My 2022 Book Reading Statistics

My reading habits this year have changed.  After remotely joining the local library I have been downloading audio books to listen to whilst driving to and from work, and when cooking and doing other jobs around the house.  This had really increased the number of books I have managed to get through.  I am still reading paper and Kindle books too.  

From 1 January to 31 December I have read 36 books and listened to 88 audio books.  

The shortest reading books, both with 174 pages, were The Body in the Park by Courtney McFarlin and Die in the Wool by Katherine Hayton. 

The longest reading book was W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton with 591 pages.  

The shortest audio book I have listen to was A Cornish Summer at Pear Tree Farm by Angela Britnell which was 5 hrs 24 mins long.  

The longest audio books (by about 15+ hours) have been the two Robert Galbraith stories with Troubled Blood being 31 hrs 50 mins and The Ink Black Heart 32 hrs 40 mins.  

I have read a total of 12,821 pages and have listened to a staggering 929 hrs and 1 min of audio books.  

Witchy Whiskers by Danielle Garrett

Within the magical community of Winterspell, Cora runs Wicked Wicks a candle making business.  She makes her own candles which offer different illusions.  

Clint was originally from the area and is visiting his estranged family.  He wants a selection of candles as a gift for his mother.  The next day Cora discovers that Clint's brother has been murdered using the candlestick from the giftset Clint purchased.  

Cora, along with Selene, the cat she has temporarily inherited from her aunt, help Clint to investigate who has really murdered his brother and to prove that Clint himself is innocent.  

Body at the Bakery by Stella Berry

Ellie runs the Cornish 'Pixie's Place, Bakery and Tea Room'.  She always makes her own jam and adds a little bit of something magic into the mix.  Locally the family are known as being witches who have lived in the area for many generations. 

One morning Ellie opens up the tea rooms early to start the baking and a dead body falls out of the walk in fridge.  She calls her sister Morgana who rushes over to help.  Ellie's husband Gregory is away on business in Bristol.  Ellie does not recognise the person who is dead.  Gregory is asked to stop off at the police station on his return home to see if he recognises her.  It is someone who used to be his secretary in Bristol before he moved to Cornwall.  Gregory is held for questioning.  

Morgana needs to dust off her witchy abilities and, with the help of Harry the new patisserie chef, she needs to make enquires alongside the local police to try to clear Gregory's name and find out who the real killer is.  

Christmas on the Little Cornish Isles - The Driftwood Inn by Phillipa Ashley

At Christmas time last year Maisie Samson worked in a busy pub on the mainland, she was in a relationship with the owner of the business and expecting his baby.  This year she is back on the island of Gull helping her parents to run their struggling pub, The Driftwood Inn.  She is single and there is no baby.  

Hugo Scorrier runs a successful holiday business on Petroc, the nearest island, and he is trying to buy up local businesses so that he can develop the area to extend his holiday village. Maisie is determined that she will make a success of The Driftwood Inn and allow her parents to take semi-retirement.  She needs help in the bar and so employs Patrick McKinnon who is backpacking from Australia and has decided to stay for a few months.  

Maisie is attracted to Patrick but knows that a relationship can't work as he will be leaving the island to return to Australia in six months time. 

Forever Home by Graham Norton

Carol and Declan have been living together for a number of years.  Carol is divorced and Declan's wife ran off years ago leaving her small children behind which caused a bit of a scandal.  Now that Declan is unwell and needs residential care his children have decided that Carol will have to leave the house and they will sell it.  This goes against Declan's wishes as he had always said that he would never sell the house.  

Carol's mother hatches a plan so that Carol can return to the house, but when they go back they find out why it is that Declan had never wanted to sell it.  A dark secret is revealed, but they don't know the whole story.  

Taking a Chance on Love by Erin Green

The story follows Polly, Carmen and Dana.  

Polly is in a long term and happy relationship with Fraser, they have a 20 year old son, but due to her parents unhappy marriage and divorce she won't get married.  

Carmen has been in a relationship with Elliott for 8 years, and they have lived together in a house they are buying for 6 years.  She runs a bridalwear shop but has not received the wanted proposal from Elliott so that she herself can be a bride.  

Dana is a single parent and is devoted to her son Luke and she runs her own floristry business from her home.  Deciding that it's time for her to look for a date she applies to a new dating show who claim to be able to match people and provide 3 suitable dates.  

It is a leap year and Carmen has decided that if Elliott isn't going to propose then she should take the initiative and do so herself on 29th February.  

Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger

Being on the street and witnessing an accident about to happen, being able to save a little boy from being hit by a van, and the act being photographed by a journalist all change Ridley Jones' life.   

Overnight her name and face become known as the story is in the local newspaper.  She is being recognised everywhere she goes.  Then she receives a letter and a photograph.  The letter asks 'are you my child?'  Ridley then questions why she has not seen any photographs of herself before the age of around two.  She visits her parents and shows them the photograph.  They don't seems shocked by it and have an explanation about water damage to old photographs which have been lost.  

