Category: reading rituals

Today I want to share some of my Lockdown Reads with you. One of the benefits of lockdown and staying at home means I’ve been getting a decent amount of reading time. Here’s a look at some of the books I’ve been reading since lockdown began in March…

(no spoilers – just a few thoughts shared about each one)

Lockdown Reads

What Has Nature Ever Done For Us by Tony Juniper

This was an impulse pick-up from a Nature themed display at the library. It’s full of different stories about Nature and its links to life and even the economy.

“It’s estimated that nature is worth as much as $100 trillion annually to the world economy…Yet we take most of that nature does for us for granted.”

I found it quite heavy…in the sense that there was a lot of science and statistics to read…it wasn’t a fun read. But I am glad that I picked it up and I definitely came away feeling like I’d learnt a lot. I enjoyed reading about the examples when humans have worked with nature rather than against it. It made me think about the amount we humans take nature for granted and the consequences of this.

Consider giving it a read if you want to know how money really does grow on trees!

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

The Tagline of this one is ‘A Brief History of Humankind’.

I bought this one a couple of years ago after hearing about it via a podcast. It sat on the shelf. And during lockdown I was ready to give it a go.

This was another heavy read. The font in my copy is small and it’s a big book. But I gleaned SO much from it. I often found myself reading sections to my husband with the question “did you know this?”. The sections on religion, capitalism, and the empire were fascinating and also the most thought-provoking.

I feel like I might be the last one to read this but would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for something to make you think about the big picture and how the human race got to where it is today… I’m keen to try his follow up books as well.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo

I’ve read this book before. But if you were to look around my house you certainly wouldn’t think so!

I decided to request this from the library at the start of the year (I’m guessing I had a “new decade, no clutter” vision!) but I’ve only just got around to reading it this month. This book and it’s tidying techniques has done the rounds many times already so I won’t share too much about it but it has made me think about all my clutter. I even decluttered a drawer! (Just the rest of the house to do…!)

I think there is much to be said for KonMari’s suggested order of tidying. I am most definitely one of those people that finds myself, an hour into pulling everything out, sat on the floor getting nostalgic over old photos and letters. So I think I’ll give it a go. I’ll start with clothes. Books will be tricky – I am more attached to those than clothes! But I glanced at my bookshelves whilst reading this book and there are definitely some that can get rehomed.

It was worth a re-read. And more light-hearted than the first two.

The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary

I might have read this just before lockdown. But it’s in my pile of library books I’ve been unable to return due to lockdown so I’m counting it!

I’d seen a few recommendations for this so reserved a copy. I’m so glad I did. I really enjoyed it. It was quirky and fun and heart warming. I loved seeing how the unconventional relationship developed over the course of the book. It was funny and left me with a smile on my face.

I’d recommend giving it a go if you like quirky love stories.

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One of the things I’ve missed the most during lockdown has been the library. I love going to have a browse. And I also love being able to get a book recommendation, check the library catalogue, reserve the book then head along and pick it up when I get the notification that it’s waiting for me! The library can also help me with my decluttering journey so I buy less books!

Are you a library member? Have you read any of these books? What did you think about them? And please let me know in the comments if you have any lockdown reads to recommend.

You can find all my Reading Rituals post here.

Freebies for Newsletter Subscribers

Are you signed up to receive my newsletter? I’ve been busy working on the next edition over the last few days. With each one I am creating a free worksheet/printable – July’s is a Mid Year Review Journalling worksheet. It will be sent on the 1st. You can sign up here.

Summer will be officially here (in the UK) at the end of the week and today I want to share some Super Summer Reads with you.

If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere and approaching Winter I think these reads would be equally great to take your mind off the nights drawing in and a chill in the air!

Super Summer Reads

I’m a big fan of romance novels and, for me, they are a great choice for summer holiday reads. Here are a couple I’ve really enjoyed lately…

The Lemon Sisters by Jill Shalvis*

I’m a long-time fan of Jill Shalvis and her latest book – The Lemon Sisters – is an example of all the things I love about her writing. If you haven’t read any of Jill’s books yet this is a great one to start with.

Jill writes wonderfully flawed and relatable characters. And it’s the characters of The Lemon Sisters that drew me right in. I really felt like I got to know the cast of this novel and I loved reading the dynamics between the sisters Brooke and Mindy. Garrett and Linc feature as the romantic interests of the sisters along with their ever-increasing Slip n Slide. The kids and the animals add humour and a good dose of real family life.

