Top Ten Tuesday - Nine Favorite Books of 2022

 I have done a couple (though maybe just one) of the Top Ten Tuesday posts. I do enjoy them and mean to do more this year. I didn't happen to visit her blog today, but I did get to read an entry here, and decided to do my own. I haven't done anything with my year end wrap-up of 2022, and I think this is all I will do!

I didn't have ten, but nine. I reread many books this year, and though they are good old mysteries, they can't compete with the books below which were really excellent. Five fiction and four nonfiction.

I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg. I've not read a book by her that I haven't loved. This one was really very special.

4.50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie. One of my top favorite writers. This was a second reading.

The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer. This became one of my favorite books ever. I've never read anything like it, and was wowed. 

French Braid by Anne Tyler. Some think this is her last book and if so, it is a lovely way to end a career of many wonderful books.

The Adventurous Chef:Alexis Soyer by Ann Arnold. This is a children's picture book about someone I had never heard of until the television series Pie in the Sky. Inspector/Chef Crabbe idolizes Soyer. We learn a bit about him in one particular episode, and I wanted to know more. He was quite a fellow, and this book is well-worth reading.

The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore. This was a reread, and I loved it just as much as the first time. I wrote about it here. I didn't have grandchildren in 2011, and the book had a whole new meaning and richness that I understood this time. It really is a wonderful book.

Trains and Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith. This is a standalone book, and I really enjoyed it. Four strangers on a train telling about their lives.

Doctor Turner's Casebook by Stephen McGann. The author plays Dr. Turner in Call the Midwife. The book is mostly nonfiction, with delightful bits of the fictional doctor's casebook complete with teacup stains and imperfect typewriter letters (remember them?). I learned so much about medicine and diseases from that time, and saw how very accurate the program is. 

And the star of stars, also going onto my list of favorite books ever is:

Cross of Snow

A Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

by Nicholas Basbanes

My Letters from a Hill Farm blog is full of Longfellow's poems. I've loved him since childhood, and now my love and respect is much deeper. I so enjoyed my time within the pages. It is a perfect, perfect biography, and history of America and the world during his lifetime. A marvel, a masterpiece. Nothing better.

2021 Book Facts - just the stats

Kindle - 52

Print - 10, and most were childrens books

By men - 26

By women - 33

By both - 3

By the years:

1890s - 1

1900-09 - 2

1920s - 2

1940s - 7

1950s - 6

1960s - 1

1980s - 2

1990s - 1

2010-19 - 28

2020s - 12

2021 Book Facts - the rest of the list

 I read 10 fiction books this year.

The first I read was The Swiss Summer which I wrote a bit about here. I am currently reading a second book by Stella Gibbons, and am just as happy with it. Thanks again to the Dean Street Press for publishing these wonderful works by women whom most of us have not heard of. I also read three by Molly Clavering. You may read about her here.

I read three works of Japanese literature that I thought so original, so different from anything I have read before. 

I thought The Bishop's Wife by Robert Nathan to be quite odd, not anywhere near as good as the movie!

I wrote about the Boy... by Charlie Mackesy here. Not impressed.

The other fiction was the prequel James Runcie wrote - the prequel to the Grantchester mysteries, called The Road To Grantchester. It was excellent.

Only 3 non-fiction but all of them were utter gems! The Splendid and The Vile, Citizens of London, and A Child's Christmas in Wales. 

8 children's books. Most were so-so but Cynthia Rylant's The Old Woman Who Named Things and The Railway Children by Edith Nesbitt were wonderful.

1 mystery thriller still scares me to think of it.

1 book of poetry - A Shropshire Lad by A.E. Housman. I was sure I would love it, but I didn't. I loved some lines but was not interested in much of it. 

I'll save the stats for another post.

2021 Book Facts - the mystery edition

In 2021 I read 62 books, of which 39 were mysteries.

Finished the Harriette Ashbook series that I raved about last year.

Read two more E.C.R. Lorac books. Not sure if I have read all the ones available, but will check.

Read the latest in the Lady Hardcastle series by T.E. Kinsey. I see there will be a new one next year.

Read the first two in the Mydworth series by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards, and really enjoyed them! I want to read more this year. I claim to not like "historical" mysteries or fiction but yet I seem to read and like a lot of it! 

Another new series I like is the Heathcliff Lennox series by Karen Baugh Menuhin. And yes, you are right in wondering if she is related to Yehudi Menuhin. Her husband is his son. The author has a great website here.

I do like the Inspector Knollis books by Francis Vivian from the 1940s and 50s. In both this series and the mysteries by the Radfords, E. and M.A., there isn't personal information. The detectives just get on with solving cases and they are brilliant at it. No family life, no feelings - just the facts which can be very soothing! Another old book is by Christopher Bush, The Plumley Inheritance, first book in the Ludovic Travers series. This has been out of print for ages and is published by the wonderful, wonderful Dean Street Press. There are a whole lot more available! 

For some reason I haven't been able to figure out, I never watched the Grantchester series on PBS. When I heard the new season was coming up, I had my own little TV marathon, and watched them all. Years ago, I read the first two books in James Runcie's series. My little reports on them are here. Since it had been (gulp) seven years, I decided to read them again and then continue with the others. There was a treat in that he wrote a prequel published in 2019, so I read it first and then the rest of the books. I was in reading heaven within the pages of these books. If you have only read the books or watched the television version, they are very, very different. Both are extremely enjoyable but not the same.

