CHRISTMAS
Have a merry and blessed Christmas!
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Monday, December 23, 2024
Sunday, December 22, 2024
The TBR 24 in '24 & Mt. TBR Challenges -- MY WRAP UP POST
THE TBR 24 IN '24 CHALLENGE
My Wrap Up Post
I have completed the TBR 24 in '24 Challenge! I read the 24 books off my TBR shelves that I picked for the challenge.
MY TBR 24 IN '24 BOOKS
I like to pick my books ahead of time for this annual challenge. I keep them stacked by my bedside to motivate me through the year. This year, I picked 12 fiction and 12 nonfiction.
I like to pick my books ahead of time for this annual challenge. I keep them stacked by my bedside to motivate me through the year. This year, I picked 12 fiction and 12 nonfiction.
Here's a list of what is in the picture. Do any look good to you?
FICTION
Quentins by Maeve Binchy. I went on a Binchy jag years ago and read most of her books, including several that involve the fictional Dublin restaurant Quentins. But this one slipped past me.
Rates of Exchange by Malcolm Bradbury. I loved Eating People is Wrong and The History Man and this one made me a confirmed Bradbury fan.
The Horse's Mouth by Joyce Cary. This one is on Anthony Burgess's list of his 99 favorite novels, one of my favorite lists, but it fell flat for me.
A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable was as fun as it looked to be.
J by Howard Jacobson. I like his books but this one is speculative, dystopian fiction, so I did not enjoy it as much as other things by him.
Out of the Shelter by David Lodge. He is one of my favorite authors. This is his autobiographical first novel. It was very good, but not as rich as his later novels.
The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch. So is she! This one was excellent, and a good example of Murdoch's fiction.
The New Men by C. P. Snow. I've been plodding my way through his Strangers and Brothers series and am determine to get through the whole thing. This one was particularly dry.
A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler. As with Binchy, I went on an Anne Tyler tear several years ago. Then I just stopped. I'm trying to read the ones I missed. This one was charming.
Come Fill the Cup by Harlan Ware. I bought this for the cool vintage cover and did not expect such a clever and exciting gangster story with a hard boiled newspaper journalist as the protagonist.
Chess Story by Stefan Zweig, which also counts as my Austria book for the 2024 European Reading Challenge.
NONFICTION
My Almost Cashmere Life by Margy Adams. I ripped through this memoir.
Cancel Your Own Goddam Subscription: Notes & Asides from National Review by William F. Buckley, Jr. This is one of my favorite titles ever. I grew up reading his Notes & Asides column and loved revisiting the columns in this collection.
Political Woman: The Big Little Life of Jeane Kirkpatrick by Peter Collier. My husband gave this to me several years ago and I'm glad I finally read it. What a fascinating woman!
An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by Elizabeth David. I love food writing and David is new to me. I will read more by her.
Menagerie Manor by Gerald Durrell. I've read Lawrence Durrell books but never Gerald's. I love the TV show, The Durrells of Corfu, so was happy to finally read one of his books. I'll read more.
Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life by Zena Hitz. I bought this on a whim when it came out and am so glad I did. It was excellent.
Songbook by Nick Hornby. Another favorite author, but I missed this one.
The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis. I'm chipping away at reading all his books.
Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo. I found this at a library book sale and it was terrific!
The Old Patagonian Express: By Train Through the Americas by Paul Theroux. I expected to like this classic book of travel writing more than I did. There are a lot of descriptions of train rides on awful trains. It wasn't bad, just not as interesting as I anticipated.
Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris by Sarah Turnbull. I missed this when it came out and love ex-pat memoirs. This one was very good.
I'll Take the Back Road by Marguerite Hurrey Wolf, a 1975 memoir about living on a farm in Vermont. Fantastic!
THE MT. TBR CHALLENGE
This TBR 24 in '24 Challenge dovetails nicely with the Mt TBR Challenge that Bev at My Reader's Block hosts every year. Like I've done for the past couple of years, I signed up for the "Mt. Kilimanjaro" Level in 2024 to read a total of 60 books off my TBR shelves.
I climbed much higher this year! In addition to the 24 book I read for the TBR 24 in '24 Challenge, I read 68 books off my TBR shelves, for a total of 92 TBR books. That's a record for me.
