Happy 2023. We are starting anew. I hope everyone had great holidays and feels rested up and replenished. I meant to take a photo of me with my First Read of the Year but then I forgot and the print copy was due at the library. Alas, I am now reading the ebook version of Sarah Winman’s 2021 novel Still Life for my book club discussion this month, and I’m also listening to the audio of Miriam Toews’s 2018 novel Women Talking, which is out as a movie soon. The subject matter of it is rather dark and disturbing, but I’m gearing up to see it after I finish the audiobook. So these are my first two books of the year and both seem pretty strong.
It’s going to be a busy month as we are packing up and moving around Jan. 23rd week as well as going to my niece’s wedding in Colorado at the end of the month. So it should be quite a start to the new year. If all goes well, we should be in the new place in the countryside soon.
And now let’s see what looks good in books releasing for January. First off, many are talking about Deepti Kapoor’s fast-paced novel Age of Vice (due out Jan. 3),which is a story of corruption set in modern-day India. Apparently, it’s about a poor boy who joins up with a ruthless rich family; I hear they’re like the mob and the tale is slightly said to be like Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather. Hmm.
I think it’ll be quite violent but it’s also noted for having spellbinding storytelling. The author grew up in Northern India and worked for several years as a journalist in New Delhi. This is her second novel. I can’t wait. I’ve heard it’s explosive.
There’s also Jessica George’s debut novel Maame (due out Jan. 31) about a young British woman from a Ghanaian family trying to find her own way in the world and reassessing her responsibilities after a loss. It sounds like it’s a charming and lively coming-of-age novel that has a complicated but sharp protagonist in Maddie Wright. She is in her mid-20s and balancing her unconventional family, her job, and her dating life all at once.
It seems to be one woman’s journey through her awkward 20s. The author was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and wound up working for Bloomsbury Publishing.
Next up, is a tie between Kai Thomas’s debut novel In the Upper Country and Ilyon Woo’s nonfiction book Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey From Slavery to Freedom. Both look really good and touch on stories of battling slavery. Kai Thomas’s novel (due out Jan. 10) is set in a Canadian town at the end of the Underground Railroad and deals with the fates of two women in 1859 — one beginning a journey and the other completing her last vital act — that become intertwined.
The author is an African-Canadian born and raised in Ottawa, which is good because I am always looking and hoping to read more Canadian authors.
Historian Ilyon Woo’s Master Slave Husband Wife (due out Jan. 17) also looks compelling and is said to be a gripping true story of an enslaved couple’s escape to freedom in Georgia in 1848. I have not heard of Ellen and William Craft, but they were a real married couple who seemed to have risked everything, traveling more than 1,000 miles in four days on steamships, carriages, and trains (using disguises) to get to the free states of the North. There they joined the abolitionist speaking circuit and risked being caught.
It sounds like a suspenseful tale about a couple who showed remarkable courage and had a “love that conquered all.”
As for what to watch this month I’m likely going to see the movie Women Talking (due out Jan. 13) from the Canadian director Sarah Polley, which I actually wrote about in my December Preview. Its wider release must have gotten held up, but it should be out soon. It looks pretty scary about a Mennonite colony whose women are being attacked while they sleep.
I am reading the novel right now by Canadian author Miriam Toews, which dreadfully is based on a true story that happened in a Mennonite community in Bolivia in 2009. The case seems horrific, but much of the novel involves the women in the community’s discussion about their response and what they should do next. The movie’s trailer looks like the movie differs from the book, but we will see.
Next we will likely watch Season 2 of the TV series Your Honor starting on Showtime Jan. 13. It’s a crazy, unlikely story that stars Bryan Cranston as a judge whose son gets embroiled with a mob family when he’s involved in a hit-and-run car accident. The father (Cranston) tries to protect his son.
That was Season 1, I’m not sure where Season 2 will go, but it’s safe to say that Cranston’s character — the judge — is reeling from the final episode in the first season, which was crazy violent. It’s said to be the final season of the show, which is set and filmed in New Orleans.
