50 Book Challenge 2021 Part Eight

Wow, thank you @PermanentTemporary, and all of the lovely 50 bookers for another splendid year. I've read less than last year, and none too wisely at times, falling a bit into the generic 99p Kindle crime trap when too tired to properly engage with reading. Oh well.

1. Christmas Chronicles Nigel Slater
2. Merry Midwinter
3. Twas the Nightshift before Christmas - Adam Kaye
4. Bridget Jones' Diary
5. Rupture Ragnar Jonasson
6. Murder Mile Lynda La Plante
7. Bone China Laura Purcell
8. No-one is too small to make a difference Greta T
9. Whiteout Ken Follett

My fiction bolds:
A Mind to Murder- PD James
The Unseen- Roy Jacobson
Conclave- Robert Harris
The Bookshop- Penelope Fitzgerald
A Child's Christmas in Wales- Dylan Thomas.

My top one overall would be Conclave, for being the only real "make the train journey last longer as I want to keep reading" book of my year.

My non-fiction bolds:
The Only Plane In the Sky
Findings- Kathleen Jamie
Christmas Chronicles- Nigel Slater
Pies and Prejudice (nth reread) Stuart Maconie

Favourite non-fiction, toss up between the first two, as the second two are in my top 10 of all time and annual re-reads.

Stinkers- too many sadly to give them further headspace, but absolutely and forever I want Adam Kaye cancelling.

One DNF- Whiteout with Ken and his breasts.

Most of mine were on Kindle.

23 by men, 24 by women.

Hope everyone has a lovely NYE doing whatever makes you happy, and see you on the other side tomorrow.

Wow what a mega-task PermanentTemporary Well done and much appreciated.

I've read four of the top nine and plan to investigate the others. More classics, more rereads, more posting my reviews (as I fell off the thread half-way through 2021) and less screen time - apart from on this thread of course - are my reading resolutions for next year.

As others have said, this is just the best place on Mumsnet and I have enjoyed reading all the comments and recommendations loads. Sending everyone best wishes for 2022 and here's hoping it's a much better year for everyone.

Thank you Permanent really interesting to see our lists. I love how different our tastes are, and how it can bring me to books I'd never have heard about or tried without this thread.

Cote I did actually do this once!

Here's the list of all-time 50-booker favourites (author rather than book title given, if the same author was nominated for multiple books) in order:
Jane Austen
Charles Dickens
Tess of the d’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque
Into Thin Air - John Krakauer
Stephen King
Agatha Christie
Daphne du Maurier
John Boyne
John Steinbeck
George Orwell
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis de Bernières
The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark
The Dark is Rising - Susan Cooper
The Pursuit of Love - Nancy Mitford
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
Beloved - Toni Morrison
The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
David Mitchell
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

Thank you Permanent. Interesting lists, as always. I've read two of the top nine and have another four on my Kindle, so that might be my reading list for January.

One final one for 2021:

65. Christmas Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella

Unashamedly trashy bedtime read in which, among other developments, Becky joins a gentlemen's club and her parents move to Shoreditch.

I haven't worked out my stats for this year, except that I've finished 65 and 69% were by women. Normally I read 75 to 80, but the lack of commuting has cut into my reading time.

Of the top nine on Permanent's list, I have read four and loved all of them. Four more are sitting on my TBR list.

I'm now wondering whether to add the ninth (Small Pleasures) because I am a sheep I really rate the recommendations from this thread .

Interesting list thanks @PermanentTemporary!

I thought I might sneak another in but I picked up troubled blood a few days ago and am gripped but at 900 pages (yup she needs a better editor as always) it’s not going to be finished before the bell tolls.

I’ve deleted my Amazon payment and really am going to try and not buy books this year unless I’m supporting a book shop.

My figures:
Reading on: kindle (43%), Real book (22%), Audio (35%)
Author: male (43%), female (57%)
Type; fiction (63%), non fiction (34%) poetry (3%)

41 books total which is my lowest since I joined the thread. A combination of home schooling, new job and no commute.

I’ve enjoyed it though and particularly glad to see non fiction increasing as I get so much pleasure from it.

Fave was without a doubt Chanel Miller’s know my name, her memoir about the justice system following her rape.

Happy New Year all

Excellent work, Permanent

If you ever have the time and inclination, it would be interesting to see a list of all-time 50-Book favorites.

