29 thoughts on “Putting January to Bed”

1. What a great January you had. You have way more energy than I do. I thought I was reading a lot. I enjoyed the Sci Fi I read so far for the Sci Fi Experience (and it was all vintage so far).

   1. January is typically my big reading month of the year. I always have these ideas that I’ll be able to keep the pace up but other things interrupt that process. Mostly good things, so I cannot complain.

2. An impressive reading list! Mine has been squeezed in amongst reading for my MA (Creating Writing SFF), and included ‘Nexus’ Ramez Naam – a near future setting where Nexus, a nano-based drug, enables contact bwt minds – like electronic telepathy. A good read, plenty of action, though a bit preachy in places. ‘Fledgling’ Octavia E Butler, a wonderful book with a fascinating take on the vampire legend.

   1. I was curious about Nexus. I see the book pop up on my Kindle list all the time based on what I’ve been buying and reading on it.

      I have yet to read any Butler though I do have a two-story collection of hers on my shelves. I hear nothing but good things about her work.

      I hope things are going well with your MA.

      1. I agree with Susan about Nexus. I loved the science part, and there is a lot of action, but the spiritual journey (for a side character) didn’t appeal.

         Fourteen titles in one month? I started three books that I havent really enjoyed, which is a bummer on the budget, and frustrating as a reader. Hot Sinatra by Axel Howerton has been a pleasant surprise as an easy, quick read. The explorer was like that. I look forward to hearing how that goes.

         I read Milk Murdoch: Boy Superhero by Michell Plestead to my wife, which was fun because she likes cute stories. I loved hearing her reactions to the story. Was Brandon’s book like that?

         1. I’ll keep that one in mind then as it sounds very interesting.

            Yes…but then remember that at least half of these were single short stories or novellas. Probably read the equivalent of 8 books for the month if I were to figure word count.

            Have you read Sanderson? He has the most incredible magic systems and the one he employs in The Emperor’s Soul is so creative. Yes, Sanderson’s novella is just a really good story period and my wife really enjoyed having it read to her. After each break she was quick to point out how much she was enjoying it.

            I haven’t heard of the Plestead book but I’ll go look it up.

            1. Hot Sinatra is attractive despite my not reading crime/pulp fiction.

               I listened to most of Mistborn before realizing I need to read books with that many characters because I daydream easily during auditory stimulation. I was impressed with the magic system, but the plot and characters weren’t so interesting that I had to finish.

               Plestead’s book has short, episodic chapters which are great for reading once a night. If you get it, I bet you too will have a joyful time.

               1. I really enjoy reading aloud to my wife. Especially short stories or novellas as we can get through them in a few days and the interruptions of life don’t keep us away from the story like longer books do. I’ll throw one your way to consider: Enchanted Night by Steven Milhauser. Here is my review:

                  http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/enchanted-night-a-novella-steven-millhauser

                  I read the first Mistborn book and thought it was great. It had some problems that I noted in our group read discussion. Problems I noticed primarily because I had read The Way of Kings not long before it and it was a much better written novel, in my opinion, which made sense because it was Sanderson’s more recent work. The Emperor’s Soul has few characters and is a really tight work.

3. Wowza–that’s one darn productively fun month!!! Hope February finds you having just as much enjoyment…and let’s hope it goes by a little slower than January.

   1. Thanks Debi! Yes, time needs to slow down a bit. I’m sure my reading will, I cannot consistently devote this much time to reading. As it gets nicer (hopefully soon) I’ll be out running more, for one thing. Still, I hope to enjoy everything I am reading. Hope you and your family are having a good 2013 thus far.

4. I can’t believe January has already gone! But it was a great reading month for me, and a great start to 2013. Happy reading!

   1. I know, it is crazy. I’m glad to hear that you had a great reading month too Jessica.

5. I agree that January was just a blur. I’m staunchly stuck in the Expanse world and loving it. Thank you so much for the giveaway!!! I just got the email with it and can’t wait to read it after Caliban’s War. Woohoo!

   1. I’m enjoying my foray into it as well, though I’m still at the baby step stage in comparison to you. Glad you got the books and congrats again. You’ll really like these stories and there is a lot of other goodness in the Edge of Infinity book.

