Monthly Roundup - April 2010

April is over and time to look back and reflect on the month. With Easter followed by school holidays it meant the joy of grandchildren visiting and lots of social activity in my real life and less time available to socialise in the blogging world.

Last weekend I did my only Blog Hop for the month which I really enjoyed . Thanks to all who hopped by here and commented and a big welcome to my new followers. Normally I would have reviewed the hop in my Sunday post but I didn't get that done so this Sunday I will share some of the lovely new bloggers I've found. I've decided I'm only going to do the hop once a month .........I can't cope with once a week and I like to spend time getting to know the new faces on my google reader.

So........on to the stats!
Books Read in April = 16

Nana by Emile Zola
Relics of the Dead by Ariana Franklin
Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier
Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman
The Italian Woman by Jean Plaidy
The Moon Spun Round by Elinor Gill
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
My Lady Judge by Cora Harrison
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The House of a Thousand Lanterns by Victoria Holt
The Shifting Fog by Kate Morton
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Columbine by Dave Cullen
Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother

Still a few reviews to do from that list............

Books I Gave Up On.

Nine Dragons by Michael Connolly..........not Mr Connolly's fault . This is the third time in the last few weeks I 've given up on a suspense thriller by one of my once favourite authors. I seem to have lost interest in this genre so for the next while I'll be giving them a miss.
Black Hills by Dan Simmons
A Long Song by Andrea Levy......................I simply could not get into either of these and reading time is too precious to waste so they went back to the library unread.........maybe another time.
The Telling by Jo Baker.......nothing wrong with this book but I'd read it before.........a different cover fooled me.

Naughty me! I joined up for two new challenges when I'm already in overload but why not! These are ones I'm really interested in whereas some of my earlier ones were the result of a new book blogger's over enrhusiasm. Six months on I'm discovering which of them I really enjoy .........those that provide a challenge beyond just reading a book and those that lead me into new reading territory I like the best.

World Party Reading Challenge: 12 months, 12 countries, 12 books. Each month we will read one (or more, if you’d like) book either set in, or written by an author from, the featured country.
April's country was France and I read Nana by Emile Zola and Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay.
The challenge only started at the beginning of April so plenty of time to still join in........and the Mister Linky's for each month will stay open for latecomers.

Daphne du Maurier Reading Challenge:  from May 13, 2010- April 19, 2011.

Classics Circuit theme this month was Paris in the Spring featuring Emile Zola and Alexandre Dumas. I read Nana by Emile Zola but didn't participate in the Dumas as it hit the holidays and I knew I wouldn't have time.

So as I said it would be athe end of March this month the focus has been on "reading and reviewing when I have the time". Visiting and commenting has suffered but with winter coming on life will be quieter and I'll be able to do more.
And to end on a high note............I have just this minute received an award

A Big Thank You to

Becki at Confessions of a Bibliophile

Sarah at Loving Books

It's a timely reminder that I have a couple more of these I haven't passed on yet - bad blogger!

I shall combine it my Sunday post.

Bring on May!