January in Retrospect

Hmmmm.....what is there to say about January?? A new year. A new decade. It was bone-chilling cold most of the month. And that's when it wasn't snowing!! It was also my birthday this month. I always hated a January birthday. Too close to Christmas and usually the weather was too bad to do much. But this year's birthday was nice. And I found out that a lot of book bloggers out there had either January birthdays or were, at least, Capricorns! It's nice to see I am in good company.

January was also a month of a lot of work. Extra shifts. A job interview (that apparently didn't go so well!) Hope for the future of Mike's employment. Concert going with Chad. Speaking of the boy, last week he came home with a packet of orientation "stuff" for his first year in high school. Good Lord, I almost had a heart attack. It is so NOT possible that I will have a high schooler in the house next year! I'm extremely proud of him. Not only has he been recommended for Enriched or AP History, Math and Science....but he's also trying out for football AND running for Student Council. My well-rounded boy. He wants to go to Harvard. Sheesh. I'll worry about that when the time comes. Till then, he's already receiving college fliers in the mail. He's only in 8th grade!!



On the reading front, January was a decent month for me. I read 7 books, including 1 Graphic Novel, 1 book of essays, 2 non-fiction, 4 fiction novels, with 2 of those being YA:

• The Body Scoop for Girls by Dr. Jennifer Ashton
• Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S. G. Browne
• American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
• Couldn't Keep it to Myself: Testimonies from our Imprisoned Sisters by Wally Lamb and the Women of the York Correctional Institution
• How to Save Your Own Life by Michael Gates Gill
• The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Liga (review to come)
• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (review to come)
  

All in all a pretty good reading month. Since the big Challenge push early in the month, I only joined a couple more challenges: The Speculative Fiction Challenge, Hosted by Caroline at Book Chick City and the PoC Reading Challenge, hosted by Pam at Really enjoyed the books I read. Right now, I'm in the middle of Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah and Horns by Joe Hill. 2 very different books, but both very good so far.

Also coming up in February, I'm involved in a couple of Book Tours. The Classics Circuit is doing a Harlem Renaissance Book Tour in the month of February and I am participating this month. I'm also touring the book, The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran for TLC Book Tours this month. I've got lots of books going, and lots of goods ones on the horizon. So hopefully, February will be as good as January!!

Now...I'd better get back to work!!