Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

So, I promised myself I wasn't going to plan my 2020 challenges out until I'd finished my 2019 ones (my 2019 reads/reviews)...but it's looking like it'll come down to the wire to finish those, and I know how long the planning stage takes!

In 2019 I did AYT for the first time, as well as a 4th year of PopSugar and my 1st year of Reading Women. This was verging on too many books. As it stands, I probably will finish them all, but it's left no room for random reads.

So for 2020 I want to try to keep my challenge reads a bit more manageable, by double (or triple) dipping titles even more than in 2019. My plan is to read in AYT order, though I tried that this year and it all went a bit awry mid-way!

I'm just giving myself some long lists for ATY prompts for now, until PS is released and I can cross-reference them and finalise. Yes, I do have a spreadsheet. I am geeking out right now.

L O N G L I S T S
(view spoiler)[
1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y (long list)
2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable (a snippet of my long list)
3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019 (long list)
4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live (long list)
5. The first book in a series that you have not started (long list)

6. A book with a mode of transportation on the cover (long list)
7. A book set in the southern hemisphere (long list)
8. A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The" (long list)
9. A book that can be read in a day (long list)

10. A book that is between 400-600 pages (a snippet of my long list)
11. A book originally published in a year that is a prime number (long list)
12. A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people (long list)
13. A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge (No long list)
14. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers (long list)

15. A book set in a global city (long list)
16. A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area (long list)
17. A book with a neurodiverse character (long list)
18. A book by an author you've only read once before (a snippet of my long list)

19. A fantasy book (long list)
20. The 20th book [on your TBR, in a series, by an author, on a list, etc.] (long list)
21. A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1720 (long list)
22. A book with the major theme of survival (long list)

23. A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author (long list)
24. A book with an emotion in the title (long list)
25. A book related to the arts (long list)
26. A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards (long list)
27. A history or historical fiction (long list)

28. A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author (long list)
29. An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser known book (long list)
30. A book from the New York Times '100 Notable Books' list for any year (a snippet of my long list)
31. A book inspired by a leading news story (long list)

32. A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan (long list)
33. A book about a non-traditional family (long list)
34. A book from a genre or sub genre that starts with a letter in your name (long list)
35. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover (long list)

36. A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim (long list)
37. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1 (long list)
38. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #2 (long list - see above)
39. A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce (long list)

40. A book with a place name in the title (long list)
41. A mystery (long list)
42. A book that was nominated for one of the ‘10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World’ (long list)
43. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse (long list)
44. A book related to witches (long list)

45. A book by the same author who wrote one of your best reads in 2019 or 2018 (long list)
46. A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire" (long list)
47. A classic book you've always meant to read (long list)
48. A book published in 2020 (No long list)

49. A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win (No long list)
50. A book with a silhouette on the cover (long list)
51. A book with an "-ing" word in the title (long list)
52. A book related to time (long list) (hide spoiler)]

2020 L I S T

✔ 1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y :: Binge by Tyler Oakley
✔ 2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable :: Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West
✔ 3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019 :: Dear Fatty by Dawn French
✔ 4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live :: With Their Backs to the World: Portraits from Serbia by Åsne Seierstad
✔ 5. The first book in a series that you have not started :: Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

✔ 6. A book with a mode of transportation on the cover :: Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
✔ 7. A book set in the southern hemisphere :: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
✔ 8. A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The" :: The Missing by Andrew O'Hagan
✔ 9. A book that can be read in a day :: Yellow WallPaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

✔ 10. A book that is between 400-600 pages :: Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran
✔11. A book originally published in a year that is a prime number :: #MeToo: Essays About How and Why This Happened, What It Means and How to Make Sure it Never Happens by Lori Perkins
✔ 12. A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people :: The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry
✔ 13. A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge - 2016 prompt 36 (an identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation) :: About the Night by Anat Talshir
✔ 14. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers :: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

✔ 15. A book set in a global city :: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
✔ 16. A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area :: The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
✔ 17. A book with a neurodiverse character :: The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
✔ 18. A book by an author you've only read once before :: Courtney Love: The Real Story by Poppy Z. Brite

✔ 19. A fantasy book :: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
✔ 20. The 20th book [on your TBR, in a series, by an author, on a list, etc.] :: Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb
✔ 21. A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1720 :: Night by Elie Wiesel
✔ 22. A book with the major theme of survival :: The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller

✔ 23. A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author :: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
✔ 24. A book with an emotion in the title :: The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
✔ 25. A book related to the arts :: Scottish Women's Fiction, 1920s to 1960s: Journey into Being by Carol Anderson
✔ 26. A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards :: Normal People by Sally Rooney
✔ 27. A history or historical fiction :: Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler

✔ 28. A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author :: Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
✔ 29. An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser known book :: Borrowed Light by Joolz Denby
✔ 30. A book from the New York Times '100 Notable Books' list for any year :: The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
✔ 31. A book inspired by a leading news story :: Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin

✔ 32. A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan :: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
✔ 33. A book about a non-traditional family :: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
✔ 34. A book from a genre or sub genre that starts with a letter in your name :: The Changeling by Robin Jenkins
✔ 35. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover :: The Power by Naomi Alderman

✔ 36. A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim :: The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia
✔ 37. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1 :: The Whole Story and Other Stories by Ali Smith
✔ 38. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #2 :: All Made Up by Janice Galloway
✔ 39. A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce :: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

✔ 40. A book with a place name in the title :: Geisha of Gion by Mineko Iwasaki
✔ 41. A mystery :: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
✔ 42. A book that was nominated for one of the ‘10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World’ :: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
✔ 43. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse :: Still Alice by Lisa Genova
✔ 44. A book related to witches :: Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman

✔ 45. A book by the same author who wrote one of your best reads in 2019 or 2018 :: The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
✔ 46. A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire" :: The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
✔ 47. A classic book you've always meant to read :: Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie
✔ 48. A book published in 2020 :: to be decided in-year

✔ 49. A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win - a book that makes you nostalgic :: Eats, Shoots, and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation 2010 Day-to-Day Calendar by Lynne Truss
✔ 50. A book with a silhouette on the cover :: Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
✔ 51. A book with an "-ing" word in the title :: Snacks After Swimming: A Pool of the Best New Creative Writing Talent in Scotland by Adrian Searle
52. A book related to time :: The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe


M A P

I'm mapping my book settings and author nationality - check it out!

01 :: A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y

Binge by Tyler Oakley★★★☆☆


How it fits the prompt Well, it isn't spelt Bynge...


I didn't really know who this guy was when I bought the book. I've since seen him on an episode of Drag Race and he seemed decent enough. I've still not checked out his Youtube, so all I know about him is what I read in this book, but that is still the impression that I have of him - decent, and also very funny. I actually picked this book up as the title and description lead me to believe he'd be discussing his eating disorder, which is something I'm always interested in reading about. On that point, I'll say I was a bit disappointed. There is only one section of the book where he gets into the topic and it isn't at any great depth. Not that anyone is beholden to share their deepest struggles, and I do respect that he at least chose to share some of his experiences. But this is more about the crazy life of an internet celebrity, and while it's an amusing book with some (sometimes awkward) revelations it isn't exactly a emotional read. If I'd have known who Tyler was before then I'd have probably known that, and been able to enjoy this more for what it is - fluffy, like a chat with your girls when you've all had too many cocktails (that is, if your girls were all pop-obsessed gay guys). And actually, sometimes that's the kind of read you need.

02 :: A book by an author whose last name is one syllable

Shrill by Lindy West ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt Well, it isn't pronounced We-suh-tuh...


I love a good feminist read, but I think my favourite type of feminism is that which relates the more high-brow theory to real life and does so with a hefty dose of humour, well seasoned with gutter talk. Lindy West serves up just my kind of dish. That she does so from the perspective of someone with a fat body just made this even more delicious. She slays trolls, comedians who trawl the trauma of rape for cheap laughs, and the nonsensical anti-abortion right, all whilst remaining honest and vulnerable about who she is and where she has been. As a comedy fan myself, she puts into words a lot of the feelings I have had when male comics make jokes about things which a) victimise those who have experienced them and b) which their privilege of being male means they are much less likely to experience. I know that crushing disappointment when a comedian you admire lowers himself to shock tactics to milk some laughs. I love that she takes a stand against the "you just don't have a sense of humour" argument used to silence minorities when they dare to question what is or isn't funny. I didn't know anything about Lindy before I read this book, but that doesn't detract from the reading experience, and having read her book I absolutely want to read more of her work.

