The New Fifty Books A Year Thread 2020

Ah, I couldn’t find this thread the other day!

No 19 Confusion the third book in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Cazalet Chronicles series.

No 20 Mudlarking by Lara Maiklam. This is about the writer’s experience of ‘foraging’ in the sand and mud of the banks of the Thames for long lost objects. It’s a short book but utterly beguiling.

Rosecarmel

15 - Like Brothers - Mark Duplass

16 - My Love Story - Tina Turner

I'm kind of surprised this thread isn't on fire .. Being locked in and having more time to read ..

I loved Educated- I was immersed yet felt I missed so much that I'm now tempted to read it again-

I felt the same as you did, Sue, about A Spool of Blue Thread ..

No 18. Educated by Tara Westover. It’s a memoir about the author’s childhood in an ultra-religious American family and how she managed to escape her upbringing.

My lockdown list so far:

Mirror and Light.

Wolf Hall (for the second time).

Lady in Waiting - Anne Glenconner. (dull).

Diana - Sarah Bradford. Good.

George V1 - Sarah Bradford - finding it dull.

Cromwell - Tracy Borman.

Innocent Traitor - Alison Weir - about Jane Grey. (Novel).

House of Stairs - Barbara Vine - second time.

Just downloaded A Very British Murder by Lucy Worsley and a bio of Prince Eddy by Andrew Cook. Both look promising.

Really missing actual books though. Kindle is a godsend, but not quite the same somehow.

I think I’ve read all the Ann Tylers before Clock Dance, TerriBull, and I’ve got that one ready to read. She’s one of my favourite authors. I’d particularly recommend The Accidental Tourist.

16. Out of Touch, Haleh Agar
The GN Book Club choice. I put a review on the Book Club thread with all the others so won’t repeat, but I did enjoy it.

17. Step on a Crack, James Patterson
I fancied an easy read and picked this from my shelf full of charity shop buys still to read. About three pages in I realised I’d already read it, but I enjoyed it again anyway! I like the detective’s huge family of adopted children.

18 will be The Mirror and the Light, Hilary Mantel. I’ve cheated and downloaded it as a free audio book from the library. I thought this might spur me on to get round to some sorting and tidying while I listen. It’s a hefty work, so I may be gone some time.

A newbie to this thread, but will start my 50 books later today.

I read Ann Tyler's "Clock Dance" last year SueD, haven't read a lot of her books, but thought it was very good and made a mental note to read more of her novels.

#17 A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler.

I do love her books but this one, I dunno. Her depictions of family life are spot-on but she left the ending of this one too much hanging on a...er...thread.

I think this will be a really interesting read.

13 - Hill Women by Cassie Chambers (NF)

14 - Untamed by Glennon Doyle (NF) AWESOME!!!

Lockdown books
26- The girl on the cliff by Lucinda Riley. Really enjoyed this but didn’t expect the revelation at the end.

27- The lollipop shoes by Joanne Harris enjoyed this book but took a while to get into.

28- The age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker a bit close to home this one -the impact of changes as earths rotation slows down.

29 - Still voices by Maria Barrett good easy read

30- the Paris Wife by Paula McLain . Story of Hemingway and his 1st wife.

I have ‘found’ lots of books left here by adult children or put aside for when nothing more exciting is available so have decided to work my way through some of them ready to donate to the charity shop.

Since last post I have read Knit One Pearl One by Gil McNeil a warm enjoyable read and I will look out for others by her when the library reopens!

Also The Return by Victoria Hislop about Spain and the Civil War.

Storms of War by Kate Williams, the start of a family saga.

Picked up The Doll Factory to read again but do not think I will finish it this time (too much graphic detail).

Read a few William books and The Children of Cherry Tree Farm by Enid Blyton 1940, charming but dated.

Now reading Three Men on the Bummel by J K Jerome - gentle humour.

No 16. Down & Out in Paris & London by George Orwell. I know it’s a ‘must read’ but I found much of it rather tedious.

14. The Secret To Not Drowning, Collette Snowden
The subject is domestic abuse, but it’s understated rather than sensationalised. It was okay, but I felt some of the narratives weren’t fully explored - characters were introduced, played centre stage for a while, then were just sidelined as if the author lost interest in them.

15. The Salt Path, Raynor Winn
This is a great choice for reading out in the garden at the moment! Plenty of food for thought here about what’s most important in our lives, and how they can change in an instant. I loved it.

Thanks Sue remember reading one hers years ago will give her another go

The Piano Tuner and The Winter Soldier both by Daniel Mason

Tinaf1 have you read Rosamund Pilcher? They’re family saga stories.

Agreed, Terribull! None of us, if we’re not working, will have the excuse that we don’t have time to read. ?

My no 15 was, The Body a guide for occupants, by Bill Bryson. It was a little unnerving to be reading about pandemics whilst in the middle of a pandemic. ?

Posted to soon has any come across an author like Maeve Binchey I really miss her books nearest I have come is Roisen Meany

Just come back to the thread, am now reading the new Hilary Mantel ,I am enjoying it but have to keep referring back to character list!
You’re right Sue, great book but I was getting impatient with all the trivia, don’t know if it’s me but I just want to get on with what’s happening , still plenty of time for trivia at the moment ?

God who'd have thought when I started this thread at the beginning of the year we'd all be locked indoors, most of the time, thank heavens for books!

Having said that since finishing American Dirt which I really enjoyed, I've had a couple of dismal books and didn't read a lot during March, probably too focused on the news as it unfolded.

The Gallows Bird Camilla Lackberg (audio) bleak and rather disappointing Scandi Noir

The Sudden Departure of the Frasers - Louise Candlish, usually really like her books, this was one of her first efforts, not up to her usual standard, I'll put it down to the fact that possibly she was still honing her writing skills.

The Skeleton Road Val McDermid (audio) All my audios come from the library which closed suddenly, like everything else and didn't manage to get this and a few others back. This is the third Val McDermid audio I've managed to lay my hands on. Good crime stories worth a listen.

10. My So Called Life, Joanna Nadia
I bought this for my Kindle as I just needed a light, easy read. I’ve a feeling it was probably written for the young adult market , but it was fun.

11. The Closed Circle, Jonathan Coe
The second part of the trilogy, following on from The Rotters’ Club. This one took the same characters through the Blair years. Very entertaining and insightful.

12. On Chesil Beach, Ian McEwan
Short, focussed on the wedding night of a pair of remarkably uptight 1960s newlyweds. Well written and unusual. I felt very sorry for one of the couple, very annoyed with the other.

13. Middle England, Jonathan Coe
The third in the trilogy, with the by now familiar characters dealing with Brexit. I really enjoyed it, though perhaps not quite as much as the others, as I felt that a lot of loose ends were tied up just a little too neatly. Which probably means there won’t be a fourth book set in the time of pandemic.

I’ve got two reading group choices to read now, for groups that of course won’t be meeting. Though in one case we’re going to discuss it on the designated date via WhatsApp. With wine.

19 The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths good as usual in this series but I do get a bit tired of Ruth mooning over Nelson. They both come across as rather poor types - they are disrespectful of Nelson's wife Michelle with their sneaky romance