Fifty Books a Year (or fewer)

Book 28

A Crown of Lights
Phil Rickman

Another Merrily Watkins novel, it was okay, but nothing like as good as
Midwinter of the Spirit

Christianity meets paganism, charismatic priests and witches, all set in the welsh borders.

June reading:

31 - When she was bad - Tammy Cohen okish I think, I've forgotten a lot of it
32 - The Honey Queen - Cathy Kelly - Audio from library, Romantic fiction, main character returns to her native Ireland from Australia after being recently widowed. She was adopted as a baby, meets her natural brother for first time, a host of characters, with problems naturally, she sets about sorting them all out - reminded me of Maeve Binchy
33 - The Carrier - Sophie Hannah - Audio thriller - Ok
34 - The House on Half Moon Street - Alex Reeve Above average Gothic thriller set in Victorian London around the time of Jack the Ripper, not that he features in the book. Leo Stanhope the protagonist , bang on trend, is a transgender coroner's assistant, whose lover is murdered and finds himself under suspicion. I believe this is the first in a series, very good would recommend it.
35 - The Butterfly Room - Lucinda Riley halfway through this and as always with her books really enjoying it. Usual format back and forwards in time starts during the war in the 1940s and switches most of the plot to almost present day. Georgian house in Southwold, Suffolk that's seen better days is the main feature of the story but the family that live there are cleverly woven in, entangled love lives of course and secrets of the house to be revealed although haven't got that far yet! Jolly good escapism though.

Book 30 Where the Story Starts Imogen Clark - all a bit predictable but still quite an enjoyable read

Finished Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, as a fan of her work I loved this book, the story of grace marks locked in an asylum accused of murder.
Book 27.. Roar by Cecelia Ahern.

Just started, "The Librarian of Auschwitz" by Antonio Iturbe (based on the true story of a teenage girl who took on keeping and hiding the eight books of the illegal library) but thought I would reread Ray Bradbury's 1953 "Fahrenheit 451" first as that is the classic burning-books story. That is as good as I remember it or better and full of quotes for today.

For light relief, at the same time I read "Duntisbourne Hall, The Archivist," and the sequel, "The Golden Hand", by L.P. Fergusson. A mixed bunch guide the public round a stately home and organise an exhibition of historic pornographia. Erudite, rude and hilarious.

Book 30

Normal People, Sally Rooney

I really sweet love story set in Ireland, beautifully written, the dialogue is so well written you can almost hear them talking
Likeable characters, poor smart damaged Marrianne, and popular, handsome kindhearted Connell.
Recommend

Anything by Stephen King. As antidote to Brexit I am working my way through the back catalogue. I think a lot of younger people miss out on SK because they know his stories from poor film adaptations. They are mostly all awful with the possible exception of the Sissy Spacek Carrie.
If anyone is looking for something new - short - funny - about parenting and written by a granny for the flood of summer births - do try this
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1094948020/ref=rdr_ext_tmb?tag=gransnetforum-21

18. The Senator’s Wife, Sue Miller
Good, but let down by the ending, I thought.
19. The Seal Woman’s Gift, Sally Magnussen
The best book I’ve read for a long time. Based on documents detailing the sixteenth century raids of Barbary pirates on Northern Europe, and the history of a particular group of Icelanders who were taken as slaves to Tunisia.
20. The Bones Beneath, Mark Billingham
I usually love Mark Billingham, but struggled with this.
21. The Mother in Law, Sally Hepworth
Another that I really enjoyed. How the relationship between two strong women changed over time. With a mysterious death thrown in!
22. The Bad Mother, Amanda Brooke
Supposedly a thriller about gaslighting, but very predictable and OTT.
23. The Girls, Emma Cline
Evocative and very well written, the story of a young girl and a sinister cult in California in the 60s.
I need to speed up now, if I want to hit the target!

Maggiemaybe

I thought The Girls was a really good read

Finished Roar by Cecelia Ahern, 30 short stories about 30 women, a book all women can relate to...really enjoyed it.
No 28.. The woman on the bus by Pauline Mclyn.

Book 31 Only Child Rhiannon Navin - a really good read

24. The House Across the Street, Lesley Pearse.

I think this was a GN Book Club choice last year. I can't say I enjoyed it - I found the dialogue very stilted and the story didn't do justice, imho, to the very serious subject of domestic abuse. At least it was a quick read!

Book 31. The Poet by Michael Connelly
Book 32. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
I watched the excellent TV adaptation of Bleak House recently and it has inspired me to read the book.

26. A classic, this time - A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute. It has some...er...dated attitudes but it's a lovely story. Romantic but not soppy.

No 28 Woman on the bus...was not to my taste, read to chapter 3 twice then ditched it.
No 29. The butchers Hook by Janet Ellis... simple infatuation story between Anne and the butchers boy, set in the 18th century, with a gruesome twist, I suprisingly enjoyed this book a lot, quirky story .
No. 30 The Psychopath Test by Jon Ron son.

Book 31

Patricia Cornwell

I think this is the 18th Scarpetta novel, I’m hooked on the series, but haven’t liked them to much since the rift between Kay and Marino, I like the earlier books when they solved mysteries together.

Book 32 Missing Presumed by Susie Steiner.
What a good read!

I am reading Hangman Blind by Cassandra Clark ( An Abbess of Meaux Mystery). The first of my 50 books in a year.

Book 33. If They Could See Me Now by Denise Welch.

I know I have reached my 50 books but thought I would carry on posting my reads.
51-The way you look tonight -Richard Madeleine
52- The Rose of Sebastopol - Katherine McMahon
53- The secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry
54 - Divas Las Vegas - Belinda Jones
55- A year and a day - Isabelle Broom.

Mopsx4 keep on posting your reads, interesting to see totals at the end of the year, not that it's a competition Over on MN some posters, like yourself, reach well over the number aimed for. Equally it matters not two hoots if posters get way below that aspirational figure.

I read a lot, all types of books and have just finished The Whisper Man by Alex North and it was terrifying and brilliant X. Very creepy loved it. About to start Prince Charles by Sally Bedell Smith as it seemed to get good reviews , time will tell. Going to look at The Wonky Donkey , Mapleleaf X

Book 32 How to fall in love again Amanda Prowse - a lovely gentle tale, I am in the mood for a 'gentle tale'

Book 34 The Killing Habit by Mark Billingham.

I’m still reading “Our Hidden Lives”, which is fascinating. I am also dibbing in and out of “Egg and Soldiers” which is a cod biography of a celebrity chef called Damien Trench (aka Miles Jupp!). The jury is out!