2026 - 50 Books a Year Challenge

Yes damn the housework too hot for it anyway.

I hope you enjoy it Calendargirl

TerriBull

I collected ‘The Fortnight In September’ from the library yesterday, I ordered it after recommendation on here.

I see it can’t be renewed, someone else on the waiting list.

I shall have to crack on as several of my unread books are on the ‘no renewal’ list!

The housework will just have to wait!😂

Maggiemaybe

33. The Correspondent, Virginia Evans

Sybil lives on her own, her only brother is now in France and she has little contact with her children or her best friend. She’s an avid writer of letters, and sometimes emails, to family, friends and even well known authors, who occasionally reply. We come to learn all about her past and present life through reading her correspondence. For me, it didn’t live up to the hype; I found it a bit disjointed and I didn’t warm to self-centred Sybil at all, though I think we’re supposed to. Also, I found some of it poorly researched. For example, Sybil understood why people in Scotland disliked “the British”, and she was apparently enjoying her time in England while staying with a long lost relative overlooking a loch near Port William. This was my reading group’s choice, so I’ll be interested to see what they made of it.

I've been considering adding this book to my list. Thank you for your review Maggiemaybe. I do think a lot of books get over hyped these days I find. I won't hurry to order it from my library.

48 The Fortnight in September - R C Sherriff

Published in 1931, by the above author, famous for his novel Journey's End. This is an account of an ordinary family's annual holiday to Bognor Regis, not the most desirable of south coast resorts. However, written nearly a 100 years ago, he paints a picture of a quintessentially English sea side holiday town rather than the brash place it has now possibly become. It was interesting to read about a time when expectations were so different from how they are today. The simplicity of the two weeks away where the order of the days were planned with a certain precision, by the father, Mr Stevens, to enhance the overall family experience. Picnics on the beach were described in detail as were walks on the surrounding Downs and journeys on steam trains, taking them all away from the daily frustrations if only for two weeks. Particularly fascinating, if familiar with train journeys of the areas is question are the observations noted at various stops between Clapham Junction as the train pulls out of that station leaving the metropolis behind as it progresses into the Sussex countryside. The book described by esteemed author Kazuo Ishiguro, famous for his insight into English social nuance, "as just about the most uplifting life-affirming novel I can think of" He praised its delicate , respectful portrayal of an ordinary south London family taking their modest annual seaside holiday. Not a lot happens, it's restrained as the time it was set in, in that respect, it just captures the era, simple joys of deckchairs, the beach and pier and the nuclear family escaping from the humdrum of everyday life. I loved it.

33. The Correspondent, Virginia Evans

Sybil lives on her own, her only brother is now in France and she has little contact with her children or her best friend. She’s an avid writer of letters, and sometimes emails, to family, friends and even well known authors, who occasionally reply. We come to learn all about her past and present life through reading her correspondence. For me, it didn’t live up to the hype; I found it a bit disjointed and I didn’t warm to self-centred Sybil at all, though I think we’re supposed to. Also, I found some of it poorly researched. For example, Sybil understood why people in Scotland disliked “the British”, and she was apparently enjoying her time in England while staying with a long lost relative overlooking a loch near Port William. This was my reading group’s choice, so I’ll be interested to see what they made of it.

##66. Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French.

#53 A Dead Man Walking by JD Kirk
This is the first one of the DCI Logan series that I’ve been disappointed in. Big creepy castle, Halloween, storm takes the power out and lots of characters who were like caricatures. 6/10

#54 The Saints of Swallow Hill by Donna Everhart.
Set during depression era North Carolina and Georgia, in the community known as “tar healers”, the people who produced turpentine. Rae Lynn and her husband Warren have their own small turpentine farm.
Though the work is hard and often dangerous, Rae Lynn, who spent her childhood in an orphanage, is thankful for it and for her kind if careless husband. When Warren falls victim to his own negligence, Rae Lynn undertakes a desperate act of mercy. To keep herself from jail, she disguises herself as a man named "Ray" and heads to the only place she can think of that might offer anonymity, a turpentine camp in Georgia named Swallow Hill. Swallow Hill camp is isolated and squalid, and commissary owner Otis Riddle takes out his frustrations on his browbeaten wife, Cornelia. Although Rae Lynn works tirelessly, she becomes a target for Crow, the ever-watchful woods rider who checks each laborer's tally. Delwood Reese, who's come to Swallow Hill hoping for his own redemption, offers "Ray" a small measure of protection, and is determined to improve their conditions.
This was excellent, the menacing presence of Crow and Ray Lynn’s impossible situation were very believable. My only criticism was that it wrapped up the ending a bit too comfortably. 9/10