6. Carl, you certainly had a productive month! Plenty of great books! The Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson is in the on-deck circle. A book that’s just as good when read aloud is a special book!

   1. Thanks George, I really enjoyed it. I sacrificed some gaming time for reading time and it was worth it. Plus I get a lot of reading done while sitting in front of NFL games. I’m going to be bummed come next weekend.

      Can’t wait to know what you think of The Emperor’s Soul.

7. January was great but over way too fast I loved the Dragonflight readalong and Vintage Sci Fi was a great chance to step a little more out of my comfort zone. I managed to read a few vintage sci fi and on top of that Wool which was absolutely fantastic and has taken on the robe of my most raved about book for the moment. I’m a bit like Gollum when it comes to a really good book. I love it and I hate it, precious. I love that it’s so good and I hate it because it ends and then leaves me with that horrible bleh feeling where you can’t find another good book to replace it and end up picking up and reading the first 50 pages of 4 different books!
   Still it’s all good.
   Thanks
   Lynn 😀

   1. The Dragonflight read a long was a lot of fun. As usually happens I got even more out of it than I would have reading it alone as I was exposed to angles I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

      Wool is amazing and I completely identify with how you feel. Sometimes a book is so good that it unfairly taints everything after it for awhile.

8. holy cow did January fly by! I got a lot done, but every day i felt like I could have used another 8 hours (6 of which would have been used for reading!)

   Next year: Same Vintage time, same Vintage non-challenge channel?

   you betcha!

   and thank you for the thoughtful and beautifully written guest post, it broke some records on my blog!

   1. It was such a pleasure, thank you. Glad to know we’ll be back with vintage SF come January 2014. And, like you I suspect, I will be reading much more vintage sf during the rest of 2013.

9. well you far outdid me! lol.. but you know I so enjoyed you reading Dragonriders of Pern and reading all the comments and such!

   I only read 5 books but my page count was over 2300! So I don’t feel bad at all! Did my Jan post too..even though I really don’t do them every month lol: http://herethereandeverywhere2ndedition.blogspot.com/

   I hope each month all year long is as enjoyable for ya!!!!

   1. I will check it out! I don’t often do monthly wrap ups either but I wish I did. Its nice to look back in these bite-sized chunks.

      You read some chunksters if your page count was that high!!!

10. I only managed to read five books in January, only one of them SF, Apollo’s Outcasts. The others were two non-fiction and two mysteries. Part of the reason for the low count in my working my way through several huge short story collections, including Harry Harrison’s 50 in 50.

    1. I’m so glad you enjoyed Apollo’s Outcasts so much. I’ll be curious when your done about your thoughts on Harrison’s anthology. I’m not sure I’ve read any of his edited works but I do own one or two shorter ones.

11. I didn’t read quite as much as I’d hoped in January – my goal is 8 books a month – though I had a crisis in the middle of it, and the fever virus that is sweeping Ottawa seemed to live here for weeks of it. So I’m happy I read what I did! You had an awesome month, Carl. Both reading experiences are so much fun, and I am happy I got to participate in Vintage reads for the first time. Thank you!

    1. Sorry that you got hit by the bug! That virus (or many versions of it) seem to be sweeping over everywhere. It has been a ridiculous winter thus far. Hope you are on the mend.

       I’m glad you participated in the Vintage month with us, Andrea does a really nice job with it.

12. Besides getting the flu, January wasn’t so bad. A little of this and that. Not a bad reading month–now I need to find time to write the reviews. Here’s to a great February! And then spring–can you believe it?

    1. Very sorry you spent part of the month with the flu. You weren’t alone in your misery, from what I’ve seen and heard, but that is little to no comfort. 🙂

       I hope February is much better in the health department for everyone. And it is crazy that spring is almost here. We are having temps in the upper 40’s and low 50’s this week and with the sunshine today and lack of wind it feels positively spring-like.

13. Thank you for hosting the Dragonflight read along. I had so much fun. Also The Scifi Experience has been great – I enjoy seeing all the other reviews in the genre and the whole blog community experience.

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