Here’s what I read in January–a remarkably short list for me, but I blame that on the “fiction diet” I put myself on, to encourage me to work on my OWN book…

1. Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo (226 p.) Such an adorable book, really. After Harry Truman’s presidency was over, he and Bess took a road trip, driving cross-country. No Secret Service. No security. No entourage or motorcade. Just he and Bess and a bunch of road maps. How cool is that? Imagine how surprised the police officer who pulled him over for speeding was?

2. Abigail Adams by Woody Holton (412 p.) A new biography of Abigail Adams, and quite enjoyable, too.

3. Respect the Spindle by Abby Franquemont (135 p.) Great book on spinning.

4. Essential Guide to Color Knitting by Margaret Radcliffe (313 p.) Really great book on different ways to use color in your knitting. Seriously, one of the best references I think I’ve seen.

5. Reversible Knitting by Lynne Barr (192 p.) How can you beat a knitting book that not only has creative patterns, but 50 brand-new knitting stitches, all reversible?

6. Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert Bly (375 p.) Tips and rules on how to be a great copywriter

7. Script and Scribble by Kitty Burns Florey (186 p.) A book on handwriting, old styles, methods of writing, and how to improve your handwriting in general. Fun little book.

8. Dreadnaught by Robert Massie (908 p.) This monster of a history book has been on my shelf for years, and I finally got around to reading it, and am glad I did. A look at the events that led up to WWI (with an emphasis on the navy), focusing on each of the people involved. Love that.

9. Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (313 p.) Based on her blog, Orangette, a book of stories and recipes about her life.

10. Under Enemy Colors by S. Thomas Russell (491 p.) One of my favorite fantasy authors (Sean Russell) writing under a different name, this is a story about events on a British navy ship during the Napoleonic wars. It was enjoyable, but a little too heavy on sailing details for my taste. Good, but … I wish he’d go back to writing books about Farrland.

11. The Spirit Lens by Carol Berg (464 p.) A new book by a fantasy author I usually enjoy, but, I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the right mood, or what, but this one didn’t quite do it for me.

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading // Comments Off