What are we reading in January?

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm kicking off my 2017 challenge with Crosstalk by Connie Willis. What are you reading this month?

I'm alternating between Outrage and American Housewife.

I've started a reread of The Iliad, by Homer, in the revised Rieu translation published by Penguin Classics.

I'm starting with The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer for my Awards Cat book and Something Blue by Ann Hood which is my treadmill book.

I'm starting the reading year with Zum Wiedersehen der Sterne (Engl. The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears) by Dinaw Mengestu, which is very good so far.

I finished Hag-Seed yesterday. I'm thinking of picking up a mystery next, not sure what yet.

I'm currently reading the nonfiction Medicine Quest: In Search of Nature's Healing Secrets, which is really fascinating. I'm also reading two novels, both of which I'm really enjoying: Immortally Yours (urban fantasy/romance) and This Monstrous Thing, which is a YA re-imagining of Frankenstein.

This is my tentative plans for this month.

The Whale: A Love Story by Mark Beauregard
Moby Dick by Herman Melville (start it but won't finish it this month)
The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Evicted by Matthew Desmond
Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Mothers by Brit Bennett
The Breathing Method by Stephen King
Wild Seed Octavia Butler
Why Read Moby Dick? by Nathanial Philbrick

As usual, I'm juggling several books right now. I'm reading Deerbrook for a group read in the 75 books challenge, I'm reading Three Blind Mice and Other Stories for the CATwoman, I'm reading The Hare with Amber Eyes for the AwardCAT, and my current audiobook is Homegoing.

Decided to scratch a serious audiobook itch and begin Devil in the Smoke, a Doctor Who adventure by Justin Richards that is narrated by Dan Starkey. Fun so far.

>8 luvamystery65: I really liked Falling Free.

I'm reading the following right now - Secrets of a Charmed Life, Lab Girl, and The Elusive Pimpernel.

I'm reading Sally Thorne's The Hating Game and kind of loving it!

I am about halfway through Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season by Nick Heil and am enjoying it.

Next up:
Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
Ross Poldark by Winston Graham

I picked up Stranger in My Grave by Margaret Millar. Fits the AlphaKIT and is refreshingly old-fashioned.

Just finished The English Channel by Nigel Calder which is a holdover from 2016. I'm almost halfway through Evicted by Matthew Desmond.

>14 VictoriaPL: ooh! Ooh! Have you read Ross Poldark before?

If not, beware...you may get addicted to the entire series as I did...but that is a good thing. :)

I'm about to start Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd, the latest Flavia de Luce mystery.

I've finished Train in Winter about women active in the Resistance in France during WWII and their subsequent experience in Auschwitz.

Now I'm reading Swann's Way, the first volume of Proust's In Search of Lost Time. (Join our book read here if you're interested! http://www.librarything.com/topic/245011)

i'm also reading Deerbrook by Harriet Martineau, a lesser-known early Victorian author.

>17 fuzzi: No, I've only watched some of the newest BBC series.
But I had planned to read all 12 in the series this year anyway... ;)

I'm halfway through To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey, about a small group exploring Alaska's Wolverine river in the 1880s and the leader's wife at home waiting for him. I'm also halfway through The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride, about an Irish drama student in London in 1994.

Both are excellent so far, but I'm in the mood to start half a dozen more books and get this year going.

>21 RidgewayGirl: I know! At the library's website I'm like... pace... yourself! LOL.

I'm just about to start E. Nesbit's The Railway Children for CATWoman, and Sex, Lies & Pharmaceuticals by Ray Moynihan for the CultureCAT. I'm also still reading Redwall, which I started back in (I think) October, but keep putting down as I'm getting distracted. This will be the month I finish it!

>20 VictoriaPL: one a month?

I'm tempted to reread them along with you. I first fell in love with the Poldark saga in the 1970s, after watching the original series on television.

You should make a group read thread!