03 :: A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019

Dear Fatty by Dawn French ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt I think I picked this because of reading Happy Fat: Taking Up Space in a World That Wants to Shrink You by Sofie Hagen last year, and wanting to read more from the perspective of a woman living in a fat body.


I hadn’t intended to start my reading for 2020 with a string of memoirs by well-known faces, but this is my third in a row. Dawn French is by far the most well-known (and well-known to me) of the three I’ve read. I wouldn’t really class myself as a fan, exactly. I like her, I like her work and I’ve been aware of her since childhood, but I don’t follow her in any sense. I have, however, always had a warm feeling towards her and a sense that she is a woman to be admired. This very honest, rich and deep memoir has confirmed all that. French has structured this book around the people she loves, writing each chapter as a letter to someone she cares about (oh, and Madonna). This approach made the whole thing feel so much more personal, with raw emotion and reflection colouring each of the memories she recounts. She had such an interesting childhood, and this book focuses much more on her formative years (and her formative years in comedy) than it does her later career. As someone who was reading this out of interest in the person rather than the personality, I appreciated that. Of course she mentions many famous friends, but as a genuine part of her life rather than name dropping or kiss-and-tell (though there is a brilliant list of all the people she’s snogged). I think I probably picked this book up more for its title and that French is a prominent plus-sized woman, as I am always keen to learn from those who seem to be comfortable in their own skin. She does talk about living in a fat body, but contrary to my pre-reading assumptions Fatty is not French, and her body is not central to this book. Just as things should be, I suppose – she is so much more than her outward appearance, after all. She is obviously very funny, but she is also driven by love, values and the power of the relationships she holds so dear. I don’t think this will encourage me to follow her work any more closely, but I know I’ll appreciate what I do come across more now that I understand the woman behind it.

04 :: A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live

With Their Backs to the World: Portraits from Serbia by Åsne Seierstad ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt I actually think that Serbia and the other former Yugoslavian countries sound fascinating. But at that point in history, a war zone, under the rule of a dictator? No, I wouldn't want to live in any country under those conditions.


I read The Bookseller of Kabul a few years ago, and enjoyed it so much that I bought a few more of Seierstad's books, though it’s taken me until now to actually get round to reading one. I really enjoy the way that she immerses herself in the lives and culture of those who she writes about, although this book has a different approach from Bookseller as each chapter follows a different citizen of Serbia. The range of people she befriended and observed includes students, refugees, journalists, politicians and even a Serbian rock star, with varying levels of engagement and from different sides of the political divides. The edition of this book which I read also included all the follow up visits she made since the book was first published. The result is a rich portrait of the lives and beliefs of those who experienced all sides of the conflicts, ideologies and reality of living in such a volatile and uncertain place and time. I’ll be honest and say that I understood little of the region and even less about the Balkan conflicts – I was a young child in the early 90’s and as is pointed out in the book the world had become more focused on other regions in the wake of 9/11 when I was old enough to have a better awareness and interest in the wider world. I watched a few potted history videos on Youtube before reading this book to try and understand it, but even with those and with having read the book, whilst I now understand how complex the issues were I still struggle to understand the issues themselves. That isn’t a criticism of the book at all, but simply a reflection of how layered and multifaceted such issues can be. Seierstad manages to remain fairly impartial even in the face of the most strident characters, although I did enjoy the wit and sly observations that still poke through occasionally. This book was fascinating, and if nothing else confirms for me that in any situation there are never such clear cut distinctions as wrong or right, and that those who suffer most are always those with the least power.

05 :: The first book in a series that you have not started

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt First in the series of the same name, though I doubt I'll read more of them.


I'd heard a lot about this book over the years, and the concept is so simple but totally genius. What would the world and life for those in it look like if we lived in a black supremacist society rather than the white one we're all stuck in? And reading it was fascinating and threw up so many interesting points. It's crazy to me that so many people have shelved this as dystopian, when really it is so close to the lived experience of many people in our society even today. The reading of this book should really make that more than evident, and I'd question anyone who walked away from this book without pausing to think on that.

That this is a YA book really makes me happy, because it doesn't shy aware from such a real topic and instead makes it relevant to readers at an age where their opinions are hopefully still malleable. As an adult reader, the writing and characters didn't do a whole lot for me, but I don't think that matters. It was still an enjoyable read, one I feel is accessible enough for even reluctant readers.

The negative, for me, is the assumption that black people (Crosses) would be just as awful to white people (noughts) as white people have been (and sadly often still are) to black people if the tables of power were turned. Obviously, I understand why Blackman made that supposition - without it there would be no story. But it just made me sad to think like that, especially considering that in some ways the powerful Crosses are actually worse to the noughts - in this world, slavery lasted a lot longer and segregation still exists despite it being set in what I assume to be more modern times. But maybe that says more about my naivety regarding the corruption and malice that comes with power. Perhaps the very fact of gaining and holding power is a great equaliser, in that it makes those who have it act in disgusting ways to those who don't...I hope not, for all our sakes.

06 :: A book with a mode of transportation on the cover

Enduring Love by Ian McEwan ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt There's a hot air balloon on the cover


This book has to have one of the best opening scenes ever - a bizarre but horrifying incident where a group of strangers rush to save a child from an out-of-control hot air balloon, recounted in exacting detail by one Joe Rose. Scientific writer, happily living with his partner Clarissa, who through his involvement in the botched rescue attempt attracts the obsessive attention of one of the others involved. A fanatical loner, Jed Parry is convinced that Joe loves him and takes to stalking him, seeing every denial of romantic interest on Joe's part as further proof that their love is enduring and will lead atheist Joe to God.

There are some amazing scenes in this book (the drug dealers in a farm house was a standout for me), and I loved the build up to the conclusion whilst even as a reader I questioned what was reality and who really was suffering from a psychiatric turmoil. I think that was what I enjoyed about the book. Well, that and McEwan's prose, which I think I've enjoyed in all the books of his that I've read (I think about six now). This is no Atonement, but I enjoyed it more than some of his others. And that's even taking into account my loss of appetite for middle class characters...possibly because this isn't exactly a rich people problems story. The situation is so out there, and that is what really makes the book.

07 :: A book set in the southern hemisphere

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt Set in Chile

I came to this book with no expectations, knowing only that I'd heard that of all Allende's books this is probably one of the best and it felt like a good place to start. And I wasn't disappointed, particularly as this book is a family saga set in a country I don't know a lot about - two things which will always appeal to me. But it takes more than a good premise to make a book worth reading, and this book has so much going for it. I loved the touches of magical realism, but that they were more accents to a book much more fully grounded in reality. And that reality was so fascinating - the power struggles of Chile throughout the 20th century, the class divides and prejudices of a society and how those play out within a family when the generations have different views, or when their hearts draw them to people across those divides. The story allows the ripples of time to pass so that the actions of one person or group can be seen as they spread across generations. There is so much sadness and violence in this story, it is a story of endurance and change. At times it can make for tough reading, and not all the characters are likeable. But at the same time, none are without understandable motivation. I was engaged the whole way through this story, and I'm intrigued to read more of Allende's work.

Not to be nitpicky, and not to stop you from reading The Bluest Eye, but it doesn't actually qualify as a "two-word title where the first word is The". I can see how you looked at it as 2 words after "The", but the idea is something like The Nix, The Nest, The Help, etc. I'm sure Morrison is on the list of 100 Essential Female Writers, or nominated for a prize or one of the other prompts.

Robin wrote: "Not to be nitpicky, and not to stop you from reading The Bluest Eye, but it doesn't actually qualify as a "two-word title where the first word is The". I can see how you looked at it a..."

Not nit-picky at all - now you've pointed it out, how obvious! Thank you for giving me a shout!

