My Top Twelve Books from 2012

I haven’t read as many books this year, but I think that may have something to do with the fact that I have been writing and editing more. Or is the fact I’ve been tired and only managed a few pages before going to sleep?

I record comments about the books I read and then I rate them on two scales – writing technique and plot. The scores out of five for each of these are combined to give an overall total.

As the final days of 2012 roll over and the book I am reading at the moment will be rated in 2013, I thought that I would share with you the twelve books I have read which scored 8 or over.

A Lifetime Burning – Linda Gillard
Rowley Regis: A History – Edward Chatham
Renovation, Renovation, Renovation – Nell Dixon
Kissing Mr Wrong – Sarah Duncan
The Ballroom Class – Lucy Dillon
Please Don’t Stop the Music – Jane Lovering
Peaches For Monsieur Le Cure – Joanne Harris (10 points)
The Silent Touch of Shadows – Christina Courtenay
Written in the Stars – Serenity Woods
Time’s Echo – Pamela Hartshorne
Thursdays in the Park – Hilary Boyd (10 points)
River of Destiny – Barbara Erskine (10 points)

Thought I'd also share The Kissing Patch. It was in one of the arcades in Birmingham. the patch was on the floor and hanging above was a piece of mistletoe. The poem around the edge is lovely. Let's hope someone got a special kiss.

 

Happy New Year to everyone. Let’s hope 2012 is a good one.

Please share your favourite book of 2012 below.

Sad Times

Sorry I’ve been quiet lately. Family events took over. My dear step-father went into hospital in October for a cancer operation. After three hospital stays and traumatic times at home, he finally died in hospital on 8 December. I was with him up until an hour before he died.

The funeral was yesterday. It was lovely. He would have loved meeting all of the people there. Along with his daughter, I stood and talked about my memories of him. He had been part of my life for twenty-two years. I’m still not quite sure how I did it, as I was very emotional.

Somehow in the middle of all this I managed to complete my NaNoWriMo challenge, writing 50,000 words in November. 

(The River Severn close to Mom and Step-dad's home - a view he would have seen daily)

Now it is time to turn my thoughts to Christmas and making sure that my mother is okay. It must be hard losing two husbands, but at least she had great men as her partners.

Sorry if this is a sad post, I’ll come back soon with some of my favourite books in 2012. I hope everyone is having a great run up to Christmas.