If you love books that warmly invite you into family and romantic dynamics and whisk you along for the ride you will love this book!

This is the third book in The Wildstone Series. The series can be read in any order.
(*GIFTED – Advanced Reader Copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan

One Summer in Paris was released in April and is still available. I love Sarah Morgan’s writing style and I was absorbed into the story straight away. This book was about unexpected friendships and I loved watching the relationship between Audrey and Grace develop.

Both of the main characters in this book had some demons to face and I enjoyed the support they gave each other while they did so. The secondary characters were fun as well – especially Mimi.

I’ve never visited to Paris. This book had me checking the Eurostar website to see how much it would be to visit! I’ve not booked yet but it’s definitely higher up on my “must visit” list now. I love books where the location features in the book like a character and Paris shone brightly in this summer story.

If you’re looking for a summer read featuring friendship and the backdrop of a beautiful city – I’d recommend trying One Summer in Paris.

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What do you enjoy reading at this time of year? Do you have any recommendations for me?

You can see all of my Reading Rituals posts here. If romance isn’t your thing (however much that hurts my heart!) there’s plenty of other recommendations for you.

And you can find me on Goodreads here.

Today I want to share my latest reads with you. I seem to go through phases with my reading and how much I do. Over the last few weeks I’ve been reading A LOT (which is great!)

My Latest Reads

Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon

I came across this book via A Bookish Baker Book Club. This was the January pick. I read it over several days and enjoyed it. It was quite different from anything I read usually – it’s about an elderly lady and set around the retirement centre she lives in. There is a mystery to be solved and lots of quirky and interesting characters. I’m glad I read it.

The Year That Changed Everything by Cathy Kelly

I’ve been a Cathy Kelly fan for a long time. I remember reading a lot of her books when I lived in Scotland (between 2000 and 2005). I spotted this one on the library display and picked it up. It tells the tales of 3 women each celebrating a big birthday. Callie is turning 50, Sam 40 and Ginger 30. Each of their lives falls apart in a different way. I found it incredibly easy to resonate with these characters. Particularly Sam’s anxieties about motherhood and Ginger overcoming her body confidence issues. I really enjoyed this book.

Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis

I’m also a long-time fan of Jill Shalvis who writes fun romances with great characters. I enjoyed this one which tells Sadie and Caleb’s story and how they saved a three-legged dog called Lollipop. Parts of this one felt more serious than some of Jill’s other work but I enjoyed it all the same. Jill’s books always make great holiday reads.

Shadow Rider, Shadow Reaper and Shadow Keeper by Christine Feehan

I read some of Christine Feehan’s “Dark” series a long time ago. When I spotted the first book of the Shadow Rider series on the library display recently I decided to give it a go. I’ve been working my way through all 3 books currently available in the series. They’re not the best books I’ve read lately and I have some issues with the characters but I’m persevering! (I don’t like giving up on books halfway through – it makes me wonder what happens!) If you’re keen on paranormal romance or urban fantasy it may be worth giving them a try.

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That’s a quick summary of my latest reads. What have you been reading lately?

I also want to note that every single one of my latest reads was a library book. I love my library – it’s part of a big network of libraries and I can search the whole catalogue and reserve books for free. They also have great displays where I often pick up books I wouldn’t necessarily seek out amongst the shelves.

Do you use your local library? Why not visit your library this month and pick up some free books on loan?

Happy Reading!

Reading Rituals is my monthly post about all things reading. I usually discuss books I’ve been reading and talk about my reading habits. Click here to see all of my Reading Rituals posts.

Today I want to share my January Reads with you. The end of January is in sight! It’s felt like the longest month. And one where I haven’t found as much time to read as I’d like. But here’s what I have read and I’m reading next…

My January Reads

The Pants of Perspective by Anna McNuff

I started my January Reads with a book I’d received for Christmas. I really enjoy running memoirs and have already spoken about some in a previous Reading Rituals post.

This one made it onto my wishlist because not only was it a running memoir but it was all about a woman running the length of New Zealand.
(Side note – I lived in New Zealand for 11 years, I got married there and my son was born there. I adore New Zealand!)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had me laughing out loud and on the edge of my seat. I read parts aloud to my husband. I felt nostalgically homesick for parts of New Zealand I recognised as I read about them. And I now have even more places to visit on my list. I was vaguely familiar with the Te Araroa Trail (which runs for 3,000km along the length of South and North Island) but this book really brought it alive for me.

