Kat with a K

Joining the Winter Reading Challenge

Yes, I'm joining the From the Stacks Winter Reading Challenge. Who am I to pass up a good challenge just because I already have too much to do? Don't tell me you're surprised.

Now, I probably have hundreds of unread books in my house, so choosing five threatened to become a monumental task. I considered some sort of rules, or a system. (Again, don't tell me you're surprised.) Maybe a theme (all classics? History?), or the opposite - five from different genres. Did they have to be a certain length? Did I have to have owned them for a certain amount of time? etc. Eventually, though, I convinced myself to chill out and just picked. These are five books I've been wanting to read for a while that are particularly calling to me at the moment, for whatever reason.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Seriously, I'm into colonial history, and witch trial stuff, and the history of religion, and I like Hawthorne, and why haven't I read this?? So I will. Also, my little brother has read it, because he's now in the part of school I never did (junior/senior years of high school), so it feels doubly ridiculous that I haven't.

The Weaker Vessel: Woman's Lot in 17th Century England by Antonia Fraser - I picked this up at a used bookstore a few years ago, but just haven't gotten to it yet. I like Fraser, and women's history, and I'm in the mood for 17th century England.

A Fountain Filled With Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming - I adored Spencer-Fleming's debut, and I got this, the second book in the series, as an ARC before it was even released. Well. The fifth in the series was just released, and I still haven't read the second. It's about time.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith - Another classic I've been meaning to read forever. And I hate having to say "No, but I saw the movie..." when people ask me if I've read it.

Crowned in a Far Country: Portraits of Eight Royal Brides by HRH Princess Michael of Kent - When my aunt sold the home she had shared with my grandmother a few years ago, I wound up with lots of their books. This was one of the most exciting ones, but again, I just haven't managed to read it... but I guess that's the point of this challenge, huh?

I'm planning a sidebar overhaul over the weekend, so I'll get the button and the list of books over there then. I'm considering whether to rescind my one at a time rule for this challenge. Hmmm.