The Not So New 2024 50 Books a Year - Thread 2

I loved the C.J.Sansom books, was eagerly awaiting the next. I wonder if someone else will finish it?

Book 29: Sovereign by C.J. Sansom I couldn't put it down! Even more exciting second time around as I didn't remember the culprit.

28 A Beginner's Guide to Braking and Entering - Andrew Hunter Murray (Audible)

The story commences with the main character Al, behind bars having unwittingly been caught up in a web of deceit including, murder and money laundering from his breaking and entering that's gone horribly wrong. Al. is not really a hardened criminal, more a master blagger and opportunist, he justifies his existence in breaking into luxury properties that for one reason or another aren't being used for a period of time. The his rationale, is that he just can't afford to rent and whilst he is temporary squatting before moving on to the next home, he never steals, damages, merely takes care of the house whilst he's there, so in essence he's doing the owner a favour in his unofficial house sitting role. When one such endeavour goes wrong and he hastily has to he move on to another he has set his sights on, only to find it is already occupied with other twenty somethings pursuing the same mode of living. Things however go wrong when they are confronted with the owner of the home who is subsequently shot dead by an intended assassin and they have to work together whilst they become implicated and drawn into a multi layered crime network of money laundering involving high profile public figures. Fast moving crime caper with black comedy overtones.

Just finished " The dictionary of lost words" by PIP Williams... slow starter, but then unputadownable!! Lovely book.

theia26

"The Three Graces". by the talented Amanda Craig.
The best new work of fiction I've read for ages.

I love Amanda Craig, she is such a fantastic and underrated writer. I read the Three Graces earlier this year. I'd recommend Lie of the Land and The Golden Rule if you haven't already read those. Some of her characters pop up in other books she's written.

"The Three Graces". by the talented Amanda Craig.
The best new work of fiction I've read for ages.

#42 What the Shadows Hide by MJ Lee - a very average crime story, not at all gory, but the characters all speak in cliches. Wouldn't particularly recommend.

#43. Dance With Death by Jack Cartwright.

#37 was A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe. William is 19 years old, a newly qualified embalmer who is about to join the family undertaking firm. He volunteers as an embalmer in Aberfan in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. He is lost and mentally scarred by that experience. The book focuses on his life going forward as well as his childhood experiences and losses.
I was in two minds about reading this book, I was 7 years old at the time of the Aberfan disaster and it is by far the most horrific memory of my childhood. However, after the traumatic events of first few chapters, I really enjoyed it. I liked the characters, I thought they were all well rounded and believable. It’s a warmer and more enjoyable story than I’ve made it sound. 8/10

Aveline I read The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson a few months ago and really enjoyed it. It was my first one of hers and I added her to my “authors to watch out for” list.

John Grisham. The Exchange.
Absolutely not my usual genre, now I know why…..I was so bored, determined to finish it but I won’t go back again. It was basically a kidnapping and ransom.

Book 95, 23 and a half Lies, by James Patterson. I was a little disappointed as I thought this was a full length Women`s Murder Club story, but it was only one of three stories in the one book. My own fault really, should have checked before buying.

38-The Long Road Home-Danielle Steel-What an emotional story this was, starting with physical abuse of a small girl which moved me to tears and almost made me give up reading it. But then Gabbie finds peace in a convent and her life changes. I'm so pleased I carried on, though there are many ups and downs along the way. Well worth the read, though it saddens me to think that things like this do go on in real life.

27 The Haven - Fiona Neil

The book opens with 16 year old Cassia waking up in a forest with a head injury and then subsequently unfolds in chapters headed "Now" and "Then" Winding back to the beginning, six months prior to that, we meet dysfunctional family, The Sawyers, who set off to The Haven having been sold the idea by a ne'er do well, new age man of many identities, Mo who the family meet when he hosts youngest child, Maudie's 8th "eco" birthday party. Arranged by her father, disaffected teacher Rick going through a mid life crisis.which manifests in his desire to throw off the shackles of modern life. Meanwhile older daughter,sixteen year old Cassia has developed a major crush on the initially charismatic Mo. The other members of the family, long suffering, and conciliatory mother, Eve and eldest, 17 year old son Joe, often at loggerheads with irascible father Rick. The family set off to the wilds of a forest somewhere in England or Wales, the author doesn't specify, for a month's experience of living off grid which they imagine will be something akin to the Center Parks experience. On their arrival, increasingly batshit father drives their camper van into a ditch, where it remains turned on to its side rendering it undriveable, so they're kind of stuck in a back to nature off grid commune. Rick feels elated at the life enhancing experience of what lays ahead, away from the trappings of modern life. This is not altogether shared by the rest of the family, particularly when the ramifications of all of that first become apparent when they all have to surrender their mobile phones. The commune members are a pretty ok bunch living off the land, entirely on what they can grow, forage or slaughter, although mysteriously they do seem to have rice and quinoa amongst their supplies . It soon becomes quite clear from the now chapters set in the present, that things have gone badly wrong and Mo is not the well meaning new age hippy but a bad lot with a criminal past who has wormed his way into this well meaning community, an opportunist who has targeted the Sawyer family with malevolent intent and exploits the crush Cassia has on him. I quite enjoyed it, fast paced narrative, somewhat implausible at times, as some of the children in the commune had no experience of the outside world, they only knew their forest, which wasn't very convincing set somewhere in England or possibly Wales, never that far form civilisation, although from some of the descriptions as to its isolation it might just as well have been set in say the Amazon. Nevertheless, it was a page turner with many fraught dangers and twists and turns along the way before all was revealed.

Book 94, A Mother`s Heartbreak, by Jennie Felton. OK, but not her best.

#42. Force Of Nature by Jane Harper.

I didn't enjoy The Trial as much as I expected to, grandMattie. It was perfectly ok but I found it predictable. I like Rob Rinder and admire his intellect so my expectations were probably too high.

I’ve no idea what number I’m on but I’ve just finished an interesting court room drama by Robert Rinder “The Trial” and really enjoyed it. I agree it’s one critic ho said it as “ridiculously entertaining “.

Hi grumpygoldfish, I like your user name. Welcome to GN and this thread. Please don't be phased by numbers. Although the title is "50 Books A Year" it doesn't matter if you don't make that figure, this is a place for those of us who enjoy reading and sometimes discussing our books. We all read at different rates, so rest assured you don't have to be competitive to take part here.

Thank you, Terribull and all the regulars, this is a really nice place to be 💛

Hi Urmstongran 👋 I do feel like an underachiever when I see how many books other people get through! But hopefully my reading stamina will improve with practice 🤞

I've recently discovered Eva Ibbotson. Her books are so well written and such good stories. I'm left happily remembering all her characters. Try 'Marensky Square' or 'The Countess' first. Very different style of books.

Book 93, from a lazy, housework shy reader, is The Lucky Penny, by Dilly Court. I didn`t realise until after I started it that it was the latest in the Rockwood Saga. Loved it.

👋 to you grumpygoldfish it would appear judging by the number of books you’ve read this year that you & I read at about the same pace or pick up books at about the same rate! So many others on here read voraciously. It’s a lovely thread isn’t it - thanks to Terribull and her regular cohort of friendly contributors.

Thanks, Maggiemaybe! I like it so far, feels a bit more relaxed than other places.

Thanks Terribull. 😊