Well, I’ve decided to continue my reading log in 2020. This is where I’ll post each month about the books that I’ve finished reading during the previous month. I’m not going to worry so much about keeping a tally of how many books I’ve read. I just want to keep a record of what I’ve read & since I’m doing that I thought I may as well continue posting each month.
Originally I started this monthly reading log posting in 2017 after reading an email from Tsh of The Art of Simple who was talking about her reading goal. I wanted to know how many books I read in a year so decided to keep a record. At first I was going to just record in a notebook but decided to make it a monthly blog post.
In 2017 I read 59 books. The total was 65 books in 2018! Last year I managed to read 49 books. Study and being more active in my blogging slowed me down last year. In some ways keeping this reading log each month has helped me to read a wider variety of books. I’ve possibly read more non-fiction as I still only tend to read fiction when I’m on holidays. Otherwise it’s too easy to get nothing done until I’ve finished whatever book has drawn me in. I’ve also read more biographies.
Here’s what I read in January:
The Other Wife by Michael Robotham
Joe’s parents have been married for over 60 years but then when Joe is called to his father’s bedside after a brutal attack, who is that strange woman claiming to be his father’s wife? Joe launches his own investigation into what happened and uncovers sides to his father he never knew.
The Greatest Gift by Rachael Johns
After an interview with a childless couple who sought an egg donor, Radio Host, Harper Drummond wonders if she can make a contribution. Her husband & herself don’t want children but could she help someone else become a mother? Claire who’s infertile, due to childhood cancer wants to have a child with her husband Jasper. Can they find someone who will give them the greatest gift. There a few twists and turns in the book that I didn’t pick. A thoughtful book about a topic that’s not often discussed.
The Lost Pearl by Emily Madden
Catherine McGarrie, the daughter of a US Navy Rear Admiral meets Charlie, a navy office from the other side of the tracks in Hawaii. They fall in love but the bombing of Pearl Harbour changes their lives. 75 years later Kit, the granddaughter of Catherine starts to find out the story. Will the truth tear her family apart?
The Year that Changed Everything by Cathy Kelly
Three women, three birthdays – one turning 30, one turning 40 and the other turning 50. One year that will change everything and bring these 3 women together.
The Sweetest Hallelujah by Elaine Hussey
During the brewing racial tension in the South, in the 1950’s, Betty Jewel (once the hottest black jazz singer in Memphis) and Cassie Malone (an outspoken housewife insulated by wealth & white privilege, form a bond. They come together as Betty, who is dying of cancer, seeks someone to care for her daughter when she’s gone.
The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
In the mid 1800’s a little girl who’s lost her father is adopted by a mysterious stranger, she becomes a thief, a friend, a muse & a lover. In the summer of 1862 she’s invited to join a group of artists as they retreat to a beautiful house on a quiet bend of the Upper Thames. A woman is killed, another disappears, and no one knows what really happened. Over 100 years later the finding of some belongings from one of the artists, leads another young woman to Birchwood Manor to unlock her own family secrets. Through the book we discover the stories of all who passed through Birchwood Manor from that fateful summer of 1862 on.
Meet Me In Bombay by Jenny Ashcroft
Madeline Bright, has recently returned to live with her parents in colonial India. Soon after her arrival she meets Luke Deveraux and they end up falling in love. Meanwhile the world is falling apart and war is on the horizon. The two are separated because of the war, will they manage to find each other again? A page turning read and as the story was going back & forwards in time, you slowly learn more and weren’t sure what was going to happen until right at the end.
China Dolls by Lisa See
Three young women from very different backgrounds meet at the glamorous Forbidden City Nightclub in San Francisco, 1938. The girls become friends and we follow their lives as the Americans are drawn into the war. An act of betrayal changes everything, what will happen to the three women? This books shows what life was like for Chinese women in the 1930s and ’40s.
One Minute Later by Susan Lewis
Vivienne is living the dream with a high-flying job, a beautiful apartment and friends, until the afternoon of her twenty-seventh birthday when one catastrophic minute changes everything. Meanwhile, Deerwood Farm, has been a special place for Shelly’s family until a catastrophic event that changes things. When Vivi’s & Shelley’s lives entwine, it only takes a moment for the truth to affect them all.
The Tinderbox by Beverly Lewis
Sylvia opens her father’s old brass tinderbox when she find it unlocked. What she finds could splinter apart her happy life. Her father, a respected convert to the Amish order decides he must reveal the secrets of his past to his beloved wife. This not only jeopardizes their relationship but may threaten Sylvia’s engagement to a preachers son. I used to read a lot of Beverly Lewis’ novels which usually feature Amish characters, though I haven’t read one for a long time. It’s fascinating to learn how the Amish live and what they believe.
Preaching with All Ages: 12 ways to grow your skills and your confidence by Ally Barrett
I bought this as I was preparing to lead our Back to School Service and working out how I could engage all ages. This book is full of lots of ideas and examples while encouraging you to do things in your own way, for your own context. Key principles are offered to consider when preparing and leading all-age talks. At first I was thinking that many of the ideas were for smaller congregations but she gives an example of giving an all-age talk at St Paul’s Cathedral, at an anniversary service for the London taxi drivers’ charity for disadvantaged children. This involved a congregation of about 700 people! I would recommend this book if you’re trying to prepare messages for all ages.
Teaching Godly Play: How to Mentor the Spiritual Development of Children by Jerome W. Berryman
This is the revised and updated version of the 1995 handbook by the Godly Play founder, Jerome Berryman. I had done the Godly Play Storyteller training late in 2018 and used it a little bit. Now, we are hoping to add a Godly Play session to our church. So this book helped refresh me of the whole Godly Play process and helped me to think about how we can go about starting this in our church.
As you can see, mostly fiction as we were away for a week in January & I also read more fiction at home. The 2 non-fiction books were to help with volunteer roles at church and possibly with the faith development workshops I will lead.
What have you been reading lately?
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