I started 2025 off on a bit of an audiobook roll. I'm not usually one for audiobooks, but I was having trouble sleeping and there was just something so relaxing about spending the evening in bed listening to an audiobook.
And I wasn't just on an audiobook roll - it was an Agatha Christie audiobook roll. I've always been a die-hard Christie fan, ever since I was in high school. I will always remember that The Mysterious Affair at Styles was my first introduction to Christie and I've never looked back. I've read all of her books now, and many of them I have read many times over. What's wonderful is that I have discovered on Spotify Premium that I can listen to any number of Christie audiobooks which, circling back to where this post began, was how I started my 2025.
Of course, I had to start with The Mysterious Affair at Styles and then I moved onto Death in the Clouds. These were both narrated by High Fraser, the actor who played Hastings in the David Suchet Poirot adaptations. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was narrated by David Suchet himself.
Here we go with my first piece of controversy for the year - but I prefer the narration of Hugh Fraser to David Suchet. There is something so mild but compelling about the way he narrates. Perhaps I've watched the television series too much, but his voice just feels to comforting.
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For my first read of the year, I started with Orbital by Samantha Harvey. There is just something about books that are nominated for the prize that I seem to be attracted to. It's so unusual for me not to enjoy the winner or even anything on the short list or long list. This isn't an exception - I did enjoy it..... but.
First - what is Orbital about? In Orbital, Samantha Harvey recounts a single day aboard the International Space Station, exploring the perspectives of six astronauts as orbit Earth and their thoughts drift between the vastness of space and the fragile beauty of the planet below. I think ultimately, this is a story of what it means to be human and the juxtaposition of our small lives with the vastness of earth and space.
What I found challenging was the lack of plot. I don't mean this as a criticism. The story isn't meant to have plot. It's a beautifully written reflection on what it is to be human, but perhaps my personal taste makes me lean toward more plot driven fiction. The language and the imagery invoked though was beautiful and I do recommend the book.
Last for January 2025 was The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. I had been seeing this book everywhere - there must have been an absolutely huge marketing push. And it worked - when I saw what the book was about it seemed exactly up my alley. It's blend of historical fiction, spy thriller, and speculative fiction - with some romance tossed in for good measure. It is the story of an unnamed civil servant who employed to "acclimatise" a time-traveling Victorian explorer to modern life. In the background is the sinister government program that they all understand so little about but clearly is not quite what it's meant to be.
I did enjoy this book, but like many others who have reviewed it before, it didn't quite live up to its potential. The book was probably trying to be too many things at once and the pace was a little confused - with a slow build followed by a very quick and slightly confusing reveal toward the end. I wish that it had lent more into its spy thriller persona.
Having said that, I still couldn't put it down and when I learnt how it was written, all was forgiven. This is the author's debut novel and written during the covid pandemic and send to her friends in short pieces in order to keep them entertained through what we all know was a challenging time. This, to me, makes explains the odd pace and repetitiveness that crept in. Still - I would recommend this if you are after a fun and quirky read.
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