Mid-2016, I joined several friends in a Facebook Group titled “52 Books in a Year” but joined too late to come anywhere near accomplishing 52 books in those few months.
I was, however, intrigued to see if I could do it. Could I finish a book a week for an entire year?
So far, the answer has been a resounding “NO!”
In 2017, I made it through 28 books…just over half of my goal.
In 2018, I made it through 43.
This yearly reading challenge speaks to my inner I-refuse-to-surrender-to-electronics-self on many wonderful levels, so I’m determined that 2019 will be my year.
First up: The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton
I really loved it!
Not only is there a gripping and engaging storyline, but several “side stories” are intricately woven within the plot in truly clever ways. I even got a warm, fuzzy feeling deep in my chest when all the connections were revealed at the end.
The mystery and murder are entertaining, but it is the theme of “home” that spoke to me consistently throughout the book.
Home is a pretty big concept in my world. Not the brick and timber structure, but the sanctuary that Coach and the kids create wherever they are; they are my safe place, my comfort zone, and my paradise.
In Chapter 20, Kate Morton describes home exactly how I define it through Coach:
Home…It was one of those words of multiple meanings: the perfunctory description accorded the building in which one currently resides, but also the warm, rounded name used to describe the place from which ultimate comfort and safety is derived. Home was Alan’s voice at the end of a long, hard day; his arms around her; the knowing quantity of his love for her and hers for him.
In Chapter XII, she goes on to write,
And so, here I am, sitting again in the warm spot at the turn of the stairs, waiting.
One thing I know for certain: I will be here when they get back.
That’s me. The size, the style, the furniture, the location do not matter – home is where my heart is, and my heart is with Coach, SonShine, and Angel Girl. They are home.
How wonderful that my first book of the new year turned out to be a 5-star read!!
I’ll be listing and ranking every book as the year progresses. The next 51 might not all measure up to such a high standard, but I am excited to see how many I get through and how many of those become favorites!
I hope you, too, will challenge yourself to do something you love in 2019, something that takes away the chaos and noise of our very loud and frantic world. Something that feels like a fabulous indulgence.
And then love every second of it!!
Thanks for starting your new year with me!
With love and hugs,
Ashli
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