January Review

January was a very productive month and a great start to a new year. Last year in January I read 1 book, so this is extreme progress.

Books Read:

1. The Secret (from TBR)
2. Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz
3. Trunk Music (from TBR)
4. You Know You’re a Writer When (from TBR)
5. Moby Dick
6. One Fifth Avenue
7. Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide
8. Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers
9. Aesop’s Fables
10. Middlesex (from TBR)
11. Robinson Crusoe
12. The Witches
13. The Reader
14. If You Want to Write
15. Persepolis I
16. Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing Stone

Books Added to collection:

1. Manhunt by Janet Evanovich
2. Full House by Janet Evanovich
3. Black Beauty by Sewell
4. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
5. Heath by Janet Fife-Yeomans
6. Love Letters of Great Men by John C. Kirkland
7. The Associate by John Grisham

I currently have 164 books in the TBR pile. Next month I hope to double the amount read from this compared to this month. I should also be able to finish my Winter Reading Challenge as well.

Persepolis I

Title: Persepolis I
Author: Marjane Satrapi
Finished: January 30, 2009
Pages: 153
Challenges: Book to Movie Challenge, A-Z Challenge, 999 Challenge, 50/100+ Challenge, Support Your Local Library Challenge, New Authors Challenge, 1st in Series, Book vs Movie Challenge

Read this in little over a day. Very quick and easy to read, especially after viewing the film which was not in English as the book. It’s such an amazing story that I’m disappointed I didn’t pick up the complete Persepolis instead to continue on reading, but now have to wait.

The story is about a young girl growing up during war and revolution, watching change in Iran during the 70s and 80s.

It was amazing to read and my first graphic novel. Highly recommend to anyone.

Other Reviews:
Chrisbookarama

If You Want to Write

Title: If You Want to Write
Author: Brenda Ueland
Finished: January 28, 2009
Pages: 163
Year Published: 1938
Challenges: Decades, A-Z Challenge, 999 Challenge, 50/100+ Challenge, Support Your Local Library Challenge, New Authors Challenge

First published in 1938 and again more recently in the 1980s, Brenda Ueland created a great book for struggling authors who may have hit a roadblock.

This book came highly recommended by a friend and I’m glad I took my time in reading it. Ueland takes much for the works of William Blake to stress her points thoughout the book, with the emphasis that every single person is talented and has something to say.

The one thing I took from this book that I want to put into practice in my own life more regularly and thoroughly is keeping a journal. Ueland quoted from her own many times to show that such mundane descriptions often turn into more and help a write find their creative flow.

I’ve always tried in the past to keep journals, but I’m hoping this book motivated me enough to actually start doing it.

King Henry IV Part 1 and 2

Title: King Henry IV Part 1 and Part 2
Author: William Shakespeare
Finished: 1) Jan 22; and 2) Jan 27
Challenges: Shakespeare Challenge

I’ve started some of the histories off recommendations. I enjoyed it a lot more than I imagined I would. I’m planning to start part 2 soon so I can find out what happens.

I feel like I enjoyed the first part much more than this second part, but I also many be realizing that the comedies and tragedies are much more suited for me than histories.

After doing some research I found that Part 2 is not as popular as Part 1, so now I understand why.

Tuesday Thingers – Open Shelves Classification

Prior to today, were you aware of Open Shelves Classification? Have you helped to classify any books yet? Is this something you are interested in? Did you know that if you classify any books, it will also show you who else has classified the book?

I’ve been hearing more and more about this lately, but honestly I wouldn’t even know what to do and where to start. I am a big classification person and use this in my own collections at home, but this somehow seems bigger. Since it’s already become so popular and there are a lot of people involved I wouldn’t even know where to begin.

I could see myself becoming interested in it and wanting to help out but currently it seems more complicated for someone who hasn’t been in from the beginning.