#55 *The Dentist by Tim Sullivan”
I ordered this from the library many months ago after reading about it here and had totally forgotten about it when it arrived. Fortunately I had just received my new glasses after breaking the previous pair when I fell.
This was my first encounter with DS George Cross, a police detective with Asperger’s. A homeless man is found murdered and at first it looks like a straightforward case with a suspect quickly identified and charged. DS Cross is not convinced that they have the correct man and believes it may be related to a previous unsolved murder many years ago. He sets off to investigate, despite being instructed not too.
Very enjoyable, I expect I will read some more of these. 8/10

#56 Long Island by Colm Toibin
A follow on from Brooklyn, set 20 years later. When someone knocks on Eilis Fiorello’s door, the news they bring looks set to jeopardise the comfortable family life Eilis and Tony have created. Eilis returns to Ireland for her mother’s 80th birthday and encounters all the people she left behind so suddenly 20 years previously.
Very good. 9/10

47 Crippin: A Novel John Boyne

Accomplished novelist John Boyne has woven this book around one of the most notorious crimes of the early 20th century, using some poetic licence to make this book more than just an account of the crime, weaving elements of fiction, ambiguity with fact. He opens the book cataloging American born Crippen's strange growing up years with his family in the US, his mother somewhat of a religious fanatic who thwarts his ambition to become a doctor. Self styled Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen never actually qualifies as a doctor, acquiring most of his medical knowledge through several correspondence courses, simultaneously becoming skilled at dismembering whist working in an abattoir. A brief first marriage follows, ending in wife Charlotte's accidental death during a road collision. Their infant son is passed to her parents to raise. From that time on he never sees his son again. Whilst living in New York, he meets Music Hall singer Cora Turner who becomes the 2nd Mrs Crippen. They eventually, to further her singing career, move to London. Crippen sets himself up as a dentist and Cora lacking in talent, doesn't go on to achieve the success she feels she is due. Angry and frustrated she takes out her anger and increasing violence on her hapless husband. The narrative switches between their disintegrating marriage, her affairs, his burgeoning relationship with his assistant, Ethel Le Neve. Cora's murder, the subterfuge he and his mistress adopt in fleeing the country, when her disappearance raises suspicion, disguised as father and son en voyage to Canada . Thereafter their interaction with fellow passengers during the crossing becomes the focus. Suspicions are raised by observant Captain Kendall who uses the ship's new Marconi telegraph system to contact Scotland Yard. Hot in pursuit follows Inspector Dew to arrest Crippen and his mistress to stand trial for murder.

Although I pretty much knew the story, I enjoyed how John Boyne had embellished fiction with fact to make this a really good crime novel.

This is 39 as I have two 37's.

39 Glasgow, Clydeside and Stirling Jack Stevenson.

It's the history of castles, mottes, cathedrals and churches and their history in mediaeval times and when/if they date back to Iron and Bronze age times in the West of Scotland. Really interesting.

62-The Boyfriend-Freida McFadden
Sydney Shaw has terrible luck with online dating, but finally she hits the jackpot. But is Tom being truthful about his past? When Sydney's friend is found murdered, she starts to question her relationship.
Another great thriller to get you guessing till the last page.

#65. The CoWorker by Freida McFadden.

As a Le Carre fan, I am enjoying Slow Horses by Mick Herron.
A mix so far of MOD, MI5 and the Slow Horses who are ex spies who have made a mistake and now put out to pasture in Slough House in "admin" roles.

*64. The Divorce by Freida McFadden.

#63. The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming.

Book 26:Death of a Fugitive by John Pilkington
Book 27: The Scene of Crime by Lynda La Plant This was an excellent read. The first i have read by this author. Have found another by her.

