Vestafan benefits from experience in 2024 (she hopes!)
Talk2024 Category Challenge
Join LibraryThing to post.
1vestafan
This is my second year of the category challenge, and I am trying to avoid eliminating lots of my TBRs by my choices of category. Some remain the same, some are new, and, of course, there will be miscellaneous to cover anything that catches my eye during the year.
3lowelibrary
Good luck with your 2024 reading.
4DeltaQueen50
Enjoy your 2024 Challenge.
5vestafan
>3 lowelibrary: Thank you! I'm just getting down to listing my categories.
6vestafan
>2 Tess_W: Thank you so much and happy reading to you too!
7vestafan
>4 DeltaQueen50: Thank you and happy new reading year to you!
8vestafan
Firstly, some categories that remain from 2023.
1. Book Group - my book group meets once a month so I will list our reading here.
The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield - a thriller set in 1976, imagining a scenario involving murder and political machinations if the Apollo 18 mission had taken place. Rather too technical, Tom Clancy-like for me (I feel I could have gone to the moon myself!) but lacking in psychological insight.
The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas - a novel inspired by an actual asylum that existed in Paris during the 19th century where women who had become the slightest bit inconvenient to men were subjected to public treatments by male doctors. The subject matter is shocking but the style is quite flat.
When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson - A Jackson Brodie novel by one of my book group's favourite authors. I always enjoy the way differing threads are drawn together at the end of her work. The character of Reggie is particularly engaging.
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods - a romantic tale with random amounts of fantasy.
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell - One of the saddest and most beautifully written books I have read in the past few years. Centring on the (known) death of Shakespeare's son at the age of 10, it imaginatively examines the lives of Shakespeare, his wife, daughters and extended family. The era seems wonderfully evoked and the universal and varied responses to grief are timeless.
A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr
Playing with Fire by Tess Gerritsen - a mother fears her daughter has become violent due to a piece of music whose score she has found in a shop in Venice. I found this book unconvincing. The resolution which I shall not reveal is not foreshadowed at all during the narrative, and I have reservations about using the suffering of Jewish people during the Holocaust as a plot point for an essentially superficial book.
The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson - a historical novel with a mystery at its heart. The narrator tells her story from a childhood telling fortunes on the road to a happy interlude as the ward of an antiquary to her search for her family and security. This is a gripping read which keeps you guessing until the end.
A Pocketful of Happiness by Richard E Grant - The actor's diaries in the last year of his wife's life when she is dying of cancer, interspersed with memories of his acting successes and his rather starstruck obsession with Barbra Streisand. A strange mixture, but his devotion to his wife is undeniable.
Man vs Ocean by Adam Walker - an account of the author's determination to swim 7 long distance sea crossings. I find long distance swimming boring at the best of times, so his obsession is inexplicable to me. Also the writing style is very flat. It is meant to be inspirational but it just made me feel inadequate.
1. Book Group - my book group meets once a month so I will list our reading here.
The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield - a thriller set in 1976, imagining a scenario involving murder and political machinations if the Apollo 18 mission had taken place. Rather too technical, Tom Clancy-like for me (I feel I could have gone to the moon myself!) but lacking in psychological insight.
The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas - a novel inspired by an actual asylum that existed in Paris during the 19th century where women who had become the slightest bit inconvenient to men were subjected to public treatments by male doctors. The subject matter is shocking but the style is quite flat.
When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson - A Jackson Brodie novel by one of my book group's favourite authors. I always enjoy the way differing threads are drawn together at the end of her work. The character of Reggie is particularly engaging.
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods - a romantic tale with random amounts of fantasy.
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell - One of the saddest and most beautifully written books I have read in the past few years. Centring on the (known) death of Shakespeare's son at the age of 10, it imaginatively examines the lives of Shakespeare, his wife, daughters and extended family. The era seems wonderfully evoked and the universal and varied responses to grief are timeless.
A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr
Playing with Fire by Tess Gerritsen - a mother fears her daughter has become violent due to a piece of music whose score she has found in a shop in Venice. I found this book unconvincing. The resolution which I shall not reveal is not foreshadowed at all during the narrative, and I have reservations about using the suffering of Jewish people during the Holocaust as a plot point for an essentially superficial book.
The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson - a historical novel with a mystery at its heart. The narrator tells her story from a childhood telling fortunes on the road to a happy interlude as the ward of an antiquary to her search for her family and security. This is a gripping read which keeps you guessing until the end.
