2026 - 50 Books a Year Challenge

14-Ridge Hill-Anna Jacobs
#3 in the Gibson Family saga.
Full of highs and lows, births, marriages and deaths. It is almost like a history lesson as well, with the birth of railways, the Great Exhibition, and details of the fashions or that time. Fascinating reading.

I have sold books to World of Books in the past to clear the decks a little, but mostly I rely on the library and the only books I accumulate are for birthdays and Christmas. Both my adult children are bookworms like me, so mostly that's what we buy each other.

I won't spoil it Sparklefizz but the real baddie wasn't who I thought it was. Having said that I was always rubbish at working the baddie out. OH gets 20 minutes into a film and tells me he knows what's going to happen. I'm going to read Rebecca next. I bought a compilation of four of her books in the charity shop and Frenchman's creek and My Cousin Rachel is there too. So much for clearing books out!

Thank you stewaris Like you, I read it many years ago, and then on driving through Cornwall we stopped at Jamaica Inn for a drink. I don't remember the twist you mention so perhaps I'd better read it again

My favourite Du Maurier book is Rebecca, followed by The Scapegoat.

#Sparklefizz I really liked it and, although I'd read it about 50 years ago, I'd forgotten the ending which had a bit of a twist that I remembered when I got to it. I have read some of Daphne Du Maurier's other books and I really enjoyed them. If you're thinking about it I'd definitely give it a read.

stewaris

Book 11 Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

#Terribull, my aim when I saw this thread was to kill two birds with one stone. My New Year's resolution was to read all the books I have piled everywhere and clear them out eg charity shop, give away to friends if they wanted them. Went to a charity shop with my OH and bought a collection of 4 books by Daphne du Maurier. On the upside I have read 11 books and bought 4 so I've managed to charity shop/pass on 7. Woo hoo! Now barred from charity shops book sections.

What did you think of Jamaica Inn?

Book 11 Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

#Terribull, my aim when I saw this thread was to kill two birds with one stone. My New Year's resolution was to read all the books I have piled everywhere and clear them out eg charity shop, give away to friends if they wanted them. Went to a charity shop with my OH and bought a collection of 4 books by Daphne du Maurier. On the upside I have read 11 books and bought 4 so I've managed to charity shop/pass on 7. Woo hoo! Now barred from charity shops book sections.

13-High Street-Anna Jacobs
#2 in the Gibson family saga series. Unputdownable.

#15. Where The Truth Lies by MJ Lee.

Book No. 11 The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

An unusual story because the author includes himself in the plot as an author who has been asked by an ex-detective to write his biography. The author gets caught up in the latest investigation. 8/10

J52

I have just read Don't Let HimIn by Lisa Jewell, apologies if it’s been discussed before. A fantastic book, about a duplicitous and psychopathic con man.
It does flit through several time lines, but a very modern tale.

I loved this book and bought it for my daughter for Christmas.

Not posted for a while but reading has helped me through family bereavement and a chest infection.
Book 5 The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffith, an unusual murder mystery, always enjoy her books
Book 6 The Bay by L J Ross summer suspense with some romance thrown in
Book 7 The Garnett Girls by Georgina Moore a debut novel the family dynamics of 3 sisters and their mother, didn’t really warm to any of them
Book 8 All the light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr set pre and during WW2, a German boy who is sent to Hitler Youth school because of his talent for mending radios, conscripted age 16 and a French girl who loses her sight, lives in Paris with her father who is a locksmith and works in a museum, when Paris is occupied they flee to family in St Malo her father having been entrusted with a diamond from the museum. The story is beautifully written allowing us a glimpse into how the young girl “sees” through her other senses. Their 2 lives inevitably overlap. Highly recommend
Book 9 White Nights by Ann Cleeves, book 2 in Shetland series, am enjoying all her books
Next one on the go is The Curious Incident of the dog in the night time by Mark Haddon for book club (I always seem to be late to the party on the books I read and tv series I watch!)

11 Nesting Roisin O'Donnell

A remarkably accomplished debut novel from this Irish writer, which was Long Listed for The Women's Prize for Fiction 2025.

The setting is Dublin, the book opens with Ciara, originally hailing from Sheffield, a 30 something married mother of 2 very young daughters with a handsome husband Ryan. Outsiders might perceive theirs as a perfect union, what gradually unfolds is a woman so cowed by a manipulative partner she never trusts her own judgement. This former once confident woman having travelled the world, qualified as a teacher is now a shell of her former self having been cowed by her outwardly charming husband, who behind closed doors is controlling, unpredictable and undermines her every move, slowly isolating her not only from her supportive family back in Sheffield, in particular her Irish mother and closely bonded sister. Friends fall away, her existence shrinks to her only role, wife and mother contained within the confines of the four walls of the family home A brilliant account of coercive control and a woman worn down by emotional abuse she has ceased to trust her own feelings. Living with the mercurial nature of Ryan, his outbursts stay just this side of tipping into violence...but for how long? Eventually she bites the bullet and leaves him. Taking the children with her she ends up in emergency accommodation, within the confines of a hotel room. Endeavouring to find independence, she takes a job teaching English as a foreign language. Although qualified as a junior school teacher in England, to become one in Ireland there is a requirement of Irish as a second language which prohibits her finding full time employment. Ryan is to lurk in the background full of menace, manipulating her through lies and deceit every which way. To add to her mounting problems she is pregnant again.

