Reading Round-Up: November/December 2019

It's time to say goodbye to another year already. Can you believe it? I definitely can't!

This year has certainly been twelve months of ups and downs for me in terms of my reading habits, including some sparse spells interspersed with some super productive bookish months. Overall, though, things have flattened out to result in one of my best years for reading goals in a long time, which is definitely positive!

So, shall we see how 2019 ended - and most importantly, did I manage to meet my annual reading challenge this year?

2019: My Year in Review

Somehow another year has come and gone, and in the blink of an eye, it's time to look back on everything that has happened during 2019.

This is my fifth consecutive year writing a year-in-review post but this one is extra special as I'm also rounding up the decade - and what a decade it's been. The last ten years have taken me on an incredible journey with some of the highest highs and lowest lows of my life so far. Since 2010, I've gained my A-Levels and a degree, started my blog, lived in four different homes in four different towns, had six jobs and two internships, learned to drive, bought a house, and both loved and lost. It's been a wild ride, that's for sure!

In terms of years, 2018 had some incredible highs and was always going to be a tough one to follow. So, how did 2019 measure up?

My Top 5 Books of 2019

As the end of the year and the end of the decade draws closer, it's time for my annual round-up of my top books from the past year.

I worked hard to hit my goal of reading 50 books this year but I am proud of myself for reaching my target for the first time since 2016! So, with 50 books read and ticked off my tbr this year, what were my top books of 2019?

Book Review: No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg

Last Updated: 11 October 2021

The groundbreaking speeches of Greta Thunberg, the young climate activist who has become the voice of a generation, including her historic address to the United Nations.

In August 2018 a fifteen-year-old Swedish girl, Greta Thunberg, decided not to go to school one day in order to protest the climate crisis. Her actions sparked a global movement, inspiring millions of students to go on strike for our planet, forcing governments to listen, and earning her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

No One Is Too Small to Make A Difference brings you Greta in her own words, for the first time. Collecting her speeches that have made history across the globe, from the United Nations to Capitol Hill and mass street protests, her book is a rallying cry for why we must all wake up and fight to protect the living planet, no matter how powerless we feel. Our future depends upon it.

Book Review: Escapism - Words and Photos by Candice Lee

Last Updated: 11 October 2021

AD* | This is a story about love and loss. This full-colour book is a collection of poems and landscape photographs - all written, shot, and arranged by the author.

Composed in the style of a memoir, she shares her experiences through words and photos. This window into her emotions reveals the dark side of love as it narrates the journey through relationships, friendships, it's-complicated-ships, and self-identity. But really, it's a story about finding beauty in pain through growth.

3 Home Improvement Ideas for 2020

Last Updated: 3 September 2020

 

AD* | Since becoming a homeowner nearly two years ago, I've become increasingly aware of just how much time, effort, and money it takes to keep a property looking its best. Whether it's the usual cleaning routine or general maintenance tasks, there's always something that needs doing around the house or garden!

But when it comes to those bigger projects and home improvements, what's best to do? What should you prioritise? If you're on the lookout for a larger-scale renovation project next year, keep on reading for three of my top home improvement ideas for 2020.

Book Review: Tears of the Dragon by Jean Moran

Last Updated: 11 October 2021

AD* | One sultry evening in Kowloon, Dr Rowena Rossiter and Sister Alice Huntley are off-duty and in search of fun – little knowing that their world is on the brink of collapse.

That night, Rowena will meet two men who will fight for her heart for the next four years. Connor O'Connor, the rebellious Irish soldier, who will woo and then lose her, and Kim Pheloung. Immensely rich and the most beautiful man Rowena has ever seen, he is also the most ruthless, with a sinister need to possess and control.

When the Japanese invasion leaves this previously strong and independent woman raped and broken, who will succeed in claiming Rowena's body and soul? And will she ever learn to love the child born of that terrible Christmas Day?