December Reading Wrap-Up

 

I can't believe it is the end of December already!  As you can see from the pictures, we have had a snowy month.  After the snow, we had frigid temperatures.  But, yesterday was unseasonably warm with temperatures near 40.  Much of the snow that covered the trees has fallen off.  We still have some shrubs in our backyard that are weighed down with snow.  We were fortunate that we didn't have any trees or large limbs come down.  Many of our neighbors did.

In December I read 7 books.  Here's the breakdown:

Historical Fiction: 1

Classic: 1

Christmas: 1

Non-fiction: 1

Mystery: 1

Amish Fiction: 1

Suspense: 1

Historical Fiction:

The Lost Melody (A Midnight Dance #2) by Joanna Davidson Politano

Classic:

Anne of Windy Poplars (Anne of Green Gables #4) by L. M. Montgomery

Christmas:

The Christmas Swap by Melody Carlson

Non-fiction:

Own Your Past Change Your Future by Dr. John Delony

Mystery:

Death in Kashmir by M. M. Kaye

Amish Fiction:

A Season on the Wind by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Suspense:

The Killing Tide (Coastal Guardians #1) by Dani Pettrey - (review coming soon)

That's it for December.  Stay tuned for my 2022 Reading Reflections post coming January 1st.  I hope you are all warm and cozy and have a Happy New Year!

~ Gretchen

I am linking up with The Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight. 

I'm also linking up with The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb @ Readerbuzz.

The Sunday Salon & Reading Goals 2022

 The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

The first part of January is typically the coldest part of the year.  This year is no exception.  We have had a stretch of weather with a couple of days of single digit highs followed by a couple of days of highs in the 20's, then back to the single digits again.  The days in the 20's have brought snow.  I try to get outside for a walk every day no matter the weather.  On single digit days, I bundle up and keep my walk short.  Just getting the outside air in my lungs and the sun on my face makes such a difference in my mood.  

Here's what I have been up to this week:

Seeing ~ 

*Snow glittering in the sunlight

*Animal tracks in the snow

*Beautiful sunsets

Smelling ~ 

*Coffee in the morning

*Apple Cinnamon muffins

In the kitchen ~  

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Mozzarella Chicken Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Cooked Carrots

What I've been reading ~

Reading Goals for 2022

My main goal for 2022 is to read what I feel like reading when I feel like reading it.   I have participated in reading challenges for several years and really enjoyed them, but in 2021 they just started to feel like too much work and caused me to read something for the challenge, rather than what I wanted to read.  So, I have cut back on the challenges I am participating in.  I do keep TBR lists in the notes app on my phone, but I don't consider these lists of books I must read, rather lists of books I might want to read if I can't think of anything else I want to read.  

I did set a Goodreads goal of 100 books, down from my goal of 104 in 2021.  I will also continue to read books from series I enjoy.  

I hope you all have had a good week!

~ Gretchen

The Sunday Salon

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

It truly feels like November.  The days have been rather dark.  Not only does the sun set before 5:00 pm, but we have had several dreary, gray days.  By the time this posts, we will most likely have several inches of snow on the ground.  The forecast says to expect 2 to 4 inches.  Fortunately, it is expected to warm up midweek, so the snow should melt.

Here's what I have been up to this week:

Seeing ~ 

Lots of birds at the bird bath -

*Tufted Titmice

*Black-capped Chickadees

*Juncos

Smelling ~ 

The acrid smell of burning leaves.

Snow. (Did you know you can smell snow?  Just like you can smell rain coming, snow has a distinctive smell in the air.)

In the kitchen ~  

Sausage Pie

Roasted Green Beans

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

What I read ~

Currently reading ~

Watching ~

We recently watched 11-22-63, based on the book by Stephen King.  It is an eight part series.  It's a good story.

What have you been up to this week? I hope it's been a good one!

~ Gretchen

 

October Reading Wrap-Up

 

This little guy and his relatives scurry across my deck daily.  Often their cheeks are stuffed full as they prepare their store for winter. I can't believe we are at the end of October already!  

This month I read 6 books, which is less than usual for me.  That's what taking a ten day road trip and  reading practically nothing will do for you.  We had a great trip and I don't regret my lack of reading.  The people, the sights and the experience were much more important.  

Here's the breakdown:

Cozy Mystery: 4

Classic: 1

Nonfiction: 1

Cozy Mystery:

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (Mrs. Pollifax #1) by Dorothy Gilman - Mrs. Pollifax, a widow with grown children, is feeling useless.  The thing she has always wanted to do is become a spy.  Of course, one doesn't just walk into CIA Headquarters and become a spy.  However, in a case of being in the right place at the right time, Mrs. Pollifax is drafted into the CIA as a courier.  All she has to do is go into a bookstore on a certain day at a certain time and say a certain thing.  The rest of the time, she is to explore Mexico City to her heart's content.  As often happens, things don't go smoothly and Mrs. Pollifax is taken captive.  This was such a fun read!  You just have to love Mrs. Pollifax and her no-nonsense way of behaving.  