MY MT. TBR BOOKS
MY MT. TBR BOOKS
Need Blind Ambition by Kevin Myers
The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope
Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier
The Year I Stopped to Notice by Miranda Keeling
Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who's Been Everywhere by Susan Orlean
Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope
The Vintage Caper by Peter Mayle
The Curmudgeon's Guide to Getting Ahead: Dos and Don'ts of Right Behavior, Tough Thinking, Clear Writing, and Living a Good Life by Charles Murray
The Way We Lived Then: Recollections of a Well-Known Name Dropper by Dominick Dunne
Habits of the House by Fay Weldon
Long Live the King by Fay Weldon
The New Countess by Fay Weldon
His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle
Silverview by John le Carre
The Reivers by William Faulkner
Dead Lions by Mick Herron
Pocket Full of Poseys by Thomas Reed
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer
After All These Years by Susan Isaacs
Put Out More Flags by Evelyn Waugh
The Light of Day by Eric Ambler
With No One as Witness by Elizabeth George
Loser Takes All by Graham Greene
The Third Man by Graham Greene
The Fallen Idol by Graham Greene
The Messenger by Megan Davis
The Stranger House by Reginald Hill
Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah
The Vacationers by Emma Stroud
Hanging the Devil by Tim Maleeny
Castle Dor by Daphne du Maurier
Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis
Men at Arms by Evelyn Waugh
Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope
The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thakeray
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Officers and Gentlemen by Evelyn Waugh
The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope
Scalia Speaks: Reflections on Law, Faith, and Life Well Lived by Anton Scalia
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
What Came Before He Shot Her by Elizabeth George
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurier
Living Color A Designer Works Magic with Traditional Interiors by Gary McBournie
The Girl on the Boat by P G. Wodehouse
The Unsuspected by Charlotte Armstrong
A Dram of Poison by Charlotte Armstrong
Cavedweller by Dorothy Allison
The Turret Room by Charlotte Armstrong
The Duke's Children by Anthony Trollope
Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell
Leaves of Grass, Vol. 1, and Democratic Vistas by Walt Whitman
Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler
Joe Country by Mick Herron
Christmas Holiday by W. Somerset Maugham
The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
Can You Forgive Her? by Anthony Trollope
Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier
The Year I Stopped to Notice by Miranda Keeling
Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who's Been Everywhere by Susan Orlean
Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope
The Vintage Caper by Peter Mayle
The Curmudgeon's Guide to Getting Ahead: Dos and Don'ts of Right Behavior, Tough Thinking, Clear Writing, and Living a Good Life by Charles Murray
The Way We Lived Then: Recollections of a Well-Known Name Dropper by Dominick Dunne
Habits of the House by Fay Weldon
Long Live the King by Fay Weldon
The New Countess by Fay Weldon
His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle
Silverview by John le Carre
The Reivers by William Faulkner
Dead Lions by Mick Herron
Pocket Full of Poseys by Thomas Reed
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer
After All These Years by Susan Isaacs
Put Out More Flags by Evelyn Waugh
The Light of Day by Eric Ambler
With No One as Witness by Elizabeth George
Loser Takes All by Graham Greene
The Third Man by Graham Greene
The Fallen Idol by Graham Greene
The Messenger by Megan Davis
The Stranger House by Reginald Hill
Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah
The Vacationers by Emma Stroud
Hanging the Devil by Tim Maleeny
Castle Dor by Daphne du Maurier
Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis
Men at Arms by Evelyn Waugh
Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope
The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thakeray
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Officers and Gentlemen by Evelyn Waugh
The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope
Scalia Speaks: Reflections on Law, Faith, and Life Well Lived by Anton Scalia
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
What Came Before He Shot Her by Elizabeth George
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurier
Living Color A Designer Works Magic with Traditional Interiors by Gary McBournie
The Girl on the Boat by P G. Wodehouse
The Unsuspected by Charlotte Armstrong
A Dram of Poison by Charlotte Armstrong
Cavedweller by Dorothy Allison
The Turret Room by Charlotte Armstrong
The Duke's Children by Anthony Trollope
Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell
Leaves of Grass, Vol. 1, and Democratic Vistas by Walt Whitman
Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler
Joe Country by Mick Herron
Christmas Holiday by W. Somerset Maugham
NOTE: Updated September 21, 2024.
