I'm wondering whether you set reading goals for the year, or whether you just like to read whenever the mood strikes you never mind the idea of keeping track of the books you've read. Or maybe you really don't like to read at all. I know a few people that don't read much. They usually try to read just before sleep and promptly nod off. I always try to encourage people to read more, even if it's just one more book than they might usually read.
I've always liked to read and I had the impression that I read a lot. However until I started setting annual reading goals and tracking the number of books and pages read through Goodreads, I realized that I really didn't read much at all. I started tracking my reading in 2009 and now read consistently though my reading drops off if I'm sick or travelling and there are some months when I just give myself a break. I know you can read when travelling and people use their electronic devices to assist in this regard but I prefer reading paper books and I may only take 1 with me to read on the plane. There are usually so many other things to keep one busy when travelling.
In 2026, I've set another modest goal of reading 50 books. If you are a reader you'll know there are some books that only take 2 or 3 hours to read. Then there are books that take much longer to read. Most books I select have anywhere from 6 to 15 hours estimated reading time. I prefer to read books that are a more than 300 pages so that I am not having to go to the library every other day. I like going to the library but I usually try to work in a trip there for when I am needing to do other errands nearby. I also enjoy historical fiction best but in the last 3 years I've tried to diversify my reading. Consequently, I've read fantasy books, murder mysteries and contemporary books.
If you've read this far, I hope you will leave me a comment and let me know what books you are reading right now. Perhaps I can add a few of them to my 'want to read list'. In the meantime you might be interested in knowing what I've been reading thus far in 2026. Here are the books and a summary of what they are about.
I picked the book, Ring of Salt off the library shelf and was pleasantly surprised and happy with the book. In this memoir, Betsy, an American left the United States for Ireland to get far away from her rich, abusive parents. She ends up dating and marrying an abusive man and having one child with him. Throughout her marriage Betsy is working as a struggling but published author and her husband earns very little which only adds to the strain in their marriage. Ultimately she plots her escape and with the assistance of the local women's shelter she is helped to get on her feet again. Betsy meets another man, who is supportive of her and wants to marry her but she declines. She has a vision for opening a retreat for abused women where they can also learn how to learn some crafts to help them earn an income. Though her life continues to be a financial struggle, Betsy is able to see the beginning of her dream coming to life.
The Golden Spruce, was gifted to me for my birthday. This non-fictional story is set largely on the northwest coast of British Columbia, the province where I live. It's a fascinating account of a man, Grant Hadwin, who cuts down a tree, known as the Golden Spruce. The tree was a 300 metre high Sitka Spruce tree, revered by loggers and sacred to the Haida people of the Haida Gwaii, formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands. The year was 1997 when Grant's used a chainsaw to fell the sacred tree from the old growth forest which was his act of protest against the logging industry. He felt people were too fixated on the one tree while the logging industry was decimating a huge part of the old growth forest. Just before he was scheduled to stand trial for environmental vandalism and eco-terrorism, Grant disappeared under mysterious circumstances and has never been found.
Aging Well with Diabetes, is a good reference book for older adults who have diabetes. I didn't finish it because there were people on the waitlist before I could complete the reading. I don't want to buy the book because I've already decluttered so many books over the past several years and don't want to accumulate more. On the rare occasion I do buy a book, it's usually from the thrift store. I will add this book to my list to read later
I added Welcome to the School by the Sea, to my "want to read" list because it was recommended by the library based on other books I'd read. I enjoyed it but I would give it an average rating. The book is the first installment of a 4 part series. The setting for the story is a posh girl's boarding school in Devon, England, hence the title. In this installment, young teacher Maggie leaves Scotland to begin teaching at the boarding school. In doing so, she has to leave her boyfriend Stan behind and he's none too happy about it. It's a bit nerve wracking for Maggie to settle in because she isn't from the posh set and has no experience of teaching children from a well to do background. But she is determined to have a new adventure in life and is reluctant to return home though several times Stan asks her to do exactly that. The book is basically about how Maggie adjusts to the school, Maggie making new friends, the school girls that get into mischief, and an attraction to male teacher at the neighbouring boys school. There is also an overarching story about the school administrator, Veronica. As the novel proceeds we learn of an unexpected connection between Veronica and the adopted son she gave up at birth. Of course no one even knows she had a child as an unwed mother. Although the book was just average or a little better than average, I'm open to reading the other books in the series in the future.
