26ish books 2025

7 The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

A modern classic. A slow burner which took me a while to get into but I really enjoyed it once I did. 3.5 out of 5

Only on book 5-the midnight library. Listened to this as an Audio book. Been having a difficult few weeks, I haven't listened to audios before but found this gave the distraction I needed and was enjoyable, easy to relate to in places and easy to follow

13: And Away by Bob Mortimer
You can't fail to like this if you like Bob. Some of the writing is a bit erratic, but he comes across as so lovely. It was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits.

Also, if either of my DS ever speaks of me like he does about his Mum, I would feel on top of the world.

@APurpleSquirrel did you not read the other 4 in the A Court of Thorns and Roses books?

I read the 5 books earlier this year, but struggled to get into another series.

Currently reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

12 The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse. Set in the 1500s in SW France at the start of the religious wars between the catholics and the Huguenots. Enjoyed, I did feel it went on a bit too much. I was a bit dubious about the love interest/ romance but it wasn’t so bad tbh.

After A Court of Thorns & Roses which I enjoyed, but found dragged a bit; I tried Her Majesty’s Royal Coven but after about 8 chapters just wasn’t feeling it. Found the jumping between different characters too disjointed so gave up on that & am now reading Throne of Glass which I’m really enjoying.

1. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
2. Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
3. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
4. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
5. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
6. Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
7. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
8. Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
9. Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
10. A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
11. Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson - didn’t finish
12. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Riders by Jilly Cooper. Despite being in my 50s, so these books being of my era, I have never read any JC before. But I watched the TC adaptation of Rivals (next in series) last year and it was a blast, Riders was free on audible so I thought I'd give it a go. Well, what can I say? It's hardly fine literature but it was a cracking good listen, a bit uncomfortable in places as there is a level of everyday misogyny, racism, homophobia, including words that would be completely unacceptable today and haven't been edited out. It's of it's time. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

12: Kala by Colin Walsh
I had really high hopes for this but it didn't deliver for me. It picked up for around the last quarter of the book. Disappointed.

15. Dying In The Wool by Francis Brody. Widow sets up as a private investigator after a friend asks her to find her missing father. Set in 1920s but it's more Miss Marple than swishy jazz age. Enjoyable enough, not gruesome like some crime novels or too twee and the (rather convoluted) plot hung together. Literary equivalent of an ITV Sunday night crime drama maybe, which isn't meant to be an insult! Proper detective work too not just flashes of inspiration.
First in a series. I expect I will read the next but not as a priority because it's scratched that itch and there's many other books shouting more loudly to me.

6 Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes
I don't think this is her best work but it was a nice, easy read. Slightly disappointed though and not a patch on The Giver of Stars which I loved. 2.5 out of 5

I struggled with bee sting and couldn't finish

1. I haven't been entirely honest with you, Miranda Hart
2. The Cracked Mirror, Chris Brookmyre
3. Fairy Tale, Stephen King
4. Storm Child, Michael Robotham
5. All the other mothers hate me, Sarah Harman

I couldn't finish Jonathan Strange!

4 - Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell - Loved it! Quite a different book. It is as maximalist as Piranesi (the author's other book) is minimalist....But equally beautifully written. If somoene described me what was about it I probably would have passed, but I am glad I did listened to it. Amazing narration also!

5 - Queenie. Definitely not my cup of tea..... but finished.

6 - Bee Sting - Just started.... not sure what to think of it....

Excited to look in to Grace. Thanks for the suggestion. I loved the Prophet song!

11 Dead Lions by Mick Herron. It's the second in the Slow Horses series. Some people are saying they didn't like the books as much as the TV series but I think they are even better. A lot more in the way of interior thoughts.

I finished 3 books in April:

Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
I wanted to love this and thought it was great a couple of chapters in, but decided it was rubbish by the end! It’s a great premise (new police constable recruited into a secret division of the Met Police when he discovers that he can see ghosts/supernatural stuff). But the plot was really saggy - things kept happening that didn’t seem to relate to anything else or weren’t explained properly. And the main character was pretty misogynistic, nearly every female character’s description was rooted in how fuckable he thought she was.

This Book May Save Your Life - Dr Karen Rajan
Informative and entertaining. I didn’t know until someone commented above that he has a social media presence!

The Stranger Diaries - Elly Griffiths
Recommended on the 50 Books thread (which I tried but failed to keep up with, as lovely as they are all - wow, that thing moves fast!) I thought this was a really good modern murder mystery, with multiple different voices and plot devices which worked well. I didn’t suss out the ending and would have liked a couple more hints to nudge me towards it but maybe I was just a bit slow on the uptake. Would read more of hers.

@Scout2016I really loved that book too

22 My Own Story - Emmeline Pankhurst.

What a powerful book.

14. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.
I loved this. Mainly (interesting) female characters, strongly plotted and well written. Great dialogue and the right level of detail for me to set scenes in very different locations.

It's about twin sisters from childhood into late adulthood who are mixed race, one leaves to embark on a new life passing as white. Themes of race obviously, sister and motherhood, nuances of interpersonal relationships.
I did find it a challenging read for a few reasons, firstly the frank discussions around skin colour and race, then because many of the characters are keeping massive secrets and I felt tense about them being found out, and because it switches through a number of characters and jumps in time frames. So I got really immersed in the narrative of one then we left their plot hanging. I cared about them all so it worked OK once I was prepared for it.

The Rosie Project - Graeme Simison. easy read, kept me reasonably engaged, best bit about it was Don the protagonist as its unusual to have someone on the spectrum so well defined - I thought so anyway, I'm not autistic though my DS is, so probably not my place to say how true it was, but he was empathetically written without pity.

For anyone who listens to podcasts, Maggie O'Farrell just did an episode of This Cultural Life

Me too! Read Trespasses last year and loved it. Also love Maggie O’Farrell

I really enjoyed Trespasses too

21 Grace -A Novel. Paul Lynch.

It took just a little while to get in to the writing and realise what was going on, what was real and what was dreamt or imagined. But once I did get in to the swing of it I loved it. Would recommend if you liked The Prophet Song.

I have tried Never Let Me Go and couldn't get through it, I wasn't enjoying it. But you have inspired me to try again. It maybe just wasn't the right time. My daughter loved it