Saturday, December 21, 2024
The TBR 25 in '25 Challenge -- WRAP UP PAGE
WRAP UP PAGE
FOR THE TBR 25 IN '25 CHALLENGE
January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025
THIS IS THE PAGE TO LINK YOUR WRAP UP POSTS
TO LINK A REVIEW, GO TO THIS PAGE
TO SIGN UP FOR THE CHALLENGE, GO TO THE MAIN CHALLENGE PAGE OR CLICK THE CHALLENGE BUTTON ABOVE
LINK YOUR WRAP UP POSTS HERE
Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
WRAP UP LINKS
If you complete the challenge, please link some kind of wrap up post in the Linky box above. That way, I know who finished the challenge. If you just update your original post and do not do a wrap up post separate from your sign up post that's fine! Please still add the link to the updated post in the box above.
If you have trouble adding your link, leave it in a comment and I will add it or email me your link at gilion (at) dumasandvaughn (dot) com and I will add it for you. Please put your name and the name of the your blog or your social media handle and the platform in the comment or email so I can find you. Thanks!
REVIEWS
If you review a book for the TBR 25 in '25 Challenge, please add the link to your review on the review page. Please link to your review post, not the main page of your blog or social media account.
You do not have to have a blog to participate in this challenge. If you review books on Instagram, goodreads, or some other social media, use the link from your social media review post in the Linky box on the review page. Please link to the review, not your profile page. If you have questions about how to find the URL for a social media review post, leave a comment, email me at gilion (at) dumasandvaughn (dot) com, or DM me on Instagram @gilioncdumas.
The TBR 25 in '25 Challenge -- REVIEW PAGE
REVIEW PAGE
FOR THE TBR 25 IN '25 CHALLENGE
January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025
THIS IS THE PAGE TO LIST YOUR REVIEWS
IF YOU HAVE FINISHED, WRAP UP POSTS GO ON THIS PAGE
LINK YOUR REVIEWS HERE
Please put your name and/or the name of your blog or social media handle and the name of the book you reviewed. (EX: Rose City Reader, War & Peace or @gilioncdumas, Pride & Prejudice.) Please link to your review post and not your blog home page or main social media profile page.
Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
LINKS
If you review a book for the TBR 25 in '25 Challenge, please add the link to your review in the Linky box above. Please link to your review post, not the main page of your blog or social media account.
You do not have to have a blog to participate in this challenge. If you review books on Instagram, goodreads, or some other social media, use the link from your social media review post in the Linky box above. Please link to the review, not your profile page. If you have questions about how to find the URL for a social media review post, leave a comment, email me at gilion (at) dumasandvaughn (dot) com, or DM me on Instagram @gilioncdumas.
If you have trouble adding your link, leave it in a comment and I will add it or email me your link at gilion (at) dumasandvaughn (dot) com and I will add it for you. Please put your name and the name of the book you reviewed in the comment or email. Thanks!
BOOKS AND REVIEWS
You do not have to review books to complete the TBR 25 in '25 Challenge.
The only point of the challenge is to clear 25 books off your TBR shelf in 2025. You can pick all of them them ahead of time, some of them, or none of them. If you pick them, you can change your mind later and switch books. The only "rule" is that you must own the book before January 1, 2025.
Your TBR shelf can include a virtual shelf of ebooks or audiobooks, as long as you owned them prior to January 1, 2025. It does not include library books.
This is supposed to be fun!
WRAP UP
If you complete the challenge, please link some kind of wrap up post on the wrap up page. That way, I know who finished the challenge. If you just update your original post and do not do a wrap up post separate from your sign up post that's fine too! But please still add the link to the updated post on the wrap up page.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Monday, December 16, 2024
Sunday, December 15, 2024
.jpg)
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Friday, December 13, 2024
Thursday, December 12, 2024
Exploring Wine Regions: México by Michael Higgins -- BOOK BEGINNINGS
BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
Exploring Wine Regions: México by Michael Higgins
MY BOOK BEGINNING
In my quest to find knowledgeable and interesting pioneers to enlighten us on the history of viticulture in México, to set-the-stage for the value of this book, and to open our eyes to the wonderful things going on with Mexican wines in the wine regions of México... I was introduced to Doctora Marisa Ramos by Guanajuato's wine pioneer Ricardo Vega (we will hear more from him later).-- from Exploring Wine Regions: México: Exploring México's Quality Wines and Phenomenal Cuisine by Michael Higgins (ellipses in original).This México book is the fourth and latest in Michael Higgins's wonderful Exploring Wine Regions series. Like the earlier books, this one is meticulously researched and offers an insider account of wineries and vineyards, as well as travel tips for the food, special lodging, sights, and history of the region.
