Another Year in Reading
I read 85 books this year! I am so grateful to authors, especially authors of series who keep their characters fresh and interesting book after book. My weakness is detective stories set in the United Kingdom ... Australia is a great setting, too! In non-mystery fiction, I like historical novels (often WWII settings) and some contemporary stories as well. I should read more non-fiction, as I really enjoy it. But mystery stories are my go-to.
Here's my rundown for 2022:
Favorites
THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY, Amor Towles. Another captivating story from this author—and entirely different from his other 2 books (Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow, both favorites of mine). As always, the characters are beautifully drawn and distinctive, with backstories and motivations that make all of their actions believable. Minor characters (Pastor John, Professor Abernathe, Ulysses) add color and richness to the story. The structure of the book is interesting—covering just 10 days, and told from multiple points of view (both first person and third person). A truly enjoyable book.
THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB, Richard Osman. A delight from first page to last. Great characters, lots of plot twists, and plenty of humor in this tale of a retirement village “murder club” that ends up solving real crimes. The following 2 installments—THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE and THE BULLET THAT MISSED were equally enjoyable. I found myself giggling throughout.
BROWN GIRLS, Daphne Palasi Andreades. Wonderful novel that lets readers inside the hearts, minds, and world of “brown girls” from the “dregs of Queens.” Written in a poetic style and unusual first-person-plural tense, the insights feel both personal and universal.
A FEW RIGHT-THINKING MEN, Sulari Gentill. First in a series set in 1930s Australia. Really interesting tale about the fascist movement there. I went on to read all of the remaining titles in the series and loved the character development, plot twists, and historical details. A DECLINE IN PROPHETS, MILES OFF COURSE, PAVING THE NEW ROAD, GENTLEMEN FORMERLY DRESSED, A MURDER UNMENTIONED, GIVE THE DEVIL HIS DUE, A DANGEROUS LANGUAGE, ALL THE TEARS IN CHINA, A TESTAMENT OF CHARACTER, THE PRODIGAL SON.
THE CHURCH OF BASEBALL, Ron Shelton. Subtitled “The Making of Bull Durham: Home Runs, Bad Calls, Crazy Fights, Big Swings, and a Hit,” this book was absolutely fantastic. I am a baseball fan and a movie fan, so it was a delight to get behind the scenes of scriptwriting and directing—both of which were done by the author of the book. No gossip about the movie’s stars, but an intimate and enjoyable look into the making of one of my favorite movies.
Two books about Thurgood Marshall were favorite reads this year: DEVIL IN THE GROVE, Gilbert King. This Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction book, subtitled “Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America,” was an extensively researched portrait of America and race relations in the 1940s–50s and the methodical, rigorous, intensely focused work Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP did to end segregation and provide equal justice under the law to black Americans. The Florida story was painful to read. It’s even more depressing, 80 years later, to know that a lot of these attitudes and problems still exist. (As my husband commented, after seeing the movie Hidden Figures, “you’d think we’d be past all that.” But we’re not.) SHOWDOWN: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination that Changed America, Wil Haygood. A deft combination of the story of the nomination and the history that preceded it—insights into the various Senators and others influencing the decision and the equality-advancing career of Thurgood Marshall. Really captivating and well written.
THE INK BLACK HEART, Robert Galbraith. Wow! A 1,000-page Cormoran Strike mystery, compelling on every page. I read it in a week (fortunately had some travel with plane time and down time for extended reading). The plot is complex but never confusing, the characters are exceptionally well developed, and the details add to the rich story without bogging it down.
THE BEEKEEPER’S APPRENTICE, Laurie R. King. When I read about the latest in this series, I had to go back to the beginning: the first of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes mysteries, totally original and captivating. Luckily there are many more to be read!
Mystery Series
THE HERON’S CRY, Ann Cleeves. Book 2 in the Matthew Venn series. Very good, and I’m looking forward to more (now that I’ve finished all of this author’s prior TWO series, both of which I loved).
MISSING PIECES, Peter Grainger. I was very glad to be back in Kings Lake for another well-written police procedural. I love how this author has deepened each character as the series (actually, 2 series) have continued.
THE BURNING ROOM, Michael Connnelly. I’m making my way through the Bosch books as I find them in the library. Surprisingly, reading them in order isn’t that important! They are all very enjoyable.
THE GODS OF GUILT, Michael Connelly. The Lincoln Lawyer series—a great vacation read. Connelly writes both police and law “procedurals” so well—the action keeps moving despite an intense amount of detail and often complex plots.
THE DARK VINEYARD, Martin Walker. Book 2 in the Bruno, Chief of Police, series. Very enjoyable! I love the French countryside setting, descriptions of wine and food and village life. Thanks to Elisabeth Kershaw for the recommendation! Additional titles in this series that I completed this year: BLACK DIAMOND, THE CROWDED GRAVE, THE DEVIL’S CAVE, THE CHILDREN RETURN, THE PATRIARCH, FATAL PURSUIT, A TASTE FOR VENGEANCE
Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mysteries by Deborah Crombie: KISSED A SAD GOODBYE, A FINER END, NOW MAY YOU WEEP, AND JUSTICE THERE IS NONE, IN A DARK HOUSE, WATER LIKE A STONE, WHERE MEMORIES LIE, NECESSARY AS BLOOD, NO MARK UPON HER, THE SOUND OF BROKEN GLASS, TO DWELL IN DARKNESS, GARDEN OF LAMENTATIONS.
