Bookworms 2020

Ms_Potato_Head

Ooh may I join? I'm a newbie trawling the forums for a challenge to join and this one looks right up my street! I can only read about one book a month as I'm also studying. I'm just reading the books I already own for now.

My first one of the year was The Testament by John Grisham - good fun!

betasam

5. Secrets Of The Singer Girls by Kate Thompson. Typical World War 2 home-front story, partly based on the Bethnal Green Tube disaster. OK but unrealistic in parts.

I have found three forgotten boxes of unread books under the bed this afternoon... I have managed not to buy any so far this year!

Pollyflinders

The Call the Midwife trilogy is sooo heavy that I ended up with one aching thumb and a painful elbow! Sounds pathetic, eh?

I started rereading Cold Comfort Farm last night. I can remember finding it amusing; now it seems pretentious and totally dated. I don't think I'll continue.

Fridays child, Silence of the Girls was my favourite book of last year.

dolly84

Fridayschild wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Please may I join too. It's interesting seeing what everyone else is reading as well as finding new suggestions.

I've set my goal at 45 books this year as I've a bit more time for reading these days.



I have also recently embraced e audiobooks for the first time, and have found them a nice alternative to the radio or music, especially when I'm doing things that don't require lots of concentration.



So far in 2020:
The Silence of the Girls, Pat Barker
Platform Seven, Louise Doughty
An Uncommon Reader, Alan Bennett
Twas the Nightshift before Christmas, Adam Kay
The Winter Ghosts, Kate Mosse
Snap, Belinda Bauer
and currently reading Billy Connolly, Tall Tales and Wee Stories


e audiobooks
Once upon a River, Diane Setterfield
Hercule Poirot's Christmas, Agatha Christie


FC

The Winter Ghosts is one of my favourite books, I love to read it at Christmas.

Ms_Potato_Head wrote: »

Ooh may I join? I'm a newbie trawling the forums for a challenge to join and this one looks right up my street! I can only read about one book a month as I'm also studying. I'm just reading the books I already own for now.

My first one of the year was The Testament by John Grisham - good fun!

I read The Testament years ago and really loved it, I've read others of his but not enjoyed them anywhere near as much.

Pollyflinders wrote: »

The Call the Midwife trilogy is sooo heavy that I ended up with one aching thumb and a painful elbow! Sounds pathetic, eh?

I started rereading Cold Comfort Farm last night. I can remember finding it amusing; now it seems pretentious and totally dated. I don't think I'll continue.

Fridays child, Silence of the Girls was my favourite book of last year.

Cold Comfort Farm is on my list I think. I am supposed to be working my way through the '100 books to read before you die', I'm not doing too badly but keep getting sidetracked.

dolly84

I've just finished The Bleak Midwinter by L C Tyler. It is a John Grey mystery which suggests there are more. It was an easy read and I did quite enjoy it on the whole.



I reserved 4 library books this week and collected them all yesterday - fantastic service - the first one I am going to read is The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter. Started the title story yesterday.

[Deleted User]

Just read Transcription by Kate Atkinson it was my book club book and I really enjoyed it, a great twist at the end as well

JackieO x

Ms_Potato_Head

Pollyfinders I the felt the exact same thing reading Cold Comfort Farm the second time! I was so disappointed as I loved it first time round.

eandjsmum

JackieO wrote: »

Just read Transcription by Kate Atkinson it was my book club book and I really enjoyed it, a great twist at the end as well

JackieO x

Just picked this one up yesterday from a local CS to read myself.
Finishing Accidental by Ali Smith.Thought it might be hard going but its not.

Fridayschild

Pollyflinders and Ms Potato head, I felt exactly the same as when I tried to reread Cold Comfort Farm, pretentious and dated. I gave up after about 20 pages!

Dolly 84 The Silence of the Girls is my favourite so fare this year too. I found it refreshing and quite moving, having studied The Iliad and having recently been up to the Troy exhibition at the British Museum. The mortal women are almost invisible in most Greek classical literature and art.

I also enjoyed The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse. I'm glad I gave it a go as I couldn't get on with The Labyrinth at all a few years ago, and thought I must be missing something as everyone raved about it!


Some great suggestions to add to my little "to read" list.



FC

elsien

I am miffed that the Thousand Ships book recommended earlier is not available in my library (or any in the county).

Just read Transcription. I don't normally do books set in that era, but it was ok. Not top of my list and I did find the last bit a bit unneccesary, but I enjoyed it.
A book called Resin by Ane Riel , about a child living in the middle of nowhere whose family is slowly going progressively unwell, to the point where they tell everyone she is dead. It's not a literary masterpiece but it was dark and kept me going till the end.
And Elinor Oliphant which pleasantly surprised me. I thought it would be about loneliness and wasn't expecting the back story.

The Winter Ghosts and an Uncommon Reader are both still on my list, although I really couldn't be doing with Labyrinth.