February already and time for my first monthly reading summary of the year!
I discovered two new mystery series in January, both of which I would like to continue with (new to me, that is – they’ve both been around for a long time and I’ve come to them very late!) The first is Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell series; the second is Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice and Crocodile on the Sandbank were two of my favourite books of the month.
I made some progress with all of the challenges I’m participating in. For the Classics Challenge and the Victorian Challenge, I read Charlotte Brontë’s The Professor. For the Historical Fiction Challenge, I read Treason by Meredith Whitford and for War through the Generations, I read War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. And our first play for Reading Shakespeare – A Play a Month was A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I still need to post my thoughts on that one.
There were a few other books I read in January that I also haven’t had time to write about yet. I read Mansfield Park by Jane Austen for the third time and enjoyed it much more this time round than I did on my previous reads. It’s been a long time since I read Pride and Prejudice and Emma, so I’m hoping to re-read both of those soon too (I’m particularly looking forward to trying Emma again, as it’s the only Austen novel I haven’t liked and I’m curious to see if I’ll still feel the same way about it). I also read I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, one of those books I somehow missed out on when I was younger but I’m glad to have finally read it!
I was given the chance to read Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay as part of a UK blog tour – you’ll be able to see what I thought of it on Monday. The last book I read in January was The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn, a beautifully written story set around the time of the First World War. And I also made a start on Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa for a year-long group read.
How was your January?
She Reads Novels 
Well done you read so many and varied books in January. I’d really like to try out both the crime series you mentioned. And good luck with re-reading Austen. I still have quite a few books of her’s to read. Hope you like Emma more second time round as its actually one of my favourites!
I managed to read four books and started two others in January. I’m actually surprised I managed that many as it was a very busy month socially for me. My round up post will be up on Sunday.
I really hope I enjoy Emma when I read it for the second time. I remember finding her very annoying the first time I read it.
Lots of lovely books read. I am keeping an eye out for The BeeKeepers apprentice as I think I will enjoy that.
Now I have read Jane Eyre, I need to decide what classic to read next.
I loved The Beekeeper’s Apprentice and would definitely recommend you try it. I must remember to read the second one in the series soon – I seem to have a habit of starting a series and then forgetting about it.
I’ll look forward to seeing which classic you choose next!
I too had a good reading month! WW1 books were My Dear I Wanted to Tell You – Louisa Young, which was amazing and Jo Barker’s, The Picture Book. I enjoyed The Drowning Pool by Syd Moore set in a Thames village not too far away, a split time frame story. A similar topic but set in 15c Connecticut, The witch of Blackbird Pool – Elizabeth George Sphere. Am I glad I wasn’t born then! Looking forward to Liz Shakespeare’s, The Turning of the Tide about a girl from the Bideford workhouse,and Gillespie and I and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet have both finally arrived from the library.
I’ll have to look out for the Louisa Young book. I haven’t heard much about that one. I hope you enjoy Gillespie and I and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet – two of my favourites from last year!