January Review

It's close enough to the end of the month that I can post my review. January started out strong and energetic but then stalled out around day four. Pretty awesome, huh? Yeah, I'm kind of proud right now. [where is that sarcasm font when I need it?]

I read three books, kind of. All of them I started in 2010, two of them I finished. One I have to mark as uncompleted (which in my world still counts as being read).

1. Keeping The House by Ellen Baker (Book Club Selection) Finished
2. Lenz by Georg Buechner Finished
3. House Rules by Jodi Picoult  - Marking as uncompleted. But I tried, oh man, did I try.

In the category of Old Books, I decided to take a look at what I had on my nightstand to accomplish this month and possibly do some culling. Some of these books... well, let me break it down. Here's the three that are going in the donation box and why:

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares
Why? I cheated and read the first 30 pages. The writing felt mediocre, so I did some skimming to see if it improved at all... it doesn't. Very disappointing. I was looking forward to this book.

Skeleton Crew by Stephen King
No matter what I did, I couldn't start this book. The guy's name in big letters across the cover is awe-inspiring and intimidating in and among itself. The size of the book... I don't think I have it in me to be freaked out for 500+ pages.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
A friend who's judgment in all things bookish I trust told me it's an okay read. For just "an okay read" I don't think I have the time to devote to a 500+ page book.

In some ways I'm sad to see them go, on the other hand, it's a sigh of relief that I don't have to figure out how to fit them back on my book shelf.

So what's up for February? [insert excited squeal here] I can't wait to get into this month's "genre": Favorite Books. There's very few books that I deem as keepers. Pretty much Harry Potter and Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series [low mumbling: and the Twilight series] are all I keep on that shelf. Which is crazy because I NEVER have time to re-read these books that I seriously love. So I'm making time. The two month goal is 6 books. This month I'll settle for 3. Unfortunately before I start I have the unpleasant business of reading the book club selection... The Notebook. I have a serious hate for anything Nicholas Sparks. I don't know how he became such a "great author" when the guy can't.write. If anything, he's my inspiration that I will some day be a published author. End rant.

1. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens [fell in love with this book in high school]
3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

It's gonna be a good, good month. As soon as I get through the first book...