A Pocketful of Happiness by Richard E Grant - The actor's diaries in the last year of his wife's life when she is dying of cancer, interspersed with memories of his acting successes and his rather starstruck obsession with Barbra Streisand. A strange mixture, but his devotion to his wife is undeniable.
Man vs Ocean by Adam Walker - an account of the author's determination to swim 7 long distance sea crossings. I find long distance swimming boring at the best of times, so his obsession is inexplicable to me. Also the writing style is very flat. It is meant to be inspirational but it just made me feel inadequate.
9vestafan
2. Backlisted - I remain a fan of this excellent podcast which has sparked many of my book purchases and reads during the past few years. I shall include books they have devoted a whole podcast to, as well as books they mention in passing and on the associated podcast Locklisted.
Trustee from the Toolroom by Nevil Shute - a novel published in 1960, with many of the social attitudes to gender and race that prevailed at that time. A self-effacing engineer becomes the guardian of his niece when her parents die in a sailing accident on their way to start a new life, and has to recover something from the wreck of their boat to provide her with a good standard of living. Rather like The Apollo Murders there is a lot of technical detail, but the story was more involving in this case. The domestic detail really took me back to my childhood.
The Millstone by Margaret Drabble - a 1965 novel about a woman who becomes pregnant and decides to bring the baby up as a single parent. This is a well written and perceptive book which combines the unusual - single parenthood was not embraced so much in the 1960s as far as I remember - and a portrayal of motherhood and maternity services at that time.
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild - I was happy to reread this childhood favourite, which is very well known, but the Fossil sisters always entertain me.
Trustee from the Toolroom by Nevil Shute - a novel published in 1960, with many of the social attitudes to gender and race that prevailed at that time. A self-effacing engineer becomes the guardian of his niece when her parents die in a sailing accident on their way to start a new life, and has to recover something from the wreck of their boat to provide her with a good standard of living. Rather like The Apollo Murders there is a lot of technical detail, but the story was more involving in this case. The domestic detail really took me back to my childhood.
The Millstone by Margaret Drabble - a 1965 novel about a woman who becomes pregnant and decides to bring the baby up as a single parent. This is a well written and perceptive book which combines the unusual - single parenthood was not embraced so much in the 1960s as far as I remember - and a portrayal of motherhood and maternity services at that time.
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild - I was happy to reread this childhood favourite, which is very well known, but the Fossil sisters always entertain me.
10vestafan
3. Crime - my go to genre for relaxing and sometimes undemanding reading. This is likely to be the most read category by far.
The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett - a sequel to The Appeal with the same format - a retired judge challenges two young lawyers to solve a crime by examining documents.
Real Tigers by Mick Herron - the third in the Slough House series, which I was prompted to read by binge watching Slow Horses as we have AppleTV+ on a month's trial. I love this series and feel it is improving as it goes along. Probably not my last Mick Herron this year.
Eye for an Eye by M J Arlidge - What if the new identities of released child criminals were leaked to the relatives of their victims? This is a compulsive but rather lurid novel.
The Secret by Lee Child and Andrew Child - the latest Reacher novel, and one that is set in the past, as recent political and technological developments make it hard for Reacher to act in the solitary way he does in the early novels. This is rather formulaic and not as irresistible as earlier novels in this series.
Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter - a crime novel dealing with the popular subject of true crime podcasts and TV programmes, in which a TV producer attempts to find out who killed his stepfather many years ago.
Spook Street by Mick Herron - another Slough House novel - this series comes highly recommended and although standard spy fiction does not appeal to me, the characterisation and dark humour help this series outshine the genre as a whole.
The Whisper Man by Alex North - one of an increasing number of crime novels where an element of the supernatural may (?) be part of the cause/solution.
The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson - Very light but entertaining country house mystery.
Gunpowder Plot by Carola Dunn - a Daisy Dalrymple mystery set in the 1920s - how many murders can be solved during Daisy's pregnancy?
Joe Country by Mick Herron - another in the Jackson Lamb series where the MI5 operatives exiled to Slough House for various misdemeanours/character flaws manage to involve themselves in another tricky case.
Past Lying by Val McDermid - another in the Karen Pirie series, set during lockdown, with reminders of the mood in the country at that time. Does an unpublished manuscript hold any clues to the disappearance of a young student?
The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo - a classic locked room mystery set in the 1930s in Japan.
Suddenly at his Residence by Christianna Brand - One of the British Library Crime Classics series. It has an entertainingly complicated solution and the usual broad brush approach to anyone lower than upper middle class.
Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie - this is a reread for me and passed a couple of sleepless nights in a comforting manner.
The Botanist by M W Craven - the first in the Washington Poe series that I have read, which I very much enjoyed. This is a modern take on a classic locked room mystery.
Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths - Another enjoyable read from this author, this one from the Harbinder Kaur series.
Joe Country by Mick Herron - My progress through the Slough House series continues. In this novel, you know from the start that two of the characters you have come to know will die, so every action and statement becomes fraught with potential disaster.
A Heart Full of Headstones by Ian Rankin - Rebus is still hanging in there, shorter of breath than ever - will he survive until the end of the book? We know he is in the dock but not what he is supposed to have done.
Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie - a collection of four long short stories including one 'Triangle in Rhodes' that bears a lot of similarities to one of my favourite Christie novels, Evil Under the Sun
Slough House by Mick Herron - My reading of the Slow Horses series continues - this one centres around Russian agents and their activities on UK soil. It seems to have a darker tone than some of the earlier books in the series.
To Kill a Troubadour by Martin Walker - another in the series of crime novels featuring Bruno, Chief of Police in south-west France. How the main character finds time to do his job alongside his cooking, horse riding, tennis and concert promotion I don't know, but I enjoy the formulaic nature of the series.
Vanished by Tim Weaver - one of the David Raker novels where tracking down missing people is the central theme.
The Last Dance by Mark Billingham
Bad Actors by Mick Herron
The Rise by Ian Rankin
A Chateau Under Siege by Martin Walker
The Last Goodbye by Tim Weaver
In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan - the winner of the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024. An ingenious premise where a detective is paired with an Artificial Intelligence entity to attempt to solve cold cases. The detective, recently bereaved and emotionally vulnerable and the AI entity form an interesting partnership, and the story has both humorous and touching moments.
Fearless by M W Craven - features a leading character whose USP is that he feels no fear. Reminiscent of Jack Reacher, but undercutting this with references to Reacher within the novel. Maybe the start of a series.
The Secret Hours by Mick Herron - shortlisted for the Crime Novel of the Year 2024. A novel associated with the Slough House series, partly a prequel to that series. Also depressing on the pointlessness of some jobs in the civil service.
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell - another Crime Novel of the Year shortlisted book - a podcaster on impulse agrees to make a series about a woman who turns out to be an extremely unreliable narrator of her life story. A really gripping page turner.
Death Under a Little Sky by Stig Abell - A retired detective inherits a rural property but finds it hard to leave his investigating instincts behind. There are slightly cliched characters but it's an enjoyable read.
Death in a Lonely Place by Stig Abell - The second in the above series, where, fairly predictably (is there a more dangerous fictional role than an investigator's loved ones?), the hero persists with his enquiries despite danger to all his acquaintances.
The Cliff House by Chris Brookmyre - a hen party on a deserted Scottish island - what could go wrong? Every one has a secret - which is the life threatening one?
The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly - A picture book attached to a real life treasure hunt leads to obsession, death and family divisions. So many self-centred people and hardly anyone you can root for. However, the conclusion is satisfying.
The Brutal Tide and Hangman's Island by Kate Rhodes - the two latest parts of the Ben Kitto series, set on the Scilly Isles. Interesting on the social aspects of island life. The incidence of serious crime in such a small population is possibly overstated!
Revenge Killing by Leigh Russell - Geraldine Steel, now on maternity leave, fails to detach herself from police investigations.
Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson - The latest Jackson Brodie novel - entertaining even though its not the best in the series in my opinion.
The Burning by Jane Casey - the first in the Maeve Kerrigan series - I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Crooked House by Agatha Christie - A reread for me - I can remember vividly the shock of the revelation of the murderer when I first read it.
The Last Word by Elly Griffiths - Private investigators on the South Coast investigate the suspicious deaths of some writers.
The Examiner by Janice Hallett - Another of her novels in unusual formats - what has been going on among a small group of art students - we are left to solve the mystery through the departmental intranet.
Devices and Desires and The Murder Room by P D James - this has been a stressful month and I have retreated into rereads. I have enjoyed both these novels in the past, although I was not so impressed by The Murder Room as I was on the first reading.
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey - another reread - a long lost man returns to his family to claim his inheritance - but is it him?
Montalbano's First Case and other stories by Andrea Camilleri
The Reckoning by Jane Casey
The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves
Desert Star by Michael Connelly
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
Frost at Christmas by R D Wingfield
The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett - a sequel to The Appeal with the same format - a retired judge challenges two young lawyers to solve a crime by examining documents.
