What’s On Your Bookshelf? – December 2024

It’s time for the monthly What’s On your Bookshelf? link up and our final one for 2024. Where has the year gone? I’ve so enjoyed sharing with you what I’ve read during the year and discovering more reads for my ever growing TBR file from all who have joined us each month.

I’m looking forward to you sharing what you’ve read at our monthly link up co-hosted with my friends Deb from Deb’s World, Donna from Retirement Reflections and Jo from And Anyways. Remember to check out what has been on their bookshelves as well.

My reviews cover books read and listened to over the last month. I have much to share so you might need to make a cuppa and take time to enjoy reading through my post.

What’s On Your Bookshelf? – December 2024 – The Reading Year in Review

Firstly, a very huge thank you to those who have linked up each month, commented or shared on social media. I love this community and am always excited to see the recommendations for books to read or listen to. I wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas/Holiday season and look forward to sharing more books with you in 2025. I’ve also included at the end of this post the Dates for the Diary 2025. You can make a note of each monthly linkup so you don’t miss it.

This month has been busy and I’ve not had as much time to read as I would like. However, the holidays are upon us and I will have plenty of time to indulge in one of my favourite pastimes. For my December post I’m revisiting favourite books of 2024, plus what we have read for our Stunners Classic Book Club.

It’s a long post, so make a cuppa and sit back and relax as you join me for what’s been on my bookshelf. Okay let’s get into it!

52 Book Club Challenge Completed

I completed The 52 Book Club’s 2024 Reading Challenge in October and certainly discovered new genres which I normally would not have selected. I enjoy the challenge because it extends your reading, however, sometimes it can be self-imposed pressure to find books to fit the prompts.

I will be taking part in 2025’s challenge but with a more balanced approach, enjoying my reading rather than feeling that I have to push through to get it done. The prompts have been released and I will look through them over the coming weeks to select books that fit.

Here is the link to the guide which explains all the prompts and how it works, if you would like to join in the 2025 challenge.

My top books for 2024

I’ve written reviews in my Goodreads account as well as my monthly What’s On Your Bookshelf? posts. These books I either read or listened to on audible and all received 5 stars from me.

You might also like to see what books were the winners of the Goodreads Reader’ Favourite Books 2024

Other reads & audiobooks this month which I highly recommend

Suddenly Single at Sixty, A Memoir – Jo Peck – 4 stars

You’ve just celebrated your 25th wedding anniversary two weeks ago and your 60th birthday four weeks ago. Life seems to be going along fine until one ordinary day out of the blue your husband tells you ‘I’m seeing someone else’. I recently interviewed Jo Peck, author of Suddenly Single at Sixty for a Women Living Well After 50 Podcast episode due to air in January, 2025. She is an intelligent woman, former business owner for over 20 years of a successful ad agency ‘Working Girls Advertising’ and also born in the same year as me. Her book is about how she recovered from those four words and regained her life. She writes about the good times in her marriage with travel, adventure and good friends. But after the ‘declaration’, on reflection, Jo realised that it was not good all the time and she was doing most of the compromising.

This is not a pity party book. It’s about Jo carrying on in a new direction, taking risks and being open to new opportunities. Treading into the unknow waters of online dating at 60 after being in a relationship for more than 25 years. She doesn’t sugar coat the bad times she had – the self-doubts which plague us after this type of experience but I found the book funny at times, sad, angry at others but mostly a woman finding her way and regaining her ‘sense of self’.

This would be a great holiday read over the summer and then a perfect introduction for the Podcast episode. Put it on you list of Summer reads.

In the Margins – Gail Holmes – 4 stars

I had seen this book pop up on different FB Reading groups with great reviews. However, was a little confused with this book although I did give it 4 stars as it was an enjoyable read. My confusion was in the blurb ‘ Inspired by a real person, In the Margins is the story of spirited book-collector Frances Wolfreston—the woman who uniquely preserved the earliest part of Shakespeare’s legacy.  I expected more about Shakespeare and how she preserved the books but that was a secondary theme, I felt.

England 1647, Frances is married to the local rector, during a time with the Puritans have the power and their way the law. Frances is charged with keeping a record of those who do not attend Sunday services, something she is not happy about. Frances and her mother have had a love of books and she attempts to teach some local village children to read and write. This is frowned upon and after her mother is jailed because she refuses to denouce her Catholicism, life becomes difficult as Frances is caught between compliance and freeing the woman she loves.

