A good start to 2015/ The Year in Books January reads

Having returned to work on Monday after the Christmas holidays I have spent the last two days in bed poorly. 

As there isn't much you can do in between sleeps I thought I would do my first post of the year and have a look back over 2014.

During 2014 I read some 70 books (much to the amazement of my son who tells me he read 4).

I read many fantastic books but I always like to pick one per month that has stood out more than the others

and these are the books that I picked over the last twelve months.

At the end of the year I like to pick a book from these tweleve for my book of the year.

My book of the year for 2014 is

For anyone who has read books by Amanda Prowse before will know, she writes about everyday circumstances that can affect us all.  All her books of the No Greater Love series are some how linked to one another.  In Will You Remember Me Amanda brings back Poppy Day, the young hairdresser married to her childhood sweetheart Martyn Crickett. Here we find Poppy fighting the biggest battle of her life when she discovers a lump in her breast.  I'm sure there will be those of you out in blogland who will have experienced this yourself or know of some one who has.  In my case  a close friend has been going through treatment herself in 2014 and we are all hoping that she will beat her disease. 

In 2014 I also challenged myself to re-read some of those books we were made to read whilst at school,

The twelve books I re-read were

1. To Kill A Mockingbird

2. The Waterbabies

3. Lord of the Flies

4. Of Mice & Men

5. Animal Farm

6. Cider with Rosie

7. The Color Purple

8. To Sir With Love

9.Educating Rita

10. Carries War

11. The Diary of Anne Frank

12. Uncle Tom's Cabin

There were those that I loved, those I hadn't really changed my opinion of in 35+ years and those I loathed.

I have to say that my favourite is still 

To Kill A Mockingbird

Did you have a favourite school read?

So to 2015 

I received a further eight books as Christmas gifts which put together with those still on my bookshelf 

and those residing on my kindle means I probably have enough books to see me through 2015 without buying anymore.  Of course we know that won't happen don't we.  As much as I try not to buy anymore books I know there will be those that find there way into the shopping basket or downloaded to my kindle so I will jut have to read quicker won't I.

So to my January reads.

Alexandra Browns The Great Christmas Knit Off was a gift from my books swap buddy Lou. She said she didn't know whether I was going to like it but the fact it included knitting she thought I may.  

I started it just after Christmas and continued to read it through to the beginning of January and therefore I have included in my January reads list.  

It is a lovely light hearted book about a young lady who isn't having the best of times and decides to visit her close friend who runs a country pub.  What Sybil didn't know when she arrived is that her life was about to change forever.

Definitely a romcom type book and reminded me a little of Bridget Jone's diary in it's composition. 

Sometime ago I downloaded Graham Masterson's Broken Angels only to realise that it is part of a series of books all of which are written about his main character Katie Maguire who is the Chief Superintendent of the Cork Garda..  For sometime I had lost my interest in Crime Thrillers but this series of books seems to have reignited my interest. I have now completed the first in the series White Bones. The books are written in such away that you get to know not only about the crime committed but about the life of Katie Maguire outside of her work. So far Broken Angels is continuing to be just as well written.  

The third and fourth in the series Red Light and Taken for Dead are patiently waiting to be read on my Kindle.

Following on from last years challenge of revisiting some of the books I read at school, this year I have set myself the challenge of re-reading some of my favourite books from childhood and those that I enjoyed reading with my own children. For January I have picked The Secret Garden this was not only one of my favourites from my childhood but also that of my daughters and maybe one day she too will have a daughter of her own to share this lovely book with.

I am delighted to say that Laura from Circle of Pine Trees is continuing with her Year in books project in 2015. I joined her project back in October and I am so glad I did. Not only have I been able to share the books that I have read but also found lots of great recommendations of books to read.

It's quite simple to take part and if you click here you will find out more.

Meanwhile I'm off to take some more meds and possibly even another little dose before teatime.

Happy reading one & all

Mx