20 Questions Book Tag

I've had this tag post sitting in my drafts waiting to be answered for over a year, so I thought it was about time I gave it a go. 

I can't remember if I was tagged, or if I stumbled up on the post somewhere, but there are twenty bookish questions, and I'm going to answer them honestly. If you want to know what my favourite books are, how I feel about cliff-hangers, or who my favourite author is, than keep reading!

I give you the 20 Questions Book Tag.

How many books is too many in a series?

It depends on how much I'm enjoying the series. I think my preferred length is probably three; that gives you a decent amount of reading time with your favourite characters, and plenty of time for the story and characters to develop without getting stale. Any more than three and I often find a series loses its quality and my attention. If I'm really enjoying a series, though, I will take as many books as I can get!

How do you feel about cliff-hangers?

Oh, I hate them so much! I despair at having to wait a year or two (or worse, years) until the next book is released to find out what happens next. I can live with them if I have the next book in the series waiting to be read, but I like a story to be neatly wrapped up by the last page of a book, with an ending that leaves room for a sequel without leaving me in suspense.

Hard-copy or paperback?

I love a pretty hardback and enjoy collecting them, but I actually prefer reading from paperbacks. I just find them easier to hold with my arthritis since they're lighter and smaller than most hardbacks- plus they're easier to carry around with me on the go, usually cost less, and generally take us less space on the bookshelf. Paperbacks are definitely underrated!

Favourite book?

It's a tie between The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Stand by Stephen King, and The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen. I also have a soft spot for Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Our Endless Numbered Days by Clare Fuller, and The One by John Marrs.

Least favourite book?

It has got to be The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. I read it in my early twenties after enjoying the movie, and it was without a doubt the most boring, badly written piece of crap I've read in my life. Even by Nicholas Sparks' standards, it was awful.

Love triangles, yes or no?

Yes, I guess. They can be pretty entertaining- at least until you feel devastated for the good guy who gets his heart broken when the other two finally get together.

The most recent book you just couldn't finish?

The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder by Sarah J. Harris. I started reading it in late autumn, and must have set it down after about 70 pages as I found the voice of the main character, a thirteen-year-old boy with autism, face-blindness, and synaesthesia (a condition where the stimulation of one sense evokes another sense), so annoying. Even though it wasn't his fault, he was coming across as a whiny brat. I'm going to try to go back to it at some point, as the storyline sounds interesting and unique, and it was beautifully written, but right now I don't have the patience for the whiny narrative.

A book you're currently reading?

I've just finished reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and have moved on to a psychological thriller called What Remains by Tim Weaver. It's book six in the David Raker Missing Persons series, which I've really been enjoying over the last few months.

Last book you recommended to someone?

The sequel to the Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris. It's an amazing but absolutely devastating novel based on the true story of Cilka Klein, a young Jewish girl who survived three years at Auschwitz Birkeneau being raped by Nazi commanders and doing what she had to to survive, only to be sentenced to fifteen years in a Siberian work camp on liberation. Why? She was accused of being a Nazi collaborator and a spy by the Soviet Army for simply being multi-lingual and having hair on her head, when all she had done was endure years of sexual abuse as a Nazi's play-thing from the age of thirteen. Cilka was sent to Vorkuta, a brutal work camp in the arctic circle where, like Auschwitz, she also endured hard labour, starvation, rape, and poor living conditions, along with the bitterly cold Siberian climate. She was just sixteen. In time, she befriended a female doctor, and began working in the hospital where she thrived nursing the sick back to health, and helping babies in the nursery. While her jobs saved her from hard labour at the mines and earned her some small 'privileges', I'd be lying if I said her life in the camp suddenly improves from here. It's a harrowing tale, and utterly heart breaking- two months after reading it and my emotions still haven't quite recovered- but it's so well written, and a compelling read I'd encourage every adult to read. I couldn't put it down, and flew through it in two days. I didn't know much about Vorkuta or Soviet work camps before reading this book, but it's opened my eyes, and makes me want to learn / read more about what happened there.

Oldest book you've read?

I'm not a hundred percent certain, but probably one of the Shakespeare plays we studied at school like The Merchant of Venice, which our good friend Google says was written in 1596. Actually, now that I think about it, it must be The Bible. I'm not religious, but I was raised catholic as my Dad and his side of the family all are, so I went to a catholic primary school where we had to go to church, as well as read and learn passages from The Bible during R.E. lessons. (Not that I can remember any of it now). I absolutely hated it. I tried to relate, but even as a child, I knew religion wasn't for me.

