Sunday, January 8, 2017

First Week Whirlwind

Happy Sunday Morning! (Settle in with a coffee, this is a long one!)

As the first week of the new year came to a close yesterday I took a breath, looked at my Goodreads book challenge page, and realized that I'd read 10 books and listened to three. All within the first week of the year. So what did I read? I read everything!

Since I had both January 1st and January 2nd off from work, didn't have any chores or responsibilities needing attention, I was really able to start off with a bang, and by bang I mean 8 books fulfilling different challenge requirements.

  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
    • PopSugar's "A book that never fails to make you smile."
      • I've been a fan of Frankenstein and his monster for ages; add in the amazing author that is Mary Shelley and I'll always fall for this book. 
  • Vlad the Impaler: The Real Count Dracula by Enid Goldberg
    • PopSugar's "A book with pictures" 
      • One of the "Wicked History" books, this is a great introduction to the real Dracula. Definitely a pick for any young and budding historians. 
  • Getting an Academic Job in History by Dana Polanichka 
    • PopSugar's "A book with career advice"
      • I'm a 25 year old graduate with a history degree, not only does this give out an excellent timeline of what to apply for when, it gives resources, interview questions, and a whole host of informative details. 
  • The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison
    • PopSugar's "A book written by an author using a pseudonym" 
      • Ugh, so this book had actually been on TBR for a while, I'd picked it up from a bargain bin and just hadn't gotten to it yet. Kind of wished I'd passed on it, the style of writing as interesting, the story was good, but it didn't have any of the anticipated "WOW" I was hoping for. 
  • How to Fight Presidents: Defending Yourself Against the Badasses Who Ran This Country by Daniel O'Brien
    • PopSugar's "A book from a genre you don't normally read" 
      • I don't read comedy books! Okay, maybe a few pages in the bathroom but that is really about it. and as a historian I really hate funny books when it comes to history. O'Brien manages to keep historical accuracy while blending in the humor. 
  • The Private Letters of Countess Erzsebet Bathory by Kimberly Craft
    • PopSugar's "A book of letters" 
      • This was a repeat, I'd read this orignally during my research for my capstone paper on Countess Bathory. (Side note she is one of my all consuming obsessions) This is a great insight to her mind.
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    • Book Riot's Read Harder "A bestseller published between 1900 and 1950" 
      • Published in the roaring 1920's this timeless tale is one I often return to when I need to remember my humanity.
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
    • #LitsyAtoZ Letter "O" 
      • Remember those haunting love story fairy tales you read when you were a kid? The kind where you didn't know what exactly you were reading but you knew they were special? Yeah, that's this. 

Also consumed this week: Victoria by Daisy Goldwin, The Kricket Series by Amy Bartol, and The Grownup by Gillian Flynn.

Currently Reading: All The Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood, America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie, A Study in Charlotte: Charlotte Holmes #1 by Brittany Cavallaro and The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict.

Oh! Recently purchased: The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser (a book about books) and History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund (a debut novel).

I can't wait to keep listening and reading to all these amazing stories, but I'm giving myself the day off to just enjoy and relax. The pace and pressure of the last week was intense, but worth it! I'm also excited to start Litsty Goes Postal book club #CoverToCover book soon!

All the best and happy reading,
-BrainyHeroine

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