2026 - 50 Books a Year Challenge

12 It Takes a Village by Hannah Ellis
Not my usual kind of book but the setting appealed to me as it is set in an area of Devon I particularly like.
The struggles that a single father encounters when taking on his newborn baby alone. Predictable but enjoyable if you're looking for an easy read.

28 Dead Heat Sabine Durrant

A good page turner if you happen to be heading off to Greece for a beach holiday. Down on his luck, 50 something journalist Matt is staying, courtesy of friends, in a guest cottage in the garden of their home in Greece. Specifically the Mani Peninsula near the ancient city of Sparta. Later joined by long term friends, Celia and Adam property owners and their entourage of various children along with their respective friend and partner. Adam, a previous protegee of Matt's whose career has long since overtaken his own. Matt down in the doldrums, having been let go at work, broken up with his partner and as a consequence lost his home to boot, he is now in the process of writing a screenplay, which may or may not be his salvation. Matt's, complicated relationship with Adam blows hot and cold between best buddies and simmering resentments about Adam's treatment of his much nicer wife Celia who he is very fond of. Adam having all the hallmarks of a self absorbed louche narcissist are brought to the fore when into their circle comes Reynash, owner of a newly built glass palace perched in an enviable position across the bay. Reynash and Adam have a shared history the latter having been bullied at school by Adam, but has since emerged as a millionaire heading up a tech company. Tensions rise as Gatsbyesque parties play out at the new house, until a fatal accident occurs, or was it?? plus the mystery of Reynash's business partner who went out for a run a few days before and has never returned, possibly having met with an accident. The narrative is laced with a fair sprinkling of ambiguities, prevalent throughout but in particular as to the ending. I enjoyed it, not as good as a couple of her previous books.

Qwerty

Allira - I found having read the books first made it more confusing as various aspects of the plot were changed for TV. It will be interesting to see if you find the same!

Why do they always change things?

Allira - I found having read the books first made it more confusing as various aspects of the plot were changed for TV. It will be interesting to see if you find the same!

Book 5 Peter James, One of us is Dead.
Book 6 Peter James, Dead Man's Grip. Enjoyed both of these stories.
Book 7 Linwood Barclay, Too Close to Home. Always great thrillers by this author.
Book 8 Lee Child No Middle Name. Short stories
Book 9 Tracy Chevalier, The Glassmaker. Highly recommended.
Book 10 Carol Drinkwater, The Olive Farm. True account of how the former actress and her husband renovated a run-down farm in Provence. Very entertaining
Book 11 David Baldacci, Simply Lies. Not the best story.
Book 12 Erin Littken, The Memory Keeper of Kyiv. Excellent read.
Book 13 Susie Dent, Guilty by Definition. Her first novel. Rather a convoluted story!

AliBeeee

#28 The Offing by Benjamin Myers
Summer of 1946, 16 year old Robert leaves school and decides to leave his Durham village for an adventure and to see some of life before he follows his father and grandfather down into the mine. He sets off on foot, picking up odd jobs and places to stay, or camping, as he goes. After a few weeks he is heading for Robin Hood’s bay when he meets Dulcie, an eccentric, world wise and outspoken older lady who lives in her ramshackle cottage with her dog Butler. She introduces him to the pleasures of good food, alcohol and poetry. They come from very different worlds, but as the summer progresses, a growing friendship develops which will change both their lives.
Very well written, with great characters and only 250 pages. 9/10

Sparklefizz I’ve enjoyed a few of Anna Quindlen’s books but not read that one. It sounds like one I’d enjoy so I’ll add it to my list.

My bookclub loved The Offing. As did my DH as he knows the area well. I also would highly recommend it.

Sparklefizz

Qwerty I watched Secret Service and enjoyed it and have reserved a couple of Tom Bradby's books from the library to see what I think of them.

We watched it too and wished I'd read the book first because the plot was complicated.
However, I did suss out who the culprit was 🙂

I read a Tom Bradby book many years ago and it was very good.

Qwerty I watched Secret Service and enjoyed it and have reserved a couple of Tom Bradby's books from the library to see what I think of them.

I've read several books so far this year but haven't posted about them. However recently I've read the trilogy by Tom Bradby "Secret Service", "Double Agent" and "Triple Cross". I thoroughly enjoyed all three. So I was excited to read that "Secret Service" was being televised as a five part thriller with Tom Bradby involved in the writing and production.
Has anyone else read the books/ and or watched it on TV? I ask because we loved the books but didn't enjoy the TV version much. Some of the casting seemed "off", although Gemma Arterton and Roger Allam were extremely good; Julie and Imogen didn't fit their sexy, assertive roles. Also the plot had been messed around with significantly. All in all a disappointment in our view. Anyone else feel the same or disagree? I'd be interested to hear.

#28 The Offing by Benjamin Myers
Summer of 1946, 16 year old Robert leaves school and decides to leave his Durham village for an adventure and to see some of life before he follows his father and grandfather down into the mine. He sets off on foot, picking up odd jobs and places to stay, or camping, as he goes. After a few weeks he is heading for Robin Hood’s bay when he meets Dulcie, an eccentric, world wise and outspoken older lady who lives in her ramshackle cottage with her dog Butler. She introduces him to the pleasures of good food, alcohol and poetry. They come from very different worlds, but as the summer progresses, a growing friendship develops which will change both their lives.
Very well written, with great characters and only 250 pages. 9/10

Sparklefizz I’ve enjoyed a few of Anna Quindlen’s books but not read that one. It sounds like one I’d enjoy so I’ll add it to my list.

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.

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!

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

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

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.

#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

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

#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