And to end my year in mysteries, I read the latest entries in Karen MacInnery's Snug Harbor series; Harriet Steel's Inspector de Silva series; and Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. I have written about the Whitstable Pearl series by Julie Wassmer. I just love them. Jack Murray's Kit Aston series (another historical mystery) is very appealing. I read the first and have more ahead of me. Last but definitely not least, are three books in the Devonshire series by Michael Campling with a different and interesting pair of amateur sleuths. 

January Book Facts

To save myself doing so much work at the end of December, I am really going to try and do the stats each month.

Read 9 books

children's books - 5 

mysteries - 4

Kindle - 6

print - 3

by men - 3

by women - 6

By the years:

1900-1909 - 1

1940s - 2

1950s - 1

1960s - 1

2010-2019 - 1

2020 - 3

2020 Book Facts

 2020 was my year of discovery! I discovered several new writers, and raced through their work.

Harriette Ashbrook. Who has heard of her? Yeah, I thought not. Well, she writes a terrific series starring the younger brother of the Manhattan District Attorney. As is the case with so many fictional second sons, this man lives a very different life from his successful sibling. Spike Tracy is a bon vivant, a boulevardier as Bertie Wooster is. He is also a brilliant detective, who sometimes sits unnoticed while noticing everything and everyone. I really like him. She wrote seven books starring Spike and I loved each one. She has another series as Susannah Shane with Christopher Saxe as the detective, but just one of the books is available. She lived to be only 47, and it is very hard to find much information about her. I did find a blog piece here. 

E.C.R Lorac, whose real name was Edith Caroline Rivett, is much more famous, yet was unknown to me. I began reading her work last year, and am still going strong. Not all is available, but I read what I can. You may read more about her here. 

A more modern writer I discovered only to find out she had died in April 2020 is Sheila Connolly. It made me so sad for her, and for her myriad readers. There is a very nice tribute here, in which the series I read, one right after the other, is featured.

I only have two posts about the 1920s here and here, but I've had quite a great year reading. I read seven books published then, and one about Hadley Richardson. You will read in the first link that we had planned to visit her grave in Tamworth, New Hampshire but that went the way of so many things in the year of the virus. It will be one of the first outings when this thing finally ends! I've also kept on a special shelf all the books I have that were published in or are about the decade and hope to continue each year reading more. 

I hardly ever write about one book that was my favorite or the best, but for 2020 it is easy. Electric Eden by Rob Young. I have owned this book for a very long time, and decided I would read it with my breakfast every day instead of a magazine, and then I began reading it other times of the day as well, and then there were times I couldn't put it down, though it took me two months and twelve days to read! And I bought four books that were referenced: News From Nowhere by William Morris, A Shropshire Lad by A.E. Houseman, The Celtic Twilight by W.B. Yeats, and The Owl Service by Alan Garner. I also bought a vinyl version of an album I had bought on iTunes years ago, Vashti Bunyan's Diamond Day. There was much stopping and looking up all kinds of music and musicians. You Tube was a tremendous place to find most everything. I felt like I was in college again, really studying and really learning. 

I loved reading some James Herriot books, some of which I had read a long time ago. And Galsworthy's Forsyte Saga was so excellent. I can't praise those books enough.

And I am delighted that I read 17 print books this year. 

I read a few books published in 2020. The 2020s have begun! 

Without further ado, as they say, here are my stats for the past year. And, note to self - this year do these stats each month instead of tallying at the end of a year.

In 2020, I read 70 books. 

3 Children's fiction

11 Fiction

2 Graphic nonfiction

41 Mystery

13 Nonfiction

53 Kindle 

17 Print 

22 by men

48 by women

By the years:

1 - 1900-1909

7 - 1920s

6 - 1930s

5 - 1940s

4 - 1950s

3 - 1970s

4 - 1980s

4 - 1990s

3 - 2000-2009

26 - 2010-2019

7 - 2020s

I'm not bothering to count rereads or library books anymore. I hardly read any of the latter, and the rereads are so few that it doesn't matter to me how many there are.

2020 Book Facts

Only a collecting post.

2019 Book Facts

As I've written other years, I can't imagine anyone but me really caring about these facts, but I enjoy looking back at them, and (geek alert) even enjoy putting them together. This year I read way more books by women, mostly because I read SO much of H.Y. Hanna! And also because I didn't read nearly as many older mysteries, which are mostly by men. I also read ten more books than last year which were published between 2011 and 2019.

In 2019, I read 65 books.

15 Fiction
4 Graphic Nonfiction
43 Mystery
3 Nonfiction

54 Kindle
11 Print

15 by men 
50 by women 

2 - 1920s
5 - 1940s
1 - 1950s
1 - 1960s
1 - 1970s
4 - 1980s
4 - 1990s
2 - 2000-2010
45 - 2011-2019

11 - Rereads

6 - Library books, all on the Kindle. I rarely borrow print books because I have so many of my own that I haven't read yet. 

2018 book facts

As I've said before, I can't imagine anyone really caring about these geeky little book facts, but I enjoy them (too much?!).

In 2018, I read 67 books.

