Counting down to Christmas

I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself this evening as, for once, we seem to be pretty organised for Christmas. I even managed to make some of my cards this year (some sneak peeks in the photo). I think the reindeer stamp on the right card has to be one of my favourites! They are all written and ready to go in the post tomorrow. Let's hope that's enough time to get them where they are going!

I'm really looking forward to Christmas now. There truly is something magical about this time of year! I'm also looking forward to the Winter Solstice/Yule on the 21st, and the new light that it brings. I find these last few weeks where the day grows ever shorter so difficult, as I rely on my bodyclock to wake me in the morning (I have never been able to do alarm clocks). I tend to waken at the right time - it's just a real fight to get my brain going when it's still dark. It's so much easier in the summer!

52 books in 48 weeks

In January I set myself the target of reading 52 fiction books in 52 weeks. I was counting up the list in my diary a few nights ago and realised I reached my target around the end of November - hoorah!

My favourites from the 52:

• The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Anne Bronte
• The Colour Purple - Alice Walker
• Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
• The Horse Whisperer - Nicholas Evans

Disappointments:

• Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay (yes, a TV series can be better than a book)
• The "Twilight" series of novels - Stephanie Meyer ("Twilight" itself is good but by the time I got to "Breaking Dawn" I didn't really like any of the characters anymore. I still don't get how a relationship based on so much manipulation can be viewed as healthy, let alone a positive example for young adults)

My favourite non-fiction (not counted in the 52):

• Bonk: the curious coupling of sex and science - Mary Roach
• The Covent Garden Ladies - Hallie Rubenhold
• Courtesans - Katie Hickman

So, on with the next 52!