I understand Permanent, you’d never do it if you waited for everyone! Thanks for putting the effort in, good to see the most popular books.

Heroic work @PermanentTemporary! Thanks so much for going to all that effort on behalf of the thread

Great to see the big list PermanentTemporary, what a lot of work you have put in to pulling it all together.
To complete my year,
60. 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
A couple meet in Dublin in March 2020. 56 days later, one of them is found dead. Page turner with a Covid lockdown setting, very good.
61. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Festive re-read, listened to Audible's version narrated by Hugh Grant and agree with previous comments that it was very well done.
62. Breath by James Nestor
Non-fiction read about breathing, how it has changed through evolution and what a huge effect it can have on our physical and mental health. The early chapters of this were fascinating. It didn't hold my attention quite so much near the end but that may well be me and my December brain.
63. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Harold Fry receives a letter from an old friend who is dying. He sets off to post his reply, but doesn't feel that his words are enough so sets off to walk to see his friend. This novel is about 9 years old but is currently being made into a film starring Jim Broadbent and I was keen to pick it up after hearing that they had been filming in my local area. It is a gentle story, but for me it hit on several raw nerves on themes of relationships, miscommunications and regrets. Interested to see if it stays with me.

63 is a record high and I have really enjoyed my reading this year. Thank you all for your reviews and recommendations.

My favourite novel of the year was Greenwood by Michael Christie.

My favourite non-fiction read was House of Glass by Hadley Freeman - so glad to see a couple of others had it in bold too!

I don't tend to post lists through the year, but I also loved...
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Concrete Rose and On The Come Up by Angie Thomas
We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Lean Fall Stand by Jon McGregor
The Day The World Came to Town by Jim Defede
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Sal by Mick Kitson
We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker

See you all in 2022

Many thanks for your sterling work Permanent!

Incidentally, Phillippe Sands was on the BBC World Service Hardtalk programme this morning, a really interesting listen. Link here:

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct1n6d

Excellent list Permanent, many thanks!
Interestingly I haven't read any of the top 9 - but 8 of them are on my wishlist. Too many books, not enough time...

Wow, that's amazing! I have TOPITS in my Amazon shopping basket. I have always swerved Louding Voice but may rethink.

Does anyone know what came top last year?

Sorry Chessie - I'm appalling with deadlines so I didn't give one as I'd immediately start putting it off! Still good to see more lists?

Oh, I’m too late! I was waiting until I had finished my final book of the year before coming back with lists and favourites. I’ll be back later with my list as it’s on my main computer.

Great work Permanent 👏

Good work @PermanentTemporary.

I’m going to save the list and refer to it when I need new things to read.

Blimey! That's quite some list. Thank you very much. Plenty there to keep me busy next year.

I think the top 9 are a very decent bunch.