JANE AND THE WATERLOO MAP, Stephanie Barron. Well-written and enjoyable mystery featuring Jane Austen as the main character. I may search out others in the series in the coming year.
A TEST OF WILLS and WINGS OF FIRE, Charles Todd. First two in the Ian Rutledge series. Truly excellent—sound mysteries plus a deep look into the psychological after-effects of war and trauma.
MURDER AT MALLOWAN HALL, Colleen Cambridge. First in an entertaining new series starring the (fictional) housekeeper of Agatha Christie.
The John Rebus novels by Ian Rankin: These are hard to find at my library, but I’ll keep reading as they become available (not necessarily in order). I love the Edinburgh setting and language. TOOTH AND NAIL, STRIP JACK, LET IT BLEED, SET IN DARKNESS, THE FALLS, IN A HOUSE OF LIES
THE WINDSOR KNOT, SJ Bennet. Delightful (fictional) mystery featuring Queen Elizabeth as lead detective! First in a series. I am looking forward to the next.
Fiction
THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE, Abe Duré. Adunni is a Nigerian girl who undergoes many traumas (loss of her mother, teen marriage, virtual slavery) but never loses her determination to learn and ultimately to teach. Adunni is a treasure, her voice is unique, and it was a pleasure to root for her at every step on her journey.
RADIO GIRLS, Sarah-Jane Stratford. I enjoyed this novel about the early days of the BBC and, in particular, the women who worked there—one of the few places where women could hold positions other than secretary and could (with approval!) work after marriage. Some of the plot points were far-fetched, but the story was really engaging.
THE WESTING GAME, Ellen Raskin. I have no idea where I got the recommendation for this book, but whoever it was, thank you! It is a rollicking mystery filled with quirky characters and interesting puzzles. Published in 1978, it won a Newbery award for best young adult fiction.
TRANSCRIPTION, Kate Atkinson. A tale of wartime London, spies and counterspies, and conflicting loyalties. Very different from the usually earnest tone of WWII sagas, this one has a lot of unlikeable characters, undercurrents, and surprises. Dark yet satisfying.
HI FIVE (An QI Novel), Joe Ide. This installment of the IQ series was too far-fetched and violent for me. I preferred IQ when he was solving neighborhood crimes rather than dealing with international arms dealers and people with multiple personalities. However, I do love many of the characters and the secondary story lines.
PRIDE AND PREMEDITATION, Tirzah Price. OK but improbable mystery set in Regency England—and featuring the characters from Jane Austen’s most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice.
THE LAST TRAIN TO LONDON, Meg Waite Clayton. A heartbreaking yet uplifting novel of the kindertransport that ultimately brought nearly 10,000 mostly Jewish children from Germany and occupied countries to safety in England before World War II. What was so disturbing was to see how quickly “ordinary” citizens supported the Nazis and persecuted Jews. I read this book when the current Russian war against Ukraine was beginning and anti-semitism and racism were (and are) rampant in the US and other countries ... it made me feel that we are going backwards as humans and have not learned the lessons of history. Sad. (I started another novel by this author, THE POSTMISTRESS OF PARIS, but quit after a couple of chapters. It just didn’t speak to me.)
THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY, Sulari Gentill. This is a standalone (not part of a series)—and wholly enjoyable! I loved the Boston setting and details, and the structure of the book—a story-within-a-story and other interesting techniques—worked really well.
THE HANGED MAN OF CONAKRY, Jean-Christophe Rufin. An endearingly odd protagonist solves a wonderfully entertaining mystery in the capital city of Guinea, a former French colony off the west coast of Africa.
Non-Fiction
IMAGINE A CITY, Mark Vanhoenacker. I loved this book from the start, but it felt a bit repetitive as the chapters wore on. It’s a series of essays/musings about the various cities the author has encountered, from childhood to a life of constant travel as an airline pilot. He makes interesting connections between different cities and has a deep love for the history, architecture, traditions, and culture of places as diverse as Pittsfield, MA; Delhi, India; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; London; Los Angeles; and many more!
SIMPLE DREAMS, Linda Rondstadt. Subtitled “A Musical Memoir,” this book was a rewarding glimpse into the career of one of my favorite singers. It did not delve much into the personal, but it was fascinating to see how her musical interests roved in many different directions and how her Tucson childhood and Mexican heritage influenced her throughout her life.
Re-Reads
Georgette Heyer—One of my favorite authors since my teens. Every year or so I do a deep dive into her works and revel in the familiar stories and characters that never get old. THE RELUCTANT WIDOW, THE TOLL GATE, VENETIA, DEVIL’S CUB, THE GRAND SOPHY, ARABELLA, REGENCY BUCK, LADY OF QUALITY, FALSE COLOURS, FARO’S DAUGHTER, COUSIN KATE
DEATH IN KASHMIR, M.M. Kaye.
THE EDGE, Dick Francis. One of my favorite Francis novels, it takes place primarily during a cross-country Canadian train trip and (as always) involves horses.
ENIGMA, Robert Harris. Novel about code breaking at Bletchley Park in England in WWII. Mystery and a bit of romance. So well written and engrossing. Now, to watch the movie (again)!
OUR HEARTS WERE YOUNG AND GAY, Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough. I read this as a teenager! So when I came across it in the library, I had to bring it home to re-read the (true) story of 2 young ladies traveling “abroad” in the 1920s. Funny and, in places, touching glimpse into a world gone by.