Real Tigers by Mick Herron - the third in the Slough House series, which I was prompted to read by binge watching Slow Horses as we have AppleTV+ on a month's trial. I love this series and feel it is improving as it goes along. Probably not my last Mick Herron this year.
Eye for an Eye by M J Arlidge - What if the new identities of released child criminals were leaked to the relatives of their victims? This is a compulsive but rather lurid novel.
The Secret by Lee Child and Andrew Child - the latest Reacher novel, and one that is set in the past, as recent political and technological developments make it hard for Reacher to act in the solitary way he does in the early novels. This is rather formulaic and not as irresistible as earlier novels in this series.
Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter - a crime novel dealing with the popular subject of true crime podcasts and TV programmes, in which a TV producer attempts to find out who killed his stepfather many years ago.
Spook Street by Mick Herron - another Slough House novel - this series comes highly recommended and although standard spy fiction does not appeal to me, the characterisation and dark humour help this series outshine the genre as a whole.
The Whisper Man by Alex North - one of an increasing number of crime novels where an element of the supernatural may (?) be part of the cause/solution.
The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson - Very light but entertaining country house mystery.
Gunpowder Plot by Carola Dunn - a Daisy Dalrymple mystery set in the 1920s - how many murders can be solved during Daisy's pregnancy?
Joe Country by Mick Herron - another in the Jackson Lamb series where the MI5 operatives exiled to Slough House for various misdemeanours/character flaws manage to involve themselves in another tricky case.
Past Lying by Val McDermid - another in the Karen Pirie series, set during lockdown, with reminders of the mood in the country at that time. Does an unpublished manuscript hold any clues to the disappearance of a young student?
The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo - a classic locked room mystery set in the 1930s in Japan.
Suddenly at his Residence by Christianna Brand - One of the British Library Crime Classics series. It has an entertainingly complicated solution and the usual broad brush approach to anyone lower than upper middle class.
Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie - this is a reread for me and passed a couple of sleepless nights in a comforting manner.
The Botanist by M W Craven - the first in the Washington Poe series that I have read, which I very much enjoyed. This is a modern take on a classic locked room mystery.
Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths - Another enjoyable read from this author, this one from the Harbinder Kaur series.
Joe Country by Mick Herron - My progress through the Slough House series continues. In this novel, you know from the start that two of the characters you have come to know will die, so every action and statement becomes fraught with potential disaster.
A Heart Full of Headstones by Ian Rankin - Rebus is still hanging in there, shorter of breath than ever - will he survive until the end of the book? We know he is in the dock but not what he is supposed to have done.
Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie - a collection of four long short stories including one 'Triangle in Rhodes' that bears a lot of similarities to one of my favourite Christie novels, Evil Under the Sun
Slough House by Mick Herron - My reading of the Slow Horses series continues - this one centres around Russian agents and their activities on UK soil. It seems to have a darker tone than some of the earlier books in the series.
To Kill a Troubadour by Martin Walker - another in the series of crime novels featuring Bruno, Chief of Police in south-west France. How the main character finds time to do his job alongside his cooking, horse riding, tennis and concert promotion I don't know, but I enjoy the formulaic nature of the series.
Vanished by Tim Weaver - one of the David Raker novels where tracking down missing people is the central theme.
The Last Dance by Mark Billingham
Bad Actors by Mick Herron
The Rise by Ian Rankin
A Chateau Under Siege by Martin Walker
The Last Goodbye by Tim Weaver
In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan - the winner of the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024. An ingenious premise where a detective is paired with an Artificial Intelligence entity to attempt to solve cold cases. The detective, recently bereaved and emotionally vulnerable and the AI entity form an interesting partnership, and the story has both humorous and touching moments.
Fearless by M W Craven - features a leading character whose USP is that he feels no fear. Reminiscent of Jack Reacher, but undercutting this with references to Reacher within the novel. Maybe the start of a series.
The Secret Hours by Mick Herron - shortlisted for the Crime Novel of the Year 2024. A novel associated with the Slough House series, partly a prequel to that series. Also depressing on the pointlessness of some jobs in the civil service.
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell - another Crime Novel of the Year shortlisted book - a podcaster on impulse agrees to make a series about a woman who turns out to be an extremely unreliable narrator of her life story. A really gripping page turner.
Death Under a Little Sky by Stig Abell - A retired detective inherits a rural property but finds it hard to leave his investigating instincts behind. There are slightly cliched characters but it's an enjoyable read.