Genres:

Mysteries - 36
Fiction - 16
Crime Fiction - 3
Nonfiction graphic novel - 1
Nonfiction - 9
Young adult fiction - 1
Fiction and nonfiction collection - 1

Kindle - 51
Print - 16

Gender of author:

By men - 30
By women - 34
By both - 3

Publication dates: 

1930s - 8
1940s - 6
1950s - 3
1960s - 4
1970s - 4
1980s - 5
1990s - 1
2000-2010 - 1
2011-2019 - 35

Rereads - 13

Library books (all on Kindle) - 10

Birthplace of authors:

US - 31
England - 28
Australia - 1
Iceland - 2
Republic of Ireland - 2
Scotland - 2
India - 1

2017 Book Facts

As I wrote about the 2016 books, I jot these facts down for my own interest, and I can't imagine anyone but me caring about such things. For 2018 I'm adding what country the author is from and where the book takes place.

This year I read 55 books.

Genres:

6 fiction (1 short stories)
5 nonfiction
44 mysteries (1 short stories)

44 on the kindle
11 in print

Gender of author:

33 men
22 women

Publication dates:

1900 through 1910 - 1
1920s - 1
1930s - 7
1940s - 3
1950s - 4
1960s - 2
1970s - 1
1990s - 9
2000 through 2010 - 6
2011 through 2019 - 21

2016 book facts

I'm not sure anyone but me is interested in such a post! Just the facts about this year's reading.

This year I read 59 books.

Genres

Children's: 1 (well, really more than this, but wrote about one, and didn't keep track of the others)
Fiction: 8
Mystery: 42
Nonfiction: 7
Short stories: 1

Kindle: 48
Print: 11

Publication dates

1920s - 1
1930s - 7
1940s - 1
1950s - 4
1960s - 3
1970s - 3
1980s - 4
1990s - 9
2000 through 2010 - 8
2011 through 2019 - 19

Gender

Men: 15
Women: 43
By a man and a woman: 1

Lucky thirteen list of 2015 favorite books

Starting in December and going back to January 2015, here are my top favorites of last year. 

The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog

by Dave Barry

fiction 2006

reread

print

finished 12/10/15

The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine - book 16 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

by Alexander McCall Smith

fiction 2015

kindle

finished 11/10/15

Stranger in the House

by Julie Summers

nonfiction 2008

print

finished 11/7/15

To Dwell in Darkness - book 16 in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series

by Deborah Crombie

mystery 2014

kindle

finished 10/22/15

The Housekeeper and the Professor (also called The Gift of Numbers)

by Yoko Ogawa

translated from Japanese by Stephen Snyder

fiction 2003; 2009 in English translation

print

finished 10/13/15

The Complete Inspector Morse

by David Bishop

nonfiction first published 2002 - this updated edition published 2011

print

finished 9/21/15

Cutting for Stone

by Abraham Verghese

fiction 2009

kindle

library book

finished 9/5/15

In the Garden with The Totterings - a Tottering-By-Gently collection

by Annie Tempest

graphic novel 2011

print

finished 8/22/15

The Novel Habits of Happiness - book 10 in the Isabel Dalhousie series

by Alexander McCall Smith

fiction 2015

kindle

finished 7/27/15

A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal

by Ben Macintyre

nonfiction 2014

kindle

finished 7/20/15

Can't we talk about something more PLEASANT?

by Roz Chast

graphic nonfiction 2014

print

finished 7/19/15

Essays After Eighty

by Donald Hall

nonfiction 2014

print

finished 5/1/15

Howards End is on the Landing

by Susan Hill

nonfiction 2009

print

reread

finished 2/14/15

Although I love the Arthur Upfield ‘Bony’ series, I couldn’t come up with just one. Two rereads in the group. 6 nonfiction, 7 fiction, 1 mystery. Every one was published in the 2000s. 6 by women, 7 by men. 8 print, 5 kindle. 1 library book.

2015 book facts

I haven't done a book facts posting since 2010. Because I wrote so few book reports this year, I decided I would compile some stats for the 2015 books.

I read 69 books.

39 mysteries
10 fiction
8 nonfiction
3 children's books
3 young adult fiction
2 young adult mysteries
1 middle grade fiction
1 graphic novel
1 graphic nonfiction
1 spy fiction

publication dates:

1920s - 2
1930s - 3
1940s - 6
1950s - 11
1960s - 5
1970s - 4
1980s - 5
1990s - 3
2000s - 30

3 library books (all kindle)
10 rereads

54 kindle
15 print

43 by men
26 by women

I don't usually read as many by men, but this year continued my love of Arthur Upfield's mysteries, and I've now read all of them except the one that wasn't on kindle. I love these books of Australia, even though they aren't one bit politically correct when it comes to the Aborigines. Since I haven't written about all of them, and if you are interested, you may have an introduction to the series here -which I see that I wrote a year ago today! Reading is such a personal thing, and you can never tell if someone else will be as thrilled by a book as you are. Tom read one, and felt very ho-hum about it, and wasn't inspired to read anymore. Whereas, I still think about them, and look forward to reading everything Arthur Upfield ever wrote. I own print versions of his short stories, and some books about his work.

I've posted a couple times about my 'new' study. It is now completely done - painting finished, everything arranged, and a new chair bought. I've wanted a glider rocker for many years, and we got one for ourselves for Christmas. As I've said, there are no electronics, not even a clock in this room. It is gated off from Raya and Lucy so the grandchildren can play without having the toys stolen by the dog! I walk through the gate and feel I'm almost in another world. This is my long-winded way of saying that I now have a perfect place to read my print books, and my reading aspiration this year is to read more of them during the days and evenings. I still use my kindle at night for ease of handling.

