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26-ish books for 2023

767 replies

Tinkhasflown · 01/01/2023 13:15

A shiny new thread for 2023. There didn't appear to be one do hope it's ok that I have created it this year.

All welcome and note 26 is just a number. Everyone can set their own target and you are welcome here even if you only read 3 books a year.

I personally count the larger novel style books I read to my children and audio books I listen to. Others don't and there are no rules.

I look forward to all your suggestions again this year.

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dollybird · 27/01/2023 07:35

Tinkhasflown · 27/01/2023 07:05

@dollybird The Night She Disappeared is brilliant too.

Show quote history

That's on my TBR list on GR too!

Orangebadger · 27/01/2023 10:38

drspouse · 26/01/2023 22:14

I'll avoid that one @Orangebadger then. Took me about 3 years to finish Alexander Hamilton.

Yes maybe I should just give up! I just don't have as much time to read right now so a big read is probably not the best idea!

ECMCS · 28/01/2023 04:26
  1. One Minute Later by Susan Lewis
  2. The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster
  3. Some Kind of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher
  4. Undoctored by Adam Kay
  5. The Perfect Couple by Jackie Kabler
This book was great, I found it really difficult to put down and kept changing my mind as to what was going on, very engaging.
  1. Just started The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelidas, I think I'll need something a bit lighter after this!
Won't manage to keep up this fast pace of reading, I've very much taken advantage of my remaining annual leave to do so. 😀
Pourmeanotherwine · 28/01/2023 09:48

1 The Thursday Murder Club
2 The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier
Just finished book 2 before the end of Jan so I guess that puts me on track for 26 in a year. Enjoyed it, though not sure what I think about the ending.
Starting lessons in Chemistry next.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 28/01/2023 12:29

Finished no 8 Hope for the Best.
Started no 9 Plan for the Worst. Really enjoy the St Mary's books.

EspeciallyDetermined · 28/01/2023 14:23

4: And Away by Bob Mortimer (audio). A lovely engaging read, a parallel journey through Bob's life both before and after open heart surgery in 2015.

Nordicmom · 28/01/2023 14:51

Finished my book no
2.Cat Lady -Dawn O’Porter
which was ok , I wonder what my friends made of it since I gave it to them for Christmas as well .
I have a few half read on kindle too .
I’m aiming for 2-3 a month so on track for that …

Citygirlrurallife · 28/01/2023 18:46

This thread is very bad for my TBR pile because it makes me want to buy more books!

just finished book 3, Lies by Michael Grant which is the 3rd in a YA series DS is reading and wants me to read too so we can chat about it. I can only read one every few “real” books but they’re pretty good I suppose - not as good as things like Hunger Games though

DrMadelineMaxwell · 28/01/2023 19:43

No 9 above is my upstairs, bedtime on Kindle (to read in the dark, backlit on dark mode to not disturb DH) book

I've just picked up 7 freebies through the fb local group, so book 10 is my downstairs on-the-sofa book.

No 10 - Forensics, the Anatomy of Crime.

thefinaltwist · 28/01/2023 20:40

Thats book 2 finished A Heart Full Of Headstones by Ian Rankin

Orangebadger · 28/01/2023 22:21

So my original 2nd book 11.22.63 Stephen King was a DNF, something I rarely feel the need to do. I don't think it's that I didn't enjoy it but I just could not get into it, I think it's just not the right time for me to read it so it's back on the TBR shelf.

Now my No2 book is Spectacles. Sue Perkins. Not much of an autobiography reader but love her and so far really enjoying it, very funny and warm.

Tinytigertail · 28/01/2023 22:46

Tinytigertail · 15/01/2023 19:23

  1. The Devil You Know by Dr Gwen Adshead 2) I Don't Take Requests by Fat Tony Not brilliantly written but so heartfelt. What a life Tony's had. I read this because we were at a lot of the same clubs at the same time back in the 90s and definitely had mutual acquaintances. His story of recovery is amazing.

Update:
3) The Herd, Emily Edwards. Iiked the fact that it made you think about both sides of the Vax/anti Vax debate, but it didn't grip me.

Yawningalldaylong · 29/01/2023 18:29

Embarrassed to say I read one book last year, a short one in December. Decided to 'find the time' when I found this thread at the beginning of Jan. I'm 3 books down already.

