26-ish books in 2022

Just finished book 17 - Pachinko by Ming Jin Lee
One I've been meaning to read for ages and really enjoyed it. Part of my quest to read more Asian authors.

And I also really like “ The Island “by Adrian McKinty so I recommend that to The Chain readers . I have not read his other books . I hope he’ll keep on writing and I’ll keep on buying them !

I finished
17 .The Judge’s list - John Grisham
Am now finishing “How to kill your family “, still in the middle of the “Under The Affluence “but might start another faster to read fiction one at the same time as it . I now only have 9 more book physically in my to read pile , more on kindle though . I’m always trying to do one a week but it’s not normally happening since more than midway through the year ,if I get 26 I’ll be happy though . My goal was just in general to read more and that
‘s happening so I’m achieving that . I finished the John Grisham yesterday and am set on finishing this Bella Mackie today . I have a few days home alone while older DS doing a course and DH at his moms with the dog and DD . I have other stuff I should probably do like decluttering and organising or packing for a trip but that’s in 3 w so I am now reading when it’s all quiet !!!
.

I finished 3 books this month:

10. Rubbernecker - Belinda Bauer. Enjoyed this - part whodunnit, part thriller. There was a tiny plot hole that irritated me slightly but otherwise it was pretty well put together I thought.

11. America Unchained - Dave Gorman. This is a quest to drive across the USA from coast to coast by only spending money on food, accommodation and petrol in independent businesses (ie no chains). I love DG but I got the impression that this journey broke his spirit a bit.**

12. Blink - Malcolm Gladwell. Bought this in a Kindle deal on a whim and got a lot out of it.

20. Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M.C. Beaton - My gran was fond of a cozy mystery, and when she died a couple of years ago I inherited a stack of her Agatha Raisin books. I've been swamped at work so this was a perfect easy read, with the added bonus of reminding me of times spent reading with my gran.

I've now started This Charming Man by Marian Keyes. I haven't read any of her work before, but keep hearing good things about her on Mumsnet so hopefully it lives up to the hype!

The one by Kathleen McGurl? I loved that book

Finally finished The Bletchley Girls.

I totally fell away from reading for months there but we went on a 10 day holiday and I read 3 books so getting back into the swing of it! Currently at 8/25 for the year but optimistic I'll get to 25.

My internet is really playing up but l need to list my books and catch up on the thread for book recommendations.

16 Sunny Side Up. A Story of Kindness and Joy by Susan Calman

I love Susan Calman, and this book was funny, but I found it a bit rambling and the chapters were too long. Second half was better.

23: Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson. Decided to take an old favourite on holiday with me, Bill never disappoints with his observant and witty style. Seems a bit dated now with references to British Rail etc but a great trip down memory lane.

@elkiedee I wonder what the titles will be? He always uses Tom Waites song titles.

I just Googled Adrian McKinty and there's a detailed account of what happened on his Wikipedia page.

The Chain was a breakthrough novel - in 2017 AM said he couldn't pay his family's rent and bills etc and he was having to give up on being a full time writer and take up being an Uber driver. Another crime writer in the US, Don Winslow, persuaded his own publisher to take another look at AM and AM wrote The Chain - his success with that means that he's been able to write full time again.

Better still, there are two more Sean Duffy stories on the way. They've already been published but in German translation (I'd come across these listed and did wonder what the story was - but my knowledge of German is limited to an O level grade C over 37 years ago) but #7 is now scheduled for publication later this year.

@elkiedee I was so disappointed that I couldn't get into The Chain. I agree it's such a shame that a talented writer like McKinty can't make a living.

@Nordicmum and @SortingOffice

I really like Adrian McKinty's Sean Duffy books too - I still have Police at the Station ... (#6) TBR. I also enjoyed the first of his trilogy featuring an Irish guy who has become an illegal migrant in NYC, and must get to the others and his earlier books. I have The Chain to read and will look out for the new one.

I'm a bit sad that he apparently wasn't really able to break through to sustain his career as a full time writer with the Sean Duffy novels, and was considering giving up when he wrote The Chain. But as a long time crime reader I know I've been wary of a number of writers making big changes in their work, and when I've finally got round to reading the books, some I've loved, some aren't quite my thing, but if it helps them make a living and brings an audience to their backlist, that has to be a good thing.