Started The Expendable Man, by Dorothy B. Hughes and am reluctant to put it down, but it's suspenseful and I don't want to have nightmares. Will have to continue it tomorrow.

>11 fuzzi: I'm excited to get around to Falling Free

Started Swann's Way for the In Search of Lost Time group read, and am reading Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives for light relief.

I'm reading Heartless by Marissa Meyer. It's about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, before she became queen.

>8 luvamystery65: It's been ages since I read North and South, but I enjoyed it.

I'm reading a book that a good friend recommended to me Reading Lolita in Tehran. She said that she's read it three times because she loved it so much but I'm having a hard time with writing style. Anyone else read it? Worth sticking it out?

>24 fuzzi: there will be a group read thread. @christina_reads will create it soon.

ETA: In the car I'm listening to The Circle by Dave Eggers. Certainly turning out to be a cautionary tale. I have found myself not logging in to FaceBook quite as often!

>24 fuzzi: >30 VictoriaPL: Sorry for the delay in setting this up, but I've created a thread for the Poldark group read here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/245565. All are welcome to join!

>31 christina_reads: Thanks Christina!

>29 donan: I've read it, and enjoyed it. I can't say it was a favourite, but it was interesting to see the books threading through the lives of the women in the book group, and I'm sure I'll read it again at some point.

>28 BookLizard: BL! Missed you. I am listening to North and South narrated by Juliet Stevenson. She always elevates a story in my opinion, but I am absolutely loving this story so far.

I'm not sure it can be called reading, as there is very little text, but I picked up Creative Lettering and Beyond by Gabri Joy Kirkendall etc. from the library. The librarian said it had been very popular. I'm hoping to improve my handwriting as I do entries in my planner / journal.

I read Little Women for my first book of the year and now I am starting Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd and Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee.

I'm still working on the books I was reading when 2016 ended:

One Coffee With by Margaret Maron (off the shelf)
Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen (e-book from library)
The Dance of the Seagull by Andrea Camilleri (AUDIO from library)
Mr. Lincoln's Army by Bruce Catton (off the shelf)

Later this month, I'll be reading The Unwinding by George Packer (via ILL)
and The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman (book from library)

I'm already seeing a shortcoming in my categories. As the loans are about to expire on my downloads, I may wind up finishing them in another format. That kind of messes with how I categorize them, as my categories are based on the sources of my reads. For instance, I know I can snag hard-copy of the Hiaasen from my library if I can't renew the e-book.

>33 Jackie_K:: Thanks! I've made it into the 2nd section and it's getting better. I think I'll stick with it.

>37 tymfos: sometimes I borrow an ebook (or paper) and audio of the same book. I just count it however I need it. In other words, you used both formats, count the one that fits best for you.

I've started and finished Trust No One by Paul Cleave, a compelling psychological thriller. Also started Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar and have some pesky library books and a couple of leftovers from 2016 to get done including The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth.

I've moved on to Savage: A Novel and The Road to Enchantment... The jury is still out on both (though Savage clearly needed a better editor and proofreader), but I'm feeling optimistic about both...

I finished the German translation of The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu, which I really liked. And I have started The Children Act by Ian McEwan.

Reading Laidlaw by William McIlvanney, which is set in Glasgow. Enjoying it because the writing is excellent. Found it in The Telegraph's list: 50 crime writers to read before you die.

>8 luvamystery65: Why Read Moby Dick? is on my list to read this year, but there's not a chance I'll get to it this month.

Reading 2 chunksters An Echo in the Bone book 7 in the Outlander series and also slogging through Moby Dick. I will be doing good to finish both of those in January as I'm also picking up teaching a new class this semester. Once these two are finished than I can REALLY start going through my challenges and RTT.

I started The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier.

Reading my January RandomCAT selection, Franklin's Lost Ship, by John Geiger and Alanna Mitchell.

Currently I am enjoying Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede. I am also listening to A Breath of Snow and Ashes, reading by installment Silas Marner and about to start Roanoke by Anglea Hunt.

