2022 50 BOOKS - OR AS MANY AS YOU CAN MANAGE

I struggled with American Rust to start with, then suddenly it began to flow, and I enjoyed it.

I’m glad others have enjoyed it. I don’t know anyone in real life who’s read it.

I probably wouldn`t have bought it, but it was in a pile my daughter lent me.

30. The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett
Identical twins leave their small hometown in the Deep South for the big city. One decides she’s going to pass as white and here their lives diverge. Years later their daughters’ paths cross and the lies start to unravel. A great read and interesting story, very well written.

31. Dolphin Junction, Mick Herron
Short crime stories, with twists. Enjoyable, but again I downloaded it to listen to on my walks and kept missing bits and having to rewind. I’m still not sure yet that I got one of the endings.

#50 A Catalogue of Catastrophe Jodi Taylor.
Number 13, and latest, in the brilliant Chronicles of St Mary's series. Really enjoyed it but sad that I'm going to have to wait months for the next instalment.

I'm reading A Keeper by Graham Norton. It's very good.

Maggiemaybe

30. The Vanishing Half, Brit Bennett
Identical twins leave their small hometown in the Deep South for the big city. One decides she’s going to pass as white and here their lives diverge. Years later their daughters’ paths cross and the lies start to unravel. A great read and interesting story, very well written.

31. Dolphin Junction, Mick Herron
Short crime stories, with twists. Enjoyable, but again I downloaded it to listen to on my walks and kept missing bits and having to rewind. I’m still not sure yet that I got one of the endings.

Maggiemaybe I agree, I read The Vanishing Half last year, loved it, it was definitely a stand out book for me.

Book 34
Patrick Gale - Mothers Boy
Although a big Patrick Gale fan, this wasn’t one of my favourites, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, but I wasn’t gripped.

It’s the story of the Cornish poet, Charles Causley, his years in the navy during the Second World War, and his hidden gay sexuality.

It’s very moving in parts, but somehow I felt it only really skimmed the surface, there must have been so much more to tell, sometimes I felt it was more about laundry than poetry.

No 26. The House of Arden by E Nesbit. I found this children’s book while I was clearing out my house and decided to read it. I’m so glad, as I really enjoyed it.

My book group had a good discussion about The Vanishing Half. Very interesting themes.

I quite liked Bad Mothers United. Book 83 was The Tenko Club, a bit chick-littish, but OK. Now reading City of Scars, by J.D.Kirk. book 84.

I’ve read two books this week which Is unusual for me. The first was free offer on kindle The Secrets of Elephants by Vasundra Tailor Asian Historical Fiction. Second is Daughters of War by Dinah Jeffries set in Dordogne during 2nd world war. I enjoyed both these books.

#44. I Follow You by Peter James.

#39 Jodi Picoult ‘Small Great Things’, title after a Dr M Luther King phrase on overcoming racism. Recommended by a friend who found it moving and informing. For me, a good say 3/5 book doing its small part in trying to break through the mindsets that harm us.

Loved city of Scars, realistic police thriller with a fair bit of humour as well. Have just started book 85, Fear no Evil, the latest Alex Cross book by James Patterson.

#64 was Mrs. Pargetter’s Public Relations by Simon Brett. I love the Mrs Pargetter series, a gentle, humorous crime series mostly published around thirty years ago but this is a later novel. Mrs. Pargetter is a seemingly innocent elderly widow, whose husband left his little black book of people who had worked for him, all of whom have skills honed in criminal circles.
#65 was A Place Like Home by Rosamund Pilcher, a collection of short stories published posthumously. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
#66 was Lucas Unleashed - a book of short anecdotes by the Christian speaker Jeff Lucas. Some were humorous, others more poignant, but all had a pertinent message.

No 27 Three Men on the Bummel(!) by Jerome K Jerome. It’s a follow-up to Three Men in a Boat but not so good.

I have just finished ‘Murder at the Abbey’ by Jan Durham. Light and enjoyable cozy mystery set in Whitby, a town I know and like. That made the story interesting for me.

The characters were good, with interesting interactions. Easy to read - I’ve decided to read the next one!

#45. Dead Man’s Footsteps by Peter James.

Book 86, Daylight, the latest Atlee Pine book from David Baldacci.

#51 A Prisoner of Birth Jeffrey Archer.
A good yarn from a master story teller. It is loosely inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo (man imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, revenge). Very entertaining.

I really enjoyed Daylight, but then I love David Baldacci`s books anyway. Have just started book 87, Firewall, by Henning Mankell, an Inspector Wallender book.

#52 The Last Summer Karen Swan.
From my virtual pile of free Kindle books. Inspired by the real life voluntary evacuation of the last 36 residents of St Kilda in 1930 but the characters and events are fictional. It is a love story between two people from different worlds. Naturally things do not go smoothly and there are dark secrets. I enjoyed it and will probably look for the next book in the series when it is published as this one ended with quite a cliff hanger.

I'm halfway through American Rust right now and I think I'll persevere!
Where the Crawdads Sing - I loved this book, although the end was a bit of a surprise. It was beautifully written in the description of the natural world and two sympathetic main characters
The Nightingale by Kirstin Hannah. I loved this book set in occupied France and the horrors of that time. At the end I thought it was Isabelle speaking until revealed as Viane. Brilliant depiction of Beck, shame he died, as he was one of the more approachable Germans.
The Good, the Bad and the Little Bit Stupid by Marina Lewycka. This is hilarious in parts and also very sombre in the story of kidney harvesting. Shame George never found his password.
The Self Enchanted by David Stacton about a brutal man who employs an architect to build him a house.
I'm also halfway through Money by Emile Zola. They're always a good read, with huge cast of characters. This is about a failed property speculator in Paris determined to rebuild his wealth. It mentions dealing in the Middle East and the Suez Canal area, and is like a potted history.

Firewall was alright, but I won`t be rushing to read any more Inspector Wallender books. Have since read book 88, Tooth and Nail, a Rebus story by Ian Rankin, and loved it, despite it being a bit dated. Am now reading book 89, The Accidental Husband, by Jane Green, but too early to give an opinion.

#46. Revenge, Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors.

Really looking forward to reading this one!