2021 Reading Review

According to my records, I finished 167 books in 2021. Goodreads lists my total as 166 books, totaling 52,504 pages. The shortest was a 30-page story by Julia Keller, the longest a mystery by Elizabeth George (718 pages).

I know that I missed quite a few, so that number may be at least a dozen higher, as I forgot to post re-reads and neglect to include a picture book or two. I managed to track 17 re-reads. Of those 167 books, 130 belonged to some kind of book series. I read 113 of the titles in e-book format, listened to at least one audiobook, and 23 of the books are titles I own. 

Female authors dominated my reading again, with 120 books written by women, 31 by men, and 16 titles were written by both genders. 

Genres By the Numbers

Romance - 29

Mystery - 98

SciFi/Fantasy/Paranormal - 5

Non-Fiction - 8

Young Adult/Children - 6

Authors I read the most:

Charles Todd- 15

Kerry Greenwood - 15

Elizabeth George - 10

Anna Lee Huber - 8

Jill Churchill - 4 

Elmore Leonard - 4

Julia Keller - 4 (all short stories)

Lorraine Heath - 4

Craig Johnson - 3

Susan Elia MacNeal - 3

For 2022, I vow to take better notes as I read, as I struggled to come up with my favorite books of the year. It took some research and digging to spark my memory.

Top Reads

Louise Penny: "The Madness of Crowds" and "All the Devils are Here"

The latest titles in Penny's Inspector Gamache series. I love the characters.

William Kent Krueger: "Lightning Strike"

This is a prequel to the Corky O'Connor series and it was fantastic. 

John Sandford: "Ocean Prey" 

This book is a continuation of Sandford's Prey series, about police detective Lucas Davenport, but is also part of his Virgil Flowers series. 2022 will bring a new series, based on the adopted daughter of Davenport, who readers first meet and then "watch grow up in the Prey series.

Jacqueline Winspear: "The Consequences of Fear"

This is the latest in her Maisie Dobbs series. I also enjoyed Winspear's memoir, "This Time Next Year We'll Be Laughing".

Sally Thorne: "99 Percent Mine"

A contemporary romance, which is not usually my favorite genre, but I enjoyed the chemistry between the leads. 

Julia Keller: "Evening Street"

This is a short story in her Bell Elkins series, set in West Virginia. It was intense and a bit heartbreaking, much like the longer titles in the series.

Charles Todd

I devoured titles in two series by Todd, totaling 15 books or short stories in 2021. Both series are set in England and/or France around the time of the first World War. One follows a police detective with severe PTSD, the other a nurse. Written by a  mother/son duo, the books are utterly riveting. Sadly, 2021 claimed the maternal half of the team. I know there will be at least one more title, and hope the son will carry on.  

It feels like I was on a reading rut for most of 2021, as I struggled to focus. I also found myself disappointed in new books by romance authors whose past books I loved. 

My Wisconsin library card expired with the year, which means I won't have access to as many titles as I used to. I managed to transfer most of my reading wish list from my WI account to Goodreads. My Hancock library card comes with access to four Michigan digital library systems, but those can't compete with Wisconsin's system, which covered the whole state. I used to know several people who worked in Wisconsin libraries, but most have either retired or moved on to other jobs. I know there are other library systems that don't require proof of residency for a library card. I plan to join a few in 2022, in hopes of gaining back access to more titles. 

Using a library card easily saves me several thousands  each year, not just by borrowing books instead of buying them, but also movies or TV shows still available on DVD that I don't have streaming access for. Watching something on the screen helps make folding laundry and washing dishes semi-tolerable. 

So far, I am two books in to 2022. One new to me title, and a re-read. Several of my holds will become available soon, and I am eagerly awaiting the latest title in the Outlander series. 

One of my goals for 2022 is to weed my book collection, but as I like to read a book one last time before deciding to set it free, this will take some time. I do hope to read at least one book a month that has lingered on my shelves unread for far too long. There are also too many titles (16) in my Goodreads "Currently Reading" stack that need to be finished. Perhaps those books will become part of my 2022 goal of 144 titles. 

