Catch-Up and Starting 2012

The start of the year is the time for new resolutions and fresh starts, but this is the post where I clear out all the books I read in December while trying to finish off my various challenges and, oh, celebrate Christmas with my family. I can also look at what I'll be reading this week and peek at the overview of the year.

This is the meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, who also takes the blame for the Where Are You Reading challenge that had me scrambling on the last days of the year.  I'll probably be doing that one again as well.

What have I read since December 5th?

• Math Bafflers 3-5: Logic Puzzles that Use Real World Math, Marilynn Rapp Buxton (from Early Reader at LibraryThing)
• Don't Be Such a Scientist, Randy Olson (TBR list)
• The Wager, Donna Jo Napoli (Cybils)
• An Unspeakable Crime, Elaine Marie Alphin (Cybils)
• Some Girls Are, Courtney Summers (Cybils)
• The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Tom Angleberger (Cybils)
• Liberty Porter, First Daughter, Julia Devillers (Reading My Library)
• Emily and the Rats in the Belfy, Lynne Jonell
• New York to Dallas, J.D. Robb
• Queen's Play, Dorothy Dunnett (A-Z Challenge)
• Popcorn Days and Buttermilk Nights, Gary Paulsen (state book)
• Stolen, Lucy Christopher (Cybils)
• How Tia Lola Ended Up Starting Over, Julia Alvarez (state book)
• Vampire Defanged, Susannah Clements (literary analysis of vampires)
• Paranormalcy, Kiersten White
• Jasper Jones, Craig Silvey (A-Z challenge)
• Twist of Fate, M.J. Putney (state challenge)
• Wife of the Gods, Kewi Quartey (A-Z challenge)
• The Stolen Lake, Joan Aiken (Global challenge)
• The Space Between Us, Thrity Umrigar (A-Z challenge)
• One Man's Bible, Gao Xingjian (A-Z challenge)
• Under the Blood-Red Sun, Graham Salisbury (state challenge)
• Daisy Bates: Civil Rights Crusader, Amy Polakow (state challenge)
• A Blue-Eyed Daisy, Cynthia Rylant (state challenge)
• Dear America: The Light in the Storm, Karen Hesse (state challenge)
• The Beef Princess of Practical County, Michelle Houts (state challenge)
• Army 101: Inside ROTC in a Time of War, David Axe (state challenge)
• Backyard Giants, Susan Warren (state challenge)
• The Map of My Dead Pilots, Colleen Mondor
• High Plains Tango, Robert James Waller (state challenge)
• The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner (family book club) (audio)
• The Penderwicks, Jeanne Birdseye (audio)
• Archangel's Blade, Nalini Singh

Whew! Eight non-fiction, nineteen kids books (including the YAs), two audio books, three paranormal fictions, three historical fiction, at least five PoC authors.  It was an interesting variety of books.


I'm currently reading:

• Mastiff, Tamara Pierce.  Final book in the Tortall prequel series.
• Stories I Only Tell My Friends, Rob Lowe.  Recommended by a friend.
• Absolutely American, David Lipsky.  From TBR shelf.  All three of these are due back soon.
• White Night, Jim Butcher. Audio book for car.  Hmm, I may have skipped this one; it doesn't sound familiar.
• Bindi Babes, Narinder Dhami.  Reading my library.
• Dark Whispers, Bruce Covelle.  Reading my library.  Very slowly, apparently.
• The First Men In the Moon, H.G. Wells.  From my classics TBR shelf.
• Twenty Palaces, Harry Connolly. On my NOOK.  When his publisher didn't pick up the Ray Lily books (BOO), he self-published the extra one.  I like this author.
• Traveling Mercies, Anne Lamott. I'm out of her youth so no more drugs. Yay!
• The Terrorists of Irustan, Louise Marley.  They are getting caught. I'm glad I'm reading this glacially.
• The Secret Duke, Jo Beverly. They struggle on, knowing they'll never meet again. Ha!
• The End of Racism, Dinesh D'Souza.  A bad example he likes is a trend; one he doesn't like is an anomaly.

What will I read next? Things I have around the house.  I'm going to try to go on a book fast, where I don't check out or purchase new books.  I may make an exception for Cybils finalists, and also for my Reading My Library habits, but no impulse books.  Of course, I have a few tons of library books scattered about the house right now, so this won't get painful for a few weeks.

Challenges I'm considering signing up for: 

Cybils: Most definitely.  I checked the list, and I've already read a few.  I feel very hip.

Global Reading Challenge.  It was fun picking up some different books this way.

Where Am I Reading?:  This ended up being a lot of fun, but I want to try to do it without the last minute panic.
What's In a Name: I like the silly nature of this one.
Science Book Challenge: I like their suggestions for nonfiction reading.