The English Maximalista

As some of you may know, I am a liiittle bit of a book worm. Today’s blog is about the books I read in the month of January.

Not sure if this is going to be a monthly feature, so for now, let’s assume it’s a one off – but please let me know if you like reading this kind of content, or if there are any books you recommend I read, as I would love to hear from you about it!

In recent weeks, Mr Maximalista and I have been dealing with a private family matter which required us to drive several hundred miles with regularity until we got everything sorted out.

But don’t worry, all is well, now. The reason I even mentioned it to you is because all of the driving in January cut severely into my reading time: I only read 22 books, last month, harrumph!

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Maximalisticle of the books I read in January:

The Reading List, Sara Nisha Adams

And Every Morning, The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, Fredrik Backman

The Deal of a Lifetime, Fredrik Backman

The Road to Little Dribbling, Bill Bryson

Diddly Squat: Home to Roost, Jeremy Clarkson 

The Cuban Affair, Nelson DeMille

The Christie Affair, Nina de Gramont

Summer Island, Kristin Hannah

Prada & Prejudice, Mandy Hubbard

Best Offer Wins, Marisa Kashino

Let Love Rule, Lenny Kravitz

The Egg & I, Betty MacDonald

Hebrides, Peter May

Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue, John McWorter

The Dutch House, Ann Patchett

Red Platoon, Clinton Romesha

The Woman in Me, Britney Spears

Hang the Moon, Jeanette Walls

The Woman in Cabin 10, Ruth Ware

Mrs. Everything, Jennifer Weiner

Alberto Giacometti & Salvador Dali [Exhibition Catalog]

The Dali Museum Collection: Paintings [Exhibition Catalog]

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One can always rely on Jeremy Clarkson to write something pithy and entertaining, and the fourth in the Clarkson’s Farm series, Diddly Squat: Home to Roost, did not disappoint. I literally laughed out loud throughout this book, which was definitely the funniest I read in January.

The only reason The Road to Little Dribbling does not take that crown is because I was a mere few chapters into it by the end of the month. Otherwise, Bill Bryson would definitely be in close competition with Jez, and I would have had to come up with a different category for Bryson to “win”.

As you can see, I read quite a few novels recently, most of which are deserving of a few kind words, except I don’t think you will be particularly interested! So all I will say is that, of them all, The Cuban Affair by Nelson DeMille was definitely the most un-put-downable novel I read, in January. Very exciting and entertaining!

Lenny Kravitz’s book was also very entertaining, and another very easy read. I plowed through Let Love Rule in about three hours, and was disappointed only because it ended around about his 25^th birthday. Can’t wait to read the next volume of his memoir!

Don’t let the length of the title of Fredrik Backman’s novella put you off: And Every Morning, The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer was a charming short story which packed a punch, typical of Mr Backman, who has a habit of making me cry.

Clinton Romesha’s real-life account of his tour of Afghanistan in Red Platoon was harrowing, and quite easily the most terrifying book I have read in a while. It was equal-parts moving. I read it cover-to-cover on the flight from Denver to Tampa.

The most personally meaningful books I read this month are twofold. My husband and I visited the Dali museum in St Pete’s, Florida, and we bought the two exhibition catalogs [on my list] as a meaningful souvenir of our lovely day.

Meaningful to me also because the first art exhibition I ever attended as an adult was Giacometti, at — if memory serves me — the Royal Academy in London. I was a student at Cambridge when my Art History class took a field trip there; I was maybe 20 at the time, so I was technically a grownup. But going to the Big Smoke without my parents really made me feel like a proper grownup!

And finally, my favourite title from my January books was Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue by John McWorter. This was a Christmas gift from the Top Banana, a great choice for me since I love etymology. 

However, I’m pretty sure she chose it purely because of the naughty word in the title… 

Lots of love,

M xo