2016 in books
I set myself the target of a book a week - less than I read before I worked full time and studied on the side but enough to make reading a daily habit. And I managed it (in fact if I finish my current read by Saturday night I will have read 59 books).
These break down to 17 (auto)biographies; 24 crime novels; 3 children's books; 6 non-fiction; 8 novels and 1 playscript. Most read author was classic crime writer Cyril Hare with 7 titles, of which my favourites were When The Wind Blows and Tragedy at Law. I also discovered Peter Robinson's DCI Banks novels and have read 4 of these with some more stockpiled on my Kindle - I find Banks a tad irritating but I like the supporting cast. Worst book read was The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah - her version of Poirot and dull beyond belief. I was also very disappointed by Vita Sackville West's Country Notes which were smug and snobbish. I continue to enjoy Martin Edward's collections of classic crime short stories and have read 3 this year - perfect for night shifts when my concentration isn't up to anything longer than a short story. I was very taken with Lynn Knight's The Button Box and I loved Shirley Jackson writing about her family in Living With The Savages and Raising Demons - this led me on to Merry Wives and Others: A History of Domestic Humor (sic) Writing which has flagged up some other authors to explore next year. Silliest book mistake was Girl On A Train by A. J. Waines which left me underwhelmed and wondering why the earwig had liked it so much until I discovered what she had recommended was The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - a spot of Googling revealed this was a common error.
Best holiday re-read was Gerald Durrell's Corfu trilogy while in Corfu which still makes me laugh out loud just as much as in my teenage years.
I am aiming for a minimum of another 52 books in 2017. In addition to the DCI Banks novels I have also downloaded some of the Furrowed Middlebrow reprints (this year I read A Chelsea Concerto by Frances Faviell which left me in awe of the bravery of ordinary Londoners during the Blitz, and also Rachel Ferguson's A Footman For the Peacock which I rather liked, unlike practically everyone else it seems).
These break down to 17 (auto)biographies; 24 crime novels; 3 children's books; 6 non-fiction; 8 novels and 1 playscript. Most read author was classic crime writer Cyril Hare with 7 titles, of which my favourites were When The Wind Blows and Tragedy at Law. I also discovered Peter Robinson's DCI Banks novels and have read 4 of these with some more stockpiled on my Kindle - I find Banks a tad irritating but I like the supporting cast. Worst book read was The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah - her version of Poirot and dull beyond belief. I was also very disappointed by Vita Sackville West's Country Notes which were smug and snobbish. I continue to enjoy Martin Edward's collections of classic crime short stories and have read 3 this year - perfect for night shifts when my concentration isn't up to anything longer than a short story. I was very taken with Lynn Knight's The Button Box and I loved Shirley Jackson writing about her family in Living With The Savages and Raising Demons - this led me on to Merry Wives and Others: A History of Domestic Humor (sic) Writing which has flagged up some other authors to explore next year. Silliest book mistake was Girl On A Train by A. J. Waines which left me underwhelmed and wondering why the earwig had liked it so much until I discovered what she had recommended was The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - a spot of Googling revealed this was a common error.
Best holiday re-read was Gerald Durrell's Corfu trilogy while in Corfu which still makes me laugh out loud just as much as in my teenage years.
I am aiming for a minimum of another 52 books in 2017. In addition to the DCI Banks novels I have also downloaded some of the Furrowed Middlebrow reprints (this year I read A Chelsea Concerto by Frances Faviell which left me in awe of the bravery of ordinary Londoners during the Blitz, and also Rachel Ferguson's A Footman For the Peacock which I rather liked, unlike practically everyone else it seems).