January Reads

[sweet_sparrow]

I promised you all a best-of post ages ago, didn't I? I failed miserably at compiling one of my own.

The year has... not been off to the best possible start. (It's not been off to the worst possible starts either, though.)

I've managed to read a decent amount of books in January, though not as many as I'd have liked. Books I remember reading are...

The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild (where have her books been all my life?!)
Whispers of the Cotton Tree Root edited by Nalo Hopkinson
The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler
The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
Flegling by Octavia Butler
Trickster edited by Matt Dembicki

I'm probably missing some, but I'm doing this from memory. I feel like I'm coming across as this whirlwind of activity, but I'm really not. Just disorganised and out of my element. (I'd like the universe to restore my laptop now, please.) I spent today curled up with Anna of the Five Towns. I'm so much further behind on my course reading than I'd wanted to be... (I've also been managing to stick to my TBR acquisition rules, though. Yay!)

Anyway! How's the new year been treating you reading-wise? Do you have any reading goals this year? Any challenges you've decided to participate in? Read any books that you can't get off your mind now that you've read them?

Comments

[shanaqui]

Yes, just not as well as I'd hoped!

It seems to be just called Tristrams saga, and while I don't know of a translation, I don't know that there's not a translation, either. A lot of Norse texts are translated online, too...

I'm a couple of chapters in, but I haven't read any of it yet this month. I should get to it soon, but I wanted to get a bit ahead with course reading first. I'm okay with stretching books over multiple months if necessary -- the 'shortlist' is more of a guideline than a necessity -- so, we'll see!

[sweet_sparrow]

That's university's fault, though! *snugs* I'm sure you'll be able to get that cider reward soon, though!

After googling a little, I've discovered that a translation does exist somewhere. Just a matter of tracking the thing down. (It's an older one, though, from 1973.)

Makes complete sense! I kind of wish my course work reading agreed with me enough to read them all in quick succession, but it'd seem I need to space them out a little with something lighter to avoid dizzy and confusion. (We're supposed to come up with about an A4 of thoughts on each books. The Bennett I finished today? I have nothing.)

*snug* If you get too stressed out about the list-reading, I shall endeavour to remind you that it's a guideline only. ^-^ (And you made this beautiful descriptory line about the Walton and I cannot remember what it is, but it makes me want to go out and buy it and put Farthing aside to read this one first. D'you think I should go ahead with that impulse?)

[shanaqui]

I'm aiming to get the reward for striking through all of them in March -- look how close I am! Once this month is over, I'll have only eight not struck through.

Hmmm. I might look for it myself. I knew that some of the Arthurian texts got to Iceland, but I should look up if there are any others...

I wouldn't want to, if I didn't have to -- I'm going to see my best friend from Wednesday to Monday, next week, and won't be able to take my work with me. Heck, I'm not even taking clothes (I keep enough at my parents to do me). So I have to at least get Swallows and Amazons and whatever I'm meant to read the week after done, and the next couple of books for Welsh Fiction, too...

*snugs* That would help. (If I were you, I would read Among Others first. It's more accessible, I think, since it's not a pastiche of another genre, which Farthing partially is. Jo Walton linked to my review on her LJ, EEK.)

[sweet_sparrow]

You can do it! *waves pompoms* And that reward for doubling your reading over your acquisitions will be there before you know it too! ^-^

There must be... I'd corner your Old Norse tutor and ask about them if I could. ^-^

I wish you good luck with it! *huggles and sends good reading thoughts*

*shall try to remind occasionally* (Yay! I shall do that then! A good linking, though. ^-^ *snug*)

[shanaqui]

Yeah, hopefully also in March...

I'll try, but he is quite elusive!

*huggles* Thank you.