Has anyone seen this?
readinggroups.org/big-jubilee-read

I have read a few already, some I'd happily re-read, some I will not be re-reading (e.g. A Suitable Boy which was actually very good but SO LONG).

I'm not sure these are right but I'll carry on from where I was
20 Break in the Sun by Bernard Ashley - loved this as a child
21 The Frequency of Us by Keith Stuart. Really nice alternative world novel with a twist.

I haven't updated in a while as I've been in a bit of a reading slump and have had a few false starts. My most disappointing DNF was Fingersmith (Sarah Waters), which I found irritatingly slow. After Googling the plot, I decided it wasn't worth the time, although I might have reconsidered for a shorter book.

18. In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende - The paths of undocumented immigrant Evelyn and human rights professor Richard literally collide as the result of a minor traffic accident during a snowstorm. The consequences of the accident are far more serious for Evelyn, and she shortly shows up at Richard's house with nowhere else to turn. In an effort to understand her, Richard enlists the help of his tenant Lucia, and their backstories unfurl during the course of the book.

This is my second book by Allende this year. I enjoyed it, but perhaps not quite as much as some of her others. The 'twist' was quite easy to see coming, and I thought that gutsy Lucia was far too good for the self-pitying Richard. Still a lovely read though.

19. Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez - A very interesting and thought provoking book, albeit an infuriating one. Its been reviewed a lot on Mumsnet, so I won't go into too much detail except to say that I will be forcing it upon highly recommending it to all the men in my life.

I haven't updated in quite a while. I had a period where I just couldn't get into anything I picked up and had a couple of DNF's. I might return to a couple of them but Milkman that everyone raved about I won't.

I've also recently listened to my first audio books during my walks and am a convert so am counting them too. Annoyingly my count is out of sync with Goodreads as it counts DNF's - must look to see if I can fix that.

Book 12 We should all be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I love this authority this turned out to be just a short story. It was ok.

Book 13 My Evil Mother - Margaret Atwood another short story but quite enjoyable.
Book 14 The Miserable Milk - Lemony Snicket still working through this series with the children but also breaking away for shorter stories.
Book 15 The Austere Academy - Lemony Snicket
Book 16 Rachel's Holiday - Marian Keyes A really enjoyable read that got me back in the reading game.

Book 17 The thing about Clare - Imogen Clark This was free on prime reading and was just ok. A bit predictable with characters I didn't really warm to.
Book 18 Again, Rachel - Marian Keyes My first audio book, a follow on to book 16. I really enjoyed this one too and may look at others in this series about the other family members.
Book 19 - The Road Trip - Beth O'Leary Audio book, this was ok, laugh out loud funny at times but with some very annoying characters.

I'm currently reading As you Were by Elaine Carney but not living resetting style. I'm also listening to another Marian Keyes book This Charming Man.

Sorry I haven't read the thread so don't know whether his Duffy books have been discussed (must have posted on it months ago but it came up on TIO).
Adrian McKinty is my all time favourite author but for his Sean Duffy series, set in NI in the troubles, incredibly witty and just great writing.

Couldn’t resist and started
16.The Island by Adrian McKintey
even though I haven’t finished the other two . Good so far …

I finished my
12 .The Girl Who Lived Twice
13.The Chain
And now reading
14.How To Kill Your Family which seems good so far but have just bought another I couldn’t resist that’s not fiction and more a social commentary book I already had a look of a bit
15 . Under The Affluence ( shaming the poor , praising the rich and sacrificing the future of America ) by Tim Wise after I saw him in a documentary which has potential to be either interesting or deathly boring so I shall see …

@YingMei I can remember that I enjoyed Station Eleven when I read it a few years ago but my memory of it is now a bit hazy.

I'm about two thirds of the way through Emily St John Mandel's latest book, Sea of Tranquility - I went into it without much idea what it's about but I'm very much liking it so far, though I didn't mean to read two pandemic novels at the same time (also reading Sarah Moss, The Fell), or two involving time travel or something (Olga Wojtas, Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Vampire Menace).

I will now! Didn't know about it but that's very exciting!

Yingmei Have you seen the HBO tv adaptation of Station Eleven? It’s superb.