Challenge: 50 Books discussion

I set the intention to choose reading this year over other activities that either drain my energy or are a waste of time (mindless TV, scrolling, etc.) with less of a focus on how many books I actually read. My primary goal is to just enjoy reading again at a time when intentional escapes and distraction are still needed. :)

Currently Reading
Purgatory Ridge

Emma wrote: "I set the intention to choose reading this year over other activities that either drain my energy or are a waste of time (mindless TV, scrolling, etc.) with less of a focus on how many books I actu..."

Sounds like a great plan! Good luck!

Tiffany wrote: "Emma wrote: "I set the intention to choose reading this year over other activities that either drain my energy or are a waste of time (mindless TV, scrolling, etc.) with less of a focus on how many..."

Thanks!

1. Purgatory Ridge

2. Dear Mrs. Bird I really needed something light hearted and this was perfect! This was my first by AJ Pearce and I'm excited to continue reading her backlog as I focus on lighter reads this winter.

Currently Reading
The Little Paris Bookshop

3. The Little Paris Bookshop

Currently listening to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and reading Yours Cheerfully and re-reading The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith - this is becoming an annual re-read for me, it seems. :)

4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

5. Yours Cheerfully

Currently reading
The Cracked Spine

Emma wrote: "I set the intention to choose reading this year over other activities that either drain my energy or are a waste of time (mindless TV, scrolling, etc.) with less of a focus on how many books I actu..."

I have a similar intention- I definitely spend too much time scrolling or watching videos! I'd like to start spending more time reading- good luck with your goal! =)

Thanks! Good luck to you, too! I'm already finding that I love this goal and it's bringing more joy to my reading life. 😊

6. The Cracked Spine

Currently Reading
Her Hidden Genius

7. Her Hidden Genius

I'm naming this reading year the Year of Fierce Women. I'm intrigued recently by the many untold stories of strong and powerful women and want to bring more of that genre into my life this year - and all the time!

I'm also setting the goal to read all the works of the Bronte sisters this year. I've only read Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre (an all-time favorite!) and would like to re-read those and the rest of Emily, Anne, and Charlotte's work.

Emma wrote: "I'm naming this reading year the Year of Fierce Women. I'm intrigued recently by the many untold stories of strong and p..."

Ooh, I like that!

If you haven't already, you might want to look at Outsiders: Five Women Writers Who Changed the World. Rereading my review, I had some problems with it, but overall, these were Fierce Women.

Tiffany wrote: "Emma wrote: "I'm naming this reading year the Year of Fierce Women. I'm intrigued recently by the many untold stories of strong and p..."

Ooh, I like that!

If you haven't already, you might want ..."
Love it! Thanks for the recommendation!

8. Of Books and Bagpipes

9. The Magnolia Palace So so good and then the end fell flat - way too tidy of an ending, felt like the author just kind of gave up.

Currently Reading
Lost Books and Old Bones This has become a reliably well done and warm cozy to balance my other reads.
Why Woo-Woo Works: The Surprising Science Behind Meditation, Reiki, Crystals, and Other Alternative Practices

10. Lost Books and Old Bones

Currently Reading
The people we meet on vacation and still Why Woo-Woo Works: The Surprising Science Behind Meditation, Reiki, Crystals, and Other Alternative Practices

11. People We Meet on Vacation

Looking to have my next book be in the Fierce and Formidable Female category, but I'm at the mercy of the library so we'll see what catches my eye today. :)

12. Death in Bloom

13. Beautiful Little Fools

14. The Loch Ness Papers

15. The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova

Currently Reading
The Tobacco Wives

16. The Tobacco Wives Loved! And fit the bill for Fierce and Formidable Women

Need some fluff so currently reading
The Stolen Letter and just got Truly Devious on audio. Learned about it from Modern Mrs. Darcy so I'm looking forward to it!

17. The Stolen Letter

18. The Women of the Copper Country LOVED! Another great (unintentional) read for my Fierce and Formidable Women category.

Currently Reading
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post So far so good!

19. The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post I enjoyed the story and learning about the expansive reach Marjorie Post had but this started to read like a laundry list of her achievements, moves from house to house, and husbands with less and less fictionalized emotional detail as the book went on. An enjoyable read but I wish it had more depth, even if speculative.

20. How to Find Love in a Bookshop My book club chose this one and I'm so glad they did! Charming and enchanting with the perfect amount of rom-com storylines and reality. And the setting! Adorable and extremely 'picturable'. Definitely a new favorite author for when I need lighter reads.

Currently Reading
Sisters of Night and Fog: A WWII Novel

My library holds seem to be dictating my reading lately... :)

Emma wrote: "7. Her Hidden Genius

I'm naming this reading year the Year of Fierce Women. I'm intrigued recently by the many untold stories of strong and p..."