The newest book you've read?

Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris. It was released in October and I read it in November.

Favourite author?

I'm not sure I could choose just one favourite author. At the moment, I'm loving anything by John Marrs, Paul Pen, Clare Mackintosh, and Frances Hardinge, and I've also been a big fan of Stephen King and Chuck Palahniuk's books since my teens. I love Audrey Niffenegger's writing style, too, but can I call her a favourite when I've only read two of her books? It's been ages since she last released anything.

Buying books or borrowing books?

I prefer to buy books because I like to own my own copies, and see my bookshelves grow and swell with books I've read and enjoyed. I do borrow books from people from time to time, and I loved borrowing books from the library growing up, but I admit I haven't checked anything out since my early teens. I really should reregister, and start using it again.

A book you dislike that everyone seems to like?

IT by Stephen King. As much as I've loved every other Stephen King novel I've ever read, I just could not get in to it. I found it really slow and boring, and lacking the thrill of his other books. I don't get the hype at all. Give me The Stand or The Tommyknockers any day!

Bookmarks or dog-ears?

I'm a bookmark kind of girl. Anyone who dog-ears books is clearly a psychopath.

A book you can always re-read?

The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. I've read them all several times to date, and I'm currently tempted to re-read them all again.

Can you read whilst hearing music?

Only if it's not too loud and not too heavy. I find it really hard to switch off and concentrate on what I'm reading when there's a lot of noise around me. I prefer to read in silence or with the music / TV on low in the background.

One POV or multiple POVs?

I think I prefer multiple POVs- as long as there aren't too many of them. I enjoy reading from different perspectives, getting to know the characters better, and following their different storylines within the main story.

Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?

Unless the book is short (say, less than 250 pages) or I'm on holiday, I usually read books over multiple days. I can read a book in two days, but getting through a whole 400 page plus book in twenty-four hours is very rare for me.

One book you read because of the cover?

I can't think of a single book I've read because of the cover.  A pretty or interesting book cover might lure me in, but I always choose books based on the blurb.

And that's the 20 Questions Book Tag.

I tag... anybody who wants to have a go!

If you decide to give the tag a go, make sure you leave me a link to your post in the comments, as I'd love to read your answers to the questions!

What are you currently reading?

Wednesday Wish List

It feels like forever since I last shared a wish list on the blog, even though in reality it's only been about a month, so I thought it was about time I revived the series and showed you what's on my wish list right now. 

Here's my first Wednesday Wish List of 2020:

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I'm loving many of the brooches, earrings, and necklaces from Erstwilder's latest collection 'Insects and Bugs', which was released last week. The twenty-one piece collection features a cluster of everyone's favourite creepy crawlies, with everything from bees and butterflies, to fireflies and cicadas made in to brooches, earrings, or necklaces. I couldn't resist the bumble bee brooch, Bumble Butt, and added him to my collection last week, and would still love to get my hands on the fireflies, stag beetle, snail, and cicada brooches. I'll pass on the spiders. You can shop directly with Erstwilder in Australia here, or find a list of stockists around the world here. I've linked to as many pieces still in stock in the UK as I could above.

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Deer Arrow's new Retro & Sweets jewellery collection is perfect for a sugar rush without the calories. I mean, seriously, how cute are these sweet brooches and rock candy pin set? I want them all!

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I'm swooning over Unique Vintage's Valentine's collection, especially these pretty pink and heart print pieces. I'd wear them to death all year round. I particularly love the look of the cardigans, and the skirt. I've linked to the plus size pieces, which go up to a 5x, but you can find separate listings for the clothes in straight sizes on the website, too.

Shein Croc Embossed Satchel

I love the look of this forest green croc-effect satchel from Shein. The colour is soooo dreamy. (I'm a sucker for anything dark green). The bag is so inexpensive, though, that I'm questioning how good the quality would be. It has to be too good to be true.

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And finally, Kimchi and Coconut have rereleased their Aussie Animals range to help raise money for people and animals affected by the devastating Australian bush fires, with 100% of profits to be split between several charities. I already own the platypus and quoll brooches (review here), which are both adorable, but I'd love to add the koala and kangaroo brooches to my collection. They've been on my wish list for years, and with profits going to such a good cause, perhaps now is the perfect time to treat myself? Hmm...