Anna McNuff also talks about mental health and resilience. I love her analogy of fears as threads that you roll into a ball and roll aside…but then someone tugs on a loose thread and it can all unravel. This really resonated with me.

I’d recommend giving this a go – even if you’re not a runner or don’t know New Zealand particularly well.

Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks

The next of my January Reads was Uncommon Type. This book is completely different from anything I usually read. It’s a series of short stories written by Tom Hanks (yep – the actor from Big, Forrest Gump, Castaway…). Some of the stories are related to each other and they all feature some reference to typewriters. It was fun looking out for the reference as I read.

Some of the stories were heart-warming, some funny and some were a little disturbing. It was an interesting mix. They ranged over different periods of time and had different settings. I was quickly absorbed into each story and enjoyed the writing style.

I would definitely read more of Tom Hanks’ work in the future and may look for some other short story anthologies to try as well.

What’s next?

I’m starting Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon next. It’s the ‘A Bookish Baker Book Club’ pick for January. I talked about the book club in my Reading Resolutions post.

Reading Rituals is my monthly post about all things reading. I usually discuss books I’ve been reading and talk about my reading habits. Click here to see all of my Reading Rituals posts.

December is just around the corner so I’m hoping it’s not too early to use the C word and share some Christmas Reading Rituals with you!

I thoroughly enjoy reading books with a festive feel to help find some Christmas spirit. As mentioned in last month’s post I started re-reading some Christmas favourites in October.

I love a Christmas romance and I also enjoy reading Christmas stories with my son. We have some family favourites which I’d like to share with you.

Family Christmas Reading Rituals

Slinky Malinki’s Christmas Crackers by Lynley Dodd

We’ve had this a long time – it’s in board book format which means we got it when my son was a baby or toddler. I adore Lynley Dodd’s Hairy Maclary and friends (as mentioned in our Family Reading Rituals post and this is a wonderfully festive rhyming story. We’re more of a ‘dog family’ than a ‘cat family’ but we still love sitting down and reading about Slinky Malinky’s festive mischief and mayhem.

The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet & Allan Ahlberg

This is a favourite from my childhood so I wanted to purchase it for my boy. I added it to his Christmas Eve box a couple of years ago so we could sit together and enjoy the story for the final bedtime before Father Christmas visited.
The book contains letters which you can open and read as the Jolly Postman delivers each one. It’s fun to “open” each envelope to see what’s inside.
This is a great option to keep little ones amused for a while during the excitement of Christmas Eve.

A Creature Was Stirring (One Boy’s Night Before Christmas) by Carter Goodrich

We picked this one up in a library sale years ago. It’s a beautifully illustrated take on The Night Before Christmas and features a boy’s thoughts on what’s happening alongside the original text. I like the balance between the older style of the original story and the modern additions written from the point of view of a small child.
It’s fun to read together and is another great one to read on Christmas Eve as the children are settling down to sleep.

A Romantic Christmas

I love reading a cosy, heart-warming romance when the nights draw in and I feel like hibernating. For me, Sarah Morgan is the Queen of Christmas romance novels. Last month I mentioned re-reading some of her Christmas stories – Miracle on 5th Avenue and Christmas Ever After.
This month I bought her latest Christmas novel – The Christmas Sisters. I enjoyed the family dynamics in this story and learning more about each of the characters as I continued reading. Not everyone looks forward to a family Christmas and this story portrays how it can affect some people. It was a heart-warming story and I am sure it will become another favourite of mine to re-read at Christmas time!

Non-Christmas Reading This Month

I also read Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness. This is a follow on from the All Souls Trilogy (A Discovery of Witches) which I blogged about a while back.
Time’s Convert tells the story of Marcus and Phoebe. I enjoyed reading (and learning more) about the American Civil War and the French Revolution. It was also great to see snippets of other characters from the original trilogy. The ending felt a little rushed or unfinished so I wonder if there is more to come. (The New Orleans bloody finale wasn’t as big as I expected). If you enjoyed the original trilogy this is definitely worth a read.

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I’ve picked up some Christmas themed novels from the library recently and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into them on the lead up to Christmas.
Do you enjoy festive stories or have any Christmas Reading Rituals? What have you been reading lately?