I love the idea of a Year of Fierce Women

Cornerofmadness wrote: "Emma wrote: "7. Her Hidden Genius

I'm naming this reading year the Year of Fierce Women. I'm intrigued recently by the many untold stories of..."

Thanks! It's brought some wonderful books my way and made for enlightening reading. Feel free to steal. ;D

Emma wrote: "Cornerofmadness wrote: "Emma wrote: "7. Her Hidden Genius

I'm naming this reading year the Year of Fierce Women. I'm intrigued recently by th..."

thanks I did

21. The Forever House

22. The Beach Hut

23. The Garden of Forgotten Wishes I gave up 80 pages to the end but decided to count anyway since I was so close and this was a truly arduous task to get even that far....

24. Happiness for Beginners

All very light and easy going reads but matched the mood I was looking for and besides the 1 all enjoyable and featuring nice stories, well developed and likable characters.

Currently Reading A Home From Home . Love the setting and story, deliberately going slow so it doesn't end too soon. :)

Emma wrote: "Currently Reading A Home From Home A Home From Home by Veronica Henry . Love the setting and story, deliberately going slow so it doesn't end too soon. :)]"

I don't think I could do that. :-)

Alex wrote: "Emma wrote: "Currently Reading A Home From Home A Home From Home by Veronica Henry . Love the setting and story, deliberately going slow so it doesn't end too soon. :)]"

I don't think I could do t..."

hahaha I didn't succeed.... :D

25. A Home From Home

26. Wild Oats

Apparently I need escapism because I keep picking up other reads only to be drawn back to Veronica Henry and friends. :)

Currently Reading
The Midnight Hour and still Happy Days: The Guided Path from Trauma to Profound Freedom and Inner Peace in between.

27. The Midnight Hour

28. A Night on the Orient Express

29. Bloomsbury Girls

30. Letters to a Starseed: Messages and Activations for Remembering Who You Are and Why You Came Here

Currently Reading
The Last Dance of the Debutante and Rise Sister Rise: A Guide to Unleashing the Wise, Wild Woman Within

31. The Last Dance of the Debutante I so wanted to love this book, but I felt like the last 1/4 was written by a completely different author and it was a different book entirely. I also started to realize half way through that her style may just not be a good fit because she continued to clearly spell out every last nuance of a character's motivation and the reasons behind their motivation that it left the experience lacking with no work left for me to do. No thinking because she had done it all for me. In looking back at my notes from her previous novel, I had similar thoughts.

32. Chakra Healing: A Beginner's Guide to Self-Healing Techniques that Balance the Chakras

33. Death Stalks Door County

34. Blood Hollow

Currently Reading
In the Company of Witches

A very slow reading season for me, but I'm ok with that. It's been hard to focus and life has been busy so right now it's a nice escape. :)

35. Rise Sister Rise: A Guide to Unleashing the Wise, Wild Woman Within

36. Buried in a Good Book

37. In the Company of Witches

38. Netherwood

39. The Locked Room

40. Spells for Forgetting

Currently Reading
The Matchmaker's Gift and loving it!

41. The Matchmaker's Gift

42. The Girl in His Shadow

43. Marple: Twelve New Mysteries

44. Murder at Mallowan Hall

45. A Trace of Poison

Currently Reading
Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I
and Do Less: The Unexpected Strategy for Women to Get More of What They Want in Work and Life

46. Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I

A slow end to the year. I find myself picking up a book just to only read a few chapters and then forget about it. 46 may be it but I'll be happy with that since we moved this year and seemed to always have a ton going on.

Since my attention is so scattered as of late, I think I'll cap it off here with 46 books for the year.

My goals at the beginning of the year were to focus on reading books featuring fierce, formidable female characters or real-life women and my reading list delivered! I read about 17 that I would categorize as featuring Fierce and Formidable Females but almost every book I read this year includes a strong female character.

I also had a goal to read all the Bronte novels and here is where I got off track completely. :/ I learned that having a specific 'list' goal doesn't work for me because it 1. starts to feel like a chore to have to follow it, and 2. I like to read according to my mood, the seasons, etc. and trying to read to a list doesn't usually feel good.
Lesson learned. :D

This was my first time having a focus for my reading choices and I really enjoyed it. It had me looking at and for stories that I may not have otherwise gravitated toward and I think I'll do the same for 2023. Goals to come!

Emma wrote: "Since my attention is so scattered as of late, I think I'll cap it off here with 46 books for the year.

My goals at the beginning of the year were to focus on reading books featuring fierce, form..."

Emma, this is awesome! It's so great that you read about Fierce and Formidable Females, and that you learned about yourself and your reading habits. It sounds like a very successful year!