If you'd like to see more of the fashion pieces on my wish list, check out my style wish list boards on Pinterest. You can also find all previous Wednesday Wish List posts here.

Any favourites this week?

My Goals For 2020

I'm a little bit behind with my New Year's posts (how is it already the 15th?), but I'm finally here to talk about my goals for the year ahead.

I've never been one to set myself big, life-changing New Year's resolutions. It's not that I don't have aspirations I want to work towards, because I do; I just don't like setting myself up for failure with unrealistic, high-achieving goals I'll never conquer in a year. If at all. Let's face it; I'm not going to lose half my body weight, become a billionaire, buy a mansion by the sea, or discover life on other planets any time soon. At least not this year. Never say never.

I prefer to set myself lots of smaller, fun and attainable goals to work towards during the year. Goals I want to do, need to do, and know I can achieve if I put the effort in. I like to give myself things to aim for and look forward to each year, but without any unnecessary pressure. If I achieve my goals, great; if I don't, that's okay, too. It's not the end of the world. (Although, being slightly obsessive, and competitive with myself, I always try to smash as many of my goals as I can to feel accomplished when I cross something off the list).

This year, I've come up with lots of things I want to attempt before 2020 comes to an end, from reading a ton of books to blogging more regularly, and I'm here to talk about them today.

Read 52 Books

It's fair to say I officially found my reading mojo in 2019, and I want to continue reading as much as possible in 2020. I've set myself the challenge of reading at least 52 books this year- one for each week of the year. It's only five more books than I read last year, so I'm confident I can do it if I keep up the pace, and make time to read every day. I've finished one book already, and am half way through a second, so I'm on target, and looking forward to working my way through my TBR pile. 

Shop For Presents Throughout the Year

I want to try to shop for presents for birthdays, Christmas and other special occasions throughout the year, to spread the cost, and be super organised this year. I wasn't last year and I was stressed about it in the run up to Christmas. I don't want to be worrying about how I'm going to afford to finish my Christmas shopping in December again, or still be shopping for presents days before Christmas, so I'm determined to pick up presents whenever I can. I've already bought half a dozen little presents for the present stash, so I'm already off to a good start! Let's hope it can continue.

Get Back in to Surveys Again

I didn't participate in as many paid surveys as I would've liked in 2019, as I often couldn't be arsed to put in the effort, but I want to get back in to them in 2020. I'd like to be able to earn some extra money to put towards a Nintendo Switch Lite so I can play the new Animal Crossing game when it comes out in March, and also to help pay for presents. I earned an extra £50 on Swagbucks alone in November and December, and the extra money really came in handy over Christmas. You can find out everything you need to know about earning money through online surveys here.

Blog More

Last year, mostly due to my health, I blogged less than any year since I began blogging here in 2012. I only posted a handful of quality posts all year, and while I got back in to the swing of things in December, it  wasn't the year I'd hoped for the blog. This year, I hope I can blog a lot more quality content, more regularly, with a better variety of topics. I want to feature more books and stationery, more beauty, more fashion (mostly reviews of accessories, not outfits), more crafts, more lifestyle, more chronic illness posts, and hopefully even some more adventures. Basically a bit more of everything. I want to create content I'm excited about and that you'll enjoy. I'm going to try my best to work hard, but it will depend on my health, and if it will let me. I'm actually going to listen to my body and put it first when I need to rest, and not force work when the words won't come; I want blogging to be fun, and not a chore, or counter-productive to my health. I guess we will see what happens!

Instagram More

I would also like to work at Instagramming more this year. Looking back on my grid, I realised just how little I posted to it last year, and I'm shocked by how little I did. Sometimes I went months without posting anything- mostly because I was too unwell to take photos or didn't have anything interesting to post. I used Insta Stories a little more often, but even that needs improvement. So, this year, I would love to fill my grid with photos, and also try to update my Insta Stories more often so I have more to look back on. Is there anything you'd like to see more of from me on Instagram? More books? More brooches? More Rosie spam? Let me know!

