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Reading report for January 2010

January has ended and in addition to the 22 books I have finished I have read enough short stories to fill a volume or two.

In the challenges, I reduced the TBR challenge stack by 11 books and read 2 Top Mystery Challenge books. What was unusual this month was that none of the challenges overlapped – the top mysteries were ones I acquired less than a year ago and so didn’t qualify for the TBR challenge.

I only managed to read 1 Icelandic book, but have plans to do better in February.

9 books were non-challenge (counting the Icelandic book, which didn't qualify for the TBR challenge), mostly books I knew I wouldn’t read at all if I didn’t finish them soon, books I took a peek at and got pulled in by, and one I started on the flight home from India and had been savouring for nearly 2 months.

I went on a Ngaio Marsh mini-glom and read 4 of her Roderick Alleyn books. I think I may very well finish the series before the end of the year. As to genres, I read my usual dose of mysteries, several romances and the usual smattering of various other genres.

I’d say this is a pretty good start to my reading year ;-)

I started working again at the beginning of last week after nearly 4 months of no work. The nature of the job is such that I will be attentively reading, proofing and translating all day long, so I may not have much energy left for fun reading when I get home, at least until I fall into a routine. We will have to see.

The annual reading report for 2009 is in post-production and should be finished soon.

The Books:
Lydia Adamson: Dr. Nightingale comes Home Mystery, murder
Alice Albinia: Empires of The Indus Travelogue, history
Belle de Jour : The Intimate Adventure of a London Call Girl Memoir, prostitution
Bjarni Thorarensen : Kvæði (Ísl. úrvalsrit) Poetry
Tom Clancy: The Hunt for Red October Thriller
Albert B. Feldstein: The Portable Mad Humour
Lori Foster: The Winston Brothers, Wildand Say No to Joe? Romance (modern)
Julie Garwood: Shadow Dance Romantic thriller (modern)
Georgette Heyer: False Colours Romance (historical); Why Shoot A Butler? Mystery, murder
Ngaio Marsh: Hand in Glove; Dead Water; Death at the Dolphin, and Clutch Of Constables. Mystery, murder, police
Sister Carol Anne O‘Marie: Death takes up a Collection Mystery, murder
Sharyn McCrumb: If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him Mystery (including murder), legal
Naomi Novik: Temeraire: The Throne of Jade Fantasy, alternative reality, historical
Jane Sullivan: The Matchmaker's Mistake Romance (modern)
Josephine Tey: The Franchise Affair Mystery
J.R.R Tolkien & various artists: Hugarlendur Tolkiens Fantasy art and illustration
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