January Roundup

The engraving on your left is called The Eve of St Agnes by John Everett Millais from 1857. This was made popular by Keat's poem of the same name, about an old tradition where young girls could see a vision of their future husbands by a process of divination on this evening only, the 20th January. It seemed an apt start to my first monthly roundup.

Read - 1 and a half books

Completed - The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Currently - I am reading Three Jacobean Witchcraft Plays, my BookCrossing find and trying to organise a staff bookswap in work.

TBR pile - now at 48 books (none added this month)

Challenges - completed #7 of the mini challenges 2009 and I am also up to page 83 of 1000 (on target) of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clark, a personal challenge to read 3 pages a day to finish it within a year.

Discoveries - RobAroundBooks... a great blog that I came across while trawling one afternoon.

Wishlist additions -

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

The Fiction Class by Susan Breen

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson

Who has seen the wind by W O Mitchell

The Sparrow by Maria Dona Russell

Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

Unseen by Mari Jungstedt

Events - seeing the wonderful Propeller doing Midsummer Nights Dream and Merchant of Venice at the Liverpool Playhouse...absolutely brilliant. They are currently touring the UK, and also internationally, and you can see the tour dates by clicking here. Highly recommended for all Shakespeare fans but also those who fancy giving Shakespeare a go but have not got round to it.

Re-visited - James Dean in East of Eden, the 1955 film. I ordered it from LoveFilm because it was a long time since I had seen it and I wanted to compare it to the John Steinbeck novel that I read last year. The novel is quite an epic story and the film pretty well uses the last 80 pages or so. Its still a great movie and any excuse to watch James Dean I say!

I can't believe that we are in February already but Spring is on its way in Liverpool and there is lots to look forward to...