Random bits of poetry

 While looking through my now barely-used Twitter profile, I came across haiku and a few other bits of verse. 

When still, my great lake

Reflects a calm myriad...

Superior blues

A sunlit sandbar

Waves rippling with molten gold

Feels like paradise

Lilacs and Lupines 

Bloom in my favorite shades 

Brightening my day

Lilac and Lupine

Blooms mark the seasons changing 

From spring to summer.

The rising sun shines

Over Lake Superior 

In a silver streak

The sun bruised the sky,

Rising over distant hills.

Light left in its wake.

Watch the rising sun

Chase away each twinkling star

I once wished upon.

Restless, 

I slip out.

Escaping my solitude,

Seeking more.

Moon called.

Looking up into the darkness, I see stars glittering.

And a Dipper overhead, tilted

As if it is responsible for releasing the sparkling snow in my winter wonderland.

The waning moon rose

With a golden, harvest glow

Fading to silver.

My 2020 in Books

 

I read 284 books in 2020.

Yes, that’s a new record and a crazy high number. While I try to avoid reading a book again, 2020 called for comfort, and what can be more comfortable than diving back into a favorite book again? 

So at least 41 of those titles were re-reads.

I struggled with the loneliness of isolation in 2020, and books served as an escape from a reality. Combine that with VERY low energy levels and sprawling about with a book or my tablet let me feel like I was at least accomplishing something.

Twenty-four of the books were titles I own. The rest I borrowed from my libraries. If you are not using your local library, get out there and get a library card ASAP. More than 160 of the books I read were e-books (because my library was closed for nearly three months). 

At least 230 of the books I read were part of a series. I tend to mostly read female authors, so only 36 of the books I read  were written by men, while two were written by multiple authors. I read 21 books by Charles Todd, a pseudonym for a mother/son writing team.

More By the Numbers:

Approximate pages read: 94,193 (about 257 pages a day)

Average length of a book: 331 pages

Longest Book: 876 pages (Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati)

Shortest Book: 32 pages (The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld)

Mystery: 120

Romance: 52

Non-Fiction: 11

Sci Fi/Fantasy/Paranormal: 47

Young Adult/Children: 21

Novellas: 9

Authors I read the most:

Charles Todd - 21

Patricia Briggs – 18 (almost all re-reads)

Charlaine Harris – 11 (all re-reads)

C.S. Harris – 10

Karin Slaughter – 10 (The Grant County and Will Trent series)

Sara Donati – 8

Sophie Jordan – 6

Susan Elia MacNeal – 7

Chloe Neill – 7

Julia Quinn – 6 (five re-reads in anticipation of Bridgerton dropping on Netflix)

Julia McElwain - 5

Carola Dunn- 5

Kerry Greenwood – 5

Beverly Jenkins – 5

Craig Johnson – 5

Molly Harper - 5

Rachel Caine- 5

 

Top Books/Series of 2020 

(in no particular order)

The Inspector Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd

Both are set in the UK and Europe in the 1910s. Ian is a Scotland Yard detective and veteran who is haunted by the war. Bess is a nurse dedicated to her patients who gets pulled into solving mysteries. Both are utterly amazing. I confess to staggering out my library holds so I don't have too long a wait before I can dive into the next titles.

The Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson

I’ve read the first five books and binge-watched the series on Netflix.

 

Sebastian St. Cyr series by C.S. Harris

I started this mystery series in 2019, and caught up to the author this year. Set in Great Britain in the Regency period, the series begins with the heir of a nobleman who has to prove his innocence in a murder, then goes on to solve cases, losing and finding love along the way.

The Maggie Hope series by Susan Elia MacNeal

Another discovery in 2020 is this series set in the UK during WWII, following a British woman raised in the USA who works for Winston Churchill and eventually becomes a spy.

 

The Kendra Donovan series by Julie McElwain

I confess to being a complete sucker for time travel stories. This is part romance/part mystery featuring an FBI agent who stumbles back in time.

Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

Book 6 in her The Ravenels series, with lead characters I really enjoyed.

