*2021 - 50 BOOKS FOR THE YEAR*

Child Taken was very good, nice twist near the end. Book 117 will be A Conspiracy of Bones, by Kathy Reichs.

#56. All The Colours Of Darkness by Peter Robinson.

A Conspiracy of Bones was good, but then I always enjoy books by Kathy Reichs. Book 118 will be The Jester, by James Patterson.

#76 Doing Time Jodi Taylor.
I always enjoy this author's work and this is the first of a new series set in the unspecified future about an organisation that polices the timeline.
#77 The Infinity Engines Anachronist Andrew Hastie.
Another start of a series and like #76 is concerned with time travel. I enjoyed it and will look out for the next instalment.

Since I last posted have now surpassed the 50 mark with these :

Homecoming (Audio) Susie Steiner. I've read this author's crime books and really liked them. This is an earlier one about a family falling apart with the insurmountable problems faced in running a farm and trying to break even.

Ghosts - Dolly Alderton. She writes a column in The Sunday Times which I hardly ever read but this book has had good reviews so I thought I'd give it a go. I enjoyed it funny and moving featuring two subjects as diverse as dating apps and a parent with dementia both central to the life of Nina Dean who the book is about.

Everyone is Still Alive - Kathy Rentzenbrink I know I really enjoyed this book but struggling to remember what it was about, other than a woman who inherits the family home on her mother's death and for whom she is grieving for throughout the book. Moves from east London to west London. Young son starts new school, stay at home writer husband forges friendships with mums down at the school. Those are the bare bones.

Black Coffee (Audio) vintage Christie, written sometime in the 1930s I believe.

1979 - Val McDermid. Loved her last book, this one wasn't for me found it so dreary in comparison to her Karen Piries. Neither financial fraud or involvement with IRA terrorists made it remotely interesting, struggled to finish it.

Brazzaville Beach William Boyd. This was a bit of a slow burner for me but ultimately thought it was very good. I'm always amazed how different the author's books are, never a common theme or not one I've come across in those I've read. The heroine of the piece, Hope Clearwater is studying chimpanzees in a civil war torn African country. During the course of her studies it becomes clear that chimpanzees are far removed from the image of the cute creatures displayed in PG Tips ads, not that I fell for that one beyond childhood, on the contrary the most savage of all the primates. There are several themes in the book, her work in observing their behaviour patterns, which was the most interesting part of the novel, whilst reflecting on the breakdown of her marriage to a manic depressed mathematician back in England.

Sorrow and Bliss Meg Mason Continuing on the theme of depression and billed as alternately funny and sad, I found this book extremely over hyped and hardly raised a smile, wasn't particularly funny imo. Martha, who the book is about has a vague mental illness which is never actually named. Quite long drawn out descriptions of family dynamics, her growing up years and her long suffering husband. Disappointing!

Girl A Abigail Dean. Riding high in the book charts. Didn't like it, disjointed tale of children abused by their increasingly religious, nutty parents.

The Heights - Louise Candlish. Like Lisa Jewell, her books get better and better. Cracked through this really quickly the opening gambit of the man standing on the balcony of a tall apartment building in Shad Thames viewed across the way in a warehouse apartment by the main character, who knew that man to be dead draws the reader in right from the outset. My 50th!

Next one "The Missing Sister" the much lamented Lucinda Riley. Hoping a lot the loose threads come together.

No 38. Another Croissant For The Road by Felicity Cloake. She’s a food writer for the Guardian and it is an account of her ‘Tour de France’ by bicycle in search of the perfect croissant and other foodie items. It also contains recipes. It’s gentle, very funny and it was a book I was truly sorry to have finished.

I was surprised at enjoying The Jester, it is my type of book, but wasn`t expecting it from James Patterson. Book 119 will be A Daughter`s Duty, by Maggie Hope.

#57. Friend Of The Devil by Peter Robinson.

Loved A Daughter`s Duty. My next book is going to be The Red Dahlia, by Val McDermid, book 120

#71 was Blood at the Bookies by Simon Brett. This is one of his Fethering mysteries, which are lovely, gentle reads with a touch of humour and very little blood and gore.
#72 was The Silent Town by Anni Taylor. This completed the trilogy and was suitably scary and satisfying all at the same time.
#73 was The Puffin Book of Modern Fairy Tales, edited by Sara and Stephen Corbin, which I enjoyed.
#74 was The Witch Finder’s Sister by Beth Underdown. This is a very skilful imagining of the real life reign of terror of the self-appointed witch finder of East Anglia, Matthew Hopkins, in 1645-1647.