One quote I which struck a chord comparing the standing of men and women in society at the time

“We are like the spaces between the words of a book. The words are what people see, what they argue over, fight wars over, swoon over, collect.”
― Gail Holmes, In the Margins

Although I was confused with what the book was about, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and highly recommend to you. It’s a 4 star rating from me.

The Cryptic Clue – A Tea Ladies Mystery #2 – Amanda Hampson – 4 stars

The Tea Ladies are back and I loved book 2 as much as the first Tea Ladies Mystery. Led by Hazel, the tea ladies are fighting against technology and to keep their jobs with the introduction of The Cafè Bar. When they aren’t staging a strike, they are trying to find a hidden inheritance from Irene’s husband, as well as a helping to solve a plot that threatens national security. Set in the 60s, I loved the book. It was funny, heart warming and as usual Hazel and her gang of tea ladies save the day.

If you haven’t read the Tea Ladies Mysteries, do yourself a favour over the holiday break and get both copies. I know you will enjoy them as much as I did. 4 stars from me.

Old Girls on Deck – Maddie Please – 4 stars

I was at a loose end and didn’t want to get into a ‘heavy’ book so Old Girls on Deck was just perfect for a cozy read. Jill Parker wins a 10-day cruise holiday and her husband Eddy, not keen on travel suggests she take her widowed sister Diana with her. He would prefer to stay home and build the patio she has always wanted. Diana has become reclusive since the death of her husband who just happened to be a well respected captain on a cruise line. Reluctantly, Diana joins Jill and both have a fabulous time as well as taking time for reflection on life. This book is light hearted and I could relate to the characters. Both Diana and Jill are retired and in a rut and the cruise shows them what they are missing out on. Both return home ready for change and to Jill’s surprise, Eddy is fully supportive and ready to join her on their new adventurous life.

I gave this book 4 stars because it was an entertaining read and the characters were relatable. Grab yourself a copy over the holiday break.

It’s that time of year! – Christmas Book Reading time

Still time to get the newly released Christmas at Fountains Hall by my good friend, Jo Tracey. It is available now – Christmas at Fountains Hall (Brookford) eBook : Tracey, Joanne: Amazon.com.au: Kindle Store

AVAILABLE NOW!

Stunners Classic Book Club

We had our final Stunners Classic Book Club meeting earlier this week to discuss our last book for 2024 – Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I rated this 4 stars and was amazed that back in the 1930s this man had such vision for what the future may look like. George Orwell was inspired by Huxley to write 1984 which I’ve also read.

I’ve listed below the books we have read during 2024 and as you can see there is a variety. Some I greatly enjoyed and others, I did not but I was still glad I had read them. I learned so much from my Book Club buddies and explored books that I may not have normally chosen. I’m definitely looking forward to our selections in 2025 and we are kicking off with The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

Since we started the Stunners Classic Book club we have read 29 books including Dorian Gray. Here is the list below and thanks to Donna, our co-host for creating this wonderful graphic.

Well, these are the books that have been on my bookshelf during the month and throughout the 2024. What’s been on yours? I would love you to share with me your recommendations. Have you had a favourite book or several favourites in 2024?

Dates for the Diary 2025

The What’s On Your Bookshelf? Link Up dates for 2025 are listed below. Make a note in your diary as a reminder as we would love to have you join us.

The link for What’s On Your Bookshelf (WOYBS) is open on the third Friday of each month at 8 am (AEST) – that makes it sometime on the third Thursday of each month if you’re in the northern hemisphere…

January 16/17
February 20/21
March 20/21
April 17/18
May 15/16
June 19/20
July 17/18
August 14/15
September 18/19
October 16/17
November 20/21
December 18/19

A special link up to start the year

If you’re into writing a word of the year post in the new year, we will be having a linkup on Monday 6 January. You are welcome to join in with us by adding a link to your post (WOTY specific) and appreciating what words others have chosen and why. It’s always a fun way to start the year, looking for a word to focus on. Hope you can join in. Thanks to Denyse Whelan for approaching us with the idea and the graphic.

Happy reading and remember to pop over to read what books have been on my co-hosts shelves. Thank you for your support throughout 2024 and wishing you all the best for the Festive season and beyond.

The next #WOYBS will be in 2025! Thursday January 16/Friday January 17. I’m looking forward to seeing and reading What’s Been on your Bookshelf? during the month.

Women Living Well After 50

Living Life Your Way