January came and with it my high expectations. The year before had not been the easiest, after all. I was eager to get January off on the right footing. I filled my head with positive thoughts and jumped in with both feet. I may not have gotten in as much reading as I hoped, but I was lucky enough to start the year off with a bang book wise.A few people expressed an interest in seeing the return of my end of the month travel report, and so I decided now was as good a time as any. Nan from Letters from a Hill Farm even posted a colorful map to go along with her travel report, which I think is a wonderful idea.
My travels this past month took me all over the world, from the United States, the Middle East, Germany, parts of Eastern Europe, Great Britain, and India. I began the year in the tiny state of Rhode Island, tracing a possible sex ring operation involving underage girls, hoping to get a good news story while at the same time trying to save a life. I stepped into the shoes of a broken family, who desperately needed one another and yet kept pushing each other farther apart. I traveled back in time to pre-war Germany, when Hitler was just beginning to spread his influence and the world waited for his next move. I followed the story of a boy whose life was defined by his father and his father's spirit friends as the boy searched for his own answers and his own life. I rocked hard with a Philly all-girl band, suffered in love, and grew stronger as I came into my own.
As January comes to an end, you can still find me wandering the halls and grounds of Limmeridge House, trying to make sense of events, both past and present. And I mustn't forget the quick stopover in India where I currently am waiting in a jail cell; my only crime being that I had all the right answers.
February has already gotten off to a good start. It is the shortest month of the year, but it never fails to be a busy one. My desk is quite cluttered at the moment, books piled high. I will spend some time today going through them, planning out my reading for this next month all the while knowing mood and whim can take over at any moment. And that's perfectly okay. I am flexible. I look forward to seeing where February will take me.
What about you? Where did your books take you this past month? What kind of trouble did you get into?
Completed in January:
Teaser by Jan Brogan
Who By Fire by Diana Spechler
Zoo station by David Downing
Walking Through Walls by Philip Smith - review pending
Broad Street by Christine Weiser - review pending
Currently Reading:
The Lady in White by Wilkie Collins
Slumdog Millionaire (aka Q&A) by Vikas Swarup
Wow you have had a busy month already and you are saying you haven't read as much as you would like.
ReplyDeleteI like your travel report idea what a wonderful way to sum up a book.
I love reading these travel reports. I'm thinking of including something similar in my monthly roundups (with due linkage, of course)!
ReplyDeleteYour travel report is fun to read. Keep it up. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI love maps with books. They come in really handy in some of the best ones. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of a Travel Report! How fun! Since I only read four books in January, my travels were limited to Seattle, during the Japanese-American interment camps of WWII; Heaven by way of a real-life Texas pastor; Yorkshire England to the home of an eccentric novelist with tons of family secrets and to Georgia following three souhern women during eight years of their bumpy lives.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I linked your review of The Thirteenth Tale in my post today!
this is such a great idea!!! I read The Thirteenth Tale, and I loved it! :) Please keep up the travel report - i'll read it every time!
ReplyDeleteBookish Kitty - you've impressed me today! What a wonderfully creative way to deliver a summary of your reading month. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThat was an interesting post. I loved your musings!
ReplyDeleteJanuary was well...very productive
Caspette - I never feel like I get in enough reading. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I used to use that format with many of my online groups, but sometimes it would confuse people and so I gave it up. I was encouraged to post the travel report on my blog and thought it was worth trying again.
Lana - I have fun writing it, but sometimes I struggle with what to say. I'm sure most bloggers can relate to that. :-)
I'd love to see what you come up with if you do decide to do something similar!
Wisteria - Thank you!
Kristy - Yes, maps can be very handy in books. I often find myself going back to them as I read if the characters are doing any traveling.
Lisa - Thanks! It looks like you were all over the place. No "only" about it! Your descriptions make great teasers.
Thanks for linking my review, Lisa!
Rachel - Thank you! I really liked The Thirteenth Tale too.
Robert - Thank you so much! I am glad I decided to get back in the habit of writing my monthly summaries.
Gautami - Thanks!
These are fun - glad you are doing them again!
