January in Review

What I Learned

I can actually read classics again. I slowly moved back to them last year reading the amazing Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. In January I continued that by finally reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, and Charlotte Bronte. You have no idea how proud of myself I am for finally reading Sherlock Holmes and Jane Eyre. A lot of it is time. I know I can read modern novels relatively quickly and there is always so much that I want to read, but this year I am really pushing myself to read outside of my comfort zone. It will be slow, but it is necessary. That being said, I also want to read more fantasy this year and that is my comfort zone.

I also learned that it is possible for me to work on series that I started too long ago to count. I am finally reading on in the Chobits and In Death series. These were both series that I started ages ago and then promptly paused on. Oh, and The Muppets. I read the first book in that series in 2009.

New to Me Authors

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet, and The Sign of Four)

Jean Webster (Daddy-Long-Legs and Dear Enemy)

H.G. Wells (The Invisible Man)

Chris Priestley (Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror)

Sam Wasson (Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman)

Gail Z. Martin (The Sworn)

Charlotte Bronte (Jane Eyre)

Graham Moore (The Sherlockian)

Erin Bow (Plain Kate)

Series Talk

Sherlock Holmes Series: 3/9

Daddy-Long Legs Series: 2/2 COMPLETED!

Bone Series: 11/11 CAUGHT UP! (Includes Rose and Tall Tales)

Fables Series: 14/14 CAUGHT UP!

The Fallen Kings Cycle: 1/1 CAUGHT UP!

Sianim Series: 2/4

Nightschool Series: 1/4

Maisie Dobbs Series: 8/8 CAUGHT UP!

In Death Series: 11/32?

Chobits Series: 5/8

***Note: I left The Muppets off because it is just for fun and I don't really care about the series as a whole, so will just read it whenever the library has a book in the series.***

***2nd Note: I read too many series. At least I am caught up in some of them, right?***

The Source

Library: 13 (2 e-books; 11 paper)

E-Reader: 9

Personal Library: 5

What I Read

1. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Completed January 1, 2011)

2. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Completed January 1, 2011)
3. The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Completed January 3, 2011)
4. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster (Completed January 4, 2011)
5. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger (Completed January 4, 2011)
6. Bone: Tall Tales by Jeff Smith & Tom Sniegoski (Completed January 4, 2011)
7. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells (Completed January 5, 2011) - Sci-Fi Experience
8. Fables - Volume 14: Witches by Bill Willingham & company (Completed January 7, 2011)
9. Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestley (Completed January 8, 2011)
10. Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson (Completed January 9, 2011)
11. The Fallen Kings Cycle Book 1: The Sworn by Gail Z. Martin (Completed January 10, 2011)
12. Muppet Robin Hood by Tim Beedle & Company (Completed January 11, 2011)
13. Masques by Patricia Briggs (Sianim Series, Book 1) (Completed January 12, 2011)
14. Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs (Sianim Series, Book 2) (Completed January 14, 2011)
15. Dear Enemy by Jean Webster (Completed January 17, 2011)
16. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Completed January 20, 2011)
17. Nightschool: The Weirn Books - Volume 1 by Svetlana Chmakova (Completed January 21, 2011)
18. Muppet Peter Pan by Grace Randolph & Company (Completed January 21, 2011)
19. Muppet King Arthur by Paul Benjamin, Patrick Storck, & Company (Completed January 21, 2011)
20. The Muppet Show Comic Book: The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson by Roger Landridge & Company (Completed January 21, 2011)
21. The Muppet Show Comic Book: Family Reunion by Roger Langridge (Completed January 22, 2011)
22. A Lesson In Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs Series, Book 8) (Competed January 23, 2011)
23. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore (Completed January 26, 2011)
24. Witness in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death Series, Book 10) (Completed January 28, 2011)
25. Plain Kate by Erin Bow (Completed January 29, 2011)
26. Chobits Volume 5 by Clamp (Completed January 29, 2011

27. Judgement in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death Series, Book 11) (Completed January 31, 2011)

Favourite Read of the Month: The Sworn by Gail Z. Martin

Honourable Mentions:

A Lesson In Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

Fables - Volume 14: Witches by Bill Willingham & company

Books Added to the TBR Pile

The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan (gift card)
The Ghost in Love by Jonathoan Carroll (gift card)
My Reading Life by Pat Conroy (ebook - gift card)
Spitfire Women of World War II by Giles Whittell (ebook - gift card)
When Demons Walk by Patricia Briggs (Gift Card)
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (Gift Card)
Passion by Jude Morgan (Gift Card)
Star Trek Typhon Pact: Zero Sum Game by David Mack
Star Trek Typhon Pact: Seize the Fire by Michael Z. Martin
Star Trek Typhon Pact: Rough Beasts of Empire by David R. George III
The Hundred Thousands Kingdom by N.K. Jemisin (ebook - gift card)
Masques by Patricia Briggs (gift card)
Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs (gift card)

That works out to 10 PHYSICAL books in and 5 PHYSICAL books read = FAIL

Thoughts on February

If all goes well I have lots to look forward to in February. After the success of finally reading Jane Eyre, I have moved on to read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell with Amanda from The Zen Leaf for our next buddy read. I also am hopefully going to read Daughter of the Forest with Melissa from Book Nut; The Magicians with Lisa from Books, Lists, Life; The Magicians and Mrs. Quent with Nymeth from things mean a lot, and The Three Musketeers with Darla from Books & Other Thoughts. Then, I have an ARC of Colleen Gleason's new novel that I hope to get to before the month is out. I think that is enough planned reading. The rest will just be reading for fun. I am hoping to catch-up in a few more series and maybe read some more H.G. Wells and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but we will have to see how the month plays out.

Is this too much information for this post? I am just messing around with ideas, so let me know what you think!