We're only one month into 2019, but I've already read some fantastic books this year. If you've been reading my blog, you know that I spent all of J-term studying Lolita. Aside from that, I read 7 other books, starting my 2019 Goodreads challenge off with a bang. I'm already 3 books ahead this year!
Here are my Top 3 from January.
1. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
DATES READ: 28 Dec. 2018-02 Jan. 2019
PAGE COUNT: 656
GENRE: fiction, mystery
FORMAT: hardcover
Robert Galbraith, aka J.K. Rowling, is the author of my favorite mystery series featuring Cormoran Strike, a disabled Afghanistan war vet who owns a private detective agency. The series is projected to include 7 books, and Lethal White is the fourth in the series. This book follows Strike as he investigates a case involving a politician being blackmailed, a mentally disturbed man who thinks he witnessed a murder, high society in London, and several other lucrative leads.
Because J.K. Rowling wrote Lethal White, I knew what details to expect: lengthy exposition, subtle foreshadowing, beautiful character arcs, red herrings, and nasty villains (to name a few). However, it took me several days and about 300 pages to actually get into the plot. Because Rowling likes to take her time setting up the plot, everything can feel a bit dry at first. But when you get to the first murder, the first major plot twist, the first notable clue, all of the exposition makes sense. Lethal White is a masterpiece mystery. Everything is well-done, and the two-year wait I had to endure was well worth it. I had little trouble following along with everything, and I think the continuity from previous books is well-executed. The conclusion is both realistic and satisfying.
If you're looking for a mystery series that strings you along, but follows through on all that it promises, read the Cormoran Strike series.
2. Vicious by V.E. Schwab
DATES READ: 19-22 Jan.
PAGE COUNT: 368
GENRE: fiction, science
FORMAT: paperback
Several of my friends have raved about this book, and I knew it had to be one of my 2019 reads. I actually borrowed it from one of them, and I'm glad I did (thanks, Charmaine!). Vicious follows Victor Vale and Eliot Cardale (alias Eli Ever), college roommates turned enemies after research for Cardale's senior thesis goes horribly wrong (or really well, depending on how you look at it). When Cardale decides to investigate EOs (ExtraOrdinary people with ExtraOrdinary abilities), he and Vale are quickly in over their heads. Ten years after the experiment's innocuous beginnings, Vale breaks out of prison, determined to take revenge on Cardale, who is currently hunting down and killing every EO he can find.
Aside from the brilliant premise, Vicious is incredibly well-written. Although it contains scientific jargon and complicated concepts, the book is accessible and easy-to-understand. Schwab does a good job breaking down a plot that could easily become convoluted into something that readers without a pre-med background can understand. Although the premise drew me in, I enjoyed the book for its exploration of human relationships and morality. Anyone who enjoys science fiction (and doesn't mind darker concepts) should read Vicious.
3. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
DATES READ: 04 Oct. 2018-24 Jan. 2019
PAGE COUNT: 290
GENRE: nonfiction, politics
FORMAT: paperback & audiobook
The New Jim Crow is probably the hardest book I have ever read in my adult life. This book concerns what Alexander dubs the new "racial caste system": mass incarceration. At first, I thought this terminology was a bit dramatic, but, as I read, I realized the label is completely accurate. I knew about mass incarceration before I read this book, but learning the extent of it made me sick, frustrated, and incredibly angry. Alexander tackles the history behind mass incarceration, the reason it is so incredibly effective, why organizations such as the NAACP are not using all of their resources to fight it, policies that augment the problem, and more.
As someone who is white and is not a student of law or a police officer, my firsthand knowledge of this issue is about zero. I had no idea that mass incarceration existed until a few years ago, and now I feel that it might be the most important issue facing our nation today. I would urge any and everyone to read this book. Knowledge is power, and ignorance is complicity.
Stay tuned for my February reads!
xx Liz
What did you read this month?