Death in a Lonely Place by Stig Abell - The second in the above series, where, fairly predictably (is there a more dangerous fictional role than an investigator's loved ones?), the hero persists with his enquiries despite danger to all his acquaintances.
The Cliff House by Chris Brookmyre - a hen party on a deserted Scottish island - what could go wrong? Every one has a secret - which is the life threatening one?
The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly - A picture book attached to a real life treasure hunt leads to obsession, death and family divisions. So many self-centred people and hardly anyone you can root for. However, the conclusion is satisfying.
The Brutal Tide and Hangman's Island by Kate Rhodes - the two latest parts of the Ben Kitto series, set on the Scilly Isles. Interesting on the social aspects of island life. The incidence of serious crime in such a small population is possibly overstated!
Revenge Killing by Leigh Russell - Geraldine Steel, now on maternity leave, fails to detach herself from police investigations.
Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson - The latest Jackson Brodie novel - entertaining even though its not the best in the series in my opinion.
The Burning by Jane Casey - the first in the Maeve Kerrigan series - I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Crooked House by Agatha Christie - A reread for me - I can remember vividly the shock of the revelation of the murderer when I first read it.
The Last Word by Elly Griffiths - Private investigators on the South Coast investigate the suspicious deaths of some writers.
The Examiner by Janice Hallett - Another of her novels in unusual formats - what has been going on among a small group of art students - we are left to solve the mystery through the departmental intranet.
Devices and Desires and The Murder Room by P D James - this has been a stressful month and I have retreated into rereads. I have enjoyed both these novels in the past, although I was not so impressed by The Murder Room as I was on the first reading.
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey - another reread - a long lost man returns to his family to claim his inheritance - but is it him?
Montalbano's First Case and other stories by Andrea Camilleri
The Reckoning by Jane Casey
The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves
Desert Star by Michael Connelly
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
Frost at Christmas by R D Wingfield
11vestafan
4. Publishers specialising in women's writing -this enables me to include Virago and Persephone books as well as British Library Women Writers and the Furrowed Middlebrow section of Dean Street Press.
One Afternoon by Sian James - a widow's account of a year in which her life changes completely. It was written in the 1970s, but the central character's approach to life seems much more modern.
Father by Elizabeth von Arnim - from the British Library Women Writers series, a novel about a single woman unexpectedly freed from the responsibility of caring for her demanding father.
My Husband Simon by Mollie Panter-Downes - another from the British Library Women Writers series, which asks if a female writer can continue to produce good work and have a successful marriage to a passionate and combative man. I was surprised that this was dealt with in such an open way.
One Afternoon by Sian James - a widow's account of a year in which her life changes completely. It was written in the 1970s, but the central character's approach to life seems much more modern.
Father by Elizabeth von Arnim - from the British Library Women Writers series, a novel about a single woman unexpectedly freed from the responsibility of caring for her demanding father.
My Husband Simon by Mollie Panter-Downes - another from the British Library Women Writers series, which asks if a female writer can continue to produce good work and have a successful marriage to a passionate and combative man. I was surprised that this was dealt with in such an open way.
12vestafan
5. Literary award winners and shortlisted works - I have got quite a few Booker Prize winners on my shelves, as well as works that have won the Pulitzer Prize and other literary prizes.
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady - Nero Book Awards Non-Fiction winner 2023 - a blackly comic account of the author's experience of living with undiagnosed autism throughout her childhood and early adulthood and the sheer effort of masking the condition to try and appear 'normal'.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021 - this is a strange and fascinating novel. It opens with a man describing his life in a strange building with only one other inhabitant in a vast statue-filled space. Gradually the secrets of his life are revealed.
I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel - Observer Best Debut Novel of 2022
In Memoriam by Alice Winn - winner of the Waterstone's Debut Fiction Prize in 2023. Two public schoolboys, in love with each other but ignorant of the other's feelings experience the First World War in the trenches. The biggest shock for me was the youth of the officers who just by being from a privileged background are put in positions of authority.
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady - Nero Book Awards Non-Fiction winner 2023 - a blackly comic account of the author's experience of living with undiagnosed autism throughout her childhood and early adulthood and the sheer effort of masking the condition to try and appear 'normal'.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2021 - this is a strange and fascinating novel. It opens with a man describing his life in a strange building with only one other inhabitant in a vast statue-filled space. Gradually the secrets of his life are revealed.
