Reading review

To ease myself back into blogging, I thought I’d emulate LA and Tater with a little review of my reading year to date, and have merged two sets of questions from while I’ve been away.

1. How has your 2023 reading gone so far?
   I’ve had a good year so far both in terms of numbers and quality as, at the time of writing, there’ve been 13 books rated 4-stars and 1 rated 5-stars out of a total of 42 – well on the way to my annual target of 52.
   
2. What is the best book you’ve read so far in 2023?
   Foster, a novella by Claire Keegan – the tale of a young girl who’s sent away when it’s her mother’s time to give birth. I’ve read three books from Keegan in the past couple of years, and they’re all absolute corkers.
   
3. What is a new release you want to read but haven’t yet?
   Crook Manifesto, the latest from Colston Whitehead and a sequel to Harlem Shuffle. I thought I’d pre-ordered and, as it hadn’t landed in my Kindle, I presumed it was still yet to be released… only to discover I’d forgotten to order it. I’ve rectified that now, and it will soon be read 🙂
   
4. What is your most anticipated release for the second half of 2023?
   The next book I’m actively anticipating will be from Amor Towles, as I swear each book has been better than the last. But there’s no upcoming release date. Instead, I’m hopeful for Normal Rules Don’t Apply, a book of short stories from the excellent Kate Atkinson, as I was slightly disappointed in her previous book – in that it didn’t blow me away.
   
5. What is your biggest disappointment of the year so far?
   Old God’s Time from one of my favourite authors Sebastian Barry. The writing was its usual lyrical self, but it didn’t stand comparison with Claire Keegan’s Booker shortlisted tiny piece of perfection from last year which covered the same subject. That said, it’s just been long-listed for this year’s Booker Prize, so what do I know! 😀
   
6. What is your biggest surprise of the year so far?
   Not a book, but a theme in my reading. This year I’ve read a higher than usual number (12) of mysteries, police procedural and thrillers – books which always appear, but in smaller numbers. All I can think of to explain this is that I’ve struggled in the past month or so with anxiety, which could be the reason I’ve been drawn more to comfort reads than my usually literary fare.
   
7. Who is your favourite new author (new to you, or debut)?
   Mick Herron, author of Slow Horses, on which the excellent TV series from Apple are based. Having read the first two books in the series, the producers have been wise in not straying far from the text. Despite always being an advocate of book first, TV/film after, I’m holding back on reading ahead of the TV series as it’s such high quality, and there’s not enough of that around.
   
8. What is a book that made you cry?
   David Harewood’s Maybe I Don’t Belong Here: A Memoir of Race, Identity, Breakdown and Recovery. So much of what I’ve seen, heard and read is from the experience of Black Americans, so this memoir of a Black British man was an important read. The British have long rested on their laurels in claiming that things aren’t as bad here as they are in the US, so to see Harewood lay out the reasons why a Black man would choose to relocate from the UK to the US (spoiler alert – it’s not just for professional reasons) was informative. We’ve been very good in the UK at being all determinedly colour blind about racism, and it was time we were called out on it.
   
9. How many books are too many books in a series?
   I tend to only select series for my sorbet (in between) reads so that the odd miss isn’t such a big deal. Quality always matters though, so when it starts to get overly repetitive rather than just familiar, a series is in trouble.
   
10. How do you feel about cliffhangers?
    It’s a tricky one – as a writer, I’ve used them and understand their utility, but as a reader, I can see them being an annoyance. For me, what’s important is whether the book can hold its own as a standalone. I don’t like being pressured into reading the follow-ups – I’d rather do so because I want to rather than need to – if you see what I mean.
    
11. Favourite & least favourite books?
    Midnight’s Child, To Say Nothing of the Dog, Regeneration, Pere Goriot, Things Fall Apart, Cloud Atlas, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Mr Loverman – a selection of books I’ve been blown away by in the past. My least favourite reads include The Secret, anything from Dan Brown, but especially Angels & Demons, various from James Clavell and later stuff “from” Tom Clancy (although I’m not entirely convinced that he wrote them). Two classics which I loathed are Lord of the Flies and Lady Chatterly’s Lover.
    
12. Love triangles, yes or no?
    I’m not a fan of romance in general, and I’ve no patience for love triangles at all.
    
13. The most recent book you just couldn’t finish?
    I’m a lot pickier about what I choose to read these days so it’s been a while since I DNF’d. I’ve given up on Bob Dylan’s Chronicles and Alan Bennett’s Keep on Keeping On in the recent(ish) past.
    
14. Last book you recommended to someone?
    I try to suggest a book I think will suit a person’s reading style and preferences. I know few people who share my taste.
    
15. Oldest book you read?
    I read large chunks of the Bible and most of the Canterbury Tales when I was studying. Otherwise I’d struggle to name anything old, as my preference is for contemporary fiction.
    
16. Newest book you read?
    The later Harry Potters which I started to read minutes after publication at midnight and read straight through until I finished. But generally I don’t pounce on books, even when I’ve pre-ordered.
    
17. Favorite author?
    Salman Rushdie, Sebastian Barry and David Mitchell.
    
18. A book you dislike that everyone else seems to love?
    The Alchemist from Paulo Coelho, although I don’t dislike it as such, I just found it meh.
    
19. Bookmarks or dog ears?
    There is never any excuse to dog ear. And that’s from someone who has highlighted and annotated books!
    
20. A book you can always re read?
    My comfort reads are the thrillers of Dick Francis, which have been read and re-read. Otherwise I tend to avoid re-reading, as all too often, the magic can get lost.
    
21. Can you read while listening to music?
    I probably could, as I read while Himself watches TV. But I wouldn’t choose to do so unless I’m trying to cover the noise of something else.
    
22. One POV or multiple POVs?
    I’m not generally a fan of the unreliable narrator, but when multiple POVs are done with balance and purpose, it can be an excellent storytelling device.
    
23. Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?
    I love to read in one sitting, but rarely get the opportunity to do so.

As ever – do hit me up with your recommendations. My TBR list/pile is not as dangerously out of control as once it was, and I quite miss it being so!

© Debra Carey, 2023