Reading Goals for 2024 🤩

My beautiful Emma Bridgewater mug from my dear friend, Carla ☺️💕

Helloooo, Friends! It's a little late in the month, but I would love to share my reading goals for 2024. Yay! 🥳

As you may have guessed, I'm definitely a mood reader. But, I'm also a seasonal reader (is this my Gemini personality coming through?) AND a product (rather than process) type of person. So, I seem to make things very difficult for myself when trying to figure out what to read during the year. Just writing these words makes me feel exhausted 😂

On top of all of that, I really want to read more books from my bookshelves. I tend to save the books I truly want to read "for later", like you might do with a favorite dessert or something. Why do I do this?? The fact is, it never ends up being "later" or the right time. At this rate, I'll have to read them when I'm a ghostly spirit (like the librarian at the NYC library in the Ghostbusters movie) 😱👻📚

So, taking the advice of a lovely Bookstagram friend, Caro (@caro.reads.books), I'm going to read one book from each of my favorite collections each month for the entire year.

Unread Book Collections:

• Persephone
• Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow
• British Library Women Writers
• Maida or Honey Bunch
• Cherry Ames, Vicki Barr, Judy Bolton or Nancy Drew 

I have less than 12 unread books from each collection to read, so it should perfectly fit with the number of months in the year. Crossing my fingers!!🤞🏼

List of Authors to Read More of this Year:

• O. Douglas (only read one so far...eek!)
  
• D.E. Stevenson (so many to go, but I've read tons!)
  
• Mary Stewart (buddy reads with @gina.stanyer.books - only a couple of her gothic/romances left to read!)
• Margery Sharp (can't wait!)
• Elizabeth von Arnim (buddy reads with @carosbookcase)
  
• William Horwood (more budding reading with @carosbookcase!)
• Jennifer Ryan (buddy reads with @marjoriepaper)
  
• Elizabeth Goudge (with the @elizabethgoudgebookclub of course!)
• Miss Read's Thrush Green series (with @bagfullofbooks group on IG!)
  
• Molly Clavering (read a few, really liked them and I have at least 5 more to read) 

Plus, so many more! 🤣

My personal goals per day include:

• 1 hour working on my knitting or crochet blanket/project
• At least one French lesson using Duolingo
  
• Face Yoga and Gua Sha
• A drawing in my sketchbook or some type of artwork
• Exercise 30-40 minutes
• Gratitude Journal
  

These are things that I already do every single day, but I'd like to continue them. (Please don't think I'm wacky 😜) They're the things I do when I'm not working at World of Vegan, of course. 

I have a problem with trying to be TOO productive and I always wish they made planners for people to help them reduce the amount of productivity in their day - LOL! If only that was a thing. *sigh*

I'd love to know what your reading and/or personal goals are for this year! Please let me know in the comments below! 

Have a wonderful weekend and sending you so many hugs! *SQUISH* 💕🌸🤗🌸💕

23 Favorite Books of 2023

I had another amazing reading year with 225 books under my book belt - woo-hoo! I can't believe I've been doing the Goodreads Challenge for 10 years 😱 

Here are the (23) 5🌟 books that brought me the most joy last year 🥰

VINTAGE CHILDREN’S BOOKS

🌟Albert’s Christmas by Alison Jezard (Absolutely LOVE this series! Albert is soo lovable!)
🌟Albert by Alison Jezard (Just as adorable as the Christmas book and I can't wait to read more!)
🌟Mrs. McFinney and Her Friends by Mary T. Schoonover (Nostalgic, heartwarming and cozy)
🌟Apple Tree Cottage by Virginia Frances Voight (So lovely with tons of cozy details—red floral book)
🌟Clematis by Bertha Browning Cobb (Vintage and sweet)
🌟Pennie by Bertha Browning Cobb (Vintage and charming)
🌟Becky’s Christmas by Tasha Tudor (Classic vintage children's Christmas story with the most beautiful illustrations)
🌟The Happiest Christmas Day by May Greenwood (Vintage and joyful)
🌟Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer (Started off slow, but ended up so interesting!)

