2023 - 50 BOOK CHALLENGE

#28. Cover Her Face by PD James.

22. Forever Home, Graham Norton
I did enjoy this one, as I have his other books. The characters are well-rounded, and some of them very likeable. The plot revolves round a particular house, what happens when the occupant’s partner succumbs to dementia and has to go into a home, and she is thrown out by his children. She ends up moving back in, much to their disgust, but what’s in the old freezer she finds in the cellar? Could this be where her partner’s missing wife ended up? It kept my interest throughout, and there were a couple of laugh out loud moments.

23. According to Yes, Dawn French
I didn’t take to this one at all. It’s the tale of an annoyingly (to me) upbeat and I’m-mad-me Englishwoman who moves in with an uptight New York family as the nanny and (of course) teaches them all how to transform their lives for the better by swearing and constantly scoffing cake and doughnuts. And (of course) they all adore her and her lovely big bum that we hear about all the blooming time. There’s cutesy phrases that (of course) make everyone smile (“he was the most tired tired-out-est he’d ever been”) and some cringeworthy sex scenes (“mingling their tongues in succulent bliss” ). And then (SPOILER ALERT) there’s a baby that could have any one of three fathers, one barely legal, but hey, everyone’s happy with this in the end, even the wives of the three men, because Rosie is so wonderful. The online reviews are generally good though, so perhaps it’s just me. I didn’t like Mamma Mia either!

TerriBull
Normally in agreement with you, but I really liked Exiles, love all her books.
I also enjoyed‘How to Measure a Cow’
Margaret Forster is one of my all time favourite writers,

#42 was Indian Summer by Marcia Willett. These books are set in the West Country and are a similar style to Rosamunde Pilcher, featuring hearty Upper Middle Class families in large houses with lots of dogs. They are very enjoyable, though, although this was not her best. It’s gentle escapism and I still enjoyed it.

Just finished Book No. 43 - True Colours by Kristin Hannah and really enjoyed it.

It's a story about the powerful bond between sisters ... about jealousy, betrayal, passion and forgiveness... set on a ranch in the US. I have never been to America but her descriptions were evocative. I wasn't sure about it for the first 20 pages, but it definitely improved.

24. You Look Beautiful Tonight, L R Jones
One of the Amazon Prime freebies, which are often hit and miss. But it wasn't half bad, even though the twist could be seen a mile off. It's a thriller about an "invisible" girl (or so she sees herself), who starts getting help to make the most of herself from an unknown admirer. At first she's just sent encouraging words and wonderful designer outfits to boost her confidence, but when people who've crossed her start to come to a sticky end, it all becomes too much.

I've just started an R C Bridgestock thriller. This is the name that a husband and wife team write under. They're both ex police, and now advise productions such as Happy Valley on procedure, so I'm already learning a lot (and it's very interesting). Unfortunately the plot is giving away quite a lot of background on the main characters, presumably from earlier books. I should have started at the very beginning!

I seem to be on a roll at the moment. Half term has given me more chance to read. #43 was A Lie for a Lie by Julie Corbin. It was unputdownable. A thriller about a troubled teenager at a private school who accuses a nurse of hitting her. As the story unfolds, more and more comes out as the tension builds up. I thoroughly recommend this book.

48- Margaret Dickinson's -'Sing as we go' A wartime story of love and loss. From farm girl to ENSA singer with lots of sadness in between. An eye-opener of how unmarried Mums were treated. Great characters.

A Line in the Sand was a great read, will now look for more by Gerald Seymour. Have just started book 74, Butcher, by Campbell Armstrong.

#29. Peril At End House by Agatha Christie.

Book 39 Racingthe Devil by Charles Todd.

A detective mystery set in the years after WW1. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Satisfying plot, a range of interesting characters and a good sense of place.

Have started One Last Secret by Adele Parks but not sure if I’m going to stick with it.

Book 44 The Art of Baking Blind by Sarah Vaughan which I thoroughly enjoyed. (I am on a "Sarah Vaughan roll" at the moment, having recently finished her book Reputation)

Baking Blind is about 5 contestants on a cookery show and their back stories. I easily got hooked in to their messy lives. I'm not a baker myself but still found the cookery details interesting.

#29 Roses Are Red James Patterson.
Number 6 in the excellent Alex Cross series. A cracking thriller with a complex storyline. I did not guess 'who dunnit'. I really enjoyed it and will definitely go on to the next in the series but I think my next read will have to be gentler, I'm wrung out 😬.

32 How To Measure a Cow - Margaret Forster

I didn't realise this was the last novel from this much missed author, whilst not the best book I've enjoyed by her, it was a good read. The tale of Tara, a woman with a new identity who selects a town in Cumbria at random, far from her previous London based life. The narrative begins with her rather uneventful life as it is now told through her interaction with her curious/nosy, older neighbour, Nancy, from whence the unusual title is sprung. During one of their conversations, Nancy relates her upbringing on a farm and how it was a requirement to measure a cow, and just how that was done! Into her rather boring existence enter 3 of Tara's friends from a previous life, who she felt let her down when she most needed them. When they re establish contact, inviting her to a get together back in London, her back story during that reunion and the volatile person she was, and the reason for the new identity gradually unfolds. Not a long book just 250 pages, intriguing, although I felt it ended rather abruptly.

