Literature: March 2022 Books

 Wow, how did we get to 2022 already? The past two years seem to have gone fast despite being in lockdown most of the time.

In 2021 I managed to read 158 books, but this year I am scaling down a bit and aim to read 120 -12 each month!  Over January and February, I read 19 books, and now in March I have read 16 – so have exceeded the monthly target of 12, which makes up for falling short in January & February.  

So, what are those 16 books?  

Fiction

• Behind You by Jacqueline Woodson
• Nowhere to Run by Carol Drinkwater
• The Book of Strange Things by Michel Faber

Christian

• Be Decisive by Warren Weirsbe
• Good Girl, Bad Girl by Jacqueline Hill Perry
• Just 10: God’s Timeless Values for Life Today by J.John
• Be Reverent by Warren Weirsbe
• His Testimonies: My Heritage by Kristie Anyabwile
• A Commentary on Zechariah by David Pawson

Crime

• The Night Thief by Joy Ellis

Short Stories

• A Story Without a Title by Anton Chekov
• The Beggar by Anton Chekov

Autobiographies

• Remarkable People by Dan Walker
• Mostly Sunny: Janice Dean
• New Jungle: Same Old Monkeys by Margaret Anne Lawson

Children’s

• Precious and the Mystery of the Meerkat by Alexander McCall Smith

Recommended Books

Last month I told you about Jacqueline Woodson’s book “If you come softly” – well this month I have read its sequel “Behind You” and it was just as good as the first one. “Behind You” explores the experiences of the characters after the tragic ending of the previous book. The themes of the book are hope, understanding, love and healing. It is a great book – actually both are great books.

Literature: February 2022 Books

 Wow, how did we get to 2022 already? The past two years seem to have gone fast despite being in lockdown most of the time.

In 2021 I managed to read 158 books, but this year I am scaling down a bit and aim to read 120 -12 each month!  In January I read eight and this month I managed to read 11 – one book short of the monthly target!

So what are those 11 books?  

Fiction

• Pink Mist by Owen Shears
• If you Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
• Small Things like These by Claire Keegan
• Chocolate Cake for Breakfast by Rosie Green
• The Roadrunner Café by Jamie Zerndt
• Tinkers by Paul Harding

Christian

• Straight to the Heart of Isaiah by Phil Moore
• Isaiah for You by Tim Chester
• Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah by S.D Synman

Crime

• Welcome to Copper by Tariq Ashkani

Non-Fiction

• Quite by Claudia Winkleman

Recommended Books

I really enjoyed Jacqueline Woodson’s book If You Come Softly which is about two young people (Miah and Ellie). Mia is black and Ellie is white, and they fall in love with each other and start to try and navigate their way in a world where racist comments are made and people do not approve of their relationship. It is a sweet book and an interesting read with some chapters written from Miah’s point of view and others from Ellie’s. 

Literature: January 2022 Books

Wow, how did we get to 2022 already? The past two years seem to have gone fast despite being in lockdown most of the time.

In 2021 I managed to read 158 books, but this year I am scaling down a bit and aim to read 120  -12 each month!  In January I read eight books so did not meet that challenge.

So what are those books?  

Fiction

• A Baby at the Beach Café by Lucy Diamond
• Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
• The Phone Box at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina
• Twas the Night Shift Before Christmas by Adam Kay
• Vermeer to Eternity by Anthony Horowitz

Christian

• The Prodigal Prophet by Timothy Keller

Non-Fiction

• All on the Board Inspiration Quotes by All on the Board
• The Border by Diarmad Ferriter

Recommended Books

If you go to the London Underground, you will see boards in each station that are used for announcements, etc. However, two of the TfL workers who are known on social media as All on Board, use those boards to write positive messages or messages of celebration on certain days like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc. They have also been known to write messages at North Greenwich station where the 02 arena is, in recognition of the artists who would be playing there – often using song titles to write the message.

This book contains many of these notices – it is a very interesting read. Overall, the messages can be funny and inspirational etc.

Literature: December 2021 Books

It is a new year, it's 2021, we are now out of lockdown, but I am still finding time to read.

At the beginning of 2021 I aimed to read 155 books. Now it is December and coming to the end of the year and I have met my challenged and have read 158 books this year– with 14 of them being read this month

So what 14. books have I read?

Fiction

• A Brambleberry Manor Christmas by Rosie Green
• A Kiss in the Snow by Rosie Green
• A Summer of Surprises by Rosie Green
• Snow Falls over Sunnybrook by Rosie Green
• The Christmas Surprise by Rosie Green
• The Wedding Cake Wish by Rosie Green
• The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss
• The Beach Café by Lucy Diamond
• Christmas at the Beach Café by Lucy Diamond
• Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley
• Christmas Gifts at the Beach Café by Lucy Diamond

Christian

• Micah for You by Stephen Um
• Single Christian Female by Sarah Coleman

Notes

December was a month of reading easy to read fiction and all the Rosie Green ones were in the Little Duck Pond Café series, which brings me up to number 19 in the series. 

