January AlphaKIT - A and U

Welcome to AlphaKIT for January. Welcome to a new year of great reading.

The rules are... none! Use the letters however you like to choose your reads for the month. Well, okay, there is one rule: Have Fun!

January AlphaKIT letters are : A and U.

and

Also, AU can be used for 'gold' or for 'Australia' and anything else you can think of.

Please remember to update the wiki and enter books alphabetically:
https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2020_AlphaKIT#January:_-_Letters:_A_and_...

It's early days yet and I may change my mind as other challenges get clearer, but I'm looking at "Everyday Life in Ancient Rome" by Lionel Casson and "An Unsafe Pair of Hands by Chris Dolley

I'm planning (at the moment) Age of Myth, Ancestral Night and Un Lun Dun

I'm trying very hard not to get carried away and plan all my reading around the CATs and KITs! But that said, right now I'm planning on Play It Again: An Amateur against the Impossible by Alan Rusbridger for "A," and Under a Dancing Star by Laura Wood for "U."

Avengers: Age of Ultron would be perfect. And it is available at my library.

So many choices. I am trying to match it with one book, rather than two, that I already own - AUtism, AUtobiography, AUdiobook (a bit too easy) AUstralia.

I’ll definitely be reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott since that is my book club’s pick for the month. Am considering Unsolicited by Julie Kaewert for my U book.

I don't know if it makes it any harder or not, but I've decided to just use author's last names to pick my books. So I'm planning to read The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen and Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson.

Ahhhh, I won't even have time to think about next year until the Christmas break! Haven't even decided for sure which KITs and CATs I'm aiming for, though I will be doing this one!

I am planning to read Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett as I like to do both letters together.

From Ultimate Pulp vol.1 I plan to read Night Squad by David Goodis. I've already read The Fifth Grave a.k.a. Solomon's Vineyard, the other novel in this volume.

I'm thinking about Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver.
Not sure about the A yet.

I am thinking about Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie which would get both letters in one.

I'm thinking of reading something by Australian mystery writer Arthur W. Upfield.

>14 NinieB: I've read a lot of his Napoleon Bonaparte mysteries. The racial politics are cringeworthy today, but the books are from another time. Still, not enough has changed. The books are set in the outback and have a real sense of place.

>14 NinieB: I listened to Upfield’s first Boney book a couple of years ago. I know that I read all the books as a teenager. Though the story was good I was slightly shocked by the racism in the book but as the book was written in 1929 I guess it isn’t surprising.

I am going to a classic sci-fi AUdible book by AUstralian sci-fi writer A. Bertram Chandler, The Hamelin Plague. I don’t think I have read a Chandler book for at least 40 years.

My January AlphaKit reads are going to be The Fever by Megan Abbott and Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea

Okay, I think I've sorted it out.
I'm going to read Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
and
Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday and a novel by Margaret Atwood (still deciding which one).

>17 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I have Into the Beautiful North on my shelves. If I end up reading Unsheltered this month, I'll join you in reading the Urrea in January.

My alpha choice is The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea which does take fit both A and U.

>19 EBT1002: Ellen, I'm looking forward to finally getting to Into the Beautiful North as I've had it on my Kindle for quite some time. I think it originally was a book bullet from Ro - luvamystery65. I hope you are able to join me.

>17 DeltaQueen50: Somehow missed that I have Into the Beautiful North on my shelves. Maybe I’ll choose that instead. I’ve really wanted to read it.

For January's Alpha reads, I'm thinking about Unnatural Death, by Dorothy L. Sayers. It's one of the few Wimseys I haven't already read. And for A, possibly Olive, Again, by Elizabeth Strout (actually started that one last month and put it aside).

>22 LittleTaiko: Excellent - we can have a little mini-group read!

I've chosen A Traveller in Time by Alison Uttley. I chose to use the letters as initials for the author. Easier said than done on some of the combinations, but it should be interesting what comes about.

Review: This isn't my usual book to read. I was surprised at how fast the read was and how I became invested in the characters as we were transported back and forth between the story lines. The story had romance, history, politics and religion but always managed to keep the local situation in both times central. I loved the expressive ways the author detailed the life on a farm. This was a very good read.

>25 Val_Reads: Ooh, good choice! I have that on my shelf - maybe I should change my book choice.

>25 Val_Reads: a I’ve pulled it off the shelf and into my January pile so it’s at least one step closer to being read. :)

>25 Val_Reads: - it will be interesting to see what authors you come up with. I just use the last name

I'll be reading Arthur Upfield's The Bushman Who Came Back, or as it's titled Down Under, Bony Buys a Woman.

Here are the books I'm looking at for January!

