Happy New Year! I bet that, as the clock struck midnight, you were thinking to yourself, well, now that the year is over, I’d better check in with Shannon to see how many books she read in 2023.
And you’re in luck! After drunkenly swigging champagne at midnight, and ok, a recovery day in between, I have put together a post of nerdy book stats. What a way to start the year! Let’s go.
Reading Wrap-up with Nerdy Book Stats
Total books read: 63 (Wildly, that’s 44 fewer books than last year.) Fiction: 44 Nonfiction: 19 Female authors: 47 Male Authors: 16 Nonbinary: 0 (I have a poor track record here.) Non-white authors: 5 (Yikes. Will do better in 2024.) E-books: 22 Audiobooks: 35 (These numbers won’t add up to the total because I sometimes switched from ebook to audiobook and back, etc.) Re-reads: 12
Most-Read Genres
No real surprises here, to be honest.
Historical Fiction: 14 Books
I completed all 12 books for the When Are You Reading Challenge?, which I mostly finished early in the year. It was so fun picking out a book for each category.
Despite being historical-reading-based, I found that the challenge actually encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and read more widely. If Sam hosts it again this year, I’m in.
These are some of my favorites from the year:
Memoir/Autobiography: 9 Books
Some of my favorites:
Litearary Fiction
I read very few other genres this year and mostly stuck to literary fiction. Again, some of my faves:
Nature/Outdoors/Gardening: 12
I also read heavily in this category where I’ve lumped all outdoorsy topics together. Some of these also fell into memoir and literary fiction.
I particularly enjoyed these:
New Year, New Books
My reading goals for the year include:
1- Join the When Are You Reading? Challenge if it’s hosted again. 2- Reading more diversely, with a focus on books by Black authors. I’m aiming to read at least 20. 3- I’ve set my Goodreads challenge goal at 52 books for the year. Totally attainable based on years past. But, honestly, I don’t care too much about this goal. It doesn’t matter to me whether I read 20 books or 100 in a year. The point is to enjoy and to learn from what I’m reading.
Got any reading goals for the year? I’d love to hear them!
Are you nerdy enough to get “book anxiety” right before a trip? We went camping with the family crew on our weeklong vacation a couple weeks ago—and only camped for one night, mind you.
The night before, I suddenly got worried about having nothing to read at the campground, so I downloaded five Kindle books and brought a paperback with me. As you do.
Dear reader, I did not glance at my Kindle, nor turn a single page. I didn’t read at all. I was too busy hanging with the people I love, enjoying the beach and the campfire. It was bliss.
Below: A few of our crew in the water (possibly too tiny to see them), a grandson by the fire circle (unlit!), and the cooler bag I accidentally left out, which was hilariously ravaged by raccoons during the night. They unzipped the bag with their deft little fingers and ate six croissants and a Costco-sized tub of dip, among other goodies.
What a time.
Other than that, it’s been the usual late summer shenanigans: porch sitting (with cocktails), bars and restaurants with friends, and good family time. I lead a seriously charmed life, people.
I did also manage to read some books…..
What Shannon Read in August
I read six books in August, including three nonfiction and three fiction. One was a re-read.
Some Notes:
Splash: 10,000 Years of Swimming by Howard Means
I saw that Sam of Taking on a World of Words has been reading this book and was immediately intrigued. A history of swimming in stories, it covers instances of humans swimming, in oceans, rivers, lakes, and pools, from ancient history to the contemporary Olympics.
I thoroughly enjoyed each anecdote, especially the unusual feats made by famous swimmers, and the interesting tales of ancient swimmers in places like Greece and Persia.
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
Brain candy with a supposed-to-be-surprising-but-seemed-to-me-an-unrealistic-ending. I read the ending and went, “Oh, don’t be silly.” Still enjoyed the build up along the way though.
How Can I Help You by Laura Sims
Ok, this thriller was much better. I saw it on BookTok, where a Tokker advertised it as a slow burn and, once I learned it was set in a library, I had to pick it up.