My ten favorite books read in 2013

I thought it would be fun to go through my booklist from this year, and jot down the ones I liked best. I didn’t plan on any particular number and was quite surprised that my top favorites amounted to ten. I’ve added what I originally wrote about them. They are listed in the order in which they were read. 

3. When We Were the Kennedys: a memoir from Mexico, Maine 

by Monica Wood

nonfiction, 2012

Kindle book

library book

finished 1/5/13

This is a book I really loved. Beautifully written, honest story, has some similarities to Rick Bragg's The Most They Ever Had which I wrote about three years ago. It tells of a mill town, and a family trying to make it after the bread-winning father dies. More here. It is written about a time when there weren't very many families lacking one parent. I can't praise it highly enough. Wonderful.

4. The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection - book 13 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series 

by Alexander McCall Smith

fiction, 2012

Kindle book

library book

finished 1/9/13

I am so happy in the company of Mma Ramotse et al. In this book, the author of Precious' guidebook for her work comes to Botswana. He is surprised at the esteem she feels for his book. Excellent, as always.

12. Daddy-Long-Legs 

by Jean Webster

fiction, 1912

Kindle book

finished 2/10/13

13. Dear Enemy

by Jean Webster

fiction, 1915

Kindle book

finished 2/14/13 

Dear Enemy is a sequel to Daddy-Long-Legs. Both epistolary novels, though with different letter writers. I was so interested reading about life 100 years ago. When I was a girl I read a book about Jane Addams and Hull House. I was so impressed by it that I can still remember where the book was in my library. These books are set during that same Progressive Era in the US. Loved, loved, loved these books. I couldn't stop talking about them. They make one feel that all good things are possible.

29. Stillmeadow Seasons

by Gladys Taber

nonfiction, 1950

second reading

library book

finished 5/25/13 

I first read Stillmeadow Seasons in 2002. My quote book has many offerings from this book, and I've jotted down several more that will appear in my letters at the appropriate time. The book is divided into months, beginning with April and ending with March. Some of her books are divided into seasonal chapters while others are monthly. The monthly ones begin and end variously. She wrote two things in the October chapter, not related to the month especially but interesting to me. One was:

We had two kinds of lettuce when I was growing up. Leaf and store. Now in my salad bowl I may toss two kinds of endive, Oak-leaf lettuce, Bibb, braze beauty, New York 12, and Mayking.

Remembering the book was published in 1950, I was startled to read this. I grew up in the 1950s, and all that was ever on our table was iceberg. It was only in the 1970s that I discovered dark green leafy lettuce that actually had flavor!  As I have said, many a time, this is the wonder of reading old books.

The second noteworthy passage was about fire:

In the dry season we watch the sky anxiously for smoke. Forest fires are the great enemy. … Fires do not start by themselves, and when I think of the devastation a single tossed cigarette can do on a dry roadside, I feel positively murderous. … All modern cars have ash trays, so motorists do not have to fling their glowing stubs to the grassy roadside.

Which got me thinking; now cars do not have ashtrays (notice how the spelling has turned into one word since 1950). And still there are lots of smokers. What do they do with their 'glowing stubs?' Toss them out, I'd guess.

As I finished Stillmeadow Seasons, I wondered if Gladys, wherever she is now, can see me, 63 years after this book was published, living much the same life she was living back then. I hope so.

45. Remembering the Bones 

by Frances Itani

fiction, 2007

library book

finished 8/8/13

I did a full book report on this, and you may read it here.  

48. Up, Back, and Away

by K. Velk

fiction, 2013

finished 8/18/13 

And this one I also did a separate post on here.

52. Old City Hall - book 1 in the Old City Hall series

by Robert Rotenberg

mystery, 2009

Kindle book

finished 9/8/13

A complete book report on this here.

72. Stuck

by Stacey D. Atkinson

fiction, 2013

Kindle book

finished 12/6/13

This is a great book about a young woman living in a fishing village in New Brunswick Canada. Highly recommended, and stay tuned for a book report in the new year.

78. Provence, 1970

by Luke Barr

nonfiction, 2013

finished 12/26/13

One of the few perfect books I’ve ever read. It will also have its own book report coming in 2014.

Tom's 2014 Reads

11 in all.

December - 1

The Final Detail - book 6 in the Myron Bolitar series
by Harlan Coben
mystery 1999
finished 12/20/14

November - 2

10. The Woods
by Harlan Coben
fiction 2007
finished 11/28/14

9. Travels in Siberia
by Ian Frazier
nonfiction 2010
finished 11/13/14

May - 2

8. Black Skies - book 8 in the Reykjavik Murder mysteries
by Arnaldur Indridason
translated by Victoria Cribb
mystery 2009
finished 5/14

7. Outrage - book 7 in the Reykjavik Murder mysteries
by Arnaldur Indridason
translated by Anna Yates
mystery 2008
finished 5/14

April - 1

6. Hypothermia - book 6 in the Reykjavik Murder mysteries
by Arnaldur Indridason
translated by Victoria Cribb
mystery 2007
finished 4/12/14

March - 1

5. Arctic Chill - book 5 in the Reykjavik Murder mysteries
by Arnaldur Indridason
translated by Bernard Scudder and Victoria Cribb
mystery 2005
finished 3/21/14


February - 2

4. The Draining Lake - book 4 in the Reykjavik Murder mysteries
by Arnaldur Indridason
translated by Bernard Scudder
mystery 2004
finished 2/11/14

3. Voices - book 3 in the Reykjavik Murder mysteries
translated by Bernard Scudder
by Arnaldur Indridason
mystery 2006
finished 2/5/14

January - 2

2. Last Night at the Lobster
by Stewart O'Nan
fiction 2007
finished 1/27/14

1. American Nations
A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America
by Colin Woodard
nonfiction 2011
finished 1/24/14

Books Read in 2014

Clicking on highlighted titles will bring you to a book report or a book notes post.

