Total Pages Read in May: 2,104
What a successful reading month! I read more pages in July than any other month yet this year, and I enjoyed all but one of them. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.
There was one misstep this month in the form of a book club read, Three Cups of Tea, that I really didn't like. But the rest of the month was filled with books that really required me to think and work for my love, and they were all worth it. Wuthering Heights, some Neil Gaiman and Alice Hoffman, a new Loretta Chase, and the amazing A Visit from the Goon Squad - what more could a girl ask for?
I'm not sure what August has in store, as I will be going back to school at the end of the month. I do know that in the next week or two, you will hear me go on and on about a new F. Scott Fitzgerald book entitled A Short Autobiography, in which Fitz's best essays are put in chronogical order to show a linear personal account of his life. I've been anxiously awaiting this book since February, so I am pumped to finally read it. I'm sure I will be fitting at least one more Alice Hoffman book as well. And maybe another romance or two. See you then!
Showing posts with label month in review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label month in review. Show all posts
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
June 2011 in Review
Total Pages Read in May: 1,301
It's been a slow reading month. I read fewer pages and books than in any other month this year. It was for a good reason, though. I was out of town for a week at the end of June to visit friends in Kansas, and I didn't touch a book the whole time I was gone. Losing more than a full week to the trip and its preparation cost me precious reading time, but it was time well spent with people I love.
I read a couple books I really loved this month, including one of Markus Zusak's older novels. Rumor has it that Zusak will be releasing a new book this fall (in the UK and Australia, at least), which I am SUPER EXCITED about, obviously.
Overall, a pretty good reading month. July promises to be even better. I'm currently in the middle of Wuthering Heights, a book I will have a lot to say about by the time I finish it. You can't quite imagine this book; it's so different from everything else out there. I have some books by favorites Neil Gaiman and Alice Hoffman on my desk, too. I can't wait to get to all this great stuff!
It's been a slow reading month. I read fewer pages and books than in any other month this year. It was for a good reason, though. I was out of town for a week at the end of June to visit friends in Kansas, and I didn't touch a book the whole time I was gone. Losing more than a full week to the trip and its preparation cost me precious reading time, but it was time well spent with people I love.
I read a couple books I really loved this month, including one of Markus Zusak's older novels. Rumor has it that Zusak will be releasing a new book this fall (in the UK and Australia, at least), which I am SUPER EXCITED about, obviously.
Overall, a pretty good reading month. July promises to be even better. I'm currently in the middle of Wuthering Heights, a book I will have a lot to say about by the time I finish it. You can't quite imagine this book; it's so different from everything else out there. I have some books by favorites Neil Gaiman and Alice Hoffman on my desk, too. I can't wait to get to all this great stuff!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
May 2011 in Review
Total Pages Read in May: 1,964
May wasn't quite as successful a reading month as April was. I only read about 100 fewer pages, but I wasn't as in love with my reading material this time around. I did manage to fit in something from just about every area - nonfiction, poetry, fiction, and lots of graphic novels. The only regular genre I didn't cover was romance, with which I'm getting increasingly bored.
Without a doubt my favorite book this month was Alice Hoffman's The Red Garden. It had something for every part of my reading brain - tragedy, sweet love stories, hope, humor, and strong sentences. I loved it. I read a couple other Hoffman books this month, too, but none of them struck me the way The Red Garden did.
I got a nice dose of history with Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts, about the rise of Hitler in 1933 Berlin and the American response to the early Nazi regime. I also read a lot of graphic novels, including a re-read of Jason's Hey, Wait..., one of my favorites of the medium. I also reread Barbara Kingsolver's awesome novel, The Bean Trees, which I hadn't read in years.
I'm pretty happy with how May turned out as a reading month, even if I enjoyed April more. I have a few coming-soon books I'd like to read in June, including the latest historical romance by Julia Quinn and a memoir from one of my favorite funny guys, actor Simon Pegg. I have a few rereads planned as well. Hopefully, June's weather is much, much dryer and sunnier than May's, as I would love to be able to do more reading outside. There's nothing I love more than sitting on the back deck with a good book and a nice breeze. What summer reads do you have planned?
May wasn't quite as successful a reading month as April was. I only read about 100 fewer pages, but I wasn't as in love with my reading material this time around. I did manage to fit in something from just about every area - nonfiction, poetry, fiction, and lots of graphic novels. The only regular genre I didn't cover was romance, with which I'm getting increasingly bored.
Without a doubt my favorite book this month was Alice Hoffman's The Red Garden. It had something for every part of my reading brain - tragedy, sweet love stories, hope, humor, and strong sentences. I loved it. I read a couple other Hoffman books this month, too, but none of them struck me the way The Red Garden did.
I got a nice dose of history with Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts, about the rise of Hitler in 1933 Berlin and the American response to the early Nazi regime. I also read a lot of graphic novels, including a re-read of Jason's Hey, Wait..., one of my favorites of the medium. I also reread Barbara Kingsolver's awesome novel, The Bean Trees, which I hadn't read in years.