See my review of the earlier guides to Bordeaux and Argentina here and my review of the California book here.
The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.
Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.
MY FRIDAY 56
-- from Exploring Wine Regions: México:
YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS
Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
THE FRIDAY 56
Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.
MY FRIDAY 56
-- from Exploring Wine Regions: México:
The majority of wineries in Valle de Guadalupe are located on this north side of the valley. They are primarily up into the hills of the valley with a south-facing sun exposure for the vines.
FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION
This is the fourth book in this award-winning series, now exploring the México Wine Regions. Does México make wine? Yes. Any good? Very good. While México is famous for producing Tequila, this book opens our eyes to high-quality Mexican wines. And the phenomenal cuisine and extraordinary tourism. This book takes you on a journey to discover these amazing wines; combining wine education, an insider travel guide and spectacular photography. Higgins again dazzles his audience with another informative and beautiful book.
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Bookish Retail Therapy -- BOOK THOUGHTS
BOOK THOUGHTS
Bookish Retail Therapy
Work has been crazy the last couple of months. When I am under the gun, my retail therapy choice is online book shopping. I did some stress-induced shopping from Blackwell's Books the other day and the books just got here. I like a Blackwell's binge every now and again because they have books that are hard to find here in the US, or in editions we don’t have.I keep a comprehensive wish list of books I want to read. Most of the books on the big list are from the book lists I'm working on -- certain prize winners, must reads, and books by favorite authors. Others are books that caught my eye, often from the Slightly Foxed quarterly or recommendations from friends. The books in this picture have all been on my wish list for a while. That means they are not available as an audiobook from my library or on Spotify, because I always look for those free audiobooks first.
Here's what's in that stack:
The Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai came to my attention because it is on Erica Jong’s list of Top 100 20th Century Novels by Women, one of the lists I'm working on. It’s a great list and I've found several new-to-me authors on it, like Joy Kogawa and Lore Segal.
Riceyman Steps by Arnold Bennett won the 1923 James Tate Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. Based at the University of Scotland in Edinburgh, the James Tait Black Prize is one of the oldest and most prestigious book prizes, awarded since 1919 for literature written in the English language. Overall, I think I prefer these prize winners over the Booker winners.
The Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai came to my attention because it is on Erica Jong’s list of Top 100 20th Century Novels by Women, one of the lists I'm working on. It’s a great list and I've found several new-to-me authors on it, like Joy Kogawa and Lore Segal.
Riceyman Steps by Arnold Bennett won the 1923 James Tate Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. Based at the University of Scotland in Edinburgh, the James Tait Black Prize is one of the oldest and most prestigious book prizes, awarded since 1919 for literature written in the English language. Overall, I think I prefer these prize winners over the Booker winners.
An Unofficial Rose by Iris Murdoch is one of the few Murdoch books not already on my shelves. I’m a Murdoch completist, so this buy made me particularly happy.
Highland River by Neil M. Gunn won the James Tait Black prize in 1937. It is about a young man on an introspective journey to the source of the river he grew up with.
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis is for a buddy read in January some of my bookstagram friends. I could have bought this classic from an American store, but, oddly, I couldn’t find the Penguin Classic edition.
Inside the Wave by Helen Dunmore is her last book of poetry. It won the Costa Book of the Year Award, yet another list I’m working on.
It’s true, I can’t resist a list! Do you have any book lists you are working on? Maybe we share a few. Or I can tackle a new one!
Highland River by Neil M. Gunn won the James Tait Black prize in 1937. It is about a young man on an introspective journey to the source of the river he grew up with.
The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis is for a buddy read in January some of my bookstagram friends. I could have bought this classic from an American store, but, oddly, I couldn’t find the Penguin Classic edition.
Inside the Wave by Helen Dunmore is her last book of poetry. It won the Costa Book of the Year Award, yet another list I’m working on.
It’s true, I can’t resist a list! Do you have any book lists you are working on? Maybe we share a few. Or I can tackle a new one!
Monday, December 9, 2024
Sunday, December 8, 2024
Saturday, December 7, 2024
Friday, December 6, 2024
Thursday, December 5, 2024
Christmas in London by Anita Hughes -- BOOK BEGINNINGS
BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
Christmas in London by Anita Hughes
Thank you for joining me for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now.
