2026 - 50 Books a Year Challenge

25 Witch Trial Harriet Tyce

Drawn in by HT's debut novel, Blood Orange which I remember I found riveting, always hoping that subsequent books will be as good as that one, but for me, generally they aren't. I thought this one sounded promising, but alas, again disappointing. Two schoolgirls on trial for the murder of a classmate. Externally one is a picture of sweet innocence and the other's goth like, morose and defensively aggressive demeanour does her no favours with members of the jury. Who is telling the truth? as the the trial draws to a conclusion and the two are pitted against each other in their varying testaments. The basis of the case against them bullying, a teenage pact gone wrong and a dark undercurrent of an obsession surrounding witch craft, I think it was detailed descriptions of the latter that made me lose interest in the plot somewhat. Much of the narrative is delivered by one of the jurors, heart surgeon Matthew Phillips, who harbours his own demons and whilst the trial continues appears to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

#26 Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Between 1854 and 1929 approximately 250,000 children who were orphaned, abandoned or otherwise destitute, were relocated from eastern coastal US cities such as New York to the Midwest for “adoption”. They were taken on trains with adult chaperones, journeying for several days, then offered to anyone who was willing to take them in. Some went to family homes where they were adopted, however, many became indentured workers and were cruelly treated.
This is a novel, but the author has obviously done a lot of research into the Orphan Trains and met some of the last surviving children, all very elderly by then.

Irish immigrant Niamh is orphaned due to a fire when she is 9 years old. She’s taken from New York to Minnesota and a very uncertain future. Returning east to Maine much later in life, she leads a quiet existence, but in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past.
Seventeen year old Molly has grown up in care and commits to a community service position helping the elderly widow clear out her attic. But as Molly helps sort through the items in the attic it becomes clear that their backgrounds aren’t so different. As they go through the trunks Niamh’s story unfolds, a gripping and at times very sad tale of what happens when you move defenceless children to be taken in by anyone who would have them. An excellent read. 9/10

I have just finished Transcription by Kate Atkinson and also listened to the 2 part series on radio 4. The book was very good and brought some loose ends together which the radio play didn't. A spy story along the lines of Le Carre and worth a read.

I have started Long Island by Colm Toibin set in New York with an immediate twist I was not expecting. About an Irish/Italian family. I think I am going to enjoy it.

32-Belle of the Back Streets-Glenda Young
Set in 1919, Ernie Sutcliffe comes home from the war and starts to take his daughter Meg on his Rag and Bone cart round. But everything is about to change drastically.
An insight into the hard post-war life in northern England.

33-The Word is Murder-Anthony Horowitz
A woman is strangled 6 hours after organising her own funeral. Did she know she was going to die? Did she recognise her killer?

28 Hiroshima by John Hersey
About the effect on the people of Japan after the atomic was dropped on Hiroshima. He wrote about six people the year after it happened and then went back and then returned 49 years later to find out what happened to them and how they had survived/managed through the years. Quite harrowing as in all wars it's the people on the street that are affected the most. It was interesting and I hope the world never finds itself in that situation again.

#34. Where The Innocent Die by MJ Lee.

AliBeeee I loved Orphan Train when I read it a few years ago. A very moving book.

#26 The Last Love Song by Lucinda Riley. This book is pretty much "chick lit" and not particularly well-written. There were some things I found annoying - one of the main characters was named Sorcha, and her boyfriend continually called her "Sorcha-porcha" until I wanted to scream. 5/10

26 Flesh David Szalay

The 2025 Booker Prize Winner which almost guarantees it to be peculiar, and in that it delivers. The style of writing is unusual, sparse dialogue, the main protagonist, Hungarian Istvan, delivers much of his speech in strange staccato sentences of rarely more than 4 words. I think that's what set it apart from the other contenders.

Essentially, it's a rags to riches and back to rags again. Istvan is first introduced as a teenager growing up in an austere housing estate in Hungary. Seduced by an older neighbour, he becomes embroiled in a skirmish with her husband leading to the man's death, for which Istvan gets the blame for. Following time in a youth detention centre, and a subsequent spell in the army where he is stationed in Iraq he is to emerge a toughened up character from the shy young adolescent at the outset. Eventually is to find his way to London, where whilst employed in private security he becomes chauffeur to a wealthy family. He manages to turn the somewhat bored wife's head where she makes it clear she would like an affair with him, all the while her husband is suffering from terminal cancer. When he dies, they marry . From that time onward his life is on an upward trajectory, into a lifestyle of large houses, private jets and exclusive restaurants. Not everything runs smoothly as his young teenage stepson despises him, which doesn't bode well for Istvan, the son will inherit everything on his 25th birthday, so his days of living high on the hog are numbered. This is the most interesting part of the book, during the marriage Istvan and his wife Helen have a son of their own, before tragedy strikes and their lives are upended.

Ultimately it was a very sad story of a broken man as Istvan finds himself right back where he started.