Section 2: books bolded by at least one poster
A Bit of a Stretch Chris Atkins
A Child's Christmas in Wales Dylan Thomas
A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens
A Crooked Tree Una Mannion
A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry
A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling
A Life On Our Planet David Attenborough
A Month in the Country J L Carr
A Place of Greater Safety Hilary Mantel
A Prayer for Owen Meany John Irving
A Song for Summer Eva Ibbotson
A Spell of Winter Helen Dunmore
A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth
A Thousand Ships Natalie Haynes
A Wizard of Earthsea Ursula Le Guin
Adam Bede George Eliot
Aeneid Virgil, translated by Shadi Bartsch
Against Nature J K Huysmans
Akin Emma Donohue
All At Sea Decca Aitkenhead
All Change Elizabeth Jane Howard
All That Remains: A Life in Death Sue Black
All the Light we Cannot See Anthony Doerr
Always In December Emily Stone
And Then There Were None Agatha Christie
Angrynomics Eric Lonergan and Mark Blyth
Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy
Anna Magdalena Bach, Fanny Hensel, Clara Schumann: Three Female Musicians in the Spotlight
Another Day in the Death of America Gary Younge
Apeirogon Colum McCann
Arabella Georgette Heyer
Around the World in Eighty Days Jules Verne
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother Amy Chua
Bay of Angels Anita Brookner
Bear Head Adrian Tchaikovsky
Beautiful World, Where Are You? Sally Rooney
Becoming Michelle Obama
Behold, America Sarah Churchwell
Beloved Toni Morrison
Between You and Me Lisa Hall
Bolt Dick Francis
Born a Crime Trevor Noah
Brain on Fire: my month of madness Susannah Cahalan
Break In Dick Francis
Bricks and Mortar Helen Ashton
Bright Duanwad Pimwana. Translated by Mui Poopoksakul
Bring up the Bodies Hilary Mantel
Cage of Souls Adrian Tchaikovsky
Celestial Bodies Jokha Alharthi. Translated by Marilyn Booth
Charlotte Bronte: a life Claire Harman
Children of the Dust Louise Lawrence
Cilka's Journey Heather Morris
Clara Janice Galloway
Conclave Robert Harris
Confusion Elizabeth Jane Howard
Conundrum Jan Morris
Cotillion Georgette Heyer
Crampton Hodnet Barbara Pym
Cranford Elizabeth Gaskell
Crispr People Henry Greely
Crooked Heart Lissa Evans
Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books Cathy Rentzenbrink
Death On The Nile Agatha Christie
Decider Dick Francis
Devotions Mary Oliver
Dolce Vita Confidential Shawn Levy
Dona Flor and her Two Husbands Jorge Amado
Dope Sara Gran
Dracula Bram Stoker
Due to a Death Mary Kelly
Dusty Answer Rosamund Lehman
Early Morning Riser Katherine Heiny
Earth and Heaven Sue Gee
East of Eden John Steinbeck
Entangled Life Martin Sheldrake
Erebus Michael Palin
Eve Was Shamed Helena Kennedy
Everybody: a book about freedom Olivia Laing
Everything Is Illuminated Jonathan Safran Foer
Everything Sad is Untrue Daniel Nayeri
Expectation Anna Hope
Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle with Coronavirus Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnott
Falling Angels Tracy Chevalier
Falling Upwards Richard Holmes
Farewell to the East End Jennifer Worth
Felicia's Journey William Trevor
Fierce Bad Rabbits Clare Pollard
Fifty Sounds Polly Barton
Fingersmith Sarah Waters
Fingersmith Sarah Waters
Fire and Steam Christian Wolmar
Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain Barney Norris
Fleishman is In Trouble Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Footprints in Paris Gillian Tindall
Foreign Affairs Alison Lurie
Fountainville Tishani Doshi
Free Love Tessa Hadley
Frenchman's Creek Daphne de Maurier
Frere d'ame (At Night All Blood is Black) David Diop
Georgiana, Duchess Of Devonshire Amanda Foreman
Ghost Wall Sarah Moss
Giovanni's Room James Baldwin
Girl A Abigail Dean
Girl, Woman, Other Bernadine Evaristo
Go Tell It on the Mountain James Baldwin
Golden Hill Francis Spufford
Goodnight Mr Tom Michelle Magorian
Great Circle Maggie Shipstead
H is for Hawk Helen MacDonald
Happy Derren Brown
Her Here Amanda Dennis
Hidden Valley Road Robert Kolker
Hillbillly Elegy J D Vance
Hillsborough Voices: The Real Story Told by the People Themselves Kevin Sampson
Home Fire Kamila Shamsie
I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death Maggie O'Farrell
In a Lonely Place Dorothy B Hughes
In Ghostly Japan Lafcadio Hearn
In the House of Brede Rumer Godden
In This House of Brede Rumer Godden
Inside Story Martin Amis
Insignificance James Clammer
Into the Wild Jon Krakauer
