2022 50 BOOKS - OR AS MANY AS YOU CAN MANAGE

#34 was The Life of Stuff by Susannah Walker. An interesting look at how the author’s mother became a hoarder.
#35 was Bang in the Middle by Robert Shore. A look at the author’s native Midlands and what it means to be a Midlander.
#36 was The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman. I enjoyed this even more than the original Thursday Murder Club.

Hellogirl
The Light Between Oceans is a wonderful book, and the film was done really well.
I’m certain you’re going to enjoy it.

15 The Black Prince by Michael Jones. A biography of Edward the Black Prince. I’ve always been fascinated by him because I regularly used to walk past his tomb in Canterbury cathedral, where his achievements were on display. I really enjoyed this account of his life.

#29 Louise Candlish ‘’Our House’ How to lose your marriage, money and future … for me, overlong and not quite gripping.

I loved Blue Monday, it had a sting in it`s tail though. I`m now reading book 44, The Light Between Oceans, by M.L.Stedman. I`ve read a lot of praise for this book, so looking forward to reading it.

Book 42 was Darkhouse, by Alex Barclay, her first book, and it was very good. Now on book 43, Blue Monday, by Nicci French. I wasn`t too sure for a while, but enjoying it now.

#28. The Swimming Pool by Louise Candlish.

Loved A Daughter`s Journey, now on book 41, A Woman`s Promise, loving it.

#29 An Argumentation of Historians Jodi Taylor.
Number 9 in the marvellous Chronicles of St Mary's series. Very good.

Ended up quite enjoying There was a Time. Now reading book 40, A Daughter`s Journey, by Anna Jacobs, really like it.

Book 39, There Was a Time, by Frank White. It`s more like a collection of short stories than a novel, it`s based on his own memories of life in WW2, set in a Lincolnshire village. I wouldn`t madly recommend it, but it`s OK.

Hi. I decided to attempt this when it was posted. I have lost my way a bit and mislaid my list of books to read but probably read about twenty. Many were recommended by a popular women's magazine. One by Dawn French I found decent quality.

#27. Dead If You Don’t by Peter James.

I loved that book Sweet Caress by William Boyd. Might be time for a reread!

#26. The Skylight by Louise Candlish.

16 Sweet Caress, The many Lives of Amory Clay - William Boyd I've become a great fan of William Boyd's books since I started reading them a couple of years ago, so far, all have very different subject matter. This one tells the tale of Amory Clay, born in the Edwardian era and as an adult embarks on a career of photojournalism unusual for a woman of her era. The book describes her time in a decadent Berlin during the Weimar Republic, 1930s London where the Blackshirts are emerging as violent far right fascists. She spends some time in New York before returning to Europe during the war to spend time with the Allied troops where she meets and marries her husband as the war draws to a close. Post war returns to his farm in Scotland has children and spends some quiet years there as a wife and mother. Returning to her former career as a widow with grown children when she flies to Vietnam in the '70s to photograph that war. Excellent.

17 Blue Eyed Boy - Joanne Harris (Audio} Having read a couple of other books by this author which I really enjoyed found this one rather disappointing. Described as a dark intricately plotted tale of a poisonously dysfunctional family, one of them a serial murderer who is not what he seems, told through a series of anonymous posts on the internet. Too intricate at times had me confused and I couldn't be bothered replaying any of it to clarify certain points. Persevered not one of her best.

18 Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant Ann Tyler. AT is such a great storyteller in relation to small town America. One of her earlier ones. The book tells the story of three siblings and their experiences and recollections of growing up with their mother after their family is deserted by their father and the different paths their lives take. I enjoyed it.

19 Reputation Sarah Vaughan Read this hot on the heels of the launch of her other book on Netflix, Anatomy of a Scandal, not quite as good as that imo. This time the focus is on a Labour MP accused of the murder of a tabloid journalist.

20 Trust Me - T M Logan Not awful but somewhat underwhelming standard sort of thriller. Implausible opening woman on a train gets asked to hold a baby by another woman who needs to make a phone call in a quieter part of the train, then she disappears and the first woman is left holding the baby!

21 Something in Disguise - Elizabeth Jane Howard. Loved the Cazalet Chronicles by this author. I haven't read anything of hers for a long time. Quite enjoyed this one. May, widowed in the war, terrible second marriage. Like the other couple of books mentioned, again dysfunctional adult children and their relationships.

* The second in the Dante Valentine series.

#27 Dead Man Rising - Dante Valentine Lilith Saintcrow.
The second in the Dante Valentine. A dark urban fantasy with a complicated, damaged female protagonist. I enjoyed it but for my next book felt in need of something lighter. So -
#28 The Grand Sophy Georgette Heyer.
One of my very favourite GH novels.

Enjoying book 38, Born to Trouble, by Rita Bradshaw.

Book 21 and 22
Both really good

Book 21
We Begin at the End- Chris Whitaker
Set in a small town in America, a group of people are changed and haunted by a tragic event thirty years ago.
The book would be a good crime novel anyway, you never know who to believe, it’s incredibly atmospheric, and hard to put down.
But the main attraction of this book are the characters. Walk, the town policeman with torn loyalties, and dealing with an illness which is progressing quickly.
Duchess Radley is a tiger, fighting ferociously for her family, then there are smaller but beautifully crafted characters like Thomas and Dolly and Grandpa.
Really enjoyed it.

Book 22
Outside the Sky is Blue - christina Patterson
A family memoir
A family who seem to be charmed, beautiful highly intelligent Swedish girl meets equally intelligent handsome Englishman.
They marry, take postings in some exotic parts of the world, and when the children start to arrive return to Surrey.
They have three adorable children, Caroline, Tom and Christina, but it’s not long till things start to go wrong.
It’s a wonderful tale of family, despite the trials they face, the parents never stop fighting for their children, and the children throughout continue to adore their parents.
Christina, now a journalist, writes it as it is, she is very candid about her own problems and constantly tries to support her family.
This is truly a heartwarming book.

#28 Amor Towles ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ Looked a bit daunting (600+ pages, Russian setting) but a bear hug of the warm and utterly charming kind.

A book a day? Wow! I read quite fast and usually I read a book over 3/4 days to a week.
Just read an Ann Cleeves - The Herons Cry.

I read a book a day. Have done for years. Hard to FIND a new book a day now, and of course budget...but I reread my collection when without new books.
Mostly science fiction, a wee bit of fantasy, grimdark preferably, and misc odd bits of non fiction and mainstream fiction.
Not mysteries unless someone can offer something like that that isn't a murder book.

Widow`s Courage made a nice change, a lighter read. Next book not decided yet.

Green Dolphin Country by Elizabeth Gouge, a long read about a family on Jersey and the one of the daughters moving to New Zealand. The author had never been to NZ so the descriptions of local culture are at times a bit overblown, but its quite a gripping story and a real romance. It was made into a sweeping epic film post war. A real page turner, picked up from a phonebox library, and in tatters so went into recycling at the end.

Still Life by Kate Atkinson. I loved this book set in Italy and London, a sweeping tale spanning the century up to the 70s.

The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred Years Old Man by Jonas Jonasson one of those madcap stories and very funny
Eat the Buddha by Barbara Demick, about life in a Tibetan town, the conflict with China and the hardship within. Its written by a journalist and is broad ranging and fascinating.