Ridley's brother Ace says she should ask about their Uncle Max.  He seems to know about something that she doesn't. 

From Shetland with Love at Christmas by Erin Green

After bringing up 3 boys on her own and now in her 40's, Verity decides it is time that she gave herself a gap year.  She leaves her family and heads off to Shetland to start 'The Yarn Barn' within a new craft centre complex using her hobby of knitting and crocheting and her love of yarns. 

Nessie has just completed her blacksmith training and sets up in business within the craft centre in their forge.  She shares the space with Isaac who is a glass blower.  

Isla, just out of catering college, takes over the running of the Orangery Cafe at the manor house.  

The traders in the craft village all get to know each other and most become friends.  They all support each other and work together to make the Yule Day celebrations special.

Bones Under the Beach Hut by Simon Brett

On the sea front at Smaltings there is a row of beach huts.  Carole has sub-let one of the huts from Philly Rose.  This has been agreed by Kelvin Southwest who is the caretaker of the huts, but it may not be a strictly legal transaction.  Carole discovers that there has been a small recent fire underneath the hut.  She reports this to Kelvin who asks a local contractor to come and have look.  Within a very short time the area is taped off and the police arrive.  The only message they give is that human remains have been found under the hut.  

Carole, along with her neighbour Jude, decide to do some investigating of their own to work out who the remains belong to and how they ended up under her hut.  

They talk to some local characters.  Reginald Flowers is the President of the Smaltings Beach Hut Association and seems to have left his job early under a bit of a cloud.  Kelvin knows and works with a lot of people who, like him, perhaps don't always strictly abide by the law.  There are a few secrets that people are wanting to keep well hidden.  

Where There's a Will by Beth Corby

Hannah and her family are all called to attend a meal with her elderly and estranged Great-Uncle Donald, he is Grandma Betty's brother.  Hannah is about to leave university and has just attended a disastrous interview for a teacher training course.  Donald is the only person to ask Hannah what it is she would really like to do.  

Shortly after the meal Great-Uncle Donald dies and he leaves small bequests in his will to different members of the family.  For Hannah he leaves a cryptic message.  If she undertakes and completes a series of tasks she will receive an unknown inheritance.  She has to undertake the tasks with the help of Alec, Donald's personal assistant.  They had met at the family meal and the funeral and Alec did not approve of Hannah.  He feels that she is a gold digger.  

Just as Hannah and Alec are starting to get a long a bit better, Hannah's sister Lauren turns up to stay at Donald's house and find out how Hannah is doing with the tasks.  

Us Three by Ruth Jones

Three young girls, Judith, Lana and Catrin, meet at Primary school and swear an oath to be best friends forever.  They stay together all through school and before heading to university they take a trip to Greece to island hop and sight see.  

Soon after going to different universities things start to change and after one major event two of the girls fall out and refuse to forgive each other.  For years they won't see each other which leaves the third one stuck in the middle until one day she arranges for them to be in the same place at the same time.  

The Mother of All Christmases by Milly Johnson

Three mums-to-be all meet up at the Christmas Pudding Club set up by the local doctor.  They are all expecting their first child which is due around Christmas time. 

Annie Pandoro runs The Crackers Yard with her husband Joe.  They make Christmas crackers and are struggling to find staff. 

Eve Glace owns Winterland the local Christmas theme park (she and husband Jacques were introduced in another book 'The Winter Flame')

Palma Collins in the youngest of the group.  She has agreed to carry a baby as a surrogate for a couple who then split up and neither of them wants the baby.  She is desperate to get away from her poor start in life and takes on a job with Annie at the cracker factory.  

A Christmas Feast (and other stories) by Katie Fforde

This book contains 12 short stories.  Most of them have a Christmas theme, but not all.  

Christmas Shopping
Run for Cover
Love in the Afternoon 
You're the One 
The Undercover Cook 
From Scotland With Love 
Staying Away at Christmas
A Christmas Feast
Pink Fizz and Macaroons
The Holiday of a Marriage 
Breakfast with Mr Gillyflower
A Magazine Christmas

Christmas Every Day by Beth Moran

Jenny has lost her boyfriend to her twin sister, lost her job, has nowhere to live and no money.  She moves to the old, almost derelict, house of her unknown and now deceased grandmother on the edge of Sherwood Forest.  The house needs a lot of work to make it comfortable to live in.  She is determined to stay and make the house into her home, but a local property developer keeps trying to push her out.  Her only local neighbour is Mack who lives in the adjoining house.  He keeps himself very much to himself but is very generous in helping out when Jenny is struggling.  

Jenny starts to make friends with some of the locals and joins their book club.  Instead of arguing over the books they decide to each give themselves a challenge to complete by Christmas.