Well, I’ve been a reading machine this month despite being too quiet on the blog front. I’ve been traveling quite a bit lately, so the blog has taken a back seat. I guess you could call it series month as well. I finished the Twilight series and read 4 books in the ‘Chief Inspector Gamache’ series and read 2 books in the ‘Sookie Stackhouse’ series — all for the R.I.P. IV Challenge. I got a bit further in the Canadian Challenge III as well by reading 5 Canadian books.
My favorites of the Twilight series were the two middle books. I felt that the first book was not written as well because it was Meyer’s first book, and I definitely had mixed feelings about the last book. I enjoyed and raced through the first half or so of it, but the second half was a little sketchy for me.
My favorite ‘Gamache’ so far is A Rule Against Murder, and my least favorite is The Cruelest Month. Some of the dialogue in the latter just irritated me, but the different setting of the former was a nice change (even though I like Three Pines).
My favorite books of the month by far were The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and A Thousand Splendid Suns. The latter is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time — truly outstanding and much better than The Kite Runner.
I spent a little time analyzing the first three quarters of the year in regards to my reading and came up with the following:
- Q1: 27 books, 5503 pp.
- Q2: 29 books, 6981 pp.
- Q3: 34 books, 11560 pp.
- total: 90 books, 24049 pp. for an average of 267 per book.
The first thing I noticed was that I read twice as many pages in Q3 than in Q1. Wow. Only a 7 book difference but quite a difference in terms of pages. I have a feeling my second half of the year will be way stronger than the first half. Now if only I could get to the reviews!
September (14 books, 5605 pp)
- Something Wicked This Way Comes
by Ray Bradbury (1962, 304 pp) - Brooklyn
by Colm Toibin (2009, 262 pp) - The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (2009, 466 pp)
- Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (2001, 292 pp)
- New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (2006, 608 pp)
- Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (2007, 629 pp)
- Breaking Dawn
by Stephenie Meyer (2008, 754 pp) - Still Life by Louise Penny (2005, 312 pp)
- A Fatal Grace (aka Dead Cold) by Louise Penny (2007, 314 pp)
- The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (2008, 311 pp)
- A Rule Against Murder (aka The Murder Stone) by Louise Penny (2009, 322 pp)
- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley (2009, 373 pp) - A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini (2007, 367 pp) - Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (2002, 291 pp)
NO!!!! I didn’t read this post at all! You are impossible…. how did u get SO MANY down with so much traveling :’(
You give me the complex
Ah well.. i read JUST 3 books… Half the month i was bored, demotivated and just watching TV! When I started reading… I just couldn’t finish ANYTHING
That’s my story for all month’s, so that’s nothing new!
The new is you read A Thousand Splendid SUNS? wicked!!! I just posted my review
Ahhha! something in common there! And another thing, I gave it a 5 on 5!!!!!
I also completed it last week
You have to post the review, i want to read yours… you can read mine too
Take care.. have a good time… and enjoy!
Sounds like quite a good reading month! I haven’t read either The Kite Runner of Thousand Splendid Suns yet, but I’d really like to..
September was a great month for you! I loved A Thousand Splendid Suns as well. I really would love to read A Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
Yay for a great reading month!
You had a really good month, didn’t you?
Wow, you sure do read a lot! I just stumbled on your book review blog and will be back often!
~Anita
Wow, you did have a terrific month! I usually read fewer books when I travel. I can’t read in a car, I’d rather watch people in an airport, and I’m always zapped at the end of the day when we’re vacationing. How did you do that???
I’m glad you enjoyed The Little Stranger. It’s on my list of books to read, this month.
Wow, you are a reading machine!
Breaking Dawn was such a disappointment to me that it has almost ruined the series for me. As time goes on, I like it even less.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie looks so good! I have that one on my TBR list and hope to get to it soon.
I am so impressed! Don’t think I’ve ever read that many books in one month. You read some really good books, too. It looks like I liked Louise Penny’s books more than you did.
I meant to ask about your travels. I always love to hear what people are seeing on their trips so am hoping you’ll do a post and share some pictures.
What a month – that’s a lot of reading. I certainly want to read A thousand splendid suns. Love your blog!