This month flew by! I can’t believe how fast the month went and that it’s already March! The coolest thing this month was experiencing my very first BLIZZARD! If you want to see an awesome post with the dogs I live with click here. We’ve gotten a lot of snow off and on this month, but still not as much as the winter of 2010/11. To the right is a lovely picture I took Sunday night (Feb 24). Most of the snow is now gone after two solid days of rain.
On a random note I’ve made a couple of changes to my blog. I’ve added a few different ways of looking at the books I’ve read in the past. It’s no longer just by year, but you can now see by author and by series. I hope they are helpful to you, the readers, but mostly they’re there for me (assuming I remember to keep them updated).
In addition I realized when an author contacted me yesterday that I’ve had some pretty cool things happen since I started this blog so I created a sort of YAY ME! page which you can see here. I’ve called it ‘They Like Me, They Really Like Me!’ from that infamous Sally Field’s Oscar acceptance speech. I’m sure there are things missing, like my first ARC, and I hope there are more to come, but I thought it was kind of neat looking back. It’s amazing how social media has leveled the playing field between authors and readers.
Recent Acquisitions
Once again, I didn’t stick to my no buying books rule, but I didn’t spend too much money. I only purchased two books (one down from last month!) both of which were Kindle Daily Deals! I got Game Change by John Heilemann and Sixpence House by Paul Collins which I’m VERY EXCITED ABOUT! In addition I received a copy of Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot from my friend Alie in Virginia who gave up on it.
I have realized, however, that not buying books has pretty much been replaced by ARCs/galleys and the library. I received one physical ARC, The Suitors by Cécile David-Weill, four digital galleys and three library books.
Challenge Progress
I only read one challenge book (plus a bonus challenge book) but I’m not worried. Of the eight books I read this month, two I already owned (both challenge books), three were ARCs/Galleys and three were from the library! (YAY library books!)
- Mount TBR Reading Challenge
- Monthly Progress: 2 book
- Overall Progress – 2/12 (17%) + 4 not listed
- Back to the Classics Challenge
- Monthly Progress: 1 books
- Overall Progress – 1/11 (9%)
- Tea and Books Reading Challenge
- Monthly Progress: 1 book
- Overall Progress – 1/4 (25%)
- The Classics Club
- Monthly Progress: 1 book
- Overall Progress – 19/100 (19%)
I picked up a copy of the marriage plot last year but haven’t read it yet. I loved Middlesex. I was in Boston for the winter of 2010/11–there was a ton of snow. It got old real fast.
I have a copy of Middlesex hanging out on my bookshelf as well and I can’t wait to read both. It’s only a matter of when I’m going to find time to read them!
I agree about 2010/11. The problem that winter was that it never melted. Most of the snow is gone now after three days of rain (felt like I was back in the UK), but they’re saying we might get more again this weekend, just might not stick.
I’m glad to see you had a good reading month even if the weather wasn’t great. Here in the UK we also had snow at the beginning of February. Things have continued to be very cold here but we have a few brief but glorious glimpses of the sun!
I too have gone on a sort of book buying ban but it hasn’t been very successful. As I’ve received several review copies and downloaded lots of freebies onto my kindle! Just when the books are free how can you say no?!
I know! So many free books, and good ones to boot! I don’t feel too guilty as my main goal was to not stress out over challenges and what not and my secondary goal was to read mostly from my shelves so I am doing that, just expanding my to-be-read collection.
the only think i’ve read by eugenides is middlesex, read with a book group, and i liked it.
our average temp for today is 59F; our projected high for today is 40F with snow flurries! i’m ready for warm weather!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! I know what you mean about being ready for warmer weather. As much as I love the snow and the cold, I’m ready for spring too.
Looks like you’ve had some really cool things happen lately! Like you, I did pretty well about not buying books (I only bought one in February), but I still accumulated three review copies, two books from giveaways, two library books, and a book sent to me by a fellow blogger!
I read The Marriage Plot and enjoyed it but didn’t love it. The writing was good, but I generally feel very “meh” about love triangles.
My friend who sent it didn’t finish it. She said it got so blah in the middle she just couldn’t do it. I just remember it getting rave reviews so I’m looking forward to checking it out at some point
I’ll join the chorus here and recommend making Middlesex more of a priority than The Marriage Plot.
I’ve done really well with cutting down on my book buying–I think I’ve purchased only 5 or 6 books this year, and the majority of those were on sale for the Kindle. I’ve been going to the library every week instead. Yay!
Definitely Yay! for the library! I’m trying to utilize it more as well this year. And it’s those Kindle books that get you! The first day of every month I go through all 300 that are put on sale and then I get the daily deal emails. I am at least making progress on my physical bookshelf clearing. Just not as much as I’d like.
Another Middlesex lover here. My Eugenides favourites in order are Middlesex, Virgin Suicides, and Marriage Plot. I liked MP; he’s very good at crafting characters, but Middlesex is a great book. VS is not as polished as MP, but since it was my first of his works, I think well of it.
As for Kindle… I have hundreds of Kindle books stored on an external drive. I’ve stopped myself from d/ling more unless it’s free classics that I should be reading. My mountain of rotating library books is almost as tall as me. Sigh.
I always forget that he wrote Virgin Suicides. Everyone is making me very excited to start reading him!
The Kindle is dangerous! Those daily deals are great and I limit myself to about $5 a month which is still quite a few and I’m chipping away at them. The library has been my big problem (or solution) this year which is great but I try never to have more than 1-2 out at a time.
Are you tired of the snow yet? I’m not usually one of those people who is super ready to be rid of winter, but I have had my fill of snow for the year. BTW–I like the fancy new menus…nice job!
I’m still in love with it. It’s too pretty not to be 🙂 If I had to drive in it I’m sure I’d be done, but I’ve not had any major hassles from it so I’ll keep on loving it.