February is a weird month. It’s short, cold and hard to spell (maybe that last one is just me?). But because I didn’t have any travel plans this month, I managed to finish nine books, including one chunkster of a biography:
- Harford, Tim: The Undercover Economist Strikes Back (nonfiction)
- Janik, Erika: Marketplace of the Marvelous (nonfiction)
- Hoffman, Carl: Savage Harvest (nonfiction)
- Deraniyagala, Sonali: Wave (memoir)
- Rowell, Rainbow: Attachments (fiction)
- Smith, Sally Bedell: Elizabeth the Queen (nonfiction)
- Ruderman, Wendy and Laker, Barbara: Busted (nonfiction)
- Ozeki, Ruth: A Tale for the Time Being (fiction)
- Makler, Irris: Hope Street, Jerusalem (memoir)
For those counting, like me, that puts me at 16 books for the year. My favorite this month was either Elizabeth the Queen or Wave. They were both fantastic. I’m excited to share reviews of Savage Harvest and Busted next month, since they’re March releases.
This month, I also posted a review of the truly wonderful Trapped Under the Sea by Neil Swidey and a reading list of books about the science of sleep. February was also my month of new things, but I’m going to post about that later this weekend or next week.
A Look to March
Last month, someone asked me whether having my reading planned out in a list bothered me, and the answer really is no. This deserves a full post, I think, but in general I think having a smaller list of choices when I go to grab my next read helps me focus. If I were constantly choosing from my entire physical and electronic bookshelf, I’d be overwhelmed.
That said, I don’t usually get through all of the books that I look ahead towards — I only read five of the eight books I listed last month, but added a few different ones as my mood dictated. This is more of a curated set of possibilities rather than a set list. Here’s what I’m looking at this month:
- A book for One Little Word: A reread of Getting Things Done by David Allen (a repeat from last month since I didn’t actually do it)
- An April 2014 release for Bloggers Recommend: I’m considering The Remedy by Thomas Goetz (Gotham) or The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman.
- A biography of Hillary Clinton: I got a review copy of HRC by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes that I am excited about and I ordered a copy of The Secretary by Kim Ghattas. After Elizabeth the Queen I must be desperate for biographies of famous women.
- Some March releases: March is an awesome month for books. I’ve got a few egalleys I’m excited about: House of Outrageous Fortune by Michael Gross, The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist by Christine Bader and Trying Not to Try by Edward Slingerland all come to mind.
- A book published by a friend: A close friend of mine recently put out a book with his small publishing company, The Adventures of Israel St. James, which I’m excited to read.
Obviously, there’s no way I’m going to get to all of these, but having a list put together helps me focus when I’m feeling distracted or having a hard time narrowing down what book I want to pick up next.
What books are you excited to read in March?
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I love the idea of making a list – and I love actually making them – but I am horrible at sticking to my choices. I wish this wasn’t true as I do believe that being this organized would really help me actually get to reading. I definitely give you credit for this.
I’m better and worse at sticking to the list depending on the month. The 5 of 8 last month was about as good as I ever do at sticking to it. The list provides a little structure, but it’s always meant to be broken.
I love making lists because when I cross something off it gives me a sense of accomplishment! For whatever reason, though, when I put a list of books together I never follow it. I am too moody, I guess…
Reading is always moody, I think, which is why I try to put a variety of books on the list while still letting myself go “off list” whenever I feel like it 🙂
Hard to choose books that I’m looking forward to in March, because the stack is even higher than usual. But Helen Oyeyemi’s latest, Claire Cameron’s The Bear (because I am so obsessed by her slim first novel, The Line Painter) and the upcoming Joshua Ferris (I thought The Unnamed was just fantastic). I’m looking forward to your thoughts on Wave, which I initially avoided determinedly, but it seems I must reconsider….
There are a TON of great books coming out in March — my tablet is full of egalleys I am excited about. Too many books, too little time!
You had a good reading month! I am looking forward to reading some books that trusted book bloggers have praised in the past months. Eleanor & Park, Death of Bees and The House Girl, to name a few.
Those are all great titles — enjoy!
Ahhhh what a fabulous February!! Such great books.
I’m excited for SO MANY books in March. I’ve got a bunch of review books that I’m looking forward to, and a ton of library books as well. Not sure which of them I’ll actually get to this month, but hopefully it’ll be most of them!