I'm pretty happy with how May turned out as a reading month, even if I enjoyed April more. I have a few coming-soon books I'd like to read in June, including the latest historical romance by Julia Quinn and a memoir from one of my favorite funny guys, actor Simon Pegg. I have a few rereads planned as well. Hopefully, June's weather is much, much dryer and sunnier than May's, as I would love to be able to do more reading outside. There's nothing I love more than sitting on the back deck with a good book and a nice breeze. What summer reads do you have planned?
Saturday, April 30, 2011
April 2011 in Review
Total Pages Read in April: 2,042
Wow, April was a great reading month! Not only was it my most successful reading month so far this year (most pages and books read), it featured some fantastic books. There was fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. There were classics and contemporaries.
I reread Virgina Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, one of my favorite classic novels and one I highly recommend to anyone with an interest in literature. I also recommend Nathan Rabin's My Year of Flops, which is a very funny look at failed films. I found the first Loretta Chase romance I didn't like, but it's not going to stop me from reading her in the future. Best of all, I began the month with Walker Percy's The Moviegoer, which is one of the best novels I've read in a long time. If I had to give out my 2011 top ten list right at this moment, The Moviegoer would take the top spot. Hopefully, this means I'll read even better books as the year continues.
I didn't review this for my blog or include it on any of the records I keep about my book reading habits, but I also listened to a great audiobook this month: Tina Fey's memoir, Bossypants. I'm glad I listened to the audio version, as I'm not sure I would have liked Fey's style nearly as much on the page. But she reads it wonderfully, and it's great perspective on the world from a funny woman with opinions on both comedy and womanhood. This audiobook was a lot of fun.
April reminded me that there are some really kick-ass books out there and that I should read as much as I can in the next few months before graduate school kicks in and makes my reading options much more limited. I have quite a few books I hope to tackle in May, but it's also a pretty busy month in terms of social obligations, so it may not be quite as fruitful as April. You never know, though....
Wow, April was a great reading month! Not only was it my most successful reading month so far this year (most pages and books read), it featured some fantastic books. There was fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. There were classics and contemporaries.
I reread Virgina Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, one of my favorite classic novels and one I highly recommend to anyone with an interest in literature. I also recommend Nathan Rabin's My Year of Flops, which is a very funny look at failed films. I found the first Loretta Chase romance I didn't like, but it's not going to stop me from reading her in the future. Best of all, I began the month with Walker Percy's The Moviegoer, which is one of the best novels I've read in a long time. If I had to give out my 2011 top ten list right at this moment, The Moviegoer would take the top spot. Hopefully, this means I'll read even better books as the year continues.
I didn't review this for my blog or include it on any of the records I keep about my book reading habits, but I also listened to a great audiobook this month: Tina Fey's memoir, Bossypants. I'm glad I listened to the audio version, as I'm not sure I would have liked Fey's style nearly as much on the page. But she reads it wonderfully, and it's great perspective on the world from a funny woman with opinions on both comedy and womanhood. This audiobook was a lot of fun.
April reminded me that there are some really kick-ass books out there and that I should read as much as I can in the next few months before graduate school kicks in and makes my reading options much more limited. I have quite a few books I hope to tackle in May, but it's also a pretty busy month in terms of social obligations, so it may not be quite as fruitful as April. You never know, though....
Friday, April 1, 2011
March 2011 in Review
Total Pages Read in March: 1,808
I read a little over 400 more pages in March than I read in February. I read a couple of romances, including one by a new favorite, Julie James. I also attempted to read and understand Faulkner, which had mixed results. I didn't enjoy Light in August very much, but it did help me realize that Faulkner deserves his reputation as one of the all-time great American writers. He's just not hitting the right buttons for me personally.
I read two nonfiction books at the end of the month. Sarah Vowell's new book, Unfamiliar Fishes, was okay but not as good as her previous work. Meanwhile, Homer Hickam's memoir, Rocket Boys, was much better than I had anticipated. As is so often the case, I judged the book before I read it and then was surprised to find I actually liked it.
April is shaping up to be a great reading month, one I'm really excited about. I'm starting off the month with Walker Percy's 1961 classic, The Moviegoer. Already, I like it a great deal. There is a sentence on the fourth page that makes me want to dance with delight. Look for me to quote it in my official review next week. Since April is National Poetry Month, I hope to read at least two books of poetry. Of course, there will be some trashy romances mixed in, as well as at least one horror or fantasy novel.
Most importantly, I have decided to take part in the NPR Monkey See blog's I Will If You Will Book Club. I'm excited about this one, because Linda Holmes and Glen Weldon picked Dream Country, a volume of Neil Gaiman's Sandman graphic novel series. I already have the book in hand, ready to go! I'll let you know how this pursuit goes. I think it'll be fun, and I encourage you to participate also.
