My Top Fifteen Books of 2024

 

 

  It's that time again...

I intended to do a Top Ten, but as usual when making my list it grew too long - you know how it is!  The books I've chosen were not necessarily published in 2024, but I read them this year.  If any of them pique your interest, please click the title for my review and universal links to Amazon and Goodreads.

I've listed them in the order I read them, aside from the last five, to which I awarded my rare and very special 5 Gold Stars.😊  I hope you see something that appeals, as I highly recommend them all!

The Drau River Flows to Siberia: The Victims of Victory

by Marina Osipova

The story of two people who survived Stalin's Siberian gulags, and the fate of the Cossacks under the care of the Allies in WWII.

I, Richard Plantagenet : Book 2 Loyaulte Me Lie 

by J P Reedman

The later life of Richard III

Hard to Forgive 

by Georgia Rose

Third book in the 'A Shade Darker' series.  A woman alone, a life lived in obsession and regret...

Pride & Pestilence 

by Carol Hedges

Book 11 of the Victorian Detectives murder mystery series

Live and Let 

by Judith Barrow

A short, amusing memoir, much of it about holiday lets.

Psittacide 

by Zeb Haradon

The crazy political arena of 2172, Book 2 in the Disposable Soma series

A Boundary of Stones 

by Millie Thom

The story of Eyam, the Derbyshire village that famously isolated itself during the 17th Century bubonic plague, stopping it from spreading to neighbouring villages.

Local Gods 

by Mark Hurst

An assassin who needs to lie low discovers strange happenings in the village of Little Baddington...

Operation Tulip 

by Deborah Swift

Working for the resistance in Nazi occupied Holland, 1944

The Queen's Avenger 

by Anna Legat

The story of a monk who supported Mary, Queen of Scots, through all she suffered.

*

5 GOLD Stars

All Quiet on the Western Front 

by Erich Maria Remarque

A young German man's experiences in World War I  

A Matter of Time 

by Judith Arnopp

The life of Henry VIII in his own words, from the Anne of Cleves era until his death.

The Swan Maiden 

by Gemma Lawrence

Book 2 of The Surface and the Deep, the story of Anne of Cleves.

Moments of Consequence 

by Thorne Moore

Short stories, dark themes.  Mostly.

Size Always Matters 

by Sally Cronin

Comprehensive guide to weight loss, exercise, nutrition and so much more.

SIZE ALWAYS MATTERS by Sally Cronin @sgc58

 5 GOLD stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I've long been impressed by Sally's nutrition articles on her blog, so bought this when it came out.

In a Nutshell: Comprehensive guide to weight loss, exercise, nutrition and so much more.

This has to be the best book of its type that I've ever read.  Whether you want to lose a lot of weight, the odd stone, or simply to have a better understanding of nutrition and how your body works, I can't recommend this too highly.  Sally Cronin is a qualified, experienced nutritional therapist.

I consider myself to be an 'old hand' when it comes to nutrition, but the book taught me a whole lot more, and reminded me about (a few too many) aspects that I'd let slip.  I've just eaten a (lightly fried in olive oil) egg, smoked salmon and raw mushrooms for lunch - if I hadn't just read this book, the mushrooms might have been fried too, and I'd have included a slice of toast, albeit sourdough!  Also, for a long time now, when I've bought vegetables to last a few days, I've prepared them and put them in plastic zip-lock bags in the fridge, for easy use later in the day.  No longer - I've just discovered that this practice destroys half their nutritional value.  Who knew?

Sally's book reminded me, over and over again, that most of what we eat needs to be in its natural state, cooked from scratch; if we eat too much industrially produced, ultra-processed food we can suffer from malnutrition while still being overweight.  She includes shopping lists of all we need to obtain every vitamin and mineral, and how to facilitate the production of vital amino acids.  Throughout, she does not just give instruction, but tells you why.

As well as nutritional advice, the book contains detailed chapters about exercise, along with details of how many calories are burned by everyday activities, about the emotional reasons for overeating, advice on how to plan your weight loss programme, and there's an excellent recipe section at the back.  Sally also talks (in a refreshingly honest way) about her own experience - the long road that took her from morbidly obese to slim, healthy and positive.

Take it from one who knows.  This book is an absolute 'must have' for anyone who wants to lose weight and/or take care of their own health.

My Top Five Books of 2021 (and some more...)

I've reviewed 51 books on this blog this year, and tried to do my usual top twenty or top ten ... but I couldn't.  Too many instances of 'which do I include, this one or that one?'  I found, however, that I was able to choose my top five.  I don't very often give my '5 GOLD stars' rating; there were only two last year.  It's for the books that make me think '5 stars doesn't really do it justice'.  These are my chosen five of the seven I awarded this year.

