January is always a really hard month for me. My mental and emotional mindset is highly, highly sensitive to weather and lighting – and January is cold, gray, and gloomy. There are no holidays to distract from the overall depressive lack of sunlight, and all the body wants to do is hibernate until spring – but there is an unspoken expectation in the air to return to the grindstone and humdrum; the season of revelry and relaxation is at an end (though holidays are not exactly relaxing). Still, for all of the cold wetness of the month, and battle to get up and be present, I got a fair amount of “hibernative reading” in – and that was very nice indeed.
Reading in Review
City of Magic by Avi (#3 in the Midnight Magic Trilogy) – Avi is one of the rare writers who can return to a book years and years later, to write an unplanned sequel – and have it work. This book was a delightful wrap-up in the adventures of Fabrizio and his master, the once-magician and philosopher Mangus of Pergamontio. The Venice setting is an absolute treat, the historical figures worked into the narrative really fun, and Fabrizio finally learns some truth about the world. But we love him and we love the new friends he makes. Such a delightful book!
The Girl from Shadow Springs by Ellie Cypher – This is an underrated book; hardly anyone talks about it and it gained little to no attention when published. Aside from the rather obnoxious “trapper accent” the entire narrative is written in, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Part survivalist fantasy adventure, part archeological mystery adventure, it was a gem and a joy. Even the romance was a lot more subtle and slow-burn than I originally thought it’d be, and the suspenseful “what is going on” question kept the pages turning. And at times, it was downright spooky.
The Colossus of Rhodes by Caroline Lawrence (#9 of The Roman Mysteries) – As a child, I enjoyed this installment well enough but generally considered it the “beginning of the end,” where the series took a dive into the bizarre. However, rereading it, it’s a lot better than I remember it being – in fact, it’s one of the stronger volumes. A bit darker, delving deep into child trafficking – as well as Lupus’s emotional character development – it has a lot of excellent moments.
Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson – This book still lives up to the original 5-star rating I gave it, and it’s still the best Bluebeard retelling I’ve read. Full of Gothic atmosphere and suspense, the author clearly knows her Victorian writers and the era her story is set. As an adult, this book is so, so, so much more disturbing, but it’s meant to be – and given some of the suggested subject matter, it isn’t graphic at all.
Becky’s Brainstorm by Elaine L. Schulte (#1 of The Twelve Candles Club series) – This was a nostalgia punch to the nose. And it made me feel so old. But it’s a fun, light read, makes me hanker for the “good old days.”
The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer (#5 in the Enola Holmes Mysteries series) – Arguably this one is one of the most solid mysteries in the whole series – and they’re all pretty solid – and I enjoyed the addition of Florence Nightingale. But I keep finding myself having mixed reactions because there’s just enough “female struggle/male ignorance” in it that it gets under my teeth. That aside, it’s an excellent installment in the series and we’re given some growth in Sherlock Holmes regarding his sister. But those little moments; ugh.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (#1 in the Inheritance Games Series) – This is a book that requires my full opinion to be suspended until I’ve read the whole series, for the sequels will either make or break it. I loved the Knives Out/Westing Game atmosphere it held, and I was definitely caught up in wanting to know what the heck was going on. But there’s so much that is build-up for sequels that, if the series doesn’t deliver, then even this first book is a cop out.
The Many Lives of John Stone by Linda Buckley-Archer – Even though I really liked this book the first time I read it, I did honestly forget a lot of it. It’s a really interesting read, perhaps less compelling the second time through than the first, but the characters still held up and I thoroughly enjoyed the historic moments in John Stone’s past life. That being said, I also really wanted to thump his younger self, as well as Jacob and Ludo, and at times Spark’s mum. It’s an extremely character-driven story, so the plot can feel minorly pointless if you don’t love the characters. But it’s a unique book, and I appreciate that.
Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (#4 in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series) – I do love the concept of this whole series, and the little interconnected mini stories are enjoyable enough. However, the author is clearly a playwright and not a novelist. The dialogue is rather klunky, there is way too much reiteration of who is who and the cafe rules – like way too much reiteration – and the descriptions very much read like stage setting. So this is definitely a one-time read series for me.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa – I really don’t like terminal illness stories. What redeemed this one as much as it was, was the fact that the cat narrated parts of it – which was fun – and it had a strong “road trip story” feel – and I do love road trip stories, despite most of them really not having characters I care about. I just love road trips. So in its way, this book was fun – but I don’t think I’d ever read it again.
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa – I have a difficult relationship with “bookstore fiction.” There are so many stories out there revolving around bookstores, and exactly none of them have ever satisfied me. The only two that have come close were Middle Grade and they weren’t wholly bookstore fiction. This is a case of adoring the concept and it never being executed the way I want. However, this book was excellent! I really liked the characters, the plot revolving around the labyrinths was fun – even if it was highly esoteric – and I liked the bookstore itself. It really captured the essence of reading for me, and it had a satisfying ending no. I feel like this is underrated.
