January - This Month in Reading

This month was not an auspicious start to this year's reading! Work and life busyness meant that I managed a measly 6 books, well under the 10 to 15 I had hoped for. On the plus side, I did read a book for 3 out of the 4 challenges I am doing, so that was good at least.

Needless to say, for February I would like to read at least 10 books, and at least one for each challenge (2 for the Around the World Challenge to make up for not getting to one this month!). I'll keep track of that here, that seems to work well. How was your reading this month?

More Than a Hiding Place - Emily S. Smith

This is a nonfiction book about Corrie ten Boom, whom I mentioned in a book review from 2011. I was lucky enough to visit Corrie's home, also called "the Hiding Place," in Haarlem in November 2011, and it was amazing to actually be in the home I'd had read so much about. Our guide even allowed us to step in to the actual hiding place, a very small and narrow place that was never breached by the Nazis it was meant to impede. This book is loaded with actual photographs of the ten Boom family which were wonderful to see, as I'd never seen them before. I purchased it at the house in November, and only wish it had been written sooner so I could have seen the photos, some of which are of the people who successfully hid from the Nazis in the house during the time they hid there.

Fire! The Beginnings of the Labor Movement - Barbara Diamond Goldin

This is a small book for kids, part of the "Once Upon America" series of historical books, which take a historical story/concept and make it relatable for young readers. I enjoyed this book, as short as it was it was a good introduction to the need for the labor movement and the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire at the beginning of the 20th Century and I am sure I would have enjoyed the book if I had read it when I was young.

Roseanna - Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö

I resolved to read some book series this year, and the Martin Beck series by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö is one of them. I found out about this series when I found one of the books in a thrift shop for about 50 cents. The book caught my eye because the cover looked vintage (it's from approximately 1970) and I enjoy a good crime novel, so I picked it up. Of course it wasn't the first book in the series, but I got lucky and stumbled on Roseanna on the Library Sale shelves and was able to at least get started. The next several books might have to come from the library.

I enjoyed this book overall, it was a decent police procedural, and because it was originally written in 1965 things moved at what even now is probably a more realistic pace, with letters taking longer to reach their destinations, people having to use public pay telephones, no cellphones/email, etc. Martin Beck is rather stoic as a character, and I don't feel like I know him very well but on the other hand he is sympathetic, and I do want to read more about him.

Books $1 and Under for 2012

I think I'd like to keep track of the inexpensive books I read through this year, as it was fun to do so for the Buck Stops Here Challenge last year.

1. Othello - William Shakespeare (50 cent Library Sale book)
2. Roseanna - Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö (50 cent Library Sale book)
3. Fire! The Beginnings of the Labor Movement - Barbara Diamond Goldin (Borders last days book; paid approximately 50 cents)
4. We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson (<$1 high school book sale book)
5. Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder (free book from neighbor)
6. Heroes of the Holocaust - Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun (50 cent Library Sale book)
7. The Man in the Gray Flannel Skirt - Jon-Jon Goulian ($1 Borders last days book)
8. The Coma - Alex Garland ($1 Borders last days book)
9. To Be a Slave - Julius Lester (50 cent Library Sale book)
10. The Ice Queen - Alice Hoffman (free book from office book exchange shelves)
11. The House of the Scorpion - Nancy Farmer (free book from neighbor)
12. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding (50 cent Library Sale book)
13. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll (50 cent Library Sale book)
14. Through the Looking-Glass - Lewis Carroll (50 cent Library Sale book)
15. The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen (50 cent Library Sale book)
16. Yellow Crocus - Laila Ibrahim (read for free through NetGalley.com)
17. Touching the Void - Joe Simpson (either free from office book exchange shelves or a 50 cent Library Sale book, I can't remember which)
18. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath (free book from friend)
19. The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson (free book from neighbor)
20. Security - Stephen Amidon (50 cent Library Sale book)
21. Save the Deli - David Sax (40 cent Borders last days book)
22. Candide - Voltaire (50 cent Library Sale book)
23. Murder at 40 Below - Tom Brennan (gift from sister in law)
24. Story Time - Edward Bloor (50 cent Library Sale book)
25. Plum Wine - Angela Davis-Gardner (50 cent Library Sale book)
26. In The Woods - Tana French (50 cent Library Sale book)
27. Beautiful Disaster - Jamie McGuire (read for free through NetGalley.com)
28. A Dark Enchantment - Roland Vernon (50 cent Library Sale book)
29. Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier (bought from coworker's moving sale for 5 cents)
30. Moby-Dick - Herman Melville (50 cent Library Sale book)
31. Snow - Orhan Pamuk (50 cent Library Sale book)

Othello - William Shakespeare

As an English major, I have read many Shakespeare plays and seen many performed in the theater, but strangely I had never read nor seen Othello, and now, having read it, I can't imagine why not. It seemed relatively short, and was a quick read with a heartbreaking plot, clear villain with clear motives, guileless heroine, etc. Seems like it would be an easy choice for a class assignment, and I would have liked to have written a paper on it and discussed it in a classroom setting. As it is, I'm glad I have read it now. Highly recommended.

