Kathy Hamilton It’s time for my month roundup “What I read in January”. This month is packed with a little of everything from best-sellers to literary essays and was a fantastic reading month for me. I’m excited to share it with you.
The Un-Domestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership. Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself with a job as a housekeeper. But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?
Here’s the first book on my round up of What I Read in January and it feels like a throwback! It’s been so long since I read a book like this. So it was the perfect pick to kick off a new year with. It’s funny, warm and just a happy read. I really enjoyed seeing Samantha progress from stressed-out lawyer to finding her purpose. Honestly, Sophia Kinsella is an author I had heard of but never read and if I hadn’t received this as a Christmas present I might never have! Chick Lit at its finest.
Amy Snow by Tracy Rees
Left to perish on a bank of snow as a baby, Amy has never known love or family. Reluctantly given shelter at nearby Hatville Court, she is despised by the masters and servants alike. The beautiful Hatville heiress, Aurelia Vennaway, is Amy’s only advocate – she becomes the light of Amy’s life, and the centre of her existence. So when Aurelia dies young, Amy’s world collapses. But Aurelia leaves Amy with one last gift. A bundle of letters with a coded key and a treasure hunt that only Amy can unlock. A life-changing secret awaits… if only she can reach it.
Next in What I Read in January is this Historical Fiction. This was a recommendation from my mam. I’m usually terrible at taking recommendations (despite constantly dishing them out here!) But I’m really glad I read this one. I found it refreshing to read a Historical Fiction that wasn’t set in Regency or Tudor times. And enjoyed the mystery as it unfolded. It was kind of like a platonic Victorian P.S. I Love You! Amy followed the letters that led her into a new world of friends, intrigue and love. Could it have been a little shorter? Sure. But I did enjoy the indulgent period description none the less.
The Portrait by Antoine Laurain
Avid antiques collector Pierre-François Chaumont unearths the find of a lifetime. At a Paris auction house: an eighteenth-century portrait of a gentleman who looks just like him. Researching into the painting’s history, he has the chance to abandon his tedious existence and walk into a brand new life . . .
This was such a curious little novella. Too short to be a book and too long to be a short story and brimming with magical surrealism. I read this in two lunch breaks and found myself unsure about whether I liked Pierre or not by the end. At times he seemed so detached from his own life and had no qualms about abandoning a wife and career. But at the same time, his wife seemed quite happy to find herself abandoned by him. If you’ve been reading along on my monthly roundups for a while, you might have noticed Antoine Laurain crop up before. He’s perfect for a quick, thoughtful read.
Selected Essays by Virginia Woolf
This selection brings together thirty of her best essays. Including the famous Mr Bennett and Mrs Brown, a clarion call for modern fiction. She discusses the arts of writing and of reading. And the particular role and reputation of women writers. She writes movingly about her father and the art of biography, and of the London scene in the early decades of the twentieth century. Overall, these pieces are as indispensable to an understanding of this great writer as they are enchanting in their own right.
The penultimate book in “What I Read in January” is this collection of essays. Which were another Christmas present. Virginia Woolf was able to turn her hand to most types of literature. But I do think her essays are particularly good. This is a perfect collection to dip in and out of as you fancy and each essay is sure to leave you with something to think about. I appreciated that the thematic layout of this collection. It made it simple to pick an essay on say, “Women’s Writing” and find it easily.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completly Fine by Gail Honeyman
Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions. With weekends punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy. But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy. An elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk. The three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.
Oh, how I resisted this book. I tend to avoid books with “hype” like the plague. This is something I’m trying to change this year though and as you can see it’s starting to work. I’m so glad I read this gem of a book. Honestly…I was gearing myself up to say it was “Okay…enjoyable”. Until I reached a certain section (trying to avoid spoilers). Then I sat back and thought “Wow, this book just went from good to excellent!” I had a soft spot for Eleanor from the beginning as she has one of my favourite names. However, more than that, this book managed to tackle some serious, dark themes, whilst managing to be both uplifting and funny. The standout book for What I read in January.
That wraps up What I Read in January
If you’ve read my 2019 reading goals, you might remember that I challenged myself to read 50 books this year. So far I’m slightly ahead of schedule. And if “What I Read in January” is anything to go by I’ve got some good reading ahead of me. Interestingly, all the books that feature in my roundup were either gifted to me over Christmas or were already sitting un-read on my bookshelves. So, I also managed to fulfill another of my reading goals: to read my bookshelf. What did you read in January?