MY BOOK BEGINNING
Louisa nudged open the industrial-sized oven And thought nothing smelled as wonderful as cinnamon and nutmeg nine days before Christmas.-- from Christmas in London by Anita Hughes.
I am trying to read only Christmas-themed books this month. I think about this every year, and this is the year I am finally going to try. I have a stack of Christmas books to read with my eyes. My difficulty is finding audio books.
I ended up downloading several from the library and am going through them, hit or miss. I mostly found romance books and cozy mysteries. I have nothing against those genres, but they are not the first I pick when looking for something to read. I've sent a few back after the first few minutes of listening because the story was too sappy or the narrator's voice grated on my nerves.
Christmas in London seems to have a bit more going for it. It's still a romcom, but there is a story to it, however implausible. Louisa is a baker in New York and gets the entirely implausible opportunity to go to London to fill in for America's most famous female chef on the most popular cooking program in London. So she gets a whirlwind, all-expense-paid trip to London, with a makeover and romance thrown in.
For sure I need a double dose of the usual willing suspension of disbelief. But I'm thinking these books are the reading equivalent of eggnog -- a Christmas-only treat too sweet for the rest of the year,
The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.
Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.
MY FRIDAY 56
-- from Christmas in London:
YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS
Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
THE FRIDAY 56
Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.
MY FRIDAY 56
-- from Christmas in London:
Louisa pulled her eyes from a display of Christmas crackers and followed him to the middle of the store. The Christmas tree was five stories tall and seemed as wide as an ocean liner.
FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION
Set during London's most festive time of year and filled with delicious food Anita Hughes' Christmas in London is about love and friendship, and the season's most important lesson: learning how to ask for and give forgiveness.
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Christmas Reading -- BOOK THOUGHTS
BOOK THOUGHTS
Christmas Reading
Every year, I aspire to read only Christmas-themed books in December. I love Christmas and want to immerse myself in holiday books, movies, food, drinks, parties, decorations – all of it. Then December rolls around and I always have other books I want to read before the end of the year, so I abandon the Christmas book plan.Not this year! I finished all my TBR 24 in '24 books before November. I’m caught up on my IRL book club books. I don’t have any Instagram buddy reads until January. So this year I am all in on Christmas reading.
Here’s my stack of Christmas book possibilities. I hope to get to as many of these as I can, although I suspect I’ll have a few left over for next year.
🎄 There Came Both Mist and Snow by Michael Innes. I love vintage mysteries and a winter setting makes it all the better.
🎄 Singin’ and Swingin’ and Getting’ Merry Like Christmas by Maya Angelou. I haven't read any of her books and I love the title of this one. It's a collection of essays and, maybe, poems. I haven't looked through it yet.
🎄 Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol is in here, but so are the other Christmas stories he wrote to publish each December. I've read these all before, so this would be a reread for me, if I get to it.
🎄 The White Priory Murders by Carter Dickson. I love the British Library Crime Classics series and know they have several with a Christmas theme. Unfortunately, they are not easy to find in the US. I have a few, but this is the only Christmas one.
🎄 Christmas by Elizabeth David. I read a book of David's food writing earlier this year. I like the idea of a collection of Christmas food essays.
🎄 A Redbird Christmas by Fanny Flagg. I see this one around a lot and loved her Fried Green Tomatoes book, so am looking forward to this one.
🎄 The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart. OK, so this is not exactly on point. It isn't a Christmas books. But I'm always looking for festive holiday cocktails and the book looked great in the stack.
🎄 Christmas Holiday by W. Somerset Maugham. I'm reading this one now and it's a good story. It is about a young man living in London who goes to Paris over Christmas and meets a Russian prostitute married to a murderer. That's quite a yarn! It's more engaging than many a Maugham read.
🎄 A Christmas Treasury of Yuletide Stories & Poems, edited by James Charlton and Barbara Gilson. This might be really sappy, but I'll give it a go.
🎄 Advent: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas by Anja Dunk. This Christmas cookbook looks gorgeous. I plan to read it cover to cover, like a book.
🎄 The St. Nicholas Anthology, edited by Henry Steele Commager. This is another collection of Christmas bits and bobs. It might be really sappy because it was published in 1948.
🎄 The Official Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook by Regula Ysewijn and Julian Fellowes. O couldn't resist this one because it is full of Downton pictures and old-fashioned recipes. Another cookbook I will read straight through.