Bidder End by Ellery Adams
✔Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams
Bridal Suite by Rochelle Alers
Cast Iron Alibi
Devious Lot by Ellery Adams
✔Have A Deadly New Year
✔In Cold Chamomile by Joy Avon
✔Katharine of Aragon
✔Lady Risks All
✔Much Ado about Nutmeg
✔Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece
Peach Clobbered: A Georgia B&B Mystery by Anna Garrard
Perilous Undertaking
✔Silent Patient by A Michaelides
✔Theater Nights Are Murder
Verse and Vengeance by Amanda Flower

I am going to combine some letters in some cases. First one is A&U to AU or gold.
I will read Gold by Thomas Hollyday I downloaded to my Kindle.

I've decided to read Android at Arms by Andre Norton.

>32 fuzzi: I think you have A covered with that book!!

>13 LadyoftheLodge: Thank you for saving me from Ulysses. It was the only U I could find on my shelf. But Agatha Christie is much more appealing and meets my goal of reading more classic mysteries this year.

My "A" selection is All the President's Men (by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward.)
I've started listening to it in audio (read by Richard Poe) but it will take me a while to finish as I often re-listen to sections to make sure I have all the names and connections right in my head!

>35 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I am reading All The President's Men too but for the Journalism prompt.

>36 JayneCM: I'm doubling up (i.e. one book for two challenge prompts) though in actuality what really got me to finally read it is that my daughter is reading it for one of her AP English classes and I'm reading it along with her! We discuss what she's reading at dinnertimes :-)

I have finished Ambulance Ship by James White. Now to look for a U title...

My first book of 2020 has the A: Frozen Tracks by Åke Edwardson.

I am currently reading Under the Volcano by Malcom Lowry which will by for U.

>40 Kristelh: I found that a challenging book - worth it in the end but something of a struggle along the way. Hope you like it!

Just finished The Lost Man by Jane Harper. Since the setting is very much a character in the book, I am counting it for AU combined for Australia.

So far I have loved each book Harper has published. This was a stand-alone and not part of the Aaron Faulk series. Talk about atmospheric! She leads you on a slow path as you get to know each character and the back story is revealed. I did figure out the mystery about 2/3 way through the book, but I think that was a quirk of how my mind read the situation when certain facts were revealed. I would consider this a page-turner and a deep dive into the lifestyle of people born and raised in the Outback. Harper explores the impact of the environment, both physical and emotional. I would recommend this book to almost anyone who will listen! Great read.

I finished Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver.

>42 beebeereads: I have only read The Dry but being a country Aussie I can say that it is very true to life, both characters and setting. I have this one on my list as well.

I have completed An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine and I'm using it for both A and U.

>45 clue: Just looked it up and added it to my want to read list.

I have finished A Question of Upbringing by Anthony Powell, first book in A Dance to the Music of Time. Covers A and U.

>47 pamelad: I have these on my list as I was so fortunate last year to find all four volumes in op shop for 20c each!

>45 clue: That is a wonderful novel. Good choice.

Round Trip / Ann Jonas
3 stars

This is a creative picture book where someone is going on a trip… leaving from their town, driving through the country into the city… then turning around and driving home again. The creative part is that half-way through, once they leave the city, the reader turns the book upside down to follow along to head home. The photos work in both “directions”.

It is creative. It reminded me of “Mirror Mirror” the poetry book of “reverso” poems – read one way, then you can read from the bottom up and it’s kind of the opposite story of reading it “down”. I guess this one should really get the credit, though, as it was published in 1983! The pictures were a bit more artsy than I like, though of course, they had to be drawn in such a way that they would work right-side-up, and again, upside-down. Overall, I’m rating this ok.

Tuesdays with Morrie / Mitch Albom
3 stars

Morrie was a university professor of Mitch’s. When Morrie was diagnosed with ALS, Mitch started visiting, although it had been a couple of decades since he last saw his teacher. Morrie enjoys having people around and loves to give advice. He has come to terms with his illness and impending death and is happy to chat with Mitch about life (and death, and other things).

This is a rearead – read the first time before I wrote reviews. I don’t know what I would have rated it then, nor do I recall if I cried. I didn’t this time. I am not a “touchy-feely” person; in fact, I’m not much of a people-person. I generally prefer animals to humans. So, I suppose I looked at some of the advice with some skepticism (as Mitch apparently did at the time he was talking to Morrie). It is a quick read, though. 3 stars, for me, is “ok”.

Finished Under the Volcano by Malcom Lowry for U. A book that requires more than 1 reading and a lot of pondering.

>52 Kristelh: I concur!

>52 Kristelh: >53 leslie.98: It's been on my list for ages....

I have completed my "A" read with The Fever by Megan Abbott.

I am reading The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie to achieve both letters.

Searched my personal library to see if I have any books languishing on my TBR piles that would cover both letters. Stumbled across a copy of The Unseen Bridegroom by May Agnes Fleming, so I have added it to my January reading plans.