I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel - Observer Best Debut Novel of 2022
In Memoriam by Alice Winn - winner of the Waterstone's Debut Fiction Prize in 2023. Two public schoolboys, in love with each other but ignorant of the other's feelings experience the First World War in the trenches. The biggest shock for me was the youth of the officers who just by being from a privileged background are put in positions of authority.
13vestafan
6. Authors new to me - there are books on my shelves by authors I have never tried, so I aim to sample a few of them this year. Because my husband and I share our collections, there some eclectic names I plan to have a go at - Robertson Davies, Ivy Compton-Burnett, Ann Patchett and Dostoyevsky, to name just some.
Yellowface by R F Kuang - a writer who presents the work of a dead acquaintance as her own has to face the unintended consequences of this impulsive act.
Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent - another author new to me. The title character has a literal attitude to human communication and puts her father out with the rubbish when he dies. The reason for her approach to life is gradually revealed, as she becomes more involved with the world at large. A rather downbeat and thought-provoking ending.
Penance by Eliza Clark - Three schoolgirls kill another and a few years later a journalist writes a true crime investigation about the case - but is it accurate? As well as a compulsive read, this also raises questions about truth and accuracy in the field of true crime.
The New Life by Tom Crewe - a historical novel about attitudes to homosexuality in the 1890s and two men who tried to challenge the attitudes through science. But of course they reap the whirlwind after its publication.
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie - a woman in prison awaiting the result of an appeal writes a confessional account of how she killed members of her father's family in revenge for his refusal to acknowledge her and give her late mother any support. Very funny in a dark way.
The List by Yomi Adegoke - When a list of male predators in the media is published, a feminist's fiance is named, with drastic consequences. I didn't enjoy this is as much as I thought I would, as there is so much about lavish weddings and instagram life, both of which I find it hard to identify with.
Brian by Jeremy Cooper
Yellowface by R F Kuang - a writer who presents the work of a dead acquaintance as her own has to face the unintended consequences of this impulsive act.
Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent - another author new to me. The title character has a literal attitude to human communication and puts her father out with the rubbish when he dies. The reason for her approach to life is gradually revealed, as she becomes more involved with the world at large. A rather downbeat and thought-provoking ending.
Penance by Eliza Clark - Three schoolgirls kill another and a few years later a journalist writes a true crime investigation about the case - but is it accurate? As well as a compulsive read, this also raises questions about truth and accuracy in the field of true crime.
The New Life by Tom Crewe - a historical novel about attitudes to homosexuality in the 1890s and two men who tried to challenge the attitudes through science. But of course they reap the whirlwind after its publication.
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie - a woman in prison awaiting the result of an appeal writes a confessional account of how she killed members of her father's family in revenge for his refusal to acknowledge her and give her late mother any support. Very funny in a dark way.
The List by Yomi Adegoke - When a list of male predators in the media is published, a feminist's fiance is named, with drastic consequences. I didn't enjoy this is as much as I thought I would, as there is so much about lavish weddings and instagram life, both of which I find it hard to identify with.
Brian by Jeremy Cooper
14vestafan
7. Books I keep meaning to read - some books just never seem to get read do they? I have chosen half a dozen that I am going to have a really good go at this year and I will mark them with a date when they are completed. They are Anna Karenina, Wild Swans, Demon Copperhead, H is for Hawk, A Little Life and The Odyssey.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara - I finished this book in an emotionally exhausted state. A 700+ page work about the friendship between four college friends. The central character is Jude, who has suffered all kinds of abuse in his childhood and teenage years, and who, despite outward success and loving friends, remains physically, emotionally and mentally affected by these experiences. The characters seem to live in a bubble - all are professionally successful and financially secure. There is no mention of events such as 9/11 or the AIDS epidemic - the book could take place at any time from the 1980s onwards. The question is, can Jude overcome the harm done by his abusers during his early life and find peace? I think you should steer clear of this book if you might be triggered by descriptions of all kinds of abuse, medical procedures and particularly self-harm. At times I was tempted to put the book down, but became so involved with the characters that I felt compelled to continue. (September 2024)
A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara - I finished this book in an emotionally exhausted state. A 700+ page work about the friendship between four college friends. The central character is Jude, who has suffered all kinds of abuse in his childhood and teenage years, and who, despite outward success and loving friends, remains physically, emotionally and mentally affected by these experiences. The characters seem to live in a bubble - all are professionally successful and financially secure. There is no mention of events such as 9/11 or the AIDS epidemic - the book could take place at any time from the 1980s onwards. The question is, can Jude overcome the harm done by his abusers during his early life and find peace? I think you should steer clear of this book if you might be triggered by descriptions of all kinds of abuse, medical procedures and particularly self-harm. At times I was tempted to put the book down, but became so involved with the characters that I felt compelled to continue. (September 2024)
15vestafan
8. Women-centred works - this can include books on women's history, women in the arts and social issues with relevance to women.
