Saturday 1 February 2014

Books read in January

I'm having quite a quiet month this month and the weather isn't conducive to being out much so I got quite a lot of reading done. Ten books in all and these are they:


1. Spilling the Beans - Clarissa Dickson Wright

2. The Long Winter - Laura Ingalls Wilder

3. Space Plague - Zac Harrison. Book six in the 'Hyperspace High' series. I've been reading this six part (so far) series at my grand-daughter's (and her mum and dad's) recommendation. They're fun, undemanding reads about an Earth boy who mistakenly gets picked up to go to a new school and ends up in space in a space-ship high-school with kids from thousands of planets. This is science fiction for younger readers and anyone young at heart who wants a quick sci-fi read. Great too, I would think, for boys who're reluctant readers. I've enjoyed them all.

4. Consider Phlebas - Iain M. Banks

5. The Yellow Dog - Georges Simenon

6. Darke - Angie Sage

7. Strictly Ann - Ann Widdecombe

8. Shards of Honour - Lois McMaster Bujold

9. Tentacles - Roland Smith. Another series I've been reading with my eldest daughter's family. Twins at a private school find out their explorer parents have gone missing in Brazil and that they have to go and live with an uncle they didn't know they had, on an island. Turns out he's a scientist who searches for crytids - animals that have never been proved to exist or have gone extinct. In the first book, Jungle Hunters, they go searching for dinosaur eggs and in book two they're after a kraken - a giant squid. There are loads of complications and twists with family and so forth, and all in all these books are rather entertaining.

10. The Talisman Ring - Georgette Heyer. To be reviewed.


My plan this year is to try and read more books from own bookshelves. So how has that panned out this month? Well... of these ten, five were library books, one belongs to my grand-daughter and four were my own. Hmm. I'm doing Bev's Mount TBR challenge this year and have signed up for forty eight books. Which means reading four of my own books each month. So I'm on course for that, no problem, *but* part of me wants to do a bit better than that so I need to concentrate a bit harder and apply myself.

Of the ten books two were non-fiction, autobiographies in fact, again 'must try harder'. I did manage to read several books for various other challenges and am pleased with the start I've made on those. So, a swings and roundabouts month really but one thing I will say: I enjoyed all the books I read and that really is the most important thing. Favourite book? A difficult choice but I think it'll have to be a tie between:


And:


... which I will review over the next day or two hopefully. Strange that these two books were written within four years of each other, The Long Winter in 1940 and The Talisman Ring in 1936. Am I getting a taste for older books I ask myself...

Everyone seems to be suffering with the weather at the moment... snow and freezing temps in North America, rain and floods over here etc. I hope everyone is safe and dry and warm and has lots of good books to read.

~~~oOo~~~

6 comments:

DesLily said...

Holy Cow! I've never read 10 books in a month in my entire life! (not even 10 comic books!) That's outstanding Cath!! *gives a proud sisterly hug*

meanwhile your sis across the pond has read 2 books for January LOL..to be honest it would have been 3 by honestly my eyes are really needing the cataracts taken care of AND the book I am reading is over 900 pgs HOWEVER, only about 675 are for reading the rest is reference and appendix and such.. I have about 100 pages to go to finish it. Bad thing is that some bigraphies are not so compelling that you read fast. The Roosevelt books I read faster then this one but it still gives me much more understanding of the things I've heard over the years about Walt Disney.

(so, so sorry we haven't talked alot.. I feel like I don't want to a good friendship by my depression and health goings on. I like having a "sis" ..:o) )

Margaret @ BooksPlease said...

The weather is good for reading - if for nothing else. Well done, and good that you're on target for 48 books - me too!

We've been lucky here as the weather this winter is the best we've had since we moved here 4 years ago - no snow (so far, keeping my fingers crossed it stays that way)and no floods either. But it is cold and windy!

Kailana said...

I am glad you had a great reading month!

Val said...

Gosh I haven't read a G Heyer for a while..I think Civil Contract is my favourite and well due for a revisit :0)

I'm most impressed by your list... I think I only read/listened to a few books this January...but as you say perhaps the weather will focus my mind!

Good reading!!!!

Peggy Ann said...

Nothing like those 'old' books! although I seem to be getting away from them lately. Maybe we've changed reading mojo with each other:) Good reading month! I only got 6 3/4 read. It's amazing how hard it is to read books on our own shelves isn't it?

Cath said...

Pat: Well a couple of them were easier, quickish reads so don't get too carried away. LOL

You take care... I'll email you soon.

Margaret: I'd like to do a little bit better than 48 but we'll see.

Yes, we've been quite lucky too, no extremes so far.

Kelly: Thank you!

Val: I think Heyer is one of the most revisitable authors I know. I could spend all year rereading hers and years ago I think I may have done just that!

Peggy: Odd isn't it the way we meander back and forth with reading niches? I'm definitely into a 1920s and 30s niche at the moment.

Yes, I do very poorly at reading my own books but this year I'm determined to do better.