A Year in Books: Part 2

I am sitting here wrapped in the fuzziest blanket we own, with a chubby Flint butt pressed up against my hip, listening to Christmas music, drinking coffee and tellin' y'all about the books I read this year.

Life is good.

And I am so blessed that when I think about it, it brings tears to my eyes.

Shoot.  Enough of that - on to books 11 - 20!


11.    Still on a Southern kick and having enjoyed Jenna Lamia's other narrations and Beth Hoffman's other book Saving CC Honeycutt AND because we had just come back from Charleston (stupid Charleston!) I bought this book.  Mucho gusto! I loved the characters and wished that I had seen the Charleston that was portrayed in the book as well as wishing I was Teddi and that I restored antique furniture.
4 Stars

12.    There must've been some book in my "read" list that Goodreads recommended this to me.  Based on the reviews I downloaded it and I really, really enjoyed it! I like historical fiction and this fit the bill perfectly.  I had Greensleeves stuck in my head for a month.
4 Stars

13.    I am not quite sure how I picked this book but boy am I ever glad I did.  If you like historical fiction, this book is amazing!  The author is a Medieval scholar and it shows.  With his descriptions he makes you believe you're in Chaucer's England.  Marvelous stuff this.
5 Stars

14.    Contemporary romance time via the library.  Romance novels; do you love 'em or hate 'em? I have a special place in my heart for them and every once in a while I get a hankerin' for some light hearted reading.  While this was pretty okay, and while it sufficed it wasn't anything super-awesome enough to insist everyone I know read.
2 Stars

15.   Another type of book I feel bad about adding to my "read" list is reference books. I don't know why because I've read them! This book came highly recommended and it doesn't disappoint.  I like the photos and the you-can-do-it-too-edness of it.  Come Spring I will have bees and maybe they'll survive thanks to this book!
4 Stars

16.    This is the first book that I chose on the recommendation of Book Page.  And wow did they hit it out of the park with this selection.  If you love books and book stores then this is an awesome book.  There may or may not have been tears involved.
5 Stars

17.    I remember choosing this book because I too have an apple orchard.  That's it. Silly reason, eh? Anyway, I can't remember much about this book except for that I didn't really enjoy it. It wasn't bad it just wasn't good for me.
2 Stars

18.    Another historical fiction and remarkably enough, set in the South (fancy that).  I really liked this book but honestly at the end all I could think was "can't SOMETHING, ANYTHING, ANYTHING AT ALL go well? Please?".  But other than that (no small thing) it was an enjoyable book to read.
4 Stars

19.    Okay, so the underlying story the book told is really good.  I just had a hard time following the story along as it was being told.  I wasn't emotionally invested until near the end where the story started to come together and make sense (to me).  That and I loved the protagonist, Leo.
4 Stars

20.    I had read a couple of Kate Morton's other books (The Forgotten Garden & The Secret Keeper) so I thought I would read this one as well.  This book fits the Historical Fiction bill being set in Edwardian England (I still haven't watched Downton Abbey, but this made me want to!).  What I remember about the book is that it is well written so that you feel like you're a fly on the wall watching the story unfold and that I truly enjoyed listening to the whole thing.
4 Stars (I've set a precedent by keeping to whole numbers but this one should really be 4.75)

Again, don't listen to a stinking word I've said because these are my opinions and they're only true to me.  Make your own opinions and tell me!

I'll see ya back here on Monday with part three!