It features one obsessive narrator with a secret identity and a dodgy past. Perfect fit for me. The second narrator is more neurotic and ends up being the hero of the story. I enjoyed reading it from the perspective of both.
I don’t want to spoil anything for you with a synopsis, so here’s the Goodreads overview, which is much more adept than anything I could think of to say about the book.
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
Another well-written thriller. I’m always on the hunt for these and was gratified to learn about Jason Rekulak. Here’s hoping he writes a few more in coming years.
This story features a nanny with a seedy past who moves in with a family that lives in a possibly haunted house (as you know, totally a favorite trope of mine).
There is a local legend that looms over the quiet, contemporary suburb in which they live. And the child for whom the woman nannies begins to draw pictures that become more and more disturbing.
Really enjoyed this one.
Great Catherine: The Life of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia by Carrolly Erickson
I knew next to nothing about Catherine the Great, but she’s often mentioned in histories I’ve read about other monarchs and noble people of similar time periods (1762-1796). And, of course, her life and times were fascinating, as was her personality and character.
Her story, like those of many women who rose to such powerful positions throughout history, was both luminous and tragic at turns.
She lived the glamorous life of a noble, but had little autonomy or power over her own life in the early goings. She was beaten, had affairs, was highly educated, and was both loved and hated by various noble factions.
On two instances of her having given birth, her babies were taken from her to be raised by the dowager empress while Catherine languished in post-childbirth pain. Attended by only one noblewoman, sick and without comforts, Catherine wasn’t even allowed to see the babies she’d just birthed.
And, yet, she also managed a coup that overthrew her own husband, Peter III, which brought her to power. Badass.
Quite a story and I really enjoyed Carrolly Erickson’s writing.
Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness by Edward Abbey
Edward Abbey, what a dude.
I picked this up for a second time because I felt like I didn’t really give it a fair shake the first time I read it several years ago. At that time, it seemed too dense, too meditative, too plodding.
But I needed some nature writing in my life and Abbey’s season as a ranger at Arches National Park outside Moab, Utah seemed just the ticket somehow.
And I loved it. I loved hearing (via audiobook) about the vast desert landscapes, the plants, the terrain, and the animals. I laughed at Abbey’s derisive portrayals of needy tourists, even as he admits to the necessity of having park visitors, whose trampings help pay to preserve the landscapes he adores.
While obviously dated in many ways, this is a classic of nature writing and I highly recommend it.
That’s it for August! On tap for September are more thrillers and I’ve got some good nonfiction lined up.
I’m sure I’ll also be getting into the coming fall vibes as the weather changes and will be looking for fall-ish books. Let me know if you have any recommendations!
Happy June! It’s one of my favorite months of the year because it means sunshine, flowers, and lots of porch time.
I like to take a vodka/soda out on the porch in the evenings and sit there like an old lady surveying my tiny kingdom. Sometimes I take a book, but mostly I sit there and space out, enjoying the birdsong and greeting passers-by.
Highly recommend this method of relaxation if you have a porch/patio/deck.
Here is my favorite flower that is currently blooming in my garden: coreopsis ‘nana’, aka “tickseed.”
My phone camera is awful, sorry.
And, one more—some free marigolds I obtained with purchase at an antique mall over the weekend.
I guess I’m into yellow right now.
Anyway, let’s get to the May books!
What Shannon Read in May
I read four books in May and the themes and settings varied widely.
Some Notes:
Rules of Civility
This was a re-read for me. I read it when it first came out and loved it. And earlier this month, I was in the mood for some fiction that I knew would draw me in. Also, I wanted glamor. I definitely got it with Rules of Civility.
Set in 1930s Manhattan, this is the story of Katey Kontent (what a great name), who, along with her good friend and roommate Eve, meets young and handsome banker Tinker Gray at a jazz bar on New Year’s Eve.
The three form a fast friendship until tragedy strikes. I won’t give the big event away, but suffice it to say that the incident changes everything in the threesome’s relationship.
