26-ish books 2024

[Tinkhasflown]

A shiny new thread for 2024.

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.

18: When the Dust Settles - stories of love, loss and hope from an expert in disaster by Lucy Easthope

19: Death in the Dark by Kitty Murphy

Enjoyed both of these. The first has some really interesting accounts of recent disasters from an emergency planner/disaster expert point of view and even touches on the Covid pandemic. The second is the 2nd book in the Dublin Drag Murder series and I think it is even better than the first.

15. The Distance Between Us by Maggie O'Farrell
Loved this.
My third MO'F book and what a writer she is.
Her characterisation is sublime, I really didn't want this book to end.

8) Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt could have been at least 50 pages shorter. It really dragged after the reveal to the audience, and the POV chapters given to the octopus (the main selling point of the book) were almost nonexistent in the final third.

Also I assumed that Tova was in her late seventies or early eighties based on how she and her friends talked about moving in with children, and going to nursing homes. Imagine my surprise when she turned out to be only 70 (I think she might have been 69 at the beginning of the book, but I lost track). I'll barely have started drawing my state pension by the time I'm Tova's age, so I hope I have at least a few years more than that before having to shuffle off to a retirement village so as not to be a nuisance!😄

23. Home Stretch - Graham Norton

My second Graham Norton and once again I enjoyed it

It has taken me forever to find time to read book 8! But finally had a quiet weekend and had time to finish

8 - River East River West - Aube Rey Lescure

A women's prize nominee. Absolutely loved it

@MonkeyTennis34 I have loved MOF for years. She draws people beautifully

17: Homecoming by Kate Morton
Took me a couple of chapters to fully engage but then I loved it. Set in Australia and split across two time zones (late 50s and present day) the book centres around a horrific tragedy and the slow unravelling of the truth.

I haven't ready anything by Kate Morton before but would again now.

20) One day by David Nicolls. An oldie but one I had never come across until recently. A good easy holiday read. Was a bit surprised by the ending!!

@DrMadelineMaxwell I directed the audiobook for You Shouldnt Be Here, it’s excellent!

22 The Women - Kristin Hannah. Been waiting ages to read this and finally my bookclub agreed to do it. It’s everything I want from Kristin Hannah, unputdownable, fallable but relatable characters, strong women. She can do no wronf

10. Topographia Hibernica - Blindboy Boatclub

11. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World - Elif Shafak (audiobook)

21 My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes. Love a good Marian Keyes. This one is about Anna - the sisters are all of my generation which I think makes me enjoy them even more.

24. The Familiars - Stacey Halls

Another one based around witch trials of the 1600's. Fiction and not quite as dark as The Mercies and Burial Rites but I enjoyed it nonethelesss.

9 - Restless Dolly Maunder - Kate Grenville

Liked it enough to keep reading it, but didn't love it. Not convinced it's Women's Prize quality but readable all the same.

47 - Fury Godmother
48 - No Guts, No Fury.

49 - Switching to read one of my very favourite authors now. New novella by Ilona Andrews 'Sanctuary'/
50-60 is going to be her Magic series. On book 3 already.

51 - Magic Bites
52 - Magic Bleeds
53 - Magic Strikes - excellent book!

54 - Magic Bleeds
55 - Magic Slays
56 - Magic Rises
57 - Magic Breaks
58 - Magic Shifts
59 - Magic Binds
60 - Magic Triumph.

Then there's a range of short stories and a couple of spinoff books that I'll work my way through too. :)
61 - Magic Stars novella
62 - Gunmetal Magic
63 - Iron and Magic
64 - Blood Heir
And the follow up books
65 - Magic Tides
66 - Magic Claims.

That should keep me busy for the rest of the summer hols. :)

15. Second From Last In The Sack Race by David Nobbs. Started off well, quite self consciously funny but still funny. Packed a lot in and was rather too dense and busy in places. For me it flagged a bit towards the end, maybe 4/5th in, with too much detail and I was less interested in the story. Then picked up speed again to wrap everything up neatly. I enjoyed the more ridiculous aspects particularly, and some of the characterisation.

16. The Wall by John Lanchester
A fantastic read.
Set in a dystopian future, this was gripping and original.

14 . The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

I've read a couple of her books now but this wasn't my favourite. An easy read though which was what I wanted after reading some nonfiction recently. 3 stars out of 5.

10 - Mongrel by Hanako Footman

Just finished this on holiday. It was unbelievably brilliant

Thanks for this. I have a couple on my list to read but they aren't inspiring me but this sounds right up my street so I hace just downloaded it. And I have a quiet weekend.

Breathmiller
I would be interested to hear what you make of the ending.

I have The Wall in my TBR pile - I might make it my next one.

11 - Always & Forever - Rose Tremain

This was a novella at 177 pages only, but it was so lovely. Left with so much to think about, really glad I read it. I always like Rose Tremain.

25. The Wall- John Lancaster

Wow!! I loved this. Kept me totally gripped and I'm trying to say what I think without spoiling the end, my heart was in my mouth at times is maybe how I explain it. The theme feels particularly poignant at the moment. One of my top books of the year.

One more to go to get to my "goal" for the year of 26 although its not ever been about that, more just a great way to keep me reading.

Not sure what to go for next, I have actually had a couple that I've started but gone off the boil with. I think what I need or want in a book is one like The Wall where I am totally immersed in it. The story, the writing, the characters but also the bigger picture of what it says about humanity (or lack of at times). Great read and if you are a fan of dystopian novels then this is one to read.

@Breathmiller
You might enjoy Christina Dalcher's books, Vox and Q. (2 separate books!)
Both set in dystopian futures and real page-turners.

I would say they perhaps lack the gravitas of The Wall, but I thoroughly enjoyed both.

18: Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir

i think this was a recommendation on here? Not my usual thing at all I fucking hate sci fi but I really enjoyed it. I did it on audible and I have to say that the narrator was brilliant. I might not have persevered with a different reader, or indeed, a paper version, but he really brought it to life.

It probably helped that my physics is shit so there was never any danger of me having to suspend belief for the 'science bits' as I have no idea how fanciful they might have been. But ultimately it's a simple story of a human being who is (reluctantly) charged with saving the planet. Would recommend.

21. The bullet that missed by Richard Osman. I always save these books for my summer holiday. Enjoyed, but probably my least favourite of the 3 I have read.