We are practically to the middle of January already, and I haven’t yet done my last quarterly book talk for 2019.  So here it is!  I also looked back and reflected a bit on my year of reading, so I’ll end this post with a little recap of that.

A Pocketful of Rye

by A. J. Cronin

One of my reading goals is to include a classic every now and then.  When I looked through my sister Judy’s stack of books and saw A Pocketful of Rye, I chose it because I thought it was a classic.  After I finished it, I investigated whether it is a classic or not.  I found that Agatha Christie’s A Pocket Full of Rye is considered a classic, but I don’t believe this book by Cronin is.  Still, it was an enjoyable read about a rather self-absorbed young doctor working at a small Swiss clinic for children.  A woman he knew when they were both teenagers arrives at the clinic with her ill son and ingratiates herself with the Matron of the clinic.  She proceeds to do her best to make life difficult for the young doctor.  The struggle between the two makes for an interesting story.

 

The Art of Listening Prayer

by Seth Barnes

I had high hopes for this 30-day devotional.  I first started thinking more about listening prayer when I read Prayer Can Change Your Life by Dr. William R. Parker & Elaine St. Johns.  I decided to delve into it deeper with this book, The Art of Listening Prayer.  I think I just wasn’t ready to go as deep as the author wants the reader to go.  He suggests 45 minutes of uninterrupted time, and I wasn’t really able to focus my listening for that long.  Barnes also suggests a journaling technique that I attempted, but it felt artificial to me rather than heartfelt.  I stopped after one page.  Another component to this devotional is the need for a mentor who you would share your experiences with and who would help you discern what God is saying to you.  While this practice guide for growing in listening prayer may fit some people, it was not a fit for me.  I did finish the book, but did not (obviously) follow the guidelines the author set forth, so over all I found it disappointing.

 

The Great Alone

by Kristin Hannah

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  It’s one of my favorites from the whole year!  Leni is a young teenager who moves from Washington to Alaska with her parents after her father is gifted some land there by an army buddy who was killed in Nam.  So most of the story takes place in the 70’s.  The dad suffers from PSTD and is abusive, but he convinces the family this is the change they need.  However, the harshness of living off the grid in Alaska takes its toll.  I enjoyed the descriptions of Alaska, the variety of characters and their personalities, and the relationship that develops for Leni.  The majority of the story is actually quite sad and frightening, but I thought it was well-written, and I wanted to keep reading it to see what would happen to Leni.

 

The Things We Cannot Say

by Kelly Rimmer

This book is historical fiction set mostly in Nazi-occupied Poland in the 1940’s, but it does alternate between modern-day times and then.  Alice’s grandmother is on her death-bed, and asks Alice to travel from her home in Florida to Poland in order to find Tomasz, who was (unbeknownst to Alice) the love of her grandmother’s life.  I was most caught up by the events that took place in wartime Poland.  I’d never really thought about the guilt that some of the oppressed must have carried with them until I read Tomasz’s story.  I’ve always been intrigued by the infinite different effects of that horrific war.  I also was impressed by the relationship between Babcia (the grandmother) and Alice’s autistic son.  I know it’s fiction, but I was still impressed.  The main thing I did not like about the book is the framework for the story.  It seems the theme of a young descendant uncovering mysteries from an ancestor’s past is becoming a little stale for me.  I should look back and see how many books I’ve read that are set up like this.  Evidently, it’s enough that I now consider it overdone and would appreciate a fresh approach.  I still would give this book a 4 out of 5.

 

When All Is Said

by Anne Griffin

I thought this was a great book!  It was excellently written.  I became very attached to the main character.  He is an 84-year-old widower in Ireland.  The author lets you inside of his head as he spends an evening in the bar of an upscale hotel recounting his life while toasting the five people who have made the biggest impression on it.  He does this by talking (inside his head) to his grown son who lives in the U.S.  I often had to remind myself that his son was not there listening to his dad, and that Maurice (the widower) was not writing these recollections down for his son to read nor recording them for his son to listen to later.  The reader learns of Maurice’s family life growing up and his working life and married life.  It is all very engaging.  I would like to give my thoughts about the ending, but I can’t do that without spoiling the book for would-be readers, so I’ll just have to stay mum.  I finished this book over a month ago, and I still think about it from time to time.  This was the author’s first novel.  As I read it, I kept thinking it was written by a male.  That’s how well-developed the character of Maurice is.  I am looking forward to what she does next.  Hands down 5 stars!

 

Comfort & Joy

by Kristin Hannah

This was a book I read for my book club.  I have to say it’s hard to believe the same person who wrote The Great Alone also wrote this book.  We chose this book because of the author, it’s Christmastime setting, and for a light read.  So I knew it was going to be light, but I didn’t realize how totally unrealistic it was going to be.  It was on the verge of being a fantasy.  I am not usually a fan of fantasy or sci-fi, and for that reason I was not a happy camper with this book.

 

My Reading for 2019

Looking back on the year, I read a total of 28 books.  Here’s the breakdown:

Fiction – 17

Historical Fiction – 3

Memoir – 4

Spiritual/Self-help – 3

Children’s – 1

The most I read in any given month was 4, and there were three months in which I only read one book.

 

Looking Ahead to Reading in 2020

I’m currently reading my first book for 2020.  One of the reviews said it was “freaking hilarious”, and I thought that sounded like a great way to kick off the year. 🤣 28 books for the year seems like a low number to me, so I would like to increase that.  I already have a stack of to-be-read books that I’m looking forward to, and I’ve downloaded several others to my Kindle.  During the year I would like to add in a classic or two.  I’d also like to read some non-fiction other than spiritual/self-help.

What were some of the books you enjoyed in 2019?  Do you have any suggestions to send my way?  Here’s to a year of great reading in 2020! 📚