January 2023 Reading List
Hi friends,
January was a slow month in many ways, as it’s always weird coming out of Christmas and into a new year. I managed to read 3 and a half books, which include The Treeline, but as I’ve not finished it yet that will be on February’s reading list. Still, the books below were all interesting in their own way and I recommend you check them out should you get the chance.
I’d especially read The Remains of the Day as it’s a beautifully put-together novel and also has a film adaptation which I’m going to check out after being enamoured with the story.
So, here’s my brief list of the books I read during January:
Islands of Abandonment – One of the most interesting things I’ve done while travelling is to explore abandoned places. When I lived in Christchurch, New Zealand, this was easy as the city had experienced a huge earthquake three years earlier and many places were still waiting to be knocked down or simply abandoned before being demolished. This book takes you to several landscapes and cities that have suffered from a variety of issues that led them to be abandoned. It’s a unique and interesting book that I found fascinating and thoroughly enjoyed!
Extraterrestrial – As the author of this book, Avi Loeb, states, encountering or discovering that extraterrestrial lifeforms exist will likely be the biggest moment in recent human history, if not ever. The premise of this book is that we may already have proof of intelligent life in the universe through the form of ʻOumuamua, the first interstellar object to be detected passing through the solar system. Loeb disputes the theory that ʻOumuamua was a meteorite and proposes that it may have been a light sail instead. It’s a thought-provoking read although his theory can’t be proven right now as ʻOumuamua has long since departed the solar system.
The Remains of the Day – One of the most interesting novels I’ve read in a while. The story follows Stevens, a butler at an English stately house who receives a letter from a former colleague and decides to go and meet her after during a holiday. It’s set in the 50s and brings home the attitudes of the time through beautifully crafted prose. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading, but as the plot progresses you get engrossed in the story and can’t help but feel for the main characters at the end.
I hope you get around to reading a few of these selections. Whether you read them in the next month or year, I’m not bothered. The idea of my reading lists is to encourage you, the reader, to read more.
If more of us read, and read books outside of our comfort zone, the world would be a better place. You don’t know what you don’t know. Reading is one of the best ways to fill in those gaps in your knowledge.
If you have any comments about the books, maybe you’ve read one before. Or if you have some recommendations for me, I’m all ears. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Until next time,
Tom