1 Book a Month / January

I'm talking a lot lately about the goals I set for myself this year, as January now comes to a close, and I am finding it hard to believe that it has already been a month since I really organized those goals and started making them concrete. I am happy with my progress so far on all of them! And I am even more happy with the fact that I made them in the first place. One of those goals was bringing myself to read at least one book a month all year long. It seems small, and it is. I am the type of person who tends to hold onto a book for as long as possible, and as much as I want to break this habit so I can start to make real progress on my mile long to-read list, I don't want wear myself out. I enjoy taking my time with stories. I prefer to give myself a few days of refresh to mull things over and think back on the book as a whole before I move onto something else. I immerse myself entirely into what I read, obsessing about it even (especially) when it is over, so I find this step important to my reading. I know some people enjoy pouring through book after book after book, but this is what works for me.

That is where my idea for this post series came from. It is purely for my benefit, as it will allow me a concrete place to organize my ideas and feelings concerning a story before discarding it for the next. While I may very well read more than one book a month, I want a space to remember my favorites and share a bit of review, too. Although this month, I will be skipping this step. Last week, I finally brought myself to finishing the 5th novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin, A Dance with Dragons. I had been reading this novel since November (I know, ridiculous), limiting myself to two chapters a night because I didn't want to finish. I also took a small break from it during the holidays, as I didn't have the energy to keep up with everything going on in it.

A Song of Ice and Fire is a very involved and complicated series, with many story lines and countless characters. The 4th and 5th books were split between two sets of these characters but over the same timeline. So, starting this book was a bit like going back in time in the story and getting different perspectives (and many new stories and a few new characters). About 3/4 of the way through, Martin begins to bring all the characters back in. A bit exhausting to keep up with, but well worth it. Writing a review here, though, I don't know where I would begin; especially because this is a series. I also do not want to give away any spoilers to my readers who may be interested in this series or who are reading it already but are not yet to where I am. Just know I am happy to be finished with it (finally), despite the fact that I had been putting it off because the next novel The Winds of Winter still isn't out. And know that it was so so so so good. Ugh. I only got mad at George for killing people a few times.

What are you reading lately? Any recommendations?
I've already started, and am liking, Ancillary Justice.
xx Emorie