Sunday 1 January 2023

The My life in Books 2022 meme and some Christmas books

I nabbed this from Margaret at Booksplease, whose answers are HERE. The idea is simple: Using only books you have read this year, answer these prompts. Try not to repeat a book title. 

In high school I (had): The Necessary Aptitude (Pam Ayres)

People might be surprised by: Squashed Possums (Jonathan Tindale)

I will never be: Away with the Penguins (Hazel Prior)

My life post-lockdown was: Wintering (Katherine May)

My fantasy Job is: The Dalai Lama (Dalai Lama)

At the end of a long day I need: A Body in the Village Hall (Dee MacDonald)

I hate being: Rushed (Aurora Rose Reynolds)

I wish I had: Mansfield Park (Jane Austen)

My family reunions are: The Almost Nearly Perfect People (Michael Booth)

At a party you’d find me (being):The Greedy Queen (Annie Gray)

I’ve never been to: The Sunny Side of the Alps (Roy Clarke)

A happy day includes: The Hygge Holiday (Rosie Blake)

Motto I live by: An Elderly Lady is Up To No Good (Helene Tursten)

On my bucket list is: Northern Lights (Nora Roberts) 

In my next life, I want to have: Fur Babies in France (Jacqueline Lambert)


Anyway, after that random piece of insanity - Christmas books! 



I didn't actually get a lot of books for Christmas, two in fact, but I bought myself a couple as pressies to myself. 

High by Erika Fatland - A Journey Across the Himalayas Through Pakistan, India, Bhutan, Nepal and China, is pretty much what it says on the tin - a journey across a mountain range focussing on the communities in Himalayan valleys. This was a gift from one of my daughters.

Wild Women edited by Mariella Frostrop, A Collection of First-hand Accounts from Female Explorers is again what it says on the tin, a collection of epic journeys made by women over the centuries. I bought this for myself because of the cover quite honestly.


But that's not to say I'm not excited by its contents...

The Doors Open by Michael Gilbert was sent to me by a friend because she knows how much I like the author's writing. This is #3 in his Inspector Hazelrigg series which I love.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky is another book I bought for myself. This is a science Fiction story by an author I haven't tried but whose books seem to be all over the Sci-Fi nerd section of Booktube. This book is about the remnants of the human civilisation out in space looking for a new home. They find the perfect place but it's already occupied by a race who have turned the planet into mankind's idea of a nightmare. Sign me up for that one! 

Anyway, I hope you're all well, enjoying the Christmas break and finding lots of good books to devour. 


16 comments:

Margot Kinberg said...

You've got such clever answers to this meme, Cath! And you've definitely had a good range of different sorts of books this year. I think that makes reading all the more interesting, not to confine yourself to just one sort of book. As for your Christmas book, High looks intriguing! I don't know that I'd want to make that sort of journey myself, but it'd be fascinating to read about it!

Kay said...

Cath, just wanting to wish you and your family a very Happy New Year! Can't believe that it's 2023, but I'm hoping for a better year in many ways - like reading. LOL

Cath said...

Margot: Thank you! I suppose I've always been a bit of an eclectic reader, and although that should be a good thing sometimes I feel it's not as I want to read everything and there just isn't the time! Heavens, no, I would never want to go travelling like that... someone else can do it for me and I'll read the book. LOL

Cath said...

Kay: Yes, it's been a pretty foul year with one thing and another and several people I know have had bad health issues too. I'm hoping for better for them next year. Happy New Year to you, Kay, and thanks for stopping by.

Travellin Penguin said...

I recently bought High. I love the title of Old Ladies …….in your meme. I like the book you received for Christmas from yourself. The lady travellers. Need to investigate that one. I hope you have a wonderful 2023. I am happy to see the back of 2022. I had so many problems with my eyes and had such a hard time reading. So 2023 , hopefully will see more books read though I think I’m going to have to read eBooks as I can make the font bigger but will, no doubt keep bringing home ‘real’ books.🎶❤️🎶❤️🦋🦋

Cath said...

Pam: High looks good doesn't it? I love books like this, I really do. And Wild Women looks like it will also be excellent. I'm really pleased with all four books to be honest.