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (#1 in the Inkworld Trilogy) – This book will never not be nostalgic, and it will never not bring back that deep sense of just loving books and loving reading. I forgot how much the movie downplayed the darker aspects of this story, how less intimidating they made Capricorn and the Black Jackets (still love the movie, though).
A Place for Vanishing by Ann Fraistat – Ah, this is a hard one to rate. On the one hand, this book was one of the best I’ve read for its genre. On the other, it was dark and demonic, and I don’t like horror that goes into demonic possession and summoning. Setting the demons aside for a minute, it had excellent characters and atmosphere – and one of the most realistic teen romances without it being irritating – and it never got gross. Just. . . .demons. I don’t like demons.
Nightshade Revenge by Anthony Horowitz (#13 in the Alex Rider Adventures) – Out of the three books detailing the Nightshade story arc, this was definitely the strongest. Out of all the books in the whole series, it was one of the weakest. I enjoyed this final foray into Alex’s world again, but it also dis not feel necessary.
Watership Down by Richard Adams – I have a tangled relationship with this book. On the one hand, it’s disturbing because rabbits get slaughtered and eaten and maimed and suffocated, and they have their own little creation legend and religion. But on the other hand, I do genuinely like the characters, the story, the grimness, and prevailing sense of triumph over the cruelties of life.
Black Horses for the King by Anne McCaffrey – Anne ought to have written more historical fiction. A lot more. The influence of Rosemary Sutcliff on this book is obvious and I really, really, really wish she hadn’t stopped here. The history is interesting, the accuracy wonderful, the characters likeable – and I want more of it.
A Look Back at January
I am at war with two versions of myself in January: the one that wants to shut down from life, just until spring comes, and the one who wants to renew a routine that is inevitably obliged to alter in order to accommodate the demands – and joys – of the holidays. Every night I must determine who will reign supreme the following day, and every morning it is a battle to not permit hibernation me to win every time.
Because I know that, as appealing as never emerging from out of the blankets until I see spring sunlight is, I will feel worse for not taking this time to reset my mental clock and reacquaint myself with a routine. It is a fact of life that there are simply things that must be done, and if they are left undone, they’ll only get worse.
I am gentle with myself. I have learned to negotiate with my low energy seasons, to work with them rather than against. So long as there is progress forward, I don’t feel as if I am swimming upstream, and I experience less burnout and more success in establishing solid habits that then kick in full gear as the weather – and therefore my mood – improves. And as miserable as January is for me, it really is a good time to begin reforming routine – slowly, but steadily. Remind myself daily that the sun is coming back, the cold won’t be forever, and the sky will be blue again – and I thank God every time that I do not live in Alaska.
So January has really been just that: readjusting, recognizing that the low energy is typical for this part of the year, and finding ways to manage. Sometimes that looks a lot like reading – a lot of reading. It looks like writing a chore list down every night so I have motivation to get things done. It looks like cooking lots of thick stews, warm bread, potatoes, and salmon. It looks like a pot of tea every night before bed, a few squares of chocolate on especially bad days, fun cozy socks, and my very thick cardigan. And making sure I sit in front of my sun lamp at least 30 minutes a day.
It is what it is. I’ve found over the years that every season has its own routine, its own rhythm, its own challenges and joys. Finding a way to acclimate to it is the key to me; it makes it easier to ride the low moments, and appreciate the good aspects. January is my chance to get ahead in reading and make lots of bread. The gloom won’t last forever. And believe me, being struck down with the flu during the last week of January did not make it easy to cling to any sense of optimism.
A Glance at February
February is here! And though I begin it still recovering from the flu, it is shaping up into a fast month, though not necessarily extremely busy (for which I am grateful). Cookie baking has had to be rethought, as I now must dedicate a lot more time to writing and book promotion. I don’t want to stretch too thin and then have no time to enjoy things. So while I have not abandoned my cookies, I’ve had to bring it down to a smaller scale – and that’s fine. I’m an author now! I want to prioritize writing and doing author appearances. And I want to be able to really plan and enjoy Valentine’s Day this year. Last year’s was wonderful, but it honestly snuck up on me and my planning, while excellent, was still very last minute and I hate that feeling – no matter how successful the outcome.
Aside from enjoying Valentine’s Day, I have marketing to do. Places and people to visit to see if I can get some more author events scheduled. I am not a marketer and I honestly have severe anxiety about trying to convince people to buy my book, but it has to be done – and I also know that I can do it. God will bless my talents – and provide strength where I am deficient. So. . . .onward!
The Bluestocking Biblio Buttery 