January Reading Challenges Summary

I know the month isn't over for two more days, but I don't want to wait.

Shakespeare Reading Challenge: 1/6
The 4 Month Challenge: Points for January: 115; Points total: 190
Off the Shelf Challenge: 7/30
TBR Dare: Going strong.

2011 progress:
Books read: 7
Pages read: 1,711

Every book I read this month came from my TBR pile. I have a very loose definition of TBR... it's basically any book I own that I haven't read yet. For the Off the Shelf challenge, all of the books counted must have been purchased before 2011... I think it might be the same for the TBR Dare? But this month my reading didn't include any books I've bought this year so it was easy keeping track.

Today I finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I loved it. It is beautiful. I think my favorite thing about it is the story could be incredibly depressing, but Smith writes in such a matter-of-fact way (when it could be very sentimental) that that's not the case. The story flows like life; things happen - good and bad - and the characters get on with it.

I read this book incredibly slowly. I'm not sure why. When I would sit down with it, I could read pages and pages, but then I'd put it down for a few days before picking it up again. Maybe it's because I was sick. Maybe it's because I didn't want it to end. Maybe the book demanded to be read in small chunks rather than devoured over two days. I don't know.

Now I'm reading St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell. It's short stories. I've read two so far. They're interesting. I think I'll reserve judgment until I finish all of the stories.

I read Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli today. It's a book that I often looked at, thought about reading but never did. I don't know why. It was very good, as every Jerry Spinelli is (that I've read anyway). I like that he deals with heavy topics, like race and death, without being heavy handed about it.And his characters are always interesting. Maniac Magee reminded me in bits and pieces of Stargirl. They're both larger than life characters who seem to exist outside the world they're placed in.

I'm counting this as my "read a book by your favorite author" for the 4 Month Challenge. I don't think I technically have a favorite author, but I have enjoyed all of Jerry Spinelli's books, so I figure that's good enough.

PS As I was writing the bit about heavy topics, I was struck by a sense of déjà vu. I wrote something similar in my review of When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt. I'm sure I'll write it again at some point, as I think this is one indication of great YA literature.

I finished Othello today. This is the slowest I've ever read a Shakespeare play. I think for the next one, I'm going to just take an afternoon and read the whole play. When I picked the book back up I often found that I had forgotten what had happened in the last part I had read. All in all it wasn't bad though. I think my opinion of it will be higher if I ever reread it (there's precedence... I enjoyed Hamlet and King Lear more the second times around).

I'm slowly making my way through A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I haven't been feeling great lately, so I've been watching a lot of TV instead of reading. Hopefully I'll be feeling better soon and the reading will pick up again.

"I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular path than we have yet gone ourselves." - EM Forster

New Year Goals (Just Do It)

1. Fear not.
2. Read more.
3. Buy less.
4. Try harder.
5. Think bigger.

I know that I've mentioned that I am terrible at reviewing books. And I am. I thought my reviewing skills were something I wanted to improve this year, but they're not.

I do review books on goodreads, so it seems silly for me to simply repeat myself here. If you want to read my reviews, head over there. I'm pretty good about updating my page.

That being said, I finished Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki today and am starting A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith and possibly Othello by Shakespeare tomorrow.

In other news, I watched my second full episode of Leverage today, and I'm hooked. I am also in love with Parenthood but am extremely sad that Peter Krause and Lauren Graham play siblings. Before I knew that fact, I totally thought they were going to hook up. But I haven't given up hope yet.

January Reading Challenge Updates

Off the Shelf (Making a Dent, 30 books)
1. A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
2. Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki
3. Othello by William Shakespeare
4. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
5. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
6. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
7. St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell

The 4 Month Challenge

1. Read a book you need to read for another challenge, A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck; 20 points
2. Read a book about a person who is still alive (Memoir, bio, auto-bio, etc), Geisha, A Life by Mineko Iwasaki; 15 points

3. Read a book written before you were born, Othello by William Shakespeare; 15 points
4. Read a book by your favorite author, Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli; 5 points
5. Read a book about a person who is passed (Memoir, bio, auto-bio, etc), 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff; 20 points
6. Read a classic you've never read before, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith; 20 points
7. Read a book of short stories, St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Smith; 20 points

Total for January: 115

Total: 190 points

Shakespeare Reading Challenge (Desdemona, 6 plays)

1. Othello

Hello, 2011!!!!!