January 2012 Reading Wrap-Up
Books Read: 12
Pages Read: 3020
Hours Listened To: 0
Books read:
- Hot Air: Meeting Canada’s Climate Change Challenge – Simpson, Jeffrey, Mark Jaccard and Nic Rivers
- To ‘Joy my Freedom: Southern Black Women’s Lives and Labor After the Civil War – Hunter, Tera W
- Captivity - Noyes, Deborah
- Cereus Blooms at Night – Mootoo, Shani
- Love InshAllah: The Secret Love Lives of North American Muslim Women – Mattu Ayesha and Nura Maznavi
- Tales of the Tikongs – Hau’ofa, Epeli
- Nefertiti: Unlocking the Mystery Surrounding Egypt’s Most Famous and Beautiful Queen – Tyldesley, Joyce
- Living, Loving, and Lying Awake at Night – Magona, Sindiwe
- Blanche on the Lam – Neely, Barbara
- Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them – Prose, Francine
- African Roar – Sigauke, Emmanuel and Ivor Hartmann
- Unruly Women: The Politics of Confinement and Resistance – Faith, Karlene
Bloggers visited: maphead, pens with cojones
Places visited through reading: Canada, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tonga, Trinidad, USA, and Zimbabwe
Places visited irl: Washington state, Portland, Alberta, Aruba
Book Purchases: I bought one book this month, Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks. This was an allowable purchase in my roommate challenge because it is a part of the Year of Feminist Classics project. I also said yes to one review request, though I’m not sure if the book has arrived yet (I’ll arrive home in a week to check). In addition to these, publishers have been providing some of the books for the Indie Lit Award GLBTQ category shortlist which I have to read by the end of this month.
Snow storm in Chehalis, WA
Thoughts and ramblings:I managed to start the year off quite well with some really interesting reads this month. The stats on them are pretty accurate to my goals as well – 50% fiction, 75% female authors, 25% GLBTQ, 25% international authors, and 40% POC. (As a reminder, I count non-European / North American / British authors of color as international authors rather than POC as that is really a term that loses meaning outside of these places, in my mind.) Excitingly, all 12 reads were off my tbr pile (though only 2 count to the Roommate Challenge) and all 12 also contained new-to-me authors.
Although I took many days off this month, it was still fairly busy on the blog. I posted again on BAND, this month Joy asked how much of our reading is for projects and goals. I got to participate in The Book Smugglers Smugglivus. I joined the African Reading Challenge and pledged my support of the Birthday Party Pledge. I came up with a post series idea which I’ll be running monthly if I can, sharing some of the blogs and bloggers who really make me think. I also discussed an opera I went to, The Mikado.
I celebrated my birthday this month, and my second blogoversary. I hosted a celebration as part of this – and to celebrate how utterly fantastic last year was for me. After starting as the worst year ever, I managed to completely turn it around and I am still on a high from that. I’ve been slow in announcing winners so let me do that now:
Sonora, CA
- Leeswammes won Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
- Eva won In Dependence by Sarah Ladipo Manyika
- Amy won Rape New York by Jana Leo
- Zibilee won A Human Being Died that Night by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela
- Emily Jane won The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- Debbie Rodgers won African Love Stories edited by Ama Ata Aidoo
I really wasn’t trying to get a winner per book but it randomly turned out like that which I find really cool. Just a sign that I chose great books to give away I guess 
Outside of reading this year has started off quite busy. I managed to get a working computer from work early in the month though I’m still having issues with it, attempting to get the programs I need installed and working. While I still feel ridiculously behind in work, blogging, blog reading, emails, and more, I’m slowly managing to catch up. I’ve cleared out the Google Reader (though with few comments I apologize) and I’m slowly trying to get through the inbox next.
I had a really great New Year, a fantastic birthday, and then left on travels. During my travels I got to meet my niece too which was really exciting, though I’m still not a fan overall of babies 
Beach in Aruba
Other than that, I’ve been planning more great trips – with work and for vacation. Egypt with Carina is coming up quickly, and to help prepare for that I made the ridiculously silly decision to try to learn Arabic. I know, I know, what was I thinking? I bought Rosetta Stone Arabic and have been at it for three weeks. I’m currently still on lesson 2… I also registered for Book Expo America, though I’m still waiting to see any kind of schedule for the Book Blogger Convention, and to see what changes there will be now that it’s been purchased by BEA. Who else is planning on going?
