2022 50 BOOKS - OR AS MANY AS YOU CAN MANAGE

TerriBull
That’s an interesting list

I’m really pleased you have discovered Rose Tremain, you certainly won’t be disappointed in her books.

The Stopped Heart, loved this, and banged on about it to anyone who would listen, I love all her books actually, always happy to see a new one published.

I read Lady in Waiting a couple of years ago Calendargirl it wasn't all parties on Mustique she had some unbearable tragedies in her life as well. I enjoyed it thought it was a good read

33 The Lamplighters Emma Stonex, 3 disappeared light house keepers, thought it might be an intriguing mystery just found it pretty lacklustre I seemed to be reading this for ages, or maybe it just seemed like it, I was warned by others up thread it was rather underwhelming.
34 Trespass Rose Tremain This was good, I hadn't read any of her books before, will certainly try some others. Set in London and rural France.
35 In a Dark Wood Amanda Craig I love some of Amanda Craig's latter books she has become one of my newly discovered go to writers of late. This is an earlier one about a divorced, out of work actor who discovers a long forgotten book written by his late mother, which he feels will unlock not only the mystery surrounding her suicide but about his own depression. Amanda Craig is very underrated imo, this was ok not one of her best.
36 Balancing Act Joanna Trollope I used to love her Aga Sagas once, then her writing went right off and became really dire. Every so often I feel I should dip my toe into one of her books again to see whether she has returned to her original form. Maybe not as good as some of her best, The Spanish Lover, Other People's Children but not as bad as Friday Nights which was awful. This is about 3 generations of a family and their up market pottery manufacturing business, along the lines of Emma Bridgewater in my mind, lots of family squabbles and not seeing eye to eye how the business should progress.
37 The Stopped Heart Julie Myerson. I've only read one of her other books, which I know I enjoyed but it was a long time ago. This was by far the best book I've read this month, I couldn't put it down quite dark. Two time frames, Late 19th century during a ferocious storm a stranger is found under an uprooted tree on a farm, taken in by the family it soon becomes apparent he isn't going to leave. A century later a couple haunted by a slowly revealed tragedy buy a country cottage adjacent to the farm, both narratives are heartbreaking and dark and in the case of the earlier story extremely violent.
38 State of Wonder Ann Patchett I enjoyed Commonwealth set in small town America, this one is set in the heart of the Amazon, up river from Manaus where the main character a pharmacologist has travelled to bring back information about drug research done by her former teacher. Haven't quite finished it not enjoying it as much as I thought I would, do love the writers descriptions of Manaus though really wanted to go there but never did fascinated by a city in the middle of the jungle with an opera house on the river that is so wide you can't see the other side.

#41. Lady In Waiting by Anne Glenconner.

Book 78 now underway. It`s Walkers, by Graham Masterton. I think it`ll be good.

Fairfraise
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, is a really beautiful book.
So atmospheric, so sad, and with such wonderful characters.
You’ve made me want to re-read it.

The Lonely Skier is hotting up. It involves a stash of Nazi gold hidden in the Dolomites, and there's a fair bit of skullduggery and revenge to come !

I like the sound of ‘Agent Josephine’, thanks fairfraise.

You mention Innes and ski slopes. Not planned (the book was lent to me the other day) is another book with a snowy setting:

#38 ‘Snow, Dog, Foot’ by Claudio Morandini. Good for reading in the heat, also because it’s short! Moving, sometimes funny, beautifully written (and beautifully translated) story from the point of view of an old man, and the dog who follows him, of a solitary life.

The best book I read last month was Agent Josephine , US Beauty, French Hero, British Spy by Damien Lewis. Its about the famous singer recruited by M15. She had a really interesting life. The book sweeps through the pre war years in Europe and beyond. I couldn't put it down.

I reread The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.
I first read it when I was a teenager, but every time you get more out of the book. Loneliness, angst, prejudice, friendship, poverty set in the Deep South and this is one of the most moving. Singer's death always brings a tear to the eye.

