January 2018

Baby, it’s cold out there! January’s theme is “cold”. Cold as in sub-zero temperatures, killer winds, the brutality of mother nature. Choose any book where the setting is cold, either fiction or non-fiction. Some ideas:

Short Story-To Build a Fire by Jack London

Fiction:


Others: The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder, White Fang by Jack London, To The Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

Non-Fiction:
Other contenders:
In Siberia by Colin Thurban
Fatal North by Bruce Henderson
The Expedition of the Donner Party and its Tragic Fate by Eliza P Donner Houghton
The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphries Short stories about life when the Thames freezes
Frost, Freezes and Fairs: Chronicles of the Frozen Thames and Harsh Winters in Britain from 1000AD by Ian Currie

Happy Shivers!

Oh dear, I'm freezing and sneezing already!

Oh! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH!

I was so disappointed when I saw this topic. Whatever am I going to read about "cold"? I mean, I've got some books I've already read about cold, like The Left Hand of Darkness and The Golden Compass, but I don't want to do rereads. What am I going to do???

And then it clicked on me! I've been meaning to read my two-volume Library of America set of Jack London, and that will include The Call of the Wild and White Fang (and The Sea-Wolf's seal hunt should probably qualify as well). And I've got a biography of London around somewhere that I want to read as well, if I can find it.

Great topic! I'll do a complete read of the two LoA volumes (each of which will qualify for the 2018 Big Fat Book Challenge), starting off with rereads of The Call of the Wild and White Fang (it's been ages) for RTT January, and get a couple of ROOTs done as well (three, in fact, if I also read the biography). I'll make it a Jack London marathon and start it out with the January RTT.

Oh yes, Jack London is a great idea! Haven't read him in ages.

>3 CurrerBell: My favorite Jack London is the short story To Build A Fire. (Which is cold!)

I just had a quick scan of my wishlist and came up with 3 possibilities.
When Nights Were Cold by Susanna Jones
Wolves in Winter by Lisa Hilton
The Last Romanov by Dora Levy Mossanen
I will see if my library has any of those.

>6 Roro8: I've had The Last Romanov on my list for sometime!

I've searched my TBR's (over 500) and have the following available

Far North (Sibera post apocalyptic)
Squall (Alaska bush pilot and his family)
Letters of a Woman Homesteader (Wyoming)
Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II (Greenland)
The Gulag Archipelago I know that Solzhenitsyn spent years in a gulag in Siberia, but I'm not sure if this is a tale or survival or more a political treatise....have been wanting to read it for years. The dust jacket says it's about his arrest and interrogation. I am thinking this may not make the cut for "cold".
I have 6 more books about the Romanov's, but think they are more political than I was wanting.

Most likely to go with Woman Homesteader or Frozen in Time....maybe both!

Well, it looks like 2018 is off and running with a great theme! I don't know what I am going to be reading for sure, but Jack London is definitely calling out to me.

ETA: I just checked my lists and I think I will go with The North Water by Ian McGuire. This is about a 19th century whaling ship that sets sail for arctic waters with a killer aboard.

I've got Ice Hunt by James Rollins.

Ok, I might try for
In the Kingdom of Ice / Hampton Sides
or
Whiter Than Snow / Sandra Dallas

And I'd like to recommend:
The Children's Blizzard / David Laskin.

Love the theme! Question: Has anyone read Helen Dunmore's The Siege and if so, would that one fit this theme? Would love the incentive to finally get around to reading it. If not, my fall back book will be Sean Costello's Squall.

>13 lkernagh: my gf read Dunmore and she described it in two words: cold and starving!

>14 Tess_W: - Perfect! I am reading Dunmore in January!

>12 LibraryCin: I have The Children's Blizzard on my shelves. Thanks for reminding me about that one. Have you read it?

>16 Familyhistorian: I have, but it was years ago. Before I joined any of the book social media sites, so I have no rating or review. But, on thinking back to the book, I'd probably have given it 4 stars (really good). I hope you do get to it in January and I hope you like it!

>17 LibraryCin: That sounds good and I remember reading previous reviews about The Children's Blizzard on LT which is why it ended up in my collection. I will give a whirl in January.

>13 lkernagh: I have also read The Siege, Lori and it would work perfectly for the theme of "Cold"! It's a good read, too. :)

>16 Familyhistorian: I have read The Children's Blizzard as well, Meg, and it's really good.

>19 DeltaQueen50: That's good to hear, Judy. I am looking forward to reading it.

>21 UnacceptaJack_: Welcome and looking forward to hearing about your book.

I'm pretty new to all of this but this looks like a fun challenge and I'm ready to begin! I'll be reading Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett. Can't wait to see how everyone else feels about their choices.

>23 novawalsh: Welcome, Nova, and your book also sounds very interesting!

Welcome to the Challenge >21 UnacceptaJack_: and >23 novawalsh: . I hope you enjoy the challenges.

>24 Tess_W: >25 DeltaQueen50: Thank you :-)

I've decided on When Nights Were Cold by Susanna Jones. It's seems to be a perfect choice. The cover looks freezing!

