January – Recommended Reads of 2022 Women’s Fiction
Happy New Year! Let’s hope 2023 is a marvelous year for all of us. 2022 had its challenges but I read a lot of great books in the last 12 months and I’m ready to share some recommendations with you here. Last month, I talked about three murder mysteries I loved. This month, I’m talking about three more books that, for want of a better category, I’ll call women’s fiction. Read more…
February – Recommended Reads of 2022 Nonfiction
If you’re a regular visitor to My Favorite Things, you’ll know I read a lot of nonfiction. Partly because a good fictional story won’t let me go to sleep at night and I’m a girl who needs a lot of sleep! Today, I want to talk about three memoirs that I enjoyed over recent months and that I think you might enjoy too. I’ll start with an incredibly moving memoir from a neurosurgeon who finds himself suddenly a patient rather than a doctor when he’s diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. That makes When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi sound like it’s depressing, but it really isn’t. Because Dr. Kalanithi’s journey through denial to acceptance to wisdom is inspiring and touching and so very, very human. Read more…
March – Recommended Reads of 2022 Miscellaneous
I’m talking about some more books today, although nothing in particular draws these three recommendations together apart from the fact that I enjoyed them all and I think you will, too. I’m going to start out with an older book from 2011, the wonderful When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman. You may remember that I devoted a whole MFT column to Sarah W’s Still Life back in September last year. Read more…
April – Her Majesty the Queen Investigates. Right Royal Entertainment!
I read quite a lot of mystery novels. I especially love historical mysteries and I love the masterpieces of the Golden Age by writers like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. And I’m also a huge fan of Ellie Griffiths’ wonderful stories. Recently I’ve been devouring a new series by S.J. Bennett called Her Majesty the Queen Investigates, featuring, would you believe, the late and very much admired Queen Elizabeth II. So far, there are three books in the series. Read more…
May – Great Recent Fiction
I’ve read some fantastic books this year – and it’s only May! It’s such a privilege being able to share my recommendations with you all here. This month, I’m talking about some wonderful recent fiction: a great romance, a brilliant example of what I suppose you’d classify as women’s fiction, and an epic journey through the twentieth century via one dashing woman pilot and her adventurous life. Read more…
June – More Books I’ve Recently Enjoyed
As I said last month, so far it’s been a bumper year for great reads, so I think there are going to be a LOT of My Favorite Things columns offering book recommendations. But that’s OK. We’re all here because we’re readers, after all! The first one is a really touching memoir from Richard E. Grant, one my favorite actors. Some years ago, I was lucky enough to see him as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady. What a treat!). Read more…
July – Glorious Japanese Gardens
We’re taking a break from books I’ve enjoyed! This month, I’m doing a short photo essay today with some pictures I took when I recently visited the beautiful Japanese gardens at Brisbane’s Mount Coot-tha BotanicalGardens. Here’s a link to the site: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/things-to-see-and-do/council-venues-and-precincts/parks/botanic-gardens-in-brisbane/brisbane-botanic-gardens-mt-coot-tha Read more…
August – Some Great Autobiographies
We’re back to books this month because I’ve got three really great autobiographies to share with you, two from show-business legends and one from a very humble man who only learned to read at the age of 98. But all intriguing reads! I’m going to start with Mel Brooks’s fun take on his brilliant career, All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business (2023). This one doesn’t plumb the depths of emotion and it doesn’t contain a lot of MB’s signature rather silly humour, although there’s plenty of smiles along the way. Read more…
September – I Love Old Windows!
I’m traveling in the U.K. this month. Lucky me! And I’m having a wonderful time looking at beautiful things including a string of magnificent historic houses that I hope to use in books over the coming little while. Do you follow me on Facebook? I’m putting up LOTS of photos of my travels there. Here’s a link: https://www.facebook.com/AnnaCampbellFans/ I seem to have become obsessed with old windows with their wonky glass and lead mullions. Read more…
October – A Visit to Renishaw Hall
When I was at high school, I discovered a rather strange poem by Edith Sitwell (1887-1964) in our class anthology that really caught my imagination. I can’t even remember what it was called, but I remember it was full of syncopated rhythms and really obscure references to Greek mythology that warmed my nerdish girlish heart. Read more…
November – The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
I thought I’d give you all a break from travel photos temporarily and talk about a paranormal romance that I recently read and thoroughly enjoyed. Sangu Mandanna is a British author who is new to me but after this book, I’ll be keeping an eye out for her new releases. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (2023) was ridiculously charming and yet still managed to give you all the feels you want from a good romance. Read more…
December – The Thursday Murder Club and Friends!
You may ask yourself why there’s a picture of two empty seats to start this month’s My Favorite Things column. Although the book in the middle should give you a clue! If you’re a regular reader of this column, you’ll know that I’ve already recommended two books in the series by British writer Richard Osman, based around the clever crime-solving retirement-home residents in the Thursday Murder Club. Read more…