The novel is an exploration of these relationships as well as the story of a pretty uniquely confident woman navigating the worlds of friendship, dating, and work, among other arenas. I loved the character of Katey and enjoyed seeing what she would get up to next—and how she would handle what came her way.
The setting of 1930s New York was super fun too.
Into the Wilderness
This had been on my TBR for a while and I finally got around to it. It’s a good option if you’re interested in some late 18th-century American history set in the west. I’m just going to say I truly enjoyed it and leave the Goodreads synopsis right here:
It is December of 1792. Elizabeth Middleton leaves her comfortable English estate to join her family in a remote New York mountain village. It is a place unlike any she has ever experienced. And she meets a man unlike any she has ever encountered – a white man dressed like a Native American, Nathanial Booner, known to the Mohawk people as Between-Two-Lives. Determined to provide schooling for all the children of the village, she soon finds herself locked in conflict with the local slave owners as well as her own family. Interweaving the fate of the Mohawk Nation with the destiny of two lovers, Sara Donati’s compelling novel creates a complex, profound, passionate portrait of an emerging America.
How to Sell a Haunted House
I definitely thought this was going to be a ghosty book—I love ghosty books. But, to my surprise, there weren’t any ghosts haunting this house. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say there are some creepy dolls involved.
I know. I didn’t think I would like it either. But the writing was so good and the main character so relatable that I got sucked into the story.
Essentially, a woman’s parents die in a car accident and she returns home to work out the cleaning and selling of their house along with her estranged brother. Ok, tragic, but fairly relatable, right?
The creep factor enters as we learn more about the history of the family. The mother was a passionate puppeteer and the house is filled with her handmade puppets and dolls. As the story progresses, we learn just how “involved” these puppets and dolls were in the life of the family. Weirdly involved. And one in particular stole the spotlight.
It sounds so cheesy, but I really enjoyed the romp.
An Immense World
Finally, I read An Immense World, which is generally about the senses (smell, touch, hearing, balance, echo-location) that animals use to navigate the world.
This was a fascinating look into what it’s like to be some of the animals—as far as a human can tell—using one’s senses, so different from a human’s, to find food, shelter, and maintain relationships.
And that’s it for May!
I am so close to finishing the When Are You Reading? Challenge, but I can’t seem to land on a book set in the 1910s that interests me at all. I’ve been through so many. Let me know if you have any recommendations!
Happy April! Has spring hit your neck of the woods yet?
We have exactly two daffodils blooming, but the high for today is 74 degrees F, so I have some hope in my heart.
Definitely need to rake those leaves…
On to the books!
What Shannon Read in March
Very little. I read very little in March. I was hit by a terrible reading slump and managed only four books, including two comforting re-reads. What else is one to do during a slump but embrace what one knows?
Why am I talking like an English person from a past century?
I don’t know. I’m all off today.
Here are some notes on the four books I did manage to read.
Some Notes:
Touching the Wild: Living with the Mule Deer of Deadman Gulch
After reading that, I became obsessed with spotting wild turkeys on the roadsides wherever we drove. (I was often successful too, since they tend to hang out at the edges of fields along roadsides.)
But this book is about Hutto’s befriending and observing a herd of mule deer who live in the mountains in northern Wyoming.
He names all the deer and tells their individual stories. Some are fun and interesting and others are sad because living in the wild as a prey animal is, of course, inherently dangerous.
King of Wrath
This is the dumbest book I’ve read in a long time. I blame TikTok. I started following this creator who does cute little skits about reading, but all she reads is romance.
I thought, why not. I’ll try a genre I’ve given up on before. Maybe there’s something new and interesting out there that will hold my attention.
Well, maybe there is, but this wasn’t it. This is just poorly written smut. There’s no art to it at all.
I did discover that this is part of the “arranged marriage” sub-genre of romance. I did not know that was a thing. Now I know.
And I’m not judging, by the way—if this is your brand, please enjoy. 🙂 It’s definitely not for me.
The Salt Path
In other news, I finally got around to reading The Salt Path, which was both heartwrenching and delightful at turns.
