December 2021 Wrap-up

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season and wishing you a very happy new year!

Today I am sharing my final wrap-up for the year 2021. After a couple of months with very little progress, I am very pleased with the amount of reading I accomplished this month. I even surpassed my Goodreads Reading Challenge goal!

Total Books Read in December: 6
Total Books Read in 2021: 54/52

Reading My Favourite Authors

I started this TBR back in October and I am very pleased to say that I finally completed it this month. Although these books are from authors that I have loved in the past, unfortunately none of them earned 5 star ratings.

Favourite Authors Read: 3/3

The Lake House
By: Kate Morton
Genre: Dual Timeline, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Rating: 4/5

The Notebook
By: Nicholas Sparks
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Rating: 2/5

Seasonal Reads

Two of the books I read in December were set near Christmas or were Christmas themed. The other book, features a winter sport.

He Sees You When You’re Sleeping
By: Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3/5

Ice Magic (Silver Blades 16)
By: Melissa Lowell
Genre: Middle Grade, Series
Rating: 3/5

The Holiday Swap
By: Maggie Knox
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Fiction, ARC
Rating: 3.5/5
NOTE: I was sent a copy of Maggie Knox’s The Holiday Swap, from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Additional Book Completed

From Cradle to Stage
By: Virginia Hanlon Grohl
Genre: Non-fiction, Audio Book, Biography, Memoir, Music
Rating: 4/5

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 6
Total Number of Fiction: 5
Total Number of Non-Fiction: 1
Total Books Sent for Review: 1
Total Books Read from My Shelves: 5
Total Library Books Read: 0

Formats Read

Physical Books: 4
eBooks: 1
Audio Books: 1

Currently Reading

Advertisement

TBR: Series September

I intended to have this posted nearer to the beginning of the month, but technical difficulties put a wrench in that plan. So better late than never. Here are the books that I have been reading and will continue to concentrate on during the month of September.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Melissa Lee Spurrell (@melissaleesredhousereviews)

I am also working my way through The Bookshop on the Shore (Scottish Bookshop 2) by Jenny Colgan.

Monthly Wrap-up: June 2021

Total Books Read in June: 5
Total Books Read in 2021: 28

I am officially over half way to my goal of reading 52 books in 2021! If I can keep up with the pace I am reading, I believe I will meet my goal, which is so exciting. Did you set any reading goals this year? How are they going?

In a previous post, I shared my current TBR, which was to my backlist books that I have been sent. Below is the progress I made this month:

Backlist Catch-up TBR: 2/7

Backlist Catch-up TBR Books Read in June:

Inheriting Edith
By: Zoe Fishman
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3/5
Note: I won a copy of Inheriting Edith from Goodreads and plan to share my honest review in a future post.

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine
By: Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Rating: 4/5
NOTE: I won a copy of Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite from Goodreads and plan to share my honest review in a future post.

Additional Books Read:

Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
By: Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooklyn Allen
Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy
Rating: 4/5

For the Love of Friends
By: Sara Goodman Confino
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Rating: 3/5
Note: I was sent a copy of For the Love of Friends by Sara Goodman Confino, from the publisher, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Vanishing Half
By: Britt Bennett
Genre: Historical Fiction, Audiobook
Rating: 4/5

DNF

Cut and Run
By: Ben Acker & Ben Blacker
Narrated by: Meg Ryan, et. Al.
Genre: Audiobook, Comedy
Reason for DNF: The concept of a comedic presentation about organ harvesters, was interesting, however I found it rushed and wasn’t invested enough to keep track of the characters.

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 5
Total Number of Fiction: 5
Total Number of Non-Fiction: 0
Total Books Sent for Review: 3
Total Books Read from My Shelves: 4
Total Library Books Read: 1

Formats Read

Physical Books: 2
eBooks: 2
Audio Books: 1

Currently Reading

TBR: Backlist Catch-up

Note: I have been trying to use my Instagram more for book posts, so the following is one I shared a couple of weeks ago. If you aren’t following me on Instagram, you can find me at this link: Melissa Lee Spurrell (@melissaleesredhousereviews) • Instagram photos and videos

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Melissa Lee Spurrell (@melissaleesredhousereviews)

Additional Note: I can never tell if I’m correctly inserting IG photos onto my blog posts. If you are seeing this, could you comment below if you are able to see the image. Thank you! Happy reading.