Literature: November 2021 Books

It is a new year, it's 2021, we are now out of lockdown, but I am still finding time to read.

As I managed 152 books in 2020, I thought I would up the ante and go for 155 in 2021. Between January and October, I was able to read 132 books and now November has ended I am up to 144 as I managed to read 12 books this month.

So what 12 books have I read?

Children

• The Boy at the Back of the Class by Ohaki Q. Rauf

Christian

• Hosea: An Introduction by Charles Morris
• Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung

Non-Fiction

• Why I’m No Longer Talking About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

Biography

• Not That Kind of Love by Claire & Greg Wise

Fiction

• Bonfires & Hot Chocolate at the Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green
• A Winter Wedding at the Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green
• Lemon Drizzle Mondays at the Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green
• Logfires and Toffee Apples at the Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green

Crime

• Ask No Questions by Claire Allan

Recommended Books

After watching Greg Wise strut his stuff on Strictly Come Dancing I decided to read Not That Kind of Love which was a memoir of Greg’s sister Claire and her battle against cancer. After her initial diagnosis, Claire started writing a blog to update her family and friends on her progress and when she was unable to continue writing, Greg took over. I listened to this as an audiobook and as Claire has sadly passed away her parts were read by her friend while Greg read his section, This was a very sad book and you could not help feeling for Greg while he read about his sister and her battle with cancer. It is a book mixed with humour whilst battling a terrible disease with treatments, drugs, and surgery. It is also a book about love and family. A highly recommended read. 

Literature: October 2021 Books

 October Books

It is a new year, it's 2021, we are now out of lockdown, but I am still finding time to read.

As I managed 152 books in 2020, I thought I would up the ante and go for 155 in 2021. Between January and September, I was able to read 117  books and now October has ended I am up to 132 as I read 15 books this month – seem to have got my reading mojo back. Also, I was on holiday so had more time to relax and read books. Now I have another 23 books to read more at the end of the year and reach my target.

So what 15 books have I read this month?

Short Stories

• Amok by Stefan Zweig
• Down on One Knead by Cressida McLaughlin
• Two Tarts Beat as One by Cressida McLaughlin
• You May now Eat the Cake by Cressida McLaughlin
• Breaded Bliss by Cressida McLaughlin
• Mr. Salary by Sally Rooney

Fiction

• Spring the Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green
• Summer at the Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green
• Christmas at the Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green
• Snowed in at the Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green
• A Bakery at the Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green
• Confetti at the Little Duck Pond Café by Rosie Green
• The Foundling by Stacey Halls
• It is Wood, It is Stone by Gabriella Burnham

Thriller

• Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Multiple Arcs

The four books by Cressida McLaughlin are all from the Cornish Cream Tea Wedding which is Book 4 in the Cornish Cream Tea series. I did not realise when I read these four parts that they formed one book. I did not realise this was book four in the series and may be tempted to go and read the other ones.

And you may have guessed that another series which I have been reading is the Little Duck Pond Café series by Rosie Green. After reading the first one I realised that there are 20 books in this series, so have a few more to read. They are not great works of literature, but they are very entertaining reads – my one qualm with them is that they make out that the only thing a girl ever wants is a man, which is not true.

 

Literature: September 2021 Books

It is a new year, it's 2021, we are now out of lockdown, but I am still finding time to read.

As I managed 152 books in 2020, I thought I would up the ante and go for 155 in 2021. Between January and August, I was able to read 111 books and now September has ended I am up to 117 as I read 6 books this month. Again like August, this is a low number for me – just seem to have lost my reading mojo at moment. Now I have another 38 to read before reaching my target.

So what 6 books have I read this month?

Fiction

• The Overdue Life of Amy Bylar by Kelly Harris
• You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
• Saving the Day by Katie Fforde

Crime

• Truth be Told by Kia Abdullah

Christian

• Daniel For You by Daniel Helm

Children’s

• The Racehorse Who Learned to Dance by Clare Balding

Recommended Books

I am a big believer that all adults should still read Children’s books - it is a way of keeping us feeling young and they are very some good children’s books out there. This is the third in the series about the Racehorse Nobel Warrior who in previous books won the Derby against all odds and bested a bunch of kidnappers. And in this latest instalment Nobel Warrior is being to Dance – it is Charlie’s way of helping her best friend Polly find a new way to make Polly’s equestrian dreams come true, and forge a new path for the racehorse who when he arrived with Charlie could not even gallop!