I also have several Christmas books lined up on my library app to read with my ears because I read a lot of audiobooks, especially while I putter around decorating the house and tree, baking treats, and wrapping presents. The audiobooks I picked are not by authors I’ve read before and they are almost all cozy mysteries or romcoms. I have nothing against either genre, but they aren’t my usual picks.
We’ll see how this part goes. I've tried a couple that were too sticky sweet for me and I returned them after a few minutes of listening. I listened to a cozy mystery with a rare book dealer as the amateur sleuth and it had some plot holes big enough for Santa's sleigh.
Do you have any suggestions for Christmas reads not in my stack already? I'm planning ahead for next year already.
Do you have any suggestions for Christmas reads not in my stack already? I'm planning ahead for next year already.
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Monday, December 2, 2024
Sunday, December 1, 2024
Advent -- A Countdown to Christmas Tradition! 24 Days to Christmas
ADVENT: COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS
To see more vintage cards, click on the "Advent" or "vintage postcard" tags at the bottom of these posts (or bottom of the page) to find hundreds of images from past years. You will find Santas, Christmas trees, nativity scenes, elves, cats, birds, dogs, deer, ornaments, gifts, candles, bells, and lots more!
THIS YEAR'S THEME
Some years I have a theme, some years it's catch as catch can. This year I'm going for a wreath theme. I've never done wreaths before and I'm really into wreaths at my house right now.
Next task will be to tackle my real Christmas cards. Do you send them? I enjoy seeing all the new-fashioned cards with pictures, so I can see my friends and family. But I always end up sending a traditional boxed card, usually with a snapshot or sticker picture of me and my husband.
DECEMBER BLOGGING
I always plan to do holiday-themed blog posts every year, but never seem to get around to it. There's a lot going on in December! But I hope to do a little something more thematic this yea. I read Nigel Slater's The Christmas Chronicles in November to get me in the mood. Expect a review this month.
Also, I have a stack of Christmas-themed books on my nightstand and Christmas audiobooks downloaded from the library. Every year I say I am going to read only seasonal books in December, but every year I get distracted by other books. This is my year! I have everything from holiday cookbooks to winter mysteries. I'm excited!
It is also the time of year to plan next year's reading challenges. I am hosting the European Reading Challenge again in 2025 and a TBR 25 in '25 challenge. I will get those posts before the end of the year, I promise!
What are your blogging plans for December? Do they include planning or posting any 2025 reading challenges?
Please join me tomorrow when the Rose City Reader advent calendar continues!
It is also the time of year to plan next year's reading challenges. I am hosting the European Reading Challenge again in 2025 and a TBR 25 in '25 challenge. I will get those posts before the end of the year, I promise!
What are your blogging plans for December? Do they include planning or posting any 2025 reading challenges?
Please join me tomorrow when the Rose City Reader advent calendar continues!
Thursday, November 28, 2024
The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan -- BOOK BEGINNINGS
BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan
MY BOOK BEGINNING
"Maple Sugar Inn, how may I help you?"-- from The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan.
I've never read any books by Sarah Morgan, but I saw this one at a library friends store the other day and it looks perfect for this holiday weekend. I'm ready to curl up with a cozy read!
The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.
Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.
MY FRIDAY 56
-- from The Book Club Hotel:
YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS
Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
THE FRIDAY 56
Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.
MY FRIDAY 56
-- from The Book Club Hotel:
She almost wished she hadn't had twins. If there had been a gap between her children at least then she could have let go of them one at a time and gradually eased herself into a child-free life, instead of losing both at the same time.
FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION
With its historic charm and picture-perfect library, the Maple Sugar Inn is considered the ultimate vacation destination. But widowed far too young, and exhausted from juggling the hotel with being a dedicated single mom, Hattie Coleman dreams only of making it through each day.
When Erica, Claudia and Anna—lifelong friends who seem to have it all—check in for a girlfriends’ book club holiday, it changes everything. Their close friendship and shared love of books have carried them through life's ups and downs. But Hattie can see they're also packing some major emotional baggage, and nothing prepares her for how deeply her own story is about to become entwined in theirs.
Happy Thanksgiving!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Wishing you a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope you have time to enjoy some good books this holiday weekend.
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Thankfulness -- BOOK NOTES
BOOK NOTES
A Thankfulness Stack
It’s Thanksgiving week, so I’ve put together a thankfulness stack to remind me to focus on my blessings, be content, give thanks, and show gratitude. I love Thanksgiving and the entire Thanksgiving holiday weekend. It's is a time of reflection for me, and filled with nostalgia. Thanksgiving is also the gateway to Christmas, which I really love.
