Books to Check Out Vol. 1

New year new reads!! And a new title change for my monthly book reviews? Hell yeah. Let’s go 2023.

January was an amazing month for books for me. I’m already well on my way to my yearly goal of 50 books, and I’m excited to keep sharing the amazing books. Happy reading!

Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi

The very first book I read this year, Diary of a Void was a great time. It’s a wonderful blend of light comedy and real life struggles. This short novel follows our protagonist who one day decides to tell everyone at her job that she’s pregnant. She isn’t, of course, but what follows is a tale of her trying to keep up the ruse, as well as discovering how different her life becomes when she’s “pregnant”.

I had a great time with this read. The chapters are broken up by "weeks”, as she keeps up a journal detailing how far along she should be, as well as the activities she endures to keep up the ruse. It makes the book a quick read, and provides great opportunities for humor throughout. If you like character driven stories, this is a really great one to pick up.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

I read this one in record time. The Maidens is a psychological thriller. It follows group therapist Mariana in her quest to prove the guilt of a popular Cambridge professor, Edward Fosca, in the murders of two students on campus. There are plenty of moving parts here that made this such a gripping read. Mariana’s niece is in the picture as a student at Cambridge, there’s the mysterious group of women named The Maidens who surround the enigmatic Professor Fosca, as well as tragedy in Mariana’s past.

I’m a huge fan of Greek lit, and The Maidens, unsurprisingly, is steeped in the subject. Between mythological references and mysterious Greek postcards, the academic aspect to the murders kept me guessing until the last few pages. And WOW did that ending throw me for a loop in the best way possible.

Something to address would be the bits of criticism I found about the book regarding how it handles psychology, specifically the group therapy aspects. I like to be sensitive to things like that, so fair warning for anyone with a deeper knowledge of that subject than me.

Ledge by Stacey McEwan

I love a good fantasy book with fun monsters. The Ledge starts in place that gives the title its name: a cold, barren village of humans stuck on the steep edge in the mountains. The fantasy element comes in the form occasional human sacrifices to the winged, humanoid creatures who rule above them, the Glacians.

Ledge is the story of what happens when our human protagonist Dawsyn finds herself fighting for her life alongside Ryon, a half-Glacian. It’s an unlikely, well-balanced duo, one that kept me reading voraciously. The story balances character-driven drama with plot-driven worldbuilding so well within the span of under 300 pages. I was invested in the way their chemistry grew, as well as the secrets revealed along the way. The ending also had me ready to rip my hair out. In a good way, I promise. Let’s just say I’m upset I have to wait until September 2023 for the sequel.

Another fun tidbit to appreciate about this one is the use of present tense throughout the novel. It’s not something I see often, and it works to highlight the urgency and matter-of-fact tone. I like seeing different styles, especially done well. Definitely check this one out for some fantasy with a dash of spiciness.

As always, check out last month’s recs here.