Friday 30 December 2011

December 2011 Wrap-Up

For once, I've been true to my word - December has been a very messy month, with a few new books scattered amongst a bit of rereading and reviewing.  In truth, I've just been sorting out odds and ends before starting up again in the New Year (when I will begin my fourth year of blogging!).

2011 has been a fairly good year, despite a couple of lulls in the middle.  Over the past four months, I've been getting more visits and page views than ever, the numbers steadily increasing each month.  Obviously, I'm doing something right (or I'm checking out my blog myself in my sleep...).  Thanks to all who regularly visit and comment :)

I'll be doing my traditional yearly awards at the start of January, so I won't be doing any big retrospective today.  However, I will (as usual) be giving you the low down on what happened this month - one last time...

*****
Total Books Read: 6
Year-to-date: 123

New: 4
Rereads: 2

From the Shelves: 3
From the Library: 2
On the Kindle: 1

Novels: 5
Novellas: 0
Short Stories: 1

Non-English Language: 4 (2 Japanese, 1 Spanish, 1 Swedish)
3) 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (Book One, Book Two, Book Three)

Reread and reviewed this month:

Reviewed (but not read) this month:
Indelible Ink by Fiona McGregor

Murakami Challenge: 1! (4/3)
Aussie Author Challenge: 1 (20/12)
Victorian Literature Challenge: 1 (32/15)
Japanese Literature Challenge 5: 2 (8/1)

Tony's Recommendation for December is: Haruki Murakami's 1Q84

Just six books to choose from, and for a Murakamiphile like me, it was really an easy decision.  Yes, 1Q84 is flawed (and I will be debating the pros and cons of the book more in the New Year), but it's still a fascinating book, and one which all fans of the Japanese maestro should read.  You're not a fan?  Well, that's a different story...

Drop by again in a few days then, to see my look back at 2011, including a few interesting numbers and my choices for both Turkey of the Year (self-explanatory, surely!) and Book of the Year - don't miss it ;)