Eleven Books for the New Year
A January reading diary
It turns out that January is the month when people read the most. Fresh off the reviving wave of New Year’s Resolutions, everyone’s happy to turn to their infinite TBR (to be read) pile.
Without really trying, I somehow read eleven books in January (school holidays are more manageable with an audiobook in my ears). They were a diverse mix of contemporary romance, nonfiction, horror, and fantasy. I’ve collected them here with short reviews.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
I’ve never saturated myself in the Western genre besides a few Cormac McCarthy titles. McMurtry’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning classic is the pinnacle of the genre. Fans of Red Dead Redemption will see the novel’s influence on the characters and dialogue. McMurtry’s portrayals of a loose pack of lonely cowboys is funny, endearing and immersive. The characters have remained with me all month. Truly some of the best character work I’ve encountered in a long time.
The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials and Murder by Douglas Preston
Preston, a freelance journalist who hops between The New Yorker, WIRED and other long-form science outlets, has made a career out of archaeological quirks and controversies. This collection pieces together his essays over thirty years, and includes tales of Egyptian tombs, mysterious mass burial sites in India, and much more. But there’s more here than Indiana Jones pulp - Preston doesn’t err from the political ramifications of the study of the past. Who owns history? And what should the law protect, and how?
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Young adult romantasy that is the first in a duology, Gillig‘s work is immensely popular. The romance here is a chaste sub-plot, and is only a guest star to Gillig’s gift for world-building. While the characters and plot are okay enough, it’s Gillig’s ingenious magic system (dependent on a set of mystical cards) that gives her gothic fairytale an edge.
Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
Publishing is weird. BookTok is to blame for Butcher & Blackbird, a novel that is spun around marketing first, substance second. Weaver’s contemporary dark romance is about two serial killers falling in love. The expansive trigger warning (clearly designed to be read and copied on social media) promises gore and cannibalism and dark, sexy delights. In reality, the novel is impotent, relying on an adolescent interest in gore to deliver its intended ‘darkness’. The novel is a thinly plotted contemporary romance that doesn’t even deliver some good sex scenes. There are countless opportunities for interesting plots that Weaver never picks up: mysteries around other killers, running from the police… Honestly, don’t bother.
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
A trendy best-seller from the last year, Butter feels like a less refined version of All Fours by Miranda July, one of my favourite reads of last year. In contemporary Japan, magazine journalist Rika Machida scores an exclusive with suspected man-killer, gourmet cook Manako Kajii. The result is a whirlwind of self-discovery for Machida, who contemplates feminist liberation, fatphobia, indulgence and the pleasures of food. There’s not quite enough here to be truly memorable, but exploring these themes in a Japanese context was illuminating.
It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Oh look… I mean sure….vapid social media star is exiled to a rustic shipping town where she falls for a rugged fisherman? You won’t be any smarter after reading it, and you won’t remember it, but it keeps you entertained. I will say some of the dialogue and sexy talk is particularly stupid in this one. My wife and I giggled over this line: ‘his words are like a slap to my needy p*ssy’. It’s that kind of book.
The Siege: A Six-Day Hostage Crisis and the Daring Special-Forces Operation that Shocked the World by Ben Macintyre
In 1980, six gunmen barged into the Iranian embassy in London and took twenty-six hostages. The ensuing six-day stand-off is laid out in intrinsic and compelling detail by Macintyre, who manages to cast everyone in a sympathetic light. This is the first work I’ve read that appropriately captures and explains Stockholm Syndrome - the psychological quirk where abductees will take the side of their captors and bond with them—thrilling and great journalism. Also learned more about the Iranian conflicts in the 70’s and 80’s. Great paired with the celebrated 2023 novel My Friends by Hisham Matar.
Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane
My exploration of romance is taking me to some interesting cul de sacs, like this sharp and witty novel by Mhairi McFarlane. It is hardly a romance in the sense you expect. It is a comedy with a happy ending that is mostly about women. Therefore, it is classed as ‘romance’. In reality, the book is about a woman’s long-term relationship breaking up. Her boyfriend is a famed television writer - but his latest show involves creepy details from her life. Is the rest of the show fake? Or has she been with a liar this whole time?
The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King
I’m doing my best to get through Stephen King’s bibliography chronologically. This fantasy thriller is a bright spark in his mid-80s plateau. It is the second novel in his Dark Tower series, which some fans insist is his magnum opus. I was sceptical after reading the first novel, The Gunslinger, which reads as a slim, opaque acid trip. Many readers have felt the same, and never get to this - the essential second volume. My recommendation: start here. You’ll learn everything you need to from the first page or so and have no trouble catching up to the plot. Good fun. Classic King: tight thrillers that manage lovable and weird characters.
Australian Gospel: A Family Saga by Lech Blaine
I have a literary crush on Lech Blaine. His excellent political writing is world-class, and you can find some key pieces with Schwartz Media. But this is the memoir of Blaine’s unique family, which features six foster siblings. Blaine is a poet, and man ages to capture the spirit of his family members with beautiful precision. For fellow Queenslanders, reading a book set around regional Queensland is also refreshing. The tale spans Bundaberg, Toowoomba, Ipswich and more.
The Will of the Many by James Islington
This new fantasy epic from Islinngton is action-packed. Set in an alternative Roman Empire, an all-consuming government called ‘The Hierarchy’ magically utilises the ‘Will’ of the population. The result is a boost to technology: massive flying transport ships and advanced shipping networks. A compelling metaphor for slavery, Islington’s hero is a predictable David fighting the Hierarchical Goliath, but it never feels cliche. It's good fun.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
Margo’s twenty and just became pregnant from her college professor. She needs money, fast. She’s the daughter of a Hooter’s waitress and a pro-wrestler, and she’s just dropped out of her English degree. She turns to OnlyFans to start a life as an indie adult performer. What should be a simple, enjoyable comedy punches way above its weight. This is seriously excellent comedic writing with more depth than you would expect. There’s meta-commentary on third and first person, the nature of real and fake, truth and lies, fiction and non-fiction. So enjoyable.