Bonus!: A Pint of Judgement by Elizabeth Morrow (Heartwarming and delightful illustrations—not pictured) 

 

VINTAGE BOOKS

🌟All the Dogs of My Life by Elizabeth von Arnim (Might have been my #1 favorite book of the year and a fantastic buddy read with Caro @carosbookcase on IG.)
🌟Pleasures and Palaces by Juliet Wilbor Tompkins (Sparkling, amusing and a wonderful!)
🌟Mrs. Appleyard’s Year by Louise Andrews Kent (Hilarious, clever and full of lovely domestic details.)
🌟Buttered Toast by Marjorie Stewart (Epitome of cozy and firmly middlebrow in the best way—many thanks to Virigina @oldbookdreamer on IG for recommending this book to me!)

 

CONTEMPORARY/REPUBLISHED BOOKS

🌟The Nutmeg Tree by Margery Sharp (So clever, sparkling and full of interesting relationships. Loved!)
🌟The Seeing Garden by Ginny Kubitz Moyer (A gorgeously written debut novel by my friend Ginny @moyerginny on IG)
🌟A Place Like Home by Rosamunde Pilcher (One of my top favorite RP short story collections—not pictured, but I'm hoping to get a copy soon.)
🌟The Agency of Scandal by Laura Wood (A dazzling and super fun buddy read with Marjorie @marjoriepaper on IG.)
🌟Apricot Sky by Ruby Ferguson (A superb Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow book set in Scotland and full of family, love and sense of place.)
🌟The Armorour’s House by Rosemary Sutcliff (A truly delightful vintage middle grade book that is exquisitely printed and produced by Manderley Press.)
🌟The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (A stunning and touching book about books, especially if you love books set during war time—not pictured.)

 

NON-FICTION BOOKS

🌟Tasha Tudor's Heirloom Crafts by Tovah Martin (Stunning full-color photographs and so interesting to read. The more I learn about Tasha Tudor's life, the more intrigued I become!)
🌟The Stillmeadow Road by Gladys Taber (This might be my new favorite Gladys Taber book. All of the Stillmeadow books I've read have been wonderful, inspiring and hopeful so far, but this one I enjoyed more than the other so far.)
🌟Stillmeadow Album by Gladys Taber (Small, but lovely black and white photographs of Gladys Taber's Stillmeadow along with quotes and information. I loved seeing more of the inside and outside of Stillmeadow. Many thanks to Christine @felines_and_flowers on IG for this book!)
 

Please share your favorite books from 2023 in the comments!

Many January hugs to you! 💞🌸🤗🌸💞

A Little (or maybe a lot) About Me 😅

 

Me at Gina S's apartment! So cozy!

Hi there! Welcome to my book blog! I'm Gina (aka Babsbelovedbooks) and I'm so excited to have you here. Yay! 🥳

Just to warn you...I usually overuse exclamation points (I'm a very enthusiastic person) and, though it might sound like I'm a little wacky, I can assure you that I'm a normal (?) book lover like you 😄

Before I share a lot of lists about who I am, let me tell you two things. 

1) I started this blog for two reasons. First reason—because my amazing friend Caro (@carosbookcase) started her book blog this year and she inspired me so much that I had to join in, too! Second reason—I love posting photos to Instagram, but I simply can't say all that I want to say (which is usually a lot) in my description. No one wants to read that much while they're scrolling, right?

2) Why is this blog called 'Babs Beloved Books' when my name is Gina?? Good question! When my husband and I were in college (Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA), we often both ended up hanging out in our friends' (John E.) dorm room watching the Tiny Toons cartoon. (That's kind of how we met and fell in love 😍) Anyway, Ian started calling me 'Babs' after the pink bunny character in the show...possibly because I love pink and I'm only 5' tall. But, anyway, that was his nickname for me and he's called me that since 1991 (whoa)! (FYI, almost no one who knows me personally calls me Gina...my kids call me 'Mom' and my family calls me 'Be'. My close friends call me 'G'...lol) So...short story long...I am Babs who love books. And, I also love alliteration. 