Inventory of a Life Mislaid: An Unreliable Memoir Marina Warner
Irreversible Damage Abigail Shrier
Ishi in Two Worlds Theodora Kroeber
Island Dreams Gavin Francis
Just My Type Simon Garfield
Just One Damned Thing After Another Jodi Taylor
Kane and Abel Jeffrey Archer
Keep the Aspidistra Flying George Orwell
Kitchen Confidental Anthony Bourdain
Klara and the Sun Kazuo Ishiguro
Know my Name Chanel Miller
La Femme Gelee Annie Ernaux
La's Orchestra Saves the World Alexander McCall Smith
Landrace Gardening Joseph Lofthouse
Les Miserables Victor Hugo
Lighthouse Tony Parker
Lily Rose Tremain
Lincoln in the Bardo George Saunders
Lolita Vladimir Nabokov
London Fog: The Biography Christine L. Corton
Look at Me Anita Brookner
Lord of the Flies William Golding
Love is Blind William Boyd
Luna Tamara Driessen
Madam, Will You Talk? Mary Stewart
Maigret's Memoirs Georges Simenon
Mansfield Park Jane Austen
Maurice EM Forster
Mayflies Andrew O'Hagan
Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts Christopher de Hamel
Memoire de fille Anne Ernaux
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend Matthew Green
Memories: From Moscow to the Black Sea Teffi. Translated by Robert Chandler, Elizabeth Chandler, Anne Marie Jackson and Irina Steinberg
Merivel Rose Tremain
Mermaid of the Black Conch Monique Raffey
Miracles of Life J G Ballard
Misery Stephen King
Miss Benson's Beetle Rachel Joyce
Moominland Midwinter Tove Jansson
More than a Woman Caitlin Moran
Mrs Death Misses Death Salena Godden
Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont Elizabeth Taylor
Murder on the Orient Express Agatha Christie
My Name is Why Lemn Sissay
My Rock 'n' Roll Friend Tracy Thorn
Nervous Conditions Tsitsi Dangarembga
Next of Kin Kia Abdullah
Noone is talking about this Patricia Lockwood
Normal People Sally Rooney
Northen Spy Flynn Berry
Notes on a Scandal Zoe Heller
Nothing but the Blue Sky Kathleen McMahon
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
Oh William! Elizabeth Strout
Olive Kitteridge Elizabeth Strout
On Some Faraway Beach: The Life and Times of Brian Eno DAvid Sheppard
On the Beach Nevile Shute
On the Road Jack Kerouac
One Flew Over teh Cuckoo's Nest Ken Kesey
One. Two. Three. Four. : The Beatles In Time Craig Brown
Only Child Rhiannon Navin
Ouch: Why Pain Hurts and Why It Doesn't Have To Margee Kerr , Linda Rodriguez McRobbie
Our Endless Numbered Days Claire Fuller
Our Mutual Friend Charles Dickens
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World Laura Spinney
Perfume Patrick Suskind
Pew Catherine Lacey
Pickard County Atlas Chris Harding Thornton
Pied Piper Nevile Shute
Pilgrims Matthew Kneale
Plainsong Kent Haruf
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
Priestdaddy Patricia Lockwood
PS I Love You Cecilia Ahern
Purple Hibiscus Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Quite Claudia Winkleman
Ramble Book: Musings on Childhood, Friendship, Family and 80s Pop Culture Adam Buxton
Re-educated Lucy Kellaway
Redhead by the Side of the Road Anne Tyler
Reflections in a Golden Eye Carson McCullers
River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads Cat Jarman
Rodham Curtis Sittenfeld
Room Emma Donohue
Room at the Top John Braine
Rosemary's Baby Ira Levin
Rubbernecker Belinda Bauer
Schindler's List Thomas Keneally
Scoff Pen Vogler
Selected Poetry and Prose Charlotte Mew
Sex Robots and Vegan Meat Jenny Kleeman
Shadowplay Joseph O'Connor
She Wolves: The Women who Ruled England Before Elizabeth Helen Castor
Slough House Mick Herron
Somebody I Used to Know Wendy Mitchell
Sorrow and Bliss Meg Mason
Starlight Stella Gibbons
Stigma Imogen Tyler
Still Life Sarah Winman
Stoner John Williams
Such a Fun Age Kiley Reid
Surrounded by Psychopaths: or how to stop being exploited by others Thomas Erikson
Swarming: Biology and Control Wally Shaw
Team Of Rivals Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Album of Dr Moreau Daryl Gregory
The Anglo-Saxons Marc Morris
The Appeal Janice Hallett
The Art of War Sun Tzu
The Autumn of the Ace Louis de Bernieres
The Beginning of Spring Penelope Fitzgerald
The Bookshop Penelope Fitzgerald
The Break Marian Keyes
The Burning Anthony Quinn
The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures Louis Theroux
The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer
The Cat and the City Nick Bradley
The Code Breaker Walter Isaacson
The Consequences of Love Gavanndra Hodge
The Country of Others Leila Slimane. Translated by Sam Taylor
