*2021 - 50 BOOKS FOR THE YEAR*

Hi, I’d like to join properly this year after lurking last year!

I’ve always loved reading but now either find myself reading every day or not at all for weeks at a time. I’m currently reading Circe by Madeline Miller and Telling Tales, the second in the Vera series, by Ann Cleeves (a GN suggestion from last year).

I think I've probably read 50 since lockdown started in March! Would love to join this thread and properly challenge myself to read 50 and keep track of it. I've just started The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, but I'm not really into it yet. Not sure it's really my type of book, but will stick with it.

So interesting to hear what you are all reading.
On New Year’s Day I read Sisters, by Daisy Johnson (quite short) I enjoyed it, but it won’t be on my favourites list.
Am now reading The Disappearance by Katherine Webb, normally love her books, but finding this one hard to get into.

The Lost Man - Jane Harper
I've just finished that one as well, Sara1954 and have also enjoyed The Dry and Force of Nature by the same author.

I like books about early and modern Australia.
Liane Moriarty books and the Trader series by Anna Jacobs were ones I read recently.

The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley was another I read, quite good but rather long.

I've just abandoned one by Santa Montefiore so am looking for some good ideas, so am pleased to be able to pick up recommendations from this thread, thank you Terribull.

I enjoyed two by Joanna Nell:
The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village
The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker

Both enjoyable but poignant.

Went with my resolution to make reading part of my day rather than just at bed time. Finished Jessie Burton's The Confession. Ending was a bit disappointing but I often find that with books, think I need to re-adjust my (hopes) expectations. Realise I want a tidy ending which is not how life is, really. Anyway I'm on to The Thursday Murder Club. Just read a thread on this book with not very positive reviews. Will plod on.

Finished ‘Warlord’ which I will pass on to my GS. Excellent book based on real events which may teach him a bit of the history of how England came to be England.
I’ve just started reading “Shuggie Bain”. It’s a bit bleak, but I’ll press on. After that I plan to read “Darkest Evening” which DH is about to finish. It’s the latest Vera book from Ann Cleeves.

Love to join in here. I read non-stop and love all sorts of genres. Had Obamas book for Christmas and have a well-stocked Kindle, my 3rd (sat heavily one and left the other in the baking sun!). I'm also a member of an online author/reader group and get lots of recommendations and pre-launch details.

After years of wanting to write myself, I finally achieved it towards the end of 2020 and my book French Dreams, Dogs and a Dodgy Motor is available on Amazon.co.uk in paperback and Kindle formats. It was an amazing feeling to know that people were buying the book and loving it. Reviews have been wonderful and I'm touched and thrilled all in one go. You certainly don't write to make money unless you're a celebrity with a publisher, but that's not why I wrote my book. The feeling of achievement and knowing I've contributed towards a bit of escapism for people in these dark times is just so rewarding. If you like light-hearted real life stories set in France, then this might be for you. Happy New Year everyone!!

Hello again!
I joined last year but did not continue to enter my reading list here - apologies.
I didn't manage the 50 but got to 46.
I've started this year with
'Shuggie Bain' by Douglas Stuart - This was a birthday present!

dwgw6062 I read Circe last year and couldn’t put it down - one of those books you can’t bear to come to the end of.

I have just finished Sea Wife by Amity Gaige - started in 2020 so I don't know if that is cheating. I found it not quite as good as I was expecting but interesting.

Presently reading The Mirror and The Light - excellent. I reread Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies at the end of last year to get me back up to speed,

I've just read Brand New Friend by Mike Gayle which I got for Christmas. It's one of his older ones but I love his books.
I will start a new book tomorrow but I'm not sure which one. I have three lined up.

I have just re-read A Very Murderous Christmas, which is an anthology of short stories, old and new, with a Christmas theme. Very enjoyable, particularly as l had not read it for several years so, in nearly all the stories, had completely forgotten whodunnit.

My number 2 is ‘I wish it could be Christmas Everyday’ by Milly Johnson. It was a book club read that I couldn’t get in time to read along - popped into my library ebook account on New Years Day so decided to read anyway. It was a light, frothy read but I really enjoyed it - not my go to genre.

Interesting, Sarahmob - someone passed it on to me but I couldn't get past the 2nd chapter. Perhaps I should have persisted or perhaps I'm just too old to appreciate it!

I don't usually abandon books but I just abandoned another one, The Affair, by Sanra Montefiore. Her books are usually ok, light, easy reads but this one is dreadful.
I wondered if it was written by someone else.

Just finished reading "Beating About The Bush" by MC Beaton. I've read all het Agatha Raisin books. Very light cosy crime books. I've got another couple of crime books on the go on my kindle app on the iPad. I tend to read those at lunchtime when tbe news is on.

Just finished number two for this year. It was a Phillip Reeve book. He is seen as a YA writer but I enjoy his books in my recycled adolescence. ‘Here Lies Arthur’. A retelling of the Camelot story suggesting the king was all mouth and no trousers. Does he have many aged fans on this thread I wonder?

Just finished number two for this year. A YA writer-Phillip Reeve ‘Here Lies Arthur’. Such a good writer and appreciated by recycled adolescents too...to generalise from my own experience. Any other fans out there?

Oops. Thought I’d lost the first one. Sorry.

I've just started my second one The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri ?

I would love to join again. Like many I did not keep up with entering books read last year so will try to do better! I think I read 30 to 40 books a year but only usually read books from the library. I live in Suffolk where we have an excellent library and can reserve books for free which are mostly available within a few weeks. Of course libraries are now closed so could be a problem. We are allowed to borrow I think 12 books at a time so fingers crossed they will last until the end of lockdown but could be wishful thinking!
My first book of the year is House of Correction by Nicci French. A good psychological thriller, well written as their books always are, ( for those not familiar with these books, they are joint husband and wife authors) but not as good as their Frieda Klein series. I usually mark my books read out of 10 so would give this 7.

Just finished reading The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary. Easy reading with humour. I’ve read another book of hers The Switch which I also enjoyed , I think because I can easily identify with the characters.
Just started Between the Stops by Sandi Toksvig. Interesting facts about parts of London that I didn’t know, but she does go on a bit too much for me about Women's Equality.

First read of the year! Cottage of Curiosities by Celia Alexander...set in Cornwall .... looking in at people's lives, actually felt I was there with them. Nneighbour handed in a bag of books, all different genres but must have a walk before I choose my next read from those.

Finished my first book Career of Evil Robert Galbraith. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend (best to read the first two in series though) It was too long in my opinion but I suppose if you are J K Rowling you can get away with it ?. My second book is a Kindle freebie called Loving Harry Joan Fallon. It is about two women who meet for the first time at the funeral of the man they both loved. I have only just started to read it but I'm enjoying it so far.

Finished Motherwell by Deborah Orr did not realise that she was a Guardian editor or married to Will Self or now sadly deceased! Loved it as could identify with her upbringing and her observations on life and relationships we had similar backgrounds and experiences. I preferred it to Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart though it was written and set in the same times and settings, Lanarkshire in central Scotland. Also interesting to compare the contrasting Male and Female points of view of similar growing up events. Shuggie Bain was a bit uneven as if it was two stories spliced or had been short stories stitched together. Motherwell my only criticism would be she had a theme going that she was emptying out her parents writing desk and that felt a bit artificial at times.
Started The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar. Some lovely historical detail, a storyline that I can’t predict...just rolls along nicely very like that tv series about the Bawdy House that I can’t remember the name of.
My copy of The Clearing by Samantha Clark arrived today so will be reading that this weekend.