26-ish books for 2023

Just started reading Book 12, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
I'm really surprised with AC's writing, it doesn't feel dated at all.
It's my very first Agatha Christie and I'm loving it!

Book 18 The Wishlist by Andrew Raymond

Yes, I remember reading me about a woman who decided to end her life by walking into sea. She had adult children and didn’t like any of them!

Yes, frightfully middle class indeed. It was beautifully written and evocative, but had a few darker threads running through it.

I used to love reading Mary Wesley novels.
The Vacillations of Poppy Carew etc!
Such beautiful names as I recall.....Calypso, a dog called Fling, Sophy spelt with a y.
And all frightfully, frightfully middle class!

19. Beneath the Skin The next in the Nicci French novels I am working my way through. I really enjoyed this. They are thrillers and I love the way they (married couple authors) write. The actual solving of the mystery becomes almost surplus to requirements and is often IMO far from the strength of the story. This particular one described the main characters in such detail and allows the reader to get to know them so intimately that what happens to them is such a shock! I don't remember ever reading a book that breaks that rule quite so blatantly. Really good.

I finished Three Men in a Boat yesterday (finally). Now onto book #9, Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo.

31: The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley (audio) thoroughly enjoyed this one, it was a hit TV series in the 1980s, the story of an extended middle class family in WW2, told both at the time of the war and from 40 years later when the surviving members reunite for a funeral.

30 Book Lovers by Emily Henry - wouldn’t really recommend, very lightweight and predictable.

67 - 78 Another re-read of the St Mary's books, which is where I started in Jan! Plus 5 of the short stories..I'm up to Plan for the Worst currently. Then there are 3 more.
And I'll re read the Time Police next. Am on holiday away and getting through a book or 2 a day.

42 Idol by Louis O'Neill
43 A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
44 How High We Go In The Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

Book 17 The Bonnie Dead by Andrew Raymond

24 Miss Buncle's Book by De Stevenson. I loved this. Miss Buncle has written a novel about the people of her village and when it comes out they realise it's about them. Reactions vary and they can't work out who the author is. It's written quite simply but that's deceptive because there's a lot of thought and plotting gone on. I found it really engaging and great fun. It is quiet, and was published 1934 so slightly dated, but not in a clanging way. It's a Persephone book and I am a big fan of theirs.

1 Twelve Secrets
2 People of Abandoned Character
3 The Herd
4 Last One at The Party
5 The Last Thing to Burn
6 Moon Over Soho
7 The Girls Who Disappeared
8 The Chalk Man
9 The Unheard
10 Away with the Penguins
11 Whispers Underground
12 Pineapple Street
13 Trespasses
14 The Safe House
15 Go as a River
16 Girl, Woman, Other
17 Killing me softly

18 Overshare by Jane Fallon
Very readable, a cautionary tale of what happens when you obsess over people you don't really know on social media, although the main character takes that to another level for her own reasons. Touches also on the pressure of a woman's biological clock and troublesome familial relationships. I enjoyed but not particularly memorable.

As I said a few weeks ago I haven’t been reading books as much ,life has been busy but I finished
17.Tell me everything-Minka Kelly
and am now continuing
16.Billy Summers -Stephen King
I bought a new book “ The Guest by Emma Cline which will be my book no 18 …

27/28 - Mrs Harris goes to Paris / Mrs Harris goes to New York - Paul Gallico - totally far-fetched but nonetheless really enjoyable, Mrs Harris is a gem and all the characters are well-written and come to life in these books.

29 - Hooke by Paul Merson - the story of Paul's life as a premier league footballer and his struggles with addictions, most notably gambling. I have a soft spot for Paul as he played for my team, this was a really interesting and moving read.

23. A Start In Life by Anita Brookner. I really enjoyed this and will look to read more of her novels. She was discussed on the Backlisted podcast as being a special writer so I was curious to see what the fuss was about and I'm glad I did.
Opening line is "Dr Weiss, at forty, knew that her life had been ruined by literature." Then we get some wonderfully drawn characters and a long running plot with some small and some momentus events, some funny, some rather tragic or pathetic, or all three, as we follow the main character from childhood to adulthood. It's succinctly done though, it's not a mammoth read.

1.One Minute Later by Susan Lewis

1. The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster
2. Some Kind of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher
3. Undoctored by Adam Kay
4. The Perfect Couple by Jackie Kabler
5. The Library of Lost and found by Phaedra Patrick
6. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelidas
7. Freckles by Cecelia Ahern

Loved Small Pleasures

2023 Books:

1 Twelve Secrets
2 People of Abandoned Character
3 The Herd
4 Last One at The Party
5 The Last Thing to Burn
6 Moon Over Soho
7 The Girls Who Disappeared
8 The Chalk Man
9 The Unheard
10 Away with the Penguins
11 Whispers Underground
12 Pineapple Street
13 Trespasses
14 The Safe House
15 Go as a River
16 Girl, Woman, Other

17 Killing Me Softly - Working my way through the Nicci French books, this one was excellent, a very believable description of a woman falling utterly in lust with a man the instant they met, and taking her existing life apart piece by piece as a result. "obliterating sex".... 😂

I have also read and much enjoyed Small Pleasures!

I thought I had but looking at it I think I've missed it.

Thanks fir the recommendation, I'm going to put it in my list

For anyone interested that doesn't already have it, you can get a free month of kindle unlimited, just signed up.

41 The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett.

39 Yellowface by R F Kuang.
40 Foster by Claire Keegan.