You know me, I don't need much encouragement - a few of you have said you'd like to see what I read so here we go! In future I'll do each month's reading at the end of the month but here are the first five months together. I'll even link to the books for you - click on the picture of the book or the title and it will take you to Amazon (you may need to disable your ad blocking software to see the linked pictures). Oh, and you'll almost never see me give a book a bad review - if I'm not enjoying it by the second or third chapter I stop reading it and move onto the next one. Life's too short!
January
The Book of Fires - Jane BorodaleThis book was quite unusual in that it's not what I'd usually read. I did really enjoy it and would recommend it.
The Quilter's Kitchen - Jennifer ChiaveriniI loved this book and promptly went on to find a list of the Elm Creek Quilts books so that I could read them all in order. You'll see a lot of them as I have read every book in the series this year, except for the last one (which my library didn't have).
A Quilter's Holiday - Jennifer ChiaveriniNot the first book in the series, but I was waiting for the first one to come into my library. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted - Bridget AsherI did enjoy this book and would recommend it.
The Secrets We Keep - Colette Caddle
Enjoyable but somewhat forgettable.
The Quilter's Apprentice - Jennifer ChiaveriniThe first book in the Elm Creek Quilts series (you'll see them listed here in order from now on). Loved it.
Round Robin - Jennifer ChiaveriniLoved it too :)
The Cross-Country Quilters - Jennifer ChiaveriniDitto :)
The Christmas Quilt - Jennifer ChiaveriniI think I'll just list the Elm Creek Quilts books without comment- you know I loved them all!
The Sugar Camp Quilt - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
FebruaryThe Runaway Quilt - Jennifer Chiaverini
Elm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
A Catered Christmas - Isis CrawfordLight reading, enjoyable.
The Quilter's Legacy - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
The Master Quilter - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
The Lost Quilter - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
I Heart Vegas - Lindsey KelkTotal chick-lit and very enjoyable, although I've not enjoyed any of the
I Heart series as much as I did the first book which was
I Heart New York
Circle of Quilters - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
The New Year's Quilt - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
March
The Quilter's Homecoming - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life - Emily P FreemanThis book was transformative. I couldn't believe how exactly I could relate to so much of it and it changed the way I see grace. Highly, highly recommended!! Probably the book I recommend most out of all of the books listed here.
The Union Quilters - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
The Winding Ways Quilt - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
Pretty Little Liars - Sara ShepardWith all of the hype about the books and TV series (which I haven't seen) I really expected to enjoy this book more. I did enjoy it but can't see what all of the hype is about. I didn't even finish reading the second book of the series.
All He Ever Wanted - Anita ShrieveThis book was recommended and lent to me by my friend Taryn and I'm glad she passed it along. I think it would make a good book club book. A little unusual for a woman author to write from a man's perspective and I thought it was interesting to watch the main character's thought processes.
A Home Companion: My year of living like my grandmother - Wendyl NissenA homey kind of book, which I do enjoy. Recommended, especially if you like homemaking!
The Aloha Quilt - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
April
The Wedding Quilt - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
And Only to Deceive - Tasha AlexanderHistorical novel, so a nice change from the usual. I did enjoy it and would recommend it but I don't think it would be to everyone's enjoyment.
Hubble Bubble (Be Careful What You Wish for) - Christina JonesLighthearted - enjoyable but forgettable.
Julia's Chocolates - Cathy LambI really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it! A romance but meatier than simple chick-lit. Loved it.
The Way to a Woman's Heart - Christina JonesLighthearted chick lit. It was okay, enjoyable but forgettable.
The Wet Nurse's Tale - Erica EisdorferI loved this book. Told from the perspective of a wet nurse in Victorian England I found it unusual. The main character's weaknesses and choices are displayed without apology and you can't help but like and root for her. I think it would make a good book club book and I highly recommend it.
The Shoe Princess's Guide to the Galaxy - Emma BowdChick lit but I really enjoyed it. Hello - shoes!!
Fallen - Lauren KateThis book was recommended to me and I really wanted to enjoy it more than I did. It was okay but I found it a bit slow and couldn't really love it. It's the first of a series and I did go on to read the next two but I don't know if I'll bother with the fourth when it comes out.
The Lost Garden - Helen HumphreysI did enjoy this book, the main character and the way it was written.
May
Torment - Lauren KateThe second book of the Fallen series mentioned above, same thoughts on this book. I guess I kept hoping for them to get better.
Sonoma Rose - Jennifer ChiaveriniElm Creek Quilts series - loved it.
Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride - Sandra D BrickerI thoroughly enjoyed this book. I hadn't realised it was part of a series, although each book stands alone. Highly recommended.
Passion - Lauren KateThe third of the Fallen series mentioned above. I found this one quite slow and somewhat repetetive - I was going, "Okay, I get the point you're making, can something actually happen now please?" The way it ended satisfied my curiosity enough that I don't know if I'll bother with the fourth.
