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.

Bacon - thanks, I've got a very poor memory so will prob enjoy it as if I hadn't read it anyway!

I’d like to join please! 28 last year, but still a lot of doom scrolling I’d like to avoid.

I’m 2 in this year as a result of having 2 on the go in late 2023 and lots of xmas travel. Currently scouting for my next book which led me to this thread :)

How does it work - do we list them? If so:

• The man who died twice (easy read for the plane, just ok)
• Human errors (non fiction, just ok)

Same here @Breathmiller and @BaconAndAvocado in fact I even have My Grandmother Told Me on my tbr pile!!

First two books read. The Thorn Birds and Winter at Thrush Green.
Next up is Burial Rites - really looking forward to this one after seeing so much love for it in this thread.
Bumping my target back up to 26.

A New Year Reading resolution is to buy NO MORE BOOKS until I've made a dent in the TBR mountain.

1. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - Fannie Flagg

Loved this! I don't know how it (and the film until last year) passed me by until now.

I am also on a buy no more til I get through ones I have. I only really read books on my kindle as I can see the text better. And I have a few on there that I have downloaded but not read.

And finished no 3 Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Goldsmith. First of my decades books, hilarious! So modern - plus ca change!

Can I join?

I've just finished A Good Girls Guide to Murder (started in December - does that count!?) as recommended by teen DD and now on to 'Small Pleasures' by Clare Chambers

Looking forward to browsing the thread for recommendations so here is one from me - I love to revisit The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey at this time of year 🌨

@Breathmiller Fannie Flagg wrote some wonderful books. I'd especially recommend 'Welcome to the World, Baby Girl' and 'Standing in the Rainbow'.

Just finished 3 - The Vanishing Half. Enjoyed it a lot

Thanks tayto. I did like her style of writing so I will definitely look them up

1. The Maid - Nita Prose

Despite being about a murder this was a light easy read. I enjoyed the first half more than the second. I did like it but I doubt it will stick in my memory, it didn't set me flame-proof nightie alight lets say and I don't imagine will make my top reads of the year. But, an enjoyable story nonetheless.

This was one of my highlights last year. I really enjoyed it too.

Has anyone read 'Orbital'? I sort of want to but keep shuffling it to the back of the queue...

Hello - just joining in. Made it to 19 last year and hope to manage a few more this year. Book number 1 is quite big though so might be a while till I'm done ....

Morning. I finished my first book of the year.More of a self-help book due to recent breakdown of marriage. How to heal a broken heart, Rosie Green.

Finished book 3 this morning.

1. Midnight Sun - Stephanie Meyer
2. Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer

1. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne

Started the year with easy fun reads, and I always read more in the winter so I'm hoping to get quite a few books read towards my target this month.

1: Buried - An Alternative History of the First Millennium in Britain by Professor Alice Roberts
This was given to my DH (he loves Prof Alice) and he hasn't read it, so I did. It challenges preconceived ideas and assumptions on early burials, relating it to archaeological digs that she has worked on. I'm not hugely into archaeology, but this was a fascinating read.

Book 2 Maybe in another Life - Taylor Jenkins Reid I enjoyed a couple of her previous books but really didn't love this one. 3* at most. It's a kind of sliding doors story with alternating chapters looking at the two scenarios of the main character getting back with her ex or not....

Finally finishing the book I started last year so I will count is as my no
1.Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night- Sophie Hannah which I quite like so might read another one of hers .
Starting on
2.Mixed Plate - Jo Koy who’s a comedian . Will have to see how it is . Then it’s back to fiction although not sure which one yet , I have a growing pile …

I’ve read nearly half of the new book last night , it was entertaining so far …

I hope you are okay princessspotify. Did the book help a little?

1. A Spell of Winter - Helen Dunmore

I think this may actually make my "best of list" this year. I loved it. The descriptions were beautifully written. It made me slow down and savour every word, I love books like that. And I loved the story as much as the words.

Highly recommended. (Although there may some themes in it that could be upsetting)

Joining please!

1. The Maid - Nita Prose

I really liked this. It was a bit far fetched, but I enjoyed it! I am a bit of a sucker for a murder mystery.

It tool me ages to work out where it was set! Some of the language made me think it was set in the UK and then other times I thought the states. (Turns out it's neither - it's set in Canada)!

2. The Lost Bookshop - Evie Woods

Hmm mixed feelings... I really liked it to begin with, but found some of the characters unlikeable and the will-they-won't-they romance between the two modern day protagonists a bit meh. The villains were just too OTT evil and unhinged. There were some loose ends... Madam Bowden? If anyone has read it can they please tell me wtaf was meant to be going on there 😂? It just felt a bit erratic and poorly thought out. The end was so rushed as well. Felt as if she ran out of time and just scribbled down some ideas.

Loads of references to well known authors and a few cameos from them as minor characters in the book. I quite liked that and also liked the shop. Considering it's the name of the book, I could have used a lot more of the actual shop tbh

I've finished books 1 and 2.

1. Before the coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.

This book is translated from Japanese and most of the activity takes place in a cafe in Tokyo. The cafe has a rather unique selling point - if you sit at a particular table, it's possible to travel back in time. However, it's not as simple as it sounds - there are some very strict rules. The book tells the story of some of the cafe customers who choose to do just that. I really liked the setting of the book (I've read very few books that are set in Japan) and the rules made it more interesting than your average time travelling book. However, I felt it got a bit repetitive as the book went on. It was a book club read and most of the members enjoyed it. However, I'm not sure I'd go on to read the other books in the series. Also, we all had trouble differentiating between the different characters. Most of the characters' names began with the letter K

1. Heat Wave by Penelope Lively.

This book is set in middle England over the course of a summer. Pauline (the main character) has made plans to spend the summer at her summer home with her daughter, son-in-law and young grandson. The summer home consists of two houses which are next door to each other. As cracks being to appear in her daughter's marriage, Pauline is reminded of events from her own past. The events of the book take place during a heatwave, hence the title. I found this book really compelling and read it very quickly. The past and present are nicely interwoven and I had no trouble distinguishing between them. I'd recommend this book and I'd be keen to read other books from this author.

All the light we cannot see is one of my favourites