50 Book Challenge 2021 Part Eight

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the eighth (and probably final) thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2021, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, it’s not too late to and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.The lurkers among you are also very welcome to come out of the woodwork and share with us what you've read!

The first thread of the year is here, the second one here, the third one here, the fourth one here, the fifth one here, the sixth one here and the seventh one here.

How have you got on this year?

[quote PermanentTemporary]@southeastdweller I'm sorry that I launched off into doing this spreadsheet without even asking you - I hope you don't mind x[/quote]
Oh no, not at all! Looking forward to seeing the list 🙂

Here is my list for the year. Standouts in bold.

1. The Atrocity Exhibition (Laundry Files #1) - Charles Stross
2. Transfer of Power (Mitch Rapp #1) - Vince Flynn
3. Anna Magdalena Bach. Fanny Hensel. Clara Schumann - Three Female Musicians in the Spotlight
4. Circe - Madeline Miller
5. Cage of Souls - Adrian Tchaikovsky
6. Doctor Frigo - Eric Ambler
7. Space (Manifold #2) - Stephen Baxter
8. Quantum Theory - A Graphic Guide by J P McEvoy & Oscar Zarate
9. Bear Head - Adrian Tchaikovsky

10. The Quantum Spy - David Ignatius 11. Big Brother - Lionel Shriver 12. Sunfall - Jim Al-Khalili 13. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World - Elif Shafak 14. The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories - Susanna Clarke 15. Extreme Measures (Mitch Rapp #9) - Vince Flynn 16. Firewalkers - Adrian Tchaikovsky 17. Piranesi - Susanna Clarke 18. Origin (Manifold #3) - Stephen Baxter 19. The Death of Bunny Monro - Nick Cave 20. The Paladin - David Ignatius 21. Providence - Max Barry 22. Man on Fire (Creasy #1) - A J Quinnell 23. The Perfect Kill (Creasy #2) - A J Quinnell 24. The Blue Ring (Creasy #3) - A J Quinnell 25. Black Horn (Creasy #4) - A J Quinnell 26. Phase Space (Manifold #4) - Stephen Baxter 27. Box 88 - Charles Cumming 28. Icon - Frederick Forsyth 29. Walking To Aldebaran - Adrian Tchaikovsky 30. Message from Hell (Creasy #5) - A J Quinnell 31. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury 32. Dark Age (Red Rising #5) - Pierce Brown 33. The Body Snatchers - Jack Finney 34. Snap Shot - A J Quinnell 35. The Searchers - Alan Le May 36. The Shepherd - Frederick Forsyth 37. Love. Power. Passion. The Leipzig Baroque Opera 38. The Director - David Ignatious 39. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness - Susannah Cahalan 40. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir 41. The Apollo Murders - Chris Hadfield 42. Insertion - A J Quinnell 43. Musical Areas in Aboriginal North America by Helen H. Roberts 44. Perfume - Patrick Süskind 45. The Little Friend - Donna Tartt 46. Randomize - Andy Weir 47. Summer Frost - Blake Crouch 48. Emergency Skin - N K Jemisin 49. The Map That Changed The World - Simon Winchester 50. You Have Arrived At Your Destination - Amor Towles

Female authors: 18%
Non-fiction: 12%

This year, I was happy to have discovered two exceptional writers: Adrian Tchaikovsky who has written some of the most interesting SF I have read in recent years, and A J Quinnell whose thrillers that combine engaging thrillers with historical and political insight. They have both written quite a few books and I look forward to reading them all.

Not sure I’ll get another book finished so will post my list for now then catch up on the thread.