30: The History of Bees by Maja Lunde. Quite thought provoking. Its 3 separate stories set in different eras and countries, all relating to bees ( or absence of).
31: Paris by the Book by Liam Callaman. Not great.
32: The Kingdom by Jo Nesbo. Hadn't read any if his books before but enjoyed it a lot and will look out for more of his.
33' Hotel World by Ali Smith. Strange story, would not recommend it.
34:A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler. Always enjoy her novels.
35 & 36: Alan Johnson memoirs, This Boy and Please Mister Postman. Enjoyed both books, but the second one less so as it concentrated more on his work as a trade unionist.
37: Crooked letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin. Good thriller
38:Less by Andrew Sean Greer. Funny book.
39: The Humans by Matt Haig. Enjoyable story.
40: Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler. Great story-telling, as always.
41: Psychedelic Suburbia (David Bowie and the Beckenham Arts Lab ) by Mary Finnegan. Interesting book about David Bowie's early life in Beckenham.
42: Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler.
43: The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler.
44: One summer by David Baldacci. Sentimental slop is the best way to describe this novel!
45: The Beginner's Goodbye. Another by Anne Tyler.

I loved The Red Dahlia, but I always enjoy books by Val McDermid. I`ve just started book 121, Cuckoo, by Julia Crouch, it`s not up to much yet, hoping it will get better.

No 39 Islands of Mercy by Rose Tremain. I’ve always loved her books but I have no idea what she was thinking when writing this! It reads like a trashy historical novel, not her usual, articulate writings.

Cuckoo wasn`t bad, but not the best I`ve ever read. Am just about to start on My Mother`s Secret, by Sanjida Kay, book 122

#78 A Threat of Shadows J A Andrews.
Part one of a fantasy trilogy but could be read as a standalone. I enjoyed it but probably won't seek out part two yet.
#79 The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock Jane Riley.
A charming quirky book about an approaching forty funeral director and a diary. I loved it.

#58. Piece Of My Heart by Peter Robinson.

The Chain by Adrian Mc King... very good , usual psycho killer story from a different angle.

The Storyteller by Dave Grohl... I.m.o. dave is a rock legend so I'm biased, this book is the story of his life and music, its brilliant, interesting and very funny and emotional in parts.

Every woman for herself by Trish Ashley... a funny and easy read.

Listen by Kathyrn Mannix ... a self help book, full of guidance on different situations and how to just listen and hear .

No 40. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. A classic which I’ve somehow never read before.

I enjoyed My Mother`s Secret, but not keen on the ending. Book 123 will be Hold my Hand, by M.J.Ford.

A couple of audiobooks.
#80 The Accidental Alchemist Gigi Pandian. Mildly entertaining while I was doing things around the house. That's the best I can say really.
#81 For We Are Many Dennis E Taylor.
This is book two of the 'Bobiverse' sci-fi series. Hugely enjoyable and very well narrated.

I have just started For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. I think I may have read this at school decades ago!

#59. Meghan, A Hollywood Princess by Andrew Morton.

Haven’t finished my previous book, but just dipping into the interesting (i.e. gossipy bits) of this one.

Meghan, actress, humanitarian, style icon, blogger, oh and of course, soon to be a duchess, as the book finishes prior to the wedding.

And thereby hangs a tale…

No 41 The Chimneys of Green Knowe by Lucy M Boston. It’s a children’s book, a time travel story, first published in 1958, I think. It reflects the attitudes of those times towards race so it’s not a book I’ll pass on, it can go in the paper recycling.

No 42 The Doctor Will See You Now by Amir Khan. An account of a GP’s life in a busy inner-city in Yorkshire.

Loved Hold my Hand. Book 124 was The Boy With no Boots, by Sheila Jeffries, a nice story. Now on 125, I Invited her In, by Adele Parks, not too keen, but will finish it.

#60. The Sun Sister by Lucinda Riley.