2021 Books Archives - Novel Visits

Beach Bag Books 2022

Susie — Tue, 17 May 2022 10:00:14 +0000

It’s looking like this summer might be a huge season for traveling. We’ve all been stuck at home far too often these last couple of years and now with things a little more stable, it’s time to GO! I have vacation fun going on at least half the summer and in October I’ll finally be traveling internationally again with two weeks in Morocco. What are your travel plans for 2022? I’m betting no matter what they are, a little extra reading time will be on the agenda.

Today I’m sharing my Beach Bag Books 2022 guide which features 27 books that will make for great summer reading no mater where you’re headed. This year’s books are broken down into four categories, including three that highlight 2022 books: Smart Suspense, Loving Literary, and Delightfully Different. The final category, Backlist Beauties is made up of books from 2021 which I read after last year’s Beach Bag Books.

I’ll be talking about many of these books and some that you don’t see here on the May 18th episode of Sarah’s Bookshelves Live. Between Sarah and myself, your summer TBR list is going to explode!…

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Six Favorites from November | Reviews

Susie — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 11:00:03 +0000

Can you believe this long year is almost over? It’s been a tough one for my family, so I’m looking forward to a fresh start with 2022. Enough of that, let’s talk books. Today I’m sharing November books, but as December begins, I’m going to have all the fun end-of-year posts, starting this Thursday with 2021 Underrated Gems.

So, stay tuned or follow me on Instagram @novelvisits to see all my thoughts on 2021 books!

In November I picked up a couple books I’d missed earlier in the year and read some excellent November releases. I hope you can find a couple to enjoy among my six favorites from November….

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October 2021 Books Reviews

Susie — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 10:00:46 +0000

Considering I read an 800+ page book this month, I’m feeling pretty good about the number of books I manage to read. I guess that’s retirement for you! I have to admit that I’m loving every single morning when I wake up and think, “Oh, I don’t have to go to work today.” I’m sure it will wear off, eventually, but for now it’s a daily gift. It’s also nice that I’ve been free to help out and spend more time with my three local grandkids. That and more reading time have been exactly what I was hoping for from retirement. Now if we could just get to the point where I felt good about doing some serious traveling, then it would be everything I wanted.

Today I’m sharing five books I read this month, all but one released in October. On Thursday, I’ll be back with the three audiobooks I listened to this month….

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Novel Visits ~ Fall Preview 2021 | More

Susie — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 10:00:47 +0000

It’s always a bit of a shock when summer comes to an end, but this year I’m looking forward to fall like no other year. For the first time since my children were young I’m not heading back to school. Instead, I get to figure out what retirement is going to feel like and I am looking forward to that journey. I wish I was zooming off to Europe, but it doesn’t feel like a very wise choice right now, so I’ll hold off on that for awhile. Instead, I plan on visiting with family, getting my house in order, and reading all of the 16 books on this Fall Preview 2021, plus a few more. Hopefully, you’ll find a few here you can enjoy, too!…

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Favorite Books from May and June

Susie — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 10:00:42 +0000

Happy first day of summer! It’s been a LONG time since I’ve posted here and I’m so sorry about that. I’d planned to post May books at the end of last month, but then my mother suddenly got sick and ended up in the hospital. My siblings and I flew in and were with her for a few days before she peacefully passed away. I had just been to see her two weeks before she died and though her dementia was progressing to a concerning point, we went out and did things, visited with relatives, etc. So, it was a shock to lose her from what was really a minor infection. We’re doing a celebration of life for her in July.

On a happier note, I decided to retire a little earlier than I had originally planned, so as this posts I am done! I made the decision so late in the year that it still doesn’t feel real, but I know it will come fall when I don’t head back to the classroom. I’m very excited and looking forward to the freedom, the ability to spend more time with my family, and to be able to travel in seasons other than summer.

And finally, I’ve been having my kitchen and bathroom remodeled over the last few months, so life has been insane!

Despite all that, I have still been getting some reading done, so I have eight favorite books to share today. The best part is I enjoyed them all very much! (For more timely reviews of all the books I’ve read, you can follow me on Instagram @novelvisits.)…

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Novel Visits ~ Summer Preview 2021 | More

Susie — Mon, 24 May 2021 10:00:41 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait for summer and vacation season! I don’t even care that much what I’ll be doing. Like the rest of you, I’m just looking forward to that move toward a more normal life. Isn’t it finally starting to feel like we can relax a little? Wherever I am and whatever else I might be doing, I know that books will be a huge part of my summer, and this summer there are SO MANY great books to choose from. Let me tell you, it was no easy task narrowing my Summer Preview 2021, to these 20 books. I really hope you find many to add to your own summer reading list….

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April 2021 Book Reviews

Susie — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 10:00:59 +0000

It’s both hard to believe and a sigh of relief that it’s time for April 2021 Book Reviews. I don’t know about you, but I’m happy this month is nearly over. How has everything been going for you? Are you enjoying some sunshine? Did you get your COVID vaccine? I’m now fully vaccinated (YAY!), and in the final stretch of school with just seven weeks left. It still seems almost unbelievable that I will have taught this entire school year online. I’m a pro at it now! Remodeling of my kitchen has hit a glitch and pretty much nothing is going on as we wait for a backordered sink. On the other hand, the bathroom is moving along. Hopefully by this time next month, both will be finished.

April brought some VERY good books! Of the five I’m sharing today, three are right up there for “the best,” another was also top notch, and the last a bit of a disappointment. If you’re interested in audiobooks and some other May releases, stop back on Wednesday when I’ll be sharing four audiobook reviews….

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March 2021 Book Reviews

Susie — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 10:00:30 +0000

March has been an interesting month of releases for me. I’ve read a whole lot of books I really liked, but only one that really wowed me. What’s even more surprising about that is that the book is a domestic thriller. Who would have thought? I read a couple more books than the ones pictured here and reviewed all the books over on Instagram, so if you’re looking for my reviews a little closer to the books’ release dates, you should follow me there.

In my personal life it’s chaos! I’m still teaching from home and that is actually great. It has surprised me how much I’ve come to enjoy it. My home however, is in the middle of a remodel. Why I decided to dive into this right now, I’m not sure. I’ve had most of the inside painted, have ordered all new furniture for the living room (that won’t come until July or August) and my kitchen and main bathroom are being ripped out next week and then put together again all new. I’m very excited and have waited a long time to do this, but it’s a little crazy. Boxes are EVERYWHERE. I figure by September everything will be finished and I can truly enjoy my home. That’s enough of me, on to March 2021 Book Reviews!…

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Novel Visits ~ Spring Preview 2021

Susie — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Can it really be Spring Preview 2021 time already? Why yes, it can! Despite the fact that we’ve been living an alternate reality for more than a year now, time marches on. With that time, there is finally much to be hopeful for on the horizon. Many people have already received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and many more will get theirs in the near future. Who knows, there may come a day when we miss the forced calm and boredom of lockdown. If nothing else, it gave everyone an opportunity to spend time doing things out of their normal wheelhouse and that’s a good thing. It also has given a lot of us time to read more books and that’s a trend I hope to see continue. When looking ahead to the next couple months, I see many amazing books lining up to be published and am happy be sharing the sixteen I’m most excited about here today….

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February 2021 Book Reviews

Susie — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 11:00:44 +0000

It’s been a bit since I’ve posted, and the change has been good for me. Today, I’m sharing six February releases, that I very much enjoyed. A couple releases that didn’t do much for me, I’m not bothering with. I’ve also been listening quite a bit and will be back next week with three great audiobooks from February, including one nonfiction (my first of 2021). How’s your reading been going?…

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