25 (ish) books in 2019

[Chickoletta]

Inspired by, but also slightly overawed by, the 50 book thread, this is a thread for those who love to log their reading but don't have the time or inclination for such a high target. The aim is to read 25 books but it really doesn't matter if you don't get close to that or far exceed it - the idea is to exchange recommendations and thoughts.

I loved this thread last year and was really inspired by some of the suggestions so have taken the liberty of starting this year's version.

I only managed 19 books last year due partly to being a slow reader (even though I'm an English graduate and teacher) and also it being a rather busy and stressful year. I'm definitely hoping to beat that score in 2019.

Please number your books and give titles in bold to make it easy to follow as well as sharing thoughts about them.

My favourite book of last year was The Heart's Invisible Furies', as recommended here.

Just finished my first book of the year:

1. 'Why Mummy Drinks' by Gill Sims (bought for me by my own mother for Christmas - no offence taken!!)
Light hearted and well-observed, this was very enjoyable. Some laugh out loud moments as well as many wry observations about family life. I think I would have enjoyed it more if her children didn't sound so totally insufferable!

Looking forward to sharing our reading this year.

So I finally finished The Bone Clocks - I hadn't realised it was quite so long! But not at all difficult to read. I have very mixed feelings about it. Some chapters I really liked, some characters I was very interested in. Some of it was just too weird (and I've liked all of David Mitchell's brand of weird up to now). Some of it was just embarrassing (the battle scene I was cringing quite a lot). And some of it was a bit boring and as far as I can tell completely pointless!
I will read Slade House but I'll wait a bit I think.

I am now ploughing my way through A Man Called Ove which is so awful I can't think what on earth possessed me to buy it. Even allowing for poor translation (although there's no excuse for that), it is dire.

I will need something really really good after this!

I will delete A Man Called Ove from my next year's To Read list then!

I've been neglecting this thread but I'm happy to report that I've been reading quite a bit. My reads in 2019 include the following:-

1. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

1. The Tattoist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

1. Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent

1. A Keeper by Graham Norton

I rated Nos. 1 - 4 earlier in the thread.

1. After You by Jojo Moyes. I never actually finished this and now I can't find it

1. - 10. The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard. I loved these books so much. I started on the first one and was instantly hooked and read the other four in quick succession. A family saga starting before World War II and following the (many) family members during the course of the war years and beyond.

11. The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford. It's a fictional account of a journey Agatha Christie made on the Orient Express and the story of two women she meets on the train. It's a mix of fact and fiction and I enjoyed it.

12. Whisper of the Moon Moth (same author as above). It's a book inspired by the life of Merle Oberon and the secrets in her life. I didn't know much about the actress until I read this book and it made for a very interesting read.

13. Educated by Tara Westover. I usually prefer fiction to non-fiction but this book really stood out for me. A fascinating read.

14. Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd. Another outstanding non-fiction book especially if you've any interest in history.

15. Our Friends in Berlin by Anthony Quinn. A friend recommended this spy novel and said she found it totally gripping. I thought it was really dull and couldn't actually remember much about it after I'd finished it. If you want a good spy novel I'd recommend 'Restless' by William Boyd

16. Rosie's Travelling Tea Shop by Rebecca Raisin (that's hardly the author's real name?). A woman devastated by a painful separation takes to the road with a mobile tea shop. Light hearted but enjoyable.

Just about to start 17. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

1. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. I was keen to read this as I loved The Reluctant Fundamentalist and this had been Booker shortlisted. I wasn't disappointed - very well written and thought provoking with elements of magical realism. Recommended.

Finished no 18, Triumph by Carolyn Jessop. Not nearly as good as the first one.

Finished book 11 Aurora Rising It was a fun past paced space romp! Really enjoyed it. Now on to The Flatshare.

hi can I join?I've recently discovered my love of again. I find it helps my anxiety.
I will aim for 25 books... so far read 2. Elanor Oliphant is completely finewhich I thought was brilliant. The tattooist of Auschwitz which I found really difficult to read,due to the style of writing. I did almost give up.
I have bought today The party by Elizabeth Day, Tell me a secret by Jane Fallon and Now you see her by Heidi Perks

Hello all, another late joiner here if that's OK? I've been lurking on the thread as some of the early books mentioned were ones I loved (History of Wolves, Reservoir 13) and have been adding some of your recommendations to my wish list.

My problem is that I love reading about books/scanning booklists and Audible for possibles as much as the actual reading!! So I'm hoping this thread will inspire me to get off my phone and into the actual books more

So far I've read:

1. Life After Life - Kate Atkinson

Took me a while to get into the swing of this and didn't enjoy it as much as Behinds the Scenes at the Museum. Might try some of her Jackson Brodie at some point.

1. All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr. I loved this book so much. Gorgeous writing, I wanted to hug it when I finished but unfortunately it was on my Kindle so not the same...

1. Dave Gorman vs The World - Dave Gorman. Dave goes round the country playing games with strangers. Very funny and easy to read, recommend if you like his stand up.

Currently reading The Tent, The Bucket and Me, The Promised Land, and Gallows Pole.

Hi princess and margot - look forward to reading about your book choices. Totally with you princess on loving reading book reviews as much as the books. I also listen to all those radio book programmes. Maybe I'm a just a lazy reader!

I have A God in Ruins and Life after Life on my shelf awaiting reading. Not quite got in the mood for them yet, but on my list for this year.

At the moment I'm (still) reading My Cousin Rachel by Daphne DuMaurier, plus This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay and How to have a Brilliant Life by Michael Heppell.

