26-ish books in 2020

[drspouse]

A thread for those too busy or otherwise not able to aim for 50 books in a year!
I'm aiming for 12 from my shelves and 12 from a reading challenge

thebrokenspinedotnet.wordpress.com/2019/12/14/reading-classic-books-challenge/

There are loads of reading challenges here too

www.girlxoxo.com/the-master-list-of-2020-reading-challenges/

We are very laid back here, join any time, I imagine this thread will be open till Dec as it doesn't move too fast!

Margotmoon I read Small Island last year and loved it, plan to work my way through Andrea Levy's back catalogue now.

*10. The Stationery Shop of Tehran - Marjan Kamali
*
This was one of those books that just came along and surprised me. I started off thinking it would probably be okay and that it might not really be my sort of thing. And then about 100 pages in I found myself utterly gripped. It's a fairly simple love story and often somewhat predictable but it is beautifully put together and I'm not ashamed to say I cried at the end. Would absolutely recommend this.

I don't know what happened to my numbering in my previous post, it jumps from 5 to 8! Anyway I think the next one is:

1. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

This is a short, punchy tale with a dark subject matter written in a very light style. This was recommended to me by one of the always helpful staff in Waterstones (oh I can't wait to go back into an actual physical bookshop again). It had a freshness and pace that I enjoyed and I rattled through it in no time.

@CountFusco The only other I've read was The Long Song which I also loved. Definitely going to read more of hers

Haven’t updated for a while but my finished books so far are
1 who’s that girl
2 Little fires everywhere by Celeste Ng
3 Everything I never told you by Celeste Ng
4 Did you see Melody by Sophie Hannah
5 The girl who speaks bear by Sophie Anderson

Currently reading Hygge and kisses by Clara Christensen.

You dropped off my list! Argh this is my happy place as well.

@CountFosco @MargotMoon likewise! I think I read Small Island a few years ago but last year read another 4 of her books, I adore Andrea Levy, I think Every Light In The House Burnin’ was my favourite read last year.

Finished Station Eleven in 36 hours last week as I decided I was sick of spending all my time cooking and cleaning and just curled up with a book, I tend towards dark literature so it was perfect for me and actually so interesting to read a dystopian novel predominantly set so long after the collapse of society. Made me want to pick up The Road again. Now I’m padding out my brain with two fluffy books for work, stuff I would never normally read but at least there’s no prep and I’ve worked with both authors and narrators before, I just find this kind of stuff a waste of time so I need something substantial to sink into next....I actually read The Hate U Give and Rooftops of Tehran before that so that was a good run of excellent books.

Our book club just chose the following for the next three months, sticking to non-white female writers but going for lighter options than the last 3:
The Concise English-Chinese Dictionary for Lovers
The House on Mango Street
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me

1. When You Were Everything (Work book, solid YA)
2. Emerald Boy Gold Girl
3. My Meteorite (Work book)
4. Five Go Caravanning
5. The Return (Work book but enjoyable gothic)
6. All Adults Here (Work book)
7. Girl, Woman, Other
8. Hunger
9. Strange Situation (Work book)

10. Interpreter of Maladies 11. Thomas Jefferson (dull as shit Work book) 12. Bad Feminist 13. A Girl in Three Parts (Work book but decent YA) 14. If I had your face (Work book but LOVED it) 15. A Fist or a Heart 16. The Underground Railroad 17. No Rules Rules (Work book) 18. Rooftops of Tehran 19. The Hate U Give 20. Station Eleven 21. I Was Told It Would Get Easier (fluffy Work book)

So in the spirit of the thread if I take off books I had to read for work I’m actually on 11

Ooh @IJumpedAboardAPirateShip I've got a copy of THUG that I picked up in the market near where I work last year. There was a massive stack of them with a note saying 'help yourself' so I did! Will try that soon if it's good and easy to get into.

@MargotMoon it’s excellent and I think officially YA so easy to get into

I haven't updated this thread since January. Usually I'd have read 10+ books now but a mix of starting a masters and not being able to get into anything means I've read just 5 books this year.

Bone China by Laura Purcell - didn't enjoy it as much as the Silent Companions which I loved

Mudlarking by Lara Maiklem - this was a kindle bargain and I really enjoyed it. I love quirky social history books.

One Day by David Nicholls - not my choice but a random book club choice. I wanted to slap both of the main characters.

The Century Girls by Tessa Dunlop - enjoyed this but felt that lots of interesting 20th century events were skipped over.

*The Bee Keeper of Aleppo" by Christy Lefteri - just finished this. Very moving. Loved the single wird chapter linkages that take you between the two narratives.

*11. The Salt Path - Raynor Winn
*
I think this has been pretty much universally liked on MN since it was published. As per usual I'm about two years behind the curve.
I loved it. As an outdoorsy type myself I loved the descriptions of nature and the coastal path. It reinforces how much I'm missing time spent outside during this lockdown.
The courage and resilience shown by Ray and Moth is an example to us all.