09 :: A book that can be read in a day

Yellow WallPaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt Short story/novella, and I read it in 40mins

I am so glad this story wasn't any longer, because I couldn't have taken much more of it. I don't think I've ever read such a razor sharp, terrifying depiction of a mind caving in on itself. Any more, and I'd have been clawing at that yellow wallpaper myself, desperate to rescue the narrator in order to save us both. The claustrophobia and detachment from reality is suffocating as you observe this highly articulate and self-aware narrator fall deeper into her illness. The wry comments on how she is treated allows you to see just how those around her and the general mindset of the time facilitate her plunge into psychosis. The whole thing just comes together as a true horror story of just how close any of us could be to that invisible (at least to the sufferer) line between sanity and mental illness. I was so thoroughly creeped out by the end that I haven't even been able to organise my thoughts on how this is also such a brilliant statement about the rights of women... What an incredible story.

08 :: A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The"

The Missing by Andrew O'Hagan ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt Well, I nearly read The Bluest Eye...counting isn't my strong suit!

This book, part-memoir and part-true crime, really gripped me. It traces the author's interest in those who go missing, from the reason his family moved from Glasgow (where violence, and the disappearances of young women, made his parents look to raise their children somewhere safer), to disappearances which touched his childhood in Ayrshire, to his adult life as a journalist in England covering various missing cases and the murders of Fred and Rosemary West. I've read one of O'Hagan's fictional works, and it was interesting to read about his childhood and further back to the generations before him who lived in the East End of Glasgow. As a native of the West of Scotland myself, that appealed to me. But actually I think it would be an interesting read for those who aren't as familiar, as the sectarianism and the Bible John murders - particularly in O'Hagan's telling - are intriguing. This is not a salacious book, and I really appreciated how O'Hagan focuses on the victims and those left behind. Particularly where those missing have been victims of violent crime, he gives them their names and talks about their lives rather than their demises - he doesn't even use the name Bible John, and his discussion on the Wests is focused far more on those who they abused. He is compassionate and introspective in the telling, and I think that's what made this feel very human.

10 :: A book that is between 400-600 pages

Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt My edition was the hardback, 448 pages.

I suppose I need to start this with a disclaimer that I fookin' love Caitlin Moran. I love her writing, I loved Raised by Wolves, I love listening to her speak. She isn't perfect, and she comes at feminism from her own place of experience, but unlike others I don't mark her down for those things. She doesn't pretend to be the all-knowing and she is very evidently trying and evolving. And as she rightly also points out in this book (not about herself), no one woman can represent all women, no one oppressed person can represent all oppressed people. She is speaking for and as a white, mid-life, working class woman from Wolverhampton. That should be enough of a place to start from.

“It’s amazing to me that it’s still considered a notable, commendable trait –‘Oh, she’s a well-known feminist’ – in a woman, or a girl, or a man, or a boy. That that is the unusual thing. Really, it should be the reverse. Rather than what seems like a minority having to spend time, energy, brain and heart explaining why they’re ‘into’ equality, the majority should be explaining why they’re not."

Anyway, on to the book, which is a mix of pieces she's written for the Times and others written for this book. I didn't read it when it first came out, so some of the things she discusses (David Cameron being the current PM, the 2012 Olympics, Louis CK being a person you want to include in feminist writing...eww, etc) aren't current, which dates it a little. But I often find that with books of this type, it's the nature of the beast. Look beyond that, and you find a really funny display of awareness, intelligence and honesty thinly veiled in pieces as diverse as a day spent with Benedict Cumberbatch, the Bedroom Tax, tv reviews and abortion. She can be at turns facetious, earnest, passionate or touching, but always with a warmth and hilarity which made this a total joy to read.

11 :: A book originally published in a year that is a prime number

#MeToo: Essays About How and Why This Happened, What It Means and How to Make Sure it Never Happens by Lori Perkins ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt Published in 2017

I think the subtitle basically tells you what this book is all about. But I will add that it is a collection of essays from different individuals, including men, so the perspectives and experiences shared or alluded to are mixed. But they all come together with a powerful message, and that is really what the purpose of this book is. As with many anthologies, the pieces are on a spectrum. They range from analytical to emotional, and there are pieces that are stronger than others. But this is a protest book, it is raw and reactionary, maybe unpolished. That doesn't detract from the fact that it is important, and it still managed to be a good read. My only criticism is that it is very US-centric, but it's only a nit-pick at best because the movement began in the US, it's key antagonists are from the world of Hollywood, and unfortunately sexual abuse and harassment translate easily into every culture and language on earth.

Sarah - I love reading your book comments; they are always so thoughtful. Thank you.

Lizzy wrote: "Sarah - I love reading your book comments; they are always so thoughtful. Thank you."

Thank you, I really appreciate that 😊

12 :: A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people

The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt Ambrose Parry is the pen name of husband and wife duo Christopher Brookmyre and Dr Marisa Haetzman.

I heard about this book through The BBC's Big Scottish Book Club (well worth a watch, btw), where the authors were talking about it and how it came about. I've read one of Brookmyre's books, and so knew this was probably going to be a decent read, but it was the setting of Edinburgh in the 1840's and the topic of obstetrics and midwifery that really sparked my interest.

And wow, this book delivered. Edinburgh is dark, dangerous and atmospheric as our protagonist Will Raven attends some gruesomely brutal births as the assistant to the city's leading obstetrician. Raven is strangely (but enjoyably) feminist given the times and housemaid Sarah, his companion in solving the mystery of a dangerous abortionist operating in the city, is a brilliantly fleshed out character that you can't help but root for. I'm glad she had such a large role, as Raven himself is not a particularly likeable character, but given his age and backstory he does become more understandable.

This isn't a book for the squeamish, but I found the medical history and the commentary on the conditions into which pregnancy forced women (particularly poor women) fascinating. So much so that the mystery almost came second. But I enjoyed that element too, and the book got very exciting as it closed in around the suspects.

I'm not usually one for series, but I'll be adding the next book in this one to my TBR...as well as a few more Brookmyre titles.

13 :: A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge - 2016 prompt 36 (an identity book - a book about a different culture, religion or sexual orientation)

About the Night by Anat Talshir ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt This is set in Jerusalem, amidst the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.


This is the story of an Arab man Elias and a Jewish woman Lila, who fall in love in 40's Jerusalem, only to be separated by conflict, religion and a physically divided city. But theirs is a love that can't be extinguished, and this book charts their lives and emotions through decades of conflict and changes all around them, and the heartbreaking separation these cause. I'm not necessarily one for a romance, but this is no ordinary love. And the story is told (and has been incredibly translated) in the most transfixing and beautiful writing. This is tempered from being too cloying by being balanced against details of the ongoing fighting across the city, and the stories of a cast of other characters. I particularly enjoyed the modern day interactions of Nomi, who was a young girl during the hidden love story, and elderly Elias.

This is a slow, quiet story so I can see it wouldn't be for everyone, but I appreciated that quality in it. I enjoyed learning more about a conflict I have never been able to get my head around, and see it through the eyes of those who experienced it. Not those who fought it, but the everyday people whose lives were impacted as they tried their best to exist. I think I actually liked that aspect much more than I actually liked the love story. Like I said, I'm not big on romance, but this particular romance had a lot wrong with it that I couldn't overlook. Elias and Lila were not the warmest or most engaging characters, and no matter how strong a love is I really can't ever be ok with infidelity or abandonment.

Still, I think this book will stay with me for a long time and I really enjoyed the reading experience.

14 :: A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt She is on the list, described as The award-winning author and playwright best known for her novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn.


This book is perfection. From just a few pages in I was hooked, and the story whipped me along its gloomy passageways as if caught in a current. I don't even know where to start - what did I love about this so much? Perhaps it was the gothic tone, the imposing presence of Manderley or the atmosphere of menace within its walls. Perhaps it was the ever-present ghost of Rebecca, whose hand touched everything our young, naive narrator touches as she attempts to fill her shoes in the role of Mrs de Winter. Perhaps it was the mystery of Rebecca's death and the shady, shifting house staff with their secrets and loyalties. Or perhaps it was because this book is a total masterpiece, elegantly written and never showing its hand until the crucial moment. Sometimes I struggle to review books I've absolutely adored because anything I want to say sounds naff or hyperbolic, and this book is no exception. So perhaps less is more, and I'll leave it at that?

