*2021 - 50 BOOKS FOR THE YEAR*

Oh, your poor son, Terribull! I really wouldn’t have thought it was suitable to teach to teenage boys - far too much potential for sniggering and guffawing. ?

#52. Abattoir Blues by Peter Robinson.

SD my son did that book at A level and I do remember he felt pretty much the same about it as you! it certainly didn't tempt me. So there you are great minds think alike about woeful books

36 Waterland by Graham Swift. Don’t bother, is my advice! There’s a lot about eels and incest and it’s very dreary.

I don't keep count of how many I read/listen to. It's quite a lot although I mostly read in bed now so it's slowed a bit.

At the moment I'm reading Diane cook's 'the new wilderness'.

I use the local library in Bruges, they have a really good English section. Books are very expensive here so I'm grateful for the Library. Also Audible and sometimes charity shops.

#70 Death at Wentworth Court Carola Dunn.
First in a series of mysteries featuring the Hon Daisy Dalrymple.
Set in the 1920s it is a mixture of P G Wodehouse and Agatha Christie. Not as good as either of those authors but spiffing fun all the same.

Loved the last book, now reading book 111, Poppy Day, also by Annie Murray.

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason.
Slow start, but an emotional book, one womans life with mental health issues and their effect on her and the people around her.
The Exit by Belinda Bauer.
Tongue in cheek novel about a very serious issue and what can go wrong.
The Sixties by Jenny Diski.
Brilliant book, loved this book ...made me proud to be a relic of those days!.
Night Music by Jojo Moyes.
Easy, lovely read with a few twists and turns, always a happy ending.

I loved All the Days of Our Lives. Now reading book 110, Where Earth Meets Sky, by Annie Murray, set in India at the beginning of the 20th century, liking it a lot.

#51. Children Of The Revolution by Peter Robinson.

#65 was Mr. Finchley Discovers His England by Victor Canning. This was first published in 1934 and is a delightful story about a middle-aged solicitor’s clerk (when did such posts disappear?), who, through a series of misadventures, finds himself on an alternative holiday to the one he has planned.
“66 was The Vintage Teacup Club by Vanessa Greene. I had started three books before this and found l had either read them before or just did not care for them. This light as a feather book was just the thing to suit my mood after these disappointments.

The Lies We Tell was better than I expected. Have just started All the Days of Or Lives, by Annie Murray. Book 109.

#68 The Lost Plot Genevieve Cogman.
Number 4 in the Invisible Library series. I'm really enjoying this series and the strong female lead.
#69 The Two Lives Of Lydia Bird Josie Silver.
Loved it! Sad, hopeful and very romantic.

I've just read a Cathy Rentzenbrink, SD, "Everyone is still alive" I hadn't heard of her until I recently read a review of this book. I enjoyed it very much.

35 Dear Reader - the comfort and joy of books, by Cathy Rentzenbrink. It’s a gentle meander through the titles that have sustained the author through her life.

I loved The Bells of Bournville Green. Book 108 will be The Lies We Tell, by Jane Corry.

Mary Paulson Ellis, I should have said.

#63 was Emily Noble’s Disgrace by Mary Jane Paulson. This was a story of a boarding house in Edinburgh’s Portobello region and the mystery surrounding it. Very good.
#64 was The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths. This was set in Sussex and was a mystery with links to a short story. I enjoyed it.

#66 The Secrets Of Strangers Charity Norman.
A hostage drama. We learn over the course of the book why the gunman did it, who and what type of people he and his hostages are and the decisions that they and the negotiating team make. Very good.
#67 The Convenient Marriage Georgette Heyer.
I first read Ms Heyer's Georgian novels fifty years ago and I return to them at regular intervals. Lovely.

Didn`t have my wits about me yesterday, it`s The BELLS of Bournville Green, not Girls!

I loved Chocolate Girls, now for the next in the series, The Girls of Bournville Green, book 107

Book 26
The Fabric of Sin-Phil Rickman
Another good read, I love the Merrily Watkins books, creepy and atmospheric while still being believable. A good cast of characters, though Jane still gets on my nerves.

Book 27
The confession-Jessie Burton
I found this to be a big disappointment, I loved The Miniaturist, but this was exceedingly dull in comparison.
The characters weren’t very likeable, the story wasn’t very believable or very interesting. Not recommended.

Book 28
Last Seen Alive-Claire Douglas
This was a quick and easy read, but I enjoyed it, it had enough twists an turns to keep you interested, and I definitely hadn’t seen the ending coming.

Book 29
A Day like Today- John Humphrys
John Humphrys is one of my favourite all time news presenters, so I was really looking forward to this.
I was not to be disappointed, it’s a very readable autobiography, very candid and it doesn’t dish dirt as such, but we do see a different side to many of our politicians.
He questions the future of the BBC, and deals with some tough subjects, like the Jimmy Saville case.
I really enjoyed it. Well Done John, I knew you wouldn’t let me down.

Book 30
The Darkest Evening-Anne Cleeves
What could be more comforting than an autumn evening, and a new Vera?
Of course because of the televising of the novels, we feel we know her so well, this was a good one, enjoyed it very much.

#50. The Making Of Us by Lisa Jewell.

34. Bear Town by Fredrik Backman. This is ostensibly about a boys ice hockey team in the north of Sweden but it turns far darker than it seems at the outset. Well worth a read.

Finally finished the One Hundred YEAR Old Man, but still think it was a silly book. I`m just about to start book 106, The Chocolate Girls, by Annie Murray.