Whew! If you've gotten this far, you're awesome! 🥰 (and thank you!) If not, I totally understand 😬

So, now, here are lists that might give you a better idea of who I am (both personal and bookish). Let me know in comments below if we have anything in common. I love to make new friends who have similar interests as I do! 😊

WHO I AM

• 50+ years young(ish), Gemini
  
• Mom of Rose, 31 and Benji, 21 (love them both so much)
• Wife of Ian, my best friend...we've been married for over 30 years (wooo!)
• B.S. Degree in Mathematics (minor in Art History)
• ESFJ, Highly Sensitive Person, Empath
• Content Writer, Recipe Developer and Community Manager for World of Vegan
• Creative Artist
• Reiki Master
• Certified Yoga, Hula Hoop and Knitting Instructor
• Knitwear Designer
• Competitive Archer (olympic bow)

FAVORITE GENRES

• Christmas Books
  
• Interwar Years
• Vintage Middle Grade/YA
• Modern Classics
  
• Children's Classics
• Golden Age Mysteries 
  

FAVORITE VINTAGE AUTHORS

• Gladys Taber
• Agatha Christie
• Elizabeth von Arnim
• Elizabeth Goudge
• D.E. Stevenson
• Miss Read
• Mary Stewart
  
• Louisa May Alcott
• Rosmaunde Pilcher
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher
• Pearl S. Buck
• Frances Hodgson Burnett
  
• Noel Streatfeild/Susan Scarlett
  
• Margery Sharp 
• Dorothy Whipple
• Molly Clavering
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher
• O. Douglas 
• Moray Dalton
  

FAVORITE CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS

• Kate Morton
• Ginny Moyer Kubitz
  
• Laura Wood 
• Susan Branch
• Lisa See
• Jennifer Ryan
  
• Laura Purcell
• Julie Klassen
  

FAVORITE COMFORT RE-READS

• Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
• Stillmeadow and Sugarbridge by Gladys Taber
  
• Heidi by Johanna Spyri
• Marigold at Godmother's House by Joyce Lankester Brisley
  
• The Dean's Watch by Elizabeth Goudge
• Linnets & Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge
  
• All the Dogs of My Life by Elizabeth von Arnim
  
• The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth von Arnim
• The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
• Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie
• A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
• Nemesis by Agatha Christie
• My Life in France by Julia Child
  
• The Private World of Tasha Tudor
  
• Honey Bunch and Her First Little Garden by Helen Louise Thorndyke
• A Fine Romance by Susan Branch
• Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
• Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther
  
• Archangel by Sharon Shinn 
• Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
  
• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
  
• Any D.E. Stevenson
  
• Any Miss Read  
• Any Mary Stewart
  
• Any Nancy Drew
  

 FAVORITE FICTION SERIES

• Garden Series by Elizabeth von Arnim (Elizabeth's German Garden, Solitary Summer, Elizabeth in Rugen)
• Thrush Green by Miss Read
• Fairacre by Miss Read
• Miss Marple by Agatha Christie
• Torminster Saga by Elizabeth Goudge
  
• Mrs. Tim by D.E. Stevenson 
• Eliot Family by Elizabeth Goudge
  
• Ivy Hill Saga by Julie Klassen

 FAVORITE VINTAGE CHILDREN'S SERIES 

• Albert by Alison Jezard
• Maida by Inez Haynes Irwin
  
• Milly Molly Mandy by Joyce Lankester Brisley
  
• Honey Bunch by Helen Louise Thorndyke
• Chirri & Chirra by Kaya Doi 
• The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame/William Horwood
  
• Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder 
• Shoes Books by Noel Streatfeild

FAVORITE VINTAGE YA SERIES

• Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
• Cherry Ames by Helen Wells
  
• Vicki Barr by Helen Wells 
• Judy Bolton by Margaret Sutton (just starting!)