I picked up The Last Thing He Told Me was a free book which I picked up at the local community center. The book is easy to read and quite engaging. As I started reading, it didn't take long to realize that the story line was familiar. I thought perhaps I'd already read the book but later realized that I'd seen a mini-series of the same name on Apple TV. I enjoyed both the book and the mini-series. In the story, Owen, is Hannah's husband. Very early in the story, Owen disappears suddenly and very mysteriously. The police are looking for him in connection to major fraud perpetrated by his boss and the company for whom he worked. Owen's boss has been arrested and Owen will also be taken into custody if the police investigators can find him. Owen left so quickly that he hasn't let his wife, Hannah or his daughter, Bailey know what's going on, where he is. whether he will come back. He's only left a note for Hannah to protect Bailey. It's left to Hannah and Bailey to try to piece together what has happened to Owen and to try to have a life without him. The majority of the story reveals that Owen isn't who he said he is and that much of what Hannah and Bailey know about him is untrue. This is earth shaking news for the both of them and they are faced with monumental decisions about how they move forward.
This next book was on my 'to read' list. It appealed to me because I like bakeries and I like a lot of novels set in Paris. It turns out the book isn't set in Paris but in a suburb on Rue de Paris, lol. It's a magical, fantasy book that weaves together the secret bakery recipes and the lives of those who own the bakery or work in it.
I picked up The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo because the cover appealed to me. The book title and summary suggested a story reminiscent of the late Elizabeth Taylor who I always found fascinating. Not so much because of her many husbands but because of her great collection of precious jewellery and her air of old fashioned Hollywood glamour. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a well written story but if I had known a bit more about the content, I probably would not have read it.
The Secret History of Audrey James is another book I picked from the shelves. It seems I read a lot of books about women heroines set in WW2 in England or France. I haven't read this book yet but will start soon.
I have a few more books that will be ready for pick up in the next few days.
I heard an interview on You Tube with the author of this book, Culinary Claims. L. Sasha Gora did her Ph. D. in Canada which culminated in this book.
I tried listening to Andrew Lownie's Entitled on Audible but I have a hard time listening to a book. My mind wanders all over the place. Even if it doesn't wander I just can't seem to focus on the story itself. So I've put the paper book on hold and now it's ready. In the period of time that I've been waiting for the book there has been so much information about these two former royals that has come out in the press, tabloid television and You Tube channels that whatever is in the book is probably "old" news.
I've only read one book by Carley Fortune who seems to be a very popular Canadian author writing about romance and contemporary themes. The book is called, This Summer Will Be Different . It's set in Prince Edward Island (PEI) which is clear on the other side of the country from where I live. I thought it was a little 'fluffy' or light for my taste but I'm going to read another book of hers to see if I like it better.
That concludes my January and February book selections so far. Please let me know in the comments if you've recently reads any good books. I'll see if the library here has a copy.
Tuesday was a super busy day for me. The day included running errands in the late afternoon and early evening. I thought it would be fun to share some snippets of what I saw while I was out. I made my usual trip to the library to return a book and pick up another.
There was a chill in the winter air and fresh snow had fallen on the mountain tops. Today was a treat in that it was so nice to see the mountain peaks in all their glory today. Not only was there freshly fallen snow on the mountains but the sky was clear enough and bright enough to enjoy the view.
I was out in the neighbourhood running a number of errands when I took the following "night time" images. It was only about 5:30 p.m. Apparently we'll be experiencing a wolf moon or super moon which will reach it's full peak on January 3rd just after 5 a.m. I doubt I'll be up that early to take a photo. You can read more about the moon here in case you're interested.
A popular outdoor seating spot in warmer months.
I enjoy all the Christmas lights at the time of year.
I'm reading my last book, number 59 of the year which will bring me to 20,100 pages read. I didn't think I'd meet the 20,000 pages because I slacked off a bit from reading to focus on a few other time consuming things. However, reading is an easy, pleasurable activity when you have a few minutes to spare so I always have a book on hand.
My first book of 2026
If I don't read from you or post again before the end of the year I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year. May God smile on you and your loved ones in 2026.
I hope you are well and keeping warm or cool depending on where you live in the world. We've had 2 dry and sunny days here for which I'm grateful. Every year it seems to rain on Remembrance Day and I always feel for the elderly veterans that have to sit outside in the cold and rain in order to participate in Remembrance Day Services. On the news today they were saying how few veterans are left of those that fought in World War 11. Sad to know they will soon no longer be with us.