The Blue Place - Nicola Griffith

Apparently I was rather good in 2011, as I got a few books as Yule gifts, including this one. As you know, I inadvertently read the second book in this series first, and I felt compelled to read the others rather soon, so they leapt to the top of the TBR Mountain, as I couldn't bear to wait. This book didn't disappoint at all, I found it impossible to put down, and now I can't wait to read the next book, which happens to be perched atop "TBR peak" right now.

Y'all know I don't normally write "reviews" beyond oblique references and opinions, so as to prevent spoilers and such, but I have to say I love the main character of this series, Aud. I don't often wish I could know a fictional character in real life, but Aud is someone I wish I could know as a person. Another that comes to mind is Ida from Brighton Rock, whom I wished was my slightly older sister; someone protective but not smothering, who would be fun to hang out with but take you seriously when you wanted/needed that. I think Aud is like that too - I feel like she'd help me be more of a grownup, more mature, wise, aware, practical; she wouldn't put up with my nonsense too much but would let me get away with it because she's not judgmental. Then again she'd probably never want to be friends with someone like me in the first place - but that's another type of blog, ha ha. Sufficient to say that I am a big fan of her as a character and of the series and now I think I'll go see what happens next. Highly recommended.

Cumulative List of Books Read in 2012

Although I didn't join an official challenge for this in 2012, I would like to try to read 200 books this year, and I will keep a cumulative list of all the books I read in this post, as I found that a great way to track my reading when I was doing the 100+ Books Challenge.

1. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist
2. The Blue Place - Nicola Griffith
3. Othello - William Shakespeare
4. Roseanna - Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
5. Fire! The Beginnings of the Labor Movement - Barbara Diamond Goldin
6. More Than a Hiding Place - Emily S. Smith
7. We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson
8. Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder
9. Taroko Gorge - Jacob Ritari
10. Heroes of the Holocaust - Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun
11. Stolen Innocence - Elissa Wall with Lisa Pulitzer
12. Short Girls - Bich Minh Nguyen
13. The Sisters Brothers - Patrick deWitt
14. Ugly to Start With - John Michael Cummings
15. The Man in the Gray Flannel Skirt - Jon-Jon Goulian
16. The Coma - Alex Garland
17. The Tenth Man - E. William Podojil
18. To Be a Slave - Julius Lester
19. Finny - Justin Kramon
20. The Ice Queen - Alice Hoffman
21. The House of the Scorpion - Nancy Farmer
22. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
23. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
24. Through the Looking-Glass - Lewis Carroll
25. The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
26. My Name Is Red - Orhan Pamuk
27. Yellow Crocus - Laila Ibrahim
28. Touching the Void - Joe Simpson
29. True Grit - Charles Portis
30. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
31. The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
32. Timequake - Kurt Vonnegut
33. Of Ducks and Universes - Neve Maslakovic
34. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
35. The Awakening - Kate Chopin
36. Security - Stephen Amidon
37. The Borrower - Rebecca Makkai
38. Snowdrops - A.D. Miller
39. Vaclav & Lena - Haley Tanner
40. Save the Deli - David Sax
41. Candide - Voltaire
42. Murder at 40 Below - Tom Brennan
43. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
44. Amberville - Tim Davys
45. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne
46. Benny and Omar - Eoin Colfer
47. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
48. Tales of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
49. In My Family Tree: A Life with Chimpanzees - Sheila Siddle with Doug Cress
50. Further Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin
51. Culture and Customs of the Central African Republic - Jaqueline Woodfork
52. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
53. Persepolis 2 - Marjane Satrapi
54. How Green Was My Valley - Richard Llewellyn
55. Cayman Islands - Tricia Hayne
56. Embroideries - Marjane Satrapi
57. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
58. Babycakes - Armistead Maupin
59. Ballad of the Whiskey Robber - Julian Rubinstein
60. Chicken with Plums - Marjane Satrapi
61. 4,000 Days - Warren Fellows
62. Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe - Sophie Warne
63. Story Time - Edward Bloor
64. Plum Wine - Angela Davis-Gardner
65. In The Woods - Tana French
66. Seychelles - Sarah Carpin
67. Beautiful Disaster - Jamie McGuire
68. The Black Opera - Mary Gentle
69. Sangoma - James Hall
70. The Man Who Went Up In Smoke - Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
71. Young Goodman Brown and Other Tales - Nathaniel Hawthorne
72. Battle Royale - Koushun Takami
73. Captain Alatriste - Arturo Pérez-Reverte
74. The Devil Drives: A Life of Sir Richard Burton - Fawn Brodie
75. The Autobiography of Henry VIII - Margaret George
76. A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson
77. A Dark Enchantment - Roland Vernon
78. Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
79. The Portable Dorothy Parker - Dorothy Parker (Edited by Marion Meade)
80. Moby-Dick - Herman Melville
81. Snow - Orhan Pamuk

Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist

I haven't seen either movie based on this book (the original Swedish movie with the same title and the American remake, called Let Me In) so when I found this at the Borders Last Days sales I eagerly picked it up, as I prefer to read the book before I see the movie whenever possible. Despite being in the horror genre, which I don't normally read, I very much enjoyed this book. I found it very engrossing and I really felt for the main character. I liked the way the multiple story lines converged eventually (mainly because I was wondering how they ever would when I first started the book). There are definitely some truly gory and horrific scenes in this book, which didn't bother me much, but they are well done in creating an atmosphere of horror. And now I can't wait to see the movies. Recommended.

The Color-Coded Reading Challenge 2012

So glad to do this one again in 2012! I actually have a few books on hand that will count, which is a bonus, and some of the others will likely come from the book series that I intend to look into this year.  For some reason it was really fun to find books for this challenge last year and I look forward to doing it again. If you'd like to join this challenge, the link is here.

Here are the rules:

*Read nine books in the following categories.

1. A book with "Blue" in the title. The Blue Place - Nicola Griffith
2. A book with "Red" in the title. My Name Is Red - Orhan Pamuk

3. A book with "Yellow" in the title. Yellow Crocus - Laila Ibrahim

4. A book with "Green" in the title. How Green Was My Valley - Richard Llewellyn

5. A book with "Brown" in the title. Young Goodman Brown and Other Tales - Nathaniel Hawthorne

6. A book with "Black" in the title. The Black Opera - Mary Gentle

7. A book with "White" in the title. The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson

8. A book with any other color in the title (Purple, Orange, Turquoise, Pink, Magneta, etc.). The Man in the Gray Flannel Skirt - Jon-Jon Goulian

9. A book with a word that implies color (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Paisley, Stripe, etc.). The Boy in the Striped Pajamas - John Boyne

I found some interesting books last year just because of the color in the title, so I look forward to doing that again.

2012 Reading Challenges

Meant to do this post yesterday, but enjoyed New Year's Eve a bit too much and so I spent the day resting instead. Over the last few days I've been thinking about the reading challenges I entered this year, and although I enjoyed them all very much, I think I am going to cut back on the challenges for 2012. This is partly because I need to clear my TBR pile and I don't want to give myself a license to go to the library and check out more books until I have gotten the TBR books under control, but then I'll feel behind in the challenges, etc. I am going to do 4 challenges:

• The TBR Pile Challenge - self-explanatory (but allow me to explain anyway). I have to clear the TBR pile, and this challenge worked great for me in 2011, so I look forward to clearing more books in 2012.
• My personal challenge, the Around the World Challenge - this can partly be addressed by the TBR pile but will involve the library, which is OK, it is still a focused list. Feel free to join me in this challenge if you'd like!
• The Mixing It Up Challenge - this one is going to help me clear the TBR pile, and although I will have to go to the library for a couple of the categories, again, I think that's OK since most of the books are here on hand.
• The Color Coded Reading Challenge - just found out this one will be hosted again in 2012, hooray! I actually have several books on hand that will work, and this also fits into reading the book series that I had planned to check out. 

I will, however, try to read more than the 166 books I read in 2011, try to read outside my comfort zone, and possibly keep track of books that cost $1 or less just out of curiosity.

One other note - when I first started this blog I did it in haste and couldn't think up a really clever name, plus, I didn't consider that I'd still be doing this in 2012. Of course now it's kind of outdated. I thought about starting a new blog called "Reading 2012" but the idea of having to start all over with my followers and etc. seemed like too much of a hassle. I think instead I'll modify the name of the blog slightly to reflect the continuation of my reading tracking. In any case, I am looking forward to a new year of reading!