1. The Three Mrs Wrights - Linda Keir
2. Holly's Christmas Countdown - Suzie Tullett
3. Butterfly Kisses - Patrick Logan
4. The Push - Ashley Audrain
5. The Last Thing To Burn - Will Dean
6. The Silent Treatment - Abbie Greaves
7. How to Disappear - Gillian McAllister
8. Contacts - Mark Watson
9. Girl A - Abigail Dean

10. Dead Simple - Peter James 11. Behind Her Eyes - Sarah Pinborough 12. A Song of Isolation - Michael J Malone 13. The Suicide Pact - David B Lyons 14. Between You and Me - Lisa Hall 15. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot - Marianne Cronin 16. A Glasgow Kiss - Sophie Gravia 17. The One - John Marrs 18. The Heart Keeper - Alex Dahl 19. Written in Blood - Chris Carter 20. Saint X - Alexis Schaitkin 21. The Secrets of Strangers - Charity Norman 22. The Book Of Two Ways - Jodi Picoult 23. Shiver - Allie Reynolds 24. 1st to Die - James Patterson 25. Kane and Abel - Jeffrey Archer 26. When I Was Ten - Fiona Cummins 27. The Singles Table - Tasmina Perry 28. A Bit of A Stretch - Chris Atkins 29. The Good Samaritan - John Marrs 30. The Whole Truth - Cara Hunter 31. Vox - Christina Dalcher 32. The Marble Collector - Cecelia Ahern 33. The Woman Next Door - Cass Green 34. Don't You Cry - Mary Kubica 35. Sweet Little Lies - Caz Frear 36. Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid 37. The Pact - Sharon Bolton 38. The End Of Men - Christina Sweeney-Baird 39. The Final Revival of Opal and Nev - Dawnie Watson 40. The Stopover - T L Swan 41. Hostage - Clare Mackintosh 42. The Crucifix Killer - Chris Carter 43. The Road Trip - Beth O'Leary 44. The Executioner - Chris Carter 45. The Hunting Party - Lucy Foley 46. The Midnight Library - Matt Haig 47. The Dinner Guest - B P Walter 48. Falling - T J Newman 49. The Takeover - T L Swan 50. Dark Pines - Will Dean 51. The Idea of You - Robinne Lee 52. We Begin at the End - Chris Whitaker 53. The Night She Disappeared - Lisa Jewel 54. That Night - Gillian McAllister 55. This is How We Are Human - Louise Beech 56. Someone I Used to Know -Paige Toon 57. The Devil’s Advocate - Steve Cavanagh 58. Tall Oaks - Chris Whitaker 59. The Casanova - T L Swan 60. I Know What You’ve Done - Dorothy Koomson 61. You Don’t Know Me - Imran Mahmood 62. We Are Not Okay - Natália Gomes 63. The Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11 - Garrett M Graff 64. Another Life - Jodie Chapman 65. Everything But The Truth - Gillian McAllister 66. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins 67. Next of Kin - Kia Abdullah 68. I Know Who You Are - Alice Feeney 69. Two by Two - Nicholas Sparks 70. Trick or Treat - Katerina Diamond 71. Rock Paper Scissors - Alice Feeney 72. The Hope Family Calendar - Mike Gayle 73. The Evidence Against You - Gillian McAllister 74. The Last House on Needless Street - Catriona Ward 75. A Gift For Dying - M J Arlidge 76. True Crime Story - Joseph Knox 77. The Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett 78. A Slow Fire Burning - Paula Hawkins 79. Shuggie Bain - Douglas Stuart 80. The Jigsaw Man - Nadine Matheson 81. The Christmas Escape - Sarah Morgan 82. The Christmas Murder Game - Alexandra Benedict 83. Always in December - Emily Stone 84. The Turnout - Megan Abbott 85. Grown Ups - Marian Keyes 86. Her Last Holiday - C L Taylor

Nothing moved past The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean for my favourite book of the year! And I read that in January

While we're all statsy, has anyone tried Storygraph? I've just imported my Goodreads history and it's done some analysis for me.

Thanks for reminding me about Storygraph Viking. I had it on my laptop which I don't use much anymore and never thought to check if there was an app. It always gave me much better recommendations than Goodreads, but was a lot less convenient. It struggled to handle the import of my Goodreads last time due to the high number of books in it, but hopefully I can get it up and running.

Time for a last one...

57. 10 Days to a Less Defiant Child - Jeffery Bernstein
Useful parenting guide based on the principles of showing understanding, not yelling, being non-controlling, rewarding good behaviour and having consistent non-punitive consequences for negative behaviours. Manages to be non-judgemental while also suggesting ways parents can improve the situation by altering their own practices.