True to form, each year at this time of year I'm delayed in getting a flu shot due to getting a bad cold. When I was working I always got a flu early in the season. Now that I'm retired, I always get a very bad cold or bronchitis and seldom get a flu. Again, the illness prevents me from getting a vaccine.
I'm keeping steadily busy. There is always something that needs to be done both inside and outside of the home. I've had to reorganize a few appointments until I'm feeling a bit better. I don't really like to do that because then it makes for a busy time trying to catch up later but sometimes it must be done.
I haven't made much headway yet on the latest book I'm reading but I'm really enjoying it so far.
I've almost finished the small, red beaded dress pin in honour of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW). I still have to sew the front and back together and create a border.
I've been craving Butternut Squash soup for awhile and finally made some today. It was delicious. Even better, it's healthy. I made the soup in my new Dutch oven.
Someone came to pick up my old Dutch oven today. It was large one and very heavy. I gave it away on my local Freecycle site. Someone responded to my ad within an hour of posting and came to pick up the pot this afternoon. I'm glad I didn't have to throw it away. It doesn't look that pretty and the enamel had started chipping away from the cast iron but it's still perfectly usable if you can handle the size and weight.
The new pot is not as heavy and the capacity is about 2 litres less. I can tell it isn't as well made as the old one I have but I'm sure it will be fine for my needs.
In other news, we finally managed to get the home phone, internet and television services all working at the same time. It's the first time since late August. Hopefully that will be the end of the issues and the billing issues I've had to sort out with Telus. It had become a real nightmare. We don't know for sure but the problems seem to have stemmed from using the old (reconditioned) set top box that we were given when we signed on to Pure Fibre (high speed internet). Once we used the small, new set top box, everything started working as they should have and so far everything is still working.
Thanks for stopping by. If you missed my submission to Tuesday 4. You can find it here.
Welcome to Tuesday 4 in memory of our friend Toni Taddeo.
Most people love to read. It opens other worlds to us. Autumn weather is often conducive to reading as weather can be chillier and rainy. Cozying up with a book can be a lovely way to spend some time. How do you relax in the evening after dinner?
By watching television, working on the computer or by reading a good book.
Do you read in bed? What kind of books do you read?
I do read in bed but not that often as I don't find it comfortable. I usually sit and read on my sofa. I try to read all kinds of books but I tend to read more historical fiction than anything else.
Do you have a list of books you look forward to reading?
I keep a very long list of books to read and I'm always adding new titles. I can get most of them at my local library or have them sent there from the city's inter-library system. I seldom buy books these days because there are just so many available through the library. I do get the itch to buy a book but will only buy them used and if they are a very good price at the thrift store on a rare visit there.
What is the best book you've ever read and why?Or how about the worst book you feel you wasted time reading?
I have several books and authors I've read that I call 'the best'. Some of my all time favourite authors are Mauve Binchy (Evening Class), Rosamunde Pilcher (The Shell Seekers), Abraham Verghese (Cutting for Stone), Khalid Hosseini (The Kite Runner), Rohinton Mistry (A Fine Balance), Sandra Gulland (The Josephine B. Trilogy), Ken Follett (The Century Trilogy), Lisa See (The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane), Karen Blixen (Out of Africa), Jane Austin (Pride & Prejudice) & Leo Tolstoy (Anna Karenina). There are many more and so you see it is difficult to choose one best book and author.
There have also been a few books that I feel I wasted time on. Some of them I plodded on and read them anyway. But in the last few years I've started shelving them rather than waste time especially if I've dawdled over reading it and it's due back at the library. One book that I can clearly recall not liking is President Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope" (I own this one and recently gave it away). I was quite surprised because I really enjoyed his book "Dreams of My Father". I'm afraid I didn't keep good track of the others I've more recently shelved including a cosy mystery I tried reading last month. It was very highly rated but I could not get into it.
Other
This is a Public Service Announcement for Canadians. If you haven't yet heard about several bills that are currently before the Parliament of Canada for consideration, please pay attention to the following short video
and the particular legislative proposals mentioned therein. Also, share this information as widely as you can. The rights of citizens in virtually every nation around the world are being eroded before our eyes and Canada is no exception. We need to do what we can to protect our rights. Please investigate these items and contact your local Member of Parliament with your concerns.
C 2 - Would Allow Canada Post to open your mail at the border without your consent.
C 5 - Could pull funds that are paid to provinces affecting national unity.
C 8 - Would give the government power to order the shut down of all your Internet and phone if you are deemed to be a threat.
C 9 - Changing definition of hate speech and giving government the power to charge you without Attorney General approval.