I must say that so far, my January read (already started) Frozen in Time appears to be a 5 star read!

I started reading and finished my January read early, Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff. This was an excellent read! In 1942 a cargo plane slammed into the Greenland icecap and 3 successive rescue attempts were made with 3 more crashes. Why was Greenland important in 1942? German Nazi submarines. The real life saga centers around the many rescue attempts, most of which were unsuccessful. The history and the survival stories are mixed with the modern day attempt to uncover the "Duck" and repatriate the bodies. Although this is a non-fiction it read like a thriller novel and kept me on the edge of my seat. 391 pages 5 stars

>29 Tess_W: Sounds like a really interesting read! I'm going to put it on my TBR list thanks to your overview. I always love really well written non fiction. Thanks for sharing!

I have finished When Nights Were Cold by Susanna Jones. Set in the early 1900's Grace Farrington flies against the grain for behaviour expected of young women of the time. She seeks adventure and education. She is fascinated by the Antarctic exploration that is taking place and follows with avid interest the progress of explorers like Shackleton. She defies her parents wishes and goes to university and founds the Antarctic Exploration Society with like-minded young women. They go into training by mountain climbing. Tragedy strikes. This book is the story of a young woman's determination to follow her dream, and the unforeseen consequences that follow. A solid 4 star read.

I love Peter Geye's novels. His Wintering would fit this theme.

I'm through The Call of the Wild (finished, actually, before the New Year), White Fang, and a selection from the "Klondike Stories," and next up will be The Sea-Wolf. I'm reading these in the Library of America edition of Jack London: Novels and Stories, which also includes some apparently "warmer" stories as well. I'll also be using this LoA edition for the Big Fat Book challenge (and ROOTs). and I'll post the entire volume to the Wiki once I'm done The Sea-Wolf and the "warmer" stories.

>13 lkernagh: Yes and yes re The Siege

Re Children's Blizzard - it is brutal. Just a warning

Really would love to read Frosts Freezes and Fairs which apparently is about The frost fairs of the Thames I have never heard of this before and it sounds fascinating. Unfortunately there is little to nothing about this book that was written in 1996 and seems to have dropped out of site. Does anyone know of another book (fiction or non) that covers this period?

ETA ok there are used copies on Amazon, but wow, no reviews, anywhere. Will get it and discover more myself :)

an elephant walked on the frozen Thames?

Ok I thought I knew lots about Brit history but I have never heard of all this and want to know more! Where can I quench my thirst?

January — "Baby, It's Cold Out There!"

9 ... Jack London: Novels and Stories (Library of America), includes....

• The Call of the Wild
• White Fang
• selected "Klondike stories"
• The Sea-Wolf and
• selected "warmer" stories

I'm about halfway through my pick for this month, The Voyage of the Narwhal, and I can definitely say it's Icy! The crew of the Narwhal are stuck in the ice near Greenland and can't get out... But it's seriously depressing too - I should have known better, especially for a January read. Maybe not the best thing to start the year with. The detail is fantastic though, very well researched and written. Just...depressing. Anyone else find their choice depressing? I wonder a little if it's just the nature of icy books?

>37 novawalsh: Ooooooooooh... I might have to add that one later.

I'm almost finished In the Kingdom of Ice, which follows the USS Jeannette as she and her crew explore the Arctic in the late 19th century. And she gets stuck.

I suppose it could be depressing, but it may make my favourites this year. It's looking like at least a 4.5 star for me!

>38 LibraryCin: "stuck in the ice" doesn't exactly make for a cheerful setting, but it is interesting to explore unusual terrain. Ice Station Zebra and The Terror were both interesting examples but I get claustrophobic before the end.

>39 Darth-Heather: I seem to quite "enjoy" survival stories! And this one (and >37 novawalsh: 's) sure do fit this theme perfectly!

Looks like everybody is having some good reads!

In the Kingdom of Ice / Hampton Sides
4.5 stars

In the late 19th century, Captain De Long paired up with the owner of the New York Herald (who funded the trip) to sail the USS Jeannette to the North Pole. At the time (though no one had yet been there), some people thought that once you pushed past the ice, there was warmer and open water. De Long, armed with maps (many of which were simply incorrect) from German cartographer Petermann, took off on the multi-year voyage with 32 other men to sail through to the ice-free section and the North Pole. Without wanting to give too much away, this would prove to be incredibly dangerous.

This was amazing! Some of the background information near the start of the book, particularly about Bennett (who funded the trip), wasn’t as interesting, but it wasn’t uninteresting, either. I seem to be fascinated by survival stories (though I’m about the opposite of a risk-taker, myself - I’ll just read about it, thanks!). This one read like fiction and it kept me wanting to keep reading to find out what happened next. It is nonfiction, so it really happened, but I honestly didn’t know how it would turn out, so I was riveted!

>43 LibraryCin: - I have that one on my shelves and obviously need to get to it sooner rather than later!