ReplyDeleteLove the travel report summary. =)
ReplyDeleteMy January started off in the future walking in the shoes of a young boy who is expected to save the world from destruction. Following the end of the war I traveled back to a more peaceful time in turn of the century Canada teaching on Prince Edward Island. From Canada I traveled to various times and places as soldiers recording poems during WWII. I then drove across the US searching for a long-lost friend and remember the things that made us hole and the events that drove us apart. Next I took a trip to Chicago to try and help prevent demons from arranging a book that is best forgotten from getting into the hands of the public. I then traveled to England and spent some time growing up and learning about what it means to be alive as I was raised by ghosts in a graveyard. When it came time to leave I traveled back in time to Victorian England where I got swept up in a plot to steal a girls fortune only to find that things weren't as I had been lead to believe. Traveling back to modern day New York City I spent the most amazing night of my life with my musical soul mate wandering around the city and learning so many truths about myself that I hadn't wanted to face before. Finally I spent some time in Arkansas hearing my life told by my friend and by my girlfriend. And for Feb? Who knows where this month will take me but I am looking forward to the journey
What a great way to sum up your reading month Wendy! I really enjoyed travelling with you on your reading adventures.
ReplyDeleteI loved the travel report! This month's reading took me to so many places. From New York to Alaska to Russia to Tierra del Fuego (all with Fables), from England to Japan to an alternate history America...and of course, to some fantasy worlds as well :)
ReplyDeleteSince I'm still pretty new to your blog, I didn't know enough to miss your travel reports. But now that you've brought them back, I hope you stick with them. You really get around! This post was so fun to read!!!
ReplyDeleteI love this idea!
ReplyDeleteI began the month on the coast of France. I then traveled to the planet Winter, zipped over to England for a wee bit, spent quite a while in New York, roamed the roads of post-apocalyptic America, had a brief stop-over in Valdemar, headed on back to New York for a little longer, soared among the stars for a while, stayed overnight in the crumbling castle of Gormenghast, headed on back to England, returned to New York yet again, and ended the month with a trip through the skies over the Pacificus Ocean.
As usual, you have a unique approach to the month-end reading wrap-up :-). I enjoyed seeing where you've been this month, Wendy! (And I hope you enjoyed your trip to the Pantages to see "Phantom" last night!)
ReplyDeleteThat's a fun summary, thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteLove the travel report! I traveled to the arctic more than once, to Great Britain, plague stricken Asia and Europe, Galileo's Italy, Los Alamos,and Freeville, N.Y. Great trip, if often harrowing.
ReplyDeleteI love the travel report! What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool idea! This was such an enjoyable post!
ReplyDeleteYou were just all over the map last month, I enjoyed following your travels.
ReplyDeleteI've in Limmeridge House right now also, trying to figure out who exactly what Woman in White is--but more disturbingly, is Laura going to go through with her marriage to Percival? It's slow going, but I'm enjoying the ride.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the month--I enjoyed reading your journey!
Lenore - It was fun writing it. I hope I can keep it up.
ReplyDeleteIrish - I want to follow in your footsteps! It sounds like you had a great reading month.
Dar - Thank you!
Nymeth - We sure get around, don't we? It reminds me of something Aunt Elinor said in Inkheart, about all the places she's been--all while sitting in her library.
Debi - You didn't miss much. I had only posted a few before deciding to give up the monthly wrap ups all together. I am glad you like it!
Memory - Ooo! You even left the planet! You win for traveling the farthest.
Florinda - You're one of the people who convinced me I should give this format a try again.
The Phantom of the Opera was wonderful. I'll be posting a little about it tomorrow along with my Monday's Movie post.
Laura - I enjoyed writing it. :-)
Jenclair - I bet the arctic was very cold. Brr! It sounds like you had quite a few adventures too!
Yvonne and Linda - Thank you! It's fun to put together.
Carrie K - I like to get around. :-)
Trish - Thanks! You're getting closer to where I am in The Woman in White. :-) You may pass me up yet!
Just so you know I tagged you for the Your Blog Is Fabulous Award. Hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteThis was great! I loved seeing where your reading has taken you. Thanks for doing this and I hope that February is filled with travels across the world for you :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea- a travel report!! Hmmm. I may have to steal it, LOL.
ReplyDeleteI found my way to your lovely site by way of Books on the Brain. I absolutely LOVE this idea and think I might try a monthly travel review in February, if you don't mind.
ReplyDeleteCaspette - Thank you so much, Caspette! I think your blog is fabulous too. :-)
ReplyDeleteSamantha - I've been spending a lot of time in India this week. Thank goodness I got out of the jail cell. ;-)
LisaMM - Feel free to follow suit if you'd like. :-)
Molly - Thank you so much for stopping in, Molly. I don't mind at all if you want to use the idea.