26-ish books for 2023

31: The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier
I had not heard of this one until this thread, but I love du Maurier. I was a bit disappointed by this though as it seemed to lack the theatricality of some of her others. Or maybe it was because I didn't like any of the characters, but I suppose that was the point.

Just wanted to say that whether you achieved 26 books or only a few, that reading should be a pleasure and well done to everyone on this thread.

I reached 26 fairly easily (up to 40 now I think) but have not been on the thread.
Thinking about next year. I really like doing a reading challenge with themes but I haven't found one that fits me yet.

I’m slightly over halfway through book #13, Northanger Abbey. It’s fairly short so hopefully I will finish it soon. Maybe I can squeeze in a 14th before the end of the year. It’s not much, but it’s way better than last year when I managed 4

I have started book no
23.The Guest- Emma Cline
I’m only in the first 50 pages but so far so good and it’s half the length of the last giant tome so I’m happy with that .
I have earmarked two books I bought myself for Christmas as my 24 and 25 then choosing 26 from a few options in my small to read pile . My goal originally was to read through the stacks in my bedroom drawer that languished there for years , to watch less screens and to read instead so I’m happy to have done that in the last few years despite not quite getting my 26 this year. I will keep up the good new habit .

15. I Love This Game - Patrice Evra
    Great book if you love Patrice, but TW re abuse. The bits about the French internationals dragged a bit compared to his club chapters.

16. An Almost Perfect Christmas - Nina Stibbe.
    Very funny.

I won't get to 25 now as I've just started the new Zadie Smith. I definitely won't be able to finish that in 2023.
I haven't been counting books that I've been re-reading, or listening to again as audiobooks, just new reads. So I'm happy with 16 for this year, but my pile of TBR doesn't seem to be diminishing!

Finally finished the
19.Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros
I liked it but at 500 pages nearly I thought it was too long . I have the next book too but probably want to read something else . I’m 4 books short of this year’s target and still pretty sick with Covid 8 days after the positive test . Now just trying to get better a bit for Christmas with our own family but have time to read when I can keep my eyes open . Won’t get 4 books though . I’m too tired for that !

Having not finished two of my books so far earlier I did finally read the rest of my no
16.Billy Summers - Stephen King which I thought was quite good but a bit long in the end , I liked his new one Holly more maybe having read others with the same character in them.
Then read the next one DH just gave me in 2 days and really liked it
22.Dark Matter - Blake Crouch
Just found out I’ve got Covid again and am stuck in my bedroom for the time being trying not to infect the others so I think I have a change of getting my 26 this year after all since there’s nothing but time now …
I need to next finish my no
19.Fourth Wing -Rebecca Yarros
or to pick a new one , 4 1/2 books to go !

@Breathmiller I lived Burial Rites too, I've loved all her books.

Hopefully you are better by now and might have seen it already but there's a great thread of book recommendations for intelligent women with the flu
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/what_were_reading/4881216-books-for-the-intelligent-woman-with-the-flu-please

@Breathmiller I loved this book. Probably my best all year. I loved the balance of one minute being horrified, then laughing out loud. It's her first book, too.

29. How to Kill your Family - Bella Mackie

Great book. Fun for what is ultimately a gruesome murder story.

I read this last year. Such an unusual and chilling book. I would highly recommend also.

16 Elly Griffiths The Crossing Places. Really enjoyed this.

Not going to make it to 26 but better than my 1 of last year

30 - The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
This was ok, but you know there is going to be some sadness involved when you are reading about people with terminal illness.

28. Burial Rites - Hannah Kent

One of my favourites of the year. I felt transported to 19th Century Iceland.

Thanks wildernesstips
This thread really did help me to get there.

Well done to everyone whether you read 1 book or 26 or more. I hope it inspired you to get stuck in to a good story.