'Twas the Knife Before Christmas (Christmas Tree Farm #2) by Jacqueline Frost -  Holly White is looking forward to her second Christmas back home in Mistletoe, Maine.  Christmas is a big deal in Mistletoe and especially at her parents' Christmas Tree Farm.  The Farm hosts all kinds of fun events leading up to the big day.  To get the Christmas season underway, the town hosts a Tree Lighting Ceremony at the downtown square.  Holly and her friends are attending and all is going well until a man is found dead near the big tree.  To make matters worse, the dead man was her best friend Caroline's date last night.  She was the last one to see him alive and is the prime suspect.  Holly knows her friend didn't commit the murder, but will she be able to convince Sheriff Gray before it is too late?  This one will get you in the Christmas spirit.  It is full of Christmas activities, Christmas treats and cozy Christmas decor.  Oh, the characters are great and so is the mystery.

Unleashed (Kate Turner, DVM #2) by Eileen Brady - Kate Turner is settling in to her new life filling in at the small veterinary hospital in Oak Falls, NY.  She enjoys caring for the animals, making house calls and working with the staff.  But, when a client, Claire Birnham, is found dead from an apparent suicide Kate becomes quite unsettled.  The police seem to be ruling her death a suicide, but Kate can't let it go.  She is convinced Claire was murdered.  As she begins asking questions, she discovers that Claire had some secrets.  Will the truth come out before Kate sticks her nose where it doesn't belong?  My favorite thing about this series is following Kate on her rounds.  The animals' antics are often hilarious and I always learn something new.  

The Cider Shop Rules (Cider Shop Mystery #3) by Julie Anne Lindsey - The Fall season is ramping up in Blossom Valley as the town gets ready for its annual events.  When Mr. Potter, the owner of Potter's Pumpkin Patch, is murdered, some of the festival spirit is lost.  It is difficult to imagine who could have done this.  Mr. Potter was well liked by most people.  However, Winnie did notice that he had been having a heated discussion with someone before he came out to help her with her order.  Could that person have murdered him?  This is one of my favorite series.  The story is heartwarming, the characters are great, and the mystery was a good one.  Not to mention, it is full of all things fall - apple cider, apple treats, pumpkins and corn mazes. What more could you ask for?

Classic:

The Gentlewoman's Choice by George MacDonald -   Hester Raymount is a young woman who desires to serve God by serving the poor.  Unfortunately doing so is not as easy as it would seem.  Some look down upon her for spending time with the poor, while others feel she is putting her life in danger by exposing herself to smallpox and other illnesses.  When her wayward older brother disappears and her younger brother is ill, Hester is called on to show compassion to those nearest to her.  George MacDonald's writing is not always easy to read.  It can be wordy and he tends to sermonize, but his way of seeing the world sticks with you.

Nonfiction:

Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty -  Following the seasons, Dara McAnulty chronicles a year in his life.  He is a young man, fourteen years old, who lives with his mum, dad, brother and sister in Northern Ireland.  Dara is also autistic.  His diary tells of his family life, the time he spends in nature, and the way he processes the world. I really enjoyed this one.  His writing is beautiful and he has such an eye for things in nature.  I also loved hearing about his life with his family.

Other things around the blog:

I participated in the Around the Blogosphere Tag.

We hiked at Horsetooth Mountain in Fort Collins, Co. and I shared pictures.

That's it for me this month.  I hope you all have a blessed November!

~ Gretchen

I am linking up with The Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight. 

I'm also linking up with The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb @ Readerbuzz.

The Sunday Salon

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

Autumn has truly arrived as we started the week with above average temperatures and are ending the week with below average temperatures.  Right in the middle of it all, we had some rain.  The colors seem to have brightened up since the rain and it is glorious!

Here's what I have been up to this week:

Seeing ~ 

The beautiful, brilliant colors of fall - oranges, reds, yellows and so many shades of brown from russet to cinnamon to burnt sienna to chestnut.

Smelling ~ 

Smoke from a wood fire.  

Pumpkin pie spice.

In the kitchen ~  

Pork Chops with Sauerkraut and Apples

Pumpkin muffins

Pumpkin Spice Latte

What I read ~

Currently reading ~

I also started Christmas by the Book by Anne Marie Ryan.  It just wasn't grabbing me, so I put it aside for now.

Watching ~

We are still watching NYPD Blue, but one evening it just wouldn't play.  So we ended up watching La Brea.  It was intense, but it hooked me right away. 

What have you been up to this week? I hope it's been a good one!

~ Gretchen

 

The Sunday Salon; Devil's Punchbowl

We have had a stretch of gorgeous, fall days.  Temperatures have been in the low to mid 70's with low humidity and lots of sun.  Leaves are beginning to change color and the sun is setting before 8:00 pm.  Chipmunks and squirrels are busy gathering acorns and seeds.  

What I read:

Death in Castle Dark by Veronica Bond

 The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson

Reading now:

Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien

Watching:

We are watching the fourth season of NYPD Blue.  

Devil's Punchbowl

The sign says: "This unique and fragile rock feature was created by glacial forces and allows us to look back over 500 million years of geologic time.  Please enjoy and respect one of our community's natural treasures."

This is located in Dunn County, Wisconsin.  There is a much larger one in Oregon.  

In order to enter the Devil's Punchbowl, you have to descend this set of stairs.

It was incredible to see trees growing out of the rock formation with their roots hanging over the side.

Waterfalls

Have a good weekend!

~ Gretchen

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb @ Readerbuzz.