My 2020 Book Reading Statistics

From 1 January to 31 December 2020 I have read 68 books.  

The shortest book was Rescue Me by Cathy Bramley which was only 40 pages (a Kindle short story). 

The longest book was A Wedding in Cornwall by Laura Briggs which had 528 pages. 

I have read a total of 24,646 pages over the year which is almost 10,000 more than in 2019.  

 

I also read the Jojo Moyes 'Lou in Lockdown' story which is available on the Penguin Books website. 

I have just started my next book but will count that in my 2021 statistics. 

Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan

The Cupcake Cafe is a small but thriving new business.  Owner Issy works really hard to keep all her customers and staff happy.  As Christmas time approaches her colleagues Pearl and Caroline have very different ideas of when and how the cafe should be decorated.  

Issy's boyfriend Austin, who works for a local bank, has been sent to their New York office to work for a few weeks and it looks highly likely that they will want him to stay there.  Issy loves her business and doesn't want to give it up.  She also loves Austin and wants to be with him.  Together they have to work out if a long distance relationship will work or if one of them will have to give up their dream job to be with the other.  

There are lots of Issy's recipes within the text of the story which can be tried out. 

Christmas at Mistletoe Cottage by Lucy Daniels

Vet Mandy Hope is working with her parents in their veterinary practice.  Alongside this she has set up Hope Meadows which is an animal rescue centre.  The centre has been open for a few months, is doing well, and there are a few animals in her care.  

Mandy has a date with Jimmy Marsh, the owner of the local outward bounds centre.  She really likes him but wants to take the relationship slowly.  Slowly to Mandy does not mean that they also see other people and is upset that Jimmy seems to also be seeing someone else as well as her.

A few strange things start to happen at Hope Meadows, someone is definitely trying to make trouble for Mandy and the centre. As Christmas approaches Mandy helps the local animal welfare officer rescue two baby donkeys and takes them to her centre to care for and start to train them.

Angels at Christmas by Debbie Macomber

There are two Christmas stories in this book which feature the three angels Shirley, Goodness and Mercy. 

Those Christmas Angels: 

Divorcee Anne Fletcher is worried about her son Roy.  She prays that he will find someone to love as since her divorce from his father he has been bitter.  Roy has not spoken with his father since the divorce.  He has concentrated on his work and has built up a thriving business.  Gabriel sends his three prayer ambassadors to earth to try to find someone special for Roy to love. 

Where Angels Go: 

The three prayer ambassadors are each sent to earth with their own individual missions which need to be completed by Christmas Eve when they are due to return to heaven.  

Shirley has to help 8 year old Carter, his only wish is to have a dog.  His parents had promised he could have one when he was 8, but now that his mum is out of work and money is tight they can't afford the commitment of a dog. 

Goodness has to find someone for Beth Fischer to love.  She has been single for 10 years since her divorce and her parents are worried about her.  They want her to bring someone special to the family Christmas Day lunch.  

Mercy has to help Harry Alderwood.  He is 86 years old and has a serious heart condition.  Before he dies he wants to ensure that his wife Rosalie will agree to move into a local assisted accommodation unit so that she will have help and company when she is on her own. 

The Holdout by Graham Moore

Ten years ago the members of the jury on the case of the disappearance and murder of 15 year old Jessica Silver delivered a verdict of not guilty.  Her teacher Bobby Nock, who was on trial, walked free.  During the trial, which went on for months, the jurors had been held together in a hotel with no access to all the details about Bobby Nock which everyone in the outside world knew.  They knew nothing of any of his past crimes.  They just had to decide whether or not there was reasonable doubt from the information they had received in court.  

Following the verdict all the members of the jury became infamous for their part in letting a killer go free.  

Now, in the present day, on the tenth anniversary of the trial, Rick Leonard one of the jurors wants to get the group of jurors together again and says he has evidence to share with them which will prove that Bobby Nock was guilty.  Maya Seale, who was initially the only juror to vote not guilty and who then convinced all the rest to do the same, was not interested in taking part in the reunion which was to be televised.  Her employer then convinced her to attend.  On the first night of the reunion, before the great reveal takes place, Rick is found murdered and Maya is the only suspect.  She did not kill Rick and the only way to clear her name is to find out who did. 

The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop by Caroline Roberts

For the last 6 years Emma has owned and run her business The Chocolate Shop by the Sea in Warkton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland. She set up the shop as a career change following the death of her fiancé. 

The business is doing well and the run up to Christmas is busy and profitable, but then her landlord suddenly increased the rent.  Being determined to keep her shop, Emma has to look for alternative ways to expand the business and bring in more cash. 

On Boxing Day whilst out walking her dog on the beach, Emma meets an attractive man.  She hopes that they can meet again, but she is nervous of starting a new relationship as she doesn't want to get hurt again. 

I also have Rachel's Pudding Pantry on my bookshelf by the same author. 

Mince Pies and Mistletoe at the Christmas Market by Heidi Swain

Having decided that she no longer wants to study for her Masters degree, Ruby returns home to her parents in Wynbridge just before Christmas.  She knows that her dad will be disappointed in her, but she hopes that by securing herself a Christmas job he will see that she has plans to earn her own money before setting off on her travels.  Ruby will be running a Christmas market stall for her friends who own The Cherry Tree Cafe. The theme of the stall will be 'makes and bakes'.  

The market is under threat and Ruby helps the stall holders to plan new events to promote the area and bring in more shoppers.  She is surprised that her dad is not very enthusiastic about her new job, he works for the local council and suddenly doesn't seem too keen on keeping the market running.  Also to add to Ruby's problems, Steve Dempster her ex-boyfriend is working on the neighbouring stall.  

Other books by Heidi Swain I have on my bookshelf are:
Summer at Skylark Farm
Coming Home to Cuckoo Cottage

There's Something About Christmas by Debbie Macomber

Since the death of her mother, journalist Emma has not really celebrated Christmas.  She has preferred to spend the day quietly on her own.  

Emma is asked to interview 3 ladies who have all made it in to the final of a national Christmas cake competition.  She does not like fruit cake.  She also does not like flying and finds that she is being flown to each of the locations by local pilot Oliver Hamilton in his small cessna plane.  

Oliver is determined to get Emma into the Christmas spirit and wants her to take notice of him as a man too as he finds her very attractive. As she interviews each of the ladies, and tries a sample of their cakes, Emma learns there is something special about each of them. 

At the end of this book there is another bonus Christmas story, it doesn't seem to have been given a title.  The story features the angels Shirley, Mercy and Goodness (who have appeared in other Debbie Macomber books).  The three angels are sent down to earth by the Archangel Gabriel to help Greg Bennett who's vineyard is in financial danger due to a virus which has affected the leaves of the vines.  He has not spoken to his brother since a fall out at their mother's funeral many years ago.  He is about to divorce his third wife and he has a child he is unaware of from a relationship many years ago.  They need to encourage Greg to have a chance of redemption.