February Progress Report

It was a fairly successful month. I read 18 books in February.  I finished 3 series and made substantial dents in 4 more. It's hard to speak in terms of favorites when confronted with a batch of books that are part of a larger arc. So let me say this instead: the most beautiful book I read was Ragnarok by A.S. Byatt, the series that made me feel the happiest was "The Underland Chronicle," and the only time I've ever read a book that was just an alternate ending for one I'd previously read was Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen.

It was a fun month. Next month is a new list, although there will be several books carried over from previous lists.

A. The Ranger's Apprentice:
     1. The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan (B)
     2. The Icebound Land by John Flanagan (B)
     3. Oakleaf Bearers/Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan (B)
     4. The Sorcerer in the North by John Flanagan (B)
     5. The Siege of Mackindaw by John Flanagan (B)
     6. Erak's Ransom by John Flanagan (B)
     7. The Kings of Clonmel by John Flanagan (B)
     8. Halt's Peril by John Flanagan (B)
     9. The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan (B)
     10. The Lost Stories by John Flanagan (B)
     11. The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan (B)
B. The Ender Quintet:
     12. Speaker For the Dead by Orson Scott Card (B)
     13. Xenocide by Orson Scott Card (B)
     14. Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card (B)
     15. Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card
C. The New York Trilogy:
     16. City of Glass by Paul Auster
     17. Ghosts by Paul Auster
     18. The Locked Room by Paul Auster
D. The Brian's Saga Series:
     19. The River by Gary Paulsen (B)
     20. Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen (B)
     21. Brian's Return by Gary Paulsen
     22. Brian's Hunt by Gary Paulsen
E. The Underland Chronicles:
     23. The Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins (B)
     24. The Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins (B)
     25. The Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins (B)
     26. The Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins (B)
F. Odd Thomas:
     27. Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
     28. Brother Odd by Dean Koontz
     29. Odd Hours by Dean Koontz
     30. Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz
     31. Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz
     32. Saint Odd by Dean Koontz
G. Barsoom Series
     33. The Gods of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (B)
     34. The Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (B)
     35. Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (B)
     36. The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (B)
     There are more of these actually, but this is what I have on hand.
H. The Giver Quartet
     37. Son by Lois Lowry
I. The Rats of NIMH
     38. Racso and the Rats of NIMH by Jane Leslie Conly
     39. R-T, Margaret and the Rats of NIMH by Jane Leslie Conly
J. Quantum Gravity
     40. Book One: Keeping it Real by Justina Robson (B)
     41. Book Two: Selling Out by Justina Robson (B)
     42. Book Three: Going Under by Justina Robson (B)
     43. Book Four: Chasing the Dragon by Justina Robson (B)
K. Canongate Myth Series
     44. Binu and The Great Wall: The Myth of Meng by Su Tong
     45. The Helmet of Horror: The Myth of Theseus and the Minotaur by Victor Pelevin
     46. Lion's Honey: the Myth of Samson by David Grossman
     47. The Hurricane Party by Klas Ostergren
     48. Where Three Roads Meet by Salley Vickers
     49. Orphans of Eldorado by Milton Hatoum
     50. The Fire Gospel by Michel Faber
     51. The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino
     52. The Song of King Gesar by Alai
     53. The Good Man Jesus and Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman
     54. Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by A.S. Byatt
     55. Baba Yaga Laid an Egg by Dubravka Ugresic
56. Thinking Through Genre: Units of Study in Reading and Writing Workshops 4-12 by Heather Lattimer (B)
57. Writing About Reading: From Book Talk to Literary Essays, Grades 3-8 by Janet Angelillo (B)
58. Inside Writing: How to Teach the Details of Craft by Donald H. Graves and Penny Kittle(B)
59. Deeper Reading by Kelly Gallagher
60. Proust and the Squid by Maryanne Wolf