This is Raynor Winn’s memoir of walking the South West Coast Path in England, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall.
One of the reasons Raynor and her husband Moth decide to walk the path is that they’ve just lost their house and income due to a bad business deal with a lifelong friend. In addition, Moth has been diagnosed with a terminal illness that is slowly stealing his ability to move.
They decide to strike out and walk the path while they still can. It turns out to be emotionally and physically illuminating as they learn about themselves and the wilderness—and even Moth’s stiffness seems to abate due to the constant movement.
It’s a wonderful story. Highly recommend.
Elizabeth and Her German Garden
If you know me and my reading life at all, you know I’m going to re-read this bookevery spring.
This is Elizabeth von Arnim’s highly autobiographical novel about creating a garden in Germany. She is a native Brit, but lives in Germany with her husband, “the man of wroth,” as she calls him, and their three small children.
Elizabeth loves the land around their stately home and much of the book is a diary of her plans, enjoyment of, and interaction with her beautiful and varied gardens.
I feel like that makes the book sound like there is no action, but there is!
We hear about the man of wroth, the children and motherhood, and Elizabeth’s interactions with her friends and guests. She is a wry observer and many of the episodes are humorous.
It’s a wonderful book and a perfect read for spring.
And that’s it for March! Wish me luck getting out of this stupid reading slump for April.
I have a feeling that re-reads and audiobooks will be my salvation per usual.
It’s been kind of a whirlwind around here. I almost forgot to do an April wrap-up.
We spent April very anxiously awaiting the birth of my grandson, Baby Ames. Due April 22, he was actually born May 1!
He was a very healthy 9 lbs 1 oz and 21.5 inches. A long little guy just like his tall parents and OH SO SWEET. I can’t get over him and I never will. We’re not splashing his photo across the internet for now, but trust me when I say he is adorable and perfect and so very loved.
That’s the big life update and the only thing (person) that’s been commanding our attention right now.
In less important news, it’s World Collage Day! Hosted by the online collage community, it’s a day to celebrate collage in all its forms. This is what I posted on Instagram to celebrate.
On to the April books!
What Shannon Read in April
I read a total of 8 books in April and it was quite a mix, with a couple of rereads, a couple Read Harder Challenge selections, and a good smattering of nature.
Some Notes:
The Inner Life of Animals: Peter Wohlleben is quickly becoming one of my favorite nature writers. I enjoyed these animal stories and recommend the audiobook. Just know that if you’re looking for a bunch of science with your nature writing, you may be disappointed. I was mostly looking for interesting stories about animal behavior and that’s what I got, so I really enjoyed it.
The Love Songs of W.E.B. du Bois: This one was recommended by my friend Brigid and I’m so glad! It was epic at more than 800 pages. I had no idea it would be that long when I started because I read it on a Kindle, but I didn’t care and I stuck with it to the end. Jeffers is an incredibly talented fiction writer and I was easily drawn into the story of Ailey and her family history. Synopsis on Goodreads if you’d like to know what the story is about.
Elizabeth and Her German Garden and The Enchanted April: If you read this blog, you’re sick of hearing about von Arnim’s books, I imagine. But she’s one of my favorite authors and these are two of my favorite books to read in the spring (ahem, “second winter”). Highly recommend the audiobook versions of both.
Quicksand: I loved Passing by Nella Larsen (if you haven’t heard of the book, you may have seen the screen adaptation advertised on Prime Video), so I decided to seek out this author once again for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge category “Read a Classic Written by a Person of Color.”
I’m so glad I did.
The story centers on Helga Crane, a woman who quits her comfortable teaching job despite the security it offers and goes from situation to situation, moving to Harlem, Denmark, and eventually to Alabama for various reasons. Race is a major theme as Crane has her own thoughts about how her race (she is half Black, half white) has affected her life and situation.
This is a story about a woman trying to find herself and the various geographical locations she finds herself in each teach her something about who she is and what she wants. The ending leaves Helga’s ending to the imagination, which is both frustrating and a perfect ending in different ways.
