THE BRAND NEW 2024 50 BOOK CHALLENGE

but this book paints a very bleak picture, with little hope for the future.
To be taken with a huge dose of salt, I should imagine.

Callistemon, yes I think so, totally one sided.

Book 18, Haven`t They Grown, by Sophie Hannah. Quite good, but a bit slow getting going.

7-Agatha Raisin and the Curious Curate-M.C.Beaton- A bit of silly amusing detective work searching for a village murderer as usual. Very predictable but a change from a serious thriller that you have to concentrate on.

Just finished Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History by Philippa Gregory.

This is non-fiction and in my view is a wonderful book describing social and cultural change powered by the determination, persistence and effectiveness of women, from 1066 - modern times. It looks back at the past lives of half the population, telling of women who did not want the vote as well as those who did. It's a book about millions of ordinary women -those who left records and those who were "hidden from history".

To be honest, the content of this book made me angry on behalf of women who are still not equal to men, and because of all we have suffered throughout the ages. I gave my adult daughter this book to read and think all women - old and young - would benefit from reading it.

We know that Philippa Gregory's historical research is always meticulous so we can rely on her text.

This was my book No.12

Finished #5 My Last Supper -Jay Rayner, I enjoyed this, what an interesting life.
#6 A Twist of the Knife - Peter James, my last Christmas book, it’s short stories, not what I was expecting.

Book no3 ( a bit slower atm).
The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers. The topic is the mysterious crop circles of the late 1980s. It’s the story of two men who create the circles.
Whilst the prose is beautifully written, Ben Myers has a gift for this, there is very little substance to the plot.
It’s harsh to say the book is not enjoyable, but for me, I would have liked more depth to the story.

Book 19, The White Road, by John Connelly. I`ve read a few of these Charlie Parker stories, but leave a bit of time between them, as they can be quite dark, frightening and depressing.

Sparklefizz

I'm not a fan of Lessons in Chemistry either SueDonim. It was a Christmas present in 2022 and I abandoned it after a while, but wonder if I should give it another try. I'd have to start from the beginning again. Sigh.

Oh dear, it's just arrived!

I finished #5 The Lost Bookshop and started off by enjoying it but felt the characters weren't drawn as well as they could be, it was difficult to get to know them.
Other reviews say something similar whilst some say it is magical but to me it was confusing in the end.

#6 The Waratah Inn by Lilly Mirren. Set in Australia, I thought it could be an easy read.

Book 16 The Immigrant by Manju Kapur.
Set in the 1970s, Nina is a 30 year old university lecturer who agrees to an arranged marriage to an Indian dentist, himself an immigrant to Canada. It’s an absorbing read although rather too much detail about the husband’s sexual problems.

Book 7 The Chasing Grave by Robert Galbraith. It is a weighty tome so I hope I can keep up with the plot.

Parsley3

Book 7 The Chasing Grave by Robert Galbraith. It is a weighty tome so I hope I can keep up with the plot.

Think you mean ‘The Running Grave’?

#8 Sea of Tranquility Emily St. John Mandel.
An intriguing book about parallel worlds, time travel and possibilities to change events. Very good.
My next book is going to be the audio version of The Running Grave. 34 hours, I may be some time 😲!

Book 4: The Fire Court by Andrew Taylor
Book 5: The Kings Evil by Andrew Taylor

7 The Square - Celia Walden

A fairly middle ranking psychological thriller. Colette, a freelance IT consultant with well heeled clients living in and around a London Square, the type that has Georgian houses and gated communal gardens, Colette knows a little too much about most of them and some of their dark secrets. The story starts off with a dead body and rewinds through the various characters interspersed with police interviews with the featured characters most who could possibly have had a motive for the murder of the woman in question. Slightly in the style of Lisa Jewell and Louise Candlish but not as good either of them imo,

Nest up - All The Broken People - John Boyne

Book No.6 - “Sanny” Sloan, the Miners’ MP - his life, times and family by his great-granddaughter Esther Davies. This short book is a very niche read - giving a fascinating insight into life in Ayrshire mining villages in the first half of the 20th century.

Book No. 8 - A Winter in Mallorca by George Sand. Another niche read - about the year Sand spent in Mallorca with Fredric Chopin. The focus is on the people, the scenery and the customs of Mallorca rather than the relationship between Sand and Chopin. It’s a beautifully written book, imo.

8-In search of Hope-Anna Jacobs. I've not read this author before but I was delighted with this story. It was unputdownable! A modern tale about a coercive controlling husband and the struggle of the young wife to start a new life in Lancashire. She's lucky to meet an ex-policeman who helps her in many ways. Brilliant characters whose lives intertwine in ways they could never imagine.

#6 A Twist of the Knife - Peter James, I gave up with this, my last Christmas book, very short stories and went to the library.
So, book #7 is A Winter Grave - Peter May.

@Calendargirl
You mentioned that you had started what is
my book no.6: Val McDermid: Past Lying.
What did you think of it?
I've read everything that Val McDermid has published, fiction and non fiction, so I guess you could call me a fan
She's certainly earned the title Queen of Crime.
This is no.7 in the Karen Pirie series. Historic cases unit. Set during lockdown. Forensically observed. Full of twists and turns. Riveting.
And, as I currently have covid, I could read it all without interruption

Book 20, The Mercies, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. This is based on the true story of something that occurred in Norway in 1617. I didn`t think that I would actually get on with this book, but it started to grip me, and I couldn`t put it down.

I have just joined gransnet and found this thread. Hope it's ok if I join in as I love to read and I am getting so many new book ideas from this thread.
Books so far in 2024 :
1. Love will tear us apart by C K mcDonnell - I loved this and
I think it is the best in the series so far.
2. The dead of winter by Stuart MacBride.
3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
4. A songbird whose name is love by Alison Strandberg
5. Ultra processed people by Chris van Tulleken
6. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
7. Normal Rules don't apply by Kate Atkinson
8. The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
9. In the silence by M R Mackenzie
10. Crime by Irvine Welsh
11. Five Minds by Guy Morpuss
12. The lost bookshop by Evie Woods

I read a lot in the winter 😁

Welcome to the thread spinningbug, yes absolutely fine to join in, it's always good to have new posters and hope you will enjoy contributing as the year progresses.

My #9 was A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews. It’s essentially a difficult coming of age story of Nomi, a 16 year old girl in a Mennonite small town in Canada. The author was herself raised in a Mennonite community.
It’s the first I’ve read by this author. I liked her writing style, but had to force myself to keep going (and it’s only 240 pages) because apart from Nomi’s struggles and the infill of backstory, nothing much really happens.
I’d be interested to hear if anyone else has read this author.
I would give the author another go, 7/10.

spinningbug what did you think of the Ann Napolitano book? I read Dear Edward as a proof copy before it first came out and thought it was exceptional.

Book 17 Something in Disguise by Elizabeth Jane Howard. It’s set in the early 60’s, published in 1969, and the descriptions of the food, houses and clothes are very evocative of the times. It’s a very enjoyable, easy read despite a rather melodramatic and rushed ending.