26-ish books for 2023

I’m reading slowly that one as well!

Just finished my second book of the year

1. The Catch by T.M Logan

2.Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell - recommendation from a friend after I said I needed something light and easy. It’s….. bizarre. A collection of short stories, some of which are about characters from the authors previous books. The first few stories were sweet enough. Simple love stories, exactly what I was looking for. But then it took a weird turn. Fantasy, but very random. I wasn’t familiar with Rainbow Rowell’s other work, so i didn’t know what to expect, but a lot of these stories just weren’t for me.

I've just started Lessons in Chemistry!

1. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr.
2. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

Absolutely adored Lessons in Chemistry and didn’t want it to end.
Great to read a hyped book that lived up to my expectations too.
It was refreshing, funny, moving. Will be recommending it to my friends and family.

Finished book 2. Really enjoyed it.

1. The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
2. What Lies Between Us - John Marrs

One thing I especially liked about the book was the "Dolly" character making many observations about the way women are disadvantaged against men in the music industry, quite timely in the light of what has happened with the Brit award nominations this year.

@EspeciallyDetermined ❤️Dolly❤️

3: Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson (audio). A nice light listen, beautifully narrated by a cast including Dolly, the tale of a young country singer fleeing her past life to make it big in Nashville. Very enjoyable.

Finished book 3 The Beautyful Ones are Not Yet Born, by Ayi Kwei Armah. Am amazing book though it took me a while to get into it. Really evocative - I always think that No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is evocative but this is very different - also philosophical, political, and funny. It's part of the Big Jubilee Read and though I don't want any themed challenges this year I'll tick off any of the books I read on that list. I have read 16 but that's over my lifetime!

Oh my first bit got cut off! Reading much faster than usual that's meant to say.

Mine so far (reading much faster

A Maigret Christmas by Georges Simenon
Zone of Interest by Martin Amis
A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (would not recommend, I loved this book when I was about 12 but it is not as good as I remember!)
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Lolly Willoes or the loving huntsman by Sylvia Sylvia Townsend Warner
LOVED this, definitely recommend. It's quite a subtle parody of domesticity and the nature of wildness. It also has one of my favourite depictions of Satan.

I am now reading Diary of a Nobody by George Grossmith. Jury out so far, it's very readable and quite funny but a bit sneering maybe? I want to finish it and form my own view a bit and then read around it a little. I know lots of people really love it.

I've just finished my first book of the year

Before the Coffee gets cold: Tales from the cafe - Toshikazu Kawaguchi

It's actually the second book in a three book series which I didn't realise but it was fine as a stand alone book. Really interesting concept and I loved the writing style. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend.

1. Magic Tides by ilona Andrew's finished.... disappointingly short as was a long novella. V readable though.

1. Hope for the Best by Jodi Taylor started.

3 The Herd - Emily Edwards

Didn't do much for me this one, the story was okay but I found the characters two dimensional.

1. Murder Before Evensong - Rev Richard Coles 2) Dry - Augusten Burroughs

This was good. Well written, funny and sad. It is a memoir of a man who has a pretty bad drinking problem and goes to rehab under duress.

It isn't "quit lit" afaic as it is more about the author's particular experience and life. You don't have to want to quit drinking to get a lot out of reading it basically.

2. Betrayal by Harold Pinter
A play rather than a novel but I read a lot of plays as an English teacher so am going to include these this year. Read this for work (A level set text) and really loved it. Typical Pinter - sparse, stichomythic dialogue, lots of understatement. This is the story of an affair but is structured in reverse chronological order. Very thought provoking - must see this on stage now.

1)Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
2)Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski
3) My Name Is Why by Lemn Sissay
4) Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, the back story to the "mad woman in the attic" in Jane Eyre.
Hard to comment on without spoilers. Glad I read it but blimey it made me cross! I enjoyed the character studies. Liked the last part the least but that's only a few pages.

2: Mrs England by Stacey Halls (audio). Unputdownable, I loved it. You could tell where it was going but it was still gripping and beautifully described, very atmospheric.

1. Monster Love by Carol Topolski -The book details the aftermath of the death of a four year old, abused and neglected by her parents, told from multiple perspectives (e.g. neighbour, social worker, juror, the parents). It started off strong, but then took a paranormal turn and ended oddly. The 'twist' felt cheap, and somewhat legitimised the parents' delusions of their 'special, perfect bond' that drove them to feel threatened by and ultimately kill their daughter in the first place. Which felt a bit grubby. Not sure the author knew the author knew how to finish the story tbh.

1. Kneller's Happy Campers by Etgar Keret - This was a strange little book, and I'm not sure I would have finished it if it hadn't been a novella. Set in an afterlife that caters exclusively to people who've committed suicide, the protagonist Mordy learns that his girlfriend up in the world of the living has killed herself and sets off on a quest to find her. It's billed as a dark comedy, and is certainly an interesting concept, but felt it lacked something.

Can I join?
my target is 15 but hopefully I’ll be closer to the 20!

1. Todas esas cosas que te diré mañana. - Elizabet benavent

1. Reconstruction (Mick Herron)
2. Terciel & Elinor (Garth Nix)

Off to library tomorrow in the hopes there are a few new books on display - I've got nothing lined up for my next one!

1.Sycamore Row by John Grisham

2.The Familiars by Stacy Hall.

Just finished book 2. Sadly it was not awful enough to give up after the first chapter but I wish I had. Set around the Pendle witch trials I had high hopes having just read another book set around the same period. It was just dull. Paper thin characters, slim on plot and unbelievable. Now I don't mind suspending belief at all for fiction but the idea of a fragile girl nearing the birth of a much wanted child who hops on a horse and charges about just didn't work.

I am doing well so far, on number 5 i think. I just finished 'Follow you home' by Mark Edwards which was a bit mad but good. I tried Alan Rickmans diary but didn't finish, it's something I might dip into now and them rather that read through. I just started 'The family upstairs' which seems promising.

I've been reading loads more than usual this January! Just finished book 4 and onto number 5.

List so far is

1. A Maigret Christmas by Georges Simenon
2. Zone of Interest by Martin Amis
3. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters (would not recommend, I loved this book when I was about 12 but it is not as good as I remember!)
4. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

I have started Lolly Willloes this morning which I am loving so far, I think it was a recommendation on this thread last year.

Book #2 is A Heart Full Of Headstones by Ian Ranking