Do More Crafting

One of my goals last year was to do lots of crafting, but I was unable to do much at all because my arthritis got worse and I had difficulty using my hands far too often. I'm going to be optimistic and hope I have a better year this year, with plenty of good periods between flares (at least in the warmer months- I'm going through the worst flare right now) when I can use my hands to craft to my heart's content, so I've made lots of crafty goals for 2020. Some of my creative goals include:

♥ I want to do lots of cross stitching because I did very little in 2019, and that's just not like me. I have a mandala and a Christmas picture I need to finish off before I can begin some new projects.

♥ I'd like to attempt more embroidery projects, and improve my embroidery skills.

♥ I'd love to try punch needling.

♥ I want to try weaving something on a loom. I bought a small circular loom two years ago, and still haven't used it, so it's time to start weaving.

♥ I know this has appeared on my new year's goals list every year for years, but I would love to learn how to crochet something- perhaps a granny square blanket or a cute soft toy.

♥ I don't know why, but I really want to try needle felting.

♥ I want to make lots more fabric hoop art so I can make a feature wall out of hoops on my bedroom wall.

♥ I need to get around to making some more felt floral wreaths, and the Christmas ones I've been planning for about two years. I have all the supplies so I need to get making.

♥ I also have a pom pom star wreath to make, which I was unable to do this Christmas.

♥ I'd love to make some kind of brooch board so I can display my ever-growing collection of resin and acrylic brooches.
♥ I'd really like to relearn how to use a sewing machine- I've not used one since I was thirteen.

♥ And I want to make more time to paint.

Take a Holiday to Cornwall

My older sister and I are hoping to take a holiday to Cornwall in September, although this is dependent on whether the sister and brother-in-law move back to England as expected at the end of the summer or not. If they have to stay in Germany longer, we won't be able to go this year. I'm really looking forward to the prospect of a holiday as it's been almost three years since my last one, and I'm in desperate need of a holiday. I can't wait to get back to my favourite places in the country, and hopefully visit some places I've never been before, too. In the mean time, I just need to hope I'll be well enough to go, and figure out a way to manage a week's holiday with chronic pain a little better than I did last time.

Find a Way to See Ronan in Perranporth

Ronan Keating, one of my favourite musicians (hey, don't judge; he's amazing!), is headlining Tunes in the Dunes on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall in May, which just so happens to be my favourite place in the entire country. I've always dreamt about seeing a gig on that beach and combining my two favourite things- concerts and the beach- and now it's a possibility and I'm dying to go. The main problem is, I can't stand up long enough to get through a standing gig and I'm too much of a seat snob to sit near the back of the crowd, so I need to figure out a way to get around it so I can go. Maybe if I cover myself in heat patches, drug myself up, bring a camping chair, and hold on to the front row barrier, I could survive long enough to get through it? I don't want to keep missing out on everything I want to do just because I have chronic pain.

See Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act

I really want to go see Sister Act in the West End again this summer when Whoopi Goldberg is back in the habit as Deloris. I saw her in the show about a decade ago, when she starred as Mother Superior, and she was fantastic, so I would love to see her take on her original character on the stage. I've no doubt she'll be amazing. I must get tickets!

Try Physiotherapy Again

Once my neck injury has improved a little more, I'd like to have another go at physiotherapy for the rest of my body. It's been years since I last had any for my chronic pain, and even though I never saw any improvement in the past, I figure it could be worth another try as my health has worsened a lot since my last stint. If I'm lucky, it might help the pain; if nothing else, it might at least help me to build up a little more strength in my limbs and get me out of the house a bit more.

Revisit Pain Management

My rheumatologist also wants me to revisit pain management, which I'll admit I've been anxious about after being treated so badly by a pain clinic in Oxford when I was first referred in 2013. I know it's worth a try, though, even though I doubt they'll be able to offer anything I haven't already tried, and I really have nothing to lose at this point. Once my neck is a little better, I'm going to organise an appointment (I've already got the information for self-referral- and a choice of hospitals, so I don't have to go back to the assholes in Oxford), and give it my best shot.

Eat Healthier

I've gained a little weight over the last few years from being house bound and not looking after myself as well as I should, and I don't feel comfortable in my own skin anymore, so I want to try to lose some of the extra pounds I gained last year. I can't do vigorous exercise to help shift it, but I want to at least try to move around when I can, eat healthier, and look after myself a little better. I'm not aiming for huge weight loss, but it would be nice to lose a dress size to fit back in to most of my clothes again.

