*2021 - 50 BOOKS FOR THE YEAR*

Really enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing. So many unexpected twists in the plot.
Started A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin.

Currently reading Just my Luck by Adele Parks
Just finished Tidelands by Phillipa Gregory
The Rumour by Lesley Kara
The Volunteer by Jack Fairwater
The Woods by Vanessa Savage
Unnatural Causes by Dr Richard Shepherd
Never Greener by Ruth Jones
Mary Queen of Scots
At this rate I should do the fifty books, obviously I have no life ?

Latest book The Spitfire Girls by Jenny Holmes. I love fiction books about the 2nd world war so this was an enjoyable, easy read. The first in a series so I will try to read those to follow. Living in Suffolk where Covid cases seem fairly low libraries are now open again. Not for general browsing but you can reserve books and request a batch of books that the librarian will chose for you on a given theme or author so really good news, especially for DH who only reads expensive non fiction books which our tiny library manages to get for him.

#15 The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. A real page turner, I couldn’t put it down! Some good twists.

#13 was Open Grave by Kjell Eriksson. In spite of all the praise that was heaped upon it in the blurb, l found it long minded with no sympathetic characters and far too many of them. I was in Mastermind mode in the end - I've started so I'll finish!

As a teenager I 'discovered' Georgette Heyer. In the succeeding 50 years I have periodically revisited her books. So #13 has been Devil's Cub.

#9 Fat Cow Fat Chance...Jenni Murray Jenni talks about her constant battle with her weight... and Jenni's voice is so soothing

#10 The Doctor will See You Now..Amir Khan... The life of a GP.. good to have a look into how a GP works ...another voice that is calming.

Both easy listening, for me anyway, feel that I have been walking in their shoes for a while.

Both audible books.

Oh no I didnt Sarahmob thank you for that. I'll certainly look out for it.
It was upsetting to read but it will make a good film. remember to take tissues

#7 Still Life by Val McDermid.
#8 Last Bus To Woodstock by Colin Dexter.
#9 Last Seen Wearing by Colin Dexter.

Not too impressed by the Morse books, Morse comes across as a bit of a pervy type of detective, although the stories are ok. The tv series obviously altered the storylines somewhat also.
The lovely John Thaw is clearly too well embedded on my mind in the main role, and of course the novels were written 40 odd years ago, so times have changed,

May7 I found The Radium Girls to be a fascinating (albeit upsetting) read. Did you know that they are releasing a film of the story very soon.

#11 Redhead by the side of the road - Anne Tyler

Not brilliant, was a bit disappointed after I’d enjoyed Ladder of Years so much. I will look for more by her though.

#12 The Murder Game - Rachel Abbott

I’ve read quite a few Rachel Abbott’s - this was ok, but not one of her best.

#9 The Radium girls by Kate Moore
True story set in the 1920s onwards about the fate of many girls who worked with luminous paint and their battle to prove there was a problem. Horrific story set in USA. Very moving, easy to read but very difficult to hear.
I need to read a light hearted book now I think

Yes so did I AliBeeee, "The Goldfinch" definitely an all time favourite.

Interesting to see some mixed reviews for The Goldfinch on the thread, I loved it when I read it a few years ago.

My latest ones are:
3. Silver by Chris Hammer, set in Australia, really enjoyed it.

4. While Paris Slept by Ruth Druart. This was a review copy, it’s published later this month. Set during and after WW2 in Paris and US, I really enjoyed it once I got into it.

5. A Short Walk in Hindu Kush by Eric Newby, written in 1958 about his expedition in 1955. A book I meant to read decades ago and finally got around to. Very self deprecating tale of hapless expeditionaries.

I have just started number 6, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, it’s got off to a good start.

The Long Call Anne Cleaves.....excellent...had to stay up v late to find who did it!

#13 The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - an interesting take on how to slow down and live well
#14 The Switch by Beth O’Leary. About a grandmother and granddaughter who swap lives. Not the best thing I’ve read this year but OK

Hi Sara1954 I don't know if he is still in print but he is available to download on Kindle. Yes it must be 50 years since I first read them and they did seem grown up but somehow really easy to read, not easy as simple but as a great storyteller.

Lyndylou
Is Nevil Shute still in print?
When I was a teenager my dad’s secretary gave me a big bag of books, knowing I loved reading, that’s how I discovered him, and absolutely loved his books. I must admit after nearly fifty years, I can’t remember much about them. They just seemed so grown up at the time.

No 5 for me was "Haven't They Grown" by Sophie Hannah. I started intrigued, got completely bored half through and forced myself to carry on hoping for a big finish,but it just seemed to fizzle out.

No 6 "When I Come Home Again" by Caroline Scott. A beautiful book about a man after WW1 who has completely lost his memories and the women who hope he is their son, or brother or husband who has not come back. This book will stay with me for a long time.

No 7 "An Old Captivity" Nevil Shute. I read an article about Nevil Shute which pronpted me to reread this book, one of my favourites from my teenage years. I remember my mum buying all the Nevil Shute books and I loved them. It didn't disappoint, just a lovely easy story about a pilot who takes a professor to Greenland and dreams about being a boy enslaved by Vikings in a previous life.

No. 8 "The Catch" by T M Logan. Not too bad, a tale about a man who distrusts his daughter's new boy friend.

Sorry this was book three of this year.

Just read ‘ saving missy’ by Beth Morrey. It was lovely if you can read one book this year try this one. My books have been a solace when I couldn’t see family and friends.

Finished “State of Treason” in record time, though it wasn’t that good a book really. S. J. Parris’s Tudor novels knock spots off it. Next read is “The Einstein Prophesy” by Robert Masello. This is book ten.

Just finished my #11 book The Second Sleep Robert Harris. I can't say too much about the plot as that would spoil the surprise. It was thought provoking and unsettling but ultimately unsatisfactory and inconclusive as I suspect the author intended. My #12 is an audiobook of short stories The Long And The Short Of It Jodi Taylor.

Finished “Quantum Curators and the Faberge Egg”. Would suit my grandson if it weren’t for all the bad language. Now reading “State of Treason” by Paul Walker- another Tudor spy novel. S.J. Parris is a better Writer, but early days.

Just popped in to update my list.
5 The man named Dave - David Peltzer
6 Where the Crawdads sing - Delia Owens really enjoyed this book with its lovely nature and twists.
7 Murder by the Minster - Helen Cox
8 The house of closed doors - Jane Steen enjoyed this.
9 Turn the Paige - Roseanne Beck quick easy read
10 The Dream House - Rachel Hore
11 Summer at Conwenna Cove. - Darcie Boleyn