December - 7

64. Death of a Swagman - book 9 in the Inspector Bonaparte series
by Arthur Upfield
mystery 1946
Kindle
finished 12/29/14

63. Bushranger of the Skies - book 8 in the Inspector Bonaparte series
by Arthur Upfield
mystery 1940
Kindle
finished 12/22/14

62. Spot's First Christmas
by Eric Hill
children's book 1983
finished 12/19/14

61. The Mystery of Swordfish Reef - book 7 in the Inspector Bonaparte series
by Arthur Upfield
mystery 1939
Kindle
finished 12/18/14

60. The Bone is Pointed - book 6 in the Inspector Bonaparte series
by Arthur Upfield
mystery 1938
Kindle
finished 12/11/14

59. Winds of Evil - book 5 in the Inspector Bonaparte series
by Arthur Upfield
mystery 1937
Kindle
finished 12/4/14

58. Mr. Jelly's Business - book 4 in the Inspector Bonaparte series
by Arthur Upfield
mystery 1937
Kindle
finished 12/1/14


November - 5

57. Wings Above the Diamantina - book 3 in the Inspector Bonaparte series
by Arthur Upfield
mystery 1936
Kindle
finished 11/24/14

56. The Sands of Windee - book 2 in the Inspector Bonaparte series
by Arthur Upfield
mystery 1931
Kindle
finished 11/17/14

55. Holiday Buzz - book 12 in the Coffeehouse Mysteries series
by Cleo Coyle
mystery 2012
Kindle
finished 11/12/14

54. Mystery in White
by Joseph Jefferson Farjeon
mystery 1937
Kindle
finished 11/9/14

53. The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe - book 15 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series
by Alexander McCall Smith
fiction 2014
Kindle
finished 11/1/14

October - 7

52. The Barrakee Mystery - book 1 in the Inspector Bonaparte series
by Arthur Upfield
mystery 1928
Kindle
finished 10/30/14

51. The Tale of the Witch Doll - book 1 in the Penny Parker mysteries
by Mildred A. Wirt
young adult mystery 1939
Kindle
finished 10/25/14

50. Danger at the Drawbridge - book 3 in the Penny Parker mysteries
by Mildred A. Wirt
young adult mystery 1940
Kindle
finished 10/23/14

49. The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds - book 9 in the Isabel Dalhousie series
by Alexander McCall Smith
fiction 2012
Kindle
finished 10/18/14

48. The Perils of Morning Coffee - book 8.5 in the Isabel Dalhousie series
by Alexander McCall Smith
fiction novella 2011
Kindle
finished 10/13/14

47. The Forgotten Affairs of Youth - book 8 in the Isabel Dalhousie series
by Alexander McCall Smith
fiction 2011
Kindle
finished 10/12/14

46. The Charming Quirks of Others - book 7 in the Isabel Dalhousie series
by Alexander McCall Smith
fiction 2010
Kindle
finished 10/7/14

September - 3

45. The Singing Bone - book 5 in the Dr. Thorndyke series
by R. Austin Freeman
mystery short stories 1912
Kindle
finished 9/19/14

44. The Mystery of 31 New Inn - book 4 in the Dr. Thorndyke series
by R. Austin Freeman
mystery 1912
Kindle
finished 9/14/14

43. The Eye of Osiris - book 3 in the Dr. Thorndyke series
by R. Austin Freeman
mystery 1911
Kindle
finished 9/2/14

August - 2

42. John Thorndyke's Cases - book 2 in the Dr. Thorndyke series
by R. Austin Freeman
mystery short stories 1909
Kindle
finished 8/20/14

41. The Red Thumb Mark - book 1 in the Dr. Thorndyke series
by R. Austin Freeman
mystery 1907
Kindle
finished 8/15/14

July - 7

40. The Scent of Water
by Elizabeth Goudge
fiction 1963
Kindle
finished 7/27/14

39. Around the World in Eighty Days
by Jules Verne
fiction 1872
finished 7/23/14

38. Sheep Out To Eat - book 4 in the Sheep series
by Nancy E. Shaw
Illustrated by Margot Apple
children's book 1992
finished 7/17/14

37. Marmalade's Nap - book 2 in the Marmalade series
by Cindy Wheeler
children's book 1983
finished 7/16/14

36. Esperanza Rising
by Pam Munoz Ryan
middle grade fiction 2000
Kindle
finished 7/12/14

35. The Secret Lives of Litterbugs: and Other (True) Stories
by M.A.C. Farrant
nonfiction essays 2009
Kindle
finished 7/9/14