Replace My Bedroom Furniture

My bedroom furniture is falling apart, and my parents have very kindly offered to help me replace them, so I need to decide which pieces to replace them with. I think I've finally decided on a white painted oak set with oak tops. I just need to choose which chest of drawers to buy, and find a dressing table I like to go with them. And then I will have pretty new furniture! Yay! I'm hoping to finally sort this goal out this week.

Get a Hair Cut

More a short term goal than an on-going one, but something I really need to do ASAP this year is get a hair cut. I haven't had my hair cut in almost three years now, and my long bob is now a long mane flowing almost to the bottom of my back! It looks a mess, it's driving me mad, and it's too much work to look after, so I'm dying to get it cut shorter. I can't decide exactly what length I want to trim it to, but I won't be going as short as a bob this time. I'll probably have at least a foot chopped off, though. I've been desperate to get it cut for years now, but I've not been well enough to get down the hair dressers or sit long enough to get through it at home. I was hoping to get it done before Christmas, but I've not been able to bend my neck forward without pain, so it keeps getting put on the back burner. Fingers crossed I can get it done soon. I miss having nice hair.

Some Places I'd Like To Visit in 2020

♥ Cornwall- including my favourites, Perranporth, St. Ives, St. Michael's Mount, Padstow, and Porth Beach. I would also like to visit Kynance Cove, Heligan Gardens, and some other Cornish places I've never been to before.

♥ The Wizarding World of Harry Potter World for Hogwarts in the Snow. (Marie and I have talked about going at Christmas time).

♥ London- for some sightseeing (by tour bus).
♥ Bourton-on-the-Water.
♥ The beach. Preferably Perranporth, but any sandy beach will suffice. I'm dying for a swim / paddle in the sea.

♥ Badbury Clump woods when it's carpeted with bluebells in the spring.

♥ A lavender field- there's one in The Cotswolds but I've forgotten the name of the place.

♥ A sunflower field- if I can find one close to home.

And those are some of my goals for the year ahead.

What are your goals or resolutions for 2020?

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2019

I've always been an avid reader, but in recent years, I've not read as much as I could have. Ever since I got my first laptop sometime around 2006/7, I've spent far too much time online, when I could've and probably should've been using my downtime to do something more productive like learning a new craft or reading a book. 

I wasn't proud of how much time I was spending online, or how little I was reading, so, last year, I decided to make a conscious effort to read more, and set myself the challenge of reading 25 books before 2019 was through, using Goodreads to track my progress. 25 seemed like a reasonable number as I'd managed to read 17 books the year before, and I thought I could probably achieve it by New Year's Eve if I put the effort in. Maybe.

I bought a stack of new books and began reading on January 1st. And I kept reading and reading, day after day, almost every single day, finding so many good books that I just couldn't put down. I set aside an hour or so to read every evening that I could, and tried to read before bed as often as possible, too. Some days, I'd also read as soon as I woke up, and in the afternoon, too. By August, I'd completed my reading challenge of 25 books with over four months to go, so I decided to increase my goal to 40 books to keep myself on my toes until the New Year. Then, by October, I'd smashed my second goal as well! I thought about increasing it to 52 books, one for each week of the year, but I wasn't confident I'd make it as I knew my reading would slow down with Christmas approaching, so I left the challenge there but continued to read. By New Year's Eve night, I'd ended the year with 47 books (and 200 pages of a 48th) under my belt for 2019, and it's an achievement I'm pretty darn proud of! I mean, I wasn't really expecting to reach my original goal and I read almost double the amount of books I'd hoped to. I think that's something I should be proud of. I haven't read so many books in a year since I was in primary school! (And it's been a long time since I was in primary school!)

Here is an infographic from Goodreads to show you my year in books, including what I read in 2019: 

16,046 pages read across 47 books. (Plus 200 of a 48th).

Shortest Book:

A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman with 118 pages.

Longest Book:

The Dead Tracks by Tim Weaver with 550 pages.

Average Length:

341 Pages

Most Popular Book I Read:

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins with 2,868,784 readers.

Least Popular Book I Read:

Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein with just 182 readers.

