Best Books 2020

If you’re a dog lover and like a good laugh, this is fantastic - Olive, Mabel &Me by Andrew Cotter. If you’ve followed his little YouTube videos with his gorgeous Labradors then you’ll enjoy this!

Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
10 minutes and Thirty Eight Seconds by Elif Shafak
The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde
I am not usually into Crime Fiction as such but lockdown and a recommendation led me to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. Excellent.
Then an online event with Ann Cleeves - her latest The Darkest Evening gives a lot of back story for Vera (which I had only known from TV) and is a good winter read. Plus the Richard Osman book - which is not quite as dark.

Where the Crawdads Sing
Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine

American Dirt - Jeanie Cummins
Sleepwalker - JosephKnox
Before She Knew Him - Peter Swanson
Hamnet - Maggie O'Farrell

I loved The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff. It's supposed to be a Young Adult book but is perfect for any age. Reminded me a bit of The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden. Brilliant (and also quite short)

Top of my list is 'Apple Tree Yard' author Louise Doughty It was made into a tv series which I recorded and never tire of watching.
Crime combined with politics then look no further than author James Patterson. I have several of his works stored on my e reader.

American Dirt, made me see things in a different light. Shuggie Bain, harrowing but well worth a read. IQ84, 3 books and a long read but more then worth the effort. Say Nothing a real eye opener as to the Troubles in Northern Ireland and those responsible.

A. McCall Smith's Quiet side of Passion did nicely for me. A nice warm and gentle easy read compared to my other selections.

Loved the book Our House. I just couldn't put it down.

American dirt,thought provoking, not an easy read Gave up on ThursdayMurder club, should know better, celebs. rarely good writers

Another vote for Where the Crawdads sing and Three Hours from me.
Also loved Once upon a River by Diane Settefield and The Foundling by Stacey Halls....

I’ve enjoyed the three books by Australian author Jane Harper.

House of Glass by Hadley Freeman - the true story and secrets of a twentieth-century Jewish family.

A moving memoir following the Glass siblings throughout the course of the twentieth-century as they each make their own bid for survival, House of Glass explores assimilation, identity and home - issues that are deeply relevant today.

This deeply moving book is beautifully written - they endured such adversity but came through stronger because of it, worth a read.

The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen. 1st of a trilogy and I am looking forward to reading the other books.

The Salt Path - Raynor Wynn. They did the best they could in the painful circumstances they found themselves in and it has led them on to better things. I found myself so angry with the way the justice system treated them.

Am now reading The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak. A most unusual book and I am loving it.

Lots of books there which I loved. Also Away With The Penguins.

Should be Summerwater.

Olive Kitteridge Elizabeth Strout
Olive Again. Elizabeth Strout
American Dirt. Jeanine Cummins
Writers and Lovers. Lily King
Summer water. Sarah Moss

Loved “The Salt Path” largely because we have walked it ourselves over the years and of course my home village on the North Coast of Cornwall is very near.

Not so keen on the sequel.

“The Mirror and the Light” Hilary Mantel saw me through the first lock down.

Now reading “Islands of Mercy” Rose Tremain as well as

“Love and other Thought Experiments” Sophie Ward

'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' was amazing. I felt I was there and also, like others, 'Where the Crawdads Sing'

The Beekeeper of Aleppo
Where the Crawdads Sing

PLOT 29 by Allan Jenkins

Sorry that should have said "10 minutes and 38 seconds in this strange world" - just love the premise of the book...

10 minutes and 38 seconds - Elif Shafak
Just Mercy - Bryan Stevenson
Difficult Women - Helen Lewis
Burmese Days - George Orwell

Crawdads and the Heart's Invisible Furies. The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon.

Where the Crawdads Sing.
A Man Called Ove
Just finished Troubled Blood- liked it a lot but it is about time she got them together!!!