A Review of the Best Books I Read Over Winter
A couple of months ago, I made the decision to purchase a Kobo Clara 2E. Up until recently, I’ve been a die hard, paper copy lover. My parents both have them but just hadn’t clicked with the idea of not holding a book in my hands. However, since getting my little Kobo, my reading has gone through the roof. Goodreads has never seen me so active! I love it. I’ve managed to get through so many that I have enough to share the five best books (from least to best) that I’ve read in the last few months.
Travelling changed my perspective on getting an e-reader. I no longer have the space to carry books around with me and I’m soon going to be downsizing CONSIDERABLY in order to backpack Europe. This is of course going to make wanting to travel with books so much worse.
I’ve also been quite frustrated with my tendency to get sucked into the internet void. I terribly miss how younger me used to get sucked into books like I do with my phone nowadays. So, after a bit of research, I decided just to do it. I decided on the Clara 2E for a few reasons.
- It’s not tied to the Amazon ecosystem, which means any EPUB file can be loaded on, not just Amazon books.
- It’s waterproof!
- It has access to my local libraries back in New Zealand
- I can also load my own book onto there SUPER easily, which is a huge drawcard for editing purposes.
- It fits in my pocket 🤗
5. To Shake The Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins
NON-FICTION, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL
This one is number five on my list, because though I enjoyed reading it, it just didn’t hit me the way I thought it might. Jedidiah Jenkins is a guy who rode his bicycle from Oregon to Patagonia, taking after his parents who walked across America in the 80s.
Goodreads Synopsis
“In this unflinchingly honest memoir, Jed narrates his adventure—the people and places he encountered on his way to the bottom of the world—as well as the internal journey that started it all. As he traverses cities, mountains, and inner boundaries, Jenkins grapples with the question of what it means to be an adult, his struggle to reconcile his sexual identity with his conservative Christian upbringing, and his belief in travel as a way to wake us up to life back home.“
My Thoughts
This snippet from Goodreads makes it all sound a lot more interesting than it was. I have no doubt in person that this experience would have been perspective changing. However most of the people he meets he either describes too briefly, is too tired to interact with properly, or simply just doesn’t seem to mix well with. The description of places is limited to whether it had wifi or craft beer, along with the odd bicycle mishap. It just got a little too repetitive, and I understand that after 18 months of biking it would be easy to slip into groundhog day recording, but it just didn’t keep my attention.
Another thing that I was frustrated with was the exploration of religion and sexuality. The book was marketed as an exploration of the both, however I felt there was very minimal development on Jed’s side of things. He took no particular stance, instead he just seemed to balance on the fence between the two, constantly trying to justify his actions under the banner of Christianity.
I can absolutely appreciate how amazing biking all that distance and seeing all those beautiful places must have been, though I think that’s the only reason I got through to the end.
Pros
- It’s an extraordinary adventure
- It’s an interesting story about a guy in his thirties wanting to do something noteworthy
Cons
- Repetitive in places, which makes it seem longer
- Jed and his friend can both be frustrating to read about
- Not quite enough description of interactions with people and the environment
Star Rating: 2/5
4. Arena by Karen Hancock
FANTASY, SCI-FI, ADVENTURE
Goodreads Synopsis
“Callie Hayes is living a life of fear and disillusionment when she volunteers for a psychology experiment that promises to turn her life around. As her orientation proceeds, Callie becomes frightened by the secrecy and evasion she encounters. When she demands to be released from the program, she is suddenly dropped into a terrifying alien world and into a perilous battle between good and evil. With limited resources and only a few cryptic words to guide her, Callie embarks on a life-changing journey. Will she decipher the plans the Benefactor has established for her escape, or will she succumb to the deception of the Arena?“
My Thoughts
I was so skeptical of this book when I first started, but by the end I’d enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It’s number four on my list of best books I’ve read as I did find it easier to read than To Shake the Sleeping Self, but it didn’t suck me into a three hour reading void like some of the other books further down the list.
It begins quite cheesily, and I was frustrated with how persuaded the main character interacts with the other characters in the beginning. It was marketed as an allegory to Christian values, and while it was an interesting story, I felt that a lot of the description was too outlandish and shallow for me to paint a good picture in my mind.
The characters also felt quite shallow at times, there is a romance in plot, but it was kind of hard to root for due to the writing style and sometimes dull sense of personality.
Pros
- Christian written adventure story
- The escape room idea of the story was fun to read
Cons
- The characters sometimes feel a little shallow and rushed over.
