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I started the new year trying to catch up on the best of 2017’s novellas in preparation for the Subjective Chaos nominations, as well as signed for multiple read-alongs that I didn’t want to miss (although I ended up pulling out of Dune in the end: one commitment too many). Add in some more globetrotting, and I could do with a sit down, frankly. But I’ve got a lot read!

Reading Round-up 

There’ve been a lot of novellas and read-alongs this month. I have no regrets.

• The Boy on the Bridge – M R Carey      
• The Book of Three – Lloyd Alexander     
• The Black Cauldron – Lloyd Alexander      
• Persepolis Rising – James S A Corey      
  • Read-along: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 |
• Bite-size Books:
  • All Systems Red – Martha Wells    
  • River of Teeth – Sarah Gailey     
  • A Long Day in Lychford – Paul Cornell     
  • The Black Tides of Heaven – J Y Yang     
  • Binti: Home – Nnedi Okorafor    
  • The Murders of Molly Southbourne – Tade Thompson     

There were also 2 DNFs this month – Jasmine Gower’s Moonshine and RJ Barker’s Age of Assassins. Sadly, I found Moonshine lacking in craft, with plodding prose and more concept than plot or character. Age of Assassins was better written, but couldn’t make me care about the fairly generic characters or their too-familiar situation. I may just dislike assassin books – I was bored by Robin Hobb’s trilogy too.

Review Round-up

• Bitesize Books: Prime Meridian – Silvia Moreno-Garcia      
• Gnomon – Nick Harkaway       
• The Ninth Rain – Jen Williams      
• Under the Pendulum Sun – Jeannette Ng      

Stacking the shelves

After last month’s blow-out, I tried to limit my acquisitions this month. No, I didn’t succeed. Yes, go on, laugh.

Reading statistics

My goal – as always – is to read diversely and to love every book. I’ve put no targets on my reading this year beyond a number of books, but I’m tracking some stats for my own interest. Having torn my hair out over classifying River of Teeth and Molly Southbourne, I’ve quit the idea of tracking sub-genres before I’ve even begun!

• 10 / 75 books or novellas + 2 DNFs
• 6 male (60%) / 2 female (20%) / 2 trans, non-binary or genderfluid (20%)
• 3 (30%) – by authors of colour
• 2 (20%) – by LGBTQIA authors
• 1 ARCs / 1 off the shelf (it doesn’t count if I bought them to read them straight away)
• Game of Books score: 47 / 400

Other Challenges

A Comment A Day

I focused on the 365 Comments challenge this month. In keeping track of how much I comment, I’ve discovered I’m not as bad as I thought! I tend to read and comment in batches rather than every day, but on average comment at least twice per day. I’ve commented on 28 different blogs in January, but mostly people I already know. In February I will make an effort to (also) comment away from my familiar bit of the blogosphere 🙂

Subjective Chaos Kind of Awards

I’ll be back mid-February with an update on how we’re getting on – currently, there’s some initial chat and a whole lot of reading going on!

That There Secret Fantasy Event 

WATCH THIS SPACE! Lisa, Jorie and I have been plotting away – expect more details on what’s going on and how to get involved this time next week!