15 :: A book set in a global city

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt Set primarily in London


I read The Time Traveller's Wife years ago and really loved it, so I had high hopes for this book. And the premise sounded great - American twins are bequeathed a flat in London from an aunt they never knew existed, on the promise that they never let their parents cross the threshold. As they cross the Atlantic to their new address, what mysteries await? And I have to say, it is the setting of this book - the antique strewn rooms of aunt Elspeth's home in the shadow of the historic Highgate Cemetery, and of course the cemetery itself, that made this such a gorgeous read. This book is so gothically atmospheric, Niffenegger's wonderful prose literally brings the dead to life. With creepy twins, family secrets and a cast of characters all negotiating their own troubles, there was so much in this book that kept me turning the pages. I do think that in the wrong hands this story would have quickly gone from the sublime to the ridiculous, but although this story does require quite the suspension of disbelief it does manage that tightrope walk with barely a wobble. So whilst I think The Time Traveller's Wife is still Niffenegger's strongest book, this one is a close contender.

16 :: A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area

The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt Set in Wigtown, in rural Dumfries and Galloway and discusses the difficulties and pleasures of this


So let's list things that I love. Scotland, bookshops, books about books, heavy doses of sarcasm, and (when I worked in a bookshop myself) snarking about customers. So given that all of these boxes are ticked in this book, it was a open goal. I cringed and laughed in equal measures, and given that my own bookselling career was pre-Kindle, early Amazon and in a high street chain brand which has since eaten most of the competition, I learned so much about the used book trade and the realities of an independent book shop. I particularly enjoyed reading about the Wigtown Book Festival, which is top of my newly-single-freedom bucket list to visit. Bythell is curmudgeonly, but underneath it lies a man who is passionate about books, generous with his hospitality and very obviously cares about the people around him. I warmed to him a lot in his entries of striving to keep a threatened business afloat whilst not repeating his Kindle-shooting incident with certain incredibly rude and/or ignorant customers (or gawpers, given how rudeness and ignorance usually coincides with tightfistedness). I can't wait for the end of lock-down so I can start planning my Wigtown visit.

17 :: A book with a neurodiverse character

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick ★★★☆☆


How it fits the prompt The main character has been hospitalised for a non-defined mental health issue


For years I wrote this off as a rom-com, but when someone told me it was about mental health I decided to give it a go. So, Pat Peoples (worst name in literature?) is brought home by his mother after treatment in a mental health institution for an undisclosed amount of time. He has very specific issues including, hilariously, uncontrollable anger when he hears Kenny G. He's obsessed with exercise an reconciling with his wife in their very own happy ending. We know that something terrible happened which lead to his hospitalisation, and his estrangement from his wife, but we don't know what. This book is heavy on the American football thing - lots of matches, tailgate parties and even his therapist is a fellow Eagles fan. I hate sports, so that was a bit grating, but I fully understand why it played a big role in this book. Pat strikes up an odd relationship with a similarly unwell woman whose husband has died, which involves her following him when he runs, and a date where they don't talk much and share a bowl of cereal. This book is quirky. It's funny, and I liked the way it dealt with mental health by not being an in-depth exploration (though I know some may find it flippant...I wouldn't agree). It has a really sweet ending, and despite the heavy issues it's actually quite a fun read.

18 :: A book by an author you've only read once before

Courtney Love: The Real Story by Poppy Z. Brite ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt I've read Poppy Z. Brite once before, Drawing Blood, and really enjoyed that so I knew this story was in safe hands.


I'm not a fan of Courtney Love. Not in the shady way of meaning I dislike her, just that I was too young to get into grunge. I've listened to both Hole and Nirvana, and thought they were ok, but just ok. But I am interested in her story, so when my friend was clearing out his books this was one of the ones I picked up. This book is not written to tear Courtney Love down, but equally it isn't trying to make her into some sort of saint. It covers her traumatic childhood, her involvement in different music scenes across America and in the UK, her relationship with Kurt Cobain and their journey into parenthood, and how she dealt with his death by suicide. I found it fascinating to see the other well-known people she knew - the ones she loved, and the ones she hated. I really appreciated that she doesn't hold back on that last one either, something you don't always get in "celebrity" biographies and memoirs, but I'm always down for some hot tea. She speaks her mind, and if she doesn't like someone she's not only going to tell them but she's going to tell the whole fucking world. I've come out of this book thinking that although problematic, this is a woman who has been through hell and is totally fascinating. The book is really well written, it flows really well and doesn't just take Love's word for things!

19 :: A fantasy book

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern ★★★★★


How it fits the promptAbout magicians in an enchanted circus...not exactly gritty realism!


Someone tell me why I resisted this book for so long? I was so busy claiming not to like fantasy that I nearly missed this absolute treasure. But what could be more fantastical than an enchanted circus, the monochrome arena for a contest between two wielders of stunning magic and their shady puppet masters. The true magician here is Morgenstern, as even for a sceptic like me none of this felt unbelievable. I had no doubt that everything in this book was real. And maybe that was me being enchanted by the circus, perhaps I was also under a spell. Because I can acknowledge that the characters were not as deep as they could have been, that the romance felt a little cool for the stakes. But it didn't matter. And why? Because this book isn't a love story, it isn't a character study, it is a pure celebration of the power of magic. The beauty of illusion...when that illusion is completely real. The joy of something without purpose, which exists simply for the enjoyment of being in it. What begins as a competition between two egomaniacal old sorcerers becomes something so much more, so separate from them, that it has to endure. At any cost. Stunning.

20 :: The 20th book [on your TBR, in a series, by an author, on a list, etc.]

Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb ★★★☆☆


How it fits the prompt 20th book on my Kindle TBR shelf on GR, after sorting by date added.


I was so taken by the premise of this book - a body washes up on the lake shore, and Kate instinctively knows who the woman is...but only from her dreams. Who is this woman, who died 100 years ago but who has resurfaced as if her light has only just gone out? And why is she holding a newborn baby? And what is her link to Kate? I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it doesn't really live up to its premise. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it. It's readable, quite compelling and I really wanted to find out who this woman was what happened to her. The story unravels as Kate continues to dream, and searches through her family history. It's quite a fun read, but...it's fluff. I guessed the ending quite early on, though it was satisfying to watch it play out. However, the writing style just did nothing for me and the levels of schmaltz had me rolling my eyes quite a few times. The chintzy romance and total lack of depth (especially given the subject matters of infidelity and murder) just isn't my thing. And don't get me started on how contrived the relationship between Kate and her gay cousin was - lots of scenes of him putting her in the bath, curling up in bed with her. It seemed such a forced way to make it sound realistic, but the result was the pole opposite. So, a fun read but way too fluffy for me.

21 A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1720

Night by Elie Wiesel ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt I was meant to read Everything You Know by Zoë Heller, but I must have unhauled it. So I decided to go with this, as what is closer to hell than than the Holocaust?


How can I put into words the impact that this book has? In today's climate, where fascism looms darkly on our close horizons, this book is just as important as it was when published...probably more so, as with the passing of time has come complacency. I had to keep putting this book down to take a breath at the sheer horror that this isn't fiction. I'm no stranger to WWII writing. I read Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, and her would-have-been step-sister's Eva's Story: A Survivor's Tale by the Step-Sister of Anne Frank when I was a young teenager, as well as many fictional takes on that time. But this...this is the definitive account of the experience of a victim of the Holocaust and the experience of Auschwitz. Eva's Story had prepared me well, I've never forgotten her account. But Wiesel doesn't simply recount his experiences (though he does do that, to gut-wrenching results), he makes such powerful statements about those who oppress, and the human nature of trying to survive the unsurviveable (I don't even think that's a word, but forgive me because I can't even get my thoughts together here). We cannot afford to forget what was done in the name of supremacy, this is too awful to have happened even once. These stories need to be told, and told, and told. What Wiesel and others alongside him went through is beyond the comprehension of so many of us, comfortable in front of Netflix and seeing voting as a pointless exercise. But we have the power to prevent this happening again, to stop this happening where it still goes on, and to speak out against any form of -ism or oppression whenever we can. Because the alternative, the lived reality of people like Wiesel, is just too *insert any and all synonyms for barbaric* to contemplate. We should think ourselves blessed that someone with Wiesel's gift with words was lucky enough to survive and tell us all his story.

