Thursday, February 2, 2017

January Wrap-Up


January Overview


I hope you had a great January! Here’s what I got up to last month:


1. Corrupting the innocents. Nobody in my family reads, but that didn’t stop me from getting everybody books for Christmas. I was not hopeful that these books would ever get read. Guess what? My mom actually read hers! It was a memoir by one of those annoying TV psychics, so it wasn’t quality literature, but I actually got somebody in my real life to read. I never thought that would happen. 

This may not be the psychic from the book. Believe it or not, I don't know my TV psychics.
  



2. Corrupting the innocents II. If you saw my December wrap-up, you’ll know that my dad gave me a lump of Trump for Christmas. The lump is a $1 coin with Trump’s face on it. The coin is so small that it came wrapped in additional photos of Trump, creating a tiny lump of Trump. Well, I didn’t know what to do with the lump, so I snuck it into my parents’ grandfather clock. I put it among my mom’s cherub collection because cherubs seem to live in a clothing-optional society. I thought Trump would be happy there. Unfortunately, my dad noticed the lump and demanded that I remove my wayward Trump. So far, I’ve refused. A standoff has ensued. Trump remains among the plaster cherubs.

One of these things is not like the others . . .




3. On a related note. I’m surprised my parents noticed the Trump so quickly. I once replaced all the photos of myself in their house with photos of an astronaut sloth. It took my mom four months to notice.

It does look like me. I can understand the confusion.
 



4. My life is a readathon. In early January, I participated in my first-ever readathon! You can see my wrap-up here. I’ve never paid much attention to readathons before because my whole life feels like a readathon, but it was fun. I loved seeing everyone’s updates on social media.





5. Trashy new addiction. Is anyone watching the reality show Hunted? I kinda really, really want to be on that show. I’m so incompetent at life that I’d probably get captured before I left my driveway, but it would be interesting. The show is like a cheesy thriller novel with slightly stupid protagonists. It’s perfect. 





6. Attack of the drones. Someone kept flying their drone over my head while I was walking my dogs. Did you know that dogs hate drones? I didn’t, either. Whenever the drone got close, one of my dogs flew into a murderous rage and almost ripped my arms off to catch the drone. The other dog lost her freakin’ mind. She panicked and kept wrapping her leash around my legs. To make things more embarrassing, the sidewalk was icy, so I was falling all over the place while trying to control my idiot dogs. Next time I see a drone, I’m climbing a tree and killing it King Kong style. You have been warned, drones!

  



Books I Read


Some things happened in my personal life that killed my attention span in January. As a result, I had to DNF the longer books I was reading and focus on books that I could finish in one or two sittings. I read 13 new books, reread 1 old favorite, and DNFed 2 long books.



Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood - Marjane Satrapi
The Last Summer of Reason - Tahar Djaout
Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates
The V-Word: True Stories of First-Time Sex - Amber J. Keyset (editor)
Witness - Karen Hesse
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir) - Jenny Lawson
The Vegetarian - Han Kang
The Unintentional Time Traveler - Everett Maroon
Three Moments of an Explosion: Stories - China MiƩville (DNF)
Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel (DNF)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone – JK Rowling (Reread)
Angel Catbird, Volume 1 - Margaret Atwood & Johnnie Christmas
Sex with Kings: 500 years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge - Eleanor Herman
Revolver – Marcus Sedgwick
I See Reality: Twelve Short Stories about Real Life – Grace Kendall (editor)
Guts: The True Stories behind Hatchet and the Brian Books – Gary Paulsen




Best Books Of January




1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone – JK Rowling
2. Guts: The True Stories behind Hatchet and the Brian Books – Gary Paulsen
3. Revolver – Marcus Sedgwick




Most-Viewed January Reviews








Most-Viewed January Non-Reviews






All The Things!


All The Things (AKA unread books on my TBR shelf) = 35 books.

I’m currently reading This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab and Slasher Girls & Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke (editor).













22 comments:

  1. I love your sloth story! It would have taken me years to notice! I go about like a zombie most of the time I'm indoors but I'm super alert outside for hints of danger. No drones have passed me by but I'll ensure I'm well away from dogs if it does!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I’m exactly the same way. I’m completely clueless in the house, but I’m pretty good at noticing things outside.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

      Delete
  2. I'm kind of obsessed with the show Hunted, too! Some of them have really good ideas, but others are just so clueless! I'd take my books and go sit in the woods for a few weeks.

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    Replies
    1. Yes! Hunted is awesome. I’d also head for the woods and stay far away from technology.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

      Delete
  3. Oh the sloth picture thing is hysterical!!! I haven't seen Hunted but sounds like something I would get into. Looks like a great reading month!! Hope you have a great February!

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  4. That is so funny about Trump. :) A lump of Trump. lol. Maybe his time among the cherubs will moderate him some? Nah I don't think so either... Hunted sounds fun I've never heard of it but I'll have to take a look. Just from the title I'm getting an idea what it's about. :)

    What is up w/ drones? They're like everywhere now. Anyway nice wrap up- you read a lot of different books in January!

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    Replies
    1. I think everybody got drones for Christmas. It’s slightly annoying. I don’t want drones dive-bombing my head whenever I’m outside. They’ll probably go away once the newness wears off and people get bored.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

      Delete
  5. I nearly died reading the sloth story. I want to try a crazy scheme like that. I think my mom would notice, maybe. I need to get to This Savage Song. Awesome month :)

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  6. Glad you had fun doing DA Readathon. In general, they can be fun if we do them in moderation. I'm going to need a few months' break from readathons. I actually gave myself a break from reading books entirely this week (from Monday through Friday) and it's been great! I've been productive doing other things and I am ready to devour a book this weekend :D

    So you mom likes reading books by annoying TV psychics? I'm not sure I know any of them x) But yeah I'm glad she read the gift you got her. Baby steps!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DA Readathon totally messed up my reviewing schedule. I read 8 books and suddenly had 8 reviews to write. It was awesome, but I’m still burnt out on writing reviews.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

      Delete
  7. If you like Hunted, you might try Surviving the Game (Ice T, Rutger Hauer) or The Game. (Michael Douglas, Sean Penn).

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  8. I love Gary Paulsen! I have never read Guts though, I will have to check it out. And I have never watched Hunted either, but now my interest is piqued! We are watching Alone, another reality show.

    Have a great week! I love what you did with your lump of Trump!

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    Replies
    1. I’ve seen commercials for Alone, but I haven’t watched it. I love Gary Paulsen, too. I didn’t know about Guts until somebody on my blog recommended it. I really liked it.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

      Delete
  9. The picture swap sloth story did make me chuckle... Four months, really?!

    It looks like you kick off 2017 really well book wise - I hope that continues into February.

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  10. I am cracking up about the sloth astronauts, and I LOVE that those photos exist in the first place!

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    Replies
    1. I know! Whoever decided to make an astronaut slot and put it on the Internet is a genius.

      Aj @ Read All The Things!

      Delete
  11. Oh my! I haven't laughed that hard in a while. The astronaut sloth prank sounds like something that will be remembered forever. I could totally imagine myself out with my 3 idiot dogs if a drone followed us. Not cool drone flyer person. Have a great February!

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  12. Oh my goodness, whenever I need entertainment I just need to remember to come read one of your weekly or monthly wrap-ups. That sloth story is STILL making me laugh.

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  13. I hope your family enjoy the books regardless of the subjects. I truly believe it's just finding the right book to make a reader.

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