November 2010 Reading Wrap-up

Happy December everyone!  It’s hard to believe we’re already in the swing of the Christmas season.  Since it’s been snowing regularly for the past three days, I’m feeling more in the mood for the season than I have for a good few years.  We haven’t set up our Christmas tree or anything yet, but we’re having Christmas at home this year so I’m excited to host it for the first time in my entire life, though I will be missing my Italian American family’s wonderful cooking (and, of course, my parents).

I read 16 books this month.  I’ll chalk the slightly lower than normal count up to a few chunksters and a few unfinished books, as well as the fact that I finished another Xbox game, but honestly, I’m still very happy with that count.  It does mean I acquired a lot more books this month than I read, but that’s okay.  I’ll make up for it before Christmas – I’m on a book buying ban until then!

Fiction

• Remedies, Kate Ledger
• The Prince of Mist, Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• Dead in the Family, Charlaine Harris
• By Fire, By Water, Mitchell James Kaplan
• Dark and Stormy Knights, ed. P.N. Elrod
• Company of Liars, Karen Maitland
• Eleanor the Queen, Norah Lofts
• Wedding of the Season, Laura Lee Guhrke
• Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly
• Scandal of the Year, Laura Lee Guhrke
• The Wee Free Men, Terry Pratchett
• The Fall, Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
• A Hat Full of Sky, Terry Pratchett

Non-fiction

• Chasing Aphrodite, Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino
• The Bolter, Frances Osborne
• In Defence of Food, Michael Pollan

As always, quite a few of my reviews are still in progress.  There aren’t too many here, so unless they’ve been scheduled well ahead, you should see them popping up next week.

Far and away my fiction favorites for this month were The Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky.  For once I remembered who influenced me to read these, and this time it was Nymeth.  I can guarantee you I’ll be reading Wintersmith and I Shall Wear Midnight next month.  I’ve only held back so far because I don’t want to run out of books just yet!  In non-fiction I just adored Chasing Aphrodite.  The other two were good, worthy reads, but this was on a subject close to my heart and completely fascinating.  My review is held back until the book’s release, but trust me, when that day comes, there will be gushing.

In December, I’m committing to read those books I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I intended to read this year.  I have a week off for Christmas, so if they’re not read by then, I plan on hunkering down over a couple of days and just reading the hours away.  I can’t wait!  This month I’d also like to reread one of my favorites, Jane Eyre, as I’ve just received a lovely new edition from a publicist, and if we’re going crazy, I’d like to fit in Room by Emma Donoghue and Wedlock by Wendy Moore as well.

How was your reading month in November?  Any reads to look forward to in December?