The Crystal Code Tamara Driessen
The Cutting Room Jane Casey
The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham
The Doomsday Book Connie Willis
The Door Magda Szabo
The Dreamers Karen Thompson Walker
The English Patient Michael Ondaatje
The Final Revival of Opan and Nev Dawnie Walton
The Fire Next Time James Baldwin
The Five Hallie Rubenhold
The Fog James Herbert
The Fortnight in September RC Sherriff
The Foundling Stacey Halls
The French Lieutenant's Woman John Fowles
The Girls of Slender Means Muriel Spark
The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History Kassia St Clair
The Guide Peter Heller
The Gunslinger Stephen King
The Hate U Give Angie Thomas
The Haunting of Alma Fielding Kate Summerscale
The Heart of the Matter Graham Greene
The Heat of the Moment Sabrina Cohen-Hatton
The Hopkins Manuscript RC Sherriff
The House of the Spirits Isabel Allende
The Idea of You Robinne Lee
The Island of Missing Trees Elif Shafak
The Junior Officers Reading Club Patrick Hennessey
The Kraken Wakes John Wyndham
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories Susanna Clarke
The Lammas Ecovillage : Deep Roots & Stormy Skies Tao Paul Wimbush
The Land of Spices Kate O'Brien
The Land where Lemons Grow Helena Attlee
The Last Graduate Naomi Novik
The Last Thing To Burn Will Dean
The Leopard Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
The Life Project Helen Pearson
The Long Song Andrea Levy
The Map that Changed the World Simon Winchester
The Midnight Library Matt Haig
The Ministry of Bodies Seamus O'Mahony
The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint Barry Udall
The Nanny State Made Me Stuart Maconie
The Offing Benjamin Myers
The Orphan Master's Son Adam Johnson
The Paper Palace Miranda Cowley Heller
The Plot Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Prince's Pen Horatio Clare
The Quiet American Graham Greene
The Reading Cure: How Books Restored My Appetite Laura Freeman
The Right to Sex Amia Srinivasan
The Ruins Mat Osman
The Running Hare John Lewis Sempei
The Sandman Neil Gaiman
The Sea The Sea Irish Murdoch
The Sealwoman's Gift Sally Magnusson
The Searcher Tana French
The Searchers Alan Le May
The Secrets of the Chess Machine Robert Lohr
The Shepherd Frederick Forsyth
The Spirit Level Wilkinson and Pickett
The Spy and the Traitor Ben Macintyre
The Story of a Lost Child Elena Ferrante
The Terror Dan Simmons
The Testaments Margaret Atwood
The Time-Traveller's Guide to Medieval England Ian Mortimer
The Truants Kate Weinberg
The Unseen Roy Jacobsen translted by Don Bartlett and Don Shaw
The Untouchable John Banville
The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett
The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett
The Way of All Flesh Ambrose Parry
The Way We Live Now Anthony Trollope
The Weather Experiment Peter Moore
The Wolf Den Elodie Harper
The Woman in White Wilkie Collins
The World For Sale Javier Blas & Jack Farchy
The World I Fell Out Of Melanie Reid
The Years Annie Ernaux
There Are No Children Here Alex Kotlowitz
There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important than Kindness Carlo Rovelli
Theroux the Keyhole Louis Theroux
Things We Lost in the Fire Mariana Enriquez with Megan McDowell
This Much Is True Miriam Margolyes
This Much is True Miriam Margolyes
This Rare Spirit Julia Copus
Three Houses, Many Lives Gillian Tindall
Throw Me to the Wolves Patrick McGuinness
Thursday Murder Club Richard Osman
Tom's Midnight Garden Phillipa Pearce
Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality Helen Joyce
Transcendent Kingdom Yaa Gyasi
Trauma and Recovery Judith Herman
Treacle Walker Alan Garner
Troilus and Cressida Shakespeare
Truant Horatio Clare
True History of the Kelly Gang Peter Carey
Unorthodox Deborah Feldman
Unwind Neil Shusterman
Vida Marge Piercy
Virginia Woolf Hermione Lee
War and Peace Leo Tolstoy
We Are Satellites Sarah Pinsker
We Are Watching Eliza Bright A E Osworth
We Begin at the End Chris Whitaker
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families Philip Gourevich
We, The Drowned Carsten Jensen
What is History, Now? Helen Carr and Suzannah Lipscomb (eds)
When the Stars Go Dark Paula McClain
Where the Crawdads Sing Delia Owens
Who Is Maud Dixon Alexandra Andrews
Who They Was Gabriel Krauze
Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead Barbara Comyns
Wives and Daughters Elizabeth Gaskell
Written in Bone Sue Black
You have to make your own fun round here Frances Macken