Clock without Hands by Carson McCullers. This one is about a small town druggist and his relationships with those around him. Again it covers prejudice and attitudes in the southern US. You can almost feel the heat of the area in the writing.

I've just started The Lonely Skier by Hammond Innes. This is a thriller set against ski slopes and a lodge and is really quite a good read.

Ghost Virus was a cracking good read. A bit fanciful and touches of the supernatural, but a good read nevertheless. Still considering book 78.

Ghost Virus was a cracking good read. A bit fanciful and touches of supernatural, but a good read nevertheless. Still considering book 78.

24 Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively. I read it when it first came out in the 80’s but had forgotten most of it. It was a lovely re-read, such beautiful prose.

The last three books have not been the best of the year, in fact the second disgusted me so much that I put it in the recycling bin.
#58 was A Year at St. Yorricks by Adrian Plass; a mildly comical book sending up parish newsletters. Normally I love Adrian Plass’s books but this was not one of his best.
#59 was The Boneyard by Mark Sennen. Horrible book.
#60 was A Spoonful of Murder by J. M. Hall. A mildly entertaining cosy murder mystery.

Manhattan Nocturne wasn`t the best read ever, but I managed to finish it. I really didn`t like the main characters at all, so wouldn`t recommend it.
Have just started book 77, Ghost Virus, by Graham Masterton. I think I`ll enjoy this one.

Book 33
Flesh and Blood - Patricia Cornwell
Haven’t read one of these in a while, I like the characters, Kay, Benton, Lucy and Marino.
It wasn’t one of her best, but it’s good comfort reading, coming back to characters you know so well.

Now on book 76, Manhattan Nocturne, by Colin Harrison. I don`t think it`s going to be an easy read, but will persist.

#47 The Shadow Sister Lucinda Riley.
The third in a series about seven adopted sisters who are named after the stars of the Pleiades (this one is Asterope). A good read but over long.

Invisible City was a bit fanciful, but not bad. Just started book 75, Love, Aubrey, by Suzanne LaFleur. It`s meant for girls aged 9+, but not a bad read so far.

23. Redhead at the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler. She’s always a hit for me.

Just started book 74, Invisible City, by M.G Harris. I think it`s meant to be a teenagers book, but it looks like it might be an OK read.

The Colditz Story was very interesting. Some of the situations I remembered from the TV series years ago. I never knew till reading this book that Airey Neave was in Colditz and escaped. Sadly he died by a bomb from the IRA many years later.

22. A Rage to Live by Mary S Lovell. This is a monster of a book, at 800+ pages, a biography of the Victorian polymath and explorer Richard Burton & his wife Isabel nee Arundell.

It’s taken me a month to read but I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly.

#40. Not Dead Yet by Peter James.

#37 Audrey Blake ‘The Girl in His Shadow’ I enjoyed my #30 Cresswell’ ‘The Midwife’ and this is not dissimilar: historical fiction around a woman practitioner of medicine. A well told story, not much suspense but well researched.

I enjoyed Beautiful Dy more than I expected to.
Book 73, to be started later, is The Colditz Story, by P.R.Reid. I remember Pat Reid as one of the main characters in the TV series quite a few years back, so looking forward to reading his book.

27. The Siege, Helen Dunmore
A well informed fictionalised account of the Siege of Leningrad. I loved this one, and learned so much from it. In fact I’m still banging on about the horrors of the siege to anyone who’ll listen.

28. A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy, Anne Cleeves
I enjoyed this one as well, as a bit of lightweight reading. Vicar’s wife, saintly Dorothea, is found strangled in the park. Who could have wished her harm? Of course as the story comes out we learn that all is not as it seems….

29. Cry Baby, Mark Billingham
Another good choice, about the disappearance of a child from his local park. I always enjoy MB’s books. But I “read” this one as an audiobook and didn’t quite follow the denouement. It’s not as easy to flick back and check as it is with a book!