Book 23: A Ruinous Wind by John Pilkington
Book 24:The Ramage Hawk by John Pilkington
Book 25 : Once upon a River by Diane Setterfield

61-The Bomb Girls-Daisy Styles
As several young women register for war work at a munitions factory, none of them know what lies ahead. They find a friendship and strength, sharing grief and joy, while helping the country they love. A great read.

46 Welcome to the Neighbourhood - Jane Fallon (Audible)

I wasn't mad about this book, although I have read JF books before and enjoyed them. I found the plot somewhat tedious, It's essentially all about speculation on the part of main character, Kitty, new to the London enclave of Ashdown Close On befriending other new arrivals, exciting and glamourous couple, Sian and Richard. She is lead to believe Richard is having an affair. Aided and abetted by her friend Grace, they're all over it, too nosy and too over invested in other people's lives were my thoughts Especially as all was not as it seemed! Just went on too long, in the end I didn't care who was or wasn't having an affair.

32. I See You’ve Called in Dead, John Kenney

Bud is an obituary writer for a New York newspaper, struggling with depression after the sudden break up of his marriage. After attending his mother-in-law’s funeral and seeing his wife with her new man, he drinks way too much and writes his own fake obituary, publishing it on the newspaper site. HR aren’t best pleased and he’s suspended. He spends his free time with the various interesting characters in his life, and going to funerals of people he didn’t know, to try to make sense of death and his life. Very well written, with a great dry humour throughout, and much lighter than it sounds, this was recommended to me by my library service. They must know what I like. 😊

45 The Treasures- Harriet Evans

I believe this is to be the first in a trilogy, I read somewhere it's similar to The Cazalets whilst the book was fairly good, I can't say it was that good! The linchpin of the narrative is a large old pile of a house, Seventstones, somewhere near Stonehenge. The story is split between the two main characters, Tom Raven, whose mother died when he was a baby and for the first 9 years of his life is being raised by his father a former war hero fighter pilot, in a tiny cottage in Scotland. It has been agreed that on reaching that age he will be handed over to his maternal family in London for his schooling and day to day care, as one day he will inherit Sevenstones. Meanwhile, across the ocean in a suburb of New York, Alice Jansen is struggling with adolescence and plenty of her own demons particularly when she loses her much loved father to suicide. Tom and Alice paths are to collide when as an adult he finds a lost letter throwing up a multitude of questions about his parents' lives. The phone number contained within gives him the impetus to ring it. The call is answered by Alice, who later after an upsetting incident flees with her boyfriend to a squat in NY city. The year is 1968 a time of revolution and rebellion and it's into that scene that Tom is propelled when he flies across the Atlantic to meet with her in his quest to unravel some of the questions he has about his family history and what has been withheld from him. Slowly, but reluctantly on Alice's part they begin to piece together the missing clues of how Alice's much loved older neighbour, a lady named Teddy, who she visited regularly, part of a very wealthy family who Alice's parents worked for, is now sadly in permanent decline. Her war time experiences in England place her at the old house around the same time as Tom's parents. That's the preamble to what comes next as this book closes on an up in the air note. I imagine I'll look for the next one once it's published.

#62. Already Dead by Stephen Booth.

I also thought Nesting was excellent. So many good Irish writers.

Thanks for the good wishes. My new glasses should be here by the end of the week, but thank goodness for the Kindle until then. I got a 2 month subscription to kindle unlimited for £3.99, it’s proven to be great value.

#52 Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell
On a bright spring afternoon in Dublin, Ciara makes a split-second decision. Grabbing an armful of clothes from the washing line, Ciara straps her two young daughters into her car and drives away. She knows for certain that home is no longer safe.
With dwindling savings, no job, and her family across the sea, Ciara finds herself adrift, facing a broken housing system and the voice of her own demons. As summer passes and winter closes in, she must navigate raising her children in a hotel room, searching for a new home and dealing with her husband’s relentless campaign to get her to come back.
What an incredible book this was. Ciara’s plight, and her courage, made me feel strongly for her from the first page to the last. 10/10

#61. Ward D by Freida McFadden.

Diggingdoris

Yes, I’m gradually working my way through the FM crimes!

Some better than others, but quick reads, easy to get into.