Happy New Year to you all. I must say that I’ll be glad to see the back of 2023 as it’s been a sad one for us because people close to us have died unexpectedly. I suppose that’s life as you get older – or don’t!
Blog wise I must admit that I had lost some of my enthusiasm for blogging this year, I’ll see how it goes this year. I haven’t been blogging about places we’ve been visiting and it has all got very bookish, partly laziness I think as those posts are quick and easy to write. But one of the reasons I started ‘Pining’ was so that I could look back and be reminded of the places we had visited in the past.
Bookwise this year has been succesful although I have been reading quite a lot of YA books, trying to catch up on books I didn’t read when I was a youngster, a lot have been by Scottish authors, a lot have been recommended by other bloggers. Constance of Staircase Wit has pointed me in the direction of a lot of good children’s authors, some of which I may have read in the past, but although I read a lot as a child I can’t remember most of them.
Earlier this year I dropped out of Goodreads, I don’t like the Amazon links so I’m being a bit po-faced about it all. I used to be in Library Thing years ago, I might take that up again, unless anyone can persuade me that I should avoid that too!
Anyway, it looks like I’ve read 125 books this year, not bad going I suppose, although with our weather being so bad (wet) throughout most of the year I haven’t been getting much gardening done so I thought I might have read more, mind you we have been doing some travelling and I didn’t read much then – too tired after all the daytime galivanting! It seems to me that I’ve read more historical fiction than usual, less vintage crime (for lack of books) but more books by Scottish authors. In 2024 I’d like to read more vintage crime, if I can get my hands on any.
I hope that your 2023 has been a good one and that 2024 will be even better!
Happy New Year to you, and I hope 2024 is better to you than 2023. I am sorry to hear that you have lost people close to you.
I wish I found writing about books as easy as you do. I have to work hard at it and I am unable to keep up with reviews for every book I read, like I did when I was first blogging. I read 90 books this year and was surprised to read that many. It really depends on what kind of book I am reading and the length of course.
I hope you enjoy a lot of traveling in 2024, and that gardening is better than in 2023.
TracyK at Bitter Tea and Mystery
tracybham,
I have a relaxed attitude to my book ‘reviews’ as I don’t like to dissect books and think about their construction. I think that would take away from my enjoyment of reading. But compared with a lot of other book bloggers my reviews are very scanty!
Thanks for the kind wishes on my gardening and travelling this coming year.
Happy new year to you to! I am on LT mainly to be in a group of fellow Virago lovers, but it does seem less commercial than Goodreads!
kaggsysbookishramblings,
I have quite a lot of Viragos so I might just join LT and their group!
Happy New Year to you and Jack! I enjoy your travel posts as well as your bookish posts (especially when it is a book I know or am planning to read) but maybe we will all do more traveling in 2024. I am trying to plan a trip to Western Canada where my nephew is working for the winter but otherwise it is more fun to travel in good weather. I go to New York a fair but usually just a quick weekend trip to see my sister or one of her children performing so I am not being a tourist.
I am still finishing my Favorites of 2023 but it is mostly historical fiction. But instead of working on the paid review I have due today I read the newest David Baldacci until 3 am. You know what they say – you should be doing at midnight what you want to do all year!
Constance,
We’re not planning on going far afield until the weather is more Spring like. We really want to visit more Scottish islands but there have been so many problems with ferries breaking down, it’s putting us off booking up. We’re planning a south of England trip and an autumn Netherlands trip though, definitely something to look forward to.
So sorry for the loss of people near and dear to you this past year.
I don’t like the Amazon link to Goodreads either and I’m also thinking of returning to LibraryThing! I don’t really care much about the social aspect of Goodreads anyway. I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking about changing!
Happy New Year to you and Jack!
Stefanie,
Happy New Year to you and James!
I’m really fed up with ‘big business’ in general – big greed more like!
Happy New Year! I hope your enthusiasm for blogging returns. I always enjoy your posts about the places you’ve visited. Makes me feel as if I’ve visited them too!
FictionFan,
There are so many places that I’ve visited and not got around to blogging about too! The posts would be good reminders of places I’ve visited so I really should get on and do them, I was never sure if people liked them though.