Books Read in January

Winter reflections

January was a good reading month for me and a great start to the new year! Here are the books I finished in January:

• Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center (MA) - adult fiction on audio
• Running on Red Dog Road by Drema Hall Berkheimer (WV) - memoir
• Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday (NY, Iraq) - adult fiction

• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (Sweden) - adult fiction on audio
• Recursion by Blake Crouch (NY) - adult fiction
• Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk (Poland) - adult fiction

I read six books totals, which is about average for me. All six were adult books last month--no middle-grade or YA. I listened to two of them on audio, and one book was nonfiction, while the rest were all fiction (again, about average for me!). They took place in a wide variety of locations, so I got a good start on my reading challenges (see below). I focused in January on books on my shelves or that I've been meaning to read for a while (in addition to two book group choices), so I enjoyed all of these. It's hard to choose a favorite some I liked them all and they were all very different, but I think Asymmetry grabbed me the most.

Progress in 2020 Reading Challenges:
You can see all of the reading challenges I am participating in and full lists of the books read for each at the link above. I have some fun ones going this year! Here's how January stacked up:

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2020 - Interestingly, I only read 2 books from my own shelves since some of my "TBRs" last month were audios (which I am allowed to count, but I usually just focus on physical books taking up space on our shelves!).

2020 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge - January was Winter Wonderland, so Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk fits. I wouldn't exactly call the setting wonderful or magical, but it was very wintry and snowy, with some fairy tale overtones.

Back to the Classics 2020 - no classics in January, but I am determined to do better than last year!

PopSugar Reading Challenge - this is a unique one! I fit all six of my books into categories last month:

1. Book recommended by favorite podcast: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
2. Book that passes the Bechdel test: Running on Red Dog Road by Drema Hall Berkheimer
3. Book with the same title as a movie but unrelated: Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday
4. Book I meant to read in 2019: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
5. Medical thriller: Recursion by Blake Crouch
6. Book with a main character in her 20's: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center 

2020 Nonfiction Reader's Challenge - Running on Red Dog Road by Drema Hall Berkheimer fit the memoir category.

2020 Diversity Reading Challenge - I read three diverse books last months. The January category was diverse folktales/culture/mythology; or diverse retelling; or non-western setting and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk fit.

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge - I read books set in Iraq, Poland, and Sweden last month - quite a world tour!

2020 Literary Escapes Challenge - I read books set in three states: New York, Massachusetts, and West Virginia (a rare one!)

And finally, Bookish Bingo hosted by Chapter Break - not really a challenge per se, but a fun game that I play each month! Stop by to print out this month's Bingo card and play along. In January, I filled 20 spaces on my bingo card:

Spaces Filled:

Things You Save in a Fire - free book, achievement, quest
Running on Red Dog Road - family, read an e-book, antiques, historic
Asymmetry - shelf love, read a physical book, not in a series
A Man Called Ove - meant to read in 2019, audio book
Recursion - ulterior motive, repercussions, favorite author
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead - library book, diet, cold weather
Free Space

What was your favorite book read in January?