State of the Month

Officially, I'm going to call my experiment a failure (technical). I failed to read all the books on the list. However, I did get two extra Julia Spencer-Fleming books read as well as my two Marliss Moon books (these have staring at me for months). The Eyre Affair and Charmed to Death are going back on the shelf to be attempted again in the future. That all being said, I will be coming up with a new list of another eight books to be read in Feb. Eight books = two per week. That is definitely doable...I just need to choose more wisely this time around.

I discovered a fascinating new writer in C. L. Wilson and am looking forward to reading the other three books that have been published in her Tairen Soul quintet. Obviously, book five isn't out yet. I read somewhere that she'll be doing a new series, also about the Fey, so I'll definitely be looking out for that. Other new notables: Kim Lenox, Jeri Smith-Ready, Shirl Henke (what a surprise), and Helen Scott Taylor. I expect that I'll have a weak moment, break down, and go to the bookstore to buy The Phoenix Charm. I don't think I can wait!

Only one DNF in January - Lori Avocato's A Dose of Murder. I was so disappointed by this book and as a huge fan of Janet Evanovich and Stephanie Plum, I was astonished at what a lousy job the author did (Sorry) and how much of a rip-off it was of Stephanie. I didn't even get through fifty pages of this one. I had high hopes for it too.

I had a good run of Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick books for some reason. Ms. Krentz writes very good romances but I think I prefer her historicals under her Quick pseudonym. Her strength of writing intelligent yet vulnerable women with a sharp wit really seems to shine when she writes about 19th century England. I've got two more to go in my library.  

I'll be doing my usual separate post of the best book of January was but I want to mention A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh. Mary is one of my favorite authors and this book was short but so sweet, with a neat little twist I did not see coming. At all. This was one of only two A+ books in January but sadly, it won't win this month. When it comes out in paperback, I definitely plan to pick up a copy of this too short book.

So, not a bad run this time. I averaged a book/day and that's pretty good for me. Having a few days a month where I don't read at all and a few more where I read two or three a day seems to work for me. I do have a life, after all. No, really :)