Book 14: Maxwell's Enigma by M. J Trow

#27 Colder Than the Grave by JD Kirk
My latest read in the DCI Logan series, set around Inverness.
Happy for the first time in years, Jack should have known things were going too well. When the discovery of a mutilated body in a school car park sets off a series of murders and disappearances, Jack’s dream of a peaceful life begins to crumble around him. Another good read from this series. 8/10

16. The House of Fortune, Jessie Burton

This continues the story of Thea, who was born at the end of The Miniaturist, her father Otto, her aunt Nella, and their faithful maid, Cornelia. The family still live in their grand house on Amsterdam’s Herengracht, but because of bad investments, they’re struggling to keep up appearances in very straitened circumstances. Nella is certain that a good marriage for Thea will be the saving of them, but Thea’s heart is set on a lowly artist. I actually enjoyed this even more than the first book, and am hoping there might be a further sequel.

17. The Long Shoe, Bob Mortimer

I didn’t take to The Satsuma Complex, by the same author, but quite liked this one. It’s a light-hearted mystery romping through the life of anti-hero Matt, as he tries to find his missing girlfriend while avoiding the attentions of his neighbour Carol and the bad breath of the man who’s taking over tenancy of his house. It’s an easy read. The only thing I disliked was the talking cat! I’ve read a couple of books lately where we’re treated to the thoughts of characters’ pets and I just find it cringeworthy.

I read 'Crooked Cross' by Sally Carson some time ago and I have just started reading the sequel 'The Prisoner'.

Both books were written in the 1930s and chart the rise of Naziism and Fascism in Germany as seen through a German family.

What are particularly relevant are the descriptions of the way the pernicious rise of anti-semitism was becoming normalised.

34=The Girls who Disappeared-Claire Douglas
Gripping and unputdownable.
One night 20 years ago, Olivia was driving 3 friends home, when she crashed the car. When she regains consciousness she is alone and her 3 friends have disappeared.
Fabulous page-turner.

Hi there I just read The Correspondent - Virginia Evans best book of the year so far for me highly recommend it.

11 A Midsummer Murder by Kate Wells

I've enjoyed this series of books set in the Malverns although the mystery in this one is very easy to solve and quite predictable!

27 A Schooling in Murder Andrew Taylor

I first discovered Andrew Taylor years ago when I read The American Boy which I loved and have read several of his books since. I'd recommend him as an excellent historical crime writer, this book is no exception, a great page turner.

The setting is 1945, rural Gloucestershire, the final days of the war are drawing to an end in Europe. Monkshill Park School is a 2nd rate boarding school for girls. A crumbling old mansion, running on a shoe string, everything is pretty substandard from the food to a permanently cranky old boiler on its last legs. Above all this is a school where the girls were not imbued in the expectation of further education.

Right at the beginning, one of the teacher's Annabel Warnock is murdered when she is shoved off a bridge to her death from behind in a secluded part of the extensive school grounds. Thereafter, she's the narrator from beyond the grave trying to piece together the chain of events, motives and possible suspects who might fit the bill as to her own murder and why. One thing she was known for was trying to push some of her able pupils towards obtaining the School Certificate, a pathway to university. Whilst simultaneously trying to direct the cook's 12 year old fatherless son, a clever boy towards the local grammar school. Being allowed to quietly sit in the girls' lessons at the back of the class she could see that his potential could be realised in a more challenging environment.

Into that setting comes Alec Shaw, a solitary male teacher, with a shady past, taking the position of his predecessor at very short notice. Given no body was ever found, all pointers seem to indicate she has just disappeared until the truth is uncovered. Meanwhile, her successor, teacher by day and would be crime writer by night, Annabel's ghost is able to connect with the newly installed Alec Shaw through the medium of his typewriter. Both pupils and members of staff have possible motives to remove Annabel and it's the unorthodox collaboration of both the living Shaw and the dead Warnock who are to uncover the truths behind the killing.

#35. She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena.

#27 Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen

I loved this book. It's gentle and explores family life on a farm in Miller's Valley, an area which frequently floods and which is being considered for regulated flooding to form a reservoir.

Mimi Miller's family have lived in Miller's Valley for generations and it feels as if nothing ever changes until now when the town is under threat from compulsory purchase to enable the reservoir.

There are toxic secrets, family tensions, the dangers of gossip, the flaws of marriage and friendship, and loyalty and passion.

I found this a very enjoyable book. 10/10

I've just read The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zaphaniah
The Autobiography
I found it very interesting read it quickly couldn't put it down.

He was a pioneer of performance poetry.
An extraordinary life that celebrates the power of poetry the importance of pushing boundaries.

Would anyone recommend a good holiday read please. I fancy something page turning. Not romance though.

Whitewavemark2 Check out books by Shari Lapena. They are page-turners and I haven't found a bad one yet!

A bit of a random selection, but I'd recommend any of these as page turners, not of the romantic variety. If you're unfamiliar with any of them have a quick Google to see if they'd be your cup of tea.

Don't Let Him In Lisa Jewell
Lie with Me Sabine Durrant
Flashlight Susan Choi
The Stopped Heart Julie Myerson
Gabriel's Moon William Boyd
The Names Florence Knapp

Have an enjoyable holiday WW

Whitewavemark2

I recommend any book by Dorothy Koomson. They sometimes have a bit of a romantic sub-text but the main story is always gripping.

Happy hols!

35-Eve Green-Susan Fletcher
It took me a while to warm to Susan's style of writing , but as I continued I became used to her flitting here and there. Not bad for her first novel.
Eight year old Evie is sent to live in Wales with her grandparents after her mother dies suddenly. This is such a change in her life and it takes a while for her to settle. There is so much she doesn't understand.