22 A book with the major theme of survival

The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt Memoir of escaping a war zone

Having read other reviews, I realise that I totally missed that this book wasn't really written by the stated author. Instead it is her account as retold to a ghost writer. I'm not sure how I feel about that, in terms of how I separate the truth from the touch of an outside party. However, I did really like this book. And I think for me, it was the story rather than the writing that made it so compelling. This is the real-life account of Ahmadi-Miller, from her childhood in pre-communist Afghanistan in an affluent family, through her and her siblings journey of fleeing from the country without their parents after the Soviet invasion, and the struggles they then went through to find a place to belong. For me, the most interesting aspects were the descriptions of Kabul before the invasion. I knew from other books I'd read that prior to that invasion, Kabul was very different from the vision we now have in our minds of the Taliban, of a strict religious regime and the freedoms of individuals (particularly women) being stripped away. It was a progressive city, forward moving and, particularly through the eyes of a young Ahmadi-Miller who grew up in privilege, a special place to be. I also really enjoyed the children's experience of fleeing the country, though their background does mean that although hard and frightening their journey was easier than many others as they had the means of paying for an experienced adult to guide them. I'm glad for that, as I don't think there would be a story to tell had that protection not been there - the children would not have made it, given the dangers both from the sheer effort and conditions of the journey as well as the conflict and perils that surrounded them. For me, the story dipped somewhat in the middle, but the final legs of their journey to India brought me back in. There is reflection in this book, both on Ahmadi-Miller's conflicting feelings for her home country, the injustices witnessed on their journey and the bonds of family. I really enjoyed that, but I'm wondering now if it could have been much deeper had she had the ability/license to tell this story completely herself rather than through another person, or whether those reflections were even her own at all.

23 A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt Focuses on the gay community of Chicago

I had been really looking forward to this story of Yale and Fiona, brought together with Yale's friendship with Fiona's brother Nico during the AIDS epidemic in Chicago and who have to experience mass loss as those around them they love are killed by the disease and the lack of healthcare provided to them. We see how their friendship grows amongst the devastation around them, and how Yale copes with the aftermath of discovering his long term partner is himself HIV positive. The book switches timelines between this period of their youth, to current day where Fiona has found herself in Paris trying to track down her daughter who has disappeared and with whom she has a fraught relationship. In Paris, she stays with an old friend from her youth, and is forced to reflect on the impact of that incredibly sad time in her life, and how it has shaped her as an adult and mother. I loved this book so much, and for me it was Yale's story that made it. My heart was wrenched by the sense of loss, the heartbreak, betrayal and the outcome of his personal story, and I really enjoyed the storyline of his career in art gallery of a university and the donation of a collection of lost art. I wasn't so keen on Fiona's story, particularly her search for her daughter, and would have much rather the book focused on the gay community of the 80's. But even with that quibble, this is still one of my favourite reads of the year because it was so touching, so compelling and so important.

24 A book with an emotion in the title

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt Fury!


I put off reading this book for a long time as it's a chunker. If you're putting it off for the same reason, trust me - it flies by. I was so engrossed in this story that it felt almost effortless to read. But don't confuse that with it being light or fluffy. Boyne tackles tough topics in this book - homophobia, life for a gay man in an Ireland where to be a gay man was illegal, heartbreak, dysfunctional families, mistreatment of women under Catholicism, AIDS, murder, unrequited love...I could go on! But he knows how to weave unforgettable characters, humour and an epic saga into something which is page-turning, upsetting and yet comforting all at the same time.

This is the life story of Cyril, told in seven year leaps from his adoption at birth by parents who keep him at arms length, to growing up as a closeted gay man in love with his best friend, to an old man examining how all those elements and the relationships involved in them shape his life. But it's also the story of Ireland's approach to homosexuality, the AIDS epidemic in New York and so much more besides. The sheer scope of this book is impressive, and Boyne brings together all the moving parts perfectly.

This isn't just one of the best books I've read this year, I think it's one of my favourites of all time.

25 A book related to the arts

Scottish Women's Fiction, 1920s to 1960s: Journey into Being by Carol Anderson ★★☆☆☆


How it fits the prompt Non-fiction about novelists.


This had been sitting on my shelves for a long time, and escaped a few unhaulings. I'd never got round to reading it, but couldn't part with it as I do have an interest in Scottish fiction. Having read some Jessie Kesson last year and some Muriel Spark previously, I thought now was as good a time as any to finally pick this up. Both those writers are included in this collection of essays, as well as others I had never heard of. And many of those have landed on my to-read list, so for that I am grateful as I may not have come across them without it. But I have to be honest - I'm not a student of literature but I'm not unintelligent...and some of these essays are so academic that I barely knew what they were talking about! I nearly gave up on it a few times as I don't think someone like me was the intended audience for this, but there were a few essays that were less dense that coaxed me to keep going. I think it's great that they put this collection together, because a lot of these writers have been overshadowed by their male contemporaries. But this is for people deeper into literature theory then little ol' lay person me!

26 A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards

Normal People by Sally Rooney ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt Best fiction nominee


I was sceptical going into this book, because oh my god - the hype. This book has been talked about by so many people, and of course there is the tv adaptation which also seems to have been seen by everyone and their granny. But my friend, whose taste in books I always agree with, tried to read Conversations with Friends and hated it so much he DNF it.

Turns out...sometimes our tastes differ, because I loved this book. I'm not so old that I can't remember the politics of high school popularity, or the cruel way teenagers rank and treat one another. I could identify with both Marianne and Connell, constrained in their new relationship as they were by their different pegging in the social structure of school. As this book follows them through university, where that pegging flips on its head, I felt every small misunderstanding or situation which either brought them together or held them apart. I would pity or seethe at first one then the other as they took so many missteps, whilst rooting for them to just get it right.

In many ways this is a deeply sad book, where class and the opinions of others play such a domineering role in the happiness of these two people. Although it's also incredibly frustrating, as some of the barriers and problems are purely of their own making. Rooney really knows how to craft a character, and some of the descriptive passages - particularly but not only the sex scenes - are painfully beautiful and heartbreaking. I did have a bit of an issue with the conflation of BDSM as a form of self-harm, but at the same time it felt very realistic as to why that was part of one character's story.

This book moved me, it enthralled me, and I took great pleasure in telling my friend that (for me at least) he was wrong about Sally Rooney. And now I can't wait to see the tv adaptation.

27 A history or historical fiction

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt Historical fiction based on the life of Zelda Fitzgerald


So, I suppose I'll start with some qualifiers. I've read a couple of F. Scott Fitzgerald's works, none of Zelda's. I've seen some of the episodes of Amazon's Z: the beginning of everything (which is based around their story as told by this book, I gather) but not all, and I read the non-fiction The Gatsby Affair: Scott, Zelda, and the Betrayal That Shaped an American Classic by Kendall Taylor about 18 months ago. So I know a bit about the phenomena that was the Fitzgeralds. I felt this book - given that it is a fictionalised account of Zelda's time as Scott's wife - added something to that pool of knowledge. But the very fact that it's a fictional account by someone removed from the actual facts means that what it mainly adds is colour or flavour, rather than anything concrete. But this book is so enjoyable and so well paced, that the flavour and colour it adds is vivid and delicious. And also, because it is so well crafted, I don't think you need any prior knowledge or even an interest in the Fitzgeralds to enjoy it. Though it will definitely make you more interested to find out more.

Because, lets face it - Zelda and Scott are fascinating. They were figureheads of an iconic time in culture, their relationship was all at once a beautiful love story and a bitter case study of the power struggle of two creative but very broken people. Both contradictions - Zelda was a free spirit who desperately wanted validation through her art, and Scott was incredibly modern when it suited him but overwhelmingly traditional in what he expected in Zelda as a wife - they cancelled each other out so much that their love was stomped on. They both paid high prices for their lifestyles, with Scott dying before his time no doubt due to his heavy drinking, and Zelda being submitted to the misguided and barbaric mental health treatment of the times, ultimately dying in a fire whilst institutionalised.

