50 Books a Year - The 2025 Challenge

Thank you so much to the person who mentioned Heat Wave by Penelope Lively recently which inspired me to read it - a brilliant book. I'd forgotten how beautifully Penelope Lively writes..... I could feel the summer heat.

Pauline is spending the summer at a cottage in the middle of England, and this year her daughter, daughter's husband plus baby Luke are occupying the adjoining cottage.

The tension in the relationships builds and Pauline can only watch in dismay and anger as her daughter repeats her own mistakes in love.

I don't want to say too much in case I spoil how delicately this story unfolds.... the portrayal of emotions is exquisitely done.

This was a library book but I am going to have to buy a copy for my own bookshelves. I easily give it 10/10., and thanks again to the reader who recommended it.

Book 32
Bright Young Women - Jessica Knoll

Inspired by a true story, it is the tale of a serial killer who targets a sorority house, killing two girls and violently attacking two more. It’s not the first time he’s killed.

Sorority president, Pamela Schumacher sees him leave, and for one split second thinks it’s one of the murdered girls boyfriends, this muddies the waters considerably.

Then there is Tina, whose girlfriend Ruth is missing presumed murdered, the two young women form an alliance to make sure the defendant goes to the chair.

I found it confusing at times, too much jumping between time lines and characters, what I felt could have been brilliant, just wasn’t.

I was glad to get to the end.

Sparklefizz, I really enjoyed The Fell

20. Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold

This is meant to be a children's book but I enjoyed it anyway.
Silver is an 11yr old girl whose parents have finally accepted they will never have a second child.
The family moves to a turtle sanctuary in Costa Rica for 3 months and many unexpected things happen.

66-One Enchanted Evening-Katie Fforde
Meg wants to be a professional cook in a man's world. She gets a chance to show off her skills when she goes to work in a hotel in Dorset. But sparks begin to fly when she meets the hotel owner's son Justin.

Nothing To See Here by Susan Lewis. What a good page turner this is. Lies and more lies but who is telling the truth?

#32 The Fell by Sarah Moss. I enjoyed this book and will look for more by this author.

It is set in 2020 during the early part of the pandemic and was a good reminder of what life was like when we could be "pinged" on our phones for having been in contact with Covid and having to go into isolation and keep to the rules.

Kate and her teenage son Matt are in isolation at their cottage and Kate has had enough of being confined and is desperate to get out for one of her regular walks on the fell. At dusk on a November evening in 2020 she suddenly decides to go for a walk. No one need know that she's broken the rules.

But Kate's neighbour, Alice, sees her leave, and Matt soon realises that she is missing. And Kate, who only planned a quick solitary walk and a breath of air, suddenly falls and injures herself.

What began as a furtive walk has turned into a mountain-rescue operation.

This is not a long book but is beautifully written, and I give it 10/10.

#54. Good As Dead by Mark Billingham.

Book 84, The Trader`s Reward, the very last in the Trader series by Anna Jacobs. I`ve enjoyed them all immensely, so am sorry to have finished them all. I`m a great Anna Jacobs fan.

Book 31 I haven't been entirely honest with You - Miranda Hart

For a number of years the actor/comedian Miranda Hart thought she had M.E. She has now been diagnosed with Lyme Disease following a tick bite when she lived in Virginia, USA years ago.

I have had quite severe M.E. myself since 1990 so I was interested to read her story for that reason ..... but I have never been a fan of her sense of humour and found the style of writing in her book very irritating.....the childish jokiness and toilet humour.... I won't be reading her second book.

I give it 6/10 for the serious points she tried to put across which were buried in the guff, many of which I could relate to, and I wish her all the very best in her health journey.

Book 83, The Trader`s Gift. It`s the 4th in this series by Anna Jacobs, I`ve loved them all, will be sorry when I`ve read book 5, the last one.

The Ritual by Adam Neville.
Four middle aged friends ( men) take a walking holiday through and near the vast Norwegian forests.They soon wish they hadn’t.
He’s an excellent writer if you haven’t come across him before, his stories fall into the folk/ myth horror bracket and are all good, but this particular book is the best.You feel that you’re there with them not only feeling fear but also damp, insect bitten and stung by nettles and too unfit for the journey.
It’s now a film too, not to be confused with another horror film of the same name.

#53. From The Dead by Mark Billingham.

You've got me wanting to read it Terribull.

64-A Wedding in Provence-Katie Fforde
A delightful story . 20 year old Alexandra spends her summer in a French chateau looking after three hostile children and their impossibly good-looking father.

65-The Butterfly Lion-Michael Morpurgo
This is a short story that I picked up at my village book swap kiosk and thought I'd read it before I pass it on to my grandchildren. I'm so glad I did because it was a moving tale about love and loss with a bit of WW1 in it as well. So well written and brought tears to my eyes.

Yes they're very good, I'm only a chapter or two in, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I'll report back.

I have that on my pile TerriBull, I’ve really enjoyed the previous ones, and also the TV adaptations.
Lesley Manville is one of my favourite actors.

I've just started this one by Anthony Horowitz the third in the series, and soon to be filmed with Lesley Manville

41 Strangers in Time David Baldacci

This is the first book I've read by this successful American crime writer, my husband passed it to me with the recommendation that it was very good, I'd say quite good. The setting is London during the Blitz, DB conjured up the mood and the English perspective very well. The tale of East End orphaned Charlie Matters, a latter day Artful Dodger, one step ahead of the authorities in trying to evade being sent to a children's home, largely living on his wits. Into his path comes Molly Wakefield, a young teenager who has returned home to her family home in Chelsea, from her evacuation to the countryside, only to find both of her parents missing, the house solely inhabited by the kindly housekeeper, who is somewhat evasive as to where Mr and Mrs Wakefield have disappeared to. Molly and Charlie first meet at the unlikely setting of a bookshop and the proprietor, widower, Ignatius Oliver is to turn out to be an ally and protector to the young orphans in their endeavours to track down Molly's parents whilst trying to survive the turbulent times surrounded by ongoing dangers.

I did enjoy it, I imagine it's quite different to the rest of his books which I imagine are set in the author's native America.

Book 31
The Other Side of Mrs Wood - Lucy Barker

I quite enjoyed this romp through 19th century London, where mediums enjoyed celebrity status among the upper classes.

Violet Wood is queen of the mediums, her seances are legendary, but feeling she may be losing a little of her allure, she takes on a young protege, miss Emmeline Finch.

But Violet has created a monster.

I’m still confused about what is acceptable and what is fraud, Mrs Wood and her accomplice Miss Newman, risk some very daring stunts, but she does seem able to commune with the spirits.

For an entertaining, humorous read, I would recommend.

35. One Hundred Summers, Vanessa Branson

Richard Branson’s sister writes about her family history for the hundred years from 1918, when her father was born. It jogs along nicely, theirs is an interesting family with plenty of characters and plenty going on to keep the reader entertained.

19. Inspector Barlach, The Judge and his Hangman by Friedrich Dürrenmat

Another BBC Sounds audiobook.
A policeman has been killed.
The story takes twists and turns and has surprises but I felt somehow disappointed with the ending.

#30 Under Violent Skies - Judi Daykin.
Nothing special. 5/10

Book 82, The Trader`s Dream, the 3rd book in Anna Jacobs Trader series. I`ll be sorry when I`ve read all 5 in the series.

I loved it Sara1954. Her characters are so real.
Yes, I agree, one of her best.