Reading-wise, January was a pretty good month.  I think it helped that I participated in a read-a-thon which kind of "made" me spend all of my spare time reading as a challenge.  It probably also helped that, aside from one or two books, everything I read in January was actually quite enjoyable.

 

I already mentioned a small and vague amount of news on my personal goings on in my Bookish Resolution January update--health problems and general stress bogging me down.  But I think I still managed to remain rather productive with a few slips here and there.  I'm the type who needs to keep busy and get things taken care of if I don't want to spiral my mind into depressing, paranoid messes.  But I'm also stubborn enough to forcefully pluck myself out of those messes and move on.

 

Because LIFE.

 

Anyway, my productiveness translated into my blogging and reading life, which had me spending more time engrossed in books and also preparing several blog posts in advance.  I'm ready for all my wrap-ups each month, I'm ready for all the reading challenge updates I need to write up and publish, I'm ready for a lot of future posts.  And I've also spent a lot of time on-line shopping as well as updating old book spreadsheets and creating whole new book spreadsheets.

 

I may have created a black hole of bookish OCD that is slowly spiraling out of control.  Not to mention those blogging schedule calendars...

 

  

January Reads

 

(Titles link to Goodreads pages)

 

The Way Home by Cindy Gerard

The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas

Followed by Frost by Charlie N. Holmberg

Dead by Wednesday by Beverly Long

Hungry Like the Wolf by Paige Tyler

The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen 

 

Baby It's Cold Outside by Addison Fox

Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

Deadly Strain by Julie Rowe

Strong and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

 

Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

Snow Baby by Brenda Novak

 

300 Fox Way Holiday by Maggie Stiefvater (short story -- no cover shown)

A Minor Raven Boys Holiday by Maggie Stiefvater (short story -- no cover shown) 

 

 

Books Dropped/Put On Hold

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

(audio book narrated by Jenny Lawson)

Status:  On Hold

 

Currently Reading

The Wavering of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa

Hot Pursuit by Lynn Raye Harris

Running Blind by Cindy Gerard

 

 

January Reading Stats

Total works read:  16

1 book was a short story with pictures, 2 were online very short stories, and while there were a few "shorter" novels, I wouldn't count them as novellas--so the rest were full-length novels. 

Average rating:  3.31 Stars

Highest Rated:  The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas // 4.5 Stars

Lowest Rated:  Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis // 1.5 Stars

 

  • Series I started reading:

SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team by Paige Tyler

Alaskan Nights by Addison Fox

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

Biological Response Team by Julie Rowe

Hostile Operations Team by Lynn Raye Harris

 

  • Series I completed:

The Elemental Trilogy by Sherry Thomas

Sky High Air by Jill Shalvis 

 

  • Series I have made progress on:

One-Eyed Jacks by Cindy Gerard

Rizzoli & Isles by Tess Gerritsen

 

Favorite reads:  One name: Cindy Gerard.  The Way Home, though not as packed with action as I'd hoped, was still very a much delight to read.  One more name: Sherry Thomas--The Immortal Heights--ALL THE FEELS!  Look forward to a review at a later date.  That is all.

 

Oh, and I also enjoyed Paige Tyler's Hungry Like the Wolf and Addison Fox's Baby It's Cold Outside.

 

Disappointing reads:  I fell in love with Jill Shalvis and her Lucky Harbor family in the first three books of the series--unfortunately, I want to kick her Sky High Air crew upside the head, especially Bailey Sinclair and her boy toy pilot, Noah Fisher.  Gah!  Fortunately, the rest of the Sky High Air series was actually quite enjoyable; however, it's pertinent that the first book in a series be likable enough for readers to want to continue.  If I didn't love Jill Shalvis and her nonsensical humor, I'd have given up after the first half of Smart and Sexy.

 

My only other disappointment was not being able to get into Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson.  I've read and heard so many great things about this memoir and was very much looking forward to it for my own reasons.  We're going to put this one on the back burner for a while and then maybe come back to it at another time.

 

 

Reviews & Notable Posts

  • Reviews Written

What the Dead Know by Kylie Brant

The Way Home by Cindy Gerard

Followed by Frost by Charlie N. Holmberg

Dead by Wednesday by Beverly Long

Baby It's Cold Outside by Addison Fox

Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

Strong and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

Deadly Strain by Julie Rowe

The Raven Cycle short stories by Maggie Stiefvater

Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

 

  • Memes

1/5/2015 Top Ten Tuesday: Resolutions We Have for 2016

1/12/2015 Top Ten Tuesday: 2015 Releases I Meant to Get to But Didn't

1/19/2015 Top Ten Tuesday: Books I've Recently Added to my TBR

 

  • Other Posts

DNF: The Chimes

Bout of Books 15: Starting Day 1

Let's Pretend This Never Happened -- First Impression

Bout of Books 15: Day 1 Update

Bout of Books 15: Day 2 Update

Bout of Books 15: Day 3 Update

Bout of Books 15: Day 4 Update

Bout of Books 15: Day 5 Update

Dead by Wednesday -- Progress Update

Bout of Books 15: Day 6 Update

Bout of Books 15: Day 7 Update and Overall Read-a-thon Wrap-Up

Recipe #1: Tomato Basil Soup

2016 Bookish Resolutions -- January Progress Report

 

 

Coming Up In February

  • Tentative TBR

 

 

  • Other Stuff

I'm glancing at my blogging schedule for February and realized that, for once, I don't already have 10+ books planned for my reading list.  Aside from the four Reading Assignment books and whatever else I'm currently reading, I've got nothing else--no other 2016 releases aside from Taking Fire (which I may not even be able to read in February depending on availability), no other #OMGMustReadNow!! books, and no books on my hold requests from the library.

 

I'm going to be starting my participation in Because Reading's My TBR List meme, which gives me one more book, an anthology, to add to my reading list, but the rest of February is surprisingly open.  I suppose I could just read the other two anthologies that don't win the MY TBR List vote as well.  And I could also read the other two Jeannie Lin Tang Dynasty books following Butterfly Swords that I already own.

 

I'm almost flabbergasted.  This has never happened to be before where I didn't already have so many books planned to be read every month before that month even comes around that I'm overwhelmed.

 

Do I... book draw?  I'm at a loss as to what to do.

 

I suppose I could spend some time working on me...

 

 

2016 Wrap-Ups

See Also: 2015 Reading Wrap-Up posts  (scroll to bottom of page)