 

Bone on Bone by Julia Keller

The latest in her Bell Elkins series, set in West Virginia.  Keller won a Pulitzer and her writing grabs you by the short hairs and holds on.

 

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny

The latest in her Armand Garmache series. I cannot recommend these books enough.

 

The Wilderness and Gilded Age series by Sara Donati

I read the first book in her Gilded Age series and could NOT put it down. So engrossing, I almost forgot to eat. The Wilderness series is written about the ancestors of the two women featured in the GA series, starting in Upper New York in the 1790s and ending after the War of 1812. Hannah and Curiosity in the Wilderness series are my favorite characters.

 

The Daisy Dalrymple series by Carola Dunn

A cozy mystery series set in the UK post WWI starring a female aristocrat who finds herself entangled in murder mysteries. Delightful.

 

The Scarred Woman by Jussi Adler-Olsen

A police procedural sent in Denmark (and translated from Danish) about a jaded detective given charge of the cold case files because no one else wants to work with him. I started this series in 2019, and am slowly catching up to the author. DARK stories, but excellent.

 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

A debut novel that I  found FUN to read.

 

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams

I love historical mysteries and this has intrigue, romance and amazing characters.

 

Hate to Want You, Wrong to Need You, and Hurts to Love You by Alisha Rai

A contemporary romance trilogy that does SUCH an excellent job talking about mental health issues as many of the characters struggle with them. I loved them, especially the second one.

 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

A young adult romance trilogy that inspired two Netflix movies. Delightful and fun.

2017 in Books

 Quick summary of books I read in 2017

By the Numbers:

Total Books: 216

Mystery: 35

Romance: 95

Non-Fiction: 8

Sci Fi/Fantasy/Paranormal:  32

Young Adult/Children:    21

Novellas: 4

Anthologies: 5

Re-reads: 13

Books in a series: 139

 

Authors Read the Most:

Sophie Jordan: 13

Lorraine Heath: 8

Kristen Callihan: 8

William Kent Krueger: 8

Sarah MacLean: 8

Victoria Dahl: 7

Rhys Bowen: 6

Jennifer Estep: 6

Julie Kenner: 6

Vivian Arend: 6

Maureen Johnson: 5

 

 Best of 2017:

“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah

“The Last Hellion” by Loretta Chase

“Salt to the Sea” by Ruta Sepetys

“The Hook Up” by Kristen Callihan

“Still Life” by Louise Penny (and other titles in the Inspector Gamache series. SO good.)

“A Study in Charlotte” by Brittany Cavallaro (and other titles in her gender reversed and younger series inspired by  Sherlock Holmes)

“Do You Want to Start a Scandal” by Tessa Dare

“The Name of the Star” by Maureen Johnson (first in her “Shades of London” series)

"The Day of the Duchess” by Sarah MacLean (somehow she took a man who was a total alpha-hole and redeemed him)

“Someone to Love”, “Someone to Hold”, and “Someone to Wed" by Mary Balogh

“Ordinary Grace” by William Kent Krueger (but also titles in his Cork O’Connor series)

“Etched in Bone” by Anne Bishop (part of her Others series)

 

Honorable Mentions: books by Julia Keller, Sophie Jordan, Eloisa James, Sabrina Jeffries, and Lisa Kleypas

My 2016 Reading Round-Up

 

By the time the clock strikes midnight and marks the end of 2016, I will have read more than 240 titles in 2016, a number that sounds more impressive than it truly is.

Some were short stories or novellas, others were children’s books or titles published for the young adult market. And only a dozen of the books were non-fiction. In years past, many of the books I read were titles read for the second (or third or more) time. This year, only four books qualified as a re-read.

Reading can be an expensive hobby if one does not take advantage of an amazing community resource — the public library. Most of the books I read in 2016 were titles checked out from libraries, and I checked out more than 70 of those titles digitally. If you have an e-reader, download the Overdrive app and start checking out e-books too.

This year, the majority of the books I devoured belonged to a series, more than 150 titles. I discovered eight new series this year. I also fell in love with a book translated from Spanish and continue to add titles to my reading wish list on Goodreads.com. With more than 1,000 books on the list, I long for a job that pays me to read.

