I’ve been blogging about my monthly book reads for a year now, making 2022 my second year. It’s been fun and I enjoy doing this recap! I hope you enjoy it, too.
I decided to change the name each year: – last year was “Reading Moments of -MONTH-” and this year I’ve gone with “In the Reading Corner for -MONTH-.” Who knows what the name will be next year, it was hard enough to pick something for 2022, LOL.
I think my goal each week is 2 books, but I know that that won’t happen. Some weeks it’s completely not feasible because of this or that. But maybe some weeks I’ll read 3 books 🤪 so we’ll see how far I get this year on my 50 book reading goal since last year I read 76.
January was a good reading month. I felt like my reading was slow, but the amount of books I read was good! 8 books total. Can’t complain there – I’m ahead of 50 book reading goal schedule already. According to GoodReads anyway.
Did you create a reading goal this year?
If you’re unsure of a large reading goal, I think one book a month is doable for people who aren’t fans of reading or may read slower than say… me? Haha. Start with a 12 book reading goal and make those books count – be it encouraging to your spirit, educational, spiritual growth, etc.
Here’s over 1,000 words put together to tell you what I read this past month.
A Bride of Convenience by Jody Hedlund
I loved this story. I think maybe my favorite type of story is the bride of convenience ones. I love when they’re thrown together and end up falling in love. Ah, the hopeless romantic in me.
This has many elements, as they always do, and I loved it all. These two characters were carefully formed and were so perfect for each other.
A Simple Wedding by Leigh Duncan
If you’re looking for a typical Hallmark book, check out pretty much anything from Hallmark Publishing 🤣 go figure!
This one was super cute. I was routing for Jenny, the main character, the whole time – to stand up to her Hollywood cousin and to find her own way. Nick was really cute accommodating, who wouldn’t route for him???
In true Hallmark fashion, you know how it ends.
Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble
The first book of the Hope Beach series. Oh my gosh, so good. What a great start to a new to me series!! 😍
I can’t get enough of Coble’s books. I totally would have read this in a day had I had a day to read it and if life didn’t get in the way – you know, work, eating, social events, etc! Haha.
More than the other books I’ve written by her, this one brought up their relationship or lack of relationship with God quite a few times and it fit right into the characters and their interactions. She did a great job.
Attributes of God by A. W. Tozer, vol. 2
Volume two was just as good as the first, maybe more so!! I would definitely read them in order – they seemed to build on each other.
Tozer admits that sometimes trying to explain or even begin to dig deeper into the attributes of God, who is so big and so much of everything we are yet so different than anything we can really understand… is a huge challenge. Sometimes he even says why do I try? I simply can’t do it! Haha.
I’ve enjoyed Tozer and I feel like I have a slightly better understanding of who God is and how to view Him. There’s so much left to learn! This just broke the surface!
I hope you’re able to read some of his work this year or add it to your TBR list. 🙂
Funny how God works – the next book we’ve started (Feelings and Faith) starts the first chapter with a Tozer quote… about the character of God! How cool is that?!
Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble
This may have been my favorite book from this series. The story touched my heart and the romance that bloomed of course!!
It could have been because a baby was in the middle of the plot and she was adopted in the end (I’m not giving away much!!) ummm… but yeah. Great book!
Seagrass Pier by Colleen Coble
There’s nothing like finishing a whole series in one month! Three novels are done – I have a novella to read, too, but it’s one of those that’s published with another novella so I need to read another Colleen Coble series before I’m able to read that novella… complications of reading!
I am taking a short break from Colleen Coble though. Nothing wrong with her but when you read one author over and over … 🥺 it’s like Denise Hunter – love her books, but I had to take a break. Haha
After I finished this book and immediately wrote this blurb, I then ordered the next Colleen Coble book I’ll read once I get back to Coble in a month or two! Lol. Heads up that the series I’ll be reading next is the Rock Harbor series. I think I’ll grab the books here and there and then by the time I’m ready to read them, I’ll already have them. 😎
Say I Do by Rachel Hauck, Becky Wade and Katie Ganshert
Oh. Em. Gee. These stories. Have you read this one? I loved the three stories in this. My favorites were Love in the Details by Becky Wade and An October Bride by Katie Ganshert. I’ve enjoyed Rachel Hauck’s writing though prior to this novella, I think I’ve only ever read one of her books so far. A Brush with Love by Hauck this time just wasn’t the best story in my opinion. The intent was fine, but I think the execution of the plot just missed the mark for me.
