On Your Bookshelf

[Pippedydeadeye]

I downloaded a selection of books and inspired by The Crown, read Lady In Waiting by Anne Glenconner. It was gossipy and quite fun. She's hand an incredible life.

I’m going to read Three Hours next.

[sally maclennane]

I just downloaded Three Hours, Pip

I quite fancy the Anne Glenconner one too. Currently reading The Snakes by Sadie Jones, it's interesting but a bit bleak.

[purple_dress]

I finished Moonflower Murders. It was pretty good but not spectacular. That was book 60 this year, which I'm pleased with, considering how much time I've spent pissing about on the internet.

[Morganna]

I am reading Anne Boleyn - 500 Years of Lies by Hayley Nolan.

It is an interesting idea - she is attempting to mix history and psychology to give a more positive view of Anne, as opposed to the 'she was a scheming cow who used her sexuality to ensnare Henry and then cuckolded him' narrative that has been around for years. It has over 600 referenced footnotes, so is relatively scholarly, but she uses phraseology like 'She was 18. He was 52. I believe this is what they call 'taking one for the team'' (with reference to Henry's sister's marriage) . It's an odd mix.

[Flora Poste]

I downloaded a selection of books and inspired by The Crown, read Lady In Waiting by Anne Glenconner. It was gossipy and quite fun. She's hand an incredible life.

I really fancy that one as well.

I've finished Piranesi - which I really enjoyed. Took me a litte while to get into, but when I did, I practically inhaled the rest and couldn't put it down.

I also read Cider with Rosie which was wonderful - I do like memoirs of a rural life/ childhood (I loved A Country Child and Lark Rise to Candleford) and this was just as good.

Then I read Mother's Milk, which is another of the Patrick Melrose novels and enjoyed it just as much as the others I've read this year.

[Bat Macdui]

I think I'm going to finish on 88 books this year. That seems slightly ridiculous really. I have Piranesi on my to read shelf, awaiting concentration. I also recently started John Le Carre's Smiley books, so that should see me through January. He writes beautifully.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I might hit 50, but I’ve definitely managed 49, which isn’t bad considering I had periods of just carrying a book around with me and staring blankly into space.

[Bat Macdui]

Scads of that 88 were paint by numbers detective thrillers, which is pretty much all I read at moments of peak pandemic blankness.

[Bat Macdui]

Also: comfort re reading Susan Howatch.

[sally maclennane]

I'm only around 25 I think.

[Flora Poste]

I've just started 49, so I'm unlikely to make 50. I've read so much this year in comparison to previoous years though (my spreadsheet goes back to 2011 )

[Chicky]

I read the new Ken Follett, which was excellent. On the new Strike now. And I made my target

[ParisGal]

I also read Cider with Rosie which was wonderful - I do like memoirs of a rural life/ childhood (I loved A Country Child and Lark Rise to Candleford) and this was just as good.

I read Cider with Rosie so many times as a child (and have read and enjoyed LRtC, but am not totally sure about Country Child - this is the Alison Uttley semi-autobiography, right?).

Another I read multiple times is A Kind of Magic by Mollie Harris (who played Martha(?) in the Archers), which if you haven't read I think you'll love.

[Flora Poste]

Ooh - that does sound right up my street.

[Cerise]

I’m not sure how many I’ve read. I need to check on Goodreads.

I’m currently reading The Guest List which appears to be like Death In Paradise without the paradise bit.

[ParisGal]

Ooh - that does sound right up my street.

I would caution that I haven't read it for at least 25 years, so it might not be terribly well written, but I don't think it can be that bad as it certainly left very clear memories of everything she describes.

[Lily]

I have Lady Anne's book - I bought it months ago! I must start it.

I am finishing up my Kindle Unlimited stuff - just finished The Lingering by S J Halliday which was rubbish.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I finished Three Hours just now. It was amazingly good.

[Loralei]

I wish I could read that (for the first time) again, Pip. I've just added it to J's new kindle.

I hit my target of 50 books in 2020, which I was pleased with as I had months where I couldn't concentrate at all. I finished off the year with All My Lies Are True by Dorothy Koomson and The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. Thoroughly enjoyed both, but the DK would be a bit bemusing if you hadn't already read The Ice Cream Girls.

[Chicky]

I finished Troubled Blood, which was excellent although some of the written accented dialogue I could have done without.