I said February was going to be slow. But then I rediscovered the joy of audiobooks. It meant that I still could “read” a few things this month. I also finished a few books I started last month. In the end, looking at this list, I feel like it was a lot read, especially with my move.

Fiction and Nonfiction Reviews

In February, I reviewed two books I read in January:

I also read or listened to the audio of a few more things:

  • Animal Farm by George Orwell (about 90 minutes audio or 110 pages; fiction) I listened to 75%; I read about 25%.
  • Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar by Thomas Cathcart (188 pages; nonfiction)
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (about 13 hours audio, equal to about 450 pages; fiction)
  • Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (206 pages; children’s fiction) I read this aloud to my son in January and February.
  • The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (630 pages; fiction/short stories) I read this in January and February.
  • The Stranger by Albert Camus (140 pages; fiction)
  • Golgol’s Wife and Other Stories by Tommaso Landolfi (180 pages; fiction/short stories)
  • Will in the World by Stephen Greenblatt (about 15 hours audio, equal to about 380 pages; nonfiction/biography)

Children’s Projects

Here are the picture books I reviewed in February; the first is a Caldecott Medal winner.

Challenge Updates

I have added a Current Challenges page to keep track of the challenges I have in progress.

March Reading Journal: Books in Progress

I’m not going to list everything I’m in the midst of reading. Suffice it to say that this month I’m focusing on just a few books.

First, The Odyssey by Homer, trans. by Robert Fagles (135 read of about 560 pages; epic poetry). I am surprised at how much easier this is to read compared to The Iliad.  I’m torn as to whether that’s good or bad.

I’m also focusing on The Discoverers by Daniel Boorstin (270 read of 690 pages; nonfiction/history). I began reading this book a year ago, aloud with my husband. After six months reading it aloud together, we were only 70 pages through it. We decided to read something together that was a bit more conducive to read-alouds. Since I really did enjoy reading it, I decided to revisit it this year for the 9 for 09 challenge (“Long”).

I am also reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein (110 read of 228 pages; children’s fiction) aloud to my 17-month-old son. Parents: am I nuts? I realize he doesn’t care. But I wanted to read it, and what a perfect excuse! The library copy I got is beautifully illustrated. Nevertheless, my son doesn’t really “listen” as I read to him. We get through anywhere from five pages to a chapter a day.

I’m also in the midst of a few other books, one of which counts for the Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge. Since that challenge ends this month, I can’t imagine I’ll finish all three of my chosen books! I’ve decided that I want to read what I want to read, and not be as concerned with challenges. So, I won’t list all my “in progress” books here. If I finish them you’ll hear about them!

There are a few interesting projects I’m joining, tentatively or for sure. We’ll see how the reading aspect goes! First, I’ve joined the Try Something New Mini-challenge inspired by Dewey and started by Nymeth. I’m partnered with Jackie at Farm Lane Books; we are going to read Fun Home together, which is pretty far out of my comfort zone, both as a graphic novel and as a memoir.

Matt at A Guy’s Moleskin Notebook is hosting a Gone With the Wind read-a-thon. I’m hoping to join in, at least as soon as I finish The Discoverers and The Odyssey; I may be a week or two behind. My copy of the novel is 1000+ pages, so I’ll be glad for company. Have you read Gone with the Wind?

Also, my LibraryThing Group Reads group is reading two books in the coming months: Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov and The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy (Vol. I, which is three books out of nine). I probably won’t start until I finish the other books on my plate.

I’m reading a lot. But to be honest, I’m getting tired of writing reviews of everything. Maybe it’s because, with my move, I’m now 5 books behind on reviews, but sometimes I finish a book and want to just move on to the next. But, my blog is meant to catalog the books I’ve read for myself, and I’d like to have all the reviews up for future reference, again for myself. So I’ll probably keep coming back and reviewing my books, maybe in a more abbreviated format.

What about you? Do you review everything you read? What are you reading this month?

ETA: Quick! Add your Really Old Classics Review to this post to be entered in the giveaway! I’ll choose a winner tomorrow night!