2013 Year in Books: Highlights

Reflections posts on ‘Books Read in 2013’ are beginning to appear in my feedly,  some of my favourite type of chats.  Goodreads record I have read 200 books this year so I’m joining the chatter.  As 200 is a fair amount I’ve chosen a few highlights from each month to share, focusing on adult literature.

January
Kate Shackleton’s mysteries, were a new find, which I thoroughly enjoyed
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh was completely thought provoking.

February
Discovered Anna Jacobs and began her Swan River Saga with The Trader’s Wife. I’m always a fan of well written Australian historical novels.

March
Continued reading Anna Jacob’s historical novels.
Discovered Daisy Dalrymple’s mysteries

April
Read The Secret Keeper – Kate Morton as with all of Kate Morton’s books totally engrossing, though this wasn’t my favourite Morton book.
Also read Nineteen Minutes – Jodi Picoult, I admit the plot lost me, I couldn’t work out the ‘verdict’. Picoult writes well, tackles some tough topics but I just can’t say if I’m a fan or not.

May
Discovered Rhys Bowen’s Her Royal Spyness Mysteries
Re-read an old favourite for the upteenth time, The Family Nobody Wanted – Helen Doss

June
Read The Seventh Trumpet, a Sister Fidelma Mystery.  Not recommending these books as regards Church history they are inaccurate, but if I read them as a well told story they are most enjoyable.

July
The Peach Keeper- Sarah Addison Allen, a thought provoking sisterhood book.

August
Call the Midwife – Jennifer Worth was very raw, depressing in parts, uplifting in others.
Read an Australian historical Absolution Creek by Nicole Alexander.  Well written, though I had trouble getting into it, could have been me.
Continued reading lots of Daisy Dalrymple mysteries.

September
Butterfly’s Child – Angela Davis-Gardner totally hooked me, tragically sad and yet engrossing.

October
Long Spoon Lane – Anne Perry a previously un-read mystery.  Anne Perry is my absolute favourite mystery writer so I’m always thrilled to find a new book of hers.

November
Enjoyed a couple of Mary Stewart’s novels, The Moonspinners and The Rose Cottage.  I’m a long time fan of Mary Stewart.
Also read and re-read a whole slew of Anne Perry mysteries, I’d bought a bundle at the op-shop.

December
Finished the year with some brilliant reads, some worthy of their own reviews.
Discovered Australian author Joy Dettman, read her Woody Creek series, completely engrossing to begin with but after a while becomes a saga, how many tragedies can one person sustain?
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter – Kim Edwards, completely thought provoking.
The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini set in modern Afghanistan, a novel of betrayal and redemption.
The Dry Grass of August – Anna Jean Mayhew Life in the deep South in the midst of segregation.
Finding Grace – Laura Pearl The main character has been inspired to become a saint, set in the early 70s.
Style, Sex & Substance, a bit of disappointment, lighter read than I had hoped.
Two novels from my favourite spiritual author Louis de Wohl, Citadel of God and Lay Siege to Heaven, de Wohl more than delivered, totally powerful books.

• How was your year regards reading? 
• Any books you’d recommend as must reads for 2014?