Now reading The Birdcage by Eve Chase, 100 pages in enjoying it and the Cornwall setting, also dipping into my non fiction, Johann Hari's Stolen Focus

I shall have to look out for Baking Blind Sparklefizz I like Sarah Vaughan's books

I shall have to look out for Baking Blind Sparklefizz I like Sarah Vaughan's books

I think she's very good at characterisation.

Sorry but haven’t been keeping up to date with my books for this year. However I also do a lot of crafting and although I really enjoy reading I don’t read nearly as much as many of you so not such a problem. Anyway here’s the list since last posting.
The Daughter in Law by Fanny Blake - enjoyable but nothing special.
The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths - I think so many of you know about this series of books. This one was just so good but very sad as it’s the last in the series. Will really miss Dr Ruth and Nelson.
The Peacock House by Kate Granville - a new author for me and an enjoyable book.
The Book Club by Roisin Meaney - another enjoyable book. There seem to be a lot of books about libraries and book clubs published recently and most seem good as easy reads.
The River Between Us by Liz Fenwick - enjoyable but nothing special!
The Favour by Nicci French - usual high standard of thriller from this husband and wife team of authors. Stayed up late to finish it.
The London Girls by Soraya M Lane - set in the 2nd world war, one of my favourite times for books so a relaxing read.
Lost for Words by Stephanie Butland - another ‘book’ theme but a very good one. Have ordered her next book from the library.
Bobby’s War by Shirley Mann - really enjoyed this one again set in the 2nd world war. Have ordered her previous book, Lily‘s War.
Will try not to leave posting so long next time!

20 Force of Nature by Jane Harper. I rather enjoy this Aussie Noir stuff!

Can’t remember how many I’ve reached,,,
The Marriage Portrait- Maggie O’Farrell. Not her best book, it’s not had especially good reviews.
About the daughter of Cosimo de Medici and .Eleanor of Toledo in the mid 1500s. Lucretia was effectively sold in marriage to duke Alfonso il d’Eoste, aged 13. She was dead 4 years later, the rumour being that he poisoned her. More likely it was TB.

Butcher was OK, but not the best I`ve read. Now on book 75, Dirty Little Lies, by John Macken.

#30. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie.

49-Wish me luck by Margaret Dickinson. A wartime story about a WAAF and her family set on an airbase in Lincolnshire. This was rather poignant for me as my parents met like that at Cranwell . There is a mystery running through this story of a secret in the couples' parents lives. About 3/4 of the way through it seemed a bit familiar, and then I realised it is a sequel to Without Sin, but with a time lapse of about 20 years. That was a nice surprise!

SueDonim I enjoyed Force of Nature too. I haven't found a Jane Harper book that I don't like!

grandMattie Re The Marriage Portrait, it took me a while to get into it but then I thoroughly enjoyed it. The thing I like about Maggie O'Farrell books is that they're all so different. She doesn't stick to one genre.

I am just finishing Book No. 45 They're going to love You by Meg Howrey. The title sounded a bit "chick lit" but I read some good reviews so decided to reserve it from the library. The book started slowly and I wasn't sure but then, about 30 pages in, I began to enjoy it and grew to love it. If you like ballet, then you'd probably enjoy this book.

It's set in the USA and is the story of a girl who wants to become a ballet dancer like her mother. Her parents are separated and her father is in a gay relationship and she only sees him and his new partner a couple of times a year.
She doesn't feel she belongs anywhere and her complicated relationships with her family are moving and intense and beautifully portrayed.

This book is about vocation and ambition and the hard work behind creating dance. I would recommend it.

After my last quite intense read by James Patterson, I quite enjoyed this trivial period romance which was a freebie with my Amazon Prime membership. #30 Sauce For The Gander Jayne Davis.

Think I’m at #10 officially but I do a lot of dipping in and out of (mainly) non-fiction books.
#10 For thy great pain have mercy on my little pain by Victoria MacKenzie. It is a fictionalised account of the lives of real medieval women, Margery Kempe and Julian of Norwich, and builds to their imagined meeting in Norwich, by way of the little window looking on to the street outside Julian’s anchoress cell where she lived for over 20 years. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in religious/ spiritual experience and/or medieval history.

#11 is a children’s book, The Beatryce Prophecy by US author Kate DiCamillo. It is told as a traditional tale, of a child, Beatryce, the subject of a prophecy - There will one day come a girl child who will unseat a king and bring about a great change - and how she is loved and rescued by a monk, a boy, a king who walked away, and a goat. It is a beautiful story.

50-When Elephants Weep by Jeffrey Masson and Susan McCarthy. Non-fiction this time, a book that I found in the village swap telephone kiosk. I was drawn to the title and although some of it was upsetting, I had to finish it. The chapters were divided into different emotions, with examples of the studies done on different animals behaviours. Hard to read at times. It was published in 1994 and I'm sure our treatment of animals has improved in the last 30 years, thank goodness! Definitely an eye-opener.