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!

Thank you @drspouse and @princessspotify - I had a MC a couple of weeks ago. A horrible time but I am on the mend and beginning to feel like my old self again.

Just finished 9. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel on Audible. I know that I’m years behind most of you on this but I loved it and thought that Dan Stevens read it incredibly well. I usually listen to audiobooks whilst driving so this has taken me much longer than I expected as I haven’t driven anywhere!
Mantel’s eye for detail and her sharp dialogue make this book so incredibly rich.

Not sure what to read next - I’ve got a Lucinda Riley by my bed so will probably go with that. Any Audible recommendations for something light and untaxing?

Oh @Chickoletta that really sucks, I’m sorry, what a crappy time to go through something already so sad and hard.

I only listened to Wolf Hall a year ago and agree it’s done so so well.

I’m finishing up The Concise English-Chinese Dictionary for Lovers and it’s wonderful, really astute and the language is gorgeous, the narrator learns English as it goes along so her English gets “better” but even then starts at a place of approaching the language in a really romantic way, very gently sad

@Chickoletta sorry about your news.

I listened to All the Light We Cannot See on audiobook and highly recommend it - it's absorbing and beautiful.

Also noticed it's on Kindle sale for 99p today

13 The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

This is by the author of Night Circus. It's beautiful and intricate and characterful. I really enjoyed it. It takes a lot of focus though, perhaps because of its intricacies.

Now on book 10 of the year!

In the last month I've finished The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson (v behind everyone else!) which was annoyingly smug, The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths (undemanding, just what I needed at the time), On Chapel Sands by Laura Cumming (as someone else said upthread, a great read, thoroughly enjoyed this) and The Lido by Libby Page (book club choice, predictable and pedestrian).

Now onto Doggerland by Ben Smith.

Sorry @Chickoletta, horrible experience at a dreadful time. Hope you feel stronger soon.

Is it ok to join please? I am a passionate reader, and can get into most genres, love crime thrillers and mysteries with a big twist, but also love chick lit, such as Sophie Kinsella books.

I’m making a pledge to myself to widen my reading by reading books that are more ‘classic’. Currently on the fall of the house of Usher, and have Rebecca loaded on my kindle for when I’m finished. I’ve always been a bit nervous of reading books that seem a bit too ‘wordy’, but I thought; now is the time to take a leap of faith!

Been a while since I updated - not read as many books as I’d like to. I thought I’d have a lot more time to read during lockdown which I suppose I have but finding it tricky to concentrate!!

4. Daisy Jones and the Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid - enjoyed this one, an easy read
5. The Librarian of Auschwitz - Antonio Iturbe - interesting but not an enjoyable read if you know what I mean
6. Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens - loved this, couldn’t put it down, beautifully written
7. Wakenhyrst - Michelle Paver - enjoyed this one, a nice and easy read
8. The Five - Hallie Rubenhold - don’t read too much non-fiction but really enjoyed this one, if you have any interest in social history would really recommend
9. A History of Loneliness- John Boyne - I read The Heart’s Invisible Furies last year and loved it so thought I’d give another of his books a go. I liked this a lot, always seem enjoy novels set in Ireland 😊
10. Swan Song - Kelleigh Greenberg Jephcott - currently reading

Welcome @EllaAlright I LOVE Rebecca, it’s a fairly easy read, and I went on to devour Jamaica Inn and Frenchman’s Creek. I like other Du Maurier books but those three are my guilty pleasures

@SpreadHummusNotHate would you recommend the Librarian of Auschwitz? I tend towards darker and more uncomfortable reads

I’m dragging myself through a book for work which is turns out is part of a series so not only do I have to read this one but part of my prep is to listen to at least 3 more in the series and it is NOT my kind of genre. And apparently the actor is difficult to boot....joy.....

@IJumpedAboardAPirateShip it’s tricky to criticise The Librarian of Auschwitz too much, parts were interesting, parts felt a little clinical I guess, that may be because it’s a translation, I’m not sure. I wouldn’t say it was too dark or graphic, probably worth a read if you have an interest in the subject matter

14: Resistance by Tori Amos

Read this as a huge fan of her music and it is very "Tori". I enjoyed it, can't imagine everyone will though!

Ooooh @SubtleInnuendo I’d heard about Tori’s book and am a super fan as well

@IJumpedAboardAPirateShip
Ahh! You’ll love it then! It’s not as political as I thought (I mean it is a bit but not so I couldn’t understand) A lot of the latter half focuses on her grief over the loss of her mum. I made a playlist to go with it as she has put lyrics in and references the songs. I read it in two days, it’s not long. And there are some pictures too (although pretty low res but still!)

*12. Sepulchre - Kate Mosse
*
This was a bit of a beast, coming in at nearly 700 pages, but I really enjoyed it. It's the second in a series based around the French city of Carcassonne. But they don't follow on from each other so can all be read as standalone books. This had two plot threads, one set in 1891 and the other in 2005. There were lots of themes as well, love, family, tarot cards and the supernatural. I would definitely recommend it.

I would also say to the PP about to embark on Rebecca, that it's not particularly heavy going. I find Du Maurier really readable and the language is very accessible. Enjoy!

@EllaAlright I am always worry when my book club choose a classic as I invariably find them dull but I really enjoyed Rebecca when we did it last year.

Two more ticked off:
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kahling, no 14 but I did just buy it.
Red Dust Road by Jackie Kay, no 15/ no 7 in books I own. Given to me by a friend as a pay-it-forward book thing, it's about the poet looking for her birth dad (who is Nigerian, we are transracial adopters, it's really good too)

I’m a few chapters in to Rebecca, it’s a nice book to read and the writing style is descriptive but still easy to follow, I’m hooked already.

Was wondering if anyone could help me name a book, I’d love to read. I think it’s set in the 1940s - 1950s, it’s about a woman who’s blind and lives in a big house and she thinks she has an intruder? Im sure I remember the book being really eerie, there may have been a film or tv adaptation at some point, I’m drawing a blank at the moment. Thank you in advance.

That rings several bells Ella but I don't have an answer!

Is it this?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wait_Until_Dark_(film)

It was based on a play though, not a nove.

Thanks drspouce, I don’t think that’s the one, thank you for looking though. I think I may have imagined it, the only thing I can find that is similar is a 70s film called ‘see no evil’, not sure that’s the one though and I don’t think there was a book for it.

No idea @EllaAlright but glad to hear you’re enjoying Rebecca - def read some of her others if you love it

@drspouse we’re reading Mindy Kayling’s book for book club in June, did you enjoy it?

I did, IJumped, it was a very quick read but funny. She's an unusual celeb but very down to earth.

*13. Flatshare - Beth O'Leary
*
Picked this up on a whim in Sainsbury's. Then spent the first 20 or so pages wishing I hadn't. I don't usually do light and fluffy rom-com. But once I'd got into it I struggled to put it down. Tiff and Leon share a flat, but it's a one bed flat. He works nights and she works an office job so they share a bed even though they've never met. So far, so predictable. And although the main plot is fairly obvious from the start, how we get there and the associated sub-plots make this a really good read.

23. Peace Talks by Jim Butcher FINALLY finished for work and now loads of prep. Not my usual fair, written in the style of hardened PI noiresque except it’s set in modern day Chicago with a supernatural society (PI is a wizard etc). It was fine, something like the 11th book in the series.

Once I hit 26 I think I’ll start only counting books I read for leisure unless they were such great books for work that I had to read them twice!