This book focuses mainly on the heyday of their marriage and how Zelda struggled to find herself and cope with the fact that the reality of being the wife of a famous writer was so far removed from her hopes and dreams. I was a bit disappointed that Zelda's mental health later in the marriage and afterwards was not more of a focus, as I think she was done a great disservice by both her marriage and the medical approach of the day. But what I did appreciate is that in this book, Zelda is more than her mental illness. This book really explored Zelda's side of the toxic mess their love became. Much like Taylor's account, I feel Scott comes off as the villain of the piece. Though it's hard to tell, especially as this is a fictionalised account, whether this is accurate. I suppose that can go for so many of the things in this book, so you have to keep reminding yourself as you read that this is a work of fiction. I think what felt most fictional to me was Zelda's voice. She didn't seem as outspoken, fiery or carefree as I had thought she should and as a result seemed a bit washed out. Given that this is a book about her I did feel she got lost in the narrative of the marriage...maybe that is true to life.

Still, I think it's a pretty good read. It would be hard to fail to provide a good storyline with such great source material to draw from, but on the flip side it could be easy to fail to make the fictional parts feel authentic. I think Fowler walks that tightrope quite well, though she does wobble quite a bit in terms of crafting Zelda to feel like a woman deserving of all the passion people have for her.

28 A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author

Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt Atwood is Canadian


This is the story of Elaine, a respected artist in her middle age who returns to Toronto, the city of her youth, for a retrospective of her work. But this visit brings to the fore memories of her childhood, and in particular the girls she called friends but whom were also her biggest tormentors. This is a book which examines the cruelties that young girls and women can inflict on one another, and how the impact of bullying can shape and haunt your adult life.

I've now read around 10 of Atwood's works, mainly novels, and this is by far one of my favourites (alongside The Handmaid's Tale,Alias Grace and The Blind Assassin). I think the dual timeline and Elaine's adult narration of the childhood aspects worked so, so well. This book spoke to me on a very deep level, having experienced similar bullying at the hands of so-called friends in my early teens. The instances, and the adult observations, are so accurate. I am far from an artist, but the exploration of how this bullying influenced Elaine's art worked for me as a metaphor for how you internalise and carry those injuries with you and how they influence how you see and handle your adult life.

But this book isn't all doom and gloom. There are childhood memories of Elaine's life with her eccentric family, and the development of her as an artist, as well as reflections on the passage into midlife from which I took a lot. This is a really well-rounded book, and Atwood's prose is really sharp, meditative and touched with her signature wry wit. I have an omnibus edition of this book, but I'll be looking for a standalone copy as it deserves a prominent place on my bookshelves.

29 An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser known book

Borrowed Light by Joolz Denby ★★★☆☆


How it fits the prompt Only 57 ratings on GR


I picked this up a few years ago after reading Joolz' Billie Morgan, which I really loved. Like Billie Morgan, this book explores the more painful aspects of life. It has a darkness to it which is similar, and shares many themes about friendship, family and responsibility, but this is a very different book. To me, Billie Morgan is stronger, but that isn't to say this isn't a good book.

Set in a Cornish surfing town which relies heavily on tourism, this is the story of Astra - she has had to drop out of uni as a result of her mother's worsening MS, caring both for her and for her younger sister Gita. In her 20's and feeling a little unanchored, Astra is happy when her friend Connie arrives from Bradford (from where the family originates) to open a beach-side cafe. Astra takes on some waitressing alongside her caring duties, and is treading water with her boyfriend whilst living in denial about her crush on local surfing hero Luke. When Connie's sister Angel turns up for the summer, life is thrown upside down. Angel is beautiful, and people are drawn to and obsessed by her. But she is also something of a void - lacking empathy for those so enthralled by her and without a thought to how her actions are perceived. Like a blank screen, those under her spell project all their love and hopes on to her, with catastrophic results.

This book is a slow burn, with a lot of foreshadowing towards a sharp shock of an ending. But what Joolz does so well is build characters, particularly but not only her narrative main character. We get to know Astra better than anyone around her, and a big part of this is the very chatty, natural tone of voice she has. At times that veered a little too much to feeling a bit contrived for me, but most of the time it felt like she was really speaking just to me. And the other characters around her, in particular Cookie who I fell in love with, are really fleshed out too. It is this connection to them all which makes the conclusion such a shock (because it is not exactly a surprise), and makes the build up worth it.

30 A book from the New York Times '100 Notable Books' list for any year

The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt It was on...one of the lists. I can't remember what year.


I went into this book expecting something much different. I guess it was the title, it conjured up Girl On The Train vibes. But this book is nothing like that...it is so much better.

Nora is hitting her 40's, a respected school teacher with an unrealised dream of being an artist. A dutiful daughter, a good citizen, she has become "the woman upstairs." You know her - loyal friend, helpful neighbour, keeps herself to herself. But under these labels is a woman seething with anger at the way her life has played out and battling with that nagging feeling that it's too late now. Too late for her artistic dreams, too late for love, for motherhood, for something different, something else. It's an inherited anger, passed down from her mother who Nora cared for in her slow dying days. Nora meets a family, a new pupil and his Italian/Lebanese parents, on a residency from France for the father's academic career. She strikes up a friendship with artist mother Serena, and through this the father and son, and her life suddenly becomes a place of art, meaning, love and happiness. But this friendship is betrayed by ambitious Serena in a sharp shock of an ending.

This book is a musing on a certain time in a woman's life, coloured by the regrets and losses and the getting on with things. It's a time I am approaching, and I took a lot from these musings. Mainly positive, I have to say, as I don't feel as stuck as Nora. I know she is classed by so many as an unlikeable character, but I don't think I felt that. I think what makes her difficult to like is the anger, and how she channels it not towards doing something positive but in kindling it deep in her thoughts which then sound to us as a reader as bitterness, a whinging, an ungratefulness. In many ways that was actually what I liked about her. The writing in this book is perfection, and so those thoughts she has about her anger were so well articulated that I found my own untethered feelings sometimes jumping out at me fully formed by Nora's words. What I didn't like about Nora was her own capacity for betrayal, and her almost complete lack of remorse or responsibility for it. But that made the ending all the more shocking...and just a bit satisfying too.

31 A book inspired by a leading news story

Young Jane Young ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt Mentions and mirrors the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal


I had been meaning to get round to this book for a long time, so I'm glad I finally did. I was too young to really understand the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal at the time, but it has interested me over the years. An affair is always wrong, but it is a wrong committed by both people involved. I could never understand why Monica Lewinsky became the one who really bore the brunt of the backlash. And particularly in this case, when it was Bill Clinton who was cheating on his wife, it was Bill Clinton who abused his power, and it was Bill Clinton who lied to the world about it. This story isn't a fictional retelling of that scandal, but of one similar to it.

Aviva is an intern for Congressman Levin, who ends up having an affair with him. It is exposed in a very public way, and while he steps away from it relatively unscathed, Aviva's reputation and hopes for the future are completely trashed. As his career continues to climb, Aviva can't escape her tarnished past and fulfill her potential in her own political (or any) career. She makes the decision to move away, change her name to Jane Young and start her life over as a wedding planner. But the past has a way of following you, and when both a slimy customer with his own agenda and her own tween daughter discover her secret there are huge repercussions.

I thought this was a really powerful book. It truly exposes all I've felt not just about the political scandal but of a lot of slut-shaming. The story is told not only through the eyes of Aviva/Jane but also her mother, her daughter and the Congressman's wife. The damage caused by the affair and then again by the widespread coverage has far-reaching implications, and it is really only the women who feel these shockwaves.

But there is also a lot of fun in this story. Zevin has a really subtle wit, and a way of making poignant points with a light-touch way with words. This book is well paced, the characters are really engaging and it covers a lot of ground in a fairly quick read. I've had The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry on my TBR and based on this book I won't hesitate to pick it up.