Tense throughout, I couldn't put it down. Ciara eventually with the support of family and friends is to find the resilience to rebuild her life facing umpteen almost insurmountable hurdles. The most challenging of those is the coercive manipulation from the man who has created the toxic environment she is determined to escape from, whilst navigating the many obstacles he puts in her way.

11 The Scheme for full Employment by Magnus Mills. A bit of an odd book but reminded me of a couple of councils I worked for in the past although I actually really liked it.

AliBeeee Lucinda Riley's books are good easy reads imo.

Yes there are 8 books in the Seven Sister series, the 8th one, published posthumously ties up the numerous loose ends.

J52

I have just read Don't Let HimIn by Lisa Jewell, apologies if it’s been discussed before. A fantastic book, about a duplicitous and psychopathic con man.
It does flit through several time lines, but a very modern tale.

I loved it too! She is my top author of the psychological genre. She has a new book coming out this year "It could have been her" Something for Lisa Jewell fans to look out for.

AliBeeee

Sparklefizz I will look for The Couple Next Door after your recommendation. I read a book by that name a couple of years ago and this didn’t sound like the same book so I checked. The previous one I read was by Claire Douglas, I enjoyed it, but your one sounds better.

Terribull I’ve never read Lucinda Riley, but I will look out for The Last Love Song.

I have read the Claire Douglas The Couple Next Door and it is certainly worth a read.
I enjoyed many of the Lucinda Riley books, but have never read the Moons Sister saga, 8 books I believe!

I have just read Don't Let HimIn by Lisa Jewell, apologies if it’s been discussed before. A fantastic book, about a duplicitous and psychopathic con man.
It does flit through several time lines, but a very modern tale.

10 The Heritage of Linlithgow - In 100 buildings & places by Ronald P A Smith

#14. What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena.

Sparklefizz I will look for The Couple Next Door after your recommendation. I read a book by that name a couple of years ago and this didn’t sound like the same book so I checked. The previous one I read was by Claire Douglas, I enjoyed it, but your one sounds better.

Terribull I’ve never read Lucinda Riley, but I will look out for The Last Love Song.

#11 A Snowball’s Chance in Hell by J D Kirk
One of the DCI. Logan series set in the Scottish Highlands. Is anyone else reading this series? I am really enjoying it, the characters and dialogue are great. This was #9, but think there are over 20 in the series. I am spacing them out between other books do that I don’t just rattle through them.
When a young man is found frozen to death on a highland street, during a blizzard, it’s initially put down to a Christmas night out gone wrong. But then then team discover they are dealing with a killer with a perverse sense of justice and list that includes some very familiar names. 8/10

#12 Out in the Cold by Stuart Johnstone
When a senior officer’s decision not to respond to a disturbance that has fatal consequences, DS Colyear finds himself banished from Glasgow to work in a remote Highlands town. Despite not wanting to be there, he soon settles into life investigating petty crimes, but soon he starts to suspect something sinister about the town. A series of teenage disappearances seem to have been ignored by the local police force he has joined. When a local groundsman is apparently murdered, Colyear suspects that long held secrets are coming to the surface.
I picked this up randomly in the library, having not read this author before. I enjoyed it, the characters and location were well drawn. 7/10

Book No. 10 Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

This was a random pick from the library and was gripping. I shall definitely look for more by this author.

A couple have been married for 10 years and have 4 small children. She works for the CIA.

She goes to work, makes a coffee and turns on her computer. Her task is to break into a Russian criminal's laptop and find proof that he's concealing 5 deep-cover agents - seemingly normal people living in plain sight.

She gets into the computer - 5 faces stare back at her. She scrolls down. One of them is her husband!!!!

The author used to work for the CIA so she knows her stuff.
I would give this 10/10.

Great thread, just discovered it. I must read 50 books a year at least but never keep a count.
I'd love to join in.
My favourite genre is psychological novels but .I've started the year off on a gentler note.
The first one of this year was 'Don't Believe a Word' by Susan Lewis which I believe is a series ; then Cold Earth by Anne Cleeves featuring Detective Jimmy Perez (played in the TV series of course by Doug Henshall.
I've now just started one of Kathy Kelly's - light reading but comforting winter night cosy.
I have a couple of thrillers gifted by my daughter at Christmas one of which I plan to read next.
Will check back on the thread for recommendations.

Yes, I did. This didn’t have the same suspense to it all. It’s part of a Scottish series called The Darkland Tales, which to quote the website re-imagining stories from the country’s history, myth and legend. This series reclaims history for a modern audience.

It really is just a retelling, although I admit I had never heard of the crime. It just lacks any ‘breath-holding’ moments.