I’ll finish 2021 on about 130 books, way ahead of my Goodreads Challenge target of 100 (yay!)
I just thought I’d take a few minutes to share some of the BRILLIANT books I’ve read this year – 5 fiction, 5 non-fiction. Hope you find something to pique your interest here, just in case Santa didn’t bring you enough books!
This will be my last post of 2021, so wishing you all a Happy New Year and I’ll see you in 2022. Thanks to everyone who has visited my blog this year or chatted to me on Twitter – it has been an absolute pleasure.
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This has not been a great reading month for me – I was taking part in NetGalley November and had so many plans to zip through lots of lovely ARCs (including some that have been on my shelf for far too long).
The reality was work, work, work with a side order of insomnia! I managed to read 6 books this month, which isn’t many for me at all. Still, I’m on 121/100 on my GoodReads Challenge so this is a blip in an otherwise great year.
It’s been a slow reading month for me – being back in the classroom is busy and reading has taken a back seat to work.
Still, I managed to read 8 books in September and finished my Goodreads challenge for the year – 100/100 books read! That won’t stop me reading on though – I have some gorgeous October reads planned…
All my books this month were 3 or 4 stars – my favourite was ‘The Royal Art of Poison’ by Eleanor Herman which was an unexpected treat of an audiobook.
It has been a HUGE reading month for me – probably the best ever! I read 17 books in July – including three that I awarded FIVE STARS!
I’d like to thank the heatwave for making it impossible for me to do much else other than read. I am eternally grateful that this coincided (happily) with time off work!
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Black Dress’ by Deborah Moggach.
Thanks to Random Things Tours and Headline/Tinder Press for having me on the tour and for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was published on 22nd July, 2021.
From the Publisher:
From the ‘Sunday Times’ bestselling author of ‘The Carer’, Deborah Moggach’s ‘The Black Dress’ is a beautifully observed, darkly funny, tender and surprising novel about life changes and the unexpected twists and pleasures of being alone.
Pru is on her own. But then, so are plenty of other people. And while the loneliness can be overwhelming, surely she’ll find a party somewhere?
Pru’s husband has walked out, leaving her alone to contemplate her future. She’s missing not so much him, but the life they once had – picnicking on the beach with small children, laughing together, nestling up like spoons in the cutlery drawer as they sleep. Now there’s just a dip on one side of the bed and no-one to fill it.
In a daze, Pru goes off to a friend’s funeral. Usual old hymns, words of praise and a eulogy but…it doesn’t sound like the friend Pru knew. And it isn’t. She’s gone to the wrong service. Everyone was very welcoming, it was – oddly – a laugh, and more excitement than she’s had for ages. So she buys a little black dress in a charity shop and thinks, now I’m all set, why not go to another? I mean, people don’t want to make a scene at a funeral, do they? No-one will challenge her – and what harm can it do?
Praise for Deborah Moggach…
‘Full of warmth and humour, as well as blistering truths’
Daily Mirror
‘Moggach is at the height of her powers’
Sunday Times
‘Unputdownable, fun and tender with characters that jump off the page. Perfection’
Marian Keyes
My Review:
I’d not read a Deborah Moggach book before this one – but I’d heard good things and was keen to dive in. In particular, I liked the quite dark and interesting storyline of this book and was intrigued…
The central character in this book, Pru, finds herself suddenly alone at the age of 69. Although she doesn’t really miss her husband, she misses the security of coupledom a bit. Buoyed by her friend Azra, Pru begins her search for a new man – a search which takes a rather unconventional turn when Pru finds herself at a funeral and spots the potential of new widowers as an untapped target market.
Although the idea of preying on newly-single men at their wives’ funerals is dark and shocking, it becomes something much more interesting in Moggach’s skilled hands. Pru is given such an emotional depth through her first person narration that the reader can instead read her desperation with poignancy. She may make odd decisions, but actually it all makes sense in the context of the novel and the things she faces.
Ah, yes, the things Pru faces! This is a novel that is constantly surprising and revelatory – there are some big turns in the book which I don’t want to go into (no spoilers here!) However, suffice it to say that this isn’t a gentle book about the older generation’s search for love. Moggach is never that predictable and Pru has a lot to bear – including some real shockers!
I liked Pru a lot as a central character – it was refreshing to read about an older character with the possibility of a new beginning, although I should have expected this from the author of the book that became ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’. The novel is essentially a snapshot of a woman at a vulnerable but also potentially exciting point in her life.
Along the way, we meet a whole cast of well-developed and intersting characters, all flawed in their own ways. Evan is one that really stuck with me – the depiction of him reeling from his wife’s death is heartbreaking. Azra is also a fascinating character, maybe not all for good reasons – she is written with vim and vibrancy and almost jumps off the page.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and read it in one sitting during the July heatwave. I felt that it had emotional interest and humour, but also a clever plot structure that made me feel that I was on constantly shifting ground. There is honestly never a dull moment. I also liked the fact that a book ostensibly about finding a man also focused extensively on female friendship and the love of family too.
