Ten books I should have shouted about before now!

I’ve hit a bit of a reading slump. It happens to the best of us – a run of good books but not peppered with the absolutely great ones. The ones you put down all other books for, ignore your phone and your family…yeah, those.

To find my inspiration, I had a look back at the books I’ve read this year and noticed that 10/73 had got my top mark of 5 stars on Goodreads. Now seems like a good time to revisit the top ten…in no particular order.

Turns out I really like crime fiction!

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‘The Botanist’ by M W Craven

The crime novels featuring DS Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are all brilliant. Impossible crimes, clever twists and a sparky, warm partnership at the novel’s heart. This latest is no exception – and was 99p on the Kindle when I wrote this!

My review is here.

‘The Binding Room’ by Nadine Matheson

Gruesome and gripping, this is DI Anjelica Henley’s second venture with the Serial Crimes Unit. The murder of a pastor grabs her attention…but what on earth was going on at his church?

My review is here.

‘Hope to Die’ by Cara Hunter

At the risk of looking like I only read crime series, this is the latest to feature DI Adam Fawley. A killing at a remote Oxfordshire farmhouse brings DI Fawley and his team into a very complex case – and the story is brilliantly told with transcripts, Wikipedia entries, online chats, letters and a whole lot more to break up the enhance the narrative. Brilliant – and another one that was 99p when I last looked.

My review is here.

‘The Slow Road to Tehran’ by Rebecca Lowe

Look, I also read non-fiction! This is a fabulous travel book about one woman’s (courageous, amazing, crazy) cycle ride across Europe. There’s loads of information, history, politics along the way, but also lots of warmth and humour. I learnt a lot and thoroughly enjoyed it.

My review is here.

‘Miss Aldridge Regrets’ by Louise Hare

OK, another murder mystery – but this one is set on a glitzy 1930s transatlantic ocean liner and the main character is a nightclub singer heading for her big break on Broadway. Clever, immersive and thought-provoking too.

My review is here.

‘The Marmalade Diaries: The True Story of an Odd Couple’ by Ben Aitken

What does a travel writer do when he can’t travel because of Covid rules? Judging by Ben Aitken, he moves in with a housemate fifty years his senior and writes about the ensuing lockdown experience. This is a gorgeously warm and funny memoir.

My review is here.

‘The Echo Man’ by Sam Holland

Incredibly terrifying, graphic and gruesome thriller – I could not put this down. It’s one for fans of true crime too as Holland uses lots of real-life cases as inspiration for her copycat killer. Really scary.

My review is here.

‘See No Evil’ by David Fennell

Aaaaand back to the clever, twisty police procedurals – this one is about DI Grace Archer and some very grim murders. Definitely highly recommended.

My review is here.

‘The Perfect Escape’ by Leah Konen

I don’t read a huge amount of psychological thrillers, but this is a very good one! The three main characters rotate the narration and it’s a masterclass in the slow revelation of devastating secrets.

My review is here.

‘Ask a Historian’ by Greg Jenner

Another non-fiction choice, and this is a brilliantly entertaining jaunt through some very random historical facts and ideas. Jenner picked 50 questions from his readers on a whole host of strange topics and set about answering them. The result is enlightening, clever and very, very funny.

I didn’t review this on my blog (a travesty!) but really should have done.

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So, there we go. 10 books I’ve loved so far in 2022. Has it helped with my reading slump? Nah…but I now know I need to head for the gruesome police procedurals or witty non-fiction for my next fix!

Header photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash