So this year is a very slow year in terms of my annual reading challenge! The aim of the reading challenge is to read a book a week, but it’s really no worries if you miss some… or many, in my case! Anyway, here are the seven books I’ve read in the first half of 2021.

Bridget Jones’ Diary. Helen Fielding. Honestly. Why has it taken me so long to read this book?! I have watched the film so often that the DVD actually wore out, but I’ve never read the book before and it is brilliant! I laughed so much at times that I thought I would wake Nathan up! A thoroughly excellent book.

Mothers & Daughters. Kate Long. Each chapter of this book begins with the description of a photograph, which I like. The book tells the story of a lady and her grownup daughter, their relationship and how it matures. It’s not a fast paced book, by any means, but I did enjoy it, especially as it is set near Chester, where my family is from.

The Hobbit. J R R Tolkien. This is the first time I’ve read this book since I read it with my Dad when I was about 9. I really enjoyed it. I think in many ways it’s easier to read than Lord of the Rings, but, having read The Trilogy last year, I found myself missing looking at all the maps at the back. A really great book.

Redeeming Love. Francine Rivers. Well, this took me a lot longer to finish than I though it would. There are some very unpleasant scenes that I struggled to get through but the end was absolutely worth it! As the title says, this book is about love and redemption. It is beautiful and it is definitely one I will read again.

Becoming. Michelle Obama. What a book! I was recommended it ages ago and I’m so pleased that I finally got around to reading it. It tells the story of Michelle Obama’s life from her childhood to her leaving the Whitehouse. Its moving, powerful and thought provoking.

Dummy. Matt Coyne. I’m not sure why this book took me so long to read because at times I was absolutely crying with laughter! A great book, I’d definitely recommend.

Mama You Got This. Emma Bunton. Overall, a good book. It was easy to get through and I found myself far less stressed reading this one than other parenting books. I didn’t know that Emma Bunton was behind the Kit and Kin compostable nappies that I had delivered in bulk a couple of months ago! But if I hadn’t already got them, I think I would have struggled with how much Emma promotes her own brand in this book. I mean, I’m sure the nappies are great – I did my research and I bought them. But if you aren’t going down that route, you might find her references to her company a bit annoying by the end.

That’s all for now – I suspect the kind of books that will appear in the next blog will be quite different to these. Watch this space!