It’s round up time!

January…

• Saw in the New Year in Southampton, got nicely drunk, got back to the Nag’s about 3am for a couple of drinks and some merriment. I was so tired by that time we didn’t last long.
• Manager at work went bye bye. Everything went crazy.
• Went to the Green Hero meeting in Poole. Fun! Got enthused about the environment again.
• Talked to many a folk about Reading situation, was reassured that they love and care about us. Everyone felt all positive and cheertastic.
• Field had a party and I got drunk and successfully traversed buses. Got home at a ridiculous hour, thanks to night buses.
• Had basically no money all January, then got paid and still had basically no money. Fantastic.
• Started doing web management for George. Odd.
• Had a blissful night in Poole listening to the sea whilst drunk.

Of course there was one other thing in January that has basically negated any good that happened:

Beth’s brother Jonny had an accident at his job mid-January and died. He was 18, a brilliant kid and his funeral was on the 31st. It was obviously tragic, and we’re all very sad but it was a very moving ceremony - the church was so full people had to stand outside.

Achievements:

• Didn’t freak out (much) about going alone to Poole. 
• Work is (now) more positive and Lush-like than it has felt in ages.
• Mike and I are still very happy. 

Books read:

• Vanishing Acts - Jodi Picoult
• The Walking Dead (book 2)
• The Color Purple - Alice Walker
• Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs (awful, awful book!)

Aimed for 50 new books read this year, definitely didn’t manage that, but let’s see where I did get to.

1. The Olivetti Chronicles - John Peel
2. Bad Science - Ben Goldacre
3. The Monster In The Box - Ruth Rendell
4. A Walk To Remember - Nicholas Sparks
5. House Rules - Jodi Picoult
6. So Much For That - Lionel Shriver
7. To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
8. Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life - Bryan Lee O’Malley
9. Of Love And Other Demons - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
10. Bringing It All Back Home - Ian Clayton
11. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - Bryan Lee O’Malley
12. Silent Scream - Karen Rose
13. Scott Pilgrim and The Infinite Sadness - Bryan Lee O’Malley
14. Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together - Bryan Lee O’Malley
15. Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe - Bryan Lee O’Malley
16. Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour - Bryan Lee O’Malley
17. Started Early, Took My Dog - Kate Atkinson
18. Reclaiming The F Word - Catherine Redfearne and Kristen Aune
19. Blueeyed Boy - Joanne Harris
20. Margrave Of The Marshes - John Peel
21. Game Of Thrones - George R R Martin
22. Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult
23. A Clash Of Kings - George R R Martin
24. A Tiny Bit Marvellous - Dawn French
25. The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat - Dr Oliver Sacks
26. A Storm Of Swords Pt 1 - George R R Martin
27. A Storm Of Swords Pt 2 - George R R Martin
28. A Feast For Crows - George R R Martin
29. The Equality Elusion - Kat Banyard
30. A Dance With Dragons - George R R Martin
31. The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye - Robert Kirkman
32. Preacher: Gone to Texas - Garth Ennis
33. Fevre Dream - George R R Martin

I’ve got a couple of books on the go at the moment but they aren’t anywhere near finished. I also just bought Mike the second Walking Dead book so I imagine I’ll delve into that in the next few days. Disappointing though, I really thought I could get 50.

I kept a list of books I read in 2010, because I was aiming for 100. HA! Not even close.

This year, I’m aiming for 50. But these are the books I read last year:

1. Indestructable - Cristy C Road
2. The Song Is You - Author Unknown
3. Female Chauvinist Pigs - Ariel Levy
4. Don’t Tell - Karen Rose
5. I Can See You - Karen Rose
6. Bad Habits - Cristy C Road
7. Still Suitable for Miners - Andrew Collins
8. Cunt: A declaration of independance - Inga Muscio
9. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Jane Austen
10. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (Re-read)
11. A Little Love Song - Michelle Magorian (Re-read)
12. Hellions: Pop Culture’s Rebel Women - Maria Raha
13. Full Frontal Feminism - Jessica Valenti
14. A Good Family - Lionel Shriver
15. Size 12 Isn’t Fat - Meg Cabot
16. Size 14 Isn’t Fat Either - Meg Cabot
17. Animal Farm - George Orwell
18. Princess Diaries 1
19. Princess Diaries 2
20. Princess Diaries 3
21. Princess Diaries 4 - All Meg Cabot, all re-reads.
22. Count to 10 - Karen Rose
23. You Can’t Hide - Karen Rose
24. Play Dead - Richard Montanari
25. The Secret House of Death - Ruth Rendell
26. Coastliners - Joanne Harris
27. Die for Me - Karen Rose
28. A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon
29. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood
30. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling (re-read)
31. On Beauty - Zadie Smith
32. Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams - Sylvia Plath

I’m also basically finished with Bad Science by Ben Goldacre, and The Olivetti Chronicles by John Peel. Bloody rubbish total though! I read some poetry and zines that I haven’t listed, but not even 50 books in a year is terrible.