After reading October Bride, though… may have to add Katie Ganshert to my list of favorite authors. Ended this book so well. The story line was so dreamy and Jake, can we talk about how cute he was the entire time and I have no idea what he would look like in real life except what I pictured in my head…?!
Okay, I think I’m done fangirling. For now.
Hope’s Highest Mountain by Misty M. Beller
This is the first book of the Hearts of Montana series. It’s also the first book I’ve read by this author. I bought the three book series all at once like last month (I think?) because I had seen them at Barnes & Noble a few times, put them on my want to read list and then took the plunge one day because I was like WHY NOT?
So here I am.
What did I think?
Well I’m excited to read more of her work! I really enjoyed this story and the action, the suspense of what would happen next in their journey. It made me cold just imagining what the characters went through.
Read at your own risk! Haha
Hope to read the next books soon.
Thank you for reading about the books I read. Did you read this past month? Share in the comments!
I am always hesitant to set a reading goal because I don’t want my type A side to kick in and then I just read to meet the goal, rather than read for the fun of it. It sounds like a lot of pressure I guess. And I am not a fast reader like you! But maybe I will set a goal for 24. 2 books a month seems doable without stress. Lol.
I always look forward to your monthly post on the books you read. So thank you for continuing this.
I did read the Jody Hedlund on your list. But I think that’s the only one. All the other books sounded like wonderful reads. I do have Tozers on my TBR, thanks to you!
In January I completed:
– The Christmas Heirloom. Four novellas in one, by four different authors. I love the way this was put together because the four stories are related and journey through several generations of the same family.
– Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel. Excellent book.
– The 40 Day Sugar Fast by Wendy Speake. Another excellent book.
– The 7 Day Doubt Diet by Renee Swope.
– The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen. This author is now one of my favorites, thanks to you!
– The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham. What a fun read!
– A Confident Mom by Renee Swope.
By the way, I thought some more about you opening a business. I know this isn’t exactly what you meant, but I think you would make an excellent author, if you ever wanted to pursue writing. You already love to read and write on a blog. Just a thought! 😁
24 would be a great starting point! If you keep track of how many books you read the previous year, I think setting a slightly lower goal would be good because if you go over, you go over. If you meet it and don’t feel pressure by it, then it’s good! That’s why I stuck with 50 instead of going up to 75 even though I read 76 last year. I didn’t want the pressure of not meeting that goal either lol
Thank you for reading my posts regularly! 😀
So many good books in January for me. I’ve already preselected what I hope to read in February, I’ll see how that goes. I don’t do preselections in advance usually.
You read more nonfiction than me! I’m going to try to read at least a whole nonfiction book a month from here on out. I read so much fiction lol I haven’t read all those fiction titles yet, but I know I added at least one to my want to read list.
I’ve thought about being an author before and I had typed quite a large portion of a novel in high school, but I stopped and never got back into it. Every once in a while I start something on WattPad and don’t finish or publish it. It’s not off the table to become an author someday! Thank you for your encouragement and compliment though, that means a lot to me. 🙂
That is a good idea about the goals. I will see how many I read last year and then eliminate some. I know my heart wasn’t in all the books I read last year and just hurried through them to get them off my plate. As much as it pains me, I think I need to learn to let a book go of it doesn’t speak to me! 😬
I am not great about preselecting books either. I have so many I want to read and then just decide what’s next based on things I am feeling or going through.
I think because I read a lot of nonfiction, that also hinders the number of books I can complete. For me I read those even slower than a fiction book. Maybe because I need to focus more. 🤷♀️
If you ever do publish books, I will surely have you as one of my favorite authors! 😍
It’s not too late to set a reading goal in GoodReads! 🤓 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I normally do that too. I’ve tried preselecting and then I end up changing it when it comes time to grab the next one. Even choosing when it’s time for the next book is hard enough!
That’s true. I’m also that way – I read nonfiction much slower. Which is why for me I read so many books – they’re pretty much all fictional. 😃🤣
Thank you! 🥰🥰🥰