Dec 31, 2022

Sunday Salon: First Books of the New Year and Last Books of the Old Year

 

Wishing you lots of great books in 2023!

For the very first read in 2023, these three are on my list! Which would you choose?

1) a thriller


The Personal Assistant (review)


2) A beach rom com for winter! 


3) A psychological thriller with a unsocial main character


Safe With Me



My last books in 2022 were:




Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus
April 5, 2022; Doubleday
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Not exactly historical fiction, as this novel is set in the 1960s, but it does detail how old fashioned attitudes to women discriminated against them in all areas. It shows that misogyny and inequality prevented many women from advancing in their careers, especially in the sciences. Also, abuses, physical and mental, they had to endure that put and kept them down.

The story is moving and infuriating both, and we cheer on the main character, Elizabeth Zott, who struggles after the death of her very supportive husband to raise a gifted child on her own as well as fight for her career in chemistry. The story is bittersweet and I loved the ending.




This will be my very last read/listen for this year: 



The Kimono Tattoo 

I love the intricate quality of this novel - its plot, descriptions of kimono design, and traditional tattoo motifs. A translator, Ruth, travels to Kyoto to work on a new manuscript by a long forgotten Japanese writer. The discovery of a nude body of a woman on the banks of a river covered only in intricate, almost full body tattoos, adds to the intrigue and mystery of what turns out to be a look at the "underside of Tokyo."

The narrator was excellent, the plot added suspense and atmosphere to Tokyo by day and night, and the kimono tattoos on the body of the woman, as well as tattoo sketches found by Ruth and her friends, made this an intriguing novel. The unearthing of dark secrets in this unseen side of the city made this novel of suspense worth listening to.


Which books were your last in 2022? And your first for 2023?

Memes: The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated BookreviewerAlso,  It's Monday: What Are You Readingand Sunday SalonStacking the ShelvesMailbox Monday


59 comments:

  1. Nice post..thanks for sharing.

    Happy New Year of Reading!!

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    Replies
    1. Happhy New Year of good books to you too, Elizabeth.

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  2. I would be torn between The Personel Assiatnt and Safe with Me. I wasn't engrossed in the latest Rachel Hawkins book but maybe I tried reading it at the wrong time. You know how we get in certain moods for certain genres. Loved Lessons in Chemistry!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll probably read the two you suggested first and third! Thanks for the input.

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  3. I also enjoyed “Lessons in Chemistry.” Reviewed it here:
    https://maefood.blogspot.com/2022/12/lessons-in-chemistry.html

    Have a great year in 2023!

    best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  4. I'd probably go for People We Meet on Vacation. And I've just bought Lessons in Chemistry which I'm super excited to read.

    My last book of 2022 is going to be Richard III & The Princes in the Tower.
    I haven't picked my first one of 2023 yet - I *think* I've narrowed it down to either The Atlas Six, The Lion The Witch & The Wardobe, Fangirl or Rachel's Holiday but I'll see where the mood takes me tomorrow!

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  5. Just put in requests for The Villa, Safe With Me, and The Personal Assistant at the library! I love Rachel Hawkins.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad your library has all the books!

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    2. Me too! I am excited for so many great new reads for 2023, there are tons of great books coming out.

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  6. The Personal Assistant and the Villa look intriguing. Right now I am reading The Crushing Depths by Dani Pettrey which I won't finish today so will carry over into 2023. Not sure what I am reading next. Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy New Year. I may carry over a book I'm just starting too.

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  7. I hope to read a book on happiness tomorrow. For you, I'd choose People on Vacation.

    "Ring out the old, ring in the new,
    Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
    The year is going, let him go;
    Ring out the false, ring in the true.

    Ring out a slowly dying cause,
    And ancient forms of party strife;
    Ring in the nobler modes of life,
    With sweeter manners, purer laws.

    Ring out false pride in place and blood,
    The civic slander and the spite;
    Ring in the love of truth and right,
    Ring in the common love of good."

    And here's to a year of nothing but good books!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lovely poem. Thanks for the first read suggestion.

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  8. I'm glad you liked Lessons in Chemistry -- I did too. I think it's 5 stars. Maybe for your 1st pick try the thriller #3. Happy New Year!

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  9. Lessons in Chemistry is such a wonderful book. I recently read The Villa and liked that one too. I hope you and your family have a wonderful new year!

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  10. My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle was my first read of 2022. It was also on my Best of 2022 list. So, I want to read The Personal Assistant. I hope you have a very happy new year!

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  11. Immediately added Kimono Tattoo to my TBR - it sounds excellent. Happy New Year and here's to reading lots of 5stars next year!
    Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
    https://www.bookshelfjourneys.com/post/sunday-post-31

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you like kimono tattoo. It was an unusual one.

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  12. I'd go with The Personal Assistant. Happy 2023!

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  13. Happy New Year, Harvee! All the books look good to me! Hope you enjoy reading them all!

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  14. Happy New Year! I think I'd choose The Villa based on the cover alone, lol. I enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll get to the Villa soon. Lessons in chemistry was an eye opener.

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  15. I would go with the gothic suspense!! Happy new year, happy reading!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haven't read gothic in a while, so this should be interesting

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  16. I need to read another Kimberly Belle book. Hope you have a great reading year. Happy New Year!
    Mary @Bookfan

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  17. Happy New Year! I love thrillers but I have to say I'm in the mood for a rom com.

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  18. I loved The Personal Assistant, and Lessons in Chemistry is on my list. Happy New Year, and enjoy the upcoming week! Here are my WEEKLY UPDATES

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lessons in Chemistry is an unusual book, but good.

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  19. Nice variety of books. I've only read The Villa of your 4 choices. I really enjoyed it. Come see my week here. Happy reading and Happy New Year!

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  20. Oh, I loved Lessons in Chemistry! Of your 4 choices, I've only read Beach Read. It was fun, but definitely had summer vibes. If you are a seasonal reader, I would wait a few months for that one. Have a great week! - Melinda @ A Web of Stories

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    Replies
    1. I'm always in the mood for a beach read, any time.

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  21. Sounds like lots of good reads lately! I'd be between the beach read or the gothic suspense to start 2023. I pulled an old middle-grade graphic novel from my shelf for yesterday and finally read Postively Izzy. Now I'm starting The Fires. Heard lots of good things about Lessons in Chemistry but haven't picked it up yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Enjoy your new books for the year. I;m now reading the beach read as my second book for the year.

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  22. I would choose your 1st one.
    See what were my last books of 2022, and what I'm currently reading: https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/01/01/sunday-post-72-01-01-2023/

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  23. I got People We Meet on Vacation at book club. I'm excited to read it. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it. If I had a choice between the three you asked about, I'd go with the psychological thriller just because that's what I'm in the mood for, lol. Happy New Year!

    My Sunday News

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  24. Happy New Year! May 2023 be a good year of reading.

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  25. Sometimes it's hard to pick and I want to ask for help too. I think Personal Assistant. Whichever you pick, Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

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  26. People We Meet on Vacation was an odd read but still good.

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  27. All of these reads sound so good. Happy Friday. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

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  28. I would definitely vote for Rachel Hawkins' 'The Villa', I really enjoyed her take on Jane Eyre in 'The Wife Upstairs'. 'The Kimono Tattoo' also sounds really intriguing, I'll have to add that to my TBR! I hope you have a lovely week coming up :)

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  29. I've heard good things about Lessons in Chemistry. I read and enjoyed The Villa and People We Meet on Vacation, which kind of wrung my heart out.

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    Replies
    1. I've been reading some heart wringers lately too.

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I appreciate your comments and thoughts...

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