26-ish books for 2023

[Tinkhasflown]

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.

3 Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly - the book the film is based on. An account of African American women who were integral to the success of the Moon missions.

I just finished The Dutch House, just starting no. 7, The Bullet that Missed.

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) 6) The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels (Janice Hallett)

Whatever Gets You Through the Night was a very entertaining and easy read, I imagine it's the kind of book you'd read by the pool on holiday...? Not saying it's the crap sort in airport bookshop!

I try not to buy books for myself anymore, unless secondhand, but I just cannot face the reserves queue at my library again so soon (not after recently being 45th in line for the latest Osman book). I bought Hallett's new one for £8 at Tesco, and will pass it onto the carehome down my street when I'm done.

4 Faking Friends - Jane Fallon (audio) Easy option when driving or cleaning

5 The Marlow Murder Club - Robert Thorogood (creator of Death on Paradise)

I need a good mooch in some charity shops to line up my next reads. I do love a new book but it feels such a waste.

Love Slow Horses. I'll take a look

Book 4 Ok, Let's do your Stupid - Patrick Freyne (audio) I can't believe I finished this, it wad narrated by the author and was so dull.

Book 5 Freed (a fifty shades book) told from Christian Greys perspective. It was pretty awful. I listened on audio on speed up lol.

Book 6 The Dictionary of Lost Words - Pip Williams I loved this book, it was a beautiful read. Fictional but with a lot of the factual events around the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary and how words relating to women often went unrecorded.

I'm now listening to menopausing, Davina McCall and Dr Naomi Potter. Also just started reading We Need to Talk about Kevin.

4 - The Rose Code - Kate Quinn

Really enjoyed this, very engaging read and characters. I read The Huntress by the same author last year and enjoyed that too, so will look up other books of hers.

Finished book 3 Lessons in Chemistry. Loved it, really funny.
Now reading 4 : Touch of Love by Jonathan Coe

13.The Hollow Boy

1. Todas esas cosas que te diré mañana. - Elizabet benavent - 3*
2. Lessons In Chemistry. Took me a long time to read it despite I was enjoying it. 5*

Book five and 6;

What Lies Beneath ; Adam Croft - was a freebie on Kindle but set near where i grew up, nice little murder mystery

The Chalk Pit; Elly Griffiths - one of her Ruth Galloway ones - randomly picked it up in the library - maybe need to start at the beginning of the series but again a nice little murder/crime mystery

I tend to favour an easy read and am happy to read rubbish.

Moving on to;
The Awakenings ; Sarah Maine - again a library pick - things on the cover likening it to Daphne du Maurier and I love Rebecca so figured it was worth a punt.

I’m crap at coming back to this thread. I’m currently on #9, Fritz and Kurt. Bought it before I realised it was a kids book. It’s about the beginnings of the holocaust and the title characters are Jewish boys from Vienna. I’ve found the beginning a bit slow
and, being a children’s book the style of writing isn’t quite what I like, but it is an interesting time in history so I will stick with it.

1. "The devil you know" by Eileen Horne & Gwen Adshead
2. "The Wedding Guest" Jonathan Kellerman
3. "Traces" by Patricia Wiltshire... finally finished - not my favourite, and I might not have stuck with it, except for wanting to get another number on here.

It hasn't borne up to comparison with my simultaneously having "All that Remains" read by the author Sue Black, as my audio book on the go. This (All that remains) is a gorgeous book despite the topic. Her speaking voice is beautiful, and, although I am still in the early chapters, I have had a lump in my throat several times already.

Just finished number 2 - People of Abandoned Character by Clare Whitman. Absolutely loved it, surprised it was her first novel.

Tells the story of a woman who suspects her doctor husband of being Jack the Ripper. The description of what it must have been like to live in London at that time if you were of "the unfortunate classes" or indeed a woman with no means, made me shudder.

Great book, recommend.

Finished no 5, The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer. Fun but oh so badly written and edited. The dialogue read like a parody.
I also have The Bullet That Missed out of the library but I accidentally got Large Print and I can't read it so I've put myself on the waiting list for the e-book.

Just finished book number 5. The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse. I enjoyed it but I don’t know if I didn’t concentrate well enough because some of it was a bit lost on me.

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.
6) The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh. Much darker / blacker humour than I was expecting. I don't mind that but can see why it's not getter known, won't have been to many people's taste. Also some bits too overwritten and far too wordy for my liking - was short and should have been shorter. Or just revamped as a script. I know Waugh was first but I kept thinking it was all very Joe Orton.

*better

I am about to start no. 10, The Hypnotist's Love Story by Lianne Moriarty. No. 8 was The Bullet that missed which wasn't as good as the first two imo, or perhaps I am just tiring of the Murder Club trope, and no. 9 was John Boyne's All The Broken Places which I thought was wonderful. Happy weekend reading peeps!

Book number 3 wasn't successful and I gave up I found it very long winded and it lost my attention very early on which is very unlike me.

I've started book number 4 which I'm enjoying its called The Last Girl To Die by Helen Fields

Finished 4 : Touch of Love by Jonathan Coe. I normally like his books but this one was maybe a bit dark for my February frame of mind.
About to star 5 : The bird in the bamboo cage by Heather Webb. Not read any of hers before, it was a random library pick.

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)
6. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels (Janice Hallett)
7. The Raptures (Jan Carson) 8) Haven (Emma Donoghue)

Anyone read Babel? Thoughts? It's unavailable at my library (unless doing ebook, which I don't use) so I'm trying to decide if it's worth buying!

1.One Minute Later by Susan Lewis

1. The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster
2. Some Kind of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher
3. Undoctored by Adam Kay
4. The Perfect Couple by Jackie Kabler
5. The Library of Lost and found by Phaedra Patrick

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelidas started off as book number 6 but I'll hopefully finish it as book 7 😀

1. The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page. Wasn’t great, a bit Mills and Boon for me.

Next up is The Night Ship by Jess Kidd. Started it last night - so far, so good.

1.Sycamore Row by John Grisham
2.The Familiars by Stacy Hall.

Update
3.The Fell by Sarah Moss
The Fell was a book set in lockdown. Already seems almost dystopian.

4.Echoes by Maeve Binchey
Echoes was a delight. I love Maeve Binchey and hadn't read this one. I look that feeling of being immersed in Irishness.

5.Winter's Daughter by Val Wood
Val Wood is from Hull and writes historical novels based around Hull and Holderness. I know the area well and enjoy stories set in the past in familiar places. She writes a captivating but gentle story.