FEBRUARY WRAP-UP
It’s still insanely cold around Chicago, so what better to do than curl up with a good book? I did read some interesting ones this month.
And I also DNFed two:
- A Deadly Affection, by Cuyler Overholt. I explain why here
- I tried briefly the upcoming In the Blink of an Eye, but found it super confusing and stopped quickly. So I have this brand new ARC, if anyone is interested in some swap
Let’s talk about good things now.
I’m still reading Don Quixote, basically by myself, as the people who organized the read-along seem to have stopped. I’m also late in the schedule, but slowly but surely, I’ll manage.
Everyday, I also read a chapter of Les Misérables in French, a read-along with one my students. It’s kind of neat to see her reactions, as she hasn’t read it yet, and doesn’t know what’s coming. Even though I read it decades ago, I no longer have the effect of surprise. We are almost done with volume 1.
So here is what I finished in February:
8 books:
7 in print
= with 2,391 pages, an average of 85 pages/day
(wow! I’m impressed: 2 were long books, one of them a manga!)
1 in audio
= with 11H06, an average of 23 mn/day
4 in literary fiction:
- La vie mode d’emploi, by Georges Perec – in French
- The Goose Fritz, by Sergei Lebedev – ebook, for review
- Trace, by Pat Cummings – book won, middle grade
- The Library of Lost and Found, by Phaedra Patrick – ebook, for review
1 in poetry:
- Cocktails with a Dead Man, by Joe Albanese
1 in nonfiction:
- Earthern Vessels: The Practice of Personal Prayer According to the Patristic Tradition, by Gabriel Bunge
1 in manga:
- Orange, volume 1, by Ichigo Takano
1 in between nonfiction and historical fiction!!
- HHhH, by Laurent Binet – audio, in French
So yes, I finally found a manga that I really loved and devoured! It’s YA and romancy, two genres that I usually don’t like, but it’s a very interesting story actually, and the art is beautiful. I’m saving volume 2 for March, and I found the latest one by the same author as well!
MY FAVORITES IN FEBRUARY
READING CHALLENGES & RECAP
Classics Club: 42/50 (until end of 2020)
2019 Calendar of Crime Challenge 1/12
Where Are You Reading?: 21/50 – to be finished in ??
Total of books read in 2019 = 15/100
Number of books added to my TBR this past month= 30, BUT I did manage to delete a lot of old ones.
Blog wise, you may have noticed a few posts for Thursday Travels. I’ll try to do this on a regular basis.
MOST POPULAR BOOK REVIEW THIS PAST MONTH
click on the cover to access my review
MOST POPULAR POST THIS PAST MONTH
– NON BOOK REVIEW –
Born a Crime chapter 9-14:
read along at Book Bloggers International
BOOK BLOG THAT BROUGHT ME MOST TRAFFIC THIS PAST MONTH
Modern Mrs Darcy
please go visit
TOP COMMENTERS OF THE MONTH
Judy at Keep the Wisdom
Karen at Booker Talk
Angela at Musings of a Literary Wanderer
BLOG MILESTONES
1,924 posts
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Be sure to check the giveaway posted on my homepage!
*
Come back on Monday
to see the books I plan to read in March
and my exciting plan!
How was YOUR month of February?
Nicole at Feed Your Fiction Addiction
has created a Month In Review meme
where you can link your monthly recap posts
Thanks Nicole!
Words And Peace 
You still finished 8 so that’s quite good! Happy March!
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yes, I’m very happy
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Hmm cold snowy weather would be good and I did see some very cold weather in Chicago on our news at some point. Your reading sounds great if a little beyond me! I do love the cover and title of Are We French Yet? Seems like fun.
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Yes, that was an excellent book. My reading probably reflects my older age…
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February was good to me as far as reading goes. I am about to post my wrap up. You are inspiring me to get going on Don Quixote. Are you reading the Edith Grossman translation? How do you like the book so far?
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No, I’m reading one that’s on the public domain, by John Ormsby. I had forgotten how hilarious it is. I also like some passages about languages. A few scenes are dragging, but overall, really loving it, even though I’m getting late. I should be able to finish volume 1 soon
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If/when you get to Part II I would read along with you. I need to finish the book but I took a break in the middle. Let me know if interested!
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oh, that would be awesome! How do you see us doing it? A chapter a day? Sharing our thoughts on them once a week? Through our blogs? Through a Goodreads group? Through some type of live video? Just sharing thoughts, or something more structured with questions? I’m sure we could find ready made questions somewhere. Let me know, I’m open
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I was thinking of doing a chapter as day, as I did with Les Mis last year…though I was not up for another whole-year readalong! I didn’t think of how we should share our thoughts – maybe a quick check-in periodically? perhaps something more substantial at the end (e.g. discussion questions or a video)? I have limited time right now – but I do want to finish this and it would be fun to have company!