My stats for the year are:
57 books read
49% male, 51% female authors
37% fiction, 63% non-fiction (a lot of self-help, parenting and career-type books this year!)
77% own books, 23% library
46% hard copy, 37% Kindle, 17% Audible

Top Fiction:
The Terror - Dan Simmons
The French Lieutenant's Woman - John Fowles
Our Mutual Friend - Charles Dickens
Little Dorrit - Charles Dickens
Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh - didn't exactly 'like' it due to intense irritation at Charles Ryder, but it's stimulated a lot of thought.

Piranesi - Susanna Clark
Rosemary's Baby - Ira Levin

Top Non-Fiction
Erebus - Michael Palin
Fierce Bad Rabbits - Clare Pollard
A Life on Our Planet - David Attenborough

Almost Stinkers:
Hamnet - Maggie O'Farrell
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House - Cherie Jones
The Absolute ly shite Book - Elizabeth Knox

50 Bookers: What We Bolded 2021

Hi all, I'm stopping here as tomorrow night I have a Social Event. I think not everyone has managed to get their bolded books up to date but we have to stop somewhere!

This list features the contributions of 25 fine 50Bookers:
ladybirddaphne, einereisedurchdiezeit, SOLINVICTUS, TimeforaGandT, JaninaDuszejko, FortunaMajor, Palegreenstars, SapatSea, bibliomania, FranKatzenjammer, DesdamonasHandkerchief, Terpsichore, TheTurn0fTheScrew, bumpyknuckles, StColumboofNavron, Sadik, 2021namechanger, PermanentTemporary, noodlezoodle, nowanearlyNicemum, Tarahumara, MamaNewtNewt, YolandiFuckingVisser, StitchesInTime, BadSpellaSpellaSpella 25, Midnightstar76, Hushabyelullaby, DBI78, Welshwabbit, Puddock1, MegBusset, yoshiblue, highlandcoo, Boiledeggandtoast, BestIsWest, MaudOfTheMarches, cassandre, southeastdweller, PepeLePew, Stokey, Piggywaspushed, VikingNorthUtsire, CoteDAzur, Matilda2013

Waits with baited breath...

I now have to work out how to attach a Google document [no idea, any clues?]

In the meantime: the list has ended up 432 books long. I love the fact that there are no rules - any book that ends up especially enjoyed for any reason at all could be on it. Of that 432, 72 books have been standouts for more than one poster.

And now. There are 9 books at the top of the list, in that they were bolded by four or more posters. The very top and most bolded book of 2021 won't be a surprise to any of us...

They are:

14 The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M Graff
9 Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
8 Hungry by Grace Dent
7 Small Pleasures by Claire Chambers
6 Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
6 The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
6 The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
4 Guest House for Young Widows by Azadeh Moaveni
4 Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

So a very 2021 socially distanced bunch of for Eine who I believe first brought The Only Plane In The Sky to the thread.

Thanks for the hard work PermanentTemporary, a really interesting and varied top 9. I'm currently reading TOPITS, amongst other books. It is very affecting, I keep having to take breaks from it because it's so terribly sad. Will have to look up Guest House For Young Widows as it's the only one on that list I haven't read.

Argh. Not attaching, and it seems to be too big to paste in in one lump. Will try in sections