The above descriptions are taken directly from the video above, not through my own research. The next step is for people to do their own research and contact their local Members of Parliament with their concerns.
Here is a link to the bills currently before Parliament including the Bills I've mentioned above.
This link will take you to a page showing you the current status of each bill and identifies the stage of the legislative process they are currently in.
Last, but not least, here is a link to find your Member of Parliament should you need assistance in finding your local MP.
The total number of books I've read so far in 2025 is 36 books and 11,930 pages. My modest book reading goal is 40 books for the year. It looks like I'll surpass the goal but I'm not pushing myself to do a lot more than 40 books. Some of my regular readers might remember that I decided to reduce my reading this year to make time for more arts and crafts projects. I have indeed managed to make more time for creative projects this year but that will be the subject of future posts.
While I very much enjoy reading, I don't like writing book reviews. I think it's because in school I always had to do a book report after reading a book for class. Though I understand there are reasons for such assignments, I have to say that this requirement turned me off of recreational reading for a very long time. If I did read on my own time it was very minimal and 3 books in any given year was my maximum. Nowadays I read much more than that. It's largely because I set a reading goal each year and track my books on Goodreads.
I started keeping better track of reading in the year 2007.
In that year I only read 3 books and the following year I don't seem to have read any books. Back in those days I could barely read a page or two at one time. My concentration levels were atrocious and I would get very tired after reading only 2 or 3 pages. My concentration level has greatly improved but it is still not 100%. It affects my daily life but more noticeably affects my writing. I have perfectionist tendencies and I try not to let this problem get me down. Instead, I thank God for the improvements since 2007. It's been a long road.
I've built up my reading goals starting with the year 2009 when I was able to complete 11 books. That was a significant milestone for me. The quantity of books I've been able to read has steadily improved since then. As you know, books are not equal in length. Some books are long and some are short. I learned a tip from a blogging friend who said she aimed to reach 20, 000 pages. I started aiming for that too.
Since I learned this tip I have reached or surpassed the goal more often than not. It fun to aim for it but I won't always reach the goal and that is okay. In fact, this may be a year I won't reach the goal but if I continue reading at the current pace, I will get close enough to it without straining myself.
I have 6 other books on the reading stack at the moment and have started two of them.
One is called Fell Murder by E.R.C. Lorac
The Garths had farmed their fertile acres for generations and fine land it was with the towering hills of the Lake Country on the far horizon. Garthmere Hall itself was old before Flodden Field, and here hot-tempered Robert Garth, still hale and hearty at eighty-two, ruled his household with a rod of iron. When he is killed, Inspector MacDonald sets to work on the close-knit cadre of suspects in this grim story of evil passions and murderous hate in a small rural community.
The other is called News of the World by Paulette Jilles
In the winter of 1870, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels from town to town, reading current news of ratified amendments and polar expeditions to (mostly) attentive audiences. When he’s asked to deliver a 10-year-old girl back to her relatives in San Antonio in exchange for $50 in gold, he agrees. Johanna’s parents had been killed by the Kiowa, but she was spared and was raised as one of their own for four years. Captain Kidd finds that Johanna has lost nearly all memory of her language, comportment, and upbringing. Facing a 400-mile journey filled with threats of ambush and an uncooperative charge, Captain Kidd wonders if his choice to deliver the girl was the right one.
What follows below are the highlights of the books I've read so far this year.v let me know what books you've enjoyed this year.
A well written, well researched novel. It's part of a series but I didn't know that when I started reading it. It's okay as a stand alone book. It just wasn't really my 'cup of tea' as it was a bit dull in the telling of the story.
I won't summarize the story because so many readers have already done that.
I basically enjoyed the story and read it over 2 evening sittings. One reviewer said that the story could have been told as two separate stories. My own view is...
tagged:
australia, historical-fiction, and romance
Alice lives in England with her family but is originally from Nigeria. After her estranged husband Cornelius dies, she decides she wants to return to Nigeria to live out the rest of her days. What follows is the winding journey to get th...
A group of school children and their teachers are held captive in China by Japanese soldiers during WW2. The novel is all about the horrors they endure, their methods of coping and their small joys along the way until the war is ended an...
A dark, gothic murder mystery. This is not a book I would normally read but I picked it from the library shelves and took a chance on it.
The story is told in the form of letters and it kept me engaged from beginning to ending. It seems...