🦃 The Blessing by Nancy Mitford🦃 A Little Book of Japanese Contentments by Erin Niimi Longhurst
🦃 Thank You for Smoking* by Christopher Buckley
🦃 Gratitude: Reflections on What We Owe to Our Country by William F. Buckley
I haven't read The Blessing yet. I picked this one for the title. I love Nancy Mitford, though, so I look forward to this one, which is described as her most autobiographical novel.
A Little Book of Japanese Contentments is one I really enjoyed. The author looks to Japanese traditions like "forest bathing" and wabi-sabi to gently advise on how to be more grounded and live in the present. The modernist, Japanese-style illustrations make the book beautiful and a good gift idea.
Thank You for Smoking may seem like dark satire for a post about thankfulness, but it’s actually right on point. My husband, also a lawyer, spent a big chunk of his career litigating cases for Philip Morris. Around our house, there’s more truth to that title than we care to acknowledge.
The William Buckley book, Gratitude, is still on my TBR shelf but one I'd very much like to read. I think I might read it over Thanksgiving weekend.
For my fellow Thanksgiving celebrants, what are your plans? My husband and I are on our own this year and plan to have a very laidback holiday. We certainly are not cooking a turkey dinner for the two of us! We are going to get lobsters from the tank at the Chinese grocery store. And I will be avoiding Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the rest of it, like I do every year.
Also, as is the tradition around our house, I'll go to the tree lot and get our Christmas tree on Saturday or Sunday. I no longer make my husband crawl around in the Oregon mud to cut our own tree, but I still insist on a fresh tree.
Thursday, November 21, 2024
Death and Croissants by Ian Moore -- BOOK BEGINNINGS
BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
Death and Croissants by Ian Moore
Thank you for joining me for Book Beginnings on Fridays. Please share the opening sentence (or so) of the book you are reading this week. You can also share from a book that caught your fancy, even if you are not reading it right now.
MY BOOK BEGINNING
Is there anything in this world quite as joyless a muesli?-- from Death and Croissants by Ian Moore. Good question! I'd answer no. For reasons lost in time, the word muesli makes my sister and I laugh every time we hear it. So this opening sentence grabbed me immediately.
Death and Croissants is the first book in a series of cozy and funny mysteries set in the Loire Valley of France. The protagonist is an Englishman running a B&B outside a French village who gets caught up in a potential murder investigation. His sidekick is a beautiful woman with an overdeveloped sense of adventure. Just what Richard needs to take his mind off his failing marriage and absent wife.
I turned to this one because I am so enjoying Martin Walker's Bruno, Chief of Police series, also set in a remote French village. While I wait for my library hold to come in on the next Bruno book, I turned to Ian Moore. I just finished the audiobook -- read by the author -- and loved it.
The Friday 56 is a natural tie-in with Book Beginnings. The idea is to share a two-sentence teaser from page 56 of your featured book. If you are reading an ebook or audiobook, find your teaser from the 56% mark.
Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.
MY FRIDAY 56
-- from Death and Croissants:
YOUR BOOK BEGINNINGS
Please add the link to your Book Beginnings post in the box below. If you share on social media, please use the #bookbeginnings hashtag.Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here!
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.
If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.
THE FRIDAY 56
Freda at Freda's Voice started and hosted The Friday 56 for a long, long time. She is taking a break and Anne at My Head is Full of Books has taken on hosting duties in her absence. Please visit Anne's blog and link to your Friday 56 post.
MY FRIDAY 56
-- from Death and Croissants:
Her reply came dismissively in English, like a haughty Parisian waiter, bringing both annoyance and relief in equal measure. But with it came a friendly shrug, too, and all in an accent that in just one sentence veered from parody to femme fatale and back again.
FROM THE PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION
Meet Richard Ainsworth: an almost divorced part time B&B owner, part time film historian, full time self-deprecator. Hoping to continue running his B&B in the quiet Val de Follet, he has no idea of its hidden intrigue, from the mafia to swingers, to the peddling of (il)legal grape seeds. His quiet has flown the coop on a fateful afternoon with a bloody handprint, a missing guest, and one dead Ava Gardner (beloved hen).
Death and Croissants is an unputdownable, hilarious mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
