Monthly Review: January 2009 Part 1

This is Part 1 of a 2 part post about January 2009 on Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog. Part 2 will be focused on the Blog Improvement Challenge and my status on that front. Tune in tomorrow to read all about it!

I’m amazed at all the things I did this month. I certainly think this is the most amount of books I’ve read in a month (barring that one October where I read about 20 Doctor Who books)! It was really fun, too; I’m a lot more energized about blogging and reviewing books now than when I first started blogging and I think it’s paid off. Thank you to everyone who commented and visited Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog! You all make me want to continue blogging and improving. Here’s to another great month!

Reading Stats
I read 17 books and 16.
4 of them were audiobooks.
1 was chick lit.
4 were mystery/detective.
9 were YA/teen.
3 had a pair of twins in them (and two sets were twins with psychic powers).
10 books were written by authors new to me.
0 of them were rereads!
9 were books from my TBR pile.
1 was an ARC.

I read 4883 pages and listened to 35 hours.
I hated 2 books but absolutely loved 4.
I checked one book out from the library (but haven’t read it yet).

Reading Challenges Status Updates
666 Horror/Paranormal Book Challenge: 4/36 (I think)
2009 Pub Challenge: 1/9
Baker Street Challenge: 0/7
Read Your Own Books Challenge: 6/25
Support Your Local Library Challenge: 0/25

Under the jump is links and lists of various posts, er, posted during January.

Books Reviewed (Alphabetically):
Crooked Little Vein – Warren Ellis [rating: 3.75/5]
Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier [rating: 2/5]
Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour – Scott Westerfeld [rating: 4/5]
N or M? by Agatha Christie [rating: 3.5/5]
Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie [rating: 3.5/5]
The Princetta – Anne-Laure Bondoux [rating: 4.5/5]
School for Scumbags – Danny King [rating: 4/5]
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie [rating: 4.5/5]
The Serial Killers Club – Jeff Povey [rating: 4.5/5]
The Stars’ Tennis Balls by Stephen Fry [rating: 5/5]
Stoneheart – Charlie Fletcher [rating: 4.5/5]
The Strange Case of Mortimer Fenley by Louis Tracy [rating: 3.5/5]
Super in the City by Daphne Uviller [rating: 3.5/5]
Triskellion by Will Peterson [rating: 4/5]
Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean – Justin Somper [rating: 3.5/5]
Westminster Abby – Micol Ostow [rating: 1.5/5]

(A complete listing of books read throughout the year can be found here.)

eBook Wednesdays
January 7: Electronic textbooks could feasibly rock
January 14: Viva la free ebooks!
January 21: Electronic ARCs: yay or nay?
January 28: Interactive ebooks make reading more fun

Part 2 will be up tomorrow!