First Book of The Year 2021

Happy New Year! And Happy New Books Year! Every year for the past 8 years, Sheila over at  Book Journey has hosted the First Book of the Year. I'm going to look back, but I think I have picked out a first book every year for all those years.

This year I had originally picked out World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. But I was having a hard time finding a copy anywhere! Even the big box store online was out of stock. Barnes and Noble had chosen it as its Book of the Year 2020 and IT was out of stock online, BUT it said that one of the Barnes and Nobles in "the big city" about a 45 minute drive from here DID have a copy... so off I went.

Of course I couldn't just walk in and pick that book up and leave! No, I had to wander around. A bookstore is like a candy store to us readers, so I was in happy land. After a few hours I was back in the car driving home with a small bag of books... (I'll share those books here Sunday for my Sunday Salon post) One of which was my original choice for First Book of the Year, and another book that will be the first book I am also going to read for my first book. Let me explain...

World of Wonders is this beautiful little book of natures essays, 28 to be exact, that quietly bring you back to what matters. Aimee is an award winning poet, but here she uses her skills with the pen and her subtle observations to write about such subjects as the Catalpa Tree, the Narwhal, and even the flamingo. But these aren't long drawn out essays, these are like little poems, love notes of a page or two that let us relax in a world we may have temporarily forgotten. And it's because of that that I want to linger among the pages and have decided to read World of Wonder over time. Enjoying an essay or two every night until I turn the last page. So it will be "technically" my First Book of the Year, but I won't finish it first...

So what book will I finish first? That would be... Good Dogs Don't Make It to the South Pole by Hans-Olav Thyvold. I had briefly read something about this book. Basically it's a story told thru the eyes of a dog. I like dog books. I've read quite a few books where the dog is telling the story... The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, Finding Mr. Right by Emily Carmichael being two I loved... so I was interested. Then I read the inside jacket flap, about "A funny and touching tale...told thru the eyes of a grumpy yet lovable mutt" which made me want to read it more. And finally the author is Norwegian, which made it a slam dunk because I have enjoyed other Norwegian writers, such as Jo Nesbo and Karin Fossum. Of course the later two authors write crime fiction, but there is a certain style to their writing I like. 

My First "Books" of the Year 2021 will be one to relax by and regain focus for what is important, something that I think we all need to do after all the craziness of 2020, and one to make me smile, which is something we all need once in a while too. 

What will your First Book of the Year be?

Will it be funny, sad, advice? Will it be a book to set the mood for 2021? Will it be funny, sad, advice? Let me know in the comments below what you're pick will be! and in the meantime, come back on Sunday to see what other books I brought home with me!

Happy Reading.... Suzanne

First Book of The Year 2020!

Happy New Year! A new reading year has begun! What is our First Book of the Year 2020...

It's Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid! 

"Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living, with her confidence-driven brand, showing other women how to do the same. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains' toddler one night, walking the aisles of their local high-end supermarket. The store's security guard, seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make things right.

But Emira herself is aimless, broke, and wary of Alix's desire to help. At twenty-five, she is about to lose her health insurance and has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix's past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves, and each other."

Published by G.P. Putnam's & Sons and just released December 31st, I am so excited about reading this! This book sounds like it is filled with emotion and characters that will pull us into the story. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced digital copy of Such a Fun Age from the publisher too, but have been saving it for my choice for the first book I open the year with! In fact, it's the first book I'm opening the decade with! 

I'm also participating in The First Book of the Year 2020 with Sheila over at Book Journey, who is hosting this event for the 7th year! Want to see what other people are reading for their book? Hop on over to Book Journey and check it out!

So today you will find me with my nose stuck into a good book! And very soon I'll let y'all know what I thought about it (aka as a review!)... Happy New Year! and Happy New Reading Year to you too!