Finished book 12 The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary I loved it and it's not a genre I often read in.

Just started 7 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Not what I expected so far but going to give it chance to settle in.

1. Ordinary People by Diana Evans

I keep picking up Sally Rooney's much reviewed Normal People with a view to reading it but have been put off by the fact that it is about people in their twenties and that's a decade that's in my distant past. Instead, I opted for Ordinary People on a whim, which is about people in their thirties, which is a time I can just about remember!

The story follows two couples with young children. It focuses on how the shock waves of seismic life events impact on their relationships. London plays a big part in the story too and the descriptions of it gave the story a real sense of place.

I thought it was superbly written, insightful and a pleasure to read. The title comes from the John Legend song of the same name and I found myself humming it all the time. John Legend's music features very heavily throughout the whole book and, as I wasn't really familiar with him at all, I was inspired to listen on Spotify. I'm a convert to both Diana Evans AND John Legend now!

@CharliesMouse I read Diana Evans' first novel (26a) donkeys years ago. I don't remember much about it but I know I really enjoyed it!

I was completely unaware of her MargotMoon but I would definitely read more by her on the strength of Ordinary People.

No.4 finished*The Party,Elizabeth Day.
I couldn't put it down,read it in 3 days,certainly get's you thinking and I wonder if the author wants you to feel sorry for the main character Martin or dislike him. I disliked him. Be interesting to know what other people thought. Certainly worth a read.

Just finished number 8 (really don't think I'm going to make 25 at this rate!) which was The Wych Elm by Tana French. I really enjoyed it, kept me guessing and intrigued by all the characters.

Finished no 13 Additions by Toni Jordan, about a young woman with a numbers OCD. I think it might have been recommended on here ages ago, actually. It's been sitting on my to read Kindle shelf forever!
Really enjoyed it, would definitely look for more by this author.

Just starting Clock Dance by Anne Tyler now. She is one of my favourite authors but I've not liked her more recent stuff (too bloody depressing!) so am approaching this with some trepidation. Has anyone else read it?

numbers 4 and 5 complete.
*Tell me a secret, by Jane Fallon. A lighthearted read, very funny in some part and the description of office politics is something everyone would recognise

*Now You See Her, Heidi Perks. I really enjoyed this, stayed up til past midnight wanting to finish it.
Some of it was predictable but really highlighted emotional abuse and how hard it can be to spot or even be aware that it's happening to you.

I treated myself to The Clockmakers daughter today and I have reserved.the Bell Jar at the library

17. French Rhapsody by Antoine Laurain - this started slower for me than his other books I've read, but it may have just been me as I've been so stressed. I really enjoyed it though, another great story and I'm waiting for another of his books from the library Just started another library book -
18. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - I've read mixed reviews on here but mostly positive. I enjoyed Britt-Marie Was Here by the same author & so far so good.

@bobinks I put off reading A God in Ruins for ages for some reason and then when I did get round to it (last year) OMG I loved it so much. It moved me more than any other book has for a long, long time.

Just thinking about the last paragraph of the chapter in A God in Ruins that ends "No need to thank me Sunny" is enough to start me bawling TheKitchenWitch and bobinks. I agree, it's such a moving book.

It stayed with me for a long time after I'd read it. I think she's an incredible writer.
Having said that, I haven't read Transcription yet because I heard her being interviewed about it and it sounded a bit boring! She didn't "sell" it at all (imo), so it's sort of on my to-read list because I tend to read everything by authors I really like but I'm putting it off.
Has anyone read it? I'd like to hear something positive about it!

17. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore was very good but it was really shocking to read about the plight of the women involved and the difficulty they had in bringing a case against their employer.

18. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I read this a while back but forgot to include it in my tally. It's well written but such a sad and lonely story.

19. Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederik Backman. It started off well but I lost interest around the middle of the book and didn't really care what happened by the end.

20. Bombs on Aunt Dainty by Judith Kerr. This is the sequel to 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabit'. I'm fairly sure I read it as a teenager or maybe in my early '20s but I had forgotten most of it. It was a very interesting read. It depicts Anna's life in London during the war years. The author describes the difficulties and dangers posed by the war and how these difficulties are exacerbated by the fact that Anna and her brother Max are German and so are viewed as enemies despite the family's persecution by the Nazis. There's a bittersweet description of Anna's first love affair. What I found most interesting was the change in the relationship between the children and their parents. While Max and Anna were very dependent on their parents in the first book, there's almost a role reversal in this sequel. Max and Anna are forging careers for themselves in England although this comes easier to Max than Anna. However, their parents are struggling with the move to yet another country and cracks are starting to appear. Their father's writing career has ground to a halt as he's unable to write in English. He's unable to contribute to the family's finances and becomes more frail physically. Their mother is struggling with the pressure of being the family's bread winner and having to manage everything (until Anna finds a job and is able to contribute financially). The stresses and strains of the past decade are taking their toll on her. This book is probably more relevant than ever given the current refugee crisis but it also has a lot to say about family dynamics. Now I'll have to read the third book 'A Small Person Far Away'.

Number 6 read*The Clockmakers Daughter, Kate Morton. I did struggle with this book. It took me along time to get into. I did enjoy but felt that there was alot going with so many storylines that were not relevant

@Taytocrisps I loved the sequels to When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, which is one of my all-time favourites. I hadn't realised she'd written them until a few years ago when I went to Seven Stories in Newcastle and there was an exhibition of her original illustrations for her books, inc Mog, the Tiger Who Came to Tea etc. It was wonderful!