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Round up of 2019

I can't believe that 2019 is gone and we are now in 2020.  The year has just flown by.

2019 has been a great reading year for me.  I set my Goodreads challenge to 60 books but I am pleased to say I read 90 books which to me is pretty amazing.

the books I read are as follows in monthly order

 January

* Americanah by Chimamanda Ngosi Adiche
I started reading at the end of 2018 but completed at the beginning of January.
4 stars

* The Cactus by Sarah Haywood
This was Laurenandthebooks Patreon book club choice
I gave 5 stars

* The Restless Girls by Jessie Burton and illustrated by Angela Barrett
4 stars

* A keeper by Graham Norton
5 Stars

*  Names of the Sea by Sarah Moss
First non fiction of the year
4 stars

* The Seven deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
This was much hyped in 2019 and it really had me gripped
5 stars

*. Wonder by R J Palacio
I watched the film before I read the book. I enjoyed both
4 stars

* Feminists don't wear pink and other lies curated by Scarlett Curtis
This collection of essays was ok but I think aimed at younger adults/millenials
2 stars

February

* The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
I can't believe that Mr A bought me this book for our first Christmas in 2007 and has been sitting on a bookshelf all this time.  This book was fantastic
5 stars

* The Distance between me and the Cherry tree by Paulo Peretti and translated by Denise Muir
This was my first translated book this year and was the February Laurenandthebooks Patreon book club choice
3 stars

* Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman
4 stars

* Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
5 stars

* The Clockmakers Daughter by Kate Morton
The longest book this year
5 stars

* If cats disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura translated by Eric Selland
4 Stars

* Pages and Co- Tilly and the Book-wanderers by Anna James
First in the Pages and Co Series.  I can't wait to read the others
5 stars

March

* Lagom- The Swedish art of Balanced Living by Linnea Dunne
3 stars

* The beginning of the world in the middle of the night by Jen Campbell
4 stars

* The Velveteen rabbit by Margery Williams Bianco
3 stars

* My no no no days by Rebecca Paterson
3 stars

* Ordinary People by Diana Evans
This was shortlisted for the 2019 women's prize for Literature
3 stars

* The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler
4 stars

* Himself by Jess Kidd
Laurenandthebooks PTreon book club choice for the month
I only gave two stars for this.  The story was ok but I didn't particularly like Jess Kidds style of writing

* The very hungry caterpillar by Eric Carle
Such a children's classic
5 stars

April

* Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley
4 Stars

* Puppy pick up day by April M Cox
A cute little children's books
3 Stars

* The Scapegoat by Daphne Du Maurier
This was my first DDM and was Laurenandthebooks book club choice
5 stars

* Turning the Tide on Plasic by Lucy Siegle
Very topical and a good read that did make me think a lot about the amount of plastic I consume.
3 Stars

* Confessions of a call centre Worker by Izabelle Winter
I work in a call centre environment and some of the anecdotes were very familiar
3 Stars

* The Cut out girl by Bart van Es
a very moving memoir
4 stars


 May

* Big bones by Laura Dockrill
3 stars

* Vox by Christine Dalcher
Laurenandthebooks Patreon Book club choice
This was one of the worse rates book club choices this year but I did actually enjoy it and gave 4 stars

* An American marriage by Tayari Jones.
This was the Women's Prize 2019 winner.  A good read
4 stars

* The Librarian by Salley Vickers
3 stars

* Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
5 stars

* Real life Organising by Cassandra Aarssen
4 stars

June

* The Giants Necklace by Michael Morpurgo
3 stars

* The Editor by Steven Rowley
4 stars

* Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori
3 stars

* Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
A Laurenandthebooks Patreon Bookclub choice
3 stars

* Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
This to me was utter rubbish and I nearly DNF'd it
1 star on Good reads but really a 0.5

* Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
5 stars

* Listen to the moon by Michael Morpurgo
4 stars

July

* The skylarks war by Hilary McKay
4 Stars

* Elzas kitchen by Marc Fitten
3 stars

* Crudo by Olivia Laing
I know that this book is loved by a lot of people but again I nearly DNF'd it
Again 1 star on Good Reads but 0.5

* Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
4 stars

August

* Sun, Moon and Stars by Stephanie Turnbull
3 stars

*The lost Narwahl by Tori McGee, illustrated by Roksolana Panchyshyn
3 Stars

* A Tiger like Me by Michael Engler, illustrated by Joelle Tourtonias and translated by Laura Watkinson
4 stars

* Rebel Cats: Tales of Feisty Felinesby Kimberlie Hamilton
I bought this as a gift for a friend but very cheekily read it before I gave to her
5 stars

* La Belle Sauvage by Phillip Pullman
My first Phillip Pullamn book and I loved it
5 stars

* The Night watch by Sarah Waters
a Laurenandthebooks Patreon Book club choice and my first Sarah Waters books
5 Stars

* A bag case of stripes by David Shannon
3 stars

* The cat in the hat by Dr Suess
A classic from my childhood
5 Stars

* Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss
5 stars

September

Not a good raeading month

* Hunger by Roxane Gay
A Laurenandthebooks Patreon Book club choice
I was slightly disappointed with this book for some reason
3 Stars

*Where the Past begins by Amy Tan
Amy is one of my favourite writers
4 Stars

October

* Dear Human, love dog by Chris Bea
3 stars

* Alone by Scott Stuart
3 stars

* Harry's Sppoky Surpirise by NGK, illustrated by Janelle Dimnett
4 stars

* Harry's lovely spring Day by NGK, illustrated by Janelle Dimnett
4 stars

* Harry the Happy Mouse by NGK, illustrated by Janelle Dimnett
4 stars

* EverythingUnder by Daisy Johnson
I read about 60 pages but I just found this book confusing.  Maybe it was just the wrong time for me to read this.  Unfortunately this was my only DNF for 2019

* English Animals by Laura Kaye
4 stars

* Cami Kangaroo has too much stuff by Stacy C Baurer , illustrated by Rebecca Sinclair
3 stars

* Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
A Laurenandthebooks Patreon book club choice
4 stars

* Bo the Bat by Alma Hammond, illustrated by Zuzana Svobodova
3 stars

* I am nort afraid to fail by Daniel Kenney
3 stars

* Scaredy Bat and the Frozen Vampires by Marina J Bowman
3 stars

November

Another slow reading month

* Spark Joy by Marie Kondo
3 stars

* The marriage of opposites by Alice Hoffman
My favourite book of the year
5 Stars

December

* Disney by Rees Quinn
3 stars

* The Almanac by Lia Leendertz
I read this throughout the year
3 stars

*Last Christmas by Greg Wise and Emma Thompson
The final Laurenandthebooks Patreon book club choice for the year
2 stars

* Uncommon Type but Tom Hanks
I like some of the stories but not all
2 Stars

* The Snowman by Michael Morpurgo inspired by the classic Raymond Briggs book of the same name
4 stars

* Harry the Christmas Mouse by NGK, illustrated by Janelle Dimnett
3 stars

* Samson by Tevi Hirschhorn
2 stars

* The Christmas star by Diane Darcy
3 stars

* The Nutcracker by David Clement Davies
3 stars

* A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
3 stars

* Mr Hoopeyloops saves Christmas by Andi Cann
4 stars

* All I want for Christmas is you by LisaMondello
3 stars

* The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater
Another favourite of mine. Nigel is pure comfort and joy
5 stars

* Seven Days of us by Franchesca Hornak
4 stars

* Little Bears can do Big things by Esther Cordova, Illustrated by Vanessa Chromik
3 stars

* Frankins Flying Bookshop by Jan Campbell
5 stars

* A Literary Christmas from the British Library
3 stars

What did you read in 2019?

Happy reading
love Lesley xx





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