Hello! After a short break, it’s great to be back and I have lots to share. To start with, my review of the last month of 2022…it already seems far away now.
Literature
This month saw the conclusion of the Dark Is Rising Readalong, as well as a new event, Dean Street December, which got me to delve into the backlog on my e-reader. I also managed to finish and post about my last Make Me Read It selection, which was a good accomplishment (and thank you for the incentive). All of these were wonderful reads for the season, along with some other fiction and nonfiction that I picked up along the way.
Have you read any of these? What were your top reads this month?
- How to Order the Universe by María José Ferrada (translated by Elizabeth Bryer) – Around the World
- The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté
- Apricot Sky by Ruby Ferguson – Dean Street December
- The Country Child by Alison Uttley
- Clothes-Pegs by Susan Scarlett – Dean Street December
- Mrs. Lorimer’s Quiet Summer by Molly Clavering – Dean Street December
- Five Windows by D.E.Stevenson – Dean Street December
- The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry
- Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper – Dark Is Rising readalong
- The Woods in Winter by Stella Gibbons – Dean Street December
- Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve by Stanley Rosenberg
- Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
- Spindle and Dagger by J. Anderson Coats
Language
Nothing new to report this month, just finishing up the semester with my English students. In January, I want to work on my own German learning … wish me luck with that.
Life
December is always so busy, but this year seemed particularly hectic for some reason. There were performances to take part in and attend, gifts to assemble, holiday celebrations to plan, and when Christmas rolled around, I wasn’t ready for it. My husband received one of a pair of gloves as his present; I hope I can get the other done before winter is over!
Life-related posts I shared this month included:
- I’m now on Mastodon – please follow me here if you are too!
- My Functional Medicine Journey, Part IV: Finished?
- My final One Word post: Everything is connected
How was your holiday? I hope it brought you some peace amidst all the busyness.
Linked at The Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, the Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, and the Monthly Wrap-up Round-up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Welcome back! Though of course you’ve never been truly away. 🙂 Viel Glück with your progress in German, I wish I’d had an excuse or reason to learn it before now.
Christmas for us? We had family around a couple of days later but managed to give a lightning surprise visit to a daughter and family on the day itself in their new home, which was delightful. We haven’t got round to taking down decorations yet although it’s past Epiphany, but it’ll happen.
I had a look at your link to your mini-review of Parry’s The Magician’s Daughter and am intrigued, but of your other titles I’ve only read as you know the Uttley and the Cooper.
Still, I’m pleased I managed a tally of 74 titles read and reviewed in 2022 though I’ve opted for a less hectic 52 this year in the hopes I’ll get some longer novels under my belt!
The Magician’s Daughter was a fun read! Although comparisons to DWJ were more wishful thinking than reality, in my opinion.
Your reading and reviewing is always impressive, whatever the numbers may be. Glad you got to take a break for some family time, and may the decorations put themselves away when you’re not looking (some post-Christmas elves would be handy, wouldn’t they?)
Hi Lory,
Looks like a great reading month for you. I haven’t read any of the titles. I am checking some of your reviews to see if any are interesting. If not, titles stay a bit in my subconscious and when I visit the bookstore or libraries, I may locate some. And even if I don’t read most books, I still enjoy the reviews.
I’m like that too, often titles I see on other blogs percolate in the subconscious for quite a while before I actually pick them up. This was certainly a rich and varied month and I hope you find something that piques your interest.
I didn’t realize that the Margery Sharp and D. E. Stevenson titles I’d picked up last year for my e-reader are both Dean Street books. I am glad to hear that they are light but rich reads. Maybe I will get to them next December.
Christmas was complex this year, with my dad’s wife in the hospital for many days and then caring for her after she returned home. We managed to see many of our family and friends, but we, sadly, didn’t get to go around with our usual cookie delights for our special family and friends who don’t get out a lot. Maybe we will make that something we will do this year in January.
Cookies in January sounds delightful! I always get a bit overwhelmed by all the treats in December.
Looks like you a great month!
Wishing you a great reading week
Thanks Shellyrae, you too!
I have only one mitten that I knitted. I need to finish the other one so I have a pair.
Have a great January reading month.
Thanks, hope you can finish before winter is out.
all of your reads look very interesting. i may add some to my tbr
Nice, I hope you do.
Firekeeper’s Daughter was my favorite book of the year when it was published. I loved it so much that when the author came to my town’s library, I sat front row to listen to her speak. Then I waited for her to sign my copy. She has a movie deal for that book as well as another book due out in May this year, also set in the UP of Michigan.
Ooh, I bet she’s a dynamic speaker. I saw the sequel is coming out, it looks great too.
No, I haven’t read any of these.
Gorgeous knitting!
I’m late here, trying to catch up with blog posts I missed a few months ago.
I had 3 awesome books in December: https://wordsandpeace.com/2023/01/02/2022-december-wrap-up/
Better late than never! Glad you had a good reading month in December. I’ve made some progress on the second glove but I’m still not done.