I'm reading my book for the Random Cat A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install which I took as a BB from Jennifer (whitewavedarling). I wasn't that thrilled for the first 20 pages or so but am really into it now.

I'm enjoying Underground Airlines very much.

I'm still working on Hot, Flat and Crowded which I started earlier last year and re-started it last month. It is good, just not a page-turner, and some chapters go a lot slower than others...

I've just begun Julian Fellowes's Belgravia.

I also started Beloved by Toni Morrison. I've been putting it off so I thought I'd tackle it by reading a chapter or so a day.

After finishing Blackout I started both The Signal and the Noise and Superforecasting.

Almost done with The Wild Girl, have started a crime novel, Chain of Evidence by Garry Disher and finished The Flaw by Antonis Samarakis.

DNF What I was doing while you were breeding: a memoir by Kristin Newman, I expected it to be funnier than it was, just flicked through and read a couple of random chapters after reading the first one.

>48 DeltaQueen50: Angela Hunt is one of my favorite authors and I've got her Legacy series in my CAT this year. Also Eliot is among my favorite authodr and I love Silas Marner, although I know I am in the minority, at least when it comes to my friends. I'm serial reading Moby Dick and I can survive it

I finished my Random Cat book A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install and have decided to start The Camel Club by David Baldacci.

I'm starting Garbageland by Elizabeth Royte.

I finished Underground Airlines which was very good, and now I'm reading Talking to the Dead which is excellent so far.

Feeling moderately productive as I check off some of my non-fiction from the library. Finished Why We Make Mistakes, by Joseph T. Hallinan, and started The Pigeon Tunnel, by John le Carré.

I have caved and started too many books at once. I blame library holds and no self-control.

I'm halfway through The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride, which I am loving, but the style it's written in means I have to concentrate and the kids have been home from school because of snow, so it's been set aside.

I've started The Public Prosecutor by Belgian author Jef Geeraerts, The Nix by Nathan Hill, one of the books on the Tournament of Books long list, Men Explain Things To Me by Rebecca Solnit and Difficult Women, a book of short stories by Roxane Gay.

I have a good stack of books I'd like to begin, but I'm trying to put them off a few days...

I ran by the library this am and grabbed Playing With Books by Jason Thompson for the "book about books" block of my Bingo card.

Finished up The Pigeon Tunnel, by John le Carré, just in the nick of time before my Overdrive book expired. Also started a new bus book: Help Me, Jacques Cousteau, by Gil Adamson.

After a long day at work, I'm curled up under my blanket with The Vegetarian.

I am reading Close to the Bone by Stuart MacBride and Gunman's Chance by Luke Short.

Just started Escape from the land of snows: The young Dalai Lama's harrowing flight to freedom and the making of a spiritual hero by Stephan Talty. And I'm halfway through The Locked Room by Maj Sjöwall, my first by the author and I'm really enjoying it.

>61 RidgewayGirl: I'm also swamped by library books.

I'm now reading The story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor, have started The Power by Naomi Alderman, a fantasy/scifi-ish read and have Left of Bang: How the Marine Corps' Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life on my mobile and a crime novel to listen to, Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta which I think is her first adult novel.

I'm starting The Elementals by Michael McDowell, which is a ghost story.

I'm partway through Pop Goes the Weasel, a Yule gift, and still reading Listen to the Lambs set among the homeless populations here in Atlanta. Tough read but well worth it. Local library's January book discussion book and the reason that I am so glad I joined up.

For my lunchtime reading I'm on the final installment of the Paksenarrion series, Crown of Renewal, and will be on the lookout for the first portion of this series starting with Sheepfarmer's Daughter.

I took a couple of hours over the weekend to read through essays by Mary Astell from First Feminists that discuss the necessity of educating women as part of their upbringing and continued lifelong learning. Long passages of arguments that are as relevant now as they were in 1692.