I’d recommend this to anyone looking for an immersive and engaging read. Once you get sucked into Pru’s world, as crazy as it is at times, you won’t want to leave – and you won’t put the book down until you have finished Pru’s journey.
About the Author:
Deborah Moggach, OBE, is a British novelist and an award-winning screenwriter. She has written twenty novels, including ‘Tulip Fever’, ‘These Foolish Things’ (which became the bestselling novel and film ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’), and ‘The Carer’. She lives in London.
This hasn’t been the best reading month for me – work has been busy and my evenings haven’t been spent with my nose in a book, sadly. Instead, I’ve spent far too long on Book Twitter and adding to the TBR without clearing many of the books already on there!
I’ve read 9 books this month, putting me on 65/100 for my Goodreads Challenge. All have been at least 4 stars (I’m getting good at picking books I know I’ll love), with two getting the full five stars from me…
I managed to read 11 books in December, taking me to a total of 120 for the year – a lot for me and more than my Goodreads target of 100.
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December Reading
I started the month with a NetGalley 2021 ARC, ‘The Last House on Needless Street’ by Catriona Ward. This is a really clever book about a serial killer and a missing child – to say more would really ruin the plot! Although I did read this and was pulled along by the narrative, I personally found it to be a bit bleak for my tastes. It will be published in March 2021.
Next I read ‘Lie Beside Me’ by Gytha Lodge, the next book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series that will be published in February 2021 (again, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review). This starts with a woman waking up next to a dead man she doesn’t recognise…and then keeps you turning the pages until you find out what happened. A review will follow nearer publication.
Then came ‘The Inverts’ by Crystal Jeans, a book set mainly in the 1920s and 1930s about a gay man and woman who decide to marry to present a respectable front to society in order to hide their love affairs. It was a lively read, although felt startlingly modern in places. A review will follow on the blog nearer the April 2021 publication date.
I followed this with ‘Alexa, what is there to know about love?’, the latest poetry book from Brian Bilston (to be published in January 2021). Those who love Bilston’s clever wordplay and witty takes – usually showcased on Twitter – will find lots more to love in this poetry collection – review to follow.
Then I read the *secret book* for the BBNYA judging panel which – I can now reveal – was ‘The Devil’s Apprentice’ by Kenneth B Andersen. Way outside of my usual genres, this is the first book in The Great Devil War series and was a vividly-imagined fantasy novel about a boy who finds himself in a case of mistaken identity…and in Hell. A highly engaging read.
‘The Best Things’ by Mel Giedroyc (to be published in April 2021) was next. I love Mel Giedroyc and this was an entertaining story about a wealthy family who lose everything and have to adapt to survive. There were some lovely comic touches in this fairly cosy, easy read – review to follow.
Far from a cosy read was ‘The Art of Death’ by David Fennell, due for publication in February 2021. This was a gruesome and fast-paced police procedural about a serial killer who displays his victims as art installations on the streets of London. It introduces DI Grace Archer who – I think – has real potential to carry a whole series of books (I hope!) Review to follow in February.
I followed this with another gruesome book, ‘The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires’ by Grady Hendrix. I’d had this on my TBR for ages and was hoping for a story of female solidarity in the face of vampires, packed with Southern charm and a kind of ‘True Blood’ but with books. It didn’t deliver this at all, although I did find it quite readable.
The last book I read this month was ‘How to Solve a Murder’ by Derek and Pauline Tremain. This is a non-fiction book about the workings of a forensic department at Guy’s Hospital in London where both of the Tremains worked. This was insightful and interesting, although a bit gross at times! Review to follow nearer the publication date in January 2021.
All of the above books were provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest reviews except for ‘The Devil’s Apprentice’ which was given to me as part of the BBNYA judging panel.
Finally, I listened to two audiobooks this month – ‘Going Solo’ by Roald Dahl (read by Dan Stevens) and ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens (read by Hugh Grant). Both were fabulous and highly recommended.
January TBR
I’ve got a few blog tours coming up this month, so will be reading ‘Bad Habits’ by Flynn Meaney (YA comedy), ‘Dark Memories’ by Liz Mistry (next in the excellent DS Nikki Parekh crime series) and ‘The Appeal’ by Janice Hallett (a murder mystery with a difference!)
I’ll also be buddy reading (with ‘The Write Reads’ book club that isn’t a book club) ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ by Agatha Christie. I read lots of Christie as a teenager so I’m hoping I don’t remember the solution halfway through!
Apart from these, I want to work through some of the excellent books I was given for Christmas (and the ones I bought in the Waterstones’ sale – I have no self control in the face of a bargain!).
These include the non-fiction books ‘How Not to be Wrong: The Art of Changing your Mind’ by James O’Brien (politics and current affairs), ‘Maiden Voyages’ by Sian Evans (women’s social history about sea travel between the wars) and ‘Written in Bone’ by Professor Sue Black (forensic anthropology).
