2023 - 50 BOOK CHALLENGE

My #7 was Nancy Mitford in Persuit of Love and Other Novels, but after a nagging suspicion I’m certain I’ve read it before and began to remember it too well. So I’ve swapped to A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, which follows the life of four friends. It was short listed for the Booker, and apparently addresses difficult issues in the four men’s lives. It’s also very long, so don’t think I’ll be posting on #8 any time soon!

Mothering Sunday was disappointing. I expected to be greatly moved by it as it was on so many peoples favourite lists. But I suppose we all get different things from books we read.

no.28 is Marcia Willetts Reflections. Fingers crossed it's as good as all her others.

You're right Diggingdoris . I loved Mothering Sunday but gave up on The Ink Black Heart which others seemed to enjoy. I just could not be bothered with reading all those text messages in it.

It was a Christmas present so it's sitting on my book shelves so maybe one day I'll feel in the right mood for it.

The Secret Voices was very good. Now reading book 39, Here Lie the Dead, by J D Kirk. I`ve read one other in this series, good murder stories with a bit of humour attached.

Here Lie the Dead was really quite good, I enjoyed it.

No 10. *And Finally*: matters of life and death by Henry Marsh. He is a retired brain surgeon who has since had a diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening illness. This is his account of coping with that and reflecting back on his life.

Book 16. The Swedish Art of Aging Well by Margareta Magnusson.. I was having a particularly bad day when this cheerful and reassuring little book waved at me on BorrowBox. It lifted my mood.

Book 10 The Last Remains by Ellie Griffiths. The last Ruth Galloway book and I will miss her.

#12 The hours Before Dawn Celia Fremlin Picked this from a recommendation on here Thank you Litterpicker and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will read more of hers now.

#13 Winter People Gráinne Murphy Lovely but ultimately sad story about a woman living in a small house by the beach where she has been since she was born and is about to be evicted. Interwoven are stories about her neighbour and the sheriff who will carry out the eviction. The characters stayed with me after the book was finished.

Book 40, Rabbit Hole, by one of my favourite authors, Mark Billingham, but so far I`m disappointed. It says on the front that it`s fast paced, but not so far.

Marcia Willett's Reflections was good but it picked up on characters from her Chadwick chronicles that I read in 2000/2009. I had forgotten who was related to whom, so it spoilt it a bit for me.
29. Is another Marcia Willett-The Garden House which has characters from her 1995 book Those Who Serve in it so I'm trying hard to remember that story as well. As I've read a lot of books since then my little grey cells are working hard.

Rabbit Hole got better at the end, but a bit late I thought.
Now reading, and enjoying, Not a Happy Family, by Shari Lapena.

Sorry, should have said, book 41.

Book 14
Should we Stay or should we go- Lionel Shriver
I loved this, absolutely hilarious, clever, poignant, and for our generation, a bit fearful.
Cyril and Kay, two health professionals, decide that on Kay’s 80th birthday, they will commit suicide, to save themselves from pain, and possible dementia, and to save the NHS spending thousands on their degeneration.
There follows twelve possible scenarios, some funny, some sad, some absolutely horrible, some futuristic, but all funny.
There is a lot of talk of Brexit, of covid, and Ms Shriver herself gets a mention, and it’s not very flattering.
Definitely uncomfortable in some ways, not a very optimistic look at old age, but I think the moral of the story is to enjoy life while you can.

#14 Northern Lights Nora Roberts.
I always enjoy Nora Roberts' books. This is one I hadn't read before despite the fact it is about 20 years old. It is set in a small town in Alaska and the descriptions of the beautiful landscape, unforgiving climate and the type of people who live there are very good. Add in a who done it not revealed until near the end and you have a great read.

9 and 10: Trespass by Louise Kennedy is a sort- of- love story set in Belfast in the troubles. It was rather a dispiriting read, but very enlightening about life lived by ordinary families in terrible times.
Clare Mackintosh's After the End concerns a very sick child, and his parent at odds with the hospital caring for him. It is quite harrowing and all the more so when you learn that the author writes from personal experience, but I found it difficult to put down.

Hellogirl1- I love Shari Lapena's books!

Chocolatelovinggran - I am currently reading After the End too and agree that it is harrowing but impossible to put down. My other reading is currently ‘on hold’ while I read this and, as you say, she writes from personal experience and I think this comes through very clearly. I’m about half way through and have no idea as yet of where it will finish up.

Chocolatelovinggran I enjoyed (if that's the right word) After the End by Clare Mackintosh. It's a harrowing story, as you say, and clearly written from the heart.

Another fan here of Shari Lapena.

I ran out of books to read and couldn't fit in a trip to the library, so my books Nos. 21 and 22 are re-reads of 2 favourites - The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman and Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell.

Not a Happy Family was really good. Just starting book 42, The Girl Who Left, by Jenny Blackhurst.

The garden house was lovely, though I did get a bit confused with the characters. It was good to see young people supporting one another after family loss. Very heartwarming.

no 30Ruth Rendell's short story collection Means of Evil. I will have read every one of the Wexford books when this is finished, so I'm quite chuffed. As each of the stories is only about 40 pages long, his should be a nice relaxing read.

#14. Sidney Chambers and The Shadow Of Death.

See above, by James Runcie.

I have just finished re-reading Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell and enjoyed it as much as the first read.

Fortunately 5 reservations have arrived at the library so later today I'll start Book No. 23 The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst.

Glad you enjoyed ‘The Hours Before Dawn’, Lindylou.

#8 Limberlost by Robbie Arnott. This is about a boy growing up in Tasmania during the 1930s/40s. As the youngest in a family of a girl and three boys, Ned is left at home, helping to work the family’s orchards, when his brothers go to war. His father still suffers from the trauma of his service in WW1. His mother died when he was very young. The descriptions both of the characters and the wonderful landscapes are beautifully written and the book is near perfect, in my opinion.