For new music releasing this month, I’ll pick the new album by Canadian husband-wife duo Whitehorse called I’m Not Crying, You’re Crying due out Jan. 13. Their music is folk rock-y and I like what I’ve heard so far from this new album. They hail from Hamilton, Ontario. You can see their first single off it here on YouTube called If the Loneliness Don’t Kill Me.
That’s all for now. What about you — which releases are you looking forward to this month?
Good luck with your move and also have fun at the wedding! And Happy New Year! I got AGE OF VICE as a Book of the Month selection and will receive it at some point before long. It sounded interesting to me. We shall see.
Hey Kay. Happy New Year. Good to hear from you. Wow getting a copy of Age of Vice seems great. I’ve seen so many positive things about the book! But it could be violent — still I’m game for it. So far I’m just on the library list. Have a great week.
Women Talking didn’t really work for me so I’ll be interested to see what you think of it.
Hi Helen, yeah I agree that Women Talking went around & round with these discussions about what to do after the attacks — which I became a bit impatient with. I wanted them to act pronto! But they had been oppressed in their society forever so it took awhile to come to grips. In the end I felt it was effective in showing all the wrongs they had been thru. And it creeped me out.
Have a great week.
That’s an interesting list. Some of the titles are on my list as well.
Enjoy Colorado – one of my favorite places in the world.
Yeah Dorothy, Colorado is a great place. I lived there in a mountain/ski town for several years after college and it was like paradise. So I always like going back. The wedding is in a part of the state I have Not been to … so that will be very cool. Near Winter Park Colorado. Cheers.
It sounds like January will be very busy. I haven’t moved in 38 years, and, with my books and his rocks, I can’t really imagine it. Hopefully, your move will be simple and quick, and it will result in a happy light feeling.
It will be interesting to see which books you choose as you go forward.
Yeah Deb. Sigh, we have so many books in this house (after 17 years), his books, my books — shelves in various rooms. Stuff in storage rooms. Good grief. It’s daunting: moving. The only thing that helps is that we are able to haul stuff away over several weeks to the new place 50 mins away and then we also have a mover coming. Cross your fingers. I’d like to pare down but not sure how much will happen. Hope your week is going well.
Look at all of that snow! So beautiful.
I bought a copy of Winman’s Still Life a week or so ago. I love the cover art! How are you liking the book? It has received a lot of high praise, so I’m hopeful.
The 23rd will be here before you know it! I don’t know if your husband will have the time (or interest), but Rod is doing a WebEx talk with Rowan University on the 24th (12pm EST). I can send you the info, if it’s something he might be interested in. Rowan is where Marv Creamer taught and they are sponsoring a virtual gathering in celebration of the anniversary of his instrument-free circumnavigation.
I want to see if Rod and my mom are interested in watching Your Honor. It’s been on my list for some time now.
Best of luck with your packing & move! I always say I’m going to get rid of a ton of stuff before a big move, but it rarely happens. When we moved here (and combined households with my mom), we did get rid of A LOT of stuff, some of which I wish we had kept. 😉
Have a good month!
Thanks Lesley, Yeah I feel like we’re not getting rid of a lot of stuff, though I’d like to. We will see how it goes – we have a few weeks to get ready. But we’ve been having so many viewings at the old place I can’t seem to pack.
Will Rod’s talk be taped? We’d like to watch it but likely Robert will be working then. It sounds very good. We’d like to see it but not sure of the time. My husband has written a positive review of the book so I will get him to put it on Amazon.ca (hopefully today).
See what you think of Your Honor. It’s sort of anxiety-packed situation. Enjoy your week at the Cove. Northern Cal was hit hard by the storm — hope you didn’t get that.
Good luck with your move! Women Talking is one of those books I’ve been meaning to read for years, but just haven’t gotten around to. I didn’t know they were making a movie of it.