Aside from these, I’ll see where January takes me! Wishing you all a very happy new year!
2020 has been an absolute bin fire, so it is definitely time to look forward to what is coming this way next year!
These are the 10 books that I’m looking forward to in 2021. Some I can’t wait to read and some I’ve read already (thank you, NetGalley!) and can’t wait for others to read so I can chat about how amazing they are.
As always, my genres are broadly historical and crime – I’m sure there are fabulous books coming on other genres but this is my list…
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‘The Shape of Darkness’ by Laura Purcell(January 2021 – Raven Books)
I have really loved Purcell’s previous books – ‘The Corset’ and ‘Bone China’ are both creepily gothic and sinister in just the way I love! I haven’t read her first novel, ‘The Silent Companions’ (I know!), but am eagerly awaiting this one that tells a story wound up with elements of spiritualism and also the art of silhouette-cutting. I’m anticipating a strong female lead, lots of spookiness and a few murders along the way! Purcell can be relief upon for first-class historical fiction and I cannot wait.
‘Daughters of Night’ by Laura Shepherd-Robinson(February 2021 – Pan Macmillan)
Following on from the totally brilliant and immersive ‘Blood and Sugar’, this is another perfectly-pitched mystery set in Georgian London. Using some of the characters from the first novel, this one follows Caro Corsham as she investigates the death of a woman she finds dying in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. It is beautifully written and I cannot wait for its release so that more people can enjoy it – it was due for publication in 2020 but delayed due to the Current Awfulness (to use Caitlin Moran’s term!)
‘The Whole Truth’ by Cara Hunter (February 2021 – Penguin)
A new instalment in the DI Fawley series by Cara Hunter is always a cause for celebration – these are excellent modern police procedurals with plenty of twists and turns, plus a likeable and convincingly-portayed police team. This one takes a novel route through a sexual harassment case with a side of murder and no-one is safe from suspicion. There is so much I want to talk about with this one!
‘Nick’ by Michael Farris Smith (February 2021 – No Exit Press)
I’ve loved ‘The Great Gatsby’ since I first picked it up as a teenager back in the dark ages (OK, 1990s!) Something about the glamour, the decadence and the setting of 1920s America really appealed to me then, so I’m really excited for this new book about Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s narrator. It promises to tell his story before the events of F Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel – from the trenches of World War I to Paris and New Orleans. I love the sound of all this!
‘Hyde’ by Craig Russell (February 2021 – Constable)
I loved Russell’s previous novel, ‘The Devil Aspect’, and also am pretty familiar with the source text for this one, Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ (a favourite of GCSE Literature syllabuses). I’m intrigued by the idea of there being no Dr Jekyll to balance out the Hyde (in this story Captain Hyde) and can’t wait to get immersed in Victorian Edinburgh to find out what happens.
‘Lie Beside Me’ by Gytha Lodge (February 2021 – Michael Joseph)
This is the latest in the modern crime series starring DCI Jonah Sheens. I’ve read the previous books in the series and am eagerly awaiting this one – and early reviews suggest it is good. The case here is of a women who wakes up next to a dead man that she has never seen before. She becomes the police’s prime suspect, but nothing is quite as it seems…
‘Madam’ by Phoebe Wynne (February 2021 – Quercus)
I heard about this one from Quercus’ excellent preview evening in which they showcased some of their 2021 titles. Loads of them sounded brilliant, but this one is just my thing – a gothic tale of a remote girls’ boarding school and the young women that arrives to join the teaching staff. This one looks deliciously dark and has a feminist slant too – plus the proof looks fabulous!
‘Dangerous Women’ by Hope Adams (March 2021 – Michael Joseph)
I’ll admit, I was totally won over by the cover of this one (I know – don’t judge a book and all that jazz!) It’s a glorious image of an old-fashioned sailing ship on rough seas with an intriguing theatre curtain surround. Digging further into the blurb, it turns out to be an early Victorian story of female convicts on board a ship heading for the colonies when a murder takes place. How can you solve a crime on a ship full of criminals? I have no idea, but it sounds brilliant!
‘The Last House on Needless Street’ by Catriona Ward (March 2021 – Viper)
Anything marketed as ‘The Gothic Thriller of 2021’ totally has my attention! The blurb doesn’t really give anything away but mentions that it is the story of a serial killer, an average house on an average street and that it will not be what you expect…sign me up! Early feedback on this one seems to be really positive so I am looking forward to finding out what the hype is about.
‘Ariadne’ by Jennifer Saint (April 2021 – Wildfire)
I love a Greek myth retelling and this one looks amazing. Picking up the story of Ariadne (admittedly one I’m a bit hazy on the details of…), this promises a feminist slant on the Classical tale. I’ve seen such beautiful proofs of this one on Twitter that I am wondering who I need to grovel to for a copy!
So there you have it – 10 books that I cannot wait to read and share! What books are you eagerly awaiting from the 2021 crop?
