Reading Sue of Suffolk's blog this morning where she highlights books from the library, reminded me that I haven't added to my Books Read 2025 page since book #20. I just finished book #46 so that's more than double the books first posted.
As I entered #21-#46 on the list, I could remember some of the plots but others escaped my memory. I know I read them but they were not memorable in the long run.
Here are some that were:
We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes. I have read quite a few of her books and really like her writing style.
Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn. Mrs. Queen is Queen Elizabeth II and this is a charming story, a picture into life in a castle.
Memorial Days - A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks. I have read lots of her books with Horse being the most recent. This is a tribute to her husband Tony Horwitz, also an author who died suddenly on a book tour.
You will see several books by Cynthia Riggs. She's an author of mysteries set in Martha's Vineyard, her home town, with the sleuth being a 92 year old woman. I have read at least 6 or 7 of her books now but have realized that there is a formula she's using so will pause for now.
I just started a series by Archer Mayor recommended to me by a friend. He's a Vermont author and settings are places familiar to me. His first was published in 1988 with the protaganist Joe Gunther being in his 40s. His latest is 2022. That would mean that Gunther is now in his 70s if he's keeping it in present day. I guess I'll find out as I work through this series. It was quite a page turner.
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In other news it has been 5 years since we moved from the retirement community in Columbia, Maryland and nine years since we moved from The Lodge, the house we built in Baltimore County. How our lives have changed in that time.
Here's what I wrote about our move to Vantage House in 2016: Post
And here's one from when we settled in NH in July 2020: Post
Though living in a retirement community seemed like the best thing to do when we moved there, Covid and the move of daughter, Sarah, and her family from MD to Buffalo changed things a lot. We weighed moving to Buffalo vs. moving to NH, where Emily, our oldest lived. NH was the best choice. Even Sarah agreed as she attended college here just like Emily.
We have been so fortunate in many regards but the principle benefit has been finding this house. Actually granddaughter #2 saw the For Sale sign, and can claim she found it for us. She was almost 4 at the time. There have been so many things that I didn't know I missed doing at the retirement community that I now am doing again - chiefly gardening and cooking! And life being close to 2 of the 4 granddaughters is wonderful. We wish the others lived closer too and maybe one day!
9 comments:
...we are blessed, our entire family lives within 15 minutes of us.
Such a good post to read. You are the first people I’ve known who moved to their own home after living Im a retirement community. I’ll check out several of your authors. Of course family is important and maybe more so after COVID. I love your new header image!
Great post I wrote a couple of the authors down. I just found Martin Walker series a French police officer.
It was interesting to read your take on a retirement community.
We have talked about it, but I know I would miss a lot of things I do now. Our daughter is 1 hour from us not to far but sometimes it feels very far. But we have no interest in moving to the Conway area and the madness there.
Cathy
Good to know that now you have enough time for your favourites- cooking! New Hampshire is beautiful, been there and loved it. Have a fantastic week!
That's a lot of books, I haven't done a book challenge for years.
Just the post I needed. I've been meaning to get to Geraldine Brooks' book and this will get me to put in a reserve. I'm planning to visit Martha's Vineyard in the fall and will look for the Cynthia Riggs' book. Thanks!
My daughter and son-in-law are moving to a rural property a little closer to us (they actually get the key today), but it will still be a four-and-a-half hour drive. Better than six hours, though!
I adore Mrs. Queen Takes the Train! I have it on audio and have listened to it many times.
It’s so nice you enjoy living where you are. If our son moved to another state, we wouldn’t be too far behind. Thanks for all the book reviews. It is time for me together my head into another one.
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