Sorrow and Bliss: This contemporary novel is part love story (or marriage story, more like), part introspection on the part of the protagonist Martha, and part family drama.
If someone had described the novel in that way to me, I’d probably have passed. But I came to it with no expectations, not really knowing what the book was about, and was immediately sucked in by Mason’s incredible writing. Here’s the Goodreads link if you need a better description than mine!
The Wild Remedy: Get ready for this–I read this because Britney Spears recommended it on her Instagram account. Yeah, it’s a funny way to get a book recommendation, but you know what? This book was excellent.
Mitchell explores the ways in which nature can help us heal while telling of its influence on her own life and especially her struggle with depression. I loved it. It reminded me a lot of another favorite of mine in the same vein–Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May.
The Silence of the Lambs: Did you know this book was the second in a series? I had no idea. I read it for the Read Harder Challenge category “Read a book whose movie or TV adaptation you’ve seen (but haven’t read the book).”
If you’ve seen the movie, you know the story. The book was just as gritty as the movie, but I found it slightly less dramatic because it’s definitely a police procedural. Not my usual brand, but I still enjoyed reading the book, then watching the movie again for comparison.
And that’s it for April, friend. I’m happy to say the weather has started behaving itself, relatively speaking. So it seems we are finally over “second winter” and on to summer. Hope you’re doing well!
I leave you with a few pics of this year’s daffs and tulips.
Spring (aka second winter) has descended on the Midwest, which means wildly unpredictable weather.
One morning it’s snowing and that same afternoon it’s 50 and we’re drinking wine on the porch. It’s…a lot…for a person to handle.
Exhibit A: Some gorgeous daffodils on the university campus where I work
Exhibit B: We took an urban hike to this cool historic cemetery in our city and it straight up hailed on us.
But my favorite thing about spring, aside from the fantastic flowers, is reading spring-y books. I’ve found it the best way to combat the blues that hit along with second winter.
Thus, I give you my list of faves to reread in the spring.
Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim
You know by now that I am obsessed with this book. If you like a little feminism and humor thrown in with your garden reading, this one is for you.
Duh…The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
I need hardly go on about this one. It’s obvious. I like to read the book, then watch the 90s film adaptation, one of my personal childhood faves.
The Enchanted April by–who else?–Elizabeth von Arnim
I mean, she’s just so good at spring. Read this and then watch the 90s film adaptation. The film is a bit slow, but I honestly don’t care since the characters I love so much come to life in it.
Here they are in their 1920s glory:
Any Gardening Book at All
This is my recent haul from AbeBooks. Don’t sleep on used books from Abe–I got all of these for $12.
Jane Austen–Preferably Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion
Then, of course, watch the movie adaptations. I just watched the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version for the first time a couple of weeks ago! I know I’m late to the party, but most definitely better late than never because this is a classic for a reason.
Sigh…
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Ahhh, pure comfort reading. I relax just thinking about this one.
The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman
Hah! Snuck in some contemporary fiction on ya’. I read this for the first time last year and really fell for Waxman as a writer. She writes stories about women in many difficult situations (single mothers, widows, women looking for love, etc.). The protagonists feel contemporary, as if your best Millennial friend was really going through something and you’re along for the ride.
This one, about a woman who’s lost her husband and has two children, centers on the creation of a garden and the strangers who become a family because of it. It’s also a story of loss with a hopeful ending. Hope is an excellent theme for spring.
The Wild Iris by Louise Gluck
And here’s some incredible poetry for you. I haven’t finished reading this one yet because every poem kills me and I have to take them in very slowly. Gluck writes with a theme of flowers and begins with the flowers that bloom in early spring. Many of the poems are from the perspective of the flowers themselves. Divine.
Anne of Green Gables, Jane of Lantern Hill, The Blue Castle
Really, read any L.M. Montgomery in spring and you won’t regret it.
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
I love Wohlleben as a writer. His books are bound to become classics of nature writing, as I’ve said before. This one, about trees, is my favorite.
I’ve just realized that this list doesn’t include a single author that isn’t white. I will work on that for my spring reading in general.