50 BOOKERS: WHAT WE BOLDED 2021 - ranked by the number of posters who bolded each book
Section 1: books bolded by more than one poster
14 The Only Plane in the Sky Garrett M Graff
9 Shuggie Bain Douglas Stuart
8 Hungry Grace Dent
7 Small Pleasures Claire Chambers
6 Piranesi Susanna Clarke
6 The Girl with the Louding Voice Abi Dare
6 The Pursuit of Love Nancy Mitford
4 Guest House for Young Widows Azadeh Moaveni
4 Hamnet Maggie O'Farrell
3 Americanah Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
3 Casting Off Elizabeth Jane Howard
3 Half of a Yellow Sun Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
3 One of Them Musa Okwonga
3 Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder Caroline Fraser
3 Small Island Andrea Levy
3 Stasiland: Stories from Beyond the Berlin Wall Anna Funder
3 The Christmas Chronicles Nigel Slater
3 The Ratline: Love Lies and Justice on the Trail of a Nazi Fugitive Philippe Sands
3 The Shipping News Annie Proulx
3 The World I Fell Out Of Melanie Reid
3 To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
3 Winter Ali Smith
2 A Gentleman in Moscow Amor Towles
2 A Swim in the Pond in the Rain George Saunders
2 Acts and Omissions Catherine Fox
2 American Dirt Jeanine Cummins
2 And Away Bob Mortimer
2 Bad Blood John Carreyou
2 Diary of an MP's Wife Sasha Swire
2 Ducks, Newburyport Lucy Ellman
2 Earthlings Sayata Muraka
2 East West Street Philippe Sands
2 Findings Kathleen Jamie
2 His Bloody Project Graeme Macrae Burnet
2 House of Glass Hadley Freeman
2 How To Make The World Add Up Tim Harford
2 Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer
2 Invisible Women Caroline Criado Perez
2 Leave the World Behind Rumaan Alam
2 London Belongs to Me Norman Collins
2 Love after Love Ingrid Persaud
2 Malibu Rising Taylor Jenkins Reid
2 Many Different Kinds of Love Michael Rosen
2 Mr Loverman Bernadine Evaristo
2 My Antonia Willa Cather
2 Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century Jessica Bruder
2 Olive, Again Elizabeth Prout
2 Paradise Lost John Milton
2 Passing Nella Larson
2 Pies and Prejudice Stuart Maconie
2 Prodigal Summer Barbara Kingsolver
2 Regeneration Pat Barker
2 Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me Kate Clanchy
2 Spring Ali Smith
2 Summer Ali Smith
2 Summerwater Sarah Moss
2 The Authority Gap Mary Ann Sieghart
2 The Bone Clocks David Mitchell
2 The Dutch House Ann Patchett
2 The End of Men Christine Sweeny-Baird
2 The Gift of Rain Tan Twan Eng
2 The Last House on Needless Street Catriona Ward
2 The Life of Stuff: A Memoir about the Mess we Leave Behind Susannah Walker
2 The Madness of Grief: A Memoir of Love and Loss Revd Richard Coles
2 The Mirror and the Light Hilary Mantel
2 The Pull of the Stars Emma Donohue
2 The Return of the Native Thomas Hardy
2 The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 Sue Townsend
2 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Taylor Jenkins Reid
2 Three Hours Rosamund Lupton
2 Unwell Women Elinor Cleghorn
2 Wintering Katherine May
2 Wolf Hall Hilary Mantel