An engaging whodunnit murder mystery set on Camino Island during a hurricane storm. My first read by this popular author and I'll likely read another of his novels.
tagged:
crime, fiction, mystery-thriller, mystery, and thriller
An interesting novel loosely based on real life events occurring during WW2. The story is about the role of propagandists in demoralizing German soldiers. Many of them were women, hence the title, The Lipstick Bureau.
It took me about...
Dystopian and science fiction are not my favourite genres to read. I picked up this book because the author is Canadian.
In this story, the protagonist, Polly agrees to time travel into the future in order to get the funds to pay for h...
tagged:
science-fiction, time-travel, dystopia, canada, and fantasy
A contemporary love story primarily set in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island (PEI). I enjoyed this story as it brought the feels of what it must be like on Canada's east coast. Perhaps some day I'll get to experience it for m...
tagged:
adult, chick-lit, contemporary, fiction, and romance
A good, short educative book that will get you started on using plants and herbs to improve your health.
The book is mostly devoted to 2 pages of information for each selected plant or herb that will provide you with adequate informati...
A sweet little book filled with lovely photos of Pamela of her culinary makes and in her surroundings on Vancouver Island. I also love the sweet words she posts throughout the book. There aren't a ton of recipes but definitely some I'm g...
A comprehensive book about the woman, Fu Pei-mei who brought Chinese cooking to the world. Though today's modern Taiwanese don't cook so much at home it seems, and no longer have need of such detailed cooking helps, Fu Pei-mei is an icon...
tagged:
asian, food, non-fiction, cooking, and china
A sadness permeates this book much like the sadness that seemed to envelop Lisa Marie Presley throughout her lifetime. This book surprised me in ways I didn't expect but it also showed me that Lisa Marie created a family full of love. In...
An interesting murder mystery; well written and with an ending I didn't forsee.
I've read another book by this author which was equally good if not better: The Girl on the Train, which was made into a movie starring Emily Blunt.
There ...
A complicated love story about a woman who ultimately has to choose between two loves. She makes her choice and you think the story is going to end sadly. But there is hope and a renewed love. I didn't think it would pull at my heart str...
tagged:
fiction, contemporary, romance, and chick-lit
This work of historical fiction leads us through the various life stages of American born, Anna Mae Wong, considered to be the first Chinese American actress to reach international acclaim.
She was born in 1905 and died in 1961. Her ca...
tagged:
asian, historical-fiction, history, adult, and china
There isn't much to say about this book. It's a short novel about a woman writer/teacher who goes to Athens to teach English. There are a few stories about people she meets along the way, her neighbour who is Greek but had been living in...
I enjoyed this book much more than the novel, Olive Kitteridge written by the same author. The 'unrecorded' stories shared could be quite depressing but somehow the book overall is not depressing.
A touching and moving posthumously published memoir of Alexei Navalny. The first half of his memoir is dedicated to a summary of his early life and how that and his education led him to become Russia's opposition leader and political act...
tagged:
biography, history, politics, world, and russia
This historical fictional novel is based on the author's indigenous family history and spans several centuries and is set in what is now Ontario and Quebec in Canada. This is a new to me author and I very much enjoyed the book as she mad...
tagged:
aboriginal-first-nations, fiction, and cultural
I enjoyed this book by a new to me author. I didn't realize when I picked it off the shelves that it is the 2nd in a book series.
The novel deals with the lives of a mother, Christine and her 3 married daughters, Etta, Cecelia and Jess...
A beautifully illustrated book with wonderful information and instructions. The projects are mostly beyond my capabilities but the information shared is good for those who are learning.
A touching story of an elderly woman's decision to seek medical assistance in dying and what happens while she's waiting on a decision. Far from being morbid, the take is sensitively told with a touch of humour.
tagged:
adult, fiction, chick-lit, and contemporary
This is the first book I've read by this author. It's a short book set in a bucolic fictional village of Thrush Green in the English countryside. The contents are pleasant and life is slow moving as life tends to be in a small village. T...
I didn't know much about the actress Minka Kelly but I had heard her name before. When her book came out I decided to read it.
Wow! What a horrible and precarious childhood this young woman had. I commend her for her survival instincts ...
tagged:
fiction, memoir, autobiography, and feminism
The book is very short and doesn't tell you much about the woman, Melanie, First Lady of the USA. She deals with some of the controversies such as plagiarizing Michelle Obama and swatting away her husband's hand when he wants to hold it ...
I enjoyed this short book of decorating ideas. What I enjoyed most is that the designer thinks outside of the box in terms of materials and decorating ideas. There are a number of ideas which one can implement quite easily. Her ideas lea...
