If you’ve been around here for a while then you’ll know I love reading. In fact a few years ago I used to write regular book reviews on here. I fell out of love with them though so I stopped. Last year I posted a few bookish posts though and I really enjoyed writing them. So I’ve decided to give monthly book round-ups a go instead. So here’s the first one with mini reviews of all the books I read in January 2021.
I will say I’m not the worlds fastest reader so unlike a lot of book bloggers who can fly through a few books a week (like, how?!) I usually average a couple of books a month. That’s fine though, it’s not a race and I’m not a book blogger I just really enjoy reading and I love talking about books!
Also you won’t find any books rated below 3 stars on here, a few years ago I decided if I just wasn’t feeling a book then I wouldn’t force myself to carry on reading it. There’s too many good books to read to waste time carrying on with bad ones!
Mexican Gothic
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Genre: Gothic historical fiction | Length: 320 pages
I’d seen lost of good things about Mexican Gothic so I decided there was no better way to start off a new year of reading than with one of my favourite genres. And boy this did not disappoint!
When Noemí Taboada receives strange letters from her cousins stating that all is not well at her new home with her English husband, Virgil Doyle,she sets off to see what’s happening for herself and to help her cousin. When she arrives at High Place, a once stately home set in the mountains she’s greeted by a less than welcoming familiar and a house that’s decaying around them. Virgil is charming and alluring and his sister is cold and callous. The head of the house Howard Doyle seems to be slowly dying. The longer Noemí spends at High Place the closer she becomes to it’s young resident Francis who warns her that the family cannot be trusted. But the house has mysterious ways of keeping its residents inside and the longer Noemí spends at High Place the closer she becomes to never being able to leave.
Mexican Gothic delivered some serious twists that I did not see coming. It’s a wonderfully weird novel that delivers some fantasy elements in amongst the gothic tale. The characters were very well written and although it was quite a strange novel it wasn’t weird without a good explanation which I really appreciated. I think gothic/historical fiction fans will enjoy this book as long as you can appreciate a good weird twist.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
Author: Charlie Mackesy | Genre: Fiction | Length: 128 pages
It’s no secret that mental health wise I’ve been having a tough time recently so when this book landed through my door on New Year’s Eve as a gift from my mum I was over the moon. The idea is to just dip into the book on any random page as and when you need a boost. For my first time reading it though I wanted to read it in page order. So throughout January I read a couple of pages each night.
There’s no real narrative to the book which is why you can dip in and out of it. It loosely follows that journey of the title characters and how they support each other. Each page has a stunning illustration and a little life lesson to go along with it. If you’re not familiar with the book or Charlie Mackesy’s artwork then I suggest quickly changing that!
This book is quite easily one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. It will be staying by my bedside so I can pick it up whenever I need it. The illustrations are absolutely breath-taking and you can actually get some of them as prints which I’d love to do one day, however they aren’t cheap!
I am actually going to do a full blog post on this book because I just cannot express how wonderful it is. Everyone should own a copy.
The Devil and the Dark Water
Author: Stuart Turton | Genre: Mystery | Length: 576 pages
I was really excited for this book. After reading Stuart Turton’s first novel, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle a couple of years ago and loving it I was very much looking forward to what else the author had to offer. Unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to his first novel and in all honesty it only just managed enough mystery to keep me reading.
The book is set in 1634 and follows the passengers of the Saardam sailing from Batavia to Amsterdam. Amongst the eclectic set of passengers is the worlds greatest detective, Samuel Pipps, and his bodyguard, Arent Hayes. But the voyage is doomed from the start and when the mark of a devil appears on the sails then the passengers of the Saardam begin to worry. With Pipps locked in a cell and Hayes unsure of how he can work without him they must figure a way to save the passengers of the ship and solve the mystery of the devil at sea.
I wanted to really love this book but it just really lacked anything special. At times it was very slow and the descriptions were really lacking too, almost like it had been written for a younger audience. There were some good mystery moment which is what kept me going to the end but I probably wouldn’t recommend this book.
So that’s what I read in January! A bit of a mix of books. The stand-out book this month was definitely The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.
What did you read in January? Let me know in the comments!
Great review of Mexican Gothic. This book has been on my radar for a while and I’m super curious to read it.
Awesome post!
Ooo I definitely recommended getting a copy, it’s great!
I haven’t heard of any of those books before but they sound great! I only managed to read one book, despiting getting so many out 🙈. I read ‘It only happens in the movies’ which was good and I quite liked it tho something happened in it which has now put me off reading. – Very annoying and I wish I could get out of the funk that I’m in.
My reading was really hit and miss last year too so I’m hoping it’s better this year.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the The Horse is one book I would like to read at some point, I’ve heard rave reviews about it! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
It’s amazing, I definitely recommend getting a copy!
I’ve never heard of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse before, but it sounds like a great book. I am really intrigued by the idea of being able to just turn to any page and start reading. I am definitely going to get my hands on it and check it out. Thank you for sharing!
It’s such a beautiful book, I highly recommend it!
You read a nice mix of books in January. I haven’t previously heard of any of these books but they certainly sound like they would be interesting reads. I will have to add these to my TBR and check them out for myself.
I hope you enjoy them!
Hi Lauren, I’m not a speedy reader either. My mum bought me The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. You’re right it is beautiful, both in looks and as medicine for the soul.
I haven’t read the other two books but I’ve seen lots of recommendations for them – especially Mexican Gothic.
It’s such a lovely book isn’t it?! Mexican Gothic is a really great book.
I also have to stop a book if I am not feeling it, the only one I have stuck with recently is where the Crawdad sings because I had heard too many good things, it took a whole to get in to but it was worth it.
I love love love The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, We use it in school. And I have since bought a copy for the house.
Sounds like a lovely month of reading, I have lots of reading time marked out for this half term, enjoy your break x x
I’ve heard so many good things about Where the Crawdad Sings but it just doesn’t seem like my sort of book, I might just have to give it a go! Enjoy your half term reading!
I only got to finish one book last month, Jane Green’s The Beach House. But I also am reading The Happiness Project.
I’ll have to check those out!
I loved Mexican Gothic! Such a creepy atmospheric book. I’ll have to look into the other books. ☺️
It was a great book wasn’t it?!