Book Recommendations

Let's do some book recommendations by month, shall we? I got this idea some time last year, and am late getting this January one out, but better late than never. Let's not wait till next year to test out our funky ideas. So, if you're wanting a new book to finish out the month with, a little inspiration trickling in as the year goes by... I've got some suggestions!

Some of the books that I have designated by month have a strong setting in a certain time of year. Others just seem to fit the mood, a sort of aesthetic color-scheme by season. As I've chosen for each month, I've included many that I reread yearly, along with others that I hope will introduce you to something new, inspire your imagination, or be just the delightful escapism that you need. If these don't strike your fancy, but you're stuck looking for something new, comment a few of your favorites, and I'll try to come up with a fresh read for you.

 

I've gone with three for each month, and for January I chose...

A Gentleman in Moscow

This gem from Amor Towles is one of my absolutely-every-year reads. I notice new things, savor the prose, and bask in the life-affirming encouragement through humor, intelligence, and pathos. I've waxed about this one before, so I'll keep this brief, but its so much more than a synopsis could say. In Moscow, between the wars, a man gets on the wrong side of the Bolsheviks, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol Hotel, for life. Instead of letting this be the end of his story, he brings all his wit and wisdom to bear on his new circumstances, and carves out a life both unexpected and full of life and influence. It is all at once a historical snapshot, a witty commentary, a cozy saga, and a call to action.

 

Innocence

Now, it's been a couple years since I read this one, so the details aren't sharp enough to give you a play-by-play (not that I'm into spoilers anyway). But this book is full of snowy streets, secret retreats, dangerous adventures in libraries, and a deeper story full of intrigue, bravery, anguish, hope, and beauty. I've never actually read any other books by Dean Koontz, and wonder how his others measure up to this one, and its satisfying narrative of suspense and soul.

 

The Reluctant Widow 

This one is pure enjoyment. Hilarious, quick-witted, and well spun, this is one of my favorites from Georgette Heyer. Georgette's best feel like a cross between Jane Austen and P.G. Wodehouse, I'd have to say. And what a conjunction. Regency drama, sharp banter, comical side-characters, and a mysterious plot. It's just what I need during a January slump, and the audible reader is perfect too. Grab a cup of tea and prepare to be diverted!

 

I know the world has gone the way of booktok and bookstagram, and I know I spend more time with my nose stuck in my phone than in my books these days... But here's to picking up the best of novels, to writing poetry in your spare moments throughout the day, to sniffing the aroma of old bindings, to finishing the next short story segment you promised. To reading before bed, on holiday, on public transport, to listening to audiobooks in your earbuds. Here's to hand-written letters, Shakespearean sonnets, the well-thumbed copy of Percy Jackson by your bed. And that obscure fictional character that made you feel brave.