I read a little over 400 more pages in March than I read in February. I read a couple of romances, including one by a new favorite, Julie James. I also attempted to read and understand Faulkner, which had mixed results. I didn't enjoy Light in August very much, but it did help me realize that Faulkner deserves his reputation as one of the all-time great American writers. He's just not hitting the right buttons for me personally.
I read two nonfiction books at the end of the month. Sarah Vowell's new book, Unfamiliar Fishes, was okay but not as good as her previous work. Meanwhile, Homer Hickam's memoir, Rocket Boys, was much better than I had anticipated. As is so often the case, I judged the book before I read it and then was surprised to find I actually liked it.
April is shaping up to be a great reading month, one I'm really excited about. I'm starting off the month with Walker Percy's 1961 classic, The Moviegoer. Already, I like it a great deal. There is a sentence on the fourth page that makes me want to dance with delight. Look for me to quote it in my official review next week. Since April is National Poetry Month, I hope to read at least two books of poetry. Of course, there will be some trashy romances mixed in, as well as at least one horror or fantasy novel.
Most importantly, I have decided to take part in the NPR Monkey See blog's I Will If You Will Book Club. I'm excited about this one, because Linda Holmes and Glen Weldon picked Dream Country, a volume of Neil Gaiman's Sandman graphic novel series. I already have the book in hand, ready to go! I'll let you know how this pursuit goes. I think it'll be fun, and I encourage you to participate also.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
February 2011 in Review
Total Pages Read in February: 1,383
I didn't read as many pages in February as I did last month, which I could blame on the shorter month or the fact I was out of town two separate weekends. But honestly, it's just that I read shorter books. So sue me.
Once again, I didn't read any classics. However, I did read some poetry, including Richard Siken's Crush, which is one of the best collections of poetry I've ever read. That book will undoubtedly be making an appearance on my best-of list at the end of the year. I also read a book that reminded me why reading and writing is important (Stephen King's On Writing), visited the land of trashy romance, and reread one of my new favorite books, American Gods. Neil Gaiman, by the way, is still the master.
March looks to be an interesting reading month. I decided to give Faulkner another go around, so I'm reading one of his novels right now. I've also got a lot of poetry books and romances stacked up in various corners of my bookshelves. Should be a good one!
What were your favorite reads of February, and what books do you hope to tackle in March?
I didn't read as many pages in February as I did last month, which I could blame on the shorter month or the fact I was out of town two separate weekends. But honestly, it's just that I read shorter books. So sue me.
Once again, I didn't read any classics. However, I did read some poetry, including Richard Siken's Crush, which is one of the best collections of poetry I've ever read. That book will undoubtedly be making an appearance on my best-of list at the end of the year. I also read a book that reminded me why reading and writing is important (Stephen King's On Writing), visited the land of trashy romance, and reread one of my new favorite books, American Gods. Neil Gaiman, by the way, is still the master.
March looks to be an interesting reading month. I decided to give Faulkner another go around, so I'm reading one of his novels right now. I've also got a lot of poetry books and romances stacked up in various corners of my bookshelves. Should be a good one!
What were your favorite reads of February, and what books do you hope to tackle in March?
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
January 2011 in Review
Total Pages Read in January: 1,954
Not too shabby a way to kick off the year, if I do say so myself. I reread one of my new favorite books, The Book Thief. I read some more Neil Gaiman. I even got to spend some time in the minds of my favorite geeks at the AV Club. I didn't read any new books that completely blew me away this month, but I remained very entertained by the things I read in January.
Of course, I didn't touch any classics in January, so I need to make sure I do that at some point in February. I also didn't read any poetry, which I plan to remedy soon. I have three books by three amazing poets sitting on my desk right now. Bring on the ice and cold, baby (and as I'm writing this, we are under a blizzard warning in northern Indiana)! It's time to curl up in bed with a good book.
Now it's your turn: What were your favorite books you read this month? And what are your reading goals for February?
Note: I will be doing these short reviews at the end of every month this year. They are mostly a way for me to keep track of my reading goals and to see how many pages I can read by the end of the year. You don't realize just how much you've really read until you count it up!
Not too shabby a way to kick off the year, if I do say so myself. I reread one of my new favorite books, The Book Thief. I read some more Neil Gaiman. I even got to spend some time in the minds of my favorite geeks at the AV Club. I didn't read any new books that completely blew me away this month, but I remained very entertained by the things I read in January.
Of course, I didn't touch any classics in January, so I need to make sure I do that at some point in February. I also didn't read any poetry, which I plan to remedy soon. I have three books by three amazing poets sitting on my desk right now. Bring on the ice and cold, baby (and as I'm writing this, we are under a blizzard warning in northern Indiana)! It's time to curl up in bed with a good book.
Now it's your turn: What were your favorite books you read this month? And what are your reading goals for February?
Note: I will be doing these short reviews at the end of every month this year. They are mostly a way for me to keep track of my reading goals and to see how many pages I can read by the end of the year. You don't realize just how much you've really read until you count it up!
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