A Year Of Reading: November 2023

It's the end of November, and almost time for Christmas! But before that, let's dive into the books I read this month.

I would summarise the books I read in November with the phrase 'flawed characters'. I would say this is a unique month, one in which I enjoyed all of the books I read (some more than others, but there were absolutely no disasters!).

Daisy Jones and the Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid

This debut novel introduces us to Daisy Jones & The Six, whose stellar albums sold out arenas across the world. In 1979, they split, and this is the story of why.

I exclusively listen to the audiobooks of Jenkins Reid's novels, but as I knew this one was written as a continous interview, I thought it best to pick up a physical copy. However, someone on Instagram let me know that the audibook performance is very good as it is read by a whole cast, which I imagine helps you differentiate between the characters.

I loved how it is told. The interview format is so clever as the narrative is rich and captivating desptie the lack of description; Jenkins Reid has a talent for bringing to life the rock n' roll world of LA without the need for descriptive paragraphs. You are seeing this world through the eyes of the people who lived and breathed it. I really enjoyed Jenkins Reid's exploration of how everyone remembers the truth in their own way, or at least how we each have a different perception of shared events.

The Daisy-Billy narrative is developed expertly, and without giving anything away, I found their story unravvels in a unique way to a lot of books; I liked how it did not play out in the way you might have expected.

Camila is a fabulous chaarcter, and I loved that even though she is not part of the band she is given a kind of didactic presence in the book which goes beyond her relationship to The Six. She has main character energy without being the main character, and I loved it.

We love a good plot twist here at A Book and a Backpack, and although this one was not huge or particularly monumental and instead more of an element you would not see coming, it was still great.

To summarise, Jenkins Reid conveys the glamour as well as the challenge of living as a musician - there is a rawness, a reality that undercuts the magic and the music. The characters are layered and their different experiences of fame are spotlighted well.

‘I’m not saying that I didn’t care. I cared a lot. I’m saying that when you really love someone, sometimes the things they need may hurt you, and some people are worth hurting for.’

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Suzanne Collins

How did I not know about this prequel to The Hunger Games (which came out three years ago) until it came out this year as a movie?!

In this additional installment of Collins' spectacular dystopian triology, we go back in time to meet young Corilanus Snow, who is fighting for a chance to win a revered scholarship to university and win the tenth Hunger Games through mentorship of Lucy Gray Baird, District 12's female tribute. The Games are his key to elevating his family's status back to - in his eyes - its rightful superiorty.

I do love a prequel, especially when it lets me re-enter one of my favourite literary worlds. I really enjoyed this one; meeting the young Snow and seeing how he came to be who we see him as in the other three novels (wicked, malicious, and power-hungry) was a clever premise and completely drew me in. His character arc is really interesting to see, especially how at some points we even find ourselves sympathising with the series' villain. The fact he has suffered hardship in his own life only to inflict that purposefully on others highlights how vain Snow is to think he is deserving of the power he eventually comes to hold.

I was totally and utterly hooked - the world building is so absorbing and unique, the characters are toxic and dangerous, and most chapters ends on such a cliffhanger that you just cannot help read another page.

Although the Hunger Games section of the book was a bit drawn out in my opinion and there was a section towards the end which I felt let the novel down for its superficiality as being a way to speed up the events that led to the end of the book, I cannot fault Collins' way with words and her talent for creating such abhorrent characters in unusual worlds. And, the way this book is informed by the coming stories, with all the references to and foreshadowing to what we know will eventually happen in later years, is very clever.

The film is also fab, if not slightly long!

“Start with that. Chaos. No control, no law, no government at all. Like being in the arena. Where do we go from there? What sort of agreement is necessary if we're to live in peace? What sort of social contract is required for survival?”

The Christmas Appeal, Janice Hallet

Hallet is back with another cosy crime, this time with a short and snappy festive sequel to her 2021 riot The Appeal. We return to the Fairway Players gang, who are putting on a pantomime performance of Jack in the Beanstalk.

There is a sense of silly, playful and sometimes hyperbolic energy coming out of this book, but that is not a criticism - I actually felt this mini sequel was better than the first novel and it was a really enjoyable read. It is packed with humour, genuinely laugh out loud moments, and the Christmas vibes that are central to this plot are so warming. The amount of times I rolled my eyes at certain characters (*cough cough* Celia) shows how well Hallet can draw you into her worlds in so few pages. And, I loved diving back into the narrative of emails, texts, and posters that I loved in The Appeal.

There is plenty of back stabbing, hypocrisy and twists to keep you on your toes, and it is the perfect book to get you in the festive spirit.

‘…according to a couple of people, there’s a convicted murdered in Lockwood. They’re out of prison and have been spotted in town.’

‘Is that all? Phew! Let me assure you, Dustin, that is light relief compared to everything else that’s going on at the moment.’

Lily’s Promise, Lily Ebert and Dov Forman

Lily tells us her story of a happy childhood in Hungary, her tragic experiences of being taken to Auschwitz in 1944, and her life beyond the Holocaust and committment to keeping the memory of those who died alive alongside her great-grandson, Dov.

This is a really special book; Lily and Dov's relationship is conveyed through the way they both have a voice in this book, and it captures the essence of intergenerational love so brilliantly. It is a challenging read at times, as one would expect, but it is vitally important to read and understand the experiences of the Holocaust from those who lived and survived it. It teaches you something about resiliance and hope; as Lily says, 'You have to carry on. You always have to carry on.'

The Holocaust not only killed the people who died during the war, more people than the mind can take in, but also killed something in everybody who lived through it.

Maybe In Another Life, Taylor Jenkins Reid

Two Jenkins Reid books in one month, and my fourth of the year!

Hannah Martin returns to her hometown of Los Angeles and moves in with her best friend Gabby. On her first night back, they go out to a bar and meet Hannah's high school boyfriend, Ethan. When Gabby announces she wants to go home, and Ethan offers to give her a ride later, Hannah has a decision to make. And so, concurrent storylines unfold - one where Hannah goes home with Gabby, the other where she stays with Ethan.

I loved the premise of this book, as I adore a novel with multiple timelines, so the idea of two universes within one character's narrative was really intriguing to me. It lived up to my expectation of. Jenkins Reid novel - gripping, unpredictable and thought provoking. I was comletely hooked by both storylines, and I really enjoyed the ending (no spoilers!). Overall, it made me reflect on how you never know what could have happened if you took a different turn in life, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

“I think I have to believe that life will work out the way it needs to. If everything that happens in the world is just a result of chance and there’s no rhyme or reason to any of it, that’s just too chaotic for me to handle. I’d have to go around questioning every decision I’ve ever made, every decision I will ever make. If our fate is determined with every step we take . . . it’s too exhausting. I’d prefer to believe that things happen as they are meant to happen.”

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin

Sam and Sadie meet at a hospital, and instantly become friends through their shared love of video games. They eventually go onto become colleagues and take the gaming world by storm with their innovative video games, but their relationship is not plain sailing.

I liked this book. It was a slow burn but I did not mind that as I was just enjoying being in the company of the characters. I appreciated the exploration of platonic love and friendship, as well as how our protagonists are flawed and imperfect; this made the book hold a certain realism which is sometimes overshadowed by spectacular, movie-like narratives in other novels.

However, if the fact that the plot and trajectory of a novel is quite understated and nothing really happens could be a factor in you not enjoying a book, this is not the one for you. Something kept me keep reading, but I'm not sure what that was as the novel was particulaly monotonous and it tracked two lives in quite a mundane way. It was good, but perhaps not as good as the hype around this book would suggest.

"What is a game?' Marx said. 'It's tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It's the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.'