Thank you. I hope 2023 will be a better year and that your sight problems improve radically. Ebooks are fantastic for those of us with older eyes. I use my Kindle Fire all the time. Often, even if I have a beautiful hardback of a book, if I find the ebook is 99p or something I'll get that to share the reading so to speak. I actually did it last night with my current read, The Starless Sea. Needs must and I'll use every means at my disposal to help me read good books.

Lark said...

You got some fun sounding Christmas books! And I loved all of your choices for My Life in Books--that Squashed Pumpkins one totally made me laugh. We got so much snow yesterday it knocked out the power. For twelve hours! What a way to start off the new year. It got a bit shivery. I hope it's not a sign of how the rest of 2023 is going to go. Happy New Year, Cath! I hope it's a very good one for you and your family. :D

Cath said...

Lark: Yes, I'm very pleased indeed with my Christmas books. :-) Glad I gave you a giggle.

Oh heck, I'm sorry you had to endure 12 hours with no power! I bet it got shivery. Yes, I hope it's not a sign of things to come for you.

Thanks, Lark. :-)

Fanda Classiclit said...

Happy New Year, Cath!
Mansfield Park is on my reading list this year, haven't read any Austen for a few years.
I remember reading Nora Roberts's Northern Light many-many years ago, but can't remember anything about the story :D

Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews said...

I haven't taken part in one of these memes for years now, I had forgotten what fun they are, both to do and to read other people's entries. My favourite of your answers were: 'My Family Reunions' and 'The Motto I Live By' :)

I have never come across author Michael Gilbert before, however I have already added his name to my list and I shall be on the lookout for any of his books when I am trawling the charity shops, or scouting the many phone box libraries!

I did succumb and sign up the 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge, however I set the bar low at 20 books, as I want to use it more as an index and library of the books I read during the year, as my Blog only runs author/titles index, which doesn't differentiate between years.

Here's to some great reading in 2023 :)

World Wide Walkies said...

Hi - Thank you so much for putting my book, Fur Babies in France, on your wish list.

I'm glad I dropped by to read your list, because I quite fancy the book about adventurous women myself - and it is a great cover!

Have a great 2023!

Jacqueline Lambert

Cath said...

Fanda: Mansfield Park is so good. I had no real idea what it was about other than a girl named Fanny Price who goes to live with some relatives. I also loved my reread of Persuasion, so much I'd forgotten about that book.

Cath said...

Hi Yvonne: Glad you enjoyed my answers to the meme.

Michael Gilbert has become one of my favourite vintage crime authors. I've read 5 or 6 of his novels now and none of them has disappointed. I have to say, I've yet to find any of his books in a charity shop.

Good luck on your Goodreads challenge. The way you're using it sounds like a good plan.

Yes, hoping to fond lots of good books to read this and I shan't mind if my number is a lot less!

Cath said...

Hi Jacqueline: I have already read Fur Babies in France and loved it. For this meme you have to use books you've read last year and make the answers appropriate or daft. Mine is a mix! I do however have several more of your books on my Kindle and will be reading those this year hopefully.

Happy New Year to you!

TracyK said...

I love everyone's choices when they do My Life in Books, but I can never come with good titles myself.

My favorites of yours are:
At the end of a long day I need: A Body in the Village Hall and
My family reunions are: The Almost Nearly Perfect People

I love it that you buy some books mostly for the covers. I am highly influenced by a book's cover.

I need to read more by Michael Gilbert. He is such a wonderful writer no matter what type of mystery it is.

I love this time of year when the reading year begins and I can think about reading goals (that will change throughout the year).

Cath said...

Tracy: Glad you enjoyed my replies. I love doing this every year but this year was easier that usual as I had so many titles to choose from.

Yes, I've come to the conclusion that I too am highly influenced by cover designs. I would've bought this anyway as it's my kind of thing, but that cover clinched it.

I'm with you on loving this time of year. It's such fun deciding on reading goals for the year and always interesting to look back at the end of the year so see how that panned out. (Hint: not always how you thought it would. LOL!)