Section 2: books bolded by at least one poster
A Bit of a Stretch Chris Atkins
A Child's Christmas in Wales Dylan Thomas
A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens
A Crooked Tree Una Mannion
A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry
A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling
A Life On Our Planet David Attenborough
A Month in the Country J L Carr
A Place of Greater Safety Hilary Mantel
A Prayer for Owen Meany John Irving
A Song for Summer Eva Ibbotson
A Spell of Winter Helen Dunmore
A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth
A Thousand Ships Natalie Haynes
A Wizard of Earthsea Ursula Le Guin
Adam Bede George Eliot
Aeneid Virgil, translated by Shadi Bartsch
Against Nature J K Huysmans
Akin Emma Donohue
All At Sea Decca Aitkenhead
All Change Elizabeth Jane Howard
All That Remains: A Life in Death Sue Black
All the Light we Cannot See Anthony Doerr
Always In December Emily Stone
And Then There Were None Agatha Christie
Angrynomics Eric Lonergan and Mark Blyth
Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy
Anna Magdalena Bach, Fanny Hensel, Clara Schumann: Three Female Musicians in the Spotlight
Another Day in the Death of America Gary Younge
Apeirogon Colum McCann
Arabella Georgette Heyer
Around the World in Eighty Days Jules Verne
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother Amy Chua
Bay of Angels Anita Brookner
Bear Head Adrian Tchaikovsky
Beautiful World, Where Are You? Sally Rooney
Becoming Michelle Obama
Behold, America Sarah Churchwell
Beloved Toni Morrison
Between You and Me Lisa Hall
Bolt Dick Francis
Born a Crime Trevor Noah
Brain on Fire: my month of madness Susannah Cahalan
Break In Dick Francis
Bricks and Mortar Helen Ashton
Bright Duanwad Pimwana. Translated by Mui Poopoksakul
Bring up the Bodies Hilary Mantel
Cage of Souls Adrian Tchaikovsky
Celestial Bodies Jokha Alharthi. Translated by Marilyn Booth
Charlotte Bronte: a life Claire Harman
Children of the Dust Louise Lawrence
Cilka's Journey Heather Morris
Clara Janice Galloway
Conclave Robert Harris
Confusion Elizabeth Jane Howard
Conundrum Jan Morris
Cotillion Georgette Heyer
Crampton Hodnet Barbara Pym
Cranford Elizabeth Gaskell
Crispr People Henry Greely
Crooked Heart Lissa Evans
Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books Cathy Rentzenbrink
Death On The Nile Agatha Christie
Decider Dick Francis
Devotions Mary Oliver
Dolce Vita Confidential Shawn Levy
Dona Flor and her Two Husbands Jorge Amado
Dope Sara Gran
Dracula Bram Stoker
Due to a Death Mary Kelly
Dusty Answer Rosamund Lehman
Early Morning Riser Katherine Heiny
Earth and Heaven Sue Gee
East of Eden John Steinbeck
Entangled Life Martin Sheldrake
Erebus Michael Palin
Eve Was Shamed Helena Kennedy
Everybody: a book about freedom Olivia Laing
Everything Is Illuminated Jonathan Safran Foer
Everything Sad is Untrue Daniel Nayeri
Expectation Anna Hope
Failures of State: The Inside Story of Britain’s Battle with Coronavirus Jonathan Calvert and George Arbuthnott
Falling Angels Tracy Chevalier
Falling Upwards Richard Holmes
Farewell to the East End Jennifer Worth
Felicia's Journey William Trevor
Fierce Bad Rabbits Clare Pollard
Fifty Sounds Polly Barton
Fingersmith Sarah Waters
Fingersmith Sarah Waters
Fire and Steam Christian Wolmar
Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain Barney Norris
Fleishman is In Trouble Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Footprints in Paris Gillian Tindall
Foreign Affairs Alison Lurie
Fountainville Tishani Doshi
Free Love Tessa Hadley
Frenchman's Creek Daphne de Maurier
Frere d'ame (At Night All Blood is Black) David Diop
Georgiana, Duchess Of Devonshire Amanda Foreman
Ghost Wall Sarah Moss
Giovanni's Room James Baldwin
Girl A Abigail Dean
Girl, Woman, Other Bernadine Evaristo
Go Tell It on the Mountain James Baldwin
Golden Hill Francis Spufford
Goodnight Mr Tom Michelle Magorian
Great Circle Maggie Shipstead
H is for Hawk Helen MacDonald
Happy Derren Brown
Her Here Amanda Dennis
Hidden Valley Road Robert Kolker
Hillbillly Elegy J D Vance
Hillsborough Voices: The Real Story Told by the People Themselves Kevin Sampson
Home Fire Kamila Shamsie
I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death Maggie O'Farrell
In a Lonely Place Dorothy B Hughes
In Ghostly Japan Lafcadio Hearn
In the House of Brede Rumer Godden
In This House of Brede Rumer Godden
Inside Story Martin Amis
Insignificance James Clammer
Into the Wild Jon Krakauer