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so how about sharing thoughts once a week through blog post?? I have to say from experience, discussion questions work best for me as I read-along, not at the end. especially for a long book.
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Could we do every other week? Maybe one of us do a post and the other one comment on it? I don’t think I can manage a weekly post.
When do you think you’ll get to part II? I’m going away for 2 weeks in April, too, so I won’t be blogging then (but I can keep reading).
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ooh, sounds like a great idea – the alternation of post/comments.
I only have 5 chapters to finish the first part. so we could start next week, and we can pause for the 2 weeks you’ll be away in April.
Do you want to do the first post or do you prefer me to do it? lt me know, I’m open. As the idea came form you, maybe you could be the first one, but if it’s easier for you just to comment next week, then I’ll do it
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I can start! I usually post on Sundays, so start on March 31?
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fantastic!
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Thinking of my actual time availability, could we do the posts every two weeks – I start Sunday the 24th, then you do 2 weeks later, and so on. I think that rhythm would work great for me.
What day will you be ready to start Part II? And do we count the letter at the beginning and the Prologue as chapters, or lump them in with Chapter 1?
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I’m getting late on this because of the MBI2019, I’ll let you know asap. I didn’t even know there was also a prologue and letter at the beginning of part II! I let you judge on that, depending on the length. if they are long, we can count them as chapters. And ok for the 2 week period
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They’re not long, I would include them with Chapter 1. Get a head start! OK, just let me know what day to start …
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ok, I should be able to start on March 21
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I love your Les Misérables read-along! I think I’m going to try reading that again (slowly, maybe a few pages a day) once my daughter goes to school- in English, as that’s the only copy I own. (I did read the first Harry Potter in French last year!)
Eight books is a good month! This weather has been making me a little crazy. I usually don’t mind the cold, but we had such a cold fall that it feels like winter has been going on forever! All the better to stay in and read…but I can read just as well when it’s warm, too! 😀
Are We French Yet? looks cute and I would absolutely pick that up if I saw it at the library. I read so many of Peter Mayle’s Provence books when I was a teenager and that started my love of expat-written books. 🙂
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If you love expat books, Are We French Yet is for you! You should follow https://francebooktours.com We often have that type of books on tours and as giveaways as well.
Les Misérables chapters are fairly short, so one day works well without pressure.
I did start Harry Potter in Spanish a few months ago, and then gave up, because even in translation, it didn’t seem to be worth the effort. I’m going to look into other authors to do that again
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I believe, I have not read any manga at all. It is good not know an option, if I ever am going into it.
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It’s so popular, I was curious to try. But I’m picky, so it took me awhile to find a good one
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Sounds like a good month! I really enjoyed Les Misérables in English translation (also decades ago), and I think it would be a great book to read in French as a student. Must be interesting to see how the two of you read it differently with different levels of experience in the book, the French language, and possibly life (although I don’t enough about you or your student to be sure about that last one!).
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This French student is actually a bit older than me, she grew up in Europe, and she’s read a lot of international fiction, as well as contemporary French novels. So I think her sensitivity is closer to mine than if she were American with little exposure to writers from other countries. Interestingly, we often highlight the same passages we want to share about. Anyway, as you know, Hugo’s writing is so brilliant, that you can’t but be really enthralled by some powerful images. Thanks for stopping by
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Ah, that’s why I should never make assumptions. I had pictured your student very differently 🙂 Yes, I agree about Hugo’s powerful images. It’s been many years and I’ve forgotten much of the book, but I can still see those candlesticks!
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ah, but there’s so much more than the candlesticks,lol!!
Yes, interestingly enough, most of my students are adults in their 50s and over. I teach through skype
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You had a great reading month! I haven’t dabbed much in manga. I do like to see what the library has to offer and see if maybe I’ll end up enjoying one. I hope you have another great reading month!
Tina @ As Told By Tina
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you too! My library has 2 impressive long shelves of manga
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Good for you for sticking with Don Quixote even though the challenge organizers have disappeared. 🙂
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and am going to do another readalong with Lory at Emerald Books
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Ha! I think I have the right year post this time! LOL. My February was so stressful with my kitchen remodel that it’s amazing I didn’t freak out more. Now that it’s done except for the window treatments and moving furniture back in, I am spending all my home time in my new happy place, even reading time! I’ve never tried Manga before, but I do love Japanese culture.
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So glad your kitchen is remodeled, it must be a nice feeling. There are zillions of manga and manga genres, so it can take a while until you find the type that works for you. Thanks for stopping by
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