Fifty Books a Year (or fewer)

Book 33 You found me Virginia MacGregor - loved this book would recommend

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. Blown away by this her first book about a very black period in her and her husband's life. They decide to walk the sw coastal path with little tent and their bagpacks, 600 plus miles. They just lost their house, all their money and their income and he is then diagnosed with a terminal illness. Enormously uplifting and fantastic descriptions of nature in the raw. And on top of all that she manages a sense of humour!

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore (*****5stars)

A Fighting Chance by Elizabeth Warren (*****5stars)

but haven’t liked them to much since the rift between Kay and Marino. Sara65 that’s when I stopped reading them!

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!

Book 34 The Killing Habit by Mark Billingham.

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Only Child Rhiannon Navin - 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.

Maggiemaybe

I thought The Girls was a really good read

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!

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

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

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.