 2016 by the Numbers:

Total Books: 242

Mystery: 41

Romance: 85

Non-Fiction: 12

Sci Fi/Fantasy/Paranormal:  43

Young Adult/Children:   28

Novellas: 5

Re-reads: 4

Books in a series: 162

 

Authors Read the Most:

Jennifer Estep: 13

Kevin Hearne: 12

Lauren Willig: 11

William Kent Krueger: 9

Susan Albert Wittig: 6

Julia Keller: 5

Victoria Dahl: 5

Here are 12 of the books I read in 2016 that continue to resonate with me.

 “A Killing in the Hills” by Julia Keller

 The first in Keller’s Bell Elkins mystery series, it features an attorney who moved back to her hometown in West Virginia and juggles single parenthood with serving as the district attorney. Keller is a Pulitzer-prize winning writer and former journalist who grew up in West Virginia. The books offer a dark tone and Keller’s love for her home state shines through. I devoured every book in the series and now seek to get my hands on the novellas that accompany the series.

 

“Everyone Brave is Forgiven” by Chris Cleave

 An epic tale set in Great Britain during World War II, the book features a heartbreaking love triangle centered around a young woman of privilege who wishes to serve her country. I could not put it down.

 

“Bad Feminist” by Roxane Gay

 A collection of funny and insightful essays from a writer, professor, editor and commentator. The essays include her take on Scrabble, growing up as a woman of color, pop culture and more. I admit my bias with this title, the author and I have friends in common as she also attended Michigan Technological University as a graduate student.

 

“The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah

 Another tale set during World War II, this time featuring two sisters living in the Nazi-occupied French countryside. The war tests the sisters’ relationship and finds them discovering new depths of bravery and sacrifice. Tears streamed down my cheeks while I finished it.

   

“The Legend of Lyon Redmond” by Julie Anne Long

 The 11th and final book in Long’s Pennyroyal Green series, featuring two feuding families and their friends in a small community in the English countryside. I devoured the first nine books in the series in 2015 and could not wait to get my hands on the final two. If you like romance, I highly recommend starting with the first book, “The Perils of Pleasure,” so you can better appreciate the “legend” revealed in this title.

 

“Written in Red” by Anne Bishop

 The first Bishop’s “Others” series set in an alternative world that resembles our own, only in this one shapeshifters, vampires and other creatures exist and are in charge of the resources. The series revolves around a young woman who can see the future, and runs away from those who exploit her gift. She finds a sanctuary among the “Others.” I enjoy books with a paranormal twist, and look forward to March, when the fifth book in the series should be released.

 

“Die for Me” by Amy Plum

 I love books set in the City of Lights, and this paranormal tale featuring a young woman who moves there after losing her parents hooked me from the start. If you know someone who liked the “Twilight” series, suggest this book to them. The writing and characters are superb.

   

“Iron Lake” by William Kent Krueger

 I enjoy mysteries and really love these thrilling books set in the Midwest. This is the first title in the “Cork O’Connor” series set in Northern Minnesota. I am now halfway through the series, as book 16 will come out in September 2017. The lead character is a former sheriff who is part Irish and part Anishinaabe Indian. A father of three, he delves into the darker side of his community in search of the truth.

 

“Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things” by Jenny Lawson

 The second book by the woman also known as “The Bloggess,” it takes readers on a journey through her mental health struggles and triumphs. I traveled to Milwaukee last year to meet Lawson during her book tour. I also follow her on Twitter and Facebook and her blog posts both speak to my soul and make me howl with laughter. I recommend listening to the audiobook version, read by the author.

 

“The Paris Winter” by Imogen Robertson

 A dark tale set in Belle Époque, Paris featuring a woman struggling as an art student who takes on a job to help makes ends meet that turns her life into a nightmare.

 

“Broken Harbor” by Tana French

 The fourth book in French’s “Dublin Murder Squad” series, this novel blends a police procedural with a psychological thriller as a detective and his partner try to solve the murder of a father and two children in a crime that left the mother in the hospital as a possible suspect. A brilliantly written book that leaves the reader haunted.