I'm about to start Unbound: Transgender Men and the Remaking of Identity by Arlene Stein to cover both letters.

COMPLETED The Ape Who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters

Starting "Under the Waterfall by Neil S. Plakcy

I'm listening to Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee.

So far, I've finished (reread, actually) Stars Uncharted by S. K. Dunstall, a science fiction/space opera first in a series I really enjoyed. For U, obviously.

I thought Lucky Us by Amy Bloom was a good choice because it hits both letters. It was my second attempt and just like the first try, I got to a little more than halfway before abandoning it. However, I'm counting it as read.

I'll find others for this month.

Unbound / Neal Shusterman
3.5 stars

This is a collection of short stories set in Neal Shusterman’s “Unwind” world. We revisit some of the characters and the stories are from before, during, and after the events of the main series.

As with most short story collections, I’d rate these individually somewhat differently, though most, I would rate as “good”, 3.5 stars. There were a couple stories that stood out for me, though, and had they been standalones, they would have each gotten a 4 star rating: “Unnatural Selection”, and “Rewinds”. “Unstrung” is also included in this set of stories, originally released on its own to fill us in on Lev while he was away – had to look it up; I originally rated this story 3 stars (ok), but it sounds like I just wanted more of it. I liked the characters and wanted the story to be longer. Overall, for this collection, though, I’m keeping my rating at good, 3.5 stars.

I read Gold by THomas Hollyday for A&U.

I've started Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan. So far I'm enjoying it greatly.

COMPLETED Under the Waterfall by Neil S. Plakcy

Starting Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

>66 Robertgreaves: read Commonwealth last year and really liked it, hope you enjoy it.

Finally read a book for this challenge Aunt Bessie Provides by Diana Xarissa.

>68 LittleTaiko: Now, I would have saved that for X!

>69 leslie.98: - Normally I would have too, but I miraculously found myself in a position where I had already read an X and was lacking an A. Not a situation I find myself in most years.

>70 LittleTaiko: Wow - an abundance of X books is not something that occurs very often!

COMPLETED Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Completed The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea for A and U. I highly recommend this book. So good and such a remarkable fair report on border crossings.

>73 Kristelh: Oh, I have a copy of that in audiobook! I'll have to move it up on my TBR.

Two more A’s finished - Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley and Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Anne Boyd Rioux.

February thread is up: https://www.librarything.com/topic/315585

Finished Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer in audiobook format. It was narrated by George Blagden whose girlish voice was all wrong for the novel. As well, he had to strain to get something close to an upper crust accent, a painful experience for the listener.

I finished An Autobiography by Agatha Christie. Very enjoyable!

I have completed my "U" read with Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea.

>38 leslie.98: what did you think of Ambulance Ship? I read it many years ago, but remember it as being the first set of short stories that I liked.

Just finished Transcription by Kate Atkinson.
While not my favourite Atkinson novel, the writing as usual is fantastic and the story has a surprising twist at the end. Atkinson never fails to entertain.

>80 dreamweaver529: I liked it very much! I hadn't thought about it as a set of short stories though of course each of their 'missions' on the ambulance ship is self-contained so really was a short story. I have found that in general I like short stories that are 'genre' (sci fi, mystery, etc.) better than the literary ones - a flaw in my good taste I suppose but there it is.

I have finally finished a book for U: Uncle Silas by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. Despite being described in some lists and reviews as fantasy, this book is a Gothic horror or suspense tale. There is no supernatural or fantastical aspects.

>82 leslie.98: I avoid literary stories of all types and lengths, so I'm with you on that. I keep meaning to pick up more books in this series, but they're hard to come by, and I don't tend to read dead-tree books anymore.

I've just finished The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen for my "A" book this month.

COMPLETED Agatha's First Case by M. C. Beaton.

Starting Numero Zero by Umberto Eco

I finished American Fire and will count it for my A book. This was a four star read for me...AND I used it for KITastrophe and the Non-Fiction CAT as well...triple!

Read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott for another A read.

I finished Un Lun Dun and enjoyed the hell out of it.

I have finished a second book that will work for A - Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley.

COMPLETED Numero Zero by Umberto Eco

Finished An Unfinished Season by Ward Just.

Finished Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear. It was excellent.

I've finished Two for Sorrow by Nicola Upson.

COMPLETED Life In Ancient Rome by Lionel Casson

The Woman in the Window / A.J. Finn
4 stars

Anna, a psychologist who is suffering from agoraphobia (she is scared to leave her house), has a tendency to watch her neighbours through the window. When a new family moves in (parents and a teenage son), she soon meets both Ethan (the son) and Jane, his mother. The more she talks to them and the more she watches the house, she is afraid for them. One day, she sees something horrible, but the police don’t believe her.

