What Are You Reading? October 2011

I know, I know! I'm a few days late. It's just... I can't believe it's October already. Weather-wise, sure I can believe it because it's been cold but October is far too close to winter for my liking. On the plus side, it also means curling up beside the fireplace (which, if we remember to call the chimney people we might actually be able to light this year) with a good book and a warm drink. But which books will I be curling up with? Truthfully there will probably be very little curling up this month. I've got two trips planned and a bunch of appointments. October is GO, GO, GO month. This almost means that my reading plans are probably overly ambitious. But that's fun, right?

First up are the BlogHer Book Club books -- Margaret Dilloway's How to be an American Housewife, Julie Klam's Love at First Bark and the early November choice, Stella Duffy's Theodora. Great selections, right? These need to get read, no matter what. No ifs or buts about it.

Then there are the library books, which right now are leaning in the YA/Middle Grade direction. I'll rip through Tom Angleberger's Darth Paper Strikes Back pretty quickly. Then I'll have to hop into Jonathan Auxier's Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes It's entirely possible that I picked it up because of the cover. Also, my friend Cat thought it fabulous. If I can I'm also going to try to squeeze in Rick Yancey's The Monstrumologist because I'm pleases that his publisher didn't let the series end unfinished and will release a fourth book. I should at least read the first one and it seems like the right kind of book to read leading into Halloween, don't you think?

October is Canadian Women's History Month. I know Americans celebrate women's history in March but we do it in October because that's when it was declared that Canadian women are people under law. Thank you Famous Five! This year's theme is women in the military. I have a few books on the topic and I'm trying to decide which one I want to read this month. I think I'm leaning toward Lois MacDonald Cooper's Wartime Letters Home. If it was good enough to gift to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge I figure it must be a winner. Plus I bought in the House of Commons gift shop a few years ago and it just seems appropriate.

I'm hoping to somehow also sneak in Lynne Olson's Citizens of London: How Britain was Rescued in Its Darkest, Finest Hour. I've wanted it since it came out in paperback and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm just not sure I can cram it in this month. Though I do have all that time on the train and and an airplane so maybe... I'm thinking I could just slip in my bag and pretend that the train doesn't have wifi and therefore I can't work. That way I get at least four hours of reading time...

There is one book I just simply WANT to read. I've had an advanced copy of Ami McKay's The Virgin Cure for a month and I am determined to read it before its Canadian release date in late October. (Don't worry! It's coming out in the US in February!) I've been a fan of Ami's since I heard her interviewed on the radio years ago and have been lucky enough to get to know her a little bit. I've been waiting for five years for this book and I'm going to thoroughly enjoy it.

There you have it. My overly ambitious reading list for a crazy October.

What's in your reading pile this month?

BlogHer Book Club Host Karen Ballum also blogs at Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.