I've started both The Republic of Therapy and 20th Century Ghosts; The Republic of Therapy is really interesting, but slow-reading, so I'm aiming for a chapter a day. 20th Century Ghosts, though, is wonderful! The Go Review That Book Group pushed me toward it this month, and it's the best story collection I've read in ages--so far, the stories have been incredibly varied, and with no duds!

I'm also still slowly going through The Road to Enchantment, which is a lot less than what I'd hoped for. I'm hoping I'll get time to finish it today, just to be finished with it...

I'm reading Sinners and Shrouds, a hard-boiled but humorous crime novel from the fifties.

Also reading Swann's Way. Making good progress now, after a short halt. Couldn't read anything because I thought I should be reading Swann's Way but didn't feel like it.

After finishing Ross Poldark and a couple novelizations from the BBC series Upstairs, Downstairs, I'm settling in tonight with Bear Island by Alistair MacLean.

Finally finished Homegoing, am almost finished with Crosstalk and have also started Mister Monkey.

I am really enjoying my read of Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold. I have also picked up The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams about a young girl caught up in a religious cult.

>74 DeltaQueen50: is Ethan your first Bujold read?

If so, you have a lot more waiting...

>75 fuzzi: No, I've been part of the group read that is on it's third year of reading the Vorkosigan Series, but I had skipped over Ethan of Athos since it sort of stands alone. I've also read and loved Bujold's Chalion fantasy series as well.

>76 DeltaQueen50: ah! I just "discovered" Bujold last year, and aside from reading about six books in the Vorkosigan series, I also thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Chalion series.

I'm reading A Grownup Kind of Pretty and The Peach Keeper.

Finished up Help Me, Jacques Cousteau, by Gil Adamson, and continuing to read Hidden Figures. May have to resort to the ebook of Hidden Figures if I can't finish the print copy by tomorrow afternoon (when I have to take it back to the library).

I've finished seven of the twelve categories for this month. The planned reads for the remaining five are:

Series: Ruling Passion by Reginald Hill
History: The journal of Hildegard of Bingen by Barbara Lachman
Calendar memos - Jan 25, Burns night: The naming of the dead by Ian Rankin
Mystery AlphaKIT (M & S): The locked room by Maj Sjöwall
Bingo 22 - place name in title: Buffalo Jump: a woman's travels by Rita Moir

Of course, now that I've put them in print, it's entirely possible that I'll change my mind.

>80 VivienneR: lol - putting down reading plans is a near guarantee I'll be reading something else.

>78 lsh63: I need to read something by Joshilyn Jackson again soon. She never fails to delight me, and I'm not easy to delight.

I've managed to finish a few books (The Nix by Nathan Hill, Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit) and add a few more to the overly large stack of books in progress -- Mister Monkey by Francine Prose and The Fall Guy by James Lasdun.

The stack of books I want to start right now (largely library holds that have come in all at once - there are two more waiting for me at the library) has not gone down at all.

>79 rabbitprincess: If I'm close to the end, I just pay the fine. I figure I'm helping to financially support the library, right? LOL.

>82 RidgewayGirl: Kay: I love Joshilyn Jackson, I might want to read another one soon! Looks like you are making good progress with your Rooster reading!

In addition to The Peach Keeper, I'm also reading Calculated in Death. I wanted to get to the point where I was somewhat caught up with this series this year,

I've just finished The Camel Club by David Baldacci and decided to start Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen.

Still plugging away at Moby Dick, Cranford and An Echo in the Bone.

I finished The Elementals and I think I will start a library book, Stranded, next.

>83 VictoriaPL: I already had the ebook in hand, having cannily placed holds on both the ebook and the print book. But I was able to finish the print book by the due date -- I always get fooled by the notes and index in non-fiction books making me think I have more to go than I actually do! So I returned both the print book and the ebook on the same day.

****

Today was somewhat productive as a reading day. Started and finished Black River Road, by Debra Komar, and finally made some more progress on Lawrence in Arabia.

