What I Read in 2023

 

2023 was filled with many memorable books and quite a few duds as well if I am being honest. lol I read (and listened) to a total of 63 books this year. Here is what they were...

What I Read in 2022

 I read a total of 45 books in 2022 and wanted to share my list of what I read, what I loved, and maybe what I didn't love as much. I laughed, I cried, I was inspired. Here are the 45 books I dove into....

January + February // What I Read

I thought it was high time that I introduced the "What I Read" series again! I did this year before last and it seemed like a lot of people enjoyed it so here it goes again! I am really trying to read more in 2019. I read a total of 55 books in 2017 and then slacked off in 2018. I really missed reading so now that I am home with a baby, I am trying to squeeze in more reading time when I can. It's so relaxing and rewarding! So for what I read in January and February...

Dreaming of Spring

January through March are hard months for me. They are cold and dreary and for someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, they certainly don't help the situation. I have to try and find little snippets of beauty and delight where I can. 

Lately I have been dreaming of spring and how wonderful it will be ~ particularly this year. Today I donned one of my favorite white dresses, dabbed my wrists with perfume, and scribbled down a poem on the subject. 

What I Read in 2017

I began this past year with a book challenge for myself to read a book a week. I actually exceeded that challenge by reading a total of 55 books in 2017.

I grew up surrounded by books and reading was a huge pastime in our family. During road trips through New England, we'd often stop by our favorite bookshops to stock up on books to add to our library.

I ended 2016 a little disappointed in myself because I realized I had hardly read anything that year and I decided to challenge myself by reading more in 2017. At times it has been a struggle to keep up. I doubted myself that I could do it but I am so glad I stuck with it.

I experienced some amazing reads in 2017 and I was so happy to write mini book reviews on each one. Feel free to search for them on my blog! I wanted to share a few of my favorites and a few of my not-so-favorites with you. Maybe I can suggest some new reading material to you for 2018!

December // What I Read

Emily of New Moon 

by L.M. Montgomery 

I began the month reading a L.M. Montgomery classic. Although Montgomery is widely known for her beloved Anne of Green Gables series, she wrote several other works including the Emily of New Moon books. 

October // What I Read

Murder on the Orient Express 

by Agatha Christie

I have wanted to read this book for awhile now and then when I found out that they were making a movie based on the book I added it to my October book list. 

This is a suspenseful read about a murder on a luxurious train filled with a group of very diverse passengers. Everyone is a suspect. It's up to the reader to search for the truth...and to discover if they are right.

My Favorite Bookshops

Ever since I can remember, books have been a huge part of my life. Growing up, I recall my mom telling me the story of my grandmother always saying that the only thing my parents would ever own were babies and books. Coming from a family of six and owning a bookcase in about every room in our home, I'd say she was about right.

Some of my most cherished memories was my mom taking my brothers, sister, and myself, to the library every Saturday. Being as my dad was a traveling preacher, our family would accompany him on the road most of the time and one of our favorite ways to break up the monotony of a long road trip was to make visits to various bookstores along the way. The best ones were always in New England.

July // What I Read

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly 

I love studying World War II and the Holocaust so this book was right up my alley. Lilac Girls is the story of three women and their vastly different perspectives of the Holocaust. This book unfolds the stories of a New York socialite helping with the war efforts in France, a Polish teenager working for the underground resistance movement, and a German doctor assigned to Ravensbruck, one of the most notorious concentration camps for women in Germany. Based on real people and true events, this book revealed things that happened during that dark time in history that I never knew. I love when a book intertwines stories of characters and plot lines and this book does a wonderful job of that. Be sure to read the note by the author on what inspired her to write the book, and her efforts in penning what I believe is a modern day masterpiece. 

June // What I Read

Forever Liesl: A Memoir of The Sound of Music by Charmian Carr

My favorite movie happens to be The Sound of Music and so when I discovered this gem of a book I was so excited to dive in! Written by Charmian Carr (Liesl) the book explores the making of the movie and gives an exclusive sneak peek of what it was like to act with the likes of Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.

May // What I Read

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 

I had heard a lot of things about this particular book and then when I saw that Hulu was making it into a television series I just had to read it. 

Set in a futuristic world that at one time was the United States, women have been diminished to nothing more than domesticated servants, prison guards, and child-bearers. With the rapid-decline of fertility, especially among the women of the higher government officials, a select few have become "handmaidens" and are used only for the purpose to provide the population with offspring.