  

“The Little Paris Bookshop” by Nina George

 This book starts in Paris when a bookseller who calls himself a “literary apothecary” finally opens a letter from his great love, the only thing she left behind when she left him. He hauls anchor on his floating bookstore on a barge and sets out for the south of France, prescribing just the book a person needs to heal, but unable to heal himself.

 

“The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

 Translated from Zafon’s original Spanish, this book features the son of an antiquarian book dealer. Set in Barcelona, a city still healing from the Spanish Civil War, the boy finds solace in a book written by a mysterious author. While seeking other titles by the author, the boy uncovers dark secrets of murder, madness and love.

 

These books represent just a fraction of the titles I read in 2016. My reading goals for 2017 include putting a bigger dent in the piles of books on my own bookshelves or in my e-reader that wait for me to crack open the cover. I plan to read more non-fiction in 2017 and continue to discover new authors and books that pull me in and don’t let go.

 What are you reading?

Take Time to Smell the Flowers

 Inspired by an art installation featuring a Mary Cassatt painting, here are floral close-ups from my lovely neighbor Bridget’s garden.

My attempt at fanfic

My first stab at HP fic. Hope you enjoy it.  Written sometime before 2005. 

With only the light from the doorway behind her, Lily stood next to the crib, watching over her son.
It was humbling how fiercely she loved him. Harry looked so much like James, especially in his sleep, the dark hair, the way his lips pursed, already with a thick line of lush lashes that she envied.

When she’d carried him under her heart, and first felt that fluttering inside as he moved, she had loved him. Holding him for the first time, she had fallen in love with him. Little Harry had stolen her heart, just as his father had.

For a moment, Lily wished there was a way for them to escape the madness, find a refuge in the Muggle world where Harry could grow up to play soccer. He certainly could kick.

Lily was tired.
Tired of the uncertainty she’d felt since Dumbledore had told them of the prophecy. Tired of the running…the hiding. What frightened her most, though, was how vulnerable she felt since Harry was born, no longer sheltered within in her. Her chest tightened as she vowed to do anything she could to keep him safe.

Her eyes took in his cherubic face, and she smiled as his lips smacked in his sleep. Perhaps Harry was dreaming about his next meal. She’d had to stop nursing last week, after they’d had to leave in the middle of the night. Dumbledore had sent word that too many knew where they were.
She missed nursing, the connection it gave her to her son. Using bottles was a hassle, though she knew it would be more so if she were a Muggle. Bottle-feeding gave James a chance to nurture his son, plus it let him share in the late feedings while she tried to get some sleep.
Lily continued to watch over Harry, her heart seeming to beat in time with the rise and fall of his chest.

The light dimmed, and a floorboard creaked as James came up behind her, hands sliding along her waist.
She leaned back into him, smiling softly as her head rested on his shoulder, nestling into that familiar spot against his neck.
Peace washed over her.
No matter what was going on in the world, for tonight, there were safe.


James looked into the crib at his son, smiling. While people said Harry was the spitting image of him, he saw Lily in the way Harry slept- arms up next to his head, elbows bent so that his tiny fists pressed against his head near his ears, as if ready to block out any noise that might disturb his sleep. He’d caught Lily sleeping like that last night as he slipped back into bed after the 2 a.m. feeding. She’d kicked off the covers, and her raised arms pulled up the t-shirt she wore to bed. Thinking of it had James tighten his arms around Lily, reaching up to cup her breasts in his hands.

Lily smiled a flash of brightness in the dim room. She tilted her head to give him access, shivering as his breath whispered along her neck, biting her lip as the warm wetness of his tongue traced her earlobe. The stubble on his face sent sparks through her, tightening things deep inside her.
She slowly let out her breath as his beloved, familiar voice whispered
“It’s time for bed.”
Lily turned, followed him toward the light, holding tight to his hand and smiling at the promise in his eyes that they wouldn’t be falling asleep any time soon.