2023 - 50 BOOK CHALLENGE

Last night I finished The Perfect Lie, another book by Jo Spain but not nearly as good as The Last to Disappear. It was 387 pages but I felt the storyline was stretched out.

Now reading Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift, Book 14, having watched the drama version of it on TV recently.

Book 8 The Killing Tide by Lin Anderson. I am partial to a bit of Tartan Noir.

I don’t know how I hadn’t heard of Harriet Evans before now! This was dh’s choice of book for Christmas for me. He does have very good taste in books, I’ll give him that.

SueDonim

No 8. The Garden of Lost and Found by Harriet Evans. A five-generation family saga centred round an old house and the world of art. Most enjoyable!

I,loved that one when I read it.

The 3 Bookshots from James Patterson were almost farcical. I know fictional stories are exaggerated, but if those were even a bit like true life in the USA I'm glad I don't live there. The one I did enjoy was ' Dead man running ' about a plot to kill the female president.

So on to no.18 Monty Don's My Garden World. Nice and relaxing this one.
It does seem as if we read lots of books, but as I read before I go to sleep, then again a short while when I wake up, and even if I lie awake in the middle of the night I'll always read a while. So I can soon get through at least one per week.

Sparklefizz, I liked Invisible Girl, but a bit uncertain about the ending.
Now on book 27, The Berlin Girl, by Mandy Robotham. It`s about a young newspaper journalist being sent as Berlin correspondent in the summer of 1938. Could be interesting.

SueDonim

No 8. The Garden of Lost and Found by Harriet Evans. A five-generation family saga centred round an old house and the world of art. Most enjoyable!

I read that last year SueDonim, if you enjoyed it you might like another one of her books, if you haven't already read it, "The Beloved Girls"

No 8. The Garden of Lost and Found by Harriet Evans. A five-generation family saga centred round an old house and the world of art. Most enjoyable!

Goodness! Some of you read a LOT of books! Finished A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier. I enjoyed it, despite its aura of sadness throughout. It deals in a gentle way with some serious issues.

Book #4 is Desperate Remedies by Thomas Hardy. It's years since I read one of his books, and oh, such wonderful writing! It's such a pleasure to read his sentences. It is slow progress as I read to get myself off to sleep and sometimes I manage less than one page a night.

The next three books are as follows:
#13 The Killer in the Choir by Simon Brett. I love this series set on the South Coast featuring amateur detectives Jude and Carol.
#14 was Happy Families by Julie Ma. This was about three generations of a Chinese family in a small Welsh town. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
#15 was The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett. I enjoyed it.

Hellogirl1

I`ve just begun book 26, Invisible Girl, by Lisa Jewell. It looks promising.

I finished that about 10 days ago. Will be interested to hear what you think of it.

I`ve just begun book 26, Invisible Girl, by Lisa Jewell. It looks promising.

This Time Next Year was a lovely, light read. Haven`t decided on book 26 yet.

Diggingdoris
The only way I could read the last Hilary Mantel book, The Mirror and the Light, was to sit at the dining room table.

@Pigma
Yes, I did enjoy it and think it’s worth the wait. I had an email from the library this morning saying that the new Eve Dallas by J.D. Robb is ready for me to collect.

I know what you mean about huge books Diggingdoris. My family gave me 2 whoppers for Xmas, each about 4 inches thick. There's no way I can hold those to read in bed.

WOW! just finished my no.16. I didn't expect Tess Gerritsen to write a ghost story, but it was well worth the read. Ava is escaping to Maine to write her book, feeling guilty, so you wonder if what she is experiencing is all in her mind, or is she just tuning into the house's long history.
Started Carlene O'Connor -Murder in an Irish Village but was disappointed. Maybe it seemed dull after my last book, but could not get into it. Abandoned it after 60 pages so I won't count this on my list.
No.17 is a trio of James Patterson's Bookshots in one book. 13Minute Murder, Dead man running and Kill and Tell.

As I often get given books by friends, I ask you all if you are put off by the size of some books? I've been given some Karen Rose books but some are over 700 pages long. I wouldn't buy anything that big as I find holding them hurts my arthritic thumbs, and with a thriller I love to hurry to the end to see if I've guessed who dunnit!

Sparlefizz if your EllyG book has been in transit for a while it has probably gone astray (inadvertently re shelved or in a crate that’s been missed by the delivery driver) - I’d recommend asking your library to check what’s happened.

I’ve been trying to listen to Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead but I’ve fallen asleep too often and lost track of the story - I may have to start again!

My Book 13 is another one by Jo Spain entitled The Perfect Lie, but it hasn't grabbed me like The Last One to Disappear, also by Jo Spain. I'll continue with it, though, and plan to go to the library tomorrow to pick up the 3 reservations waiting for collection, and hoping that the new Elly G book will be added to the pile. Fingers crossed.

Oooh, Susie42, without giving anything away can you just tell us if you’ve enjoyed it? And for those of us still waiting, is it worth the wait?!!

Now reading book 25, This Time Next Year, by Sophie Cousens, her first novel. I don`t usually go for love stories, but this is OK so far.

I collected the latest Ellie Griffith from the library last Monday and it’s on a 2 week loan rather than the normal 3. I will finish it tonight and return it tomorrow as there are 45 people on the waiting list.

I’m still waiting too for the Elly Griffiths, think I’m about 5th in the queue. Lots to read meanwhile but neither Becky nor, sadly, The Only Suspect are gripping me yet. Maybe it’s just me feeling that way out but I’m getting desperate for a really engrossing page-turner!

Sparklefizz

I'm still waiting too. According to my library account, the Elly Griffiths is "in transit" - possibly from the Moon as it's taking so long.

I've just come back from Sainsburys and there it was priced at £12 ! and even better I've got quite a bit of accrued Nectar so no money parted hands. 140th odd in line just seemed toooooo long to wait, particularly when at the top of the queue it then has to be dispatched from the Moon However I've still got a book or two to read first, but it's enough just having it on the shelf particularly as it's last in the series, us fans will all be quite bereft

I'm still waiting too. According to my library account, the Elly Griffiths is "in transit" - possibly from the Moon as it's taking so long.