This post started out as a January Wrap Up that I never finished! 😬 I have no idea how it got lost in my draft folder. Does this happen to any other book bloggers or am I just disorganised? Anyway, I’ve adapted the wrap up onto a quarterly wrap up of sorts. I am a little behind on my Goodreads reading challenge but I’m hoping I can catch up over the next few months. This is every book I’ve read in January-March. 📚

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

In Memoriam was my local book club’s pick for January and was a Waterstones Book of the Year winner 2023. I finished it just before we met up for book club on Jan 3rd. I read the first chapter and wasn’t sure this book was for me but after reading the next few chapters I couldn’t put it down. In Memoriam is a book with a wide scope of themes from homosexuality, class, societal expectations, xenophobia, propaganda and war. This novel has a way of displaying the horrors of the Great War without glorifying it, nor does it romanticise Britain’s effort in the war (which tends to happen with WW1 & WW2 discussions in Britain). We had a brilliant chat about In Memoriam at book club and I’ll have more to say on it when I post my full review. 5 ⭐

Sistersong by Lucy Holland

Three siblings, three secrets and a dying kingdom. Sistersong is quiet historical fantasy about sisterly love, betrayal, acceptance and a celebration of ancient lands. I really enjoyed reading Lucy Holland’s debut novel, especially on my 9 hour flight to Orlando! I don’t really understand why this book gets compared to much to Circe by Madeline Millar because they are nothing alike, honestly. They have different settings, different vibes and overall the structure of their stories is completely different. 4 ⭐ – Full review coming soon.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie, Stephenie, Stephenie… What have you written? 😅 Not going to lie I’m starting to get a little addicted to my Twilight Saga reread, even though the books so far have not been great. I’ll have a lot more to say in my review (currently being drafted, you can read my review of Twilight here).

Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid by Thor Hanson

Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid is a very important book on what is happening to the natural world and how we need to alter how we view its changes. The impacts of climate change on the environment have already begun – some have been happening now for decades – so perhaps we should consider the marvels of these changes instead of only catastrophising. This book exudes enthusiasm from the author and the scientists interviewed for the new discoveries being made in a wide range of scientific fields, from marine biology to forestry to ornithology, etc. Climate Change remains a huge threat to the World’s ecosystem but this book gives new hope through sharing the most fascinating displays of adaptation in recent scientific history.

None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

I don’t usually read thrillers and never would’ve picked this up for myself if this wasn’t the April pick at my local book club. I ended up listening to None Of This Is True in audiobook format and it absolutely transformed the reading experience. As the book relies quite heavily on podcast excerpts to add compelling hints to the story, hearing these similarly to an actual podcast really made a difference. Once I started I couldn’t stop listening. I absolutely needed to know what happened next and ended up listening to the whole thing in one day while doing various chores around the house!

Happy reading! 📚