I really liked this. The beginning reminded me of “Rear Window”, the Alfred Hitchcock movie (which was later mentioned, as Anna is a huge classic thriller movie buff). It drew me in from the start and, at least for me, the pace kept up almost the entire way through the book. Anna also drinks, so it was hard to figure out what she really saw and what she didn’t. It seems many are tired of psychological thrillers/unreliable narrators, but I’m still enjoying them, this one included! I did figure out a couple of small things along the way, but not the big twists.

I finished a U & an A:
Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman, 4*
Angelica's Smile by Andrea Camilleri, 3.5*
And am working on, and really enjoying, one more A:
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

I finished my combined "A" and "U" read:

The Unseen Bridegroom by May Agnes Fleming. For 19th century literature, I found the story to be easy reading and entertaining, even with its overwrought melodrama. Definitely falls into the “light entertainment” romance-mystery type of story. I will be hunting down more of Fleming's stories to read.

I'm 43 pages into Dark Interval by Joan Aiken, and considering dropping it. Not one of her better works.

COMPLETED The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke

Finally started a "U" book, Up a Road Slowly, and it's very good so far. I have enjoyed every book I've read so far by this author, Irene Hunt

I finished City of Brass by S. A.Chakraborty which I really enjoyed.

My U book this month: The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan

This worked for several CATs for me, but the driving force to choose it this month was the Geo CAT. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys journalistic non-fiction...very readable and highly informative. 4* for me.

I finished another U over the weekend, Under the Skin by Michel Faber, 4*.

I have finished Assasin's Apprentice and immediately got caught up in the trilogy. I am now on the final book Assassin's Quest...

Just finished Down Under by Bill Bryson - very funny. Read it if you want to find out more about Australia or if you are an Australian who wants a laugh at how we are perceived by others.

Gahh! Fine, you got me. I almost made it too.

I promised myself this year I was going to say away from all the challenges, and just set myself a goal of books to read for the year. Then I saw the Big Fat Books (BFB) group and decided to add a secondary goal to help read some of my longer books.

And then I made the mistake of just coming over to take a look at what folks were reading over here. And there went all my best-laid plans. I have not only decided to take on AlpaKIT, but to take it on THREE times.

First, AlphaKIT from Audible’s Escape package. This is easy as there are more than 13K books available and you can read as many of them as you like. Easy.

Then, to make sure I didn’t shirk reading my other books, I’m doing it for my Audible books and (when necessary as I will not be buying books just to meet the challenge (I say now)) books from the public library.

And then to go totally crazy, I decided to do it again for my Great Courses Plus subscription.

Now I just need to see if I get time to post more than just the basics of each read here.

So, for January, I have the following:

From Audible Escape
  A
   
   Free Agent: Grimm Agency by J. C. Nelson narrated by C.S.E Cooney ✤ Review ✤ ★★★½
  U
   
   Understood: Unbroken by Maya Banks narrated by Elizabeth Livingston ✤ Review ✤ ★★★

From Audible
  A
   
   The Atrocity Archives: Laundry Files by Charles Stross narrated by Gideon Emery ✤ Review ✤ ★★★★½
   
   Age of War: The Legends of the First Empire by Michael J. Sullivan narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds ✤ Review ✤ ★★★★★
   
   Babylon's Ashes: The Expanse by James S. A. Corey narrated by Jefferson Mays ✤ Review ✤ ★★★★½
  U
   
   Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974 by Kevin M Kruse and Julian E Zelizer narrated by Fajer Al-Kaisi ✤ Review ✤ ★★★½

From Great Courses Plus
  A
   
   A Historian Goes to the Movies: Ancient Rome by Gregory S. Aldrete narrated by Gregory S. Aldrete ✤ Review ✤ ★★★★
  U
   
   Understanding the Dark Side of Human Nature by Daniel Breyer narrated by Daniel Breyer ✤ Review ✤ ★★★★
As these last two aren't strictly speaking "books", I won't be adding them to the wiki, but I though you guys might be interested. Let me know if you'd prefer I don't share them in the future.

I'm keeping track of all this on my 75 Books in 2020 page here, included three pretty alphabets that will slowly be filled in through the year.

>107 dreamweaver529: Alpha-KIT is a gentle challenge, no stress, just looking on the shelves to see if anything matches for each month.

Glad you stopped by.

Ended up squeezing in a book for this month's Kit after all: Airline Maps: A Century of Art and Design, by Mark Ovenden and Maxwell Roberts

>109 rabbitprincess: I love a book of maps but have never seen airline ones.

>110 JayneCM: They're not really cartographically accurate, more used for advertising purposes, but the creativity and variety of form is really interesting.

>107 dreamweaver529: LOL.
Enjoy but no stress!