27. American Dirt - Jeanine Cummings

I really enjoyed this book, I felt it was well written and really believed in all the characters. I have watched quite a few things over the last decade on drug cartels and got a bit fed up of watching it from the drug cartels' (mainly men's) point of view. There seems a strange theme of glamourising these stories whilst also showing how violent they were. This was refreshing, whilst also horrific, to hear the story from the other side, the ordinary people caught up in it and trying to find a way out.

I am under the weather at the moment so going to look for another recommendation on these threads.

33. A Fortnight In September by R.C.Sherriff. First off, if anyone in Manchester has been waiting for this from the library I'm so sorry to have hogged it. It took me soooo long to read. Not in a bad way.
Follows a family of 5 from the night before their holiday to Bognor through to the last day.
I did enjoy it while reading it but until over halfway I wasn't eager to get back to it just to find out what happened next, if that makes sense. It's deceptively dense in detail for a book where not a great deal happens. That's not a criticism as I like character based books rather than twisty plots.

Pourmeanotherwine · 26/09/2023 22:52

1 The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
2 The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier
3 lessons in Chemistry
4 touch of love by Jonathan Coe
5 The bird in the bamboo cage by Heather Webb
6 The man who died twice by Richard Osman
7 The Glass Blowers by Daphne du Maurier
8 The travelling cat chronicles by Hiro Arkawa. Lovely but sad.
9 Red Birds by Mohammed Hanif. Enjoyed I think. Darkly funny.
10 Everyone in this room will someday be dead by Emily Austin.
11 The Helingor Sewing Club by Ella Gyland. Really enjoyed this one, about the evacuation of Danish Jews to Sweden in the second world war by local fishermen with the help of the whole community.
12 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
13 Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier.
14 The scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier
15 The bullet that missed by Richard Osman
16 Murder before evensong by Richard Coles
17 Back when we were grownups By Anne Tyler
18 Now reading Circe by Madeleine Miller
19 Dinner at the homesick restaurant by Anne Tyler
20 Still Life by Sarah Winman
21 We will never be young again by Daphne du Maurier
22 People person by Candice Carty- William's
23 Suzy Suzy by William Wall.
24 Trio by William Boyd
25 the prophet and the idiot by jonas jonasson
26 to fill a yellow house by Sussie Anie
27 ( still reading )house of orphans by Helen Dunmore

Finished number 22. Stephanie Green - The ups and downs of an airport doctor. Very interesting.
23 - I'm back on my crime.
Lynda La Plante - Vanished.
Read the 1st chapter - I'm hooked.

I finished my no
20.The Woman in me - Britney Spears ages ago then read
21.The Last Devil To Die - Richard Osman
now returning to finish
Billie Summers by Stephen King . I have a bit less than half left and similar of The Forth Wing By Rebecca Yarros . Don’t think I’ll have time to get to 26 within this month with everything going on but I have mostly enjoyed what I’ve read this year and will try to remember to continue to make time for it next year .

76 Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price.

29 - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
Such a strange book (which I listened to on Audible). I think I might have got more into it had I physically read this one. Not really sure what to make of it - I feel like I'm still processing it.

75 The Whispers by Ashley Audrain.

@Breathmiller well done on reaching book 26 too!

27 - Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Great fictionalised account of the last execution in Iceland - it's so atmospheric and pretty bleak. Agnes, spends time in custody at a farm whilst awaiting her execution. The interaction between her and the family is so interesting, as she tells her story first to a trainee priest, and then to the family.

28 - Open House by Elizabeth Berg
Not quite as good as Range of Motion. This is the story of how Samantha deals with the unexpected split from her husband and what happens when she has to open her house to lodgers. If you like Anne Tyler or Carol Shields, you would like Elizabeth Berg.

13. Reasons To Be Cheeful - Nina Stibbe. Quite like this until about two-thirds of the way through when it suddenly clicked and I LOVED it. The humour in her writing is so understated but builds up beautifully. Going to read her Christmas one next month.

14. The Grave Tattoo - Val McDermid. I liked the premise but the plot was all over the place and some of the dialogue made me wince. Needed a good edit!