2022 Reading and Blogging Goals: Year-End Wrap-Up

 

It's hard to believe that 2022 is already just about over!  It seems so long ago that I set some reading and blogging goals for this year, but let's take a look back at them anyway.

1. Read Little Women.  I did it!  It took me a month and a half to read it, but I finally read Little Women!
   
2. Read 52 books.  At the time I'm writing this post, I've read 99 books, which is WAY more than I expected to read this year.
   
3. Don't be so rigid about a blogging schedule.  I think I did pretty well with this.  I haven't always been able to stick to my "normal" blogging schedule, but I haven't let this bother me.  I do get a little anxious when I don't have a lot of pre-scheduled posts, but that's the nature of life right now.  My sister has taken a larger role on the blog this year, and that makes me so happy!  She shared about two bookish conventions she attended, penned a series on independent authors, and has even started a new series showcasing upcoming releases she's excited about.  
   
4. Continue growing my Instagram account.  I've gained about 150 followers this year, but unfortunately my engagement doesn't seem to reflect that!  However, I still have fun taking and sharing photos, so I'll continue with it for now.
   
5. Reread from my own collection with the intention of pruning my shelves.  I attempted 6 rereads - of those, I DNFed two of them and I donated five.  I kind of gave up on this goal around mid-year, because right now there are just too many new books I want to read and I preferred to spend more time on those.
   
6. Keep track of how much I'm spending on books.  I added a line item to my budget spreadsheet for this, so I did keep track of this all year (although I'm not going to say how much I've spent - eek!).  Admittedly, most of my book spending was on Henry!

 How did you do on your 2022 goals?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Countess

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

 

The Countess (The Scandalous Ladies of London #1)

Sophie Jordan

Expected publication date: March 28, 2023

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan kicks off her amazing new high concept series, The Scandalous Ladies of London, which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent ladies reigning over glittering, Regency-era London, vying for position in the hierarchy of the ton. They are the young wives, widows, and daughters of London’s wealthiest families. The drama is big, the money runs deep, and the shade is real. Life is different in the ton.

“My husband is a good man… just ask all the women he has bedded.”

Wealthy society maven Lady Gertrude knows how the world works. If her husband is less than faithful, it’s an acceptable price to pay for her coveted position at the apex of London’s most fashionable set. No exclusive soirée or lavish ball is complete without her and her group of decadent, well-connected friends. And this Season promises more excitement than usual: Tru is launching her daughter into Society, helping her navigate the cutthroat Marriage Mart, complete with fortune hunters, jealous debutantes, and malicious gossips.

As skilled as Tru is at playing the high-stakes games of the ton, she never expects to meet her match—until Jasper Thorne begins to court her daughter. Jasper needs a titled bride, but when he meets Tru, all his carefully laid plans go up in smoke. The attraction between Tru and Jasper is undeniable…and unacceptable. To indulge in an affair with her daughter’s suitor would be ruinous. If it becomes public, she’ll never survive the scandal. Especially as it becomes clear that he wants more than one night…he wants the impossible. He wants forever.

A sizzling story of scandalous ladies, irresistible temptation, and the dangers—and joys—of being true to yourself. - from Goodreads
 

Top Ten Tuesday: Recent Additions to Henry's Shelves

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week's topic is recent additions to our book collections.  I haven't gotten that many new books lately, but Henry received many books for his birthday and Christmas - here are some of his most recent additions!

All Year Round // Babies Love Kindness // Count to Sleep Chicago

Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo // Night Night, Dino-Snores // Mr. Boddington's Studio: NYC ABCs

Never Touch a Porcupine! // Hello, World! Snow

Tokyo: A Book of Senses // Count to Sleep Vermont

 

What new books have you gotten lately?

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Holiday Quick Reviews

Christmas by the Book by Anne Marie Ryan (2020)
 

My aunt recommended this book to me after reading it with her book group, and I'm so glad she did!  Nora and Simon own a bookshop in a small English village, but unfortunately, it's looking like they might have to close.  When a customer buys one of the oldest books in their shop, they're inspired to gift books to others in their community who aren't necessarily feeling the Christmas spirit.  Although there are some heavy topics here (grief, depression), overall the tone of the story is uplifting and hopeful.  You'll be rooting for Nora and Simon to find a solution to their problems, and you'll enjoy getting to know all the other characters in their small village.  The story is infused with Christmas traditions and holiday spirit, and it'll make you feel all the warm and fuzzies.  It's also a love letter to books and the power of the written word, and it's so fun to follow along with the characters as they talk about new and old favorites.  4 stars

Home For Christmas by Courtney Cole (2022)