Inventory of a Life Mislaid: An Unreliable Memoir Marina Warner
Irreversible Damage Abigail Shrier
Ishi in Two Worlds Theodora Kroeber
Island Dreams Gavin Francis
Just My Type Simon Garfield
Just One Damned Thing After Another Jodi Taylor
Kane and Abel Jeffrey Archer
Keep the Aspidistra Flying George Orwell
Kitchen Confidental Anthony Bourdain
Klara and the Sun Kazuo Ishiguro
Know my Name Chanel Miller
La Femme Gelee Annie Ernaux
La's Orchestra Saves the World Alexander McCall Smith
Landrace Gardening Joseph Lofthouse
Les Miserables Victor Hugo
Lighthouse Tony Parker
Lily Rose Tremain
Lincoln in the Bardo George Saunders
Lolita Vladimir Nabokov
London Fog: The Biography Christine L. Corton
Look at Me Anita Brookner
Lord of the Flies William Golding
Love is Blind William Boyd
Luna Tamara Driessen
Madam, Will You Talk? Mary Stewart
Maigret's Memoirs Georges Simenon
Mansfield Park Jane Austen
Maurice EM Forster
Mayflies Andrew O'Hagan
Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts Christopher de Hamel
Memoire de fille Anne Ernaux
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend Matthew Green
Memories: From Moscow to the Black Sea Teffi. Translated by Robert Chandler, Elizabeth Chandler, Anne Marie Jackson and Irina Steinberg
Merivel Rose Tremain
Mermaid of the Black Conch Monique Raffey
Miracles of Life J G Ballard
Misery Stephen King
Miss Benson's Beetle Rachel Joyce
Moominland Midwinter Tove Jansson
More than a Woman Caitlin Moran
Mrs Death Misses Death Salena Godden
Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont Elizabeth Taylor
Murder on the Orient Express Agatha Christie
My Name is Why Lemn Sissay
My Rock 'n' Roll Friend Tracy Thorn
Nervous Conditions Tsitsi Dangarembga
Next of Kin Kia Abdullah
Noone is talking about this Patricia Lockwood
Normal People Sally Rooney
Northen Spy Flynn Berry
Notes on a Scandal Zoe Heller
Nothing but the Blue Sky Kathleen McMahon
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
Oh William! Elizabeth Strout
Olive Kitteridge Elizabeth Strout
On Some Faraway Beach: The Life and Times of Brian Eno DAvid Sheppard
On the Beach Nevile Shute
On the Road Jack Kerouac
One Flew Over teh Cuckoo's Nest Ken Kesey
One. Two. Three. Four. : The Beatles In Time Craig Brown
Only Child Rhiannon Navin
Ouch: Why Pain Hurts and Why It Doesn't Have To Margee Kerr , Linda Rodriguez McRobbie
Our Endless Numbered Days Claire Fuller
Our Mutual Friend Charles Dickens
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World Laura Spinney
Perfume Patrick Suskind
Pew Catherine Lacey
Pickard County Atlas Chris Harding Thornton
Pied Piper Nevile Shute
Pilgrims Matthew Kneale
Plainsong Kent Haruf
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
Priestdaddy Patricia Lockwood
PS I Love You Cecilia Ahern
Purple Hibiscus Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Quite Claudia Winkleman
Ramble Book: Musings on Childhood, Friendship, Family and 80s Pop Culture Adam Buxton
Re-educated Lucy Kellaway
Redhead by the Side of the Road Anne Tyler
Reflections in a Golden Eye Carson McCullers
River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads Cat Jarman
Rodham Curtis Sittenfeld
Room Emma Donohue
Room at the Top John Braine
Rosemary's Baby Ira Levin
Rubbernecker Belinda Bauer
Schindler's List Thomas Keneally
Scoff Pen Vogler
Selected Poetry and Prose Charlotte Mew
Sex Robots and Vegan Meat Jenny Kleeman
Shadowplay Joseph O'Connor
She Wolves: The Women who Ruled England Before Elizabeth Helen Castor
Slough House Mick Herron
Somebody I Used to Know Wendy Mitchell
Sorrow and Bliss Meg Mason
Starlight Stella Gibbons
Stigma Imogen Tyler
Still Life Sarah Winman
Stoner John Williams
Such a Fun Age Kiley Reid
Surrounded by Psychopaths: or how to stop being exploited by others Thomas Erikson
Swarming: Biology and Control Wally Shaw
Team Of Rivals Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Album of Dr Moreau Daryl Gregory
The Anglo-Saxons Marc Morris
The Appeal Janice Hallett
The Art of War Sun Tzu
The Autumn of the Ace Louis de Bernieres
The Beginning of Spring Penelope Fitzgerald
The Bookshop Penelope Fitzgerald
The Break Marian Keyes
The Burning Anthony Quinn
The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures Louis Theroux
The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer
The Cat and the City Nick Bradley
The Code Breaker Walter Isaacson
The Consequences of Love Gavanndra Hodge
The Country of Others Leila Slimane. Translated by Sam Taylor