So that was my January, or what I remember of it anyway. February is starting off just as crazy but hopefully it will also be just as good Don’t forget in February to join us in reading Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks with the Year of Feminist Classics!
This is very interesting!
Can I copy this format to review my own January?
Sure Kabura, feel free to.
Wow, Amy, you’ve had one BUSY month and you still managed to read a lot. I’m always impressed with the breadth of your reading.
I’m so glad to have won African Love Stories – thanks for offering it!
Thanks Debbie. Unsure how I did it still
And yes, I hope you really love the read!
I’ll be at BEA and the Book Blogger Con this year – I just got my vacation approved this week. So, yay! I’m excited to see you there.
Yay I’m excited to see you there Kim!
A busy month on all front indeed: reading and working. Having known you I’m not surprised at the pages read but by your boldness to learn Arabic. I have been trying to learn French but have progressed no farther than the point at which I started.
Yes, I’m not sure I’d call it bold… seriously questioning my brain capacity while attempting it Nana! If you want to practice French some day let me know, I do know some
Definitely an interesting list, plus all the other activities as well!
Yep, somehow I’m a bit behind in email / blog / etc accrabooksandthings…
12 books is amazing Amy and so many things achieved last year. Good luck with the Arabic. I tried to and gave up the idea years ago!
Thanks JoV! It is a lot but just seems like I didn’t read much because most of the reading was squished into a small number of days I think! And yea, unsure how long the Arabic will last!
Such a busy month! BBC was bought by BEA? That’s bound to be interesting. Again (I seem to say this every year), I am very jealous you are going. If only there was a magical “transport me to this place for free” button.
I am also very happy to hear that you will be visiting Egypt with Carina! I’m curious to hear how your Arabic lessons go. I may dip my toe in learning both Indonesian and Swedish. I’m still blissfully ignoring picking up the actual books though.
I still need to buy Feminism is for Everybody, and I really cannot afford to do so now. But I will read it sometime this year and check back on your discussion. Sorry for not being able to join in the first month.
Happy February Amy! And hopefully I’ll talk to you more. I’ve missed that this month.
Yes… definitely interesting Iris. I’m not sure if that will make it better or worse but I’m not thrilled about it! I wish you could go too.
And wow, that is fantastic Iris, two languages at once seems difficult but I bet you can do it. Good luck! I hope too that you can find the book. I miss chatting too and hope I can be online more at some point soon. It’s been crazy!
Aruba and Alberta? How is that for opposites? You have kicked ass this month! Good luck learning Arabic.
Thanks Michelle. It has been a rather random month
All 12 off your shelves: that’s fantastic! Congratulations.
I’m really looking forward to your thought on Mootoo’s novel; it’s one of my very favourites and I’ve been seriously thinking about re-reading!
Thanks BiP! This month won’t be as good sadly. And glad to hear you like it so much!
What a busy and productive month Amy! I thought mine was book busy but you read more than me and looks like some interesting reads too!
I too am going to BEA and will be going to the BBC as well… I am curious what they will do with it too but imagine it will be good. I plan to line up my hotel and flight this next week, I put in 60 extra hours into my job in January so that check will fund my BEA excursion
Thanks Sheila, I’m so excited to see you again at BEA! Yay!! I hope it’s really great. And yeah, extra funding always helps doesn’t it
Um your February will obviously be AWESOME because you are visiting ME
Not to mention doing our super-secret project while you’re here in Boston. I mean, come on darling.
True point Amanda, though sadly not for as long as I’d planned originally. Super-secret project is kinda a draw-back though. LOL
a wonderful month Amy I love the place visited through books ,may use that at some point ,all the best stu
Thanks Stu, do feel free to use it!
god, you know I think I have that Nefertiti book in my TBR pile from a couple of years ago! hahahahah, I should get to that!
Heh it is a good read Rhiannon. I have a DIFFERENT Nefertiti book on my pile to read still!
Oh, I’d love to visit for the Book Expo. I’m trying to see if I can drag out my honeymoon by another two months so that I can be on the right side of the world for it!
That would be a very long but I’m sure very fun honeymoon Stephanie! Would love to see you there too. Good luck