January Reads

Better late than never, here is what I read in January.

1) Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor:

While I didn't enjoy this sequel nearly as much as I did its predecessor, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I did find myself irresistibly drawn back into the world of Karou and Akiva; the world of the chimaera and the seraphim. This novel is slower and darker than Daughter, and follows the separate lives of the now estranged protagonists—one a chimaera raised as a human, one an angel atoning for his sins. In parts the book's pace felt too slow to me, though perhaps this is intended to reflect the long, frustrating struggle the characters find themselves caught up in. The plot had some interesting twists, and left me eager to read the third and last book in the series (out in April, 2014, according to Laini Taylor's website). I remain really impressed with the skill of this author—her writing is beautiful!

2) NW by Zadie Smith:

I was excited months ahead of time to read Zadie Smith's newest novel, having enjoyed The Autograph Man, White Teeth, and especially On Beauty. And then a friend told me that it was written in a stream-of-consciousness style reminiscent of James Joyce's writing, and I got really disappointed (while I actually like James Joyce, I have a major prejudice against Stephen Dedalus, whom I think is possibly the most annoying character ever created). I couldn't have been more wrong about Zadie Smith's NW, though. I loved it! Such an awesome sense of place, such real characters, such satisfyingly interwoven plot lines. Whether the reader is a native Londoner or has never set eyes on the Thames, this book has so much to offer. In parts gritty, funny, and sad, it's an authentic look into the author's hometown of (northwest) London, UK.

...and that's it. I only read two books in January. It was one of those rare times when I actually found myself too busy to read as much as usual: my 21-year-old Toyota's engine blew up, necessitating a frantic search for a reasonably-priced used car (we bought a 2003 Hyundai, which we love); my in-laws visited from England, meaning two weeks worth of fun activities and much happy exhaustion; and my sister and I frantically managed to get some last-minute training sessions in for our half marathon, which we ran at the beginning of February. In fact, here's a photo of us after we crossed the finish line. Because I may look like a dork, but I trained for seven months!

So that's what's going on here at the book cafe, blog readers. What adventures are all of you up to lately?