Argh. Not attaching, and it seems to be too big to paste in in one lump. Will try in sections

50 BOOKERS: WHAT WE BOLDED 2021 - ranked by the number of posters who bolded each book
Section 1: books bolded by more than one poster
14 The Only Plane in the Sky Garrett M Graff
9 Shuggie Bain Douglas Stuart
8 Hungry Grace Dent
7 Small Pleasures Claire Chambers
6 Piranesi Susanna Clarke
6 The Girl with the Louding Voice Abi Dare
6 The Pursuit of Love Nancy Mitford
4 Guest House for Young Widows Azadeh Moaveni
4 Hamnet Maggie O'Farrell
3 Americanah Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
3 Casting Off Elizabeth Jane Howard
3 Half of a Yellow Sun Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
3 One of Them Musa Okwonga
3 Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder Caroline Fraser
3 Small Island Andrea Levy
3 Stasiland: Stories from Beyond the Berlin Wall Anna Funder
3 The Christmas Chronicles Nigel Slater
3 The Ratline: Love Lies and Justice on the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive Philippe Sands
3 The Shipping News Annie Proulx
3 The World I Fell Out Of Melanie Reid
3 To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
3 Winter Ali Smith
2 A Gentleman in Moscow Amor Towles
2 A Swim in the Pond in the Rain George Saunders
2 Acts and Omissions Catherine Fox
2 American Dirt Jeanine Cummins
2 And Away Bob Mortimer
2 Bad Blood John Carreyou
2 Diary of an MP's Wife Sasha Swire
2 Ducks, Newburyport Lucy Ellman
2 Earthlings Sayata Muraka
2 East West Street Philippe Sands
2 Findings Kathleen Jamie
2 His Bloody Project Graeme Macrae Burnet
2 House of Glass Hadley Freeman
2 How To Make The World Add Up Tim Harford
2 Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer
2 Invisible Women Caroline Criado Perez
2 Leave the World Behind Rumaan Alam
2 London Belongs to Me Norman Collins
2 Love after Love Ingrid Persaud
2 Malibu Rising Taylor Jenkins Reid
2 Many Different Kinds of Love Michael Rosen
2 Mr Loverman Bernadine Evaristo
2 My Antonia Willa Cather
2 Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century Jessica Bruder
2 Olive, Again Elizabeth Prout
2 Paradise Lost John Milton
2 Passing Nella Larson
2 Pies and Prejudice Stuart Maconie
2 Prodigal Summer Barbara Kingsolver
2 Regeneration Pat Barker
2 Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me Kate Clanchy
2 Spring Ali Smith
2 Summer Ali Smith
2 Summerwater Sarah Moss
2 The Authority Gap Mary Ann Sieghart
2 The Bone Clocks David Mitchell
2 The Dutch House Ann Patchett
2 The End of Men Christine Sweeny-Baird
2 The Gift of Rain Tan Twan Eng
2 The Last House on Needless Street Catriona Ward
2 The Life of Stuff: A Memoir about the Mess we Leave Behind Susannah Walker
2 The Madness of Grief: A Memoir of Love and Loss Revd Richard Coles
2 The Mirror and the Light Hilary Mantel
2 The Pull of the Stars Emma Donohue
2 The Return of the Native Thomas Hardy
2 The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 Sue Townsend
2 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Taylor Jenkins Reid
2 Three Hours Rosamund Lupton
2 Unwell Women Elinor Cleghorn
2 Wintering Katherine May
2 Wolf Hall Hilary Mantel

Thanks for the hard work PermanentTemporary, a really interesting and varied top 9. I'm currently reading TOPITS, amongst other books. It is very affecting, I keep having to take breaks from it because it's so terribly sad. Will have to look up Guest House For Young Widows as it's the only one on that list I haven't read.

So a very 2021 socially distanced bunch of for Eine who I believe first brought The Only Plane In The Sky to the thread.

And now. There are 9 books at the top of the list, in that they were bolded by four or more posters. The very top and most bolded book of 2021 won't be a surprise to any of us...

They are:

14 The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M Graff
9 Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
8 Hungry by Grace Dent
7 Small Pleasures by Claire Chambers
6 Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
6 The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
6 The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
4 Guest House for Young Widows by Azadeh Moaveni
4 Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

I now have to work out how to attach a Google document [no idea, any clues?]

In the meantime: the list has ended up 432 books long. I love the fact that there are no rules - any book that ends up especially enjoyed for any reason at all could be on it. Of that 432, 72 books have been standouts for more than one poster.