The New Fifty Books A Year Thread 2020

13. Critical by Matt Morgan. An account of his world as an intensive care specialist.

14 Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo. It’s a tale of a young couple struggling with the inability to have a baby, set in Nigeria between 1985-2008. It’s such an unusual story, my book group loved it.

Tinafl I agree with you, actually! When I said it felt a bit flimsy, I meant that the important stuff was drowned out by the trivia.

Almost finished ‘Silence of the Girls’. It doesn’t disappoint even if this is the second time I have read it. I got Hilary Mantel’s new book for Mother’s Day and it will keep me occupied throughout my incarceration! It’s a whopper! Hope it’s as good as the other two.

I have a few more to add to my list
19 The Rumour - Elin Hilderbrand

20 The Walworth Beauty - Michele Roberts set in 1851 and
2011 ok read

21 Until the real thing comes along- Elizabeth Berg interesting
story line of a girl who loves a gay friend and can’t find
anyone to match him. Twist at end.

22 Before the Storm - Diane Chamberlain read this on my
flight back from NZ

23The Villa girls - Nicky Pellegrino easy fun read

24 The Heartbreaker by Susan Howatch long book lots of
pages and small writing. Enjoyed it but was glad to get to
the end.

25 Conversations with Friends - Sally Rooney didn’t enjoy this
As much as thought I would as bit predictable in places.

18 Mum and Dad by Joanna Trollope - usual good read from this author.

10 - The Gene: An Intimate History / Siddhartha Mukherjee (NF)

11 - The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference / Malcolm Gladwell (NF)

12 - Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth / Sarah Smarsh (NF)

17 Postscript by Cecelia Ahern - for some reason I didn't really enjoy this, well written but just didn't get me interested.

10 Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks good.

11 Whatever Happened to Margo by Margaret Durrell good.

12Grown Ups by Marion Keys good.

13 Haven't They Grown by Sophie Hannah very good.

14 The Nancys by R.W.R .McDonald good.

15 The Ruin by Dervla MeTiernan very good.

16 The Other Side of the Coin by Angela Kelly interesting written by the woman who dresses the Queen.

17 The Museum of Desire by Jonathan Kellerman usually enjoy his books, this one was good but I wish the characters would move forward a little in their lives - wish the doc would marry Robin and have a family etc. Maybe this series is becoming a little tired?

Interesting re your thoughts on The Other Half of Augusta Hope SueDonim I thought it got a bit bogged down with irrelevant details

The Wish List by Ruby Hummingbird and The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen really enjoyed both of them

Since last posting I read The Man Within by Graham Greene and Cartes Postales by Victoria Hislop. I do enjoy her books and now have The Return from the library.

I also read The Salt Path by Raynor Winn which I loved and read in one go more or less and it reminded me so much of the hot summer of 1976 when we walked and camped on part of Bodmin Moor and North Cornwall and Devon.

Also reread The Secret Garden (saw a trailer for a new film last week when at the cinema).

Read Doctor Dolittle's Caravan after seeing film two weeks ago.

Currently rereading Emma (again after seeing film ).

Finished “Dark Matter”. I wouldn’t say it was a well written book, but it was as scary as hell. I feel silly saying this but it was my bedtime reading and the only way I could finish it was by reading it during the day!!
Book 9: Pat Barker’s ‘Silence of the Girls’.

No 12. The Other Half of Augusta Hope by Joanna Glen.

I’m not sure about this. It’s a moving story and very sad but it felt a bit skimpy, too.

7 Hotel du Lac - Anita Brookner, short and a rather inconsequential book that surprisingly won The Booker Prize quite a few years ago, I do usually like her books but was definitely underwhelmed by this one.
8 Broken Ground - Val McDermid - audio
9 Out of Bounds - Val McDermid - audio hadn't really got into her books before now, but really enjoyed these two featuring her Detective Karen Perry, both engrossing plots. I've managed to pick up another one of her audio books at the library so hope that will be as good as these.
10 Now You See Them - Elly Griffiths - not one of her Ruth Galloways, this one is from her Mephisto and Stephens mysteries. A Roedean pupil goes missing, the book is set in 1960s Brighton and London evokes the period fairly well, but overall quite a mediocre plot, I wouldn't rush to read another from that series.
11 American Dirt - Jeanine Cummins - Harrowing! Nevertheless, fantastic read, best book this year by far, posted my review on the thread pertaining to "American Dirt"

I would probably not have dealt with it that way, either - tramping round a coastal path isn’t my idea of fun - but I can’t think that they were wrong to do it. In the end, it will have paid off in an unexpected way, in that I’m assuming her earnings from the book will have allowed them to make a new life.

I would never have had the courage to do what Moth and Ray did for as my husband tells me to keep my trousers up I would use a belt, braces and a piece of string so I am not one to take a chance on anything! I therefore think I felt angry that they did not deal with what had happened to them in a more positive way from when it happened and yes, that they took a chance on making the initial investment.

That triggered the entire thing? Yes, there is that aspect, but I regarded that as a ‘what’s done is done’ thing and the book as how do we go from here?

Maybe the investment? Don't want to say too much!

Why did you feel angry, Bonji? That’s an interesting view that I’ve not heard before.

Only read 2 books in February:
Talk of the Village by Rebecca Shaw - second in the Turnham Malpas series. This was just a relaxing, easy read. I intend to read all of the series but might find them too boring after reading a few.
The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. This is not a book I would have chosen but thought after all positive reviews should give it a try. I thought it was very well written and an engrossing book. I was of course sympathetic to Ray and Moth’s situation
and the love between them was quite uplifting and something those of us lucky enough to have a long and happy marriage can understand. However they did also make me feel angry about what they chose to do. Would like to know if anyone else who has read they book felt like this.

Book 4: Jeannie Cummings, American Dirt. (Feb book club) . Harrowing story so will read something lighter next.
Book 5: Jonas Jonasson, Further adventures of the Hundred year old man. Brilliant sequel to The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared.
Book 6: Lucinda Riley, The Butterfly Room. Another good read.

Book 7 Somewhere close to happy - Liz Louis
Book 8 A Week in Winter - Maeve Binchy - an easy read, quite good
Book 9 The Two lives of Lydia Bird - Josie Silver - really enjoyed and would recommend

Me neither, I raced through it! I thought the Welfare system sounded like something from the Dark Ages. I could hardly believe people would say things like ‘You’re welcome!’ when someone was using food stamps. How cruel, kicking a person when they’re down.

That's qualify, not quality!

I agree, Sue- Her goal was striving for a better life all while joined at the hip with a social service system that is by design made difficult to navigate and quality for- And yes some of the decisions she made could be judged but they kept her sane, maybe even distracted and preoccupied while she persevered- Really engaging read, I couldn't put it down-

I thought so, RoseCarmel. This evening though, I had a chat about it with friends, who felt she made a lot of poor life choices. I was quite baffled by that because so many times, I thought she had no option but to do what she did.