34. Work Song
by Ivan Doig
fiction 2010
library book
Kindle
finished 7/8/14

June - 4

33. The Namesake
by Jhumpa Lahiri
fiction 2003
library book
Kindle
finished 6/29/14

32. Kaaterskill Falls
by Allegra Goodman
fiction 1998
third reading
finished 6/22/14

31. The New House
by Lettice Cooper
fiction 1936
finished 6/16/14

30. Murder by Mocha - book 10 in the Coffeehouse Mysteries series
by Cleo Coyle
mystery 2011
finished 6/6/14


May - 7

29. Roast Mortem - book 9 in the Coffeehouse Mysteries series
by Cleo Coyle
mystery 2010
finished 5/29/14

28. News From Thrush Green - book 3 in the Thrush Green series
by Miss Read
fiction 1970
finished 5/25/14

27. Little Fur Family
by Margaret Wise Brown
children's book 1946
finished 5/19/14

26. Fifty Candles
by Earl Derr Biggers
mystery 1921
Kindle
finished 5/17/14

25. Border Angels - book 2 in the Inspector Celcius Day series
by Anthony Quinn
mystery 2013
Kindle
finished 5/14/14

24. Disappeared - book 1 in the Inspector Celcius Day series
by Anthony Quinn
mystery 2012
Kindle
second reading
finished 5/10/14

23. Summer Lightning
by PG Wodehouse
fiction 1929
Kindle
finished 5/6/14


April - 6

22. Blandings Castle and Elsewhere
by PG Wodehouse
short stories 1935
Kindle
finished 4/29/14

21. Nest
by Jorey Hurley
children's book 2014
finished 4/21/14

20. Leave It To Psmith
by PG Wodehouse
fiction 1923
Kindle
finished 4/21/14

19. Weeds Find a Way
Words by Cindy Jenson-Elliott
Pictures by Carolyn Fisher
children's book 2014
finished 4/10/14

18. The Whistling Season
by Ivan Doig
fiction 2006
library book
Kindle
finished 4/8/14

17. Miracles on Maple Hill
by Virginia Sorenson
illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush
middle grade fiction 1956
library book
finished 4/6/14


March - 2

16. Deeds Not Words
by Katharine D'Souza
fiction 2013
Kindle
finished 3/27/14

15. Cold in the Earth - book 1 in the DI Marjory Fleming series
by Aline Templeton
mystery 2005
Kindle
finished 3/11/14


February - 6

14. The Violets of March
by Sarah Jio
fiction 2011
library book
Kindle
finished 2/28/14

13. Fancy Nancy
by Jane O'Connor; illus. by Robin Preiss Glasser
children's book 2006
library book
finished 2/24//14

12. Park Life
by Katharine D'Souza
fiction 2012
Kindle
finished 2/24/14

11. Sidney Chambers and the Perils of the Night - book 2 in the Grantchester Mystery series
by James Runcie
mystery 2013
Kindle
finished 2/18/14

10. Sidney Chambers and The Shadow of Death - book 1 in the Grantchester Mystery series
by James Runcie
mystery 2012
Kindle
finished 2/11/14

9. My Turquoise Years
by M.A.C. Farrant
nonfiction 2004
Kindle
finished 2/1/14


January - 8

8. The Mysterious Mr. Quin
by Agatha Christie
short stories 1930
Kindle
finished 1/28/14

7. I'll Never Marry a Farmer
On Life, Learning & Vegetable Gardening
by Lois Hole
nonfiction 1998
finished 1/27/14

6. The Springs of Affection
Stories of Dublin
by Maeve Brennan
short stories (autobiographical and fictional)
published posthumously 1997 from two out-of-print collections:
Christmas Eve 1974 and In and Out of Never-Never Land 1969
Kindle
finished 1/22/14

5. Cold Poison - book 15 in the Hildegarde Withers series
by Stuart Palmer
mystery 1954
Kindle
finished 1/17/14

4. The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon - book 14 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series
by Alexander McCall Smith
fiction 2013
Kindle
finished 1/13/14

3. Last Night at the Lobster
by Stewart O'Nan
fiction 2007
library book
Kindle
finished 1/11/14

2. Mr. Lynch's Holiday
by Catherine O'Flynn
fiction 2013
Kindle
finished 1/8/14

1. The Lighthearted Quest - book 1 in the Julia Probyn series
by Ann Bridge
fiction 1956
Kindle
finished 1/5/14

Books Read in 2012

Clicking on titles will bring you to a book report or book notes.

December - 11

Short book notes about December books may be found here.

73. Elsewhere
by Richard Russo
nonfiction, 2012
library book 33
Kindle Paperwhite book 9
finished 12/27/12

72,  Murder in the Calais Coach (US title for Murder on the Orient Express)
by Agatha Christie
mystery, 1934
finished 12/26/12

71. Curse of the Pogo Stick - book 5 in the Siri Paiboun series
by Colin Cotterill
mystery, 2008
library book 32
Kindle Paperwhite book 8
finished 12/26/12

70. A Duty to the Dead - book 1 in the Bess Crawford series
by Charles Todd
mystery, 2009
library book 31
Kindle Paperwhite book 7
finished 12/21/12

69. The Four-Pools Mystery
by Jean Webster
mystery, 1907
Kindle Paperwhite book 6
finished 12/16/12

68. Anarchy and Old Dogs - book 4 in the Siri Paiboun series
by Colin Cotterill
mystery, 2007
library book 30
Kindle Paperwhite book 5
finished 12/12/12

