Welcome to the New Year 2023
It took me a few tries to make my reading list for January. I kept putting titles on it, then removing them as my interests changed over the weeks when deciding which books I would be reading in the first month of the new year.
I want to read new books, but I also have so many backlist titles in physical and e-book format. I have a lot to choose from.
I have enjoyed the last couple of years of book blogging. I will be continuing on with that and perhaps bring in other interests I have from the world of art, culture, and entertainment.
Here is my TBR for January::
Gods of Jade and Shadow
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Descendant of the Crane
by Joan He
Count Zero
by William Gibson
Cloud Atlas
by David Mitchell
Trail of Lightning
by Rebecca Roanhorse
Saints of Big Harbour
by Lynn Coady
Here Is A Story…
Monday Reads Update
Jan 16
Chinese New Year Festivities are underway in the city I live. This is a perfect time to dive into Chinese dramas. I have the fortune to dive into Descendant of the Crane by Joan He this weekend, which I think of as a historical cdrama in written form.
Hesina is the heir to the throne. Her father the emperor has passed away and Hesina is convinced he was murdered. She sets out to find the killer. She also assumes the throne and must learn statecraft with bigger stakes that she had not been aware of as just a member of the royal household.
As any good cdrama, there is political intrigue, romance, and martial arts. With only a 100 pages into the book, there is more to the story to unravel. We’ll see how this goes.
The Allure of the Sea
Monday Reads Update
Jan 9
It is getting later in the day. The pale blue sky outside the window is the reminder of the colours sparked when reading about being near or beside water. Two recent reads inspire a visit to the sea.
The first of the reads is A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow. This is a YA Fantasy title following Tavia and her sister. The story slowly unfolds as it shows the life Tavia has as a Black American teenager with the powers of a siren. In Greek mythology, sirens are beings who have beautiful voices who lure sailors from their berths. The reader gets to know Tavia and her friends and family members. The story is also about racism and police violence. The magic in the world is woven into the everyday lives of the teenagers, and there are rules that magical beings have to live by in a world that is hostile to their abilities. The transitions between character perspectives are almost non-existent, so there can be confusion on who is speaking, whether it is Tavia or her sister Effie. There is also representation of hearing disabilities and mental illness. Trigger warning for depiction of attempted suicide.
The second book that has to do with the sea is a translated work, Woman At Sea by Catherine Poulain which follows a woman who has arrived at a fishing community in Alaska from France. She joins a crew of fishermen and sets out to be one of them. The writing is sparse and has a rhythmic quality that is attractive to the reader. There are descriptions of working and living in close quarters with other fishermen, as well as the physical demands in meeting the quotas in fish for market. With only 50 pages read at this point, there will be more to discuss in a future blog entry.
Monday Reads Update
January 2, 2023
I am in the middle of watching a palace intrigue. High-ranking officials are gathered at a feast with the reigning monarch. The room I sit in has a cluttered desk and the bookcases are full. It is 2023. With time and distance, I think I have a fairly good life, although it could always be better. I have read 2/3rds of my first book of the year. The book in question is Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It is an interesting story set in the 1920s Mexico when the jazz age reaches the bigger cities. Change is in the air following the end of the first world war where there is a rejection of old ways.
Published only a few years ago, Gods of Jade and Shadow has the feel of a contemporary travel story, recounting aspects of Mexican history and culture, and has a fantasy element as the main character, Casiopea Tun has left her small town with a Mayan death god she has freed from a box her grandfather kept among his things. I have a few more chapters left until the end. A few questions arise – why keep things from long ago, and what power do they have on the new generation?