- Slow to start with, main character can be frustrating at times
- Complex world which can be hard to keep up with
Star Rating: 3/5
3. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
FANTASY, YOUNG ADULT, MYSTERY
Goodreads Synopsis
“In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point—he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.“
My Thoughts
This story had a slow start, but once it got going, I didn’t put it down. I was so engaged in the plot that when the twist came, it took me completely by surprise. In hindsight, I probably could’ve seen it coming, but I’m about as naïve to plot twists as a goldfish. The best thing to go into this book with is the knowledge that it is intended for a young adult audience. If you’re into incredibly detailed books in the same genre, think The Lord of The Rings, you may struggle to find enough depth.
It’s number three on my list of best books I’ve read in the last few months, as I was sucked into the story and could easily follow the story in my mind.
However I think this is where the ranking came down a little for me. I felt like some of the characters could’ve been described better, or at least given a bit more screen time to truly develop. Two of the main characters, Roden and Tobias felt like their traits melded together and there were times it felt like they acted out of their flow.
Pros
- The description and flow is easy to read
- The main character gives off Peter Pan vibes, making the story fun and intriguing
Cons
- The characters sometimes feel a little shallow and rushed over.
- Slow to start with
Star Rating: 4/5
2. Breath by Tim Winton
INDIE, COMING-OF-AGE, SURF INSPIRED
Goodreads Synopsis
“On the wild, lonely coast of Western Australia, two thrillseeking and barely adolescent boys fall into the enigmatic thrall of veteran big-wave surfer Sando. Together they form an odd but elite trio. The grown man initiates the boys into a kind of Spartan ethos, a regimen of risk and challenge, where they test themselves in storm swells on remote and shark-infested reefs, pushing each other to the edges of endurance, courage, and sanity. But where is all this heading? Why is their mentor’s past such forbidden territory? And what can explain his American wife’s peculiar behavior? Venturing beyond all limits—in relationships, in physical challenge, and in sexual behavior—there is a point where oblivion is the only outcome.“
My Thoughts
I found this book after to viewing the film and talking about it to a surfy friend of mine. I’d raved about the soundtrack and 70s aesthetic of the film, and he’d recalled reading the book and recommended I give it a read. The book gave more depth to the characters, but I found that the movie had done a great job following the story well.
I loved this book, as it was such an accurate portrayal of being encapsulated by learning something. And as someone who has surfed before, I could relate to all the feelings the boys were going through. This story is an exquisite exploration of what it means to be young and navigating relationships as they grow older. There is some sexual aspects to the book, so I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone, but it fits into the story in an interesting way – hence the title ‘Breath.’
I found the characters incredibly easy to relate to, and the depth in which courage, fear and cowardice is explored between Loonie and Pikelet’s characters kept me flipping every page.
Pros
- Beautiful imagery
- Interesting plot, and relatable characters
Cons
- Some sexual content
Star Rating: 4.5/5
1. Recursion by Blake Crouch
SCI-FI, MIND-BENDING, THOUGHT-PROVOCATIVE
This is by far the best book I’ve read since reading Ready Player One back in 2018. I am a huge fan of the German TV show Dark on Netflix, purely for its insanely intricate plot and theories around time and space. This book read very similarly to this show, which I’d heard was a good read for fans.
Goodreads Synopsis
“That’s what NYC cop Barry Sutton is learning, as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.
That’s what neuroscientist Helena Smith believes. It’s why she’s dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious memories. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent.
As Barry searches for the truth, he comes face to face with an opponent more terrifying than any disease—a force that attacks not just our minds, but the very fabric of the past. And as its effects begin to unmake the world as we know it, only he and Helena, working together, will stand a chance at defeating it.
But how can they make a stand when reality itself is shifting and crumbling all around them?“
My Thoughts
I was so intrigued by this storyline that I finished in a day and a half. I haven’t read a book that fast since I was ten. This book absolutely kept me on my toes, and was a rollercoaster from front to back cover. I plan on reading this again in the future, as I feel like it’s one that I’ll pick up more details on the second reading.
Think Inception meets Source Code. Masterpiece.
There’s not a lot I can say without spoiling but take what you will away from these points.
- Uses the tightrope idea of time & space like a skipping rope
- Maybe everything is the way that it is because we are limited in how we perceive our environment
- If you could go back in time to be with a family member that passed away from an accident and live a future where the accident doesn’t occur, what would their future look like?
Please. Just. Read.
Pros
- The plotline. Wow, what?
- It touches on so many points, grief, romance, time travel, memory. Everything.
- The pacing is so digestable it’s not funny.
Cons
- Can be a little hard to keep up with, there is a point where everything starts to go haywire. Not a super light read. (*cough*, this is a pro in my opinion as I love to question reality, but just sayin’.)
Star Rating: 5/5
Finishing Up…
These five books have been the best five out of eight that I whisked through after getting my kobo. I’m working on one right at this moment, and I’m sure there’ll be plenty more in the next few months. Looking forward to updating on here as I go! If you want to keep up, my Goodreads profile is below.
I am writing my own novel as well, which I introduce in this post here!
