Status of my Reading Challenge for 2023

Hello friends and fellow bloggers,

I hope you are all doing great and ready for the weekend.

I've been plodding along over the past week or so. I've not been too busy but I have a lot to do and I haven't been very organized about it so am feeling a bit disorganized. Whenever I'm in that space of not being able to focus on other things, I always turn to reading.  It's one of my favourite things.

In 2022 I purposed to read less but still read a lot for pleasure. I read 46 books and just over 16,000 pages. I'm not sure I'll have a lot of time for reading later in 2023 so I'm reading a fair bit right now.  My reading is 50 books.  Of course I will always have some works of fiction to read but I'm hoping to make more time for both sewing and baking in 2023 so there will be a lot of books on these subjects.  So far in 2023 I've read 8 books as below. I don't tend to write long reviews of books I've read. I only give them stars according to how much I've enjoyed them and I might add a line or two so I remember them later. (You may need a Goodreads account to be able to read the links).

Cherop 's bookshelf: read

The Girl Next Door

by Phoebe Morgan

A psychological murder mystery set in small town England. A few twists and turns with a surprising and disturbing ending.

tagged: fiction and mystery-thriller

Little Wishes

by Michelle Adams

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about young love lost and found again when it is almost too late. A sad and poignant book.

Happy Homemade: Sew Chic: 20 Simple Everyday Designs

by Yoshiko Tsukiori

The layout and presentation of this book is very well thought out. I enjoyed the tips provided for the sewing projects too. But I wasn't a fan of the designs and I have no idea about how easy it is to use the patterns at the back though ...

tagged: contemporary and sewing

Lotta Jansdotter's Everyday Style: Key Pieces to Sew + Accessories, Styling, and Inspiration

by Lotta Jansdotter

A short book with uncomplicated clothing. It's the patterns at the back that might take some time to figure out. I'm hoping to make 2-3 items in future but have so many other projects right now.

tagged: crafts and sewing

PlantYou: 140+ Ridiculously Easy, Amazingly Delicious Plant-Based Oil-Free Recipes

by Carleigh Bodrug

This book has lots of 'doable' and unfussy plant based recipes. The recipes are all laid out clearly and simply.

A Russian Sister

by Caroline Adderson

This book is a book of fiction based on historical facts. It took awhile to get into this book but once I started enjoying it I enjoyed it a lot. I had no idea how it might end but was a bit disappointed in it. It seems the women in Russ...

tagged: fiction and historical-fiction

Dear Emma

by Katie Heaney

This book was written for several generations younger than I so I couldn't relate much to the themes in it. I think those in early years of college or university might like it better.

tagged: contemporary, fiction, romance, and young-adult

Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War between the Windsors

by Tom Bower

tagged: biography, contemporary, and non-fiction

Marking the Year in Reading & Looking Back

This year my reading goal was 25 books. Once I reached that level any extra reading I did was to be enjoyed whenever I had time. I am now up to 44 books (those in the picture below) and I have no end goal. Right now I am trying to read and learn from some fashion and cooking books. The only problem is usually when I want to do that there is a queue of people who want the books too and sometimes one cannot renew them. Our library system allows 2 renewals if you are not caught up with too many people needing the book so altogether you can borrow a book for 9 weeks.

In addition to reading the library books I am reading chronologically through the New Testament. I try to read about 5 chapters a day.  Right now I am in the last chapters of the Book of John.  I am also reading the Book of Revelation. I haven't much read the Book of Revelation since I was a child and it isn't a book that many churches teach about. Once I've read this Book a few times on my own I will go over a third time with a Bible Study series on the book. I think it's important to be prepared in better understanding as I look around me and I hear the events happening the world over.

It was Thanksgiving the other day and I shared some Fall colours in my post. You can look here for Fall colours in 2019.  I thought it would also be fun to see what October looked like last year by way of comparison.  The following photos were taken in early October 2018. I remember the day well. It was a gorgeous, sunny and warm day. The Fall colours were not yet that in full array.

The Go Fund Me campaign button is now ready in the side bar.  This is to help
Eunice with hospital and medical needs. For those who are new to this campaign you can read all the details at the link (in the side bar at top right).

Thank you for visiting.

I hope to see you again soon.

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