Update and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I was pregnant and I thought I’d be able to read 24 books in 2013. That number was based on a certain number per month before baby arrived and a different number per month after baby arrived. Baby was a month early and adjusting my goal for that, it works out to 14+9=23. And I managed 23 books. So I made my goal.

January 2014 rolled around and I decided to go easy on myself. I had an infant and a kindergartener and I was going back to work, so the 2014 goal is 12 books. A book a month seems manageable, so we’ll see how it goes!  There is a lot happening in the next six months, so I might be a bit ambitious.

Also, there is a new tab for The Big Read. I have challenged myself to read 50 of those books for my most recent 101 in 1001 challenge. We’ll see how I do…

But now, while I managed to make my book target, I didn’t manage to keep the blog updated, so here, and for the next few weeks, are the books I read in 2013 and at the beginning of 2014. As well as I can remember them. Mommy brain and all.



I really liked this book. I inherited my mom’s fascination with World War II history and this book had that. I didn’t realize that Guernsey Island was occupied during the war and, while I didn’t quite get there, I thought I’d go read a bit more about it. When I was off work after I hurt my back, my mom brought me a set of DVDs to watch called Island at War. I really enjoyed them and I found myself wishing there were more episodes as I watched the last one. This book reminded me of that series. It was good and I think I want to reread it.

(January 2013)

The Stranger

I did it! With this book, I reached my goal!!! This is book 52 for 2012 and I did it with 2 months and 3 weeks left in the year…I’m super curious to see how many books I end the year with!

I am really enjoying the Camilla Läckberg books and The Stranger was no exception. I like the characters at the police station: I’m finding the personal storylines of Erika and Patrick and their lives intriguing and I can’t wait to read more. But I will have to wait. Either for the library or for my parents to finish the next two books and then come to visit.

We were in Kelowna for a few days in October and I read this book in about 24 hours. I wondered from the very beginning about a new character Läckberg introduced and while I was right to be suspicious, the reasons I was suspicious were so far off base it’s amazing!

Patrick investigates a bizarre car accident that seems to be a drunk driver on the surface, but as the layers get pulled away in the investigation, the story gets more and more bizarre. The connections that Patrick makes are interesting and the story veers off in directions I never would have anticipated more than once! Erika was less involved in this investigation, but her experience as a stay-at-home and dealing with her sister was prominent. I’m looking forward to the next few books as I think she is soon back to work after her maternity leave and I’d like to see Erika and Patrick working together again.

Fifty-two books in 2012?

What was I thinking...I must be INSANE. Fifty-two books in 2012 is a book a week and it's 18 more books than I read in 2011.

I think it's possible. Look over there to left at my stats. I came flying out of the gate in 2011 - I read twelve books in the first three months of 2011. That was half of my 2011 goal and if I had managed to maintain that pace, I would have devoured 48 books last year. That's just 4 short of my goal. I guess I better get moving and finish my first book for 2012 before I go back to work on Tuesday.

There are no restrictions on where I get my books this year (the book diet ended in the summer). I have to read at least 26 NEW books. I can read more, but at least 26 should be new reads. That's to get me to move away from my old favourites (hello Harry Potter series). And I'm going to try to read more non-fiction. I don't know what that will look like, but I'm going to try.

I'm hoping to make it through the six shelves of books in my bedroom that are either new, borrowed or I read so long ago I can't remember if I want to keep them or not...

As always, I'd love your recommendations. Heck, I need your recommendations. See number 56 of my 101 in 1001 challenge. I need 5 recommendations and no matter what they are, I will read them.

What are your reading goals for 2012?