I finished reading The North Water by Ian McGuire for this month's theme - about a whaling ship in the 19th century. Very gory and brutal, but wonderfully written and quite a page-turner.

>44 katiekrug: Well, if you haven't gotten to it by November, it will fit either "science" or "survival", which I will be hosting. :-)

I also read North Water by Ian McGuire for this months theme. While I wouldn't recommend this very graphic story about men at their basest level to everyone, I thought it was an excellent read.

I thought By gaslight would fit here or for the quarterly challenge because it is set in January and February 1885 in London. But although mention is made of the cold, the lasting impression is of smog, smoke and soot caused by coal fires, and two thirds of the book take place decades before during the American Civil War.

The Golden Shrine by Harry Turtledove certainly fits this month! The bad guys ride wooly mammoths to battle.

January is not really the optimum month to read about cold. At least I wasn't dealing with the arctic air of the beginning of January as I was reading The Children's Blizzard. It was a very interesting look at the 1888 cold that came unexpectedly down from Canada and devastated the prairie states when it brought blizzard conditions to an area that had recently felt like spring was coming early.

The children had headed off to school eagerly, not knowing that the weather would turn and many of them would freeze to death trying to get home. It was an interesting and sad book.

>49 Familyhistorian: I so agree with you this is not the right time to do this theme. For this desert rat, August or September would have been the perfect time when we are so sick of 100 degrees and would love to cool off by reading about cold!!

>49 Familyhistorian: I thought that one was very good when I read it years ago.

It's the perfect time for me, it's been stinking hot for weeks!

Are you in Australia? I remember hearing about your heat wave a week or so ago, didn't realize that was still going on!

I finished The Siege by Helen Dunmore last night. While one doesn't "enjoy" a survival story like this, the writing conveys an intimacy that transported this reader into the siege city. Very much a sensory read, where touch, taste, smell and sound experiences are communicated.

>53 cindydavid4:, yes I am in Queensland, Australia. The intense heat lasted a week or so. We are back to our normal heat again now.

On the last day of the month I finished Children of the frost, a collection stories by Jack London found at Gutenberg. They are all set in Alaska or the adjoining Northwestern Territories and usually told from the viewpoint of the indigenous people. I think to a modern eye they feel patronising and condescending.

>56 MissWatson: That is not the first time I've heard that comment, Birgit. However, I'm not really a London fan, having read only Call of the Wild (not for me) and To Build a Fire, which I loved; so I can't personally comment on the patronizing aspect.

Robert Service, The Spell of the Yukon.

I just stumbled across this one in Doylestown's Bucks County Bookshop this afternoon. Slightly "antiqued" look with nice dust jacket brodarted and just $5. The quality of the verse may be the reason Janet was selling it for just $5! Still, some of the "poems" do satisfy this month's theme.

>57 Tess_W: I read Call of the wild as a teenager when it was considered a story for kids and have only a dim memory of it. But I recently saw a documentary about him and I think there are better, or more appealing, books written by him still waiting.

>59 MissWatson: Sparked (chilled?) by this month's theme, I've been doing a "London marathon" to reread Call of the Wild and White Fang along with a read/reread of some of the stories and a first read of other work, using mainly the two-volume Library of America along with one of those Barnes & Noble omnibus volumes. I very much like Call of the Wild and the stories, but I thought White Fang was spoiled by a soapy, "shaggy dog" ending.

As to The Sea-Wolf, I thought the characters were cartoonish, especially the narrator, who reminded me of some of those cartoonish narrators in bad Edgar Rice Burroughs novels (not "Tarzan" or "Mars" or "Venus" books, which were fairly decent if poorly written, but some of the really cartoonish standalones). Actually, a bit of an unsuccessful take on Moby-Dick.

Star Rover was just plain silly – the whole plot behind it – and started dragging after a while. The Iron Heel is much overrated, stuffed up with tediously didactic Marxist "surplus value" theory, though the climactic chapters ("The Chicago Commune" and "People of the Abyss") were wonderfully vivid.

As to his sociological book The People of the Abyss, it wasn't bad. It was quite well-intentioned but came off condescending. Hey, if you want a real "narrator's eye view" of poverty and not just a drop-in visitor's, read Dorothy Day.

I'm going to finish up on what I've got (currently starting on Martin Eden), along with Earle Lord's London biography, for the sake of completeness in ROOTing. I think my overall feeling might be that London was wa-a-ay better with short stories and sketches than he was with longer work, where he tends to pad things out repetitively, and that may be the strength of Call of the Wild, which is really more a novella.

Read Frost Fair. Interesting history, and good descriptions but the mystery was eh. Still glad I read it, as I learned a lot about the time, and the freeze fairs.

>61 cindydavid4: After I saw it posted here I bought a used copy from Amazon. Will read it later! (LOL, along with 600 other books!)

>60 CurrerBell: Thank you for those comments! The stories look like a good choice for me.

>60 CurrerBell: : Appreciate your views on those books. I've only ever read The Call of the Wild and wasn't a fan, so I think I can skip the rest.