Fifty Books a Year (or fewer)

Maggie

Oh totally agree with you on Normal People

Terribull...thanks for info re Kate Atkinson.. Big Sky, I think I will give it a miss, but the Virginia Nicholson one sounds my type of read, I'm also struggling with the Janet Ellis novel, it's not a patch on The Butchers Hook.

Yes I agree Matson, thought the Butcher's Hook was quite different from anything else I'd read. Having finished "How it Was" now, as others have said on the dedicated thread, pretty disjointed although she pulls the strands together in the latter part with an achingly sad conclusion.

"Big Sky" was a reasonably good read, not one of KA's best. The Virginia Nicholson book, which I happened upon by chance in my local library, was fascinating, not a novel but a series of interviews. For anyone similar to me who likes to wallow in the sixties, probably because I was just a bit too young to appreciate what was a seminal decade, it will provide some insightful memories.

Finished How it Was by Janet Ellis,.. very disappointing.
Book 37, The Cockroach, by my favourite writer Ian Mcewan.A novelette ,100 pages , a parliamentary dig, looking forward to it.

The Cockroach by Ian Mcewan was an amusing and satirical read , brilliant.
Book 38, The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. . Another of my favourite writers.

I need to update my list.

No 31. The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier.

32 The Lost Man by Jane Harper

33 The Memory Tree by Linda Gillard.

Book 25: “Embassy of the Dead” by Will Mabbitt. A children’s book! Fast moving and funny.

Book 26: “War of the Wolf” by Bernard Cornwell. Brilliant read if you like that sort of thing. He researches his books so well.
Onward and upward!

Book 41 Room to Breathe Liz Talley - really enjoyed, pure 'chick lit'

Here is an update of my next 10 books.
66)- Dead to me by Lesley Pearse
67)-Before I was yours - Virginia Macgregor
68)-A Mothers love- Santa Montifiore
69) -Practise makes perfect- Penny Parkes
70) -The Stone Circle- Elly Griffiths
71) -The Winter Secret - Lulu Taylor
72)-The other half of Augusta Hope- Joanna Glen
73) -Love is the easy bit- Mary Graham
74)- The Dark side- Danielle Steel
75)- The Dress-Kate Kerrigan
These are all easy reads.

Book 42 Poppy Day Amanda Prowse - this had been 'lurking' on my kindle for ages - enjoyable read

34 The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman.

35 Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLavity.

SueDonim

Loved both of those

They were both satisfying, making you think a bit, Sara65.

Finished Margaret Atwood, The Testaments, ... if you are a fan ofHandmaids Tale, this follow on is a must,thoroughly enjoyed it and hope they use it in the next tv episodes.
Book 39.Behind her Eyes, by Sarah pinborough

Book 27: The Autumn Throne by Elizabeth Chadwick.

Book 28: The Handsome Man’s De Luxe Cafe by Alexander McCall.

Stopped struggling with Egg and Soldiers by Miles Jupp. A load of nonsense.

Still creaking along...
26. Christopher Lloyd, The Well-tempered garden (reread). Perennial delight even if too detailed about many varieties of the same plant.
27. Robert Galbraith, Silkworm. My current bedside reading but like the first one not really suitable for this role because constantly introducing new characters. Series has been so highly praised on here that I'm determined to carry on.
28. Laurie Graham, At sea. Only just discovered this but not one of her best I thought
29. Lucy Mangan, Bookworm, passed on by DD3. Loved the Enid Blyton chapter but still think that the best series (Famous Five, Adventures) have plots aimed at age 11-12 written with a reading age of 7-8.

DH hates my way of having a 'light-reading' book on the go in pretty well every room in the house, a habit I share with DD2, whereas he lugs his book of the moment up and downstairs all day, a habit he shares with DD3. Realised while discussing this that tho I mock the principle of never reading novels in the morning in fact I never ever do, and rarely in the afternoon. I have my downstairs non fiction for then.

Next three books
No 42
The Dark Circle by Linda Grant
Set in a tuberculosis sanatorium, sounds a dreary setting, and in some ways it is, I learned a lot about TB that I hadn’t known before, and found it really interesting. There are a cast of very diverse characters, all brought together by illness, it’s definitely worth a read.

No 43
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
I haven’t read a lot of her books, but have quite enjoyed the ones I’ve read, this one though, not as much. It seemed both predictable and unrealistic at the same time, you felt that you knew more or less what was going to happen, but a group of middle class children more or less disappearing in a swanky area of London seemed a bit far fetched. Apart from the journalist, none of the characters seemed very likeable or realistic.
It was okay, not dreadful, but not one I couldn’t honestly recommend.

Book 44
The Wanderers by Tim Pears
The second book in the west county trilogy.
I had absolutely loved the first one, so was really looking forward to this book. It definitely wasn’t as gripping as the first, I enjoyed it, but it was slower. Leo is such an endearing character, and his life seems so hard and sad, I hope in the final novel he’ll be reunited with his precious Lottie.

Book 43 Pictures of You Caroline Leavitt - this was another book that has been 'lurking' on my kindle for quite some time - thoroughly enjoyed, would recommend

I enjoyed The Dark Circle too Sarah 65, an unusual book didn't know much about TB sanitoriums post war. Have the Lisa Jewell book too taking it away on holiday later this year.

Book 44 Dear Mrs Bird A J Pearce - loved it - would recommend

36 Elmet by Fiona Mozley

37 A View of the Harbour by Elizabeth Taylor.

I enjoyed both, each set in specific areas of Britain but very different tales.

Finished Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough, if you don't mind plain speaking this is an usual thriller with a quirky ending.
Book 40 Postscript by Cecelia Ahern.

I see others are enjoying Shardlake. Fantastic books that inspired me to do much side reading of Tudor history. I’ve just finished a Kate Mosse ‘The Burning Chambers’ , quite good. Now reading ‘Prisoners of Geography’ all about how geography has shaped the world, its’ fortunes and history. Far from as dry as it sounds!

Book 45 Anna Amanda Prowse - was an OK easy read, not anything that will stay with me really

October reading:

Those People - Louise Candlish (residents' escalating problems, dire outcome with new neighbours on a nice leafy street in south London,) not her best
I Invited her In - Adele Parks (Audio) Friend from past comes for an overlong stay and causes havoc with the family dynamics. Was alright.
Middle England - Jonathan Coe build up to Brexit from the crash of 2008 to the vote, and just beyond. Quite enjoyed it but have read better on a similar theme. Amanda Craig's vision of a divided Britain in "Lie of the Land" for me was a far better read than this one.
About Last Night - Adele Parks (Audio) not as good as the last one, marriage problems again. I get my audios from the library so not always a great choice.
No One Home - Tim Weaver David Raker thriller about the disappearance of residents in a small hamlet, okay, not his best
Shadowplay - Joseph O'Connor this Irish author wrote one of the best books I've ever read "Star of the Sea", alas none of the others I've read by him have moved me in the same way. This one is about the author Bram Stoker (Dracula) who became manager of the Lyceum Theatre in London when Sir Henry Irving and Ellen Terry were the star players there. The book is set between the 1870s and 1912 when he died. Quite a few references to Jack the Ripper's ghastly murders which took place whilst Ireland's Bram Stoker was resident in London. Interesting read, but not a favourite.
Currently reading The House at Sea's End - Elly Griffiths, love the Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries, galloping through this one, good as always.
My next one will be number 60 not sure what it's going to be yet.