The Crystal Code Tamara Driessen
The Cutting Room Jane Casey
The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham
The Doomsday Book Connie Willis
The Door Magda Szabo
The Dreamers Karen Thompson Walker
The English Patient Michael Ondaatje
The Final Revival of Opan and Nev Dawnie Walton
The Fire Next Time James Baldwin
The Five Hallie Rubenhold
The Fog James Herbert
The Fortnight in September RC Sherriff
The Foundling Stacey Halls
The French Lieutenant's Woman John Fowles
The Girls of Slender Means Muriel Spark
The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History Kassia St Clair
The Guide Peter Heller
The Gunslinger Stephen King
The Hate U Give Angie Thomas
The Haunting of Alma Fielding Kate Summerscale
The Heart of the Matter Graham Greene
The Heat of the Moment Sabrina Cohen-Hatton
The Hopkins Manuscript RC Sherriff
The House of the Spirits Isabel Allende
The Idea of You Robinne Lee
The Island of Missing Trees Elif Shafak
The Junior Officers Reading Club Patrick Hennessey
The Kraken Wakes John Wyndham
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories Susanna Clarke
The Lammas Ecovillage : Deep Roots & Stormy Skies Tao Paul Wimbush
The Land of Spices Kate O'Brien
The Land where Lemons Grow Helena Attlee
The Last Graduate Naomi Novik
The Last Thing To Burn Will Dean
The Leopard Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
The Life Project Helen Pearson
The Long Song Andrea Levy
The Map that Changed the World Simon Winchester
The Midnight Library Matt Haig
The Ministry of Bodies Seamus O'Mahony
The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint Barry Udall
The Nanny State Made Me Stuart Maconie
The Offing Benjamin Myers
The Orphan Master's Son Adam Johnson
The Paper Palace Miranda Cowley Heller
The Plot Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Prince's Pen Horatio Clare
The Quiet American Graham Greene
The Reading Cure: How Books Restored My Appetite Laura Freeman
The Right to Sex Amia Srinivasan
The Ruins Mat Osman
The Running Hare John Lewis Sempei
The Sandman Neil Gaiman
The Sea The Sea Irish Murdoch
The Sealwoman's Gift Sally Magnusson
The Searcher Tana French
The Searchers Alan Le May
The Secrets of the Chess Machine Robert Lohr
The Shepherd Frederick Forsyth
The Spirit Level Wilkinson and Pickett
The Spy and the Traitor Ben Macintyre
The Story of a Lost Child Elena Ferrante
The Terror Dan Simmons
The Testaments Margaret Atwood
The Time-Traveller's Guide to Medieval England Ian Mortimer
The Truants Kate Weinberg
The Unseen Roy Jacobsen translted by Don Bartlett and Don Shaw
The Untouchable John Banville
The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett
The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett
The Way of All Flesh Ambrose Parry
The Way We Live Now Anthony Trollope
The Weather Experiment Peter Moore
The Wolf Den Elodie Harper
The Woman in White Wilkie Collins
The World For Sale Javier Blas & Jack Farchy
The World I Fell Out Of Melanie Reid
The Years Annie Ernaux
There Are No Children Here Alex Kotlowitz
There Are Places in the World Where Rules Are Less Important than Kindness Carlo Rovelli
Theroux the Keyhole Louis Theroux
Things We Lost in the Fire Mariana Enriquez with Megan McDowell
This Much Is True Miriam Margolyes
This Much is True Miriam Margolyes
This Rare Spirit Julia Copus
Three Houses, Many Lives Gillian Tindall
Throw Me to the Wolves Patrick McGuinness
Thursday Murder Club Richard Osman
Tom's Midnight Garden Phillipa Pearce
Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality Helen Joyce
Transcendent Kingdom Yaa Gyasi
Trauma and Recovery Judith Herman
Treacle Walker Alan Garner
Troilus and Cressida Shakespeare
Truant Horatio Clare
True History of the Kelly Gang Peter Carey
Unorthodox Deborah Feldman
Unwind Neil Shusterman
Vida Marge Piercy
Virginia Woolf Hermione Lee
War and Peace Leo Tolstoy
We Are Satellites Sarah Pinsker
We Are Watching Eliza Bright A E Osworth
We Begin at the End Chris Whitaker
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families Philip Gourevich
We, The Drowned Carsten Jensen
What is History, Now? Helen Carr and Suzannah Lipscomb (eds)
When the Stars Go Dark Paula McClain
Where the Crawdads Sing Delia Owens
Who Is Maud Dixon Alexandra Andrews
Who They Was Gabriel Krauze
Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead Barbara Comyns
Wives and Daughters Elizabeth Gaskell
Written in Bone Sue Black
You have to make your own fun round here Frances Macken

