What I Read – January and February 2019

I really got behind with these, huh?

The good news is that I’ve been reading some brilliant books. I just haven’t posted about them.

I won’t share March’s reads yet because the month isn’t complete.

Here goes!

JANUARY 2019

1. This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel – a really amazing novel about how a family react when their son Claude announces that he’s a girl. Really thought provoking and beautifully written.
2. Different Class by Joanne Harris – I’ve really become a fan of Joanne Harris’ novels. This is another one set around St Oswald’s school and I just love the characters and how well Joanne creates this world around the school and its staff.
3. blueeyedboy by Joanne Harris – another St Oswald’s novel. I believe I’ve read them all now. Brilliant!
4. Help Me by Marianne Power – a non fiction title about a woman who decides to experiment and see whether personal development books really can change her life. This is a fairly light hearted, tongue in cheek book and really enjoyable.
5. Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki – a non-fiction book about minimalism. This is about fairly extreme minimalism – like getting rid of virtually all possessions, moving in to tiny, unfurnished spaces, etc. It’s not the level of minimalism I’m aiming for, but I am still on a path towards less stuff and this was an interesting read.

FEBRUARY 2019

1. The Secret History by Donna Tartt – oh my goodness, how I have not read this book before now I really don’t know. It’s over a month since I finished it and I still think about the characters in this book often. I’m pretty sure it’s a story I will never forget. It’s a big tome, but the writing is simply beautiful.
2. Dear Writer, You Need To Quit by Becca Syme – this is a good read about the things that writers should consider quitting, keeping and reviewing. Becca has just started a related podcast and I’ve taken her Write Better Faster course.
3. Company of One by Paul Jarvis – a really interesting non-fiction book about business growth. It isn’t literally about companies of one person, but rather it focuses on questioning the idea of growth for the sake of growth. Very thought provoking.
4. On The Come Up by Angie Thomas – I really, really love this author’s work. I read and loved The Hate U Give and this new novel is just as excellent, about a teenage girl who dreams of becoming a rapper.
5. Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque – a really great non-fiction guide to building a newsletter list, particularly designed for authors.

I’m really happy with the books I’ve read so far this year. There haven’t been any that I haven’t enjoyed – all of them have been useful or enjoyable, or both!

I’m mainly reading paperbacks. I do love my Kindle but there’s something special about that feel of a paper back in my hands.