“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” – – George R.R. Martin
I’ve always been a relatively slow reader. I like to savour the words and take it all in. Ever since my stroke several years ago and having to learn to read again, I read even slower than before. But I still love to be absorbed in a really engaging book. Novels are my favourite though I will admit I’ve read a few memoirs or autobiographies that were not too bad.
Although my reading and ‘reviews’ of what I read are always located at the bottom of the blog, I thought I’d share a bit of a summary with you from 2019. The reason I’ve put quotes around the word reviews is because I never provide a synopsis of the book — a synopsis is always available at Goodreads or any book sellers. I prefer to share my thoughts on the book and, when I don’t care for a book, I say so. As with any review given by someone who is simply a reader and not a professional reviewer, my thoughts are totally subjective. How a person reacts to any book is always personal and can change from one person to the next. Bearing that in mind, here is my list with a link to Goodreads where you may read my thoughts (aka review) by clicking on a particular book from my own page (if the page opens like it does for me, the synopsis is at the top of the page, with my ‘review’ beneath it).
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” – Groucho Marx
I’d love to know what you’ve read in 2019 and what books you would recommend or that you found particularly memorable. Please do drop me a note.
Books I Read in 2019
EDUCATED by Tara Westover (not being a fan of memoirs, I had to eat crow after reading this and finding it fascinating)
THE CLOTHESLINE SWING by Danny Ramadan
DEAR EVELYN by Kathy Page
THE FEATHER THIEF by Kirk Wallace Johnson
A MAP OF THE WORLD by Jane Hamilton (re-read)
A LITTLE LIFE by Hanya Yanagihara (wowzers, what a powerful novel)
WASHINGTON BLACK by Esi Edugyan (very good and suggest checking out my thoughts on Goodreads)
A NEWFOUNDLANDER IN CANADA by Alan Doyle (not a fan of the book)
ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE by Armando Lucas Correa (had to read it for book club, otherwise would not have had the pleasure of reading this fun book)
THE GIRL THEY LEFT BEHIND by Roxanne Veletzos (Excellent!)
BORN TO ICE by Paul Nicklen (it may be sold as a photo book but it is very interesting reading)
A FATAL GRACE by Louise Penny
THE LAST TIME I LIED by Riley Sager (highly recommended if you enjoy an intelligent thriller)
“A good book is an event in my life.” – Stendhal
our home is full of books. books in cabinets for display, some just for storage and books i’ve used to decorate. i used to keep two books going at one time, but in recent years haven’t found a fictional book i wanted to read. it seems my favorite authors haven’t released any new books. i have, however, continued a goal i set for myself in 2016, to read my Bible from cover to cover and round and round again and again. every morning while i drink my coffee i read no less than one chapter and if i’m in an eventful place, i may read three chapters. every time i read a passage, i find a nugget of gold i missed in prior readings.