TSS: July 2009 Wrap-Up

I don’t know how we got to the end of July already! I’m not complaining too much though. The next month and a half may be crunch time for my dissertation, but then it will be over and I will get married and enter the glorious world of (un)employment. I can’t get (or even apply for) a full-time job over here until we get married and I get a new visa, fingers crossed, so I’m going to have at least a month of scoping out what’s around and doing not much else. Maybe temping, because I can do part-time, but I’ve heard that the employment offices are overrun with applicants, so I’m not going to have any expectations.

In retrospect, I have had one great reading month.  In the beginning of the month, I read a lot from my own collection and the library.  In the second half of the month, I went home and got my ARCs, which resulted in a burst of unexpectedly fabulous reads.  I think I’ve read a good variety of books, too.  Because many others have been writing where they got their recent books (starting with Marie), I thought I’d do that too.  Here’s how it breaks down (I hope no one minds that I just mixed the YA in with the adult reads):

Literary Fiction

• Possession, A.S. Byatt – I bought this in a used bookstore, don’t remember why.
• In the Wake of the Boatman, Jonathan Scott Fuqua – Received for review from Bancroft Press.
• Nothing but Ghosts, Beth Kephart – Bought new for online book club and for My Friend Amy‘s book drive.
• The Cellist of Sarajevo, Steven Galloway – Borrowed from library on a variety of recommendations.

Women’s Fiction

• Last Light Over Carolina, Mary Alice Monroe – Received for review for a blog tour.
• Every Last Cuckoo, Kate Maloy – Received for review and for an online book club.
• Secrets to Happiness, Sarah Dunn – Received for review.

Historical Fiction

• The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough – Bought used because I liked the author.
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Alan Bradley – Received for review from Amazon Vine.
• The Spies of Warsaw, Alan Furst – Received for review for a blog tour hosted by Pump Up Your Book promotions.
• The Servants’ Quarters, Lynn Freed – Received for review from Amazon Vine.
• Twilight of Avalon, Anna Elliott – Received for review from author.
• Pope Joan, Donna Woolfolk Cross – Bought used because it sounded good; reviewed after author’s request.
• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, John Boyne – Borrowed from the library after Bethany’s review.
• The Luxe, Anna Godbersen – Borrowed from the library after a review from Beth Fish Reads.
• The Book of Unholy Mischief, Elle Newmark – Received for review for a blog tour.

Fantasy/Sci-fi

• The Last Colony, John Scalzi – Bought new to continue a series.
• Zoe’s Tale, John Scalzi – see above.
• Doomsday Book, Connie Willis – Bought used because it sounded good.
• The Blade Itself, Joe Abercrombie – Borrowed from the library because of buzz on twitter.
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling – I have two copies of this, both bought new, one paperback and one hardcover.  I basically killed the paperback by reading too much and now I read the hardcover.
• Naamah’s Kiss, Jacqueline Carey – Received for review from Hachette after the wonderful Miriam Parker discovered I was interested.
• Iron Kissed, Patricia Briggs – Bought new to continue a series.

Historical Romance

• To Catch an Heiress, Julia Quinn – Borrowed from the library in a mission to read Julia Quinn’s backlist.
• To Beguile a Beast, Elizabeth Hoyt – Received for review from Hachette.
• The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, Jennifer Ashley – Received for review from Dorchester.
• This Duchess of Mine, Eloisa James – Bought new to continue a series.
• A Hint of Wicked, Jennifer Haymore – Passed on from the wonderful Keira at Love Romance Passion.
• Highland Rebel, Judith James – Received for review from Sourcebooks.

Nonfiction/Memoir

• Bonk, Mary Roach – Borrowed from the library because of mainly LibraryThing buzz.
• First Comes Love, Then Comes Malaria, Eve Brown-Waite – Received from Amazon Vine for review.
• American Lion, Jon Meacham – Received for review for a blog tour from Pump Up Your Book promotions.

So, that’s

• 15 books for review
• 6 books from the library
• 5 books bought new
• 4 books bought used
• 1 book from another blogger

I said I was going to slow down my reading this month and I completely lied.  What I really wanted was more fantasy and sci-fi, which I was able to fulfill without slowing down my reading pace.  I read 31 books, the most ever.  Slightly less than half of those books were sent to me for review.  I don’t think that’s typical; I normally read more of my own books.  I read more this month simply because they gathered at home and I owe a lot of reviews, so I’m doing my best to dispense my obligations.  My blog would undoubtedly exist just fine without review copies; I’d have posted the 19 reviews of my own and library books which are sitting in the queue!  I probably would have written the 7 I have left as well.  Have I mentioned that I read too much yet?

Today, I’m looking forward to continuing The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall. It hasn’t totally clicked for me yet, but I hope it will soon since I have one of its sequels for review.  And I’m really looking forward to my online book club tonight, when we’ll be discussing Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart, a seriously wonderful read.