It's February, which means I would usually write a post about the books I read in January, but since this is a new year, I wanted to try something different. And by something different, I mean I'm going to try Elkit's approach and dedicate one post per book. I'm also tossing the 0-10 rating system since last year's rater would either score the books erratically or outsource the job to a ferret.

Like last year, I intend to read at least 52 books in 52 weeks. As part of this year's challenge, I want at least two of those books to be poem collections. I already have one by Walt Whitman and I'm thinking of reading one by Charles Bukowski, a poet often quoted in one of my favorite baseball blogs, The Soxaholix.

I began the year by finishing Flashman's Lady (wiki) by George MacDonald Fraser.

This packet from Harry Flashman's memoirs finds the British anti-hero exhibiting the character flaws that make his adventures a joy to read. Pride, lust, jealousy, and cowardice all play a part as Flashy loses his wife, Elspeth, in a cricket match to Don Solomon Haslam, a wealthy, womanizing businessman; gets dragged into rescuing her from her suitor-turned-kidnapper and fighting pirates in the Far East by James Brooke, the White Rajah of Sarawak; and desperately seeks escape from Madagascar and enslavement to the diabolical Queen Ranavalona I.

Like other Fraser novels, this one was thoroughly researched and entertaining. Two topics I'm curious to learn more about after reading this book: cricket and James Brooke.