Another reading post! This seems to be the thing I am writing about most and it will not surprise you to learn that I have already met my reading goal of 50 books for 2024. I have reset the goal to 60 and I am on track for meeting that by the end of the year. I have currently read 56 (although Austin thinks this number is incorrect as 26 of them are audiobooks! As I say to anyone who wants to listen: audiobooks count!).
This is what is in my reading pile for the next couple of months. There is a great mix of genres with fantasy, poetry, non-fiction, children’s and classics all taken care of. I also know that I always have more than one format on the go so my Kindle read will be the one I read at night before going to sleep and the audiobook will be listened to on dog walks or in the car.
Kindle: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden – I have already started reading this and I am about 15% in. Set in Russia, this fairytale style story is full of atmosphere and enchantment. It is perfect winter reading and I am thoroughly enjoying it so far.
Audible: Letters from Father Christmas by J. R. R Tolkien. I have just chosen this short audiobook as I realised I didn’t really have any Christmas reading on my list. This collection of letters were written by Tolkien to his children when they wrote to Father Christmas. I think they will put my own fairy and elf letters to shame! The fact that the audiobook is read by the wonderful Derek Jacobi is a definite bonus!
Physical books:
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle – I bought this classic novella from Murder and Mayhem, a superb mystery and thriller bookshop in Hay-on-Wye when we visited in October. I have never read it but I have enjoyed other Sherlock Holmes stories.
The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry and The Iron Wolf by Ted Hughes: I picked up these collections of poetry from The Poetry Bookshop also in Hay-on-Wye. I have been wanting to read more poetry and could not resist these. The beautiful hardback Hughes collection is for children (of all ages) so I will read at least some of it with Austin. I discovered Wendell Berry through Kendra Adachi and Anne Bogel (podcasters who I follow) so I was interested to read his work. I have already highlighted and saved in my commonplace book many lines of his gorgeous writing.
The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights by Various Authors – another Hay-on-Wye purchase, this time from Addyman Books. I am looking forward to being able to dip into these short stories as the season gets busy – usually I find it harder to find time to read for long periods at Christmas so I am hoping this will provide a different reading experience as well as some seasonal spookiness.
The Plan by Kendra Achai – as I already mentioned, I have followed Kendra for years and already own her two other books: The Lazy Genius Way and The Lazy Genius Kitchen. In this book, Kendra takes on one of my favourite topics, time management, but from a fresh (female) perspective. As she points out, 93% of time management books are written by men. She writes: ‘the advice you are getting is for men by men, and women are just expected to make it work’. Described as ‘refreshingly compassionate and immediately practical’, I am really looking forward to getting my teeth into this as we approach the new year – a natural reset period.
What are you reading this season?
Notes From My Day 