26-ish books in 2021

[MercedesDeMonteChristo]

Thought I’d kick start the new thread for this year.

I’m starting with Outlander by Diana Gabalon and reading Anna Karenina Tolstoy one chapter a day, so expect to finish September sometime - I’m on chapter 4.

1. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon
2. Diary of a Provincial Lady, E M Delafield
3. The Duke & I, Julia Quinn
4. Pachinko, Min Jin Lee
5. Us, David Nicholls
6. The Autumn of the Ace, Louis de Bernieres
7. Migrant City: A New History of London, Panikos Panayi

8. Frenchman’s Creek, Daphne du Maurier

I just know that if I didn’t have to read this in instalments for weekly book club chats I would have stayed up all night devouring it. The dialogue in this is like nothing I have ever encountered before - why it’s not more famous for that alone I will never understand. I know there is a lot of du Maurier love on the thread, but for those who don’t know (like me) it’s the story of a bored aristocratic woman and a pirate both looking for adventure and, it turns out love. There is lots of daring do and swashbuckling and it is nothing short of a masterpiece and sensational. My first 5/5 of the year. I feel sure this is going to become like Austen to me, where when I need a comforting read I come back to it.

I thought Rebecca was amazing last year, but honestly this makes Rebecca look amateur (and Rebecca is far from amateur).

I’ll definitely be slowing down now as I’ve got deadlines and a bit of work plus have Dumas and Tolstoy on the go which will both take a bit of time.

Thank you for indulging my gushing du Maurier appreciation.

@StColumbofNavron have you read Jamaica Inn? My 3 favourite Du Maurier are JI, Frenchman’s Creek and Rebecca and it was so lovely to revisit the former last year when the Du Maurier gushing was happening. Maybe it’s time to go back to Frenchman’s creek as well, it’s my favourite

Just finished listening to Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell (#6) and love love loved it....the bar has been set very high so far this year for me!

@Kobanidaughters I read Jamaica Inn the last time there was a TV adaptation. I don’t remember loving it but maybe I just wasn’t ready. I can’t imagine disliking anything she has written. Perhaps I’ll give it another go.

I have just finished The Fear, by Mark Cunnington. It's a brilliant and emotional book, based on his real experiences with scary things happening to different family members. Definitely recommend it and was a great little Amazon discovery.

1. A Man Called Ove, Frederic Backmann
2. The Midnight Library, Matt Haig
3. Hamnett, Maggie O’Farrell
4. Circe, Madeline Miller

Finally finished Circe!
I didn’t overly enjoy it and didn’t particularly like her staccato style of writing.
However, I can appreciate why it’s received great reviews; it’s fast-paced and full of action, monsters and extreme emotion. Towards the end, I began to warm to the main character but overall it wasn’t for me.

1. The Midnight Library - Matt Haig

Much has already been written on here about this one. After attempting to take her own life, Nora finds herself in a library from where she can choose alternative versions of her own life to try out. I liked this but didn’t love it. It was thought provoking and warm and the main concept was good but there were huge plot holes and I found the middle section quite repetitive and predictable.

@BaconAndAvocado

1. A Man Called Ove, Frederic Backmann

1. The Midnight Library, Matt Haig
2. Hamnett, Maggie O’Farrell
3. Circe, Madeline Miller

Finally finished Circe!
I didn’t overly enjoy it and didn’t particularly like her staccato style of writing.
However, I can appreciate why it’s received great reviews; it’s fast-paced and full of action, monsters and extreme emotion. Towards the end, I began to warm to the main character but overall it wasn’t for me.

I think that sums up exactly how I felt about Circe! I wouldn't have finished it if it hadn't been a gift from a friend.

#7 (I think it might be decades since I read so many books in a month!) Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler - just brilliant, I love dystopian fiction and her characters are strong, feminist and brilliant, it gets fairly harrowing at points. She wrote a sequel so I’m obviously going to have to buy that now....

Updating list :

1. Thursday Murder Club. Got a bit tiresome towards the end

1. Mexican Gothic - was ok

1. The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell - I couldn’t get into this. Have really enjoyed her other books shall return to it later in the year.

1. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell. Really good read it’s about a women reevaluating her relationship with her teacher once he has accused of abusing another students. She is in total denial. I’m about a third through which is very quick for me (started in Saturday) highly recommend it

Finally finished listening to Wuthering Heights on Audiobook. Well I have to say I really didn't like it!!

Oooh, can I join please? Found out I'm furloughed until at least the end of March so my shelf is well stocked!

I've managed 5 books so far in 2021 (I don't really read anything outside of fantasy/YA/NA)

• An ember in the ashes
• A torch against the night
• A reaper at the gates
• A sky beyond the storm
• Serpent & Dove

I'm currently reading Blood & Honey. Next on my list is A Court of Silver Flame when it arrives next week ☺️

Welcome @Glamflimfloogety.

@HKW81 I find (on MN anyway) it’s very love or hate with the majority coming down on hate.

1. Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams

2. Hamnet, Maggie O'Farrell

I loved Hamnet, I was worried it had been overhyped but it hadn't. It was heartbreaking and beautifully written.

Finished no 4 From Here to Anywhere by Jason Smart. A Kindle read, suspect it was on special offer, it was fun (the author set himself a challenge to travel to 16 Ryanair destinations in 16 days, taking the cheapest flight that wasn't back on itself, and getting home at the end of the fortnight). I suspect if I wrote a book it would be rather like this, though, as it's all very matter of fact!
I really need to think about doing some training in lit crit but I am afraid I would find it all too poncey. I am wondering about an OU course actually.

1. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon
2. Diary of a Provincial Lady, E M Delafield
3. The Duke & I, Julia Quinn
4. Pachinko, Min Jin Lee
5. Us, David Nicholls
6. The Autumn of the Ace, Louis de Bernieres
7. Migrant City: A New History of London, Panikos Panayi
8. Frenchman’s Creek, Daphne du Maurier

9. The Outsider, Albert Camus

Read this on a whim when looking through the shelves. I thought it would be more impenetrable but it was very easy to read.
A man who cannot lie kills a man and is sentenced to be executed in colonial Algiers, but even though he did kill the man (not a spoiler) the case and the verdict really hinge on the fact that the jury, defence and wider community just don’t understand him - he is an outsider. I liked it, it was even quite witty in parts.

@drspouse my view is ‘do it’ re: OU course. We only regret the things we don’t do/try.

Superspecs what did you think of Queenie?
Is that the one where the prose is quite unconventional?

Hi, I'm on book number 12. Reading Thursday Murder Club, doesnt seem that funny as everyone was saying but only a third of the way in.

I found it witty rather than lol funny. It sort of made me smile.

But I also watch Pointless with an inane grin because I find Richard (and Xander) amusing.

6. Dear Mrs Bird by A.J Pearce
I loved this. Unchallenging but poignant and moving wartime story. Apparently she’s writing a sequel.

@Feelinglow8736 - I would agree with PP that The Thursday Murder Club is witty and wet rather than laugh out loud funny. I loved it though and could definitely hear Richard Osman’s voice throughout.

@baconandavocado I quite liked it in the end but wasn't that taken for the first half.

I'd say it was quite conventionally written. I'm keen to read Girl, woman, other which has quite an unconventional style of prose, it too won accolades in the 2020 British Book Awards.

Superspecs yes, it was Girl, Woman, Other that I was thinking of.
It’s on my book group list this year.

1. A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backmann
2. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
3. Hamnett by Maggie O’Farrell
4. Circe by Madeleine Miller
5. Your Neighbour’s Wife by Tony Parsons

Finished Your Neighbour’s Wife in a couple of days. Tony Parsons is probably unlikely to win any literary awards, but he can a great yarn!
Unexpected twists, believable characters and, as usual, his take on the ins and outs of long term relationships is highly perceptive.
I loved his earlier books: Man and Boy, One for My Baby etc but this is the first of his newer direction books I’ve tried. I’d definitely like to try one of his crime novels now.
A solid 4/5

@BaconAndAvocado I loved Tony Parsons' earlier books too. I'll have to try some of his more recent books.

I've just finished my fifth book. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot. My parents had all of his books and I read lots of them as a teenager. Although I didn't watch it, the trailers for the channel 5 series planted a seed about rereading some of them. I've very much enjoyed it. Perfect escapism for troubled times like these and I haven't laughed out loud so much at a book in quite a while.