  1. The Midnight Library- Matt Haig. Not worth the hype
  2. The Switch - Beth O'Leary
  3. The Coroner - MR Hall

I listening to Faking Friends - Jane Fallon and bought The Marlow Murder Club - Robert Thorogood (creator of Death on Paradise) to start next.

thefinaltwist · 29/01/2023 19:01

Just about to start the third book of the year which I'm actually very proud of. Its Beneath The Surface by Fiona Neill

drspouse · 29/01/2023 22:25

Finished Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, book 4. Loved it.

evtheria · 30/01/2023 11:01
  1. Reconstruction (Mick Herron)
  2. Terciel & Elinor (Garth Nix)
  3. Ithaca (Claire North)
  4. I Saw Him Die (Andrew Wilson) 5) Whatever Gets You Through the Night (Charlie Higson)

I thought I'd try I Saw Him Die as a kind of gateway to Agatha Christie (haven't read her work yet) but, despite liking whodunits, I wasn't keen on this... Mildly disliked all the characters, including 'Agatha' herself, and wasn't keen on the vague upstairs/downstairs thing going on. Anyway. Onto the next, the blurb of which reads like a slick, neon-hued Netflix production, so wish me luck!

Scout2016 · 30/01/2023 13:10

1)Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
2)Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski
3) My Name Is Why by Lemn Sissay
4) Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhy
5) The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. This was good fun - I worked out elements but not whodunit. Few dated aspects but many enjoyable phrases and descriptions of characters and the plot romps along. I was suprised it wasn't narrated by Poirot himself (I'd assumed it would be) but it didn't spoil it at all for me and I liked the use of the doctor as narrator.

Anonymouseposter · 30/01/2023 15:33

So far this year. 1. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee - learned a lot about Korea and Japan, 2. Mrs England, okay quite enjoyed it. 3. And by Isabel Adonis. Interesting book. A memoir of her mother. Food for thought about identity race and gender. 4. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche. I had this in the house a while and meant to read it. Interesting, enjoyed it.

blametheparents · 31/01/2023 07:17

@Anonymouseposter
I’ve read Pachinko - I really enjoyed it.
I would recommend it.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 31/01/2023 07:23

No 10 is ongoing now and then.

No. 11. The Screaming staircase. Thankyou Netflix. Watched the series and enjoyed it and now enjoying the books I was unaware of previously. Mow reading that series so...

No. 12. Just started, The Whispering Skull.

MargotMoon · 31/01/2023 12:25

This month I finished 3 books

1: Paper Cuts - How I destroyed the British Music Press and other misadventures by Ted Kessler. I don't think I could have loved this more. Ted wrote for the NME at a time when it was my bible. His life and stories made compelling reading, and he is such a good writer I felt like he was talking to me personally, telling me anecdotes over a few pints in the pub.

2: Gone Fishing by Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer. Very heartwarming and full of affection between these two. Having been dragged off fishing by my angling-mad father throughout my childhood I could relate to plenty of this.

3: Record Play Pause by Stephen Morris. One quarter of Joy Division and New Order, this is a memoir of his early life and being in JD up to and shortly after Ian Curtis's death. I've read autobiographies by two of the other band members but listened to this one as an audiobook read by the author, which was great as he included audio clips of recordings of conversations between the band and their manager, Rob Gretton, and Factory Records' Tony Wilson, as well as backing tracks of clips of songs he mentions, which brings it to life. There's also a great Spotify playlist he made to go with it. I've bought the second volume to listen to, which picks up the story as New Order emerge and continue experimenting with electronica.

Looking at this and my next 2-3 reads I think I will need to get some fiction going soon!

TidyupNowplease · 01/02/2023 12:19

1 The Twyford Code
2 The Devils Advocate
3 The Life of Lee. Audiobook

Currently reading The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson. Enjoying the story so far but my kindle edition seems to have a few typos, which are annoying.
Also listening to (are we counting audiobooks?) Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.* *

MargotMoon · 01/02/2023 21:30

TidyupNowplease · 01/02/2023 12:19

1 The Twyford Code
2 The Devils Advocate
3 The Life of Lee. Audiobook

Currently reading The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson. Enjoying the story so far but my kindle edition seems to have a few typos, which are annoying.
Also listening to (are we counting audiobooks?) Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.* *

You can count whatever you like! 👍

I include a mixture of audiobooks, digital and hard copy books

blametheparents · 02/02/2023 09:57

Just finished Book 2 - Three Women by Lisa Taddeo.

I have just started Book 3 - Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I am expecting a nice, light read, while also being very enjoyable. I've read other books by the same author and have really enjoyed them. Been influenced to read them by my DD!

EasilyDirected · 02/02/2023 22:46

5: Me Life Story by Scarlett Moffatt (audio). I can't honestly say I would have bought this book but I was browsing the memoir section of Borrowbox and have a soft spot for Scarlett. It was interesting to hear about her early life and some of the behind the scenes stuff from Gogglebox and I'm A Celeb, she does seem like a lovely humble person.