*2021 - 50 BOOKS FOR THE YEAR*

I’ve just finished Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce. Really enjoyed it It brought home to me how unpredictable people’s lives were during the Second World War and how they still managed to keep a sense of humour.
Before that I read Asta’s Book by Barbara Vine. Keeping a diary was popular in the early 20th Century and it has been an interesting way of learning about day to day life at that time ( and some Danish) . I enjoyed it, and I felt quite sorry for Asta being in a loveless marriage.
I think I must be in a ‘I love anything Danish’ mood at the moment as I am currently watching Seaside Hotel, (beautiful scenery) and I’ve also just finished reading Sandy Toksvig, Between the Stops

Sparky I’ve read A Fortnight in September* and loved it! How to make an entire story out of something so small - it’s amazing.

Read Thirteen a while ago with my book club and we all enjoyed it. Keep meaning to read some of his others - but so many books so little time!!

Well good start to 2021 - read 3 books so far.
Shroud for a Nightingale -P.D. James Quite atmospheric set in 1960s training hospital and ‘starring’ Chief Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh. I remember there being a tv series many years ago.
The Thursday Murder Club - new bestseller by Richard Osman a very different read! But enjoyed it very much.
The Fortnight in September - R.C. Sherriff. A gift from a friend which had been sat on my bookshelf for a few months as it wasn’t my usual sort of read. Turned out to be a case of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’! So engrossing and atmospheric - a retelling of a lower middle class family’s holiday in 1930s - wonderful - do give it a try!
On to the next one!

Just finished #4 Agatha Raisin .. Something Borrowed Something Dead by MC Beaton. Good quick read, though took me a few days. I have been given 18 paperbacks so decided I would work my way through them. Looking forward to the last book of The Seven Sisters and Ruth Hogan's latest out Aptil 1st. I cant remember the title sorry!

No 3. Motherwell by Deborah Orr.

My breath was taken away by this book, her account of life in the 60’s and 70’s is spot-on.

Book number 2 - A Christmas Wish for the Land Girls by Jenny Holmes. The third book in this series and have read them all. I like fiction books about the Second World War so this series was very enjoyable. Likeable characters and an ‘easy read’. I then started The Book Club by C J Cooper but gave up after 2 chapters. Far too much of a modern setting for me, didn’t feel it was authentic and bad language used in the writing so not for me. There are so many books to enjoy that these days I don’t continue with a book if I don’t like it. Have now started The Wildflowers by Harriet Evans which seems much better. Will report further when I have finished it.

Gosh, I'm lagging behind here! I've finished 'Shugie Bain', distressing and memorable! Now started my second book 'Where the Crawdads Sing' enjoying it so far!

Finished my #3 book Lethal White Robert Galbraith's 4th Strike novel. Best so far in my opinion. My #4 book will be Stealing The Crown by T P Fielden a murder mystery set in wartime London involving the occupants of Buckingham Palace below and above stairs. The author is (under the name of Christopher Wilson) a Royal biographer. I read and enjoyed his biography of Camilla last year so am interested to read this.

jenniewren sarahmob ...I'm sure Pa Salt is not dead so I can't wait for the big reveal. Also, isn't there another sister lurking somewhere? It's been a great series and I shall be sorry for it to end.
Well, I only managed 36 books last year which was fewer than in an average year. I intend to increase my reading in 2021 and keep up with this thread.
I'm on book 3 which I'm enjoying. West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. It's a novel based on a true story of two giraffes who survived a hurricane.
#1 The Woman in Our House. By Andrew Hart. A psychological thriller. It was ok.
#2 The Magnificent Dappled Sea by David Biro.
This had been lurking on my Kindle for a while - I'm so glad I finally got round to reading it. A moving story of an Italian boy in need of a bone marrow transplant and the donor, an American Rabbi. Recommended.

Finished number 4 The Moon Sister and number 5, ‘If Only They Could Talk’ by James Herriot, re-read from many moons ago. Decided to read these again after watching the remake of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ on Channel 5 last year. Quite different from the TV series but an enjoyable easy read.

My book club read a Deborah Levy last year - I don’t think any of us enjoyed it! We now tend to steer clear of Booker prize winners although we did read Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo which I enjoyed, once I got into it!

Thanks for the heads-up AliBeee I’ll steer clear of her books in the future I think. I sometimes wonder what the Booker judges see in the books they choose for the lists and their winners. ?

Finished number 4
The lost boy by Dave Pelzer - interesting read from foster child’s perspective.

On number 2.

1 - Beekeeper of Aleppo - I highly recommend
2 - All Adults Here - family drama that I am enjoying so far.

Number 3. The Peppered Moth by Mgt. Drabble. Semi autobiographical and the family relationships/dynamics ring true. Certainly not a page turner but one to savour.

Just finished number six, The Boy in the Well by Douglas Lindsay. It got better as it went on and I really wanted to finish it. It was a bit fanciful and I don’t think I’ll read any more by him.

Sarahmob, I don’t think Pa Salt’s dead either! I haven’t worked out what’s going on though!

No 2 presumed Guilty - Tess Gerritsen from my friend's attic. A quick read.

Hi fellow readers. I have done this thread before and really enjoyed reading all your ‘reading’ and suggestions. I got to my 50 books about the end of July last year then stopped recording or keeping a record so have decided to start again thank you terribull.
First book this year was the diary of Ann Franks - the definitive edition
Second was a reread of A child called it by David Pelzer
Third was The family upstairs by Lisa Jewell - not what I expected but enjoyed it.
I have now read all the books ‘left’ around the house by AC and have 3 large containers waiting to be donated - I did put boxes outside first lockdown which helped recycle some. I think I am now going to have to investigate getting books on my iPad as charity shops not open or maybe ebooks from library .
Happy reading everyone.

Sarahmob

Finished my number 4, ‘The Man who saw Everything’ by Deborah Levy.
I ordered it from the library after reading something about it - it’s only a slim book (200 pages) but was like wading through treacle. Not a good read for me. It didn’t have much of a plot and I didn’t like any of the characters.

I read Hot Milk by the same author, also a slim volume with characters I didn’t like and like” wading through treacle”!

I finished my 2nd book last night, Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver, a charity shop find. It was written in 1990, I don’t know how I missed it previously as I really enjoy her books.
Next it will be Silver by Chris Hammer, a Christmas gift I requested.

Jenniewren my biggest question is whether Pa Salt is actually dead (I don’t think he is!) and if he isn’t, why has he done what he’s done?

Finished my number 4, ‘The Man who saw Everything’ by Deborah Levy.
I ordered it from the library after reading something about it - it’s only a slim book (200 pages) but was like wading through treacle. Not a good read for me. It didn’t have much of a plot and I didn’t like any of the characters.

Finished my 2nd book - The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce. Was a nice easy but predictable read and I’m now ready to get my teeth back into something more thrilling. Next up is Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh. I read his latest book Fifty Fifty a while ago and couldn’t put it down, hoping for another good courtroom thriller from this one.

I have just finished "Reynard the Fox" by Anne Louise Avery, which I was given for Christmas. It is a lively retelling of Mediaeval stories of the exploits of Reynard and his trial by King Noble the Lion for his misdeeds. NOT one to read at bedtime to the kiddies though; there are some quite gory bits in it - well, he was a fox, and that is the nature of the beast. A good yarn, well told, and despite his crimes Reynard is still the quickwitted hero who can talk his way out of trouble.
I have just ordered Mary Trump's book, "Too much and Never Enough".