Ask Not by Maureen Callahan - an account of the women in and married into the Kennedy family. As someone who bought into the romantic view of the family in the 1960s, I found this book shocking. Rather like the Royal Family, no weakness is tolerated, the women are expected to put up with infidelity and insensitivity for the sake of the family. There are too many examples of cruel behaviour to pick out one, but my view of the family has definitely changed for the worse.
Ask Not by Maureen Callahan - an account of the women in and married into the Kennedy family. As someone who bought into the romantic view of the family in the 1960s, I found this book shocking. Rather like the Royal Family, no weakness is tolerated, the women are expected to put up with infidelity and insensitivity for the sake of the family. There are too many examples of cruel behaviour to pick out one, but my view of the family has definitely changed for the worse.
16vestafan
9. World War II - I have always had an interest in the history of this period, not so much the military aspects as the Home Front. I will include any fiction or no-fiction of this era in this category.
Love in the Blitz by Eileen Alexander - letters from the author, a Cambridge graduate, to the man she eventually marries written during World War II. It is interesting to see the intensity of emotion in the correspondence and to understand that there were so few opportunities to communicate at a time of war without the resources we now have.
World War II London Blitz Diary by Ruby Side Thompson - a wartime diary published by a descendant of the author. She is surprisingly frank about her dislike of her husband with their marriage only seeming to survive by a physical attraction. The constant fear and anxiety caused by the Blitz comes over strongly.
Blitz Spirit by Becky Brown - The story of World War II, told through the diaries written for Mass Observation. This is an interesting account, more nuanced than the stereotypical view of morale, because the various attitudes of the writers.
Jambusters by Julie Summers - a history of the W.I. during WWII.
Love in the Blitz by Eileen Alexander - letters from the author, a Cambridge graduate, to the man she eventually marries written during World War II. It is interesting to see the intensity of emotion in the correspondence and to understand that there were so few opportunities to communicate at a time of war without the resources we now have.
World War II London Blitz Diary by Ruby Side Thompson - a wartime diary published by a descendant of the author. She is surprisingly frank about her dislike of her husband with their marriage only seeming to survive by a physical attraction. The constant fear and anxiety caused by the Blitz comes over strongly.
Blitz Spirit by Becky Brown - The story of World War II, told through the diaries written for Mass Observation. This is an interesting account, more nuanced than the stereotypical view of morale, because the various attitudes of the writers.
Jambusters by Julie Summers - a history of the W.I. during WWII.
17vestafan
10. Music - I plan to include books about composers and musical artists here, as well as books on the social and psychological aspects of music.
Perfect Sound Whatever by James Acaster - The author, a comedian, decides to acquire as much music released in 2016 as possible. This activity takes on a great importance to him as he tries to come to terms to the end of a relationship, wonders if he wants to be a comedian any more, and begins therapy. I'd hardly heard of any of the music he enthuses about, but I think I understood the importance of this activity to him.
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys by Viv Albertine - a memoir by a former member of The Slits, a punk band. Through many exciting but also harrowing and unpleasant experiences, the author develops a sense of her own self.
Liner Notes by Loudun Wainwright III - the memoir of the singer-songwriter, told in his distinctive wry voice. He doesn't spare himself when recounting some less successful parts of his personal life.
One Two Three Four by Craig Brown - an account of The Beatles and the years of their greatest success. The story is told through many anecdotes from other books and some encounters with people involved in their early performing life. The most striking change in their lives is the transition from excitement and enthusiasm to a jaded depression and cynicism, and this change seems to have been exacerbated by the death of Brian Epstein.
Good Pop, Bad Pop by Jarvis Cocker
Perfect Sound Whatever by James Acaster - The author, a comedian, decides to acquire as much music released in 2016 as possible. This activity takes on a great importance to him as he tries to come to terms to the end of a relationship, wonders if he wants to be a comedian any more, and begins therapy. I'd hardly heard of any of the music he enthuses about, but I think I understood the importance of this activity to him.
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys by Viv Albertine - a memoir by a former member of The Slits, a punk band. Through many exciting but also harrowing and unpleasant experiences, the author develops a sense of her own self.