67. A Lesson in Secrets - book 8 in the Maisie Dobbs series
by Jacqueline Winspear
mystery, 2011
finished 12/11/12

66. Disappeared
by Anthony Quinn
mystery, 2012
Kindle Paperwhite book 4
finished 12/8/12

65. Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers
by Kathi Appelt
illustrated by Joy Fisher Hein
children's book, 2005
finished 12/5/12

64. Disco for the Departed - book 3 in the Siri Paiboun series
by Colin Cotterill
mystery, 2006
library book 29
Kindle Paperwhite book 3
finished 12/4/12

63. Outsider in Amsterdam - book 1 in the Amsterdam Cops series
by Janwillem van de Wetering
mystery, 1975
library book 28
finished 12/1/12

Note: Decided on November 10 that I was only going to list the books I read, and perhaps occasionally write about them.

November - 6

62. Mr. Churchill's Secretary
by Susan Elia MacNeal
fiction, 2012
library book 27
Kindle Paperwhite book 2
finished 11/26/12

61. The Poisoner's Handbook
Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
by Deborah Blum
nonfiction, 2010
library book 26
Kindle Paperwhite book 1
finished 11/21/12

60. Lights! Camera! Murder! book 5 in the Jake Russo series
by Phil Edwards
mystery, 2012
Kindle book 19
finished 11/14/12

59. A Conspiracy of Friends - book 3 in the Corduroy Mansions series
by Alexander McCall Smith
fiction, 2011
library book 25
Nook book 22
finished 11/12/12

58. My Hippie Grandmother
by Reeve Lindbergh
illustrated by Abby Carter
children's book, 2003
library book 24
finished 11/2/12

57. Holiday Grind - book 8 in the Coffeehouse Mysteries series
by Cleo Coyle
mystery, 2009
Kindle book 18
fifteenth book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012
finished 11/2/12

October - 6

56. The Dog Who Came In From The Cold - book 2 in Corduroy Mansions series
by Alexander McCall Smith
fiction, 2010
library book 23
Nook book 21
finished 10/30/12

55. Poppleton
Poppleton and Friends - book 2
Poppleton Everyday - book 3
Poppleton in Spring - book 5
Poppleton in Fall - book 6
Poppleton Has Fun - book 7
Poppleton in Winter - book 8
by Cynthia Rylant
children's books, 1997-2001
library books 16-22
finished 10/28/12

54. Mrs. Malory and the Fatal Legacy - book 10 in the Mrs. Malory series
by Hazel Holt
mystery, 1999
finished 10/23/12

53. Thirty-Three Teeth - book 2 in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series
by Colin Cotterill
mystery, 2005
library book 15
Nook book 20
finished 10/18/12

52. The Old Woman Who Named Things
by Cynthia Rylant
Illustrated by Kathryn Brown
children's book, 1996
library book 14
finished 10/10/12

51. The Coroner's Lunch - Book 1 in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series
by Colin Cotterill
mystery, 2004
library book 13
Nook book 19
finished 10/9/12

September - 3

50. The Cornbread Book
a love story with recipes
by Jeremy Jackson
cookbook, 2003
fourteenth book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012
finished 9/25/12

49. Problem at Pollensa Bay
by Agatha Christie
mystery, 1991
library book 12
Nook book 18
finished 9/11/12

48. Murder Most Maine - Book 3 in the Gray Whale Inn mysteries
by Karen MacInerney
mystery, 2008
thirteenth book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012
library book 11
Nook book 17
finished 9/6/12

August - 6

47. Espresso Shot - book 7 in the Coffeehouse Mysteries series

by Cleo Coyle

mystery, 2008

twelfth book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012

Nook book 16

finished 8/30/12

46. Bon Appétit!

the delicious life of Julia Child

by Jessie Hartland

juvenile nonfiction, 2012

eleventh book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012

library book 10

finished 8/25/12

45. The Leavenworth Case - book 1 in the Ebenezer Gryce series

by Anna Katharine Green

mystery, 1878

Kindle book 17

finished 8/23/12

44. Jack 1939

by Francine Mathews

fiction, 2012

finished 8/8/12

43. Out of Nova Scotia Gardens

by Marie Nightingale

cookbook, 1997, 2008

second book for the Canadian Book Challenge 6 - Nova Scotia

tenth book for Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012

finished 8/5/12

42. Kilmeny of the Orchard

by Lucy Maud Montgomery

fiction, 1910
first book for the Canadian Book Challenge 6 - Prince Edward Island

Nook book 15

finished 8/5/12

July - 5

41. Best Staged Plans

by Claire Cook

fiction, 2011

library book 9

Nook book 14

finished 7/31/12

40. That Affair Next Door - book 1 in the Amelia Butterworth series; book 7 in the Ebenezer Gryce series

by Anna Katharine Green

mystery, 1897

Kindle book 16

finished 7/26/12

39. French Pressed - book 6 in the Coffeehouse Mysteries series

by Cleo Coyle

mystery, 2008

ninth book in the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012

Nook book 13

finished 7/18/12

38. Corduroy Mansions - book 1 in Corduroy Mansions series

by Alexander McCall Smith

fiction, 2009

library book 8

Nook book 12

finished 7/13/12

37. Crocodile on the Sandbank - book 1 in the Amelia Peabody series

by Elizabeth Peters

mystery, 1975

Nook book 11

finished 7/4/12

June - 6

36. Still Alice

by Lisa Genova

fiction, 2007

finished 6/29/12

35. Dead and Berried - Book 2 in the Gray Whale Inn Mysteries

by Karen MacInerney

mystery, 2007

eighth book in the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012

Kindle book 15

finished 6/25/12

34. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (originally published as These Foolish Things)