32 A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan

Convenience Store Woman ★★★☆☆


How it fits the prompt Set in Japan


I think this book was, for me, a victim of its own hype. I have heard so many people talk about, recommend and love on it that I got swept along and was anticipating something incredible. My experience was...somewhat more lukewarm.

This is the story of Keiko, who has been working at a convenience store since she was 18. She is devoted to her work, and it is something of a safe place for her - by imitating the behaviours, ways of speaking and even the clothes of those around her, she is able to navigate the world as a "normal" person. But now in her 30's, she is experiencing pressure from those around her to push for more - progress to a career, find a partner, meet the new expectations set for a woman her age. When a new member of staff joins her team, a man with some extreme opinions against conformity, Keiko takes some drastic action.

I had heard people speculate that Keiko is autistic, though that isn't confirmed in the book. I'm not sure it's relevant to the story whether she is or not (though as a reader, I would like to read a story from an autistic perspective), as Keiko is who she is. And for me, it is Keiko's view of the world and the expectations on her that was what interested me as I read this book. It was really fascinating, and threw up a lot of really valid points about conforming to what other people think you should be doing with your life.

Where the story lost me was in the repulsive male character. (view spoiler)[He wasn't pleasant to read, even from a love-hate perspective. And I felt that Keiko's actions relating to him made me deeply uncomfortable, as until that point she had not struck me as being stupid. I didn't understand how someone who took her cues from those around her would become involved with someone whom those around her thought was lazy and strange at best, unhinged at worst. And then to consider his proposition to move in, and have her support him. Even if it were to be seen to comply with the expectations of those around her, it just didn't seem it made sense in terms of how Keiko saw the world. (hide spoiler)]

So I struggle to decide how to feel about this book. It's a strange story, and had a lot of good points. But something stopped me really buying into it.

33 A book about a non-traditional family

Great Expectations ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt Pip is raised by his sister and her husband


Considering that the image of Miss Havisham from the 80's Disney adaptation of this novel has stayed in my mind since I watched in awe as a child as mice crawled over her cobweb-covered wedding cake, and the fact that I loved A Christmas Carol, and the fact that I enjoy classics...I can't understand how it took me so long to get round to this book. But I am so glad that I did.

I struggled with the reading experience, as I hadn't realised how long this book is and my Kindle misled me into believing it was only 286 pages. And so my slow progress made it feel as if I was slogging through this. Not helped by remembering that someone had criticised this book for being too verbose, not only as it's a classic (as show me one that isn't) but because it was originally published as a serial and Dickens was paid per-word. But about halfway through I gave myself a shake and realised that this is a long book (the paperback is 502 pages), but one that deserves every page.

This is the story of Pip, and orphan who has been brought up by his abusive sister and her gentle husband Joe. Two occurrences shape the rest of his life. The first is a chance encounter in a graveyard which leads to him giving food to a runaway convict. The second is being summoned to the home of a wealthy but deeply damaged woman, Miss Havisham - a bitter recluse whose life stopped the moment she was abandoned at the alter many years ago. In Miss Havisham's home he meets her adopted daughter Estella, a beautiful girl who has been brought up to be cold and aloof as a revenge on men for Miss Havisham's heartbreak. Pip falls madly in love with Estella, and is left repulsed by his life as a common, rough boy. But Pip is lifted from his world as a blacksmith's apprentice by an anonymous benefactor, who sets him up with enough money to become a gentleman. Pip is determined to win Estella's heart and - assuming that his benefactor is Miss Havisham - is sure that they are destined for one another. But having everything he wants is not all Pip dreamed it would be, and the story throws Pip into a dangerous and devastating series of twists.

This book looks at the dangers of being unhappy with our lot, not as a lesson not to strive for better but as a reminder to value the relationships and love that may be around us even in the worst of circumstances. There is nothing inherently wrong with Pip chasing his great expectations, but there is such a sadness surrounding what it is he loses in doing so. It's very much a "be careful what you wish for" moral. But I still feel it was important that Pip chased those expectations and went through all he did, as valuable lessons are learned by both him and the reader.

The characters in this book have to be some of the best I've ever read. Pip is flawed, but not unlikeable. Miss Havisham is fascinating, I adored Joe, Wemmick is an incredible sidekick and there are so many others whom it's a joy to hate. Dickens is so skilled at creating characters that teeter on the brink of caricature but don't fall into that pit.

And as for the writing, if I were the type of person to highlight quotes then this book would be glowing with fluorescence. Dickens' prose is just gorgeous, his descriptions of place and person and so vivid and his musings on matters of the heart, of emotions, of morality, are both beautiful and aware. Could this book have been 100 pages shorter? Probably. But I'm not mad that it wasn't.

34 A book from a genre or sub genre that starts with a letter in your name

The Changeling ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt Scottish fiction


This book is the story of what happens when teacher Charlie decides to take one of his brightest but most troubled and deprived pupils, Tom, on holiday with his family. Set in the 50's, the story takes us from a school in the East End of Glasgow, to the depths of a city slum where Tom lives, and then to the Argyll seaside where the drama really takes place. Tom struggles to assimilate into a middle class holiday, Charlie's children do not warm to him, and the adults (Charlie's wife and mother-in-law) are stacked against the idea from the beginning. Things do not go the way Charlie has hoped, and the result is devastating.

I really enjoyed this book, from so many angles and on so many levels. As a story, it's well paced and the writing is flawless. The characters are really well developed, and the ending left me speechless. As a resident of a similar "doon the watter" town where Glaswegians used to spend their holidays, and being really familiar with Dunoon (which I think Dunroth is based on) and Rothesay, it was a joy to read this slice of history which is so personal. My parents are babies of 50's Glasgow and my dad had similar holidays, so this was such a visceral read for me.

But more than anything, this is such a keen look at performative altruism and the damage that can be done by taking the "white knight" approach to those who live in poverty and deprivation. Particularly taking someone vulnerable out of their environment and expecting them to seamlessly assimilate. Charlie had good intentions, but the benevolence he extends doesn't go far enough as to create any sort of bond with Tom which could have made the situation much better for all involved. His choice of Tom as his beneficiary is likely more down to how it will reflect on him, and this is really shown in how he reacts when confronted by another boy from the slums, who he leaves to trail behind him like a dog and muses that if he actually were a dog he would throw stones at him to chase him off. When the whole family is confronted with the reality of Tom's background, we really see the attitudes that have made it so difficult for them to actually do any good for Tom. And I don't judge them for that, as gulf between them is massive and it's likely they've never been exposed to such different circumstances, but it acts as a perfect example as to why Charlie was never equipped for his act of charity. It serves to underline the importance of systemic change as opposed to hobbyist philanthropy.

This is the first Robin Jenkins' book I've read, but it wont be the last.

35 A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover

The Power ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt My edition is the one featured above


In a world where young women suddenly develop the power to generate electricity from their own bodies, the gender power dynamic is flipped on its head with men now being those who are afraid to walk alone at night. And inevitably, with power comes those who wish to use it for their own nefarious ends. The story is told through four perspectives - Roxie, the daughter of a English gangster; Allie, abused and spat out by the US care system; Margot (and her daughter Jocelyn), an American mayor; Tunde, a Nigerian man who becomes a journalist due to documenting the rise of the power. We see how the world reacts over a decade in time, from the first sparks of the power, to civil war, religious co-optation and the eve of gendercide.

This is a fascinating book that I just tore through. It's not an easy read, this is a violent and dark book. But it took me to places I hadn't expected whilst staying grounded in an eerily recognisable version of the world we live in. I enjoyed the satirical look at artifacts supposedly found 2,000 years after these events, and the sly yet cutting comments on rape culture and the general mistreatment of women as seen through the flipped perspectives.

This book can't really be called a dystopia, as in so many ways it is simply a mirror image of the reality for many women now and throughout history. But neither can it be called a utopia, as inequality against one gender will always have repercussions on the other no matter how blinkered to it those who seek to maintain that imbalance may be. I think this book examines that really well, albeit in quite broad and extreme strokes.

