26-ish books in 2022

[StColumbofNavron]

Roll up, roll up ...

Shiny new thread for 2022.

I am setting my target at 25 this year.

I want to read at least a min of 5 in hardcopy and at least 4 non-fiction.

28. When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins - A thriller involving parricide, a child murderer, sensationalist media outlets, and the aftermath thirteen years later.

This was just ok. The twists were predictable, and the killer's present day motives unconvincing. There was also an unnecessary subplot with a sleazy Cabinet Minister which felt shoehorned in to pad the book out add some sex, and shock the reader with no relevance to the main story.

29 - Q by Christina Dalcher

This broke a reading slump, easy read and thought provoking in places although a little far fetched by the end.

I just finished this today - book 30 of the year for me. I liked it although found it unsettling as i saw similarities in her two daughters and was imagining DD2 being taken away.

30 - Vox by Christina Dalcher

Didn't really do it for me. The premise was good and it was easy enough to read but the characters are underdeveloped and the story went off on an odd tangent. Preferred Q which I read first.

I'll check what number this is but Swan Song by Edmund Crispin, an old Penguin I found, er, sneaked out of my dad's house. I love his bio on the back and he included BOTH CS Lewis AND Albert Campion in walk on roles.

OK that was 32 and I also finished 33 Kill All Normies by Angela Nagle. Depressing. Going to read something fun next.

I finished the Matthew Perry biography and it’s going to charity shop . I’m reading the “ Evicted “on Kindle atm . I need to finish one more book this year to get my 26 as I aimed so I’ll try to make time . Generally read every night now even when tired …

Morning all!

After some interest on another thread I've started a read along for Charles Dickens Yeultide classic A Christmas Carol.

Please come and read with us; we start with Stave 1 today.

34: Behind the Seams by Esme Young (audio).

I only knew Esme as a judge on Sewing Bee and know nothing about the fashion design world so this was a fascinating memoir, Esme has led an extremely interesting life.

35 My Name is Why by Lemn Sissay (audio) - another excellent memoir. Lemn spent the first 18 years of his life in care, then spent 30 years trying to obtain copies of his records from social services. Having finally obtained them, he has used them as the basis of this book, telling the story of his life in care alongside the reports. It is a shocking story but an incredible book.

I finally finished “ Evicted “ on my kindle which was quite depressing and heavy going but interesting . Now I’ve achieved my goal of 26 for the year and I’m happy with that . I have several books I’ve started on kindle and also the new Dean Koontz “ Big Dark Sky “. A hurry before Christmas with other stuff but I’ll continue to read before bed .

24. Her Last Holiday by C L Taylor
I enjoyed this, and it kept me guessing. I don't think I'm going to make 26. My next book is 500 pages, and I'm busy with my cross stitching too. My actual GR target is 30, so I'm way short.

34 The Tent, The Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy. Oh those 70s childhood holidays... (we didn't camp, we usually stayed in someone else's house squashed in on the child's bedroom floor). Don't read before eating.

We did do 70s camping, and I thought I was going to love that book, but somehow it didn't hit the spot for me.

36 Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. On the whole I really enjoyed it, although there were one or two plotlines that seemed a bit contrived.

I can't remember laughing so long and hard at a book for years. Proper tickled me

I found it a bit of a cringe, not funny at all. Mind you there have been other books I've felt the same about that other have thought hilarious (This is Going to Hurt springs to mind).

37 How to Kill your Family - by Bella Mackie (audio). I really enjoyed this but found the end a little disappointing.

I just read this and didn't enjoy it for the most part but did like the ending!

I thought it just fizzled out, that there would be more twists and turns in pursuit of the ultimate goal and more involvement with ripping off the estate, before the final ending.

I’ve been finishing the book no
27 Chiffon Trenches - Andre Leon Talley on my kindle which has been at times a quite entertaining look into the fashion world but I’ve skim read portions of it too when I got bored . Want to finish it though .

got confused it’s
28.Chiffon Trenches - Andre Leon Talley and I finished it yesterday
I’m still in the beginning of the
26.Big Dark Sky - Dean Koontz after finishing other books but now I’ll continue it

Book 34 Lessons in Chemistry I thought this book was enjoyable in some aspects and annoying in others. I only gave it 3 stars.

Book 35 The Midnight Library - Matt Haig (audio) I loved this. It is a bit repetitive in places, but a great read. I was dad to get to the end.

Book 36 Love you life - Sophie Kinsella (audio), not a particularly good read. I nearly dnf'd.

Book 37 The Night She Disappeared - Lisa Jewel I loved this book and was devastated it ended. I was kept guessing the whole way through. I highly recommend it.

Book 38 and 39 was rereads (audio this time,) of the Handmaids Tale and The Testament. I listened as I'm following the series, I actually found the audio better than reading!

I've definitely lost a book somewhere as Goodreads tells me I've finished 40 books not 39.....

29. The Blue Salt Road by Joanne Harris - a fairytale novella for grown ups about selkies set in the Shetlands, with some lovely illustrations by Bonnie Hawkins. Being a sucker for retellings of myths & folklore, this book gave me a cosy feeling despite being quite dark in places. And because I'm shallow, I'll also give it an extra point for a gorgeous front cover!

DNF Heaven by Mieko Kawakami (just didn't grab me) and Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher (can't believe this one is recommended so much on Mumsnet tbh. It's complete drivel! And the early 60-something protagonist talks about herself as though she's in her 80s with one foot in the grave).

Still reading
26.Big Dark Sky - Dean Koontz
but just read a book I’d given DS pre Christmas that he’d finished first in one day
29.Murder on The Christmas Express-Alexandra Benedict
Despite being over 300 pages it felt like a quick read . DS first doubted it but ended up finishing it fast as well .
Now I have started a book I gave DH ;the third Thu Murder Club series book since I’ve read the first two unlike him
30.The Bullet That Missed-Richard Osman

What books did everyone get for Christmas? I got all nine Bridgerton books, Motsi Mabuse's autobiography and A Village in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd 😊