviewers to hold their reviews until they receive a fair contract. You can find out more about the strike by following @hcpunion on Instagram.
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