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.

Me too, it’s probably in my all time Top 10.

1. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

I've read a couple of her books before - Big Little Lies I really enjoyed, 9 Perfect Strangers not so much - and this one was a bit 'meh'.
I think she's a good writer but this was a bit slow going and I found myself waiting for a bigger plot twist which never came.

I'd rate it 2.5 out of 5.

@TrustPenguins I agree. I've read a few and just wonder where they're going !
But, I loved What Alice Forgot and The Husband's Secret.
I also really enjoyed 9 Perfect Strangers. I think it's on Netflix or Prime.

I'm really struggling to read at the moment. I've started a Lisa Gardner, The Next Accident - it's really well written, but I can't get into it.

I'm onto my 4th one this year now. On a roll so sticking with it as I know it won't last. Breaking the doom scrolling habit isn't easy!

1. Rigged by Andy Verity about the LIBOR scandal and the whistleblowers who were basically thrown under a bus. It's a good read but quite a niche book. I enjoyed reading about it as I had worked with a couple of the whistleblowers in my previous life so it was quite poignant and I felt quite sad for them. It's not an obvious greedy banker story as it goes right up to Bank of England and the Treasury.

1. Left you dead Peter James

This was an easy read but only ok. The story got a bit silly towards the end and could have been a bit shorter.

1. The Lincoln Highway Amor Towels

I loved this one. It's character driven and is not the normal road trip story. It is imo a metaphor for the character journeys. You really do get to know them with all the back stories but it is written so well. It's one I will keep and re read.

Now on my 4th one The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimor. Just started it so haven't really formed and opinion.

I've read Apples Never Fall too. Gosh, it felt long!! I might try Alice and Husbands Secret at some point. Feel I need something different for now though... just not sure what!

1. Lessons in chemistry

Hello everyone! Nice to be back after falling off last year’s thread. I read about 30 books last year, including audio books. I tend to have one ‘read’ and one ‘listen’ on the go at once. I’m an English teacher so also include books and plays I read with classes. People always assume that I will be a fast reader but sadly not!

1. A Fortunate Woman by Polly Morland

Really enjoyed this even though it’s not my usual type of book. A non-fiction book about the life of a modern country doctor. Beautifully written with some very moving tales of her work within a close-knit community and wonderful, lyrical depictions of the landscape. Highly recommended.

I’m in a bit of a Rosamunde Pilcher phase at the moment! Such wonderful comfort reading. I re-read The Shell Seekers last year and then listened to Coming Home, which was such a joy. I’m currently listening to Winter Solstice, which I’m also enjoying.

I'm on a roll! Finished no 4 Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson. Really loved it. She writes so well but I haven't read much of her longer stuff. I do like short stories with recipes.

Hi everyone. I’d love to keep up with posting on this thread this year as I always get really good recommendations for books from mumsnet.

I finished my first book of 2024 last night. After flitting around a couple for a while, it was Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris. I really enjoyed it. I do like historical fiction, but I’ve only really read Plantagenet or Tudor era books.

I’ve started The Other Boleyn Girl tonight so we’ll see how I get on. According to goodreads I am currently reading over 20 books… I am struggling to get into books at the moment.

I enjoyed the Other Boleyn Girl.

Adding ‘Rigged’ to my list. I tend to alternate fiction and non-fiction, although am definitely reading more fiction at the moment.

I have stalled a bit on book 5, which is 5th Sun, a new history of the Aztec people. First lesson, is that they were only called that relatively recently. It’s good, but not a page turner!

Started on a new book, Daisy Jones and the Six. Borrowed it from the library, so got a end date to get it read by.

@TrustPenguins have you read Heart's Invisible Furies ? Loved that.
My favourite book last year was Bella Mackie, How To Kill Your Family.

Troubledwords
There’s a tv adaptation of Daisy and the Six.
It’s fabulous!

The Heart’s Invisible Furies is definitely in my all-time top 10. Just amazing. I remember reading it on a flight and being really annoyed when we started coming in to land!

1. Siblings - Brigette Reimann

its a short book but I got delayed reading it because had to read and prep two books for work. I don’t know about this one, maybe it was the translation but I got very lost and didn’t ever really get the hang of it, even though the lyricism was beautiful which I’m normally a sucker for. Didn’t help I didn’t really like any of the characters

@coolmum123 i really enjoyed the Lincoln Highway as well - but Amor Towles fan here!

Me too ❤️❤️❤️

Yes I've heard good things about it, hopefully the book is as good.

The Other Boleyn Girl is good. I remember browsing in the library years ago, I picked it up , sat down to read a few pages before I knew it I'd been reading for 2 hours! I found it easy to get into and the story flowed really well.

@Asiatoyork the next book I'm planning to read is The Key Man, it's about the Abraaj scandal which is the largest private equity bankruptcy. There's a documentary on it on iPlayer. Mind blowing stuff. But one of the accused are parents we know as our DC were at school together! 😱
It's just occured to me this is the 2nd time I'm 6 degrees (kind of) away from notoriety!!!

First book of '24 finished My family and other animals by Gerald Durrel.

Wonderful with lots of LOL moments with the very eccentric Durrell family. I did not realise this was the first book of a trilogy so will look to getting the 2nd one soon. I also now want to go on holiday to Corfu! Sounds and looks beautiful!

Anyway onto my 2nd.
Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier

3 A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny. This is one of a series of books featuring Chief Inspector Gamache. I've read one of the previous books. I love the Canadian setting and the descriptions of the landscape and weather. The village of Three Pines reminds me a bit of Stars Hollow (where Gilmore Girls is set), except Stars Hollow is supposed to be in Connecticut. Chief Inspector G. is called out to investigate the murder of a new resident who has been electrocuted at a curling match. He's also looking into a cold case - the murder of a homeless woman. He's fallen out of favour as a result of a previous investigation - can he trust Agent Nichol?

The characters are a bit one dimensional but I can live with that.

@Taytocrisps have you watched the TV series of Three Pines with Alfred Molina? I think it was on Prime.

Just finished my first book of the year:
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow- Gabrielle Zevin - really enjoyed it

@DiggoryVenn I just discovered there was a TV series last night. I was googling the author to see how many books are in the series. Did you watch it? Is it any good?

@Taytocrisps yes, I enjoyed it - it had quite a comforting community feel about it.