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Monday, 3 January 2022

What I've been reading - the December edition

 Are you the kind of person who likes to escape for a while with a good book?  I find that I have to read at least one chapter of a book before I turn off the light to go to sleep and I know how much I appreciate book recommendations so thought I would start to note down books that I read each month too.

The book that our book club chose for December was quite expensive to purchase even on Kindle (I guess that means it had only just been published in the UK) so I went rogue and chose my own December read.

I wanted a book that would be a nice easy read and the book I chose was One Day in December by Josie Silver


 It follows the story of Laurie, who looks out of the window of a bus and catches the eye of a man at the bus stop.  She feels a real connection with him but then the bus drives away and she spends months hoping that she will see him again.  (at this point I wondered if this was going to be 'my kind of book' or if it was just going to be a romance story with a predictable happy ever after storyline)  Later that year, her best friend Sarah introduces her to her new boyfriend with whom she has fallen in love.  Laurie cannot believe it when it turns out to be the man from the bus stop.  She's desperately upset because as she gets to know him through Sarah it seems that he was the kind of man that she had imagined for so many months.  Of course she can't say anything to Sarah, and it seems that Jack doesn't remember their brief encounter.  

The story takes you through ten years of friendship, love and loss.  It was easy to read and I couldn't wait to read 'just one chapter more' each night to see how it would all end.  I was not disappointed.

📚📚📚

The next book was I Know What You've Done by Dorothy Koomson.  


Imagine opening your front door to find one of your neighbours on the doorstep, who has been violently attacked and who thrusts a book into your hands just before collapsing claiming that 'I know what you've done'.  That's how the book starts.  After the ambulance has taken Priscilla to hospital, Rae is shocked to find that the book is actually a journal of information that Priscilla has been compiling about all her neighbours.  She knows that she really should hand the book to the police, but in flicking through the pages she sees her husband's name and decides to hold onto it and discover what secrets have been written down.  And it seems that everyone in the street has something to hide!  But, will the person who tried to silence Priscilla now try to silence Rea?  Let's just say that you don't know what goes on behind closed doors, and who knows what secrets your neighbours may be keeping! I really enjoyed this book and was kept guessing right up until the end.

So those are the books that I ended the year with and our book club has already chosen January's book.  It was the one I voted for so hopefully it will be a good one.  

Watch this space!






10 comments:

  1. Always appreciate book recommendations. I've read One Day in December but not I Know What You Have Done, so I'll have a search in our library system for that one.

    On another note ... how are you feeling? Still testing negative?

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  2. They both sound very interesting, thanks for the recommendations!

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  3. Both of these sound like a treat, and right up my alley. But can I really add two more to my TBR list when my shelves are so full . . . yep!

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  4. I usually spend my "last few minutes" looking at YouTube - but definitely plan to change that habit in 2022. Really need to find a book (or two, or ten) that grab my attention...making me eager to read that next chapter each evening. Thanks for some suggestions!

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  5. I love, love, love One Day in December - I read it at least once a year! I also have Silver's new novel on pre-order. :)
    I Know What You Have Done is now on my TBR list.

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  6. Oooh! Both of those sound good...both duly noted for my next Amazon shopping visit!!
    I've just started book nine in the Outlander series 'Go Tell The Bees that I am Gone'....it was released in November after too long a wait!! I don't want to rush it because who knows how long it will be before book ten is released?!

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  7. I always enjoy book recommendations, so thank-you for these! That's an intriguing start to "I Know What You've Done" ... I will keep my eye out for these. A bit of reading before sleep is a perfect way to end the day :).

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  8. These sound like interesting books! the first one would be the kind I would read, grizzly crime stories and mysteries aren't really my kind of thing, too scary as like you I read before bed, and I want a nice light story before I fall asleep, haha!

    Hope that the first week of 2022 has been a good one for you :)

    Away From The Blue

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  9. My list grows! It's ridiculously long now, but I can't resist recommendations from friends/blog friends. I'm a bit obsessed about it! No telling when I'll get around to all of them, but at least I have a great list!

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  10. Your December books were on opposite ends of the spectrum!! I never really look for light books to read but probably should do so more often. I am juggling too many books right now. One that has been kind of slow for me to get into is The Last Thing He Said. It is picking up now and I am anxious to see where the story leads.
    Thanks for sharing these books. Will pin them!!

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