Hi Lark. Yep. Women Talking is now a movie – getting a bigger release Jan. 13. I’m a little scared to see it — these attacks on the women are disturbing. But hopefully it’s mostly about the discussion the women have on how to proceed thereafter. Hope you have a great week.
I hope your move goes well, Susan. Moving is always such a chore. Once it’s over and done though, hopefully you will be able to rest some. I’ve been wanting to read Women Talking for some time now and now with the movie coming out, perhaps I’ll have more motivation. Maame sounds like something I might like. I will have to keep an eye out for it. I hope you have a wonderful 2023, Susan!
Thank LF, 2023 will be one of positive change I hope. Moving is a chore, sigh but we have a couple weeks to pack up. And yes Maame has gotten a lot of good press so I’m hoping it’s something a bit fun & enjoyable. I could use something a bit brighter these days. Enjoy the start of your 2023!
Have fun at the wedding and best of luck with the move! I really enjoy reading your reviews and am going to read Maame. I’ll let you know what I think! Hope to see you soon.
Sarah ! How did you remember this?! Sneaky. Thanks, it’s going to be a crazy month! So much stuff, why why … why do we do this to ourselves? How is life going there? I hope Maame will be plucky and fun. Happy 2023!
You have a very bus month ahead, Susan. Best of luck with the move… that will be a lot of work, but so exciting, too. I’m not familiar with any of the January releases you mention, so be curious to hear what you think of them. Beautiful picture. I like snow a lot more when it’s in photos! 😉
Thanks JoAnn. I remember when you all moved from NY to FLA … that was major and this feels like that too. We just have to keep calm and have a plan each day of what to get done etc.
Who knows when I will get to these January releases, but at least I have them on my radar. I hope you have a great month. And wondering when you will return to FLA. best wishes in 2023!
Happy New Year, Susan! Hope you enjoyed the holidays and that all is going well for the upcoming move. I saw a preview for Women Talking and I’m definitely interested but would actually like to read the book first. There’s so many books coming out that sound so good. Here’s to many good reads this year!
Thanks Iliana, great to hear from you. And wishing you a happy new year as well. Yeah I just finished the book of Women Talking – and it’s a bit unusual a read – how it’s done. I think the movie will have more action. I’m gearing up for it.
Indeed there’s much to read. I plan to stop by your site soon. Cheers.
Happy New Year Susan!
None of the new releases actually draws my attention at the moment. That might be a good thing as I need to focus on my TBR for real this year.
I haven’t seen Your Honor, but it does sound good. Will ask my husband what he thinks.
Lots of Love!
Mareli & Elza
Thanks Mareli. Are you back from your trip? I’ll have to stop by soon.
I agree there’s a lot of backlogged TBR books I need to still get to as well. So who knows when I will get to these new books.
Your Honor is pretty anxiety filled … with some violence. but see what you two think. It’s like watching a thriller a bit. Have a great week!
Women Talking the movie is on my list. Good buzz around that one. I didn’t realize it was based off of a book. I’ll have to check it out. Good luck with the move. Moving is so daunting. We are hoping we can get into a house this spring/summer but the interest rates are killer right now.
I don’t think Your Honor is on my list. The subject matter just doesn’t sit well with me. But glad you enjoyed it. Slow Horses was fantastic. That was probably my favorite series of 2022.
Yeah I agree Heather, the Slow Horses series was certainly a winner with us as well. It’s okay to skip Your Honor — it’s a bit crazy.
And moving is so hard! You sort of forget and then it’s worst than you imagined. The interest rates are a killer, ugh! It can’t get worse right?
I’m curious of the movie Women Talking – just finished the book – but the movie looks disturbing so we will see. Have a great week.
Have a good non-stressful time with your move and all the travel. Sounds challenging!
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Yeah Mae. This month is crazy. We have a funeral, a move, and a wedding. But we will get through it — somehow, someway. Thanks for the encouragement. Enjoy your reading & new year!