I have to say, I'm really surprised that Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein was the least popular book I read on Goodreads in 2019, with only 182 readers, as it was such a fantastic piece of young adult fiction. It's a harrowing tale of a fourteen year old girl struggling to deal with a life-changing chronic illness diagnosis (arthritis), daily agonising pain and stiffness, the loss of her friends because of her illness, difficulties at school, and her parents' separation. I had to read this book as I also struggled with arthritis as a young teenager (although mine started at age thirteen, went undiagnosed until my twenties, and wasn't quite as debilitating as hers back then). This is the first book I've read that accurately describes what it's like to live with arthritis as a young person, and that doesn't just made arthritis sound like mild aches and pains. I found it so relatable, from the struggles with pain to the lack of support from friends, peers and doctors, and urge everyone to read it. It will help you understand the condition a little better, and if you have had arthritis from a young age yourself, you'll likely find it relatable and inspiring.

My Average Rating For 2019:

4.1 stars.

Highest Rated Book On Goodreads:

Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris with 4.38 stars.

I'm not surprised at all that Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris, the sequel to The Tattooist of Auschwitz,  was the highest ratest book on Goodreads (from the 47 I read). It was one of my favourite reads of 2019, but holy crap, it broke my heart. It's been two months but I haven't quite recovered emotionally. It's a novel based on the true story of a Cilka Klein, a survivor of Auschwitz-Birkeneau and Vorkuta. As a young teenager, she spent three years in Auschwitz being raped by Nazis because she was pretty, and doing what she had to do to survive. On liberation, aged just sixteen, the Soviets marked her as a Nazi collaborator and accused her of being a spy because she spoke multiple languages, and sentenced her to fifteen years in a brutal Siberian work camp in the Arctic circle. For simply surviving the holocaust. Imprisoned again, she faced a daily fight for survival in horrendous conditions, once again being raped, starved, and forced to do heavy labour while enduring bitterly cold temperatures. After a time, she  befriended a female doctor, and was given the job of nursing the sick back to health, where she began to thrive and help others, but if you think her life got much better then, you'd be wrong. Her story breaks your heart, but it's also so inspiring and powerful, and well worth reading.

What I Read In 2019

1. Bird Box by Josh Malerman.
2. VOX by Christina Dalcher.
3. The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.
4. A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman.
5. The First Phone Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom.
6. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Morgan.
7. The Extinction Trials Rebel by S. M. Wilson.
8. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott.
9. An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim.
10. The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.
11. The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe.
12. The Amateurs by Liz Harmer.
13. The Giver by Lois Lowry.

14. The Passengers by John Marrs.
15. The Next Together by Lauren James.
16. The One by John Marrs.
17. The Last Beginning by Lauren James.
18. The Good Samaritan by John Marrs.

19. When You Disappeared by John Marrs.
20. Welcome to Wherever You Are by John Marrs.
21. Don't Wake Up by Liz Lawler.
22. Her Last Move by John Marrs.
23. I'll Find You by Liz Lawler.

24. The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James.
25. The House of Thunder by Dean Koontz.
26. Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein.
27. Before Her Eyes by Jack Jordan.

28. Night by Night by Jack Jordan.
29. My Girl by Jack Jordan.
30. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.
31. Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh.
32. I See You by Clare Mackintosh.

33. I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh.
34. On My Life by Angela Clarke.
35. In to the Water by Paula Hawkins.
36. After the End by Clare Mackintosh.

37. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell.
38. Disclaimer by Renee Knight.
39. You Were Gone by Tim Weaver.
40. Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews.
41. Under the Water by Paul Pen.

42. Chasing the Dead by Tim Weaver.
43. Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris.
44. The Dead Tracks by Tim Weaver.
45. Vanished by Tim Weaver.
46. Never Coming Back by Tim Weaver.
47. A Literary Christmas: An Anthology by The British Library.

It was a great year for reading, and I'm so glad I found my reading mojo again. I read some amazing books in 2019, discovered some fantastic new-to-me authors (like John Marrs and Clare Mackintosh), and particularly fell back in love with psychological thrillers, which I read more than any other genre last year. What can I say? I love a good murder, stalker, or missing persons story. They're so addictive! 

I know I could've read a little more variety, and turned to different authors and genres much more- which I hope to do more of this year- but I thoroughly enjoyed the vast majority of books I did read, so I don't have any regrets about my choices.

Favourite Books I Read:

(In no particular order).

♥ The One by John Marrs

♥ The Passengers by John Marrs.

♥ Bird Box by Josh Malerman.