Readings from The Blue Castle

For those of you who don't know, I gathered inspiration for my blog (along with it's name) from L.M. Montgomery's The Blue Castle. The book holds a special place in my heart. I remember reading it as a young girl and becoming enchanted with the story of Valancy, a young woman who lives a very drab existence but after a doctor's diagnosis she finally begins to truly and passionately live. 

April // What I Read

The Prodigal's Sister by John Piper 

Piper did an amazing job with this narrative of the prodigal son's sister. I felt deeply sympathetic toward the sister and how she must have felt torn between her two brothers. The book provided me with a new perspective on the story of the prodigal son and how his journey affected his loved ones. 

A Room of Their Own

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” 

~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice 

Anyone that knows me well understands that books are very precious to me. Josh still reminds me of something I told him when we were dating: "Books are my dear friends." 

March // What I Read

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 

I had heard a lot about this book from friends and on social media and also saw that they were airing a show about it so I decided to give it a try. This one was a bit different meaning that I would classify it as a comedic dramatic (underline dramatic) thriller. The three women the story centers around are mysterious but petty and I found them to be rather annoying after awhile. I had actually figured out one of the main revealings of the book a little over half-way through and nothing really shocked me in the way that I like to be shocked while diving into a good mystery. Overall, I was just pretty underwhelmed. 

Some of My Favorite Ladies

In honor of the world recognizing "International Women's Day" yesterday, I would like to pay tribute to some of my favorite ladies. I am so thankful to have been born a woman. I embrace my femininity wholeheartedly and realize that it is a gift from God that can be used in unique ways different from that of a man yet compliment him beautifully. I also salute my father and husband along with other very special men in my life who have always shown me value and worth. So here's to some of my favorite ladies and their unique gifts they bring to this world...

February // What I Read

Looking back over this past month I realize I've read a lot of dark material. I am not sure how that happened. I reckon bad planning on my part. This month definitely had a couple duds in my opinion, but I am glad I got the chance to finally check them off my reading list. Read on to hear my thoughts on the books I read that were thrilling, earned several yawns, wanted me to slap the main character silly, and broke my heart...

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

I was super excited to read this book since two of my best friends had recommended it to me and they themselves had given it a five-star rating. But I must say, I was extremely disappointed and found myself, especially closer to the last third of the book, bored to tears. I appreciate the concept of the story and that was what drew me in to begin reading it in the first place. I had seen the movie several years before and although it was extremely sad I came away from the film very reflective on the characters and the intense love they had for one another. In all fairness, maybe if I hadn't of seen the movie first I would have a different opinion of the book but I would definitely have to say I enjoyed the movie immensely more.

January // What I Read

As I mentioned before, I began this year determined to read more books. I have always enjoyed reading and expanding my ever-growing library but in the last few years I have gotten away from the hobby. I decided to make a goal for myself: read a book a week. I have always been a slow reader so the goal was a little daunting to me but I've stuck with it and it's actually been a lot of fun! I created a Goodreads account and my OCD side has loved organizing and keeping track of what I read. Each month I will share with my readers what I read that month and give mini reviews of each book. If you are a reader than I'd love for you to follow along (and hear from you!) and if not, than just skip these monthly posts and I'll see you on the next one.

 

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

I started off the new year reading an old favorite. I still have some of the loveliest memories of my mom reading the Anne books to my sister and I as we made the long trek to Prince Edward Island and wherever our travels took us.

This book to me is a treasure of a classic. If you have never read it than treat yourself to the magical world of Anne. I found myself laughing out loud at Anne's often hilarious and over-the-top conversations with Diana, misfortunes with Mrs. Barry (both of them) and Rachel Lynde, and then tearing up as I saw her relationship with Matthew and Marilla deepen into a beautiful bond. Reading the book was like visiting the Island all over again and I constantly saw pictures or scenes from the movie (a must-see!) flashing before my mind. A beautiful, beautiful novel.

Making January Beautiful

Let's face it: January is the most boring month. It's always been my least favorite because it follows on the footsteps of the most celebrated, anticipated holiday, it's usually (with the exception of this year) the most miserably coldest month, with nothing seemingly to look forward to. 

I've always struggled somewhat with the post-Christmas blues. Packing away the ornaments, throwing out the tree (or using it as a bonfire which some of our friends did recently...wouldn't recommend! haha), and saying goodbye to loved ones that you won't see again for another 6 months or until next Christmas. 

Notes for 2017

First off, Happy 2017! I am so so excited about this next year and what the Lord has in store for Josh and I! I feel like it's going to be a good one.