Liner Notes by Loudun Wainwright III - the memoir of the singer-songwriter, told in his distinctive wry voice. He doesn't spare himself when recounting some less successful parts of his personal life.
One Two Three Four by Craig Brown - an account of The Beatles and the years of their greatest success. The story is told through many anecdotes from other books and some encounters with people involved in their early performing life. The most striking change in their lives is the transition from excitement and enthusiasm to a jaded depression and cynicism, and this change seems to have been exacerbated by the death of Brian Epstein.
Good Pop, Bad Pop by Jarvis Cocker
18vestafan
11. The Literary World - the plan here is to include literary memoirs, biography and criticism.
Stet by Diana Athill - a literary editor's memoir which covers changes in publishing between WWII and the 1970s and memories of particular writers
What Writers Read edited by Pandora Sykes - a collection of short essays on books read by writers. I have been encouraged to add a few books to my TBR list while reading this.
Agatha Christie: a very elusive woman by Lucy Worsley - a biography of the famous crime writer.
No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy by Mark Hodkinson - this is an autobiographical account of how the author developed a passion for books despite coming from a family that didn't see the point of reading. It is an evocative account of a northern working-class childhood, particularly of his grandfather. An interesting section towards the end off the book involves his consultations with a psychotherapist and a life counsellor where he examines the possible meaning of his book collecting habit.
Stet by Diana Athill - a literary editor's memoir which covers changes in publishing between WWII and the 1970s and memories of particular writers
What Writers Read edited by Pandora Sykes - a collection of short essays on books read by writers. I have been encouraged to add a few books to my TBR list while reading this.
Agatha Christie: a very elusive woman by Lucy Worsley - a biography of the famous crime writer.
No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy by Mark Hodkinson - this is an autobiographical account of how the author developed a passion for books despite coming from a family that didn't see the point of reading. It is an evocative account of a northern working-class childhood, particularly of his grandfather. An interesting section towards the end off the book involves his consultations with a psychotherapist and a life counsellor where he examines the possible meaning of his book collecting habit.
19vestafan
12. Miscellaneous - My big lesson from last year is include a section for the items as yet unknown that will spark my interest over 2024. Writing this all down makes it seem quite ambitious, but whatever happens I aim to read for pleasure this year.
Mr Wilder and Me by Jonathan Coe - this is a novel I was reading at the turn of the year. A Greek woman meets the director Billy Wilder and later gets an interpreter's job on the set of his film Fedora. In later life she recalls the experience and understands how people can feel unwanted in their profession as they age.
Wintering by Katherine May - a book in praise of retreating from the world when pressures become too great.
Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad - A humorous account of the author's experience as an exchange teacher in Japan and how he responds to the very different culture.
Less by Patrick Grant - the author makes the argument for the consumption of fewer, better quality things, particularly clothes. I found the book inspiring, but wonder how anyone with very little income can put this into practice.
The Wizard of Oz by Salman Rushdie
Mr Wilder and Me by Jonathan Coe - this is a novel I was reading at the turn of the year. A Greek woman meets the director Billy Wilder and later gets an interpreter's job on the set of his film Fedora. In later life she recalls the experience and understands how people can feel unwanted in their profession as they age.
Wintering by Katherine May - a book in praise of retreating from the world when pressures become too great.
Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad - A humorous account of the author's experience as an exchange teacher in Japan and how he responds to the very different culture.
Less by Patrick Grant - the author makes the argument for the consumption of fewer, better quality things, particularly clothes. I found the book inspiring, but wonder how anyone with very little income can put this into practice.
The Wizard of Oz by Salman Rushdie
20vestafan
Mostly crime reads in April - the genre I turn to when life gets a bit busy and demanding. Hopefully a bit more variety next month!
21vestafan
July was another crime-heavy reading month, mainly because I was trying to read the shortlist for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. One more to go! I attended the festival and have returned with a large number of crime novels to be added to my TBR pile.
22rabbitprincess
>21 vestafan: That must have been a lot of fun to be at the festival!
23vestafan
>22 rabbitprincess: I had a fabulous time! The secret is not to try to see everything as that's incredibly exhausting, but it's great to get to meet authors I like. You do end up buying far too many books, but hey it'll soon be autumn and time for settling down in front of the fire with a large mug of tea and 'a good murder'. So it's all good.
24vestafan
It's been a slightly more varied selection of reading this month, but still plenty of crime - 3 crime, 1 crime-ish and three others. September has a start of term feel to it so I may try and read more seriously for the next month or two, but let's face it, sometimes comfort reading is required.