♥ The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Morgan.

♥ An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim.

♥ Before Her Eyes by Jack Jordan.

♥ I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh.
♥ After You'd Gone by Clare Mackintosh.

♥ Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein

♥ You Were Gone by Tim Weaver.

♥ Don't Wake Up by Liz Lawler.

♥ I'll Find You by Liz Lawler.

♥ The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.

♥ Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris.

♥ VOX by Christina Dalcher.

Least Favourite Book I Read:

The House of Thunder by Dean Koontz. (So cheesy and badly written).

New Authors Discovered:

V.C. Andrews, Angela Clarke, Christina Dalcher, Liz Harmer, Paula Hawkins, Antonio Iturbe, Lauren James, Lisa Jewell, Jack Jordan, Renee Knight, Liz Lawler, Thea Lim, Rachael Lippincott, Lois Lowry, Clare Mackintosh, Josh Malerman, John Marrs, Karol Ruth Silverstein, and Tim Weaver.

Favourite New Authors Discovered: 

John Marrs, Clare Mackintosh, Tim Weaver, Jack Jordan.

Books I Started But Never Managed To Finish

The Martian by Andy Weir.
The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder by Sarah J. Harris.
The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (reread a few chapters).
Fall From Grace by Tim Weaver (200 pages read by NYE- finished last night).

I enjoyed reading so much in 2019 that I've decided to do the Goodreads Reading Challenge again this year. It wouldn't be a challenge unless I upped the stakes, though, so this year I'm aiming to read at least 52 books- one for each week of the year. I'm confident that I can do it if I can keep reading at a similar pace to 2019 (or better!), and keep using Goodreads to keep track of what I've read. I finished my first (600 page) book of the year last night, so I'm off to a good start, and I've just treated myself to a stack of new books that I can't wait to read, so I'm on track and I'm sure I'll be racing ahead in no time.

If you'd like to keep up with what I'm reading this year, you can find me on Goodreads here.

Did you take part in a reading challenge in 2019, and have you set yourself a reading challenge for 2020?

Looking Back On 2019

Hello 2020, goodbye 2019!

I can't believe another year has come and passed, and it's already time to look back on another year of my life with a mix of nostalgia and regret.  It only feels like a minute since I was reflecting on 2018. Where has the time gone?? I swear 2019 was the shortest year yet.

I wish I could say that 2019 was the best year of my life; a year full of achievements, fun experiences, milestones, wealth, health, and romance, but if I did I would be lying through my teeth. In all honesty, 2019 was a pretty boring and uneventful year for me. I achieved very little, I didn't reach any big milestones, I didn't have many fun experiences, my health was crap, and there was certainly no wealth or romance in my life during the past twelve months.

I can count on two hands with fingers to spare how many times I even left the house last year, and apart from a trip to the zoo in July, and two fun trips away in February and October to see Boyzone live again before they split, my only ventures out of the house were for medical appointments or unnoteworthy visits to the shops with my Mum or sister. That's literally it. I'm not even kidding. I'm beginning to wonder if I actually lived the last year of my life at all.

It's not that I didn't want or try to live my life to the full last year- I didn't want to do anything more- but my health had other ideas, and decided to hold me hostage for another year. Nobody came to rescue me; I'm quite disappointed. Without droning on about my health too much, basically some of my conditions degenerated further in 2019. My Fibromyalgia pains and flares were more intense; my Arthritis inflicted a lot more pain, stiffness, and swelling in all my bones and joints; my chronic spinal pain was a daily challenge; and fatigue zapped the life out of me. I also managed to do some further damage to my spine in August, thanks to my existing Degenerative Disc Disease, and knocked one of the facets in my neck out of place. I spent the last third of 2019 with intense pain in the back of my head and reduced mobility in my neck, doing daily physio stretches to try to help myself heal. I'm still not back to normal. With all these physical challenges kicking my ass, I couldn't get out and about much, and 2019 was more about getting from one day to the next than having fun, making memories, and achieving goals. C'est la vie. On the plus side, I survived my eighth year housebound with chronic pain and illness and managed to stay upbeat most of the time, so go me!

