Chiltern Kills sounds fun, @Welshwabbit , although I'm nowhere near, unfortunately.
No particular views on the lists.
Last few reads:
95. The Walnut Tree: Women, Violence and the Law, a Hidden History, by Kate Morgan
Legal history of how women were treated by the law (divorce, right to property etc) focusing on Georgian, Victorian and early twentieth century. A sobering reminder of how recently legal equality has been accepted. Very readable, with more emphasis on what it was like for the individual women than the ins and outs of the legal judgments.
96. Actually I'm a Murderer, Terry Deary
The author of the Horrible History books branches out into cosy crime. The blurb says it's his 350th book, so you know you're unlikely to get painstakingly-honed literature, but it's jaunty and pacy and good fun. The bulk of the action is set in the 1970s, and the policewoman's narrative about the sexism she faced works well. Another character seems to be a thinly-disguised and unflattering self-portrait, also enjoyable. One death is intended to pack an emotional punch which he doesn't quite pull off, but overall, this felt quite a fresh take on the genre.
97. Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales, Heather Fawcett
Fourth and final book in the series about a young academic who is taking her researches into fairyland very personally. I liked the mock-academic tone of the books, complete with footnotes and references to the academic literature and conferences, but it's worn a bit thin and it was time for the series to end. There were still touches that I liked - the returning fairy king revealing his unmatchable prowess in needlework rather than swordplay - but I've had enough by this point.
98. The Museum-Makers, Rachel Morris
Non-fiction by a woman who works professionally in museums and who also finds herself excavating some old family trunks, musing on her childhood and family history. There's always a risk that family history is more interesting to the writer than the reader, but hers is interesting enough to carry it off. I liked the reflections on museums and would have been happier to read more about that side of things.
99. The Rising Tide, Molly Keane
Published in 1937 but set over the period from the turn of the twentieth century up until the mid twenties. We're in her usual milieu of a large Anglo-Irish house, with lots of hunting and parties and maternal cruelty. The son of the house is taking a new bride, and there will be a battle of wills between his new wife and her mother-in-law. The final set-piece really struck me - bright young things hold a party where they dress up in turn-of-the-century clothes, which they find hilariously old-fashioned, while their elders are taken over by the ghosts of their unhappy younger selves. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for some reason, it really spoke to me. She's really good at depicting how a single cruel remark can undo a relationship.
100. Mother Tongue, Jenni Nuttall
I've been reading this on and off for the last few months - it's about the evolution of (English) word relating to the female body and life experience. I hereby propose the resurrection of "the dodging time" for perimenopause (referring to one's Courses coming and going unpredictably). Best read in shorter bursts as it can be a bit dense, but lots of enjoyable nuggets. The author seems immensely likable - I think someone on her knew her personally, and I'm sorry to hear about her early death.
101. Peach Street to Lobster Lane, Felicity Cloake
The food author has previously written about cycling and eating her way around France and the UK. In her newest book, she does the same in the US. This prolonged the holiday feeling nicely - she's neither too gushing or too cynical, and she's honest that some days and meals are great and some are less so.
102. The Secret Room, Jane Casey
We find out what happens next for Maeve and Derwent. There's rather more about their personal dramas than about the murder investigation that kicks off the book, but anyone who likes this series is going to want to read it.