A Year in Books – 2021 Quarter 1

I’ve had a pretty good reading year this year, all things considered. Not a record by any stretch, that was 2017 when I somehow managed 212 books (think a lot were Mr Men …) but certainly an improvement over the past couple of years. I managed to read 178 books in 2020 in the end and have already surpassed that with 197 books read as I write this post. I think I should get to at least 200 by Friday, but time will tell. I am writing this post on Monday – I have time.

But just what delights have I experienced this year? Well, some absolute crackers that’s for sure. A fine mixture of books sent by publishers and plenty that I bought for myself. Some new titles, some old. Partly a year of catch up, partly a voyage of discovery with plenty of new to me authors read. Over the next four days I will be sharing my reading delights, starting today with January, February and March – otherwise known as quarter one. I actually quite enjoy prepping these posts as it’s a good reminder of the wonderful books I’ve been lucky enough to read.

January

The Shadow Man by Helen Fields
The Killing Choice by Will Shindler
The Art of Death by David Fennell
Hotel Cartagena by Simone Buchholz
Close Your Eyes by Rachel Abbott
Song of the Psychopath by Mark Tilbury
Lie Beside Me by Gytha Lodge
The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson
The Healer by Antti Tuomainen
The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard
Innocent by Erin Kinsley
What Will Burn by James Oswald
Hyde by Craig Russell
Two Wrongs by Mel McGrath
The Woman In The Wood by M.K. Hill

February

The Last House On Needless Street by Catriona Ward
The Cut by Chris Brookmyre
The Embalmer by Alison Belsham
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
Watch Her Fall by Erin Kelly
The Death Knock by Elodie Harper
Future Perfect by Felicia Yap
Fragile by Sarah Hilary
Last Seen by Joy Kluver
The Lynmouth Stories by LV Hay
Judas Horse by Lynda La Plante
The Source by Sarah Sultoon
Facets of Death by Michael Stanley
Shallow Ground by Andy Maslen
Time Is Running Out by Michael Wood
Land Rites by Andy Maslen

March

When I was Ten by Fiona Cummins
Don’t Let Him In by Howard Linskey
Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor
Twist by Mark L Fowler
The Sound of Her Voice by Nathan Blackwell
The Assistant by Kjell Ola Dahl
The Serial Killers Wife by Alice Hunter
What Beauty There Is by Corey Anderson
The Pact by Sharon Bolton
Yours Until Death by Gunnar Staalesen
SIlenced by Solveig Palsdottir
No Going Back by Casey Kelleher
After The End by Clare Mackintosh
This Is How We Are Human by Louise Beech
In The Blood by Margaret Kirk
Everything Happens For A Reason by Katie Allen
The Devil And The Dark Water by Stuart Turton
21st Birthday by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
A Gambling Man by David Baldacci
The Writing On The Wall by Gunnar Staalesen
Twisted Lies by Angela Marsons
The Consorts of Death by Gunnar Staalesen
Don’t Turn Around by Jessica Barry
One Last Time by Helga Flatland

And. there you have it. 55 titles read in the first three months. Needless to say I did not keep that pace up or I’d be well beyond 200 books read by now. Quite a few of my bookkvent titles come from this quarter, and there are many, such as After The End by Clare Mackintosh, which I’d urge you to pick up and read. I think this is perhaps one of my most varied reading lists in a while and I am more than happy with it. Plenty more wonders to come to. It seems that there were some advantages to being in lockdown …

Happy reading

Jen x