2023 - 50 BOOK CHALLENGE

Oh, I read that one a few years ago, Hellogirl1. I found it really gripping and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Now on book 70, The Hidden Child, by Camilla Lackberg. When her mother dies, a Swedish woman finds a Nazi medal amongst her effects.

Book 35 - Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald.
It concerns a group of misfits living on houseboats on the Thames when London was “swinging”. Brought back memories of having to negotiate gang planks to visit families living on houseboats many years ago. A short book but a satisfying one.

Finally finished Exile, thoroughly enjoyed it, plus the powerful message it conveyed.

Book 34 - The Magus of Hay by Phil Rickman.

I’d started Lessons in Chemistry but found it irritating. Was looking for something quickly and saw that BorrowBox had added some Phil Rickman titles. I remembered reading some of the Merrily Watkins books years ago and finding them engaging. This one didn’t disappoint.

#39 was A Place of Execution by Val McDermid. I bought this after you were so enthusiastic about it, TerriBull, and it was absolutely fantastic. I could recommend it to others.

Still wading through Exile, I thought I knew a fair bit about Israeli and Palestinian politics, but I`m learning a lot more now.

No 17 A Change of Climate by Hilary Mantel. Immaculate writing, of course, and I kept thinking about the book when I woke up at night.

45. Harlan Coben's The Match. Wilde, the boy found in the woods years ago is trying to find his family by DNA website. He discovers the search is a lot more complicated than he ever imagined. I admit I had to make a list of all the characters along the way as I got a bit confused, but I learnt a lot about family links. It holds you right to the final pages.

#26 The Witch With No Name Kim Harrison.
Number 13 in the Hollows urban fantasy series. I like this genre and enjoyed the book.
Not sure what to read or listen to next but it may be sci-fi 🤔. I like to switch genres.

Book 69 is Exile, by Richard North Patterson, dealing with Jews v Palestinians, and suicide bombers.

20. Still Life, Sarah Winman
I just finished this one in a rush yesterday in time for my reading group discussion. For once, we all gave the book a thumbs up! It’s a long one, a fairly involved tale of a group of friends and sundry strangers through the years, set partly in London, mainly in Florence. It took me a couple of chapters to get into it, but once there I was hooked. Highly recommended, especially for anyone who loves Italy.

21. Did She Kill Him? Kate Colquhoun
This was my latest audio book (is that cheating?). I always have one on the go from the library service for any walks on my own. It’s a very detailed account of the alleged poisoning of a Victorian cotton merchant by his American wife, Florence. James Maybrick was once put forward as a suspect in the Jack the Ripper case, but this was touched on only briefly. It’s an interesting book and for the record, I don’t think she did.

#26. Confusion by Elizabeth Jane Howard.

I’m really enjoying Marcia Willett, and have read quite a few of hers recently. I think it was someone on GN who recommended her. Thank you. 😊

#26 Lisa See ‘Dreams of Joy’ an author new to me; apparently ‘Shanghai Girls’ is the back story to this historical fiction which graphically covers Mao’s 1950s ‘Great Leap Forward’ in China, which among other things led to mass starvation and the deaths of an estimated 45 million people. Some harrowing detail but credible I thought, and readable. A family saga seen through women’s eyes. It hasn’t had the impact of ‘Wild Swans’ but reminded me of that.

#25Lionel Shriver ‘Should We Stay or Should We Go’ another re-read as I mentioned it at my book group and it’s now adopted for next month. A couple in their 50s make a rational pact to avoid the costs and risks of age by planning to ‘go’ at age 80. Of course it all gets more complicated than they’d imagined. I found it blazing and sometimes funny but it’s also quite savage in places…

I’d recommend all my latest four:

16. The Perfect Family, Robyn Harding
Or so they seem. Until their lovely home is targeted by vandalism and spiteful attacks, and it appears that every one of them has secrets, and enemies who could be involved. I enjoyed the book, and the gradual way the story escalated and unfolded, even though the ending seemed a bit pat - until the final twist…

17. Tell Me How This Ends, Jo Leevers
This was a bit different. The main character is a loner who gets a job with a charity project. She’s interviewing terminally ill people attending a day centre with a view to writing up their life stories. She becomes obsessed with one in particular, and determines to get to the bottom of why her client’s young sister disappeared many years ago.. If you can gloss over a couple of obvious holes in the plot, it’s a good read. And actually very funny in parts!

18. The Forgetting, Hannah Beckerman
This one focuses on two young women. One’s been in a car accident and is suffering from amnesia, the other starts to doubt what her husband has told her about his past. What’s the connection between the two?

19. How to Kill Your Family, Bella Mackie
Not as strange as it sounds, when you hear how badly the killer was treated by her birth family. We follow the story as she picks them off one by one. Until there’s just one left, one who provides a surprising twist to the tale. Loved it!

Now on book 68, I See You, by Clare Mackintosh.

Teabagwoman
Such a sad ending, didn’t see it coming, although there was a little trail of clues leading up to it.

Book 33. The Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson.
Not her best book I think but still enjoyable. Glad I persevered with it.

Sara you and I seem to have similar reading tastes. I had to persevere with The Marriage Portrait but was sad when I got to the end.

Sparklefizz

Started reading Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson but just can't get into it after 57 pages.

It may be me because I've had a very stressful few days (weeks/months) so I've put it to one side and have started something else.

I would also echo what others have said Sparklefizz, it's quite a good read, not one of her best but I liked the way she evoked the jazz age in it. I think she set a very high standard in some of her other books, devotees often anticipating her "next masterpiece" but sometimes, to be expected really, they miss the mark. However, not her worst, that was definitely Transcription! imo.

In anticipation that you do decide to join the thread Whitewave, welcome! It's always good to have new posters.

Whitewavemark1
Another one you need to persevere with.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in the end.

Thanks Sara and teabagwoman - I'll give it another try then.

I might try to join in on this lovely thread.

I am about a third of the way through The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farell. I enjoyed Hamnet so much.

I don’t think it is so enjoyable, but I’m suspending judgement until the end I think.

I must have done at least my 50 by now.
I am enjoining hugely rereading the Dorothy Dunnett “The House of Niccolo “ series. I’m on book 2 at the moment and have bought the other 6 second hand…