Happy New Year one and all! Here’s to a 2022 filled with good health, happiness and fun times with those we love.
I celebrate each new year by posting a photo of me with the first book I plan to read thanks to Sheila’s First Book of the Year Meme. But, of course, I don’t just read one book.
- Collected Stories | Shirley Hazzard for Bill’s AWW Gen IV from the 16th-23rd January
- Pilgrimage #1 Pointed Roofs | Dorothy Richardson #PilgrimageTogether
- The Cat Who Saved Books | Sosuke Natsukawa for Dolce Bellezza’s Japanese Literature Challenge 15
- Oh, William | Elizabeth Strout
Over the next few days I MIGHT post some 2021 wrap up posts, although right now I’m just glad to be done with the old year. Curiously, I always prefer the even numbered years, perhaps because I was born in an even year, and therefore my age for most of an even year is also even.
For now I simply want to say a HUGE thank you to all of you who have followed Brona’s Books from our old Blogspot home just over a year ago, to our brand new shiny home here at This Reading Life. It has been a year of adventure and learning as I embraced the new Block Editor and slowly wordpress-ised my old posts and pages (an on-going process).
Here’s to a New Year full of books and bookish conversations…
And an Edith Trilogy Readalong (dates TBA)!
bronasbooks.com 
The bush looks lovely. I guess you’re not isolating now just holidaying. Thanks for the mention. I’ve written an introductory post and I’ve read my first book, but I just can’t bring myself to write it up, partly I guess because I want to reference some external material and I keep putting it off.
Good luck with Edith. There’s an enormous hardback on the shelves behind me, too much to read I think, let alone three! But if I can get them as audiobooks from the library I’ll try and join in (I remember listening to at least one, years ago on the ABC)
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No thankfully, isolation is now over. B21 is also negative & able to see his GF again.
We’ve had a few beautiful warm days here (finally) only problem is it seems to have brought out the snakes!
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Happy New Year, Brona:)
I’ve signed up for #PIlgrimageTogether, but I don’t really know what we’re supposed to be doing apart from reading it. Is there a blog home for it?
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If you click on the link in my post it will take you to the new website created for this readalong. There’s a discussion happening on the 5th Jan about the first book hosted by the 2 who seem to have initiated the readalong.
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Thank you, I must have missed that. I’ve started, finished chapter one, but (a-hem, due to some NYD frivolity) I didn’t get time to read any more of it today.
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Glad to hear there was some frivolity – that’s what NY is for 🙂
I started it too and I read the first short story in the Hazzard.
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Just quiet nibbles and bubbly with the neighbours. But nice:)
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Happy new year Brona! It’s weirdly mild for December here in London (around 15 degrees) but dreary – seeing your sunny picture is a treat! Wishing you lots of bookish delights in 2022 🙂
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The weather has been a bit all over the place here too, but summer in the upper Blue Mountains is always rather unpredictable.
Thank you for all your lovely thoughtful comments this past year. Happy new year – stay safe & warm 😎
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I will be interested to see what you think of the Collected Stories S Hazzard. Our book club read it last year. All the best for 2022.
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I love being able to dip in & out of short story collections as my mood dictates. Did your club enjoy them ? or not?
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Off with the old…in with the new!
It feels like life i ‘squeaky clean’ this morning…I hope it stays that way!
First book tradition….good Australian choice S. Hazzard.
Edith Trilogy Readalong…my books have been gathering dust on the shelf…await kick-off post!
Between coffee this morning and my New Year’s cake (last few pieces before I snap back to reality)
I’m trying to gather my thoughts for a book read 2022 planning.
Have a great day…in your case just 45 min left on January 1….and time
to get back to my reading!
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We’re about to head off for a week at the beach (I cannot wait!!) We’ve painted and pruned and cleaned to our heart’s content up here in the cool of the mountains, but some beach swimming time is long overdue!
Certainly 2021 was feeling rather stale by the end, so a squeaky clean start is what we all need for 2022 🙂
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Wishing you a happy, healthy & safe new year
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Thanks Shelley. HNY to you and yours as well.
PS thanks for putting me onto Canva. My Edith badge is my attempt.
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Happy New Year, Brona!
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Happy New Year to you and yours as well Deb 🙂
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A good variety of books. It is something special to start the first book of the year. I, like you, always read several books at the time. I think my first ones will be; The Last Good Man by A.J. Kazinsky (started last night and this thriller is difficult to put down), The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth and The Magician by Colm Tóibín. All good books.
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Indeed! I’ve heard interesting things about the Joseph Roth & The Magician has made it into my list of 2021 most memorable reads… post coming soon to this blog 😁
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Happy New Year Brona! Love your sunshiny smiling photo! And here’s wishing you a 2022 that is all bright and shiny and bookish! I too love even numbered years , simply because I love even numbers – more symmetrical I think!
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Happy New Year Cirtnecce! As you can see, the beach holiday is taking priority over blogging atm. As you saw on Insta, Omicron is impacting all the holiday venues pretty severely – from cancelled bookings, to restaurants and cafe either closing or only offering takeaway service due to staff shortages (as so many people catch and/or become close contacts). It’s another lockdown in all but name!
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Happy New Year! I definitely would like to read Oh William by Strout.I’m participating in the Japanese Literature Challenge too! 🙂 I just started a re-read of The Book of Tea which I will probably spread out over a number of weeks. Just a slow read. I really enjoyed it when I read it the first time. I plan to start reading An Artist of the Floating World by Ishiguro this week. Here’s my post talking about what I’d like to read for the challenge in case you’re interested. 🙂
https://thesimplyblog.wordpress.com/2021/12/12/the-first-reading-challenge-of-2022/
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The Book of Tea is in my tbr pile too. But I suspect I will only get to one book for the challenge this year. Good luck with you’re reading plans.
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It seems my comment didn’t take yesterday; I had written that I, too, have The Cat Who Saved Books on my list. There was a time when I wasn’t terribly fond of cats, but after my son brought home two, I am dedicated to them. One, Samantha, reads on my lap every night andI can certainly see how it is that they might save a bookstore! So glad you’re reading for the Japanese Literature Challenge 15, Brona. Xo
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Japanese writers certainly seem to have a special relationship with cats as well. I miss having a lap cat to read with. Give Samantha a pat behind the ears for me 😊
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Elizabeth Stout is always on my reading list. Have you read the Traveling Cat Chronicles which is also a translated novel from Japanese? It was such a sweet story. Happy reading in 2022!
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I adored Travelling Cat when I read it a couple of years ago (my review is here – https://bronasbooks.com/2018/04/17/the-travelling-cat-chronicles-by-hiro-arikawa/)
There was also one called Guest Cat I can recommend too.
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I’m envying you that sunshine. Today is a horrible grey day with heavy rain all day. I’d forgotten about Bill’s reading event so thanks for the link!
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