After her grandmother passes away, Piper is unsure she wants to keep running the Alaskan family home and business.  While out searching for her clients, Piper is caught in a blizzard and finds herself transported to 1945, where she meets her grandmother, now a young woman, and other family and friends.  She gets to know a different side of her grandmother and maybe even meets the love of a lifetime.  I really enjoyed this book - it was so different from other holiday stories I've read.  Piper is at a crossroads in her life, but the time travel forces her to slow down and experience a totally different way of living.  WWII is still going on, and the family is trying to make a decent Christmas, despite facing rationing, dwindling reserves, illness, and wild animals.  The story is, at turns, emotional, heartwarming, and wholesome, and the time travel/magical realism elements were nicely incorporated.  It truly is a story about family and legacy.  The ending was a bit abrupt, but overall, I loved this holiday story.  4 stars

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Michele's Monday Picks #3

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with a new little series, Michele’s Monday Picks! I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you. Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to! 

 

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Strangers in the Night

By Heather Webb

Expected publication: March 21st, 2023

From Goodreads:

It was the tumultuous romance that scandalized the world: Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner fought, loved, and lived life to the hilt. Now their unbridled story is brought vividly to life by Heather Webb, the bestselling author of Meet Me in Monaco and The Next Ship Home.


In the golden age of Hollywood, two of the brightest stars would define--and defy--an era...

She was the small-town southern beauty transformed into a Hollywood love goddess. He was the legendary crooner whose voice transfixed the world. They were Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra. Separately they were irresistible; together they were an explosive combination.

Ava's star is rising just as Frank's career--and public image as a family man--is taking a hit. Gone are the days of the screaming bobbysoxers and chart-topping hits. Ava, however, finds herself gracing the front page of every tabloid in America. Jealousy and cheating abound, and when the two succumb to their temperaments and their vices, their happiness is threatened at every turn.

As the pair ride the rollercoaster of success and failure, passion and anger, they both wonder if the next turn will be the end of their careers, and most devastating of all--the end of all they've shared.

A captivating novel with a star-studded cast spanning continents and decades, Strangers in the Night brings to life the most riveting love story of the twentieth century.

I have loved Heather Webb’s collaborations with Hazel Gaynor, so I am excited to read her newest solo effort!

Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Holiday Quick Reviews

The Christmas Wish by Lindsey Kelk (2022)

Facing a recent breakup and some serious issues at work, Gwen is hoping that a Christmas spent in her childhood home will be just what she needs to get back on track.  But when she keeps waking up on Christmas Day, Groundhog Day-style, she will need to figure out what's holding her back.  Guys, I LOVED this book!  I'm a sucker for time travel/time loop stories, and this was a great one.  Each iteration of Christmas Day felt fresh and new, as Gwen tried to "fix" something with a different member of her family, hoping to get out of the loop.  The family dynamics (a strained relationship with her sister, feeling pressure to make her dad proud) were so real and relatable.  I could maybe have used a bit more romance, because there are shades of it and I loved Dev, the boy next door/lifelong crush, but the focus on family, and Gwen's realizations about her own life, were top-notch.  Funny, heartwarming, full of holiday cheer and shenanigans - please read this one!  4.5 stars

Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday (2021)

Max, a future duke, is feeling pressure from his parents to marry a suitable bride, and soon, so that the future of the family is settled.  Dani is a college professor who has sworn off men after her divorce.  The two are just friends, but sometimes the best relationships blossom from strong friendships.  I have to say, this book was not marketed well as a holiday romance.  There's not really much holiday stuff in it at all, which was kind of disappointing.  It's the second book in a series, although I don't think you necessarily need to read the first book to enjoy this one.  I enjoyed that a portion of the story is devoted to Max and Dani as friends, and they then realize their attraction to each other and start to figure out how all that could work.  I think the story was overly long and a bit repetitive, though.  Cute premise, just didn't really work for me.  3 stars

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Can't-Wait Wednesday: Someone Else's Shoes

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

 

Someone Else's Shoes

Jojo Moyes

Expected publication date: February 7, 2023

A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances, this is the new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars

Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else’s shoes?

Nisha Cantor lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband announces a divorce and cuts her off. Nisha is determined to hang onto her glamorous life. But in the meantime, she must scramble to cope--she doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.

That’s because Sam Kemp – in the bleakest point of her life – has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. But Sam hardly has time to worry about a lost gym bag--she’s struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. When she tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting jolt of confidence that makes her realize something must change—and that thing is herself.

Full of Jojo Moyes’ signature humor, brilliant storytelling, and warmth, Someone Else’s Shoes is a story about how just one little thing can suddenly change everything.  - from Goodreads