Do you have a list of books, or just one book, that you like to read while the snow and sun and hail and flowers fight for precedence? Do tell!
Meanwhile, I am going to work on my summer list. Stay tuned for all of Edith Wharton. 😉
I leave you with a bad picture of a gorgeous magnolia on campus.
March was a thing that happened. It had nowhere near the pizazz of the February baby shower or Vegas trip, but it happened.
There were a few sunny days that allowed for some porching and drinking of drinks. And, thanks to Fall Shannon, there are about 50 tulips (and lots of daffs) coming up this month. No blooms yet. You know I’ll keep you posted.
That is my somewhat boring life update. Chugging along. Nothing new.
To the books!
Some Notes:
I read 10 books this month, including one reread and four—count ’em four!—books that count toward my 2022 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge. Whoop! Here are some thoughts.
The Secret Wisdom of Nature
Peter Wohlleben’s books are bound to end up classics of nature writing. I loved listening to the audiobook version of this. Lots of fascinating stories about plants and animals.
Washington Black
This is my entry for the 2022 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge category “adventure book by a BIPOC author.” It’s fantastic and heartbreaking and deserves all the hype it gets.
The Genius of Birds
More wonderful nature writing. This book lulled me to sleep each night for a week as I listened to interesting stories of robins, jays, corvids, and so much more.
Boy of the Painted Cave
I ordered this via interlibrary loan from my library because I’m pretty sure it’s the book my sixth grade teacher (oh hey, Mrs. Czynowski) read to my social studies class. I fell in love with it as an 11-year-old and found it just as good as a 41-year-old. Was it written for children? Absolutely. Did I get absorbed in the hunting and cave painting adventures of a prehistoric boy just as much as I did when I was a child? Absolutely.
The Bookshop on the Corner
I can’t help myself. I love Jenny Colgan. Her books are comfort reads for me. This one, which fits the Read Harder Challenge category “Read a book set in a bookshop,” was no exception. After being let go from her library job, a woman moves to Scotland, fixes up an old van and turns it into a roaming bookshop, and falls in love. This may read like a Hallmark movie, but it couldn’t be more on brand for me.
Maybe I’m being unfair though. Colgan is a talented writer who does more than scratch a character’s surface (as in a Hallmark movie). There is depth to her characters if not to her plots. Regardless, I love them as they are.
Beast
This is my entry for the Read Harder Challenge’s category “Read a queer retelling of a classic of the canon, fairytale, folklore, or myth.” I don’t like retellings. Fairy tales and related fantasy stories are not my jam. But I boldly searched through many of the selection at my library (I tried to start five other books that would fit this category) and eventually settled into this one. I’m glad I did. I think I liked it because it was a realistic retelling with no elements of magic or magical realism in sight. I liked that.
If you like YA and themes of identity around sexuality and just in general, you may like this one too.
The Fire Never Goes Out
This is my choice for the Read Harder Challenge category “Read a nonfiction YA comic.” It’s a wonderful memoir in graphic format which explores issues of gender identity, creativity, and young-adulthood.
The Benefactress
Elizabeth von Arnim has quickly become one of my favorite authors. After I first read Elizabeth and Her German Garden about two years ago, it became one of my favorite books of all time, and then I snagged her complete novels on Amazon.
The Benefactress explores that relatable topic of a woman’s lack of options back in the days when women were raised solely to become wives and mothers. What happens when a woman doesn’t become a wife or mother? What happens if she doesn’t become either and also has no money?
Here is one option according to the story of a woman with a generous uncle and peculiar ideas about helping others like her. It was fascinating.
The Way Home: Tales from a Life Without Technology
I very much enjoy reading books about alternative ways of living and this one was excellent.
The Maid
This book is home to one of my favorite kinds of protagonists: undeniably quirky and a flauter of social conventions. There is a good mystery too.
And that’s that! I had the pleasure of reading some great books this month and I look forward to an equally fun April, after which I also hope to report the arrival of a grandchild! Woo!
Pillow Fort 