Blimey! That's quite some list. Thank you very much. Plenty there to keep me busy next year.

I think the top 9 are a very decent bunch.

Good work @PermanentTemporary.

I’m going to save the list and refer to it when I need new things to read.

Great work Permanent 👏

Oh, I’m too late! I was waiting until I had finished my final book of the year before coming back with lists and favourites. I’ll be back later with my list as it’s on my main computer.

Sorry Chessie - I'm appalling with deadlines so I didn't give one as I'd immediately start putting it off! Still good to see more lists?

Wow, that's amazing! I have TOPITS in my Amazon shopping basket. I have always swerved Louding Voice but may rethink.

Does anyone know what came top last year?

Excellent list Permanent, many thanks!
Interestingly I haven't read any of the top 9 - but 8 of them are on my wishlist. Too many books, not enough time...

Many thanks for your sterling work Permanent!

Incidentally, Phillippe Sands was on the BBC World Service Hardtalk programme this morning, a really interesting listen. Link here:

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct1n6d

Great to see the big list PermanentTemporary, what a lot of work you have put in to pulling it all together.
To complete my year,
60. 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
A couple meet in Dublin in March 2020. 56 days later, one of them is found dead. Page turner with a Covid lockdown setting, very good.
61. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Festive re-read, listened to Audible's version narrated by Hugh Grant and agree with previous comments that it was very well done.
62. Breath by James Nestor
Non-fiction read about breathing, how it has changed through evolution and what a huge effect it can have on our physical and mental health. The early chapters of this were fascinating. It didn't hold my attention quite so much near the end but that may well be me and my December brain.
63. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Harold Fry receives a letter from an old friend who is dying. He sets off to post his reply, but doesn't feel that his words are enough so sets off to walk to see his friend. This novel is about 9 years old but is currently being made into a film starring Jim Broadbent and I was keen to pick it up after hearing that they had been filming in my local area. It is a gentle story, but for me it hit on several raw nerves on themes of relationships, miscommunications and regrets. Interested to see if it stays with me.

63 is a record high and I have really enjoyed my reading this year. Thank you all for your reviews and recommendations.

My favourite novel of the year was Greenwood by Michael Christie.

My favourite non-fiction read was House of Glass by Hadley Freeman - so glad to see a couple of others had it in bold too!

I don't tend to post lists through the year, but I also loved...
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Concrete Rose and On The Come Up by Angie Thomas
We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Lean Fall Stand by Jon McGregor
The Day The World Came to Town by Jim Defede
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Sal by Mick Kitson
We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker

See you all in 2022

Heroic work @PermanentTemporary! Thanks so much for going to all that effort on behalf of the thread

I understand Permanent, you’d never do it if you waited for everyone! Thanks for putting the effort in, good to see the most popular books.