2022 50 BOOKS - OR AS MANY AS YOU CAN MANAGE

I’ve no idea how many books I’ve read; at least two a week, sometimes up to four.
The most recent was Joanne Harris “The Narrow Door” as sort of sequel to “Gentlemen and Players”. Both very creepy and engaging, if you like that sort of thing - strong, manipulative women in difficult situations, overcoming them in one way or another.

Book 35
Reputation-Sarah Vaughan
Not as good as I was expecting, I’m totally disillusioned with MPs, so I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for our heroine.
She managed to get herself involved with a tabloid journalist, obviously no good could come from that!
The other side of the story, which was the bullying of her daughter was more interesting.
Overall, disappointing.

Book 36
The Less Dead - Denise Mina
First book of hers I’ve read.
Readable crime novel set in Glasgow, a woman goes searching for her birth mother and gets more than she bargained for.

Book 37
My Sister, my Love- Joyce Carol Oates.
What a book. I’m a big fan of this writer, but nearly gave up before I started, because the print was so small, I struggled to read it.
The story of Bliss Rampike, six year old skating protégé, murdered in her own home.
In the character of the child’s mother, Betsey Rampike, the author has created one of the most hideous and wicked women I think I’ve ever come across.
The family are horrendous social climbers, little Bliss is treated as a means of getting the Rampikes into the best society and her poor brother Skyler has endless play dates with the children of the rich and influential.
The story, is a book written by nineteen year old Skyler, in and out of expensive special schools, out of contact with his family, riddled with guilt, because due to the endless pills he was given, he can’t be entirely sure he didn’t murder his little sister.
Betsey and Bix are among the most awful dysfunctional parents you could imagine, if you enjoy looking at the absolute worst of American society, you’ll love this.

28. Three Men on a Bummel by Jerome K Jerome. A follow-up to Three Men in a Boat but nowhere near as funny.

And 29, which I meant to add to my previous post.

East West Street by Phillipe Sands. It’s about the terms Crime Against Humanity and Genocide, which were each created by men from Lviv in Ukraine.

Book 100, Witness in Death, by J.D.Robb

Another three books - quick, easy reads as l have spent time in and out of hospital.
#76 was Last Day of School by Jack Sheffield. Set in the school year 1987/8, it was a lovely slice of nostalgia.
#78 was Mrs Pargeter’s Plot by Simon Brett. Possibly the weakest of the series but still entertaining.
#79 was Mrs Pargeter’s Principle by Simon Brett. Back to his usual entertaining form.

Book 46, Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. Enjoyed is the wrong word, but what a book! had me in tears.

Book 101, Survivor in Death, by J.D.Robb

#59 Come Sundown Nora Roberts.
Montana ranchers and horsemen, a couple of romances, a harrowing at times story of kidnap and rape. It was a good read.

All these J.D.Robb books that I`ve been reading are also by Nora Roberts, writing under another name. She`s very prolific.

She certainly is Hellogirl1, I didn't realise "J.D. Robb" was Nora Roberts, thank you.

Book 102, Origin in Death, by J.D.Robb

Book 103, Salvation in Death, by J.D.Robb. Loving these, although the sex bits make me blush a bit!

#60 The House at Sea's End Elly Griffiths.
Number 3 in a series about a forensic archaeologist, Dr Ruth Galloway, helping the police with murder enquiries. It is set in North Norfolk and the descriptions of the unique coastline are quite powerful. I enjoyed it.

Book 38
The House at Riverton - Kate Morton
I’ve read some of her other novels an enjoyed them, but this one, her best selling debut novel, I somehow missed.

I was quite disappointed, it was a bit like Downtown Abbey, but without all the colourful characters.

Grace goes into service at fourteen, eventually becoming a ladies maid, you are being told the story by Grace, now a very old lady, and Grace is the only person who knows what really happened at a lavish party , where a young poet appeared to have shot himself.

It’s not bad, but I found the characters not particularly interesting, certainly not gripping.

#48. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman.

30 All My Mothers by Joanna Glen. About a young woman looking for her ‘real’ mother and finding many mothers along the way.

Tbh, it didn’t thrill me as much as all the rave reviews indicated.

Book 104, Kindred in Death, by J.D.Robb

#61 Real Bad Things Kelly J Ford.
One from my virtual pile of free Kindle books. It is about secrets and lies around a dysfunctional family and a killing twenty five years previously in an Arkensas trailer park. The characters are all unlikable and the book is dark but I found it quite compelling. Even so I doubt if I will look for more of this author's books.

#80 was The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the latest in the series, which was set in the first lockdown. It helped to bring back the sheer awfulness bill that time.
#80 was A Friend for Life - heartwarming tales of people who have rehomed dogs and cats from Battersea and how their lives have changed for the bett because of it.
#81 was Murder in Summer by Lina Areklew. This was a Scandinavian thriller set in the north of Sweden with the roots of the murders going back to 1979.

31. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni. The main protagonist is a boy born with red eyes, who becomes the target for bullying at his Covent school. There’s a hefty dose of religiosity in it, which spoiled it for me.

Book 105, Chasing Fire, by Nora Roberts. About a team of people who jump out of planes to fight forest fires.

I loved Chasing Fire, it had loads of action, plus murder, romance, sex, and a good story.
Now just starting book 106, another by Nora Roberts, Whiskey Beach.

32. Deconstructed, Liz Talley
A bit of fun, about a cheating husband who gets his come-uppance when his wife and her friend get to work on him.

33. All the Lies They Did Not Tell, Pablo Trincia
Not at all fun. A journalist investigates the truth behind a true story of supposed satanic child abuse in Italy in the 1990s, and the devastating consequences for everyone involved.

34. The Coronavirus Doctor’s Diary, John Wright
Again, a very sobering read, but absolutely fascinating. The amazing Prof Wright, a medical doctor and epidemiologist, had a regular slot on Radio 4 from the very start of the pandemic, recording from the front line and chronicling its progress in Bradford. I was lucky enough to hear him speak about his diaries recently and immediately bought the book, proceeds of which go to charity.

35. The Murder Book, Mark Billingham
A good yarn from one of my favourite thriller writers.

36. A Keeper, Graham Norton
I wasn’t sure about trying it, not having enjoyed the recent TV series, Holding, but I thought this book was charming. It’s about a young woman returning to Ireland after her mother’s death, and unravelling the secrets about her parentage.

37. Left You Dead, Peter James
Reminded me how good this series is. This one focussed a lot more than usually on Roy Grace’s private life, and was surprisingly brutal about it.

38. Home Stretch, Graham Norton
I was tempted to another of Graham’s books, and it was nearly, if not quite, as enjoyable as A Keeper. Again partly set in Ireland and partly in the US, and involving secrets and lies from the past.

I enjoyed Whiskey Beach. Have just started book 107, Net Force, by Tom Clancy, I`ve not read any of his books before, hope I like it.