I’ve been doing a lot of rereading this year. Sometimes I have the urge to revisit beloved favorites such as Robin McKinley’s classic fantasies; sometimes I’m reading books that have sat on my shelves for a while to see if I really want to keep them. Such was the case with The Three Damosels by Vera Chapman, which I brought back from a trip to England years ago; I enjoyed this reread, but I think I can pass it on now.
And sometimes, even with all the books already in the house I just can’t resist starting something else. My husband (who has just gotten hooked on reading books on his phone) was really enjoying Wilkie Collins’s The Woman in White, which I recommended to him as a free download; and so I started rereading it as well. Then of course I had to finish it.
What leads you to your next reading adventure at this time of year? What are you looking at starting for the new year?
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Reviews
- Drawn from Life is the charming follow-up to Ernest Shepard’s childhood memoir, Drawn from Memory — both now available from Slightly Foxed.
- The Blood of the Martyrs, a novel about the first persecution of Christians in Nero’s Rome, is a new favorite from the always-intriguing Naomi Mitchison.
- I completed my year-long read of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.
Other Books Read
Beauty, The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley – Reread- The Book of Revelation by Alfred Heidenreich
- The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins – Reread
- The Three Damosels by Vera Chapman – Reread
Other Features and Events
- I asked, What is a children’s book?
- I announced the launch of my new blog, Entering the Enchanted Castle.
- I celebrated the start of a new blogging year, looking at what I’ve accomplished and what may lie ahead.
- And in the same vein, I chose my Gems of 2018 and answered some fun questions about the year in reading and blogging.
Shared in the Sunday Post hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer, the Month in Review linkup at The Book Date, and the Monthly Wrap-up Round-up hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction
The Emerald City Book Review Archive 
Lory, this time of year, I find myself trying to get to the books I really wanted to read but didn’t quite fit into the previous year! I am also re-reading the wonderful Emma by Jane Austen for The Classics Club Spin.
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Catch-up month!
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Happy New Year!
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Thank you Freda!
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Happy New Year! I’m doing a bit of rereading to ring in the New Year, but I’d also like to start the year by reading some books by authors from other countries. That’s my small goal to start with! My five first books of the year are going to be by non-American authors! Small and doable. :p
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Yes, that’s a terrific goal!
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Happy New Year! 🙂
It’s great that you got to revisit some favourites this past year! I hadn’t reread anything in years until I reread the Harry Potter books a few months ago. It has definitely inspired me to do some more rereading this year!
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Yay, I hope you will tell us about it when you do!
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Well I spent December reading what I wanted to read since there were less new releases to peruse. I’m doing more of a mix this year between new releases and backlist I have purchased but not yet read. January has more new releases than February but it’s going well. I fit in lots of extra books on audio while knitting, cooking, doing laundry, running errands, etc. Happy New Year! Anne – Books of My Heart
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That’s great you can do audiobooks. I wish I could but my attention wanders! Happy reading to you …
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Vera Chapman! Boy, I haven’t thought of her in forever. I have two: The Green Knight and The King’s Damosel. I think I read them in about 1993. I should probably re-read and see if they’re any good…in all that spare time I have…
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They’re quick to read. The Green Knight was an interesting twist on the traditional story. The King’s Damosel got even more fanciful but I enjoyed it as well. I found the third one, King Arthur’s Daughter, to be the most haphazard and just weird in spots, so you’re safe skipping that.
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I’m trying to stay on top of my review copies this year by really focusing on them right now. See my December wrap up at Girl Who Reads
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Staying on top of review copies is a very worthy goal. I think I’ve gotten through my backlog now, by sticking to my resolution of not requesting any new ones.
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I paired down my bi-monthly wrap-up, to once a month, to make room for a second Harry Potter feature because my HP posts get over four times as many hits as my other regular posts. I’ll be linking up with the Round-Up now! 👍✨
I have already been over to your new blog and I love it. 💜✨
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Thanks, I’m so glad – I’m enjoying it too.
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Happy 2019 and I hope it’s an excellent one for you. My 2019 is starting out with a complete kitchen and family room tearout and remodel, so we are cramped and dusty here. I know the final product will be amazing, but the work to get there is lots of stress.
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It’s hard to get to anything else when your house is in disarray. I hope the project goes smoothly and you’ll have a wonderful result.
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