So, January is finally over. The longest month of the year, so it’s no wonder that I managed to get so many books finished. The first month of 2020 turned out to be an unexpected audiobook month. I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind for reading physical books and I knew that trying to force myself would cause a slump. And nobody wants to start a new reading year in a slump. I probably wouldn’t have got out of it until at least March. As it turned out, I managed to get through 8 books in total this month. If you haven’t read my January reading wrap-up yet then check it out. As it’s a new month, I’m weaning myself back onto physical books again. I’m also madly trying to get as many Oscar films watched before the ceremony, so this week might not be very pro-reading. A slow start is probably a good thing though.

Weekly Blog Posts

• BOOK REVIEW – Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

How often do you revisit books you’ve already read? I normally don’t let myself reread too many books because of my TBR tower but my audiobook month was a great excuse to go back to some old ones. Starting with this beloved dystopian novel. It’s been a while since I read this and, in the past few years, my opinion on Ray Bradbury has shifted. He’s said some really unsettling things and just seems like a massive Boomer. So, I decided to find out if I’d also changed my view on one of his most famous books. Read my review to find out if it was as good as I remembered.

• TUESDAY REVIEW – Little Women (2019)

Another on my Best Picture nominations checklist and one that I was pretty excited about. Although I’ll be honest, Little Women was never a favourite book of mine but Greta Gerwig is. I was excited to see what she’d do with the source text. Plus, you know, women. They’re pretty awesome. Go check out my review to see if this film was everything people are saying it is.

• BOOK REVIEW – The Monk by Matthew Lewis

I don’t think I’ve ever been able to answer the “favourite book” question. It’s a stupid one because the idea of picking a single text from centuries of literary history is mental. But, if I was absolutely forced to pick one, I’d probably go for The Monk. It’s such a fun and insane story. A perfect gothic novel and a great political and social work. All written by a man of 19 who later went on to become an MP. This book was quite the scandal and I adore it. Go and my review to hear me rave about it.

• T.HROWBACK THURSDAY – Pride and Prejudice (2005)

This week marked the 207th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen’s most popular novel. I know that 207 isn’t really a meaningful date but I have a literary calendar that lets me know these things. As I’d already watched a literary adaption this week, it seemed only right that I review an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Of course, traditional film adaptations are fairly thin on the ground so I went with Joe Wright’s most recent effort. It’s not for everyone but Matthew MacFayden is incredibly handsome. So, that’s something. If you’re also feeling a bit nostalgic then head over to my review.

• FRIDAY FAVOURITES – Romantic Era female writers who aren’t Jane Austen

There’s a ridiculous trend in some circles that sees Jane Austen viewed as being the most important female writer of all time. In fact, I’ve seen people mistakenly describe her as the first woman to write novels. I’ve even seen one article say she wasn’t the first because Mary Wollstonecraft was writing before her. If you could see me right now, you’d be seeing the world’s biggest eye-roll. I know Jane Austen heads are very proud of her but are we straight up erasing the likes of Aphra Behn from history now? And I’ve often argued with friends about it too. Austen wasn’t the only female writer of note in that period. She’s just the only one who was middle of the road enough to have her books sold all the time. So, I decided to gather a few of my favourites together. Head over to my post to see them.

• BOOKISH POST – January Reading Wrap-Up

I feel as though January was a pretty mixed bag. I’ve had a few sensational reads and some very disappointing ones. I’ve gone back to old favourites and finally listened to audiobooks I’ve had for years. Whatever happened, I feel as though I accomplished a lot. I doubt I’m not sure I’ll be able to match this count every month but I’ll try my hardest. One book and one audiobook a week might mean we average out I guess. Anyway, I’m getting distracted. Head over to my reading wrap-up to see how my month turned out.

Just Finished

• The Monk by Matthew Lewis

I’d forgotten how long this book it. It’s an enjoyably long book but it took a few days of work to get through it. The narrator wasn’t that bad but I didn’t appreciate his female voices. They were a bit too twee for my liking but that’s a common thing I guess.

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I finished this just before the end of the month. I’ve been reading at work and the last few days involved a lot of writing. I can do a lot of things whilst listening to books but I can’t write. I always end up copying the narrator. Which, when writing for a sportswear company, definitely isn’t the right way to go!

Currently Reading

• Choose Your Own Apocalypse by Rob Sears

Have I mentioned how much I love choose your own adventure stories? They’re amazing. I had a Goosebumps one as a kid and I loved it. This is a comedy book from the guy who wrote The Poetry of Donald Trump. It’s silly but just what I need right now.

• On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

This is it. This is the month that I finish this gorgeous book. I’m ready for it.

Recently Purchased

I think I’ve been okay this week. Although, I realised that I never include my audiobook buys. I’ve spent my two credits on the recent buy 1 get 1 free sale. A couple of classics and a couple of modern books. We’ll see how they go.

Recently Watched

• TV:
  • Lucifer – Season 4 is finished. It was good but felt a bit rushed maybe? And there seemed to be some continuity and characterisation issues. That might just be me though.
  • Next in Fashion – I bloody love a reality competition show. Project Runway is amazing and I was interested to see how the new Netflix version would compare. I find Tan France really annoying but love Alexa Chung. It’s not the best show ever but it’s distracting enough.
• Films
  • Oscar films. I think next week is going to be my pre-Oscar week. I’ve watched a lot of nominated films last month and need to get on top of my reviews. If I don’t do it next week then I’m always going to be ahead. We’ll see if I can keep up.