I also realized that I haven't read a single mystery, as opposed to thrillers, ALL YEAR! No wonder I feel weird. Fortunately there is a Denise Mina waiting on the library shelf: Blood, Salt, Water.

>88 rabbitprincess: I also realized that I haven't read a single mystery, as opposed to thrillers, ALL YEAR!

The year is only 22 days old, rp. But I'm pretty certain you'll love Blood, Salt, Water.

I've mostly finished the books I was reading earlier - just a few chapters left in the excellent The Fall Guy by James Lasdun - but in keeping with the ridiculously high stacks of books (from the library, and ones I want to read right now) I have leaning against the night table, I'm now reading Version Control by Dexter Palmer (for the Tournament of Books), The Public Prosecutor by Jef Geeraerts (for the Reading Globally Group's first quarter theme), Difficult Women by Roxane Gay and The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride.

I am reading American Rust by Philipp Meyer which is really holding my attention and about to start Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace for the AwardsCat.

>89 RidgewayGirl: Haha yes, that was a bit of a tongue-in-cheek comment. On New Year's Day you can always count on either me or my BF making a comment about how we haven't eaten, slept or showered ALL YEAR. It's true, but not that bad ;)

And yes, Blood, Salt, Water is excellent so far. The first chapter punched a hole through me. I started this morning and I think I'm at Chapter 14 already.

I knew it! As soon as I posted what I am going to read, I have to change it! I just realized Buffalo Jump is the only book I have that fits November's awardCAT So it will be shelved until then. Off to find a replacement...

I recently read Can I See You Again? by Allison Morgan, a chick lit novel that was perfectly "meh." Now I'm reading The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton and loving it!

Picked up a couple of books from the TOB short list - The Mothers by Brit Bennett and My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout.

Reading The Ways of White Folks, a collection of stories by Langston Hughes. Excellent writing, and really, really interesting. First published in 1933.

Started listening to the audiobook of Redemption Road by John Hart for the car.

I have finished a really good little story, When We Were Animals by Joshua Gaylord. I also started the audio of The Count of Monte Cristo, which may take me a full year to get through, given its length.

You know what's a surprisingly fast read? The Wild, by Esther Freud. I started it on the bus this morning and am almost at the end today! I'll finish it on the bus tomorrow.

I also started The Two Faces of January by Patricia Highsmith.

I'll be starting The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank by Ellen Feldman tonight and I'm excited about it!

Finished The Man Who Was Thursday and The Throwback Special both of which I enjoyed quite a bit. Now have started The Lives of Tao, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, Hidden Figures, and We Love You, Charlie Freeman. Oh yeah, also started Sudden Death.

I've finished My Name is Lucy Barton and decided to read The Jasmine Moon Murder by Laura Childs, the next book in her teashop series.

I finished Hot, Flat and Crowded last week and then read Frost in May on the plane, and started Elizabeth is Missing and LEFT IT ON THE PLANE! I hate when I do that. I picked up the paperback in Waterstones yesterday and finished it this morning. Started reading Dust before I had my copy of Elizabeth is Missing, and just picked up and started The Reluctant Sorcerer.

Finished Listen to the Lambs by Daniel Black last weekend for a local library-sponsored book group. It yielded a rousing discussion and it was also placed in context with his other books. Several people commented that they knew exactly the overpass that he describes (I've ridden over it but not since reading it). Not as well received as Daniel Black's other books. Also finished Pop Goes the Weasel last night but not certain what I will pick up for my next "new book" challenge. Still reading Crown of Renewal by Elizabeth Moon, and read the Notes section of The Story of Kullervo this weekend. Kullervo is my first installment in the History of Middle Earth challenge that I have set myself for 2017: it is the least intimidating of all of those enormous, footnoted, researched tomes.

Not much left to the month!
I am starting Too Far From Home: A story of Life and Death in Space by Chris Jones