The Reading List for January, 2024

 

The time has come to post another monthly reading list. With nine books on the list, January has been the most productive month since July of 2023.

I've already posted about the first four books on the list - "The Razor's Edge" by W. Somerset Maugham ,The Devils Flute Murders by Seishi Yokomizo and two novels by Femi Kayode .

Lost to the West by Lars Brownworth deals with the history of the "other Roman Empire" - Byzantium. (Thanks Dom).

Running a 1000 Miles for Freedom is the story of Ellen & William Craft, as told by themselves - Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo is an expanded telling of the Crafts' story.

Naturally, I couldn't end the month without catching up with Commissario Guido Brunetti.

January's reading list is as follows:

The Razor's Edge  by W. Somerset Maugham 

The Devils Flute Murders  by Seishi Yokomizo

Lightseekers  by Femi Kayode

Gaslight  by Femi Kayode 

Lost to the West  by Lars Brownworth 

Running a 1000 Miles for Freedom  by Ellen & William Craft 

Master Slave Husband Wife  by Ilyon Woo  

Through a Glass, Darkly  by Donna Leon  

Suffer the Little Children  by Donna Leon

A Look at Femi Kayode

 

There are a number of similarities between writer Femi Kayode and the protagonist of his first two novels (Lightseekers and Gaslight) - Dr. Philip Taiwo. Both were born in Nigeria and received a degree in psychology. Both moved to the United States, Kayode working for many years in advertising while the fictional Dr. Taiwo becomes an "investigative psychologist" for the San Francisco police department. After spending several years in the U.S., both return with their families to Africa; Dr. Taiwo returning to Nigeria, Fayode and his family moving to the much safer Namibia.

According to his literary agency's website, Kayode..... "managed to build an impressive resume on prime-time television by creating, writing and developing several award-winning TV dramas." Unfortunately, the website doesn't list these award-winning TV dramas. I am very impressed with his first two novels and I'd be interested in seeing these TV programs.

I can recommend both novels, although I didn't care for Dr. Taiwo's implied "pro-choice" attitude in Gaslight. Of course, that attitude is to be expected with folks with politically Liberal views. Other than that, I liked both Lightseekers and Gaslight. At Goodreads.com, he was give a good review by Nigerian writer, Oyinkan Braithwaite. Now, of course, I have to put Braithwaite's novel My Sister, the Serial Killer into the queue.

The Devils Flute Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

 

It was in December, 2022 that I first came upon the work of Japanese mystery writer, Seishi Yokomizo. Although the late Yokomizo (he died in 1981) had written more that 75 mystery novels and was famous in his native Japan, at the time I first learned of him only four of his novels had been translated into English.

After reading the first one - The Honjin Murders I set out to read everything of his that I could get my hands on.

Thankfully, a fifth book was translated and released in 2023 - The Devils Flute Murders. This one is my favorite, so far. Like Yokomizo's first novel, The Devils Flute Murders is a "locked room mystery", although it goes much further than that. Of course, I never give spoilers.

The only negative I can give is the difficulty I have keeping all the Japanese names straight - but that's me, not Yokomizo.

I've learned that a sixth mystery novel by Yokomizo (The Little Sparrow Murders) has been translated into English and will be available sometime this year. At the rate that his work is being translated, it's unlikely that I'll live long enough to read his 77 novels featuring Kosuke Kindaichi.

W. Somerset Maugham's "The Razor's Edge"

 

I came to read W. Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge in a 'round about way. I had recently seen a meme on Facebook involving a TV program from the 1960's - The Ghost & Mrs. Muir. I have a vague recollection of that program. My mother would watch it from time to time and seeing this meme led me to look into the 1947 film upon which the program was based.

I was able to locate the film online and found it to be a rather charming movie. The film starred Gene Tierney and while I knew her name, I was, for the most part unfamiliar with her work. The wikipedia article on her provided me with a list of her better films. The first one I picked was The Razor's Edge. I made a mental note that the film was based on a book by Maugham. I've enjoyed the books of his that I had read and was intrigued. The movie starred Tierney, Tyrone Power, John Payne and Anne Baxter. After watching the film, I knew I'd have to read the novel.

There are differences between the novel and the film. That not unusual in the film industry. As much as I enjoyed the film, I loved the novel more. We get a better idea of the protagonist's spiritual awakening and there is an "adult" treatment of sexuality which could not be brought to the screen in 1946.

Reading the novel, I'm reminded of the work of Hermann Hesse and I don't understand why the novel hasn't reached the cult status of Hesse's work.

The Books I Read in 2023

 

This being the first day of 2024, I thought I'd look back on the books I read in 2023. I'll be putting in links to each of my monthly book lists for the year. Unfortunately, there's no reading list for June, 2023. I was stuck trying to read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. I wasn't able to finish the book - try as I might. You might say that month was a washout. I still managed to read 63 books in 2023, better than the "one book-a-week habit" mentioned in yesterday's post.

I started reading The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham the last few days of December and it will be the first novel finished in 2024.

Last January, I was able to read two books by Japanese mystery writer, Seishi Yokomizo.(I'd read two in the previous December). Since that time another of his books has been translated into English and released - The Devils Flute Murders. I'll put it into the queue for January. Another of his books has been translated and due for release in May, 2024.

Looking over some of the book lists for 2023, I'm reminded that I should pick up Patricia Highsmith again. I'll take a look at her profile and put something by her into the queue.

Two books I'll be putting into the queue are by Nigerian writer, Femi Kayode - Lightseekers and Gaslight. These are #1 and #2 in a crime series involving investigative psychologist, Dr. Philip Taiwo.

Naturally, I'll be continuing on with Donna Leon's series featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti.

Below are the links to the 11 posts covering the books I read in 2023.

January 2023
February 2023
March 2023
April 2023
May 2023
July 2023
August 2023
September 2023
October 2023
November 2023
December 2023