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.

Book 2, Something only we know by Kate Long, I loved her earlier books, they are very real, but I didn't know she had any more recent ones.

@Duxika

Just finished The Heroic Truths of Neil Peel. It was a bit cheeky but hilarious and short enough to get into a reading challenge. ]]

This is a children's book isn't it?

@princessspotify I read The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish toward end of last year.

I really enjoyed that one .

Can i join, 50 books is a bit of a push for me but would love to reach 20 in a year. So far have read 2.

1. Mythos - Stephen Fry
2. Heroes - Stephen Fry

Currently reading Troy - Stephen Fry All three books are retellings of Greek myths from creation to the infamous Trojan war. I love his writing style and have learnt lots - would recommend the second over the first if you're unfamilar with Greek Myths as it tells the more well known stories of Jason, Oedipus and Heracles.

@Chickoletta iv got Monty Don on my list too !

I've just finished the Midnight Library. I loved it. So life-affirming. I usually pass books on or take them to charity shops but I think I'll hang on to this one and reread it at some point.

@eitak22 welcome! Those look really interesting. I’ll keep an eye out as I do love a Greek myth.

rc22 my copy will be taking up a privileged space on my “Keepers” bookshelf too.

I’ve accumulated so many charity shop bound books this past year, they’re starting to take over.

Hello, can I join? I always vow to read 50 books a year and always fall short This year I have gone for a decidedly more attainable but still challenging goal of 25 books. I'm starting with the audiobook of American Dirt, and also am reading Therese and Isabel, a fairly racy French coming of age story about two schoolgirls who fall in love, I got curious about it after reading an article about the author and her friendship with Simone du Beauvoir. It's good so far, although far filthier than I was expecting and quite stream of consciousness - but that suits the subject matter.

@RhubarbTea American Dirt is one of the best books I've read. I couldn't stop thinking about it. There are parts which are just heartbreaking.

@eitak22 how are Stephen Fry’s books for 12yr olds? DS is obsessed with Greek mythology, he likes to read but is quite a slow reader and only really gets into a book if it fully captures his imagination (he raced through the Hunger Games for example) so I’d like to get them for him

@princessspotify - Totally! I had to step away from it for a while after technically starting the audiobook last year, I just couldn't cope with that book plus pandemic angst. But I'm enjoying listening again and I really want to find out how it ends! It's amazing.

*2. The Light Keeper by Cole Morton
*
I really wanted to like this. It was recommend by my sister but I just didn't quite get into it. It covered lots of deep topics like depression, infertility and suicide and was set in the beautiful South Downs and was very evocative. I just didn't really gel with the characters. I'm glad I read it though as my sister lives near the area and I loved the descriptions of the landscape so got some inspiration from it. Love the sound of Hamnet but I'm trying to read some of the books I have in my house first they are lying unread. My local charity shops are 5 books for a pound so I have piles to get through. I think I might treat myself to a new buy every fourth book and I think the first one will be Hamnet.

1. Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce.

I listened to this on Audible read by Juliet Stephenson. It took me a while to get into but by the last third of the book I was really gripped. It’s about a middle age spinster teacher in 1950 who has a bit of a midlife crisis and sets off to an island off Australia to find a rare beetle. This was recommended to me by a friend who said it was hilarious - I didn’t really find it funny at all, nor did I think it was meant to be, but it was exciting and well-plotted, if a little too long.

I’m reading My Garden World by Monty Don but it’s structured as an almanac in monthly sections so I will read it throughout the year I think.

I’m about to finish To Kill a Mockingbird with a class tomorrow so that will be number 4.

Think I’ll read Dear Mrs Bird next, which had been by my bed for months. After so many recommendations on MN, I’m going to make *The Midnight Library my next audiobook.

Can I join please? Im on my fifth book this month.

I normally read a few books a year. I want to read way more than that this year. Its one of my new years resolution

My favourite book so far is "where the crawdads sing". great twist

1. Hamnet - Maggie O’Farrell
2. Comet in Moominland - Tove Jansson
3. Miss Benson’s Beetle - Rachel Joyce

1. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Finished this today with my year 9 class who absolutely loved it despite finding it hard going at times. As an English teacher, I don’t tend to include every book I read with a class in my list but I’ve never taught this before and this was my first time reading it since my own schooldays. I know that I don’t need to say that this is an amazing book as it is so well known but it really, really is! Atticus Finch is the most aspirational parent in literature in my opinion - Gregory Peck’s film portrayal of him is phenomenal.

chickoletta DD is in Year 8 and currently studying To Kill a Mockingbird.
She showed me a piece of her writing, a description of the Radley house. I was impressed, think this book has really piqued her imagination.

I loved TKAM at school. I’ve read it many times since. There is just so much there. I’ve had Go Set A Watchman for a few years but I can’t bring myself to read it and change my perception.

Don’t read it @MercedesDeMonteChristo, I really wish I hadn’t. I love TKAM too.

Finished number 2, Thursday Murder Club, last night.

My reservation at the library has come through, A Gentleman in Moscow, which was recommended on here last year. I was very much looking forward to it, but the text is teeny-tiny! I'm sure I shall fall asleep all the time trying to read it, so might get the Kindle edition if I'm enjoying it, although I prefer to read non-fiction on Kindle and novels in paperback, for some reason...

Name change.
I realise I ought to have capitalised Of as it now reads Columbo but never mind.

Yours,

Previously of Monte Christo

Just finished book 3.

Troy - Stephen Fry
Another brilliant book this time focussed on the trojan war, a subject I had a very small knowledge about (I knew the horse bit). Would really recommend Fry's retelling of the Greek Myth if you've ever wanted to learn more, lots of names but good appendices explaining who is who and how they are important to the stories. Definitely understand the Trojan war more and how the stories i already knew about Achilles and the horse etc fit in.

Not sure about book 4, might read my book on Norse Myths.

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

This was an easy read about a middle aged couple. The wife decides she doesn’t want to be married anymore, then they go on a tour of Europe with their teenage son and the husband hopes it will save the marriage. It’s a BBC show if you fancy putting yourself through it without having to read it.

I’ve tried hard to think of a more pleasant way to say ‘pile of sh*t’. Everything about it was mediocre, even my feelings about the characters. They were so transparent and cliched. Even the sense of place was just not there and arguably was quite important. I should have stopped reading but I just ploughed on. It’s only saving grace was the shortness of the chapters.

I might go for the next Bridgerton, but I’m wondering if I want something a bit more literary after this.

@MargotMoon oh I’m so nervous about A Gentleman. I know we all like different things etc but...

No.4 The Confession by Jessie Burton
A story abouta 34yr old woman who's mother disappeared when she was a baby. She befriends her mothers ex-partner in hope of finding her. The book is set between London 2017 and LA 1983. I mostly enjoyed it, took awhile to get into the story but I felt it had a disappointing ending