Stuff I've been Reading- January

I've kept this up for a full year, that was unexpected. Making an even fifty, a shade under a book a week. Anyway...

Me - Elton John
Cilka's Journey- Heather Morris
The Hidden Half - Michael Blastland
Testaments - Margaret Atwood
Boys from Brazil - Ira Levin
Man vs Toddler- Matt Coyne

Where to start? 

The Hidden Half blew my mind. The opening chapter with the crayfish-as-metaphor put down a marker and the book built from there. Left me feeling a lot more ignorant than I did at the start of the book. Wowzers.

I went through a bit of an Ira Levin phase a couple of years back - Stepford Wives and Rosemary's Baby almost back to back. The trouble with both of those is that the twists are so well known now that they undermine the story. The fact that the whodunnit plot stayed a mystery meant that I enjoyed this one a whole heap more. 

And the Testaments. Probably the biggest book of last year. It was fun enough, but I don't understand why it joint-won the Booker. 

Talking of big books from last year, the Elton John book got a few plaudits in the year end charts, I read it and, aside from the constant name dropping, quite enjoyed it. I'm not going to say too much more about it as you will either read it or you won't and whatever I say won't change that. 

Cilka's journey is the sort if sequel to the Tattooist of Auschwitz. And again it is ridiculously easy reading for something that is very, very bleak. 

And let's finish with another sequel. Me reading the Matt Coyne book annoyed Carys as I kept on waking her up with my chuckling (and I thought I was being a giggle ninja). Any book that can consistently do that is a good thing.