Monthly Wrap-up: May 2021

Total Books Read in May: 7
Total Books Read in 2021: 23

Tinaca Jones
By: Matt Boren
Narrated by: Retta
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Humor, Audiobook, Short Story
Rating: 2/5

The New Elizabeth
(Sweet Valley High, 63)
By: Francine Pascal & Kate William
Genre: YA Lit, Middle Grade, Series
Rating: 3/5

100 Ways to Motivate Yourself
By: Steve Chandler
Narrated by: Steve Chandler
Genre: Self Help, Non-fiction
Rating: 3/5

Anna’s Crossing
(Amish Beginnings, 1)
By: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Genre: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.5/5

Secrets of the Lighthouse
By: Santa Montefiore
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Rating: 3.5/5

American Duchess: A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt
By: Karen Harper
Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon
Genre: Historical Fiction, Audiobook
Rating: 4/5

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 7
Total Number of Fiction: 6
Total Number of Non-Fiction: 1
Total Books Sent for Review: 0
Total Books Read from My Shelves: 5
Total Library Books Read: 2

Formats Read

Physical Books: 3
eBooks: 1
Audio Books: 3

Currently Reading

Monthly Wrap-up: April 2021

Total Books Read in March: 4
Total Books Read in 2021: 16

Stranded (Alaskan Courage. 3)
By: Dani Pettrey
Genre: Suspense, Christian Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Series
Rating: 3.5/5

The Wives
By: Tarryn Fisher
Genre: Suspense, Thriller
Rating: 5/5

Firefly Lane
By: Kristin Hannah
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rating: 4/5

Good Luck With That
By: Kristan Higgins
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Audio Book, Audible
Rating: 5/5

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 4
Total Number of Fiction: 4
Total Number of Non-Fiction: 0
Total Books Sent for Review: 0
Total Books Read from My Shelves: 2
Total Library Books Read: 2

Formats Read

Physical Books: 1
eBooks: 2
Audio Books: 1

Currently Reading

Monthly Wrap-up: March 2021

Total Books Read in March: 5
Total Books Read in 2021: 12

The Perfect Couple
By: Elin Hilderbrand
Read by: Erin Bennett
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Mystery, Romance
Rating: 4/5

Catla and the Vikings
By: Mary Elizabeth Nelson
Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade
Rating: 3/5

Abduction!
By: Peg Kehret
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 3/5
NOTE: This book was listed as middle grade because of the age of the children involved. but it wasn’t written that way. Therefore I have decided to just list the genre as mystery/thriller.

The Mystery at Lilac Inn
(Nancy Drew, 4)
By: Carolyn Keene
Read by: Laura Linney
Genre: Mystery, Middle Grade, YA Lit
Rating: 2.5/5

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
By: Dawnie Walton
Genre: Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4/5
NOTE: I was sent a copy of The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton from the publisher via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 5
Total Number of Fiction: 5
Total Number of Non-Fiction: 0
Total Books Sent for Review: 1
Total Books Read from My Shelves: 1
Total Library Books Read: 3

Formats Read

Physical Books: 0
eBooks: 2
Audio Books: 3

Currently Reading

Monthly Wrap-up: February 2021

Total Books Read in February: 3
Total Books Read in 2021: 7

Verity
By: Colleen Hoover
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
Rating: 5/5

Buried Deep
By: Margot Hunt
Genre: Audio book, Short Story, Mystery
Rating: 5/5

After You
By: Jojo Moyes
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Series
Rating: 3.5/5

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 3
Total Number of Fiction: 3
Total Number of Non-Fiction: 0
Total Books Sent for Review: 0
Total Books Read from My Shelves: 3
Total Library Books Read: 0

Formats Read

Physical Books: 1
eBooks: 1
Audio Books: 1

Currently Reading

Monthly Wrap-up: January 2021

Total Books Read in January: 4
Total Books Read in 2021: 4

We Came Here to Shine
By: Susie Orman Schnall
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3/5
Note: I was sent a copy of Susie Orman Schnall’s We Came Here to Shine, from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Cheerleaders
By: Kara Thomas
Genre: YA Lit, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Rating: 4/5

Double-Dare O’Toole
By: Constance C. Greene
Genre: Middle Grade
Rating: 2/5

64th Man
By: Bryan Tucker
Genre: Audiobook, Audible Original, Humor, Sports fiction
Rating: 3/5

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 4
Total Number of Fiction: 4
Total Number of Non-Fiction: 0
Total Books Sent for Review: 1
Total Books Read from My Shelves: 3
Total Library Books Read: 0

Formats Read

Physical Books: 2
eBooks: 1
Audio Books: 1

Currently Reading

Monthly Wrap-up: December 2020

I hope you all had a great holiday season and sending you best wishes for the New Year! Here is my final monthly wrap-up for the year 2020.

Total Books Read in December: 2
Total Books Read in 2020: 42

The Ghost of Christmas Eve: A Christmas Romance
By: Vanessa Kittle
Genre: ??? I don’t even know.
Rating: 1/5
Quick Thoughts: I’m not sure how this could be classified as a romance. It wasn’t. Would not recommend.

On the Come Up
By: Angie Thomas
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5/5

The Stats

Total Number of Books Read: 2
Total Number of Fiction: 2
Total Number of Non-Fiction: 0
Total Books Sent for Review: 0
Total Books Read from My Shelves: 2
Total Library Books Read: 0

Formats Read

Physical Books: 1
eBooks: 1
Audio Books: 0

Currently Reading