FAVORITE VINTAGE NON-FICTION SERIES

• Stillmeadow Series by Gladys Taber

FAVORITE FANTASY SERIES

• Archangel by Sharon Shinn
• Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
• Four Quarters by Tanya Huff
  

FAVORITE PUBLISHERS 

• Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow
• Persephone Books
  
• British Library Women Writers
• Folio Society 
  
• Manderley Press
• Macmillan Collector's Library
  
• Greyladies
• British Library Crime Classics
• Dean Street Press Golden Age Crime Fiction (especially Moray Dalton!) 
• Slightly Foxed

FAVORITE PLACES

• Antique Stores
• Used Book Stores
• Library
• Coffee Shops (though I don't drink coffee)
• Thrift Stores (like Savers/Value Village)

MY FAVORITE INSTAGRAM & YOUTUBE ACCOUNTS

• Gina Stanyer Books
• Marjorie/Marjorie Paper
• Caro/CarosBookcase 
• Carla/C.Brown685
  
• Arpita/Bagfullofbooks
  
• Beth/Beth Bonini
• Liz/Pony.Books
• Kate Howe 
• Caro/Caro Reads Books
• Julie/ElizabethGoudgeBookClub
• Christine/Felines_and_flowers 
• Virginia/OldBookDreamer 
• Marion/Fortheloveofbooks75
• Ellie/MyCozyChronicles
  
• Missi/Missi50fl 
• Beth/LittleBookBelle
• Sue/MyOwnBookJourneys
• Michelle/Noraandedie 
• Ginny/Moyerginny
  
• Andrea/Sorrythankyou79 
• Melissa/Aduchessinside
• Penny/Veganpen
  
• Snuggery.Mom
• Simon David Thomas

plus, so many more!!

FAVORITE TV SHOWS

• The Vicar of Dibley
• Agatha Christie Adapatations (Joan Hickson and David Suchet)
  
• Miranda
• Keeping Up Appearances
• Rosemary & Thyme
• Seaside Hotel
• Doc Martin
  
• Downton Abbey
• Call the Midwives
• The Great British Baking Show
• The IT Crowd 
• Sense & Sensibility
  

FAVORITE MOVIES

• Breakfast at Tiffany's
• Roman Holiday
  
• The Sound of Music
• Sabrina
• 84 Charing Cross Road
• When Harry Met Sally
  
• The Changeling
• Exorcist (1 and 3)
• The Omen
• The Others
  

FAVORITE ARTISTS/ILLUSTRATORS

• Tasha Tudor
• Lore Pemberton
• Helen Wells
• Edward Shenton 
• John S. Goodall
• Susan Branch
• Kaya Doi
• Mindy Lacefield
• Eric Ravilious
• Katie Daisy

FAVORITE ONLINE BOOK STORES

• eBay
• Abebooks
• World of Books
• Thrift Books
• Blackwell's UK 
• Etsy
  
• Amazon

FAVORITE FOODS  & BEVERAGES

• Potatoes (any form)
• Fruit Smoothies
• Chips, Popcorn and Pretzels
• Huge Salads
• Stir Fry Green Beans or Veggies with Rice
• Veggie Sushi with Miso Soup
• Hearty Vegetable Stews
• Cauliflower Wings
  
• Jasmine White Tea
• Lemon Balm and Peppermint Herbal Tea
• Oolong Black Tea
• Hot Chocolate or Sweet Chai
• World of Vegan recipes (some are mine!)
  

Omg, thank you so much for reading all of this! You must be exhausted. lol. I promise, all of my future posts will not be as long as this. I just couldn't help myself sharing once I started 😂

I hope you have the most wonderful day and please let me know a little about you and your favorite things in the comments below. I'd love to know! 

Much love and many hugs!!

G.  

P.S. Happy 51st Birthday to my husband, Ian!! Love you! 🥰🌟🎉