THE BRAND NEW 2024 50 BOOK CHALLENGE

Grannybear
In Memoriam was my favourite book of last year, so moving and beautifully written

I'm reading The Best of Enemies: Norman Fowler's Diaries 1980-1997 and finding it a fascinating read. I like political diaries and find the best ones are usually written by backbenchers. I'm also reading Inheritance by Nora Roberts which I'm also enjoying.

Oops, I meant Book No.5!

Book No.4 - In Memoriam by Alice Winn. I absolutely loved this book. It is set during WW1 and is an emotional read intertwining the tenderness of love with the brutality of war among a group of young men who sign up for service. I found it reminiscent of Birdsong by Sebastian Faulkner’s, which is one of my favourite books of all time.

#11 (I was reading it alongside Impossible Creatures) is a re-read of Alys, always by Harriet Lane - it has elements and the style of a psychological thriller, but is really an exploration if ambition, told by an anti-heroine. The ending is unexpected. I like it enough to re-read once in a blue moon, but not regularly.

#10 Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell. A children’s fantasy adventure, telling the quest story of Mal, a little girl from the hidden islands where all the mythical beasts still live, and Christopher, a boy from our world, and one of the guardians of the islands’ magic, which is mysteriously fading. It is delightful (and sad). I was keen to read it anyway, but even more so when the granddaughter who is least interested in reading genuinely bounced with excitement when she read the copy I bought for her.

Lollin, I'm not going to be able to read so many books either, but this challenge has spurred me on to take up reading again so I am not going to let myself feel defeated

That sounds a good read Maggierose, I think I'll put it on my to read list with my library.

Book 11 The Square by Celia Walden
I loved this. A very skilfully executed domestic thriller. Middle class London families, all with their secrets and weaknesses known only and partially by Colette, the “IT Person” who weaves in and out of the Square, fixing their tech problems. A speedy read and perfect escapism.

Sara1954

I definitely fell a little bit in love with Cromwell after reading the Mantel trilogy

Me too ... and I will only admit it now that you've said it first

Book No. 4 “Songbirds”. I hadn’t heard of this book before reading this thread, where it was recommended by many. Like Grannmarie I was a ‘bit combobulated’ by it. At one level I loved the story and how it was written, but the brutality meted out to the songbirds left me somewhat uneasy.

Me too, Sara!

I definitely fell a little bit in love with Cromwell after reading the Mantel trilogy

I agree - the Hilary Mantel trilogy is just wonderful with such impressive writing. She made Cromwell - often called "a Tudor thug" - into a living breathing human being. As you say Greyduster "a tour de force".

And I thought Mark Rylance, the actor, brought him to life in Wolf Hall, which I think might still be available on iPlayer. I've watched it several times.

I too re read the Hilary Mantel trilogy over the last few years several times. I have never read any book before or since where you feel you are there alongside Cromwell.
Such a clever writer and will be missed.

I gave the 3 copies all heavy hardbacks to our local charity bookshop and hope that someone bought all 3 together and got as much pleasure from them.
If I want to read them again I will get paperbacks from the library.

I have just finished The Birdcage Library which was very unusual not at all what I expected it to be. Worth a read. Interesting and a bit of a mystery.

It started out this year with “How We Fish”, but got hijacked by re-reading “The Mirror and the Light” by Hilary Mantel. I re-read the other two books in the trilogy before Christmas. What a tour de force those three books are. Unputdownable. In between I also finished Kathleen Jamie’s “Surfacing”, and started reading her book “Sightlines”.

Book 10, A Dead Man Walking, by J.D.Kirk, I love his Jack Logan books.

I've finished Book6, Songbird. It has left me feeling a bit discombobulated, full of sadness...not quite what I had expected.
I'm looking forward to starting Book 7, The Crossing Places, thanks to all who advised me to read the Dr Ruth Galloway books in order, after I came across The Locked Room.
We have our Book Group tomorrow evening, we'll be discussing Orphans of the Storm by Celia Imrie...

Book 10 Guilt in the Cotswolds by Rebecca Tope. I think it’s what they call a cosy mystery. Rather a lot about dogs and what to have for lunch and not much mystery. She’s written about 16 in this series but I probably won’t bother reading any more.

Finished Tough Crowd by Graham Lineham...comedian, writer, journalist, it covers his Father Ted, The it Crowd days and his spectacular fall from grace when he decide to support womens rights, his loss of family, career and so called friends!
Thank you for the ongoing support Glinner.
Next book The Horse Dancer by Jojo Moyles.

Started Songbirds by Christy Lefteri and chose this book because it's set in Cyprus, an island I know well and I thought it would remind me of happy times there...... but only a few pages into the book a character is trapping songbirds in a cruel way and then, because they are still alive, he bites their necks to kill them.

I just can't read this, I'm too much of an animal/bird lover so I'm abandoning it.

Now to find something kinder .....

Finished Book 8 Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett.

I enjoyed this book although I'm not sure about the ending. I wanted something more, but won't say what, as I don't want to give a spoiler.

The book starts in 1968 and Rose leaves California and arrives at a Roman Catholic home for unmarried mothers in Habit, Kentucky. She has left behind a husband and her much-loved mother, neither of whom know she is pregnant, and she lies about her background to the nuns. She plans to give up the baby for adoption because she knows she can't be the mother it needs.

As the birth draws near, Rose realises she can't give her baby away.

And so her life unfolds ....

This was apparently Ann Patchett's first novel.

TerriBull
Yes, spectacularly forgettable.
That was my first and last.

Sara1954

Book 5
It ends with us - Colleen Hoover
My first book by this writer, and most certainly the last.
It’s a book about domestic abuse, but it’s not done very well, nothing about the plot or the characters is believable, I found it to be a bit silly, and not very well written.
To be fair, I think it’s probably aimed at a YA readership, and I certainly don’t fall into that category, but I really can’t see why it received so much hype, one of my granddaughters says it was big on TikTok , so that probably says it all

My thoughts exactly!, I thought I'd try this book, as she had several riding high in the charts, couldn't understand why. Then I read TikTok phenomenon. All I can remember about this book, the love interest was a very handsome brain surgeon, yeah right they're everywhere Full of cliches, wouldn't bother with another of hers.

Finished #6, The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths. It was very good but I do hope her life gets a bit easier later books! 8/10

Next up is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

Cabowitch I agree about Demon Copperhead and the choices being made. I don’t think I have ever wanted to shout NO at a fictional character quite as often as young Demon.