While I didn't do anything exciting or achieve anything noteworthy last year, I did find plenty of ways to keep myself occupied at home, and made some small victories. I crafted, I cross stitched, I watched movies, I listened to a lot of music, I took a bunch of photos, I spent time with my dog and my family, I kept two plants alive, I found solace online, I collected a lot of Erstwilder brooches, I spent more hours playing Animal Crossing New Leaf every day than I'd care to admit, and I rekindled my love of reading. 

I set myself the goal of reading 25 books in 2019, and totally smashed my expectations by reading 47 books by New Year's Eve, which is something I'm really proud of. I haven't read so much in a year since I was in primary school! I guess being unable to move, and too brain-fogged to blog have their advantages- it left me more time to read! I read almost every day and lapped up books like there was no tomorrow, discovered new authors and particularly fell back in love with psychological thrillers. I loved getting lost in so many new books, and I'm happy that I at least achieved something worthwhile last year. I'm hoping to read even more in 2020, but I'll talk more about that when I share my goals for the year ahead later this week.

So what else happened in 2019?

♥ I saw Boyzone live with Marie in February.

♥ I celebrated my blog's 7th birthday.

♥ I came in as a runner up in a Hobbycraft competition with one of my cross stitches.

♥ I turned 34.

♥ I spent my birthday visiting The Cotswold Wildlife Park for the millionth time.

♥ I spent a few nights in London in October seeing Boyzone live for the final time with Marie.

♥ We did some shopping in Westfield.

♥ We discovered Doughnut Time doughnuts and Crème cookies and oh my God, they were the best discoveries ever!

♥ My dog, Rosie, turned 4 and I made her pupcakes for the first time.

And that's about as exciting as my life gets these days.

Fingers crossed I can get out and about and have more experiences in 2020, because 2019 was kinda pathetic. It wasn't a bad year- I've had worse- it was just kinda dull.

I also blogged less in 2019 than any year since I began Polka Spots and Freckle Dots in 2012. It wasn't for lack of trying; I sat at my laptop almost every day and attempted to write for hours, but more often than not, the words just wouldn't come. I was so brain fogged most of the year (another wonderful side-effect of my Fibromyalgia) that I had the worst time recalling words and stringing coherent sentences together, which was not only frustrating as hell, but meant that my blog suffered for it and had to take a back seat. Sometimes it took me a fortnight to put one post together, and other times I couldn't create at all. Or when I could write, I couldn't take the photos I needed to finish a post because of the pain and injury to my neck. It wasn't the year I'd hoped for my blog, but I did still blog a little, worked with some fantastic brands, celebrated my 7th blog birthday, and managed to get back in to the swing of things in December. 

Some of my favourite posts from 2019 include:

♥ Snow Day
♥ Vendula London La Bicyclette de Vendula Box Bag Review
♥ Polka Spots and Freckle Dots Turns Seven
♥ Mal Paper Daily Goal Setter Planner Review
♥ Erstwilder Endangered Animals Brooches
♥ Turning Thirty Four and What I Got For My Birthday
♥ Erstwilder Halloween Jewellery
♥ Essie Nail Polish Advent Calendar Review
♥ Ciate Mini Mani Month Nail Polish Advent Calendar Review
♥ Christmas Bedroom Tour 2018
♥ What I Got For Christmas Last Year (2018)
♥ 50 Things To Do This Christmas If You Have a Chronic Illness
♥ IWOOT Christmas Jumpers Review
♥ My Christmas Cross Stitch Makes
♥ A Literary Christmas: An Anthology Book Review
♥ Erstwilder All Wrapped Up Christmas Brooches
♥ What's In My Christmas Eve Box 2019

I just want to say a big heart-felt "thank you" to everyone who continued to read my blog posts, follow me on social media, and leave me lovely comments and messages in 2019, even though my posting was sparse and my content not the most interesting. I can't believe that you were still  interested in reading what I had to say when I did make an appearance, and your support means the world. Thank you!

I really enjoyed blogging regularly again over Christmas and I'm hoping I can find my groove again this year, and health allowing, create more quality content on a regular basis in 2020. I'm going to try my best for you guys, but I won't make any promises in case I can't keep them, and I guess we shall see what happens. Fingers crossed for a better year!

I hope that 2020 is a bright year for all of us, filled with happiness, good health (or as good as it can be for those of us with chronic illnesses), fun times, great experiences, wonderful people, and all the things you're hoping for this year. Happy New Year, everyone! Let's make it the best one yet!

What was your greatest achievement in 2019?