Saturday, February 29, 2020

BOOKS READ IN FEBRUARY






Here I am for my Saturday post. Also Happy Leap Day! Today's post is about the books I read in February. I had a great month with 11 books read.

I have not just been goofing off and reading though. I am about to wrap up a semi-final draft of a chapter for my book. The book is autobiography mixed with a survey of the literature I have chosen to read from the years I have lived, the Big Fat Reading Project I am often talking about. The chapter I have all but finished covers 1961 when I finished junior high (as it was called then) and started high school. The working title for my book is Reading For My Life and the chapter title is Teenage Wasteland. 

I appreciate your comments about missing my longer reviews, so in March I will try to serve up at least one, maybe two of those, featuring books I especially enjoyed reading in February. 

Stats: 11 books read. 10 fiction. 5 by women. 3 historical novels. 1 children's picture book. 1 nonfiction. 2 thrillers. 1 mystery. 1 translated. 2 for My Big Fat Reading Project (epic fail because I had planned to read 4 for that.)

Authors new to me: Bel Kaufman and William Gibson

Countries I visited: USA, France, Great Britain, Korea, Norway, Japan.

Favorites: The Water Dancer and Interior Chinatown

Least favorite (only because it was hard to read for me): The Hills Reply


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I hope your February reading went well and would love to know what your favorite reads were.


35 comments:

  1. Another great reading month for you. I'm definitely curious about Charles Yu's book and I want to get to Lisa See's book too. I'm glad you will be still reviewing a couple per month as I really like those. Also congrats on the chapter for your book. You are making good headway!

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    1. Charles Yu is amazing! I will write a review of that one for sure. It does feel good to be making headway again on my writing.

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  2. LOVED Neuromancer (long review??), MUST start to read Le Carre, and I need to catch up on more Stephenson.

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    1. I am not sure I feel qualified to review Neuromancer as it quite went over my head but I will give it a try. I am reading le Carre in order of publication, even the ones I have read before, while also reading his new ones as they come out. One of my goals this year is to catch up on all the Stephenson books I have missed and that is a challenge because they are all sooo long.

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  3. I love Toni Morrison's books so was happy to see her on your list. Island of See Women has been recommended to me previously (I've enjoyed other books by See as well). Happy March!

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    1. Toni Morrison is one of my favorite authors. I am rereading all her books. The Lisa See book is also great. I hope you give it a chance. Happy March to you!

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  4. An interesting bunch of books. What did you think of Neuromancer? I read it way back when it t was first published. I reread it recently. It was such an innovative book.

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    1. I loved Neuromancer, at least what I understood of it, ha ha! He, along with Neal Stephenson, were the creators of cyberpunk. In fact, it was reading The Confusion by Stephenson that sent me to Gibson. I had not yet read any of his books, he just published a new one and I figured it was time for me to catch up.

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  5. I read Bel Kaufman's book so many years ago that it's hard for me to recall much about it now. And of course I've read Le Carre's and Barr's books, but several of the others you mention sound very interesting including Yu's and Gibson's. More for my list.

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    1. I love having a friend who is so well read! The Barr book was a doozy this time! Here's to our lists.

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  6. i read Neuromancer once and it was okay... sort of addling, tho... the best book i read this month was perhaps The Wings of Morning, or maybe The Captain of the Kansas, both by Louis Tracy, who i've been reading mostly this year along with Edgar Wallace, Arthur Morrison, and R.A. Freeman...

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    1. I think "addling" is a perfect description of Neuromancer. Thanks for sharing your best books of Feb.

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  7. A good month, both for reading and your writing project! My new library book club selects books for an entire year at a time and I'm considering submitting The Water Dancer for the vote. Also curious about Interior Chinatown.

    February was a lackluster reading month for me. Hoping for a better March.

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    1. Yes on the Water Dancer! Also loved Interior Chinatown for something rather unique. Best wishes for good reading in March.

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  8. Well, it looks like you had another great month of reading in February. I saw quite a few new to me books that you read and will need to check out for myself. Hope you have another wonderful month of reading in March!

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    1. Very good month for me. Maybe I am getting better at picking the books! Happy March.

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  9. You're definitely the major reason why I'm reading Up the Down Staircase so thank you for recommending it! Looks like a very good February! I must have started reading Neuromancer SO many times and just not gotten past the first chapter.

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    1. Glad you are reading Up the Down Staircase too! Neuromancer has a rough entry as well. I found a reading guide to help me through.

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  10. Judy: An Economics link you might find interesting....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ez10ADR_gM&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPNZwz5_o_5uirJ8gQXnhEO&index=1

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    1. Thanks, CK. I watched the first one. (I think they talk a little too fast.) I will have to do my own cost/benefit analysis and determine if I will watch the rest-:)

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    2. Yes, I know what you mean! [lol] I hope that's not an example of High School education in the US! I'll give them a while I think as long as they calm down a bit!!

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  11. Looks like good progress for you, and yay for a longer review or two coming in March!

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    1. Yes, I am working on one of those reviews now!

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  12. You're making me look bad! All I've read is manga because my health. Looks like you had a good reading month!

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    1. Oh no. I would not ever want to make you look bad. Reading for one's health is a good plan!

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  13. Judy, I sadly only finished two books, but they were both great reads, so I suppose I can't complain too much. Happy reading in March! :-)

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    1. Indeed, all reading is good reading! Hope March is going well for you.

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  14. It looks like you had a great reading month. I'd love for you to visit The Netherlands in one of your books :)

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    1. I would love to visit The Netherlands in a book! Suggestions?

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    2. Definitely one of the books containing the story of Anne Frank. It's so beautiful.

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    3. Thanks! I have read The Diary of Anne Frank twice. I love it.

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  15. I can;t wait for your book!
    My favorite in February was Second Sister by Chan Ho-Kei

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    1. Re my book: don't hold your breath. It is a long term project and that is why I had to figure out a way to spend more time on it.
      Re your favorite: I want to get to some of the books by Chinese authors that you have been reading.

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  16. About The Netherlands, I read a historical novel set in the 17th century there: https://wordsandpeace.com/2013/03/28/book-review-house-of-rocamora/

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