Hound I enjoyed it pretty much and it made me feel inspired to try a long walk myself one day .. but didn't you feel they were a bit too critical of other people and also I didn't particularly like the way they sneaked onto campsites determined not to pay?

11. The Institute by Stephen King. I haven't read much by him recently but have enjoyed his books in the past. The Shining is one of my all time favourite books. But this is good. Focuses on kids with telepathic and telekinetic skills, they're kidnapped and held in the institute which I imagine to be similar to the place Eleven comes from in Stranger Things. Enjoyable, not horror based at all. Really rooted for the kids. Definitely recommend.

12. Dolly by Susan Hill. Not sure I'd class this as a book necessarily as it's so short, I read it in a day. But it's a decent ghostly story with a similar setting to The Woman in Black.

I know what you mean @highlandcoo although I read it more as a general sense of bitterness brought about by their situation which seemed to lessen as time passed. I'm not sure how I felt about them sneaking into campsites without paying. I don't think I would have the balls to do it!

Book 15 was The Lake House by Kate Morton . This is the first Kate Morton book I have read after seeing her name mentioned on mn (maybe here actually). I really enjoyed this book, but I do think some of if was a bit dragged out it definitely could have been a little shorter without losing anything from the story. I also thought the end tied up a little too neatly. In saying that I would definitely look at some of her other books.

Next up I have 2 Lisa Jewell books.

#23 A Sky Painted Gold - another one for work (last one for a the foreseeable future ) but it was such brilliant escapism I didn’t make notes and just read it as normal so now I have to re-read it for my prep but I highly recommend it when it comes out (or if anyone doesn’t have a current book going and wants a Gatsbyesque romp I’ll email you a preview!), set in Cornwall a young girl falls in with the Lord and Lady who own the big house across the water for a summer that takes her out of her comfort zone and into the world, but as with all these things the glitter hides secrets and sadness. Really enjoyed this one

Also quite quick, a couple of weeks ago: A History of the World in 21 Women by Jenni Murray. No 13 overall and no 6 in Books I Own.

No 13 Half a world Away- Mike Gayle.
An absolutely beautiful story about family which left me sobbing. I don't think it helps that I'm very emotional with everything that's happening in the country/ world at the minute

1. Normal People
2. The man who didn't call
3. Watching you

4 then she was gone 5 the family upstairs 6 Hunting Party 7 Friend Request 8 The Holiday 9 so lucky 10 The flatshare 11 I owe you one 12 my not so perfect life 13 turtles all the way down

@drspouse I love that book!!

I’d like to join.

I’m flicking through my kindle and working out what I’ve read this year.

The Secret Commonwealth didn’t enjoy it as much as Belle Savauge but still good.

The Dry. Really liked this book, good thriller. Kept me interested, well written and enjoyed the setting of the book.

We Were Liars. Loved this. YA, so quite easy to race through. Took me 2 days to finish.

Vox. Was ok. Interesting concept.

The Roar Behind The Silence. About compassionate maternity care. Probably quite niche.

Currently reading American Dirt which I’m enjoying.

8 Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan

Ian McEwan is such a great story teller and I enjoyed this tale about a man who buys one of the first available completely life-like androids. Although I did struggle to see how Charlie - the human protagonist - would manage to get hold of one of these androids, given only 25 of them were made and Charlie didn't have a lot going for him other than a sudden windfall, and also he didn't appear to have any plan at all about what to do with him once he got him home. But, anyway, Charlie brings Adam (his android) home, introduces him to his neighbour and the story is off and running.

The book is set in an alternative 1980s, one where Alan Turing is still alive and Britain has lost the Falklands war, which is a very clever idea. Indeed, the book is full of clever ideas and is a very thought provoking read and like I said, I enjoyed it but it is a cool, unemotional book very unlike my next read...

1. On Chapel Sands by Laura Cumming

I absolutely loved this non-fiction book written about the author's mother who was kidnapped at the age of three and was missing for five days. It's a book that is filled with love and emotion. The author's outrage at the injustices suffered by her mother fuel her search for answers to the mystery of what exactly happened all those years ago. The warmth and love shine out of the pages and it is engrossing right to the very last page. I heartily recommend it.

Lockdown and some crappy personal circumstances mean I’ve lost my reading mojo a bit, sadly. This thread always gives me inspiration though. I’m an English teacher with an M.A in Shakespeare and it’s just taken me nearly a month to read a Joanna Trollope - must do better!

1. The Choir by Joanna Trollope Thought I’d read this years ago but not sure now. Quite well-observed with some interesting characters but felt quite dated and lacked pace. It’s funny how books set in the pre-internet and mobile world of the 70s/80s almost seem more dated than 19th century novels to me now!

That's true @Chickoletta, sorry you're having a crap time of it too.
We are watching Spooks and Hustle again and they have PAGERS and FAX MACHINES.

@Chickoletta sorry to hear you're having a hard time.
@JacobReesMogadishu American dirt is on my list. I read Bryony Gordon's review and really want to read it

@princessspotify. I've finished American Dirt now and loved it. Best book I've read in ages.