Books Read in 2019

Books are listed in the chronological order I read them. The links in this list are to my reviews – some ‘reviews’ are mini reviews/notes or as parts of composite posts (not all books will be reviewed).

Key:

  • F = Fiction
  • K = Kindle
  • CF = Crime Fiction
  • HF = Historical Fiction
  • LB = library book
  • TBR = book acquired before 1 Jan 2019
  • RB = a review book from author/publisher/NetGalley
  • B = book borrowed from family/friends
  • NF = non-fiction

January

  1. Great Britain’s Great War by Jeremy Paxman 4* NF, LB
  2. The Good Son by You-jeong Jeong 3* F, CF, K, RB, TBR
  3. Dirty Little Secrets by Jo Spain 4.5* F, CF, K, RB, TBR
  4. Greenmantle by John Buchan 3* F, K, TBR
  5. The Lost Man by Jane Harper 4.5* CF, F, K, TBR, RB
  6. Destroying Angel by S G MacLean 4* F, HF, LB
  7. The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea 3* CF, F, HR, K, TBR, RB
  8. Bitter Lemons of Cyprus by Lawrence Durrell 3* NF, TBR (see also this post)
  9. Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves 4* CF, F, TBR

February

  1. The Murder of My Aunt by Richard Hull 5* CF, F, K, RB, TBR
  2. The Colour of Murder by Julian Symons 4* CF, F, K, RB, TBR
  3. The Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jefferies 3.5* F, HF, LB
  4. The Wych Elm by Tana French 4* CF, F, K, RB, TBR
  5. Excellent Intentions by Richard Hull 2.5* CF, F, K, RB, TBR
  6. I Found You by Lisa Jewell 4* CF, F, LB

March

  1. The Man on a Donkey by H F M Prescott 3.5* F, HF, K, TBR
  2. The Frank Business by Olivia Glazebrook 4* F, K, RB
  3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote 5* F, LB
  4. Printer’s Devil Court by Susan Hill 2.5* rounded up to 3* F, LB
  5. Dear Mrs Bird by A J Pearce 3* F, HF, K, RB
  6. The King’s Evil by Andrew Taylor 5* F, HF, RB
  7. Fallen Angel by Chris Brookmyre 5* F, CF, K, RB
  8. Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver 4* F, CF, HF, K, RB, TBR
  9. Fingers in the Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham (a re-read) 5* NF
  10. A Life of My Own by Claire Tomalin 5* NF, TBR

April

  1. The Evidence Against You by Gillian McAllister 5* CF, F, K, RB, TBR
  2. The Family Secret by Tracy Buchanan 3* F, K, RB, TBR
  3. The Lost Letter from Morocco by Adrienne Chinn 2* F, K, RB, TBR
  4. The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker by Jenni Keer 4* F, K, RB, TBR
  5. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot 5* NF
  6. The Seeker by S G Maclean 4.5* CF, F, HF, LB
  7. The Island by Ragnar Jonasson 4* CF, F, K, RB
  8. A Snapshot of Murder by Frances Brody 3* CF, F, K, RB
  9. The Passengers by John Marrs 5* F, K
  10. The Broken Mirror by Jonathan Coe 4* F, LB

May

  1. The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley 4* F, HF, K, RB
  2. Mrs Whistler by Matthew Plampin 5* F, HF, K, RB
  3. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley (15 May) 1.5* CF, F
  4. Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings 3* CF, F, K, RB, TBR
  5. The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal 5* F, HF, K, RB, TBR
  6. The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan 4* CF, F, K, TBR

June

  1. Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck 5*, F, TBR
  2. Those Who Are Loved by Victoria Hislop 4.5* F, HF, K, RB
  3. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris 3* F, HF, B
  4. Anything You Do Say by Gillian McAllister 4* CF, F, TBR
  5. Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas 5* CF, F, K, RB
  6. Beneath the Surface by Fiona Neill 4* F, K, RB
  7. The Potter’s Hand by A N Wilson 4* F, HF (a re-read)

July

  1. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths 3* F, CF, LB
  2. Katharina: Fortitude by Margaret Skea 5* F, HF, RB
  3. The House by the Loch by Kirsty Wark 4* F, K, RB
  4. The Bear Pit by S G Maclean 5* CF, F, HF, K, RB
  5. Who Killed Ruby? by Camilla Way 3.5* CF, F, K, RB
  6. Dolly by Susan Hill 5* F, LB
  7. Blood on the Tracks edited by Martin Edwards * CF, F, K RB, TBR
  8. Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers 4* CF, F, TBR
  9. The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry 5* CF, F, K, RB

August

  1. The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective by Susannah Stapleton 4* K, NF, RB
  2. The Riviera Set by Mary S Lovell 4* NF, LB
  3. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell 5* CF, F, K, RB
  4. Gallows Court by Martin Edwards 4* CF, F, LB
  5. The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley 5* F, HF, K TBR
  6. Operation Pax by Michael Innes 4* CF, F, K, RB, TBR
  7. Sanditon by Jane Austen (a re-read) (25 Aug)
  8. The Seagull by Ann Cleeves 5* CF, F, K, TBR

September

  1. An Advancement of Learning by Reginald Hill 4.5* CF, F, TBR
  2. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson 5* F, HF, K, TBR
  3. The Lying Room by Nicci French CF, F, K, RB (10 Sept)
  4. Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer 3* CF, F, K, RB
  5. Ruling Passion by Reginald Hill 3.5* CF, F, TBR
  6. The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis 5* CF, F, HF, K, RB
  7. Killing Me Gently by Hazel McHaffie by Hazel MacHaffie 4* CF, F, RB

October

  1. Murder by Matchlight by E C R Lorac 5* CF, F, K, RB, TBR
  2. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch 4.5* CF, F K, TBR
  3. A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier 4* F, HF, K, RB
  4. The Marches: Border Walks with my Father by Rory Stewart 3.5 *(4* Upgraded) NF,TBR
  5. Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane 2* F, CF, K, RB
  6. Concerto by Hannah Fielding F, K, RB

November

  1. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell 3.5* F,TBR
  2. Broken Ground by Val McDermid 4* CF, F, K, TBR
  3. Not Dead Enough by Peter James 4* CF, F, K, TBR
  4. D H Lawrence: the Life of an Outsider by John Worthen 5* NF, TBR
  5. An April Shroud by Reginald Hill 3* CF, F, TBR
  6. Furious Hours by Casey Cep 4* NF, K, RB
  7. A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty 5* CF, F, K, RB

December

  1. A Lovely Way to Burn by Louise Welsh 4* CF, F, LB
  2. The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories edited by Martin Edwards 3* CF, F, K, RB
  3. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford 5* F, HF
  4. Fell Murder by E C R Lorac 4.5* CF, F, K, RB
  5. Snow on the Cobbles by Maggie Sullivan 3* CF, F, HF, K, RB
  6. Our Betty by Liz Smith 3* LB, NF
  7. The Woman Who Wanted More by Vicky Zimmerman 3* F, K, RB
  8. A Pinch of Snuff by Reginald Hill 4* CF, F
  9. Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves 4* CF, F, K, TBR
  10. The Saint-Fiacre Affair by Georges Simenon 3* CF, F, TBR
  11. The Shadow Puppet by Georges Simenon 4* CF, F, TBR