by Deborah Moggach

fiction, 2004

finished 6/23/12

33. Fireflies!

Story and pictures by Julie Brinckloe

children's book, 1985

finished 6/22/12

32. The Clicking of Cuthbert and Other Golf Stories
by P.G. Wodehouse
fiction, 1922
Kindle book 14
finished 6/2/12

31. Midnight in Peking: How the Murder of a Young Englishwoman Haunted the Last Days of Old China
by Paul French
nonfiction, 2012
sixth book for the Dewey Decimal Challenge 2012
finished 6/1/12

May - 4

30. Destination Unknown
by Agatha Christie
mystery, 1954
library book 7
Nook book 10
finished 5/24/12

29. Crooked House
by Agatha Christie
mystery, 1949
library book 6
Nook book 9
finished 5/20/12

28. Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools
by Victoria Twead
nonfiction, 2009
fifth book for the Dewey Decimal Challenge 2012
seventh book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012
Nook book 8
finished 5/7/12

27. Lunch in Paris

by Elizabeth Bard

nonfiction, 2010

fourth book for the Dewey Decimal Challenge 2012

sixth book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012

library book 5

Nook book 7

finished 5/1/12

April - 9

26. Notes to my mother-in-law
by Phyllida Law
nonfiction, 2009
third book for the Dewey Decimal Challenge 2012
finished 4/28/12

25. The Invisible Ones
by Stef Penney
fiction, 2012
library book 4
finished 4/27/12

24. Decaffeinated Corpse - Book 5 in the Coffeehouse Mystery series
by Cleo Coyle
mystery, 2007
fifth book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012
Nook book 6
finished 4/26/12

23. Murder on the Rocks - Book 1 in the Gray Whale Inn Mysteries

by Karen MacInerney

mystery, 2006
fourth book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012

Kindle book 13

finished 4/21/12

22. Parker Pyne Investigates - short story collection

by Agatha Christie

mystery, 1934

library book 3

Nook book 5

finished 4/15/12

21. Pictures of the Past

by Deby Eisenberg

fiction, 2011

Kindle book 12

finished 4/8/12

20. Paradise Park

by Allegra Goodman

fiction, 2001

Nook book 4

finished 4/8/12

19. The Human Comedy

by William Saroyan

fiction, 1943

finished 4/7/12

18. Frozen Assets (also known as Frozen Out) - book 1 in the Gunnhilder Mystery series

by Quentin Bates

mystery, 2011

Nook book 3

library book 2

finished 4/6/12

March - 7

17. The Artist of Disappearance

Three Novellas

by Anita Desai

fiction, 2011

first book for the South Asian Challenge 2012

finished 3/29/12

16. A Man Lay Dead - book 1 in the Inspector Alleyn series

by Ngaio Marsh

mystery, 1934

Nook book 2

finished 3/26/12

15. The Anniversary

by Ann Swinfen

fiction,1996

Kindle book 11

finished 3/22/12

14. The Show Must Go Wrong - book 4 in the Jake Russo series

by Phil Edwards

mystery, 2012

Kindle book, 10

finished 3/19/12

13. Murder Most Frothy - book 4 in the Coffeehouse Mystery series

by Cleo Coyle

mystery 2006

third book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012

Nook book, 1

finished 3/12/12

12. Hope Road - first in the LS9 series

by John Barlow

mystery, 2011

Kindle book, 9

finished 3/10/12

11. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - an Hercule Poirot mystery

by Agatha Christie

mystery, 1940

Kindle book, 8

finished 3/1/12

February - 5

10. The Apothecary

by Maile Meloy

illustrated by Ian Schoenherr

middle grade fiction, 2011

finished 2/29/12

9. Dead Air Can Kill You - book 3 in the Jake Russo series

by Phil Edwards

mystery, 2011

second book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012

Kindle book, 7

finished 2/22/12

8. Five Little Pigs - an Hercule Poirot mystery

by Agatha Christie
mystery, 1942
Kindle book, 6
finished 2/14/12

7. A Place To Die - first in the Inspector Georg Buchner series
by Dorothy James
mystery, 2010
Kindle book, 5
finished 2/8/12

6. Sleeping Murder
by Agatha Christie
mystery, 1976
Kindle book, 4
finished 2/1/12


January - 5

5. Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure:The True Story of a Great American Road Trip
by Matthew Algeo

nonfiction, 2009

Kindle book, 3

second book for the Dewey Decimal Challenge 2012

finished 1/24/12

4. The Circus Fire
by Stewart O'Nan
nonfiction, 2000
library book 1
first book for the Dewey Decimal Challenge 2012
finished 1/19/12

3. Lady Audley's Secret
by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
fiction, 1862
Kindle book, 2
finished 1/18/12

2. The Roses at the End of the Road

by Pat Leuchtman

nonfiction, 2011

finished 1/12/12

1. Latte Trouble - book 3 in the Coffeehouse Mystery series
by Cleo Coyle
mystery, 2005
first book for the Foodies Read 2 Challenge 2012
Kindle book, 1
finished 1/1/12