I read a lot of books in 2019 and enjoyed most of them. This is a list of my favorites from that year. I see themes developing in my favorites, many are about senior ladies, being happy, mysteries and dogs!
Still Happy by Elizabeth Berg.
I have read a few of her novels and enjoy them and I took a chance and bought this collection of her short essays, which were originally posted on FaceBook. Wonderful. Humorous. Smart. Berg also includes a memoir about her much loved dog, which makes it special. Yes, the dog dies, in case your heart is too tender to read this at the moment. Below is the cover of another book Berg wrote, which I haven't read yet, but I intend to, and I include it here because the cover is prettier!
Widow's Journey by Gayle Roper.
I relate to this author, she writes in a friendly style and has tips on going through the widow's journey and short vignettes about her own story. This is a small short book and easy and helpful to read. My husband died three years ago and this is a good pep talk refresher book. I have many books on grief that are big, helpful and full of sound ideas but rather a handful to read. This one is short and sweet.
Dog Songs: Poems by Mary Oliver.
When I discovered Mary Oliver I thought I must be the last to the party, to discover her. This is a fabulous book of poems about dogs in her life. Easy to read, poignant, humorous, sad, and most of all uplifting to read. I love that when she signed contracts to teach at colleges there was always her own dog clause in the contract, giving her permission to bring her dog to class. She found that the visiting dog loosened up her poet students.
Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker.
I reviewed this novel in 2019 on my blog. It has an original plot in which a young man and his friend invent an imaginary elderly eccentric lady to explain their presence where they shouldn't be. The book has some hilarious scenes. Imagine his horror when the lady turns up to stay at his parents' home where he lives, with her parrot, harp and bath in tow. She is delightful but soon develops a mind of her own and causes him serious problems. She gets stronger and stronger. Read the book to find out what happens.
Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse. These are stories published between 1918 and 1922 and I think they are very funny, and like all his books, his writing is bound to bring me laughter and smiles. If you haven't read Wodehouse before you might start with "The Code of the Woosters" or just jump in anywhere with his books. The Blandings books are fun too, and feature The Empress, a huge prize winning pig doted on by the eccentric Lord Emsworth.
A surprise discovery for me was the ebook Miss Budge in Love by Daphne Simpkins. This book was offered to me by bookbub.com (are you all subscribed to this, free and inexpensive ebooks). Miss Budge is a kind senior Christian lady and the stories are all entertaining and rather upbeat. I think there are other books about Miss Budge.
I like all the Mrs. Pollifax books and read A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman in 2019. Mrs. Pollifax is a senior widow who finds herself accidentally becoming a secret agent who is able to not be found out because she definitely does not look like a spy. I think the first in the series is The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, a fun one to start with as you find out how she becomes a spy.
Bookmarks
What goes better with books than bookmarks? Here are some newer favorites of mine. The magnetic ones are cute and they do not fall out, so my place is saved.
