A Look Back on January
As with most folks, I find January a truly depressing month. It is cold, dark and there is generally nothing to look forward to. However, this January has been pretty cool, all told. I've been to London a few times - seeing Liz from My Favourite Books to discuss sekkrit plans with Geraldine Stroud; and to join a bunch of massively enthusiastic YA bloggers at a Random House brunch. I did a Come Dine With Me evening for five hockey gal pals, which went down really well. I've been to the cinema a few times. I've decided to start working towards medals with my ballroom and Latin American dancing (which I started last Thursday - it doesn't half make your ankles ache to do the steps properly!) I have been to the gym at least three times each week. I've scored two goals in two games at hockey. I've surrounded myself with family and friends. Yep, I count that as a win. Oh, and, on this last day of January, I've just had my holiday approved for September - I'm off to Florida for two weeks with my family! And my parents are buying me a Kindle for my birthday so that I don't have to agonise over which books to try and fit into the suitcase *grin*
Reading
Here is a list of the books I completed in January (with links to the reviews):
1) Path of the Warrior by Gav Thorpe
2) Archangel by Sharon Shinn
3) Men I've Loved Before by Adele Parks
4) RSVP by Helen Warner (review coming in March, closer to book release)
5) Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler
6) The Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow
7) Tracking the Tempest by Nicole Peeler
8) Foursome by Jane Fallon
9) The Sentinel Mage by Emily Gee
10) Girlfriend 44 by Mark Barrowcliffe
11) Lex Trent Fighting With Fire by Alex Bell
12) The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
13) A Summer Fling by Milly Johnson
So, a quick breakdown...
- 4 books by men; 9 books by women
- Chick lit led the way with 5 books; then fantasy with 4, sci fi with 2 and urban fantasy with 2
- 4 of these books came from my shelves, 3 were library books and 6 were review copies
Best Book of January
Pages Covered
Those thirteen books covered 5,639 pages, with The Sentinel Mage clocking in at the most (608 pages) and Tempest Rising the least (336 pages).
Places Visited
I've been to London, and to Samaria, and to Barnsley, and to the Union amongst others. I would most like to live in Luminaux, the blue city in Samaria.
Plans for February
I don't like to present bookish plans, because they tend to fall off the rails as soon as my mood prompts me to pick a different book than that I "should" be reading. All I can promise is that there will be a review of The 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison, since I'm reading that right now! I have tentative plans to finish the Codex Alera series, since I only have two books to complete it. I also want to crunch through some fantasy Black Library books, since my reading til now has been confined to Warhammer 40K.
I will be attending a blogger event at Simon & Schuster. I'm very excited about this one, because there will be a number of people there I've only talked to via Twitter so far.
I am also going to the SFX Weekender, which promises to be a blast, surrounded by geeks like me!
Over to You
How many books have you read this month? What were your favourites? Any particular plans for February?
By the time today ends, should be 39 or 40 books finished for January. I've had some extra reading time the past couple of weekends ;)
ReplyDeleteFavorites and all that, however, will await until later, as I like to wait a few days before posting the monthly reads.
February will be devoted to reading Mark Twain, among others.
I also read 13 books this past month, and I think my favourite was John Ajvide Lindqvist's "Let the Right One In." Amazing book, highly recommended!
ReplyDeleteI've got a list of books that I want to read in February, but I'm always hesitant to make lists like that public, because knowing my luck, something will come along to make it so that I can only read half of what I want to. I'll just wing it and see what happens!
The fact that I polished off 9 books is a record for me and that was a major effort! There is no way I can read more than 10 in a month. You guys amaze me.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a good month of reading as I have hugely enjoyed the first 4 books of the Riyria Revelations by Micheal J Sullivan and the first 3 books of Vatta's War by Elizabeth Moon.
February will be devoted to the Coldfire trilogy by C.S. Friedman. Never read it.
Jennifer
The Last two books in the CODEX ALERA series are amazing! Especially PRINCEP'S FURY...there is a chapter ending midway through that absolutely FLOORED me. Like jaw on the floor couldn't believe it type stuff...ask me about it once you finish.
ReplyDeleteAs to the reading, you are doing FAR better than me. I think I've got 8 books under my belt in January....better than I was doing last year...
7 books finished. If I can finish one tonight then it will be 8!
ReplyDeleteHope you like your kindle I am really enjoying mine.
Shame I have to work really.
Well I finished 6 books this month, so I'm slacking compared to all of you lol My favourite would be a tie between Helen Grant's The Glass Demon and Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London.
ReplyDeleteAs for my February plans, you saw part of them and more is to follow later ;)
And you people had so better be tweeting from the SFX Weekender!! I'll have to live vicariously through you guys!
Okay, I guess I lied. I decided not to wing it after all, and instead ended up posting a list of books I want to read and goals I want to accomplish in February. See, I can't even follow through on my goal of not setting goals!
ReplyDelete