So in January, I read a total of nine books. These include:
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
- This is a classic children's fantasy that follows Dorothy from Kansas as she attempts to find her way home from a fantastical world. It's similar enough to the movie that most people know it but there are a few differences that might surprise people. I ended up not liking it as much because I felt it didn't really do anything. there is no threat or danger throughout the story, no lessons are learned and nothing really happens. On top of that, I felt the writing style was dumbed down a lot but it is meant for kids.
- Call of the Wild by Jack London
- A short, classic adventure story that follows Buck, the dog, who is taken from his home in the Southlands and sold as a sled dog during the Yukon Gold rush. He learns how to pull a sled and how to fight in order to survive, the domestication of his old life disappearing as he begins feeling the instincts and seeing visions of early dogs and humans along the trail. This is a dark story with animal abuse, dog fights, racism, violence, etc. I love this story even though it is also horrifying and I couldn't help but compare it to the movie trailer for the new adaption that's coming out. I can almost predict what they're going to do in order to make it a more family friendly film though this requires them to ignore 95% of the story, including the ending.
- The Hound of Baskersville by Arthur Conan Doyle
- A classic Sherlock Holmes mystery. I'm starting to wonder if I just don't like Doyle's writing style. It took forever for the story to get going and I just wanted to tell the characters to get to the point half the time, but once they actually started pursuing clues, it started to get interesting. The ending was a bit disappointing though.
- Gravity Falls: Lost Legends by Alex Hirsch
- A graphic novel collection of four short stories and a mini mystery for fans, this was a fun, quick read for anyone who likes Gravity Falls. I liked the visual jokes and references, the hidden Bills, and the stories, though I would have liked them to be a little bit longer.
- Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois
- A series of essays based on the author's own experiences, this book was published in 1903 and describes the social state of African-Americans in America during the Civil War and through the Emancipation. I think this book is one that everyone should read. I knew some of the things he mentions but not all of it and he goes into details that I'd never heard before. He explains the social states and points out the flaws on both sides of the "color line" as he calls it. He explains why certain cultural habits were formed and how they affected the people, and I even started to wonder if some of the things he's talking about have direct results on some of the things that are happening today (I'm sure they are but I don't really feel educated enough in them to really talk about them so I'll leave that to people who know what they're talking about). But this is probably my favorite read of this month. This should be taught in high school, in college; anyone who wants to learn about race relations in the United States should start here. I feel it's also important to point out that this is one of the first books to talk about sociology, so that's another reason to read it. It's fascinating and I can't stop talking about it.
- Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
- A steampunk, zombie, sci-fi that follows fifteen-year-old Zeke and his mother, Briar, as they venture into the walled off city of Civil War era Seattle, Washington; Zeke to find proof his father didn't destroy the town and start the Blight, and Briar to find her son. They don't know what to expect, where to look, or how the people trapped in the city have survived all this time, but there are dangers from warring gangs, mad scientists, and the hungry rotters that they were not prepared for. They have to survive three days before an airship can rescue them, but the Blight is dangerous and the filters on their gas masks won't last forever. This is the first book on my shelf that I decided to read for my Color My Shelves challenge. It's easy and relaxing. I was able to guess the ending about halfway through but I didn't mind so much since the way the tension was built was enough to keep me engaged.
- The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
- I DNF'd this book after a few chapters. Sinclair wrote a fictional story about the real horrors of the meatpacking industry in America during the early 1900s which actually prompted a government investigation and new restrictions being created. It follows a family of immigrants who come to America to earn more money and have a better life. The main character, Jorge, gets a job at one of the meat packing plants and is excited to start his new life with money, a job, a new home, and a wife. As I said, I didn't get far in this one. I think it was just a little too heavy of a subject for me right now but I do want to read it at some point.
- Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven by Marjorie Liu
- The third volume of this graphic novel series, Monstress follows Maika Halfwolf as she searches for answers about herself, her mother, and the monster Zinn, who was fused with her as a child. Meanwhile, the various systems of power prepare for war as they all race to capture Maika and hold her accountable for her crimes, use her as a weapon, or kill her for her powers. This is a mature fantasy with lots of representation and powerful female characters. I love this series and can't wait to pick up the next volume.
- Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris
- I DNF'd this book after a few stories. I'd thought some short stories would help me get through a minor slump halfway through the month but it really wasn't for me. Maybe later on in the year, but for now, I'm not interested.
In continuation of my Read Through the Decades challenge, February is dedicated to the 1910s. I've already read most of the stories on the list that I'm basing this on and, unfortunately, the others don't sound all that interesting to me, so I'm not going to push myself too hard to read all of them in February (plus my library doesn't have a lot of them so 🤷).
For anyone interested in following along, the list includes (I've marked the ones I've already read with an asterisk):
- Dubliners by James Joyce
- *The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
- *My Antonia by Willa Cather
- Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
- *Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
- Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence
To add some complications, I'll be going on vacation and won't have access to any digital copies of these books, so my reading will be restricted to what I can bring with me.
I've been doing a little more mood reading for my Color My Shelves challenge. Instead of picking specific books, I think I want to aim to read a few of my manga, at least one nonfiction, and at least one fiction. To help me choose, I've been narrowing my choices using a random number generator. Each shelf is assigned a number and the generator chooses which shelf I look at for a book I feel like reading. This is a bit of an experiment, so we'll see if I keep this up.
I know this sounds like cheating for a TBR, but I've found if I pick the books out ahead of time, it feels like an assignment and I don't want to do it. The point of reading is for fun, so if this is how I make it fun, so be it.
I'm interested in hearing what all of you are reading. Are you interested in getting through your TBR or are you thinking of challenging yourself with the decade reads, like I am? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.
We are trying to get some videos together and uploaded so I'll let you know as soon as that happens and you'll be able to see some of the other things my husband and I get up to.
Until then,
We look forward to your return, traveler.
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