In terms of companion reads, there is obviously The Handmaid's Tale, in terms of gender imbalance taken to an extreme. But I also think Noughts & Crosses is a good shout, as that is another book which flips the power structures. Much like with Noughts & Crosses, I was saddened to see that the new version of the world was envisioned to be just/more violent and discriminatory under the new leaders. I would have hoped that a more peaceful and equitable world would be the result. But let's face it, compared to what I believe would be most likely in this scenario (that given current levels of misogyny, men would simply round women up and harness them to power stations in order to use them to power the patriarchal world), this has a more empowering edge.

I was hoping this was going to be a good book, and I wasn't disappointed. It's so smart, has the feel of an adventure story in parts, and raises so many questions. I loved it.

36 A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim

The Murmur of Bees ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt It was on my Kindle but I don't remember when I bought it (like so many others!)


This is the story of the Morales family, as narrated - in old age - by the youngest son, Francisco Jnr. It is a story of how they tried to survive as Mexican landowners through a civil war and against increasingly socialist laws and powers, as well as the Spanish influenza pandemic. But more than that, it is the story of the baby found abandoned in the undergrowth by an elderly nanny. Suddenly one night, despite not having moved from her rocking chair in decades, she takes it upon herself to trek far into the outback. She is found with this abandoned baby and the blanket of bees which covers him. Adopted by the family, and never without his protective swarm, Simonopio and his visions of the future becomes their protector from the forces against them - not only external ones, but an evil much closer to home.

This book is utterly stunning. I was completely mesmerised by its blend of magical realism and historical setting. It reminded me very much of Isabel Allende in that respect, and much as I felt I learned so much from that author's writing on Chile I gained just as much about Mexico from this author but in a way that never felt dry or staid. Although it starts off seeming as though it will be a family saga, it really narrows its scope down to the relationship between Francisco Jnr and Simonopio, and the role they played in one another's lives. I loved the use of the reminiscing narrator, who leant his hindsight to his actions as a boy, as it added a real note of melancholy that really tugged at my heart and made the ending a real tear jerker.

This book is magical. Obviously as I read the translated version I can only hope it is faithful to the original, but I thought this book was beautiful and fascinating and would love to read more of Segovia's work.

37 Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1

The Whole Story and Other Stories ★★★☆☆


How it fits the prompt A saying meaning truth


This is my...third Ali Smith (I think), after Hotel World which I gave 5* and The Accidental which I gave 3*. I enjoy her. I don't think I could say love her, in the way that so many do. But I think she is incredibly talented and will read more, as I desperately want her to win me over completely.

This is a short story collection, and as is typical of such a collection (with some beloved exceptions) I found that there were some brilliant moments and some which just didn't quite grab me. It opens incredibly strongly, and there are some standout pieces (seeing Death at the train station, falling in love with a tree and thwarting a hold up of a fast food restaurant). But then at other times I just lost the thread a bit (sometimes even in the same story that I had been really enjoying). Smith's writing always has a touch of weird to it, which I have to be in the right mood for. And although I don't always need things tied up in a neat bow, there were a lot of unresolved endings in these stories that just made me a bit frustrated. But her wit and way with words are utterly undeniable, and her way of capturing the Scottish experience sometimes in as little as a single sentence is pure perfection.

And that is what keeps me holding on to Smith, I know she'll blow me away if I keep picking up her books.

38 Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #2

All Made Up ★★★★☆


How it fits the prompt A saying meaning lies


This is the second of Galloway's memoirs. This covers her teenage years, whereas her first memoir This is Not About Me is, I gather, about her childhood. This is the first of the two I've read, and having done so I don't think you need to read them in order.

I really enjoyed Galloway's writing when I read her novel about mental health - The Trick is to Keep Breathing - last year. I enjoyed this book just as much, where she turns her lens on to her own difficult upbringing. Growing up in a small flat, sharing a bed with her mother after her much older sister has returned home after walking out on her marriage and child. Trying to be a good student and daughter whilst living under the scrutiny and abuse of her sister, teenage Janice becomes more unsure of herself. She finds solace in her love of Latin, reading and playing in the school orchestra, but these passions only seem to further draw out her sister's spite. Her mother provides little protection, and Janice finds herself looking for belonging elsewhere.

This is the sort of memoir that completely drags me in. Honesty with an unflinching introspection, that allows the reader to really understand the starting blocks from which an impressive person has pushed off. There is tough stuff to read in this book, it is very bleak in parts. Some of it resonated quite painfully with me. But it is balanced out with some humour and a writing of real clarity and poise. Plus, Scotland. I devoured this book and can't wait to get to her first memoir to read about what came before.

46 A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire"

The Complete Persepolis ★★★★★


How it fits the prompt "Ayatollah's in Iran"


I'll preface this by saying this is only the second graphic novel I've ever read, so my ability to compare and contrast is limited. But I have read a few Iranian memoirs, and a crapload of books...so there's that.

This account of Satrapi's childhood in 70's and 80's Iran during the revolution, and her young adulthood separated from her family when she is sent to Austria to continue her education in safety, is really exceptional. It says so much, despite saying very little with the words. The illustrations in this collection are deceptively simple, in stark black and white, because they impart so much more than the words. Whilst the text tells, it is the visuals which really show. Combined, this is an incredibly impactful memoir.

Satrapi comes across strongly not only in her struggles and observations of the political landscape, but in her wit and insight into her sometimes brattish behaviour. She owns her actions, even if some of them cause hurt or danger to herself or others. The backdrop of the political climate is so imposing, so it's this level of reflection and honesty that really elevates this memoir and allows Satrapi to own her story rather than letting it overtake her.

I'm so moved by this reading experience. Not only has it added another layer to my understanding of that period of history and the lived experience of those who were there, it has sparked in me a desire to explore graphic novels which I have never felt before.

39 A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce

Water for Elephants ★★★☆☆


How it fits the prompt I'm not sure how to pronounce Gruen. Is it like green, groon or groo-en?


I can't think what made me pick up this book. I've not seen the movie (and hadn't had any desire to do so), and as I have the movie tie-in edition with a heavy romance-slant cover it doesn't look like my usual sort of read. I can only assume that someone in a group here on GR did a good enough sell of it to make me take interest. And given that this is my third book set in a circus that I've read this year (the others being The Night Circus and The Gracekeepers), there is obviously something drawing me towards the big top world.

This story opens with crotchety Jacob, a 93 year old man in a nursing home, who loses the rag with a new resident who claims to have carried water for the elephants in a circus back in the day. What follows is a combination of modern day Jacob struggling with his old age and longing to visit the circus which he can see from the confines of his care setting, and the story of 1930's Jacob. In his youth, Jacob had been studying veterinary science at a prestigious university until, on the eve of his final exams his parents are killed and their family home repossessed. Distraught and lost, Jacob runs away and ends up joining a train circus. This is a world with it's own divided class structure, a tyrannical ring leader and an equestrian director with anger and behavioural issues...who is married to the woman Jacob falls in love with.

At its core, this is a romance novel. I am not really a romance reader. But thankfully, there is a lot more going on. So much so that the romance is just a plot device, and actually that was what weakened the book for me. Marlena, the love interest just isn't interesting. She could be - she's incredibly talented, is dealing with a strained marriage to a monstrous man, and is obviously alluring enough for Jacob to risk potentially even his life for. But none of this is really shown to the reader through the course of the novel in anything but Jacob telling us that it's true. All I really understood about her is that she wiggles her foot when she crosses her leg (and she crosses her legs a lot).

What kept me reading was the circus, and Rosie the elephant in particular. There is foreshadowing of a disaster right from the opening of the book, and that was where I wanted to get to. And - falling in love with a cardboard cut out who can't keep her leg still aside - I did enjoy getting there. The world of the circus is fascinating and this book really brings it out (though it's very much behind-the-scenes stuff, so if you're looking for magic and daring you'll be disappointed as we spend very little time ring-side). And although I wasn't crazy about young Jacob, I did really enjoy the glimpses into his older persona and the theme of aging too.

This book scratches the circus and adventure itch, but it is lacking in what it seems to really sell itself on (namely, a compulsive love story). It also has some questionable handling of mental health and race, but I'll give some of that the benefit of the doubt for the time period in which it is set. I'm undecided how to feel about it overall, but I did enjoy the reading experience.