Click the book title for my review - includes Amazon/Goodreads links.

Mistress Constancy by Gemma Lawrence

Part one of the story of Jane Rochford, wife of George Boleyn

(I actually gave two more of Gemma's books 5 gold stars, but chose this one as my favourite!)

Tears of Amber by Sofía Segovia

True story: the evacuation of the people of East Prussia at the end of World War II

The Silkworm Keeper by Deborah Swift

'a novel of nuns and courtesans, artists and priests, in the shadow and splendour of the Eternal City' - 17th Century historical fiction.  Stunning!

Life is Like a Mosaic by Sally Cronin

Pictures with free verse poetry - I am not a poetry lover, generally, but this is more like observations about life.  A real gem (and I bought the hardback!).

Cousin Calls by Zeb Haradon

If I had to choose one book as a favourite for the year, it would be this.  Man walks into a bar on Christmas Eve some decades into the future, to wait for a cousin he has never met.  While he's waiting, four others provide their stories about what happened when they got a phone call that said, 'you don't know me, but we're cousins'.  Unusual, hilarious, genre-free and brilliant!

Such a good reading year, so many I recommend; if you would like to take a look at those to which I gave 5 stars, please click HERE.  

Here are a few of them:

The Heart Stone by Judith Barrow 

A Matter of Conscience by Judith Arnopp

The White Rajah by Tom Williams

Trashlands by Alison Stine

Faring Forth Again on the Shoe by Val Poore

Catch Me If I Fall by Nikki Rodwell

For those I gave 4.5*, please click HERE.

Here are a few of them...

Mists and Megaliths by Catherine McCarthy

Near Death by Richard Wall

Black Irish Blues by Andrew Cotto

Later by Stephen King

...and here are some more I've loved - I hope you will discover some of my recommendations for yourself.

Happy reading!

Click HERE for review

Click HERE for review

Click HERE for review

Click HERE for review

Click HERE for review

Click HERE for review

Click HERE for review

Click HERE for review

Click HERE for review

Click HERE for review

Click HERE for review

LIFE IS LIKE A MOSAIC by Sally Cronin @sgc58 #MondayBlogs

5 GOLD stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: the author sent me a PDF, but then I bought it anyway because I wanted a proper Kindle copy.

In a Nutshell: Poetry and Pictures

I am somewhat blown away by this book - it's a work of art. 

The first part is a series of pictures - art, landscape, animals, birds, the fantastical, abstract, flowers, random objects, all sorts - each coupled with a short piece of free verse.  The poems are so clever, often just a few lines that encapsulate an idea, convey a piece of ponder-worthy wisdom, or paint a story in a flash-fiction fashion.  It's a delight from start to finish.  I believe Sally Cronin is producing hardbacks in the not too distant future; I will be purchasing several for presents.  And one for myself :)

Some of my favourites are astute comments on the darker side of the life we live now - notable are Scepticism, Westward-Two and The Future?.  Another repeated theme is that of ageing - I love Ageism and the last verse of Birthdays, in particular.  I name Ageism and Scepticism as joint winners!

The lovely Spices takes us into the second part, which consists of longer poems about Sally's life.  My favourite of these is The Lure of the Waltzer, which made me think of my early teenage years.

Ageism

(reproduced with author's permission)

Mind

body

and spirit

strive not to lose

the urge to explore

outside the barriers

created by young ageists

who dictate terms of existence

for those who have reached a certain age

How

quickly

they forget

who created

the technology

medical advances

and freedoms they now enjoy

are they scared that once set adrift

we might just show them a thing or two?

Take a look on Amazon's 'Look Inside' feature - the book is so perfectly presented.  In an ideal world, the hardback ought to be on display in high street shops at Christmas with all those 'little books of wisdom' type publications, because it's better than any that I've seen!

Sally Cronin is the author of fifteen books including her memoir Size Matters: Especially when you weigh 330lb first published in 2001. This has been followed by another fourteen books both fiction and non-fiction including multi-genre collections of short stories and poetry.

Her latest release, Life is Like a Mosaic: Random fragments in harmony is a collection of 50 + images and poems on life, nature, love and a touch of humour.

As an author she understands how important it is to have support in marketing books and offers a number of FREE promotional opportunities in the Café and Bookstore on her blog and across her social media.

Her podcast shares book reviews and short stories Soundcloud Sally Cronin

After leading a nomadic existence exploring the world, she now lives with her husband on the coast of Southern Ireland enjoying the seasonal fluctuations in the temperature of the rain.