2020 has ended (!!!) and it is time to tally up and evaluate my reading for the year. I only read 36 books in 2019, so my goal in 2020 was to increase the number of books I read and make it more in line with the number of books I normally read in a twelve month period. I did that. There was a moment in March, at the start of lockdown, when I thought I might read twice as many books this year. But, like so many other people, the pandemic and the election made it more difficult for me to concentrate and less likely to pick up a book.
But I did read 77 books this year, which is more in line with my usual totals. I'll list them all below but first, here are the highlights.
Mysteries
Mysteries, especially historical mysteries, are my favorite genre reading. I read 46 mysteries this year. I love a good mystery series with a recurring detective and a number of my favorite writers released new adventures for their detectives this year, including Ian Rankin, Louise Penny, Lindsay Davis, Charles Todd, and Elly Griffiths. I enjoyed most of them. But the highlight of this year was that I discovered the Sebastian St. Cyr series by C.S. Harris. These stories are set in London during the Napoleanic wars and are not only good page turners but are well written with a delightful style and good characters. The author also wrote a series of modern thrillers with her husband under the name CS Graham which I also read but did not enjoy quite as much. Another series I discovered and enjoyed was written by Alis Hawkins and set in Wales in the mid 19th century. Her "detective" is going blind, which makes things a bit more complicated. I found two more series that I enjoyed, each written by Andrew Taylor. The first, the Marwood/Lovett series, is set in London around the time of the great fire, a period I knew little about. The second (which I'm not sure is a continuing series) is set first during the American Revolution and then the French Revolution.
Other Fiction.
In other fiction, I read 28 books. I had less luck with these; many of the books I read were disappointing. But a few stood out. The highlight of the year was Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and the Light, which I took with me on my birthday weekend retreat in March right before the lockdown began. It took me weeks to finish this, in part because the pandemic was so distracting but also because I knew how it ended. Another highlight of the year was Louise Erdrich's The Night Watchman. I also really enjoyed Now We Shall be Entirely Free by Andrew Miller about a soldier returning from the Napoleanic wars with PTSD. Finally, Normal People by Sally Rooney was also one of the best books I read this year (which made me not want to watch the TV show.)
Non-Fiction
I had no interest in reading non-fiction this year because I read enough of that in the news. The few books I read I did enjoy: Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer; Intimations: Six Essays by Zadie Smith; and Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson by Mark Bourrie.
Lymond Book Club
As many people know, one of my favorite authors is Dorothy Dunnett, a Scottish writer of historical fiction. This summer I discovered that three people (strangers to me, but they are friends to each other) planned to read Dunnett's The Lymond Chronicles slowly and discuss the books on YouTube. One of them has read the series multiple times, the other two are newbies. At first I just planned to watch each episode as it came out, but of course I started reading along. First came The Game of Kings and then Queen's Play. At the end of December they (and I) were three-quarters of the way through the third book, The Disorderly Knights. This is a great series of novels but the first 100 pages of the first novel are REALLY hard to get into. Anyone who has considered reading the series but feels a little daunted could read it a couple of chapters at a time and then watch the corresponding Youtube episode. Their discussions are very good.
COMPLETE LIST
The following is the complete list of my 2020 reading.
Mysteries
1. Orkney Twilight by Clare Carson. I read this because it was set in Orkney and going to Orkney is on my bucket list. It was a so-so mystery with a dumb heroine. Characters felt flat although the descriptions of Orkney were good. Clearly this was a first novel. I probably won’t read the next one in the series. But I may try her novels set in Victorian Orkney. (Not Recommended)
2. Thistles and Thieves by Molly Macrae. After reading a few lit fic books I needed a break and grabbed this from the library, mostly because it is set in Scotland (which I love) and in a bookshop. I very quickly remembered I’m not a “cozy mystery” fan. Lots of setting of the atmosphere and lots of narrative-explaining between the characters. I was mostly bored but I finished it because it was a very fast read. (Not Recommended.)
3 - 5. Alis Hawkens Mysteries (Recommended):
- None so Blind. A mystery set in mid-nineteenth century Wales in the time following something called the Rebecca riots. Lots of unexpected twists which were satisfying and that made up for the somewhat unsatisfying ending. A partially blind amateur detective was an interesting premise. (Side note. The Nook version had teensy tiny print that could not be changed. Very annoying. )
- In Two Minds. The sequel to None So Blind which I had read earlier in the year. Wanting light mystery reading during the pandemic, I wondered why I hadn’t immediately bought this sequel to a book I recalled enjoying so much. Then I opened the Nook version and remembered the tiny print that couldn’t be adjusted. But I still enjoyed it. I know nothing about that part of Wales in the 1800s or how a coroner’s jury works, so I learned things. And the characters are well drawn. Not enough women, so far.
- Those Who Know by Alis Hawkins. The latest, just released in 2020, and thanks be to god the Nook version is normal and not so hard on the eyes. This series gets better as it goes along. I only wish there was a glossary on how to pronounce the Welsh words. I am really enjoying this series and plan to continue reading it as new books are issued.
6. The Yard by Alex Grecian. A mystery involving the Scotland Yard murder squad in the 1800’s. The first in a series. It was a little too long and it needed a number of obvious coincidences to resolve the mystery but on the whole I like it and would probably read another in the series. (Recommended)
7 - 9. Charles Todd Mysteries (always recommended):
- A Divided Loyalty. This is 2020's new Inspector Rutledge Mystery. I liked this one better than the last one. Plus this one is set among the stones at Avebury, which I have visited. I did guess the ending pretty early, but it didn’t matter since the psychology of the characters is more important.
- Wings of Fire and No Shred of Evidence. These were re-reads because they were set in Cornwall. I read these before I ever visited Cornwall and decided to re-read them now that I’ve been there. Wings of Fire actually didn’t give me much of a sense of place but I had visited a number of the locations used in No Shred of Evidence. No Shred also featured Kate and I wanted to refresh my memory about her relationship with Rutledge.
10 - 12. Oldies that I had Never Read Before:
- Women Without a Past and Emerald by Phyllis A. Whitney. I came across these in the library in March, early in the pandemic when I was looking for some very light reading. I remembered liking Whitney when I was in my teens when I liked romance-mysteries and I read these more as a curiosity than anything. I don’t remember ever reading these particular books before. They were fine and good palette cleansers but didn’t make me want to read more. (Recommended with reservations)
- Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart. Another oldie. I guessed the “mystery” almost immediately and the whole paranormal aspect didn’t appeal to me. (Not recommended)
13 - 18. Andrew Taylor Mysteries I read two series of mysteries by Andrew Taylor. The first I call the Marwood/Lovett mysteries. The second is set in NYC during the revolution and then France. (Recommended):
- The Ashes of London. A good mystery set in 1666 London during and after the great fire. The main character, Marwood, is not a true detective but is an interesting character. The principal woman character, Cat Lovett, is perhaps not really true to her time period but I really liked her. It made me want to go on and read the rest of the series. As you will see.
- The Fire Court . The second Marwood/Lovett mystery. The Fire Court was set up to work out judgments between freeholders and tenants after the great fire of London. I learned a lot and enjoyed the story.
- The King’s Evil. The third Marwood/Lovett mystery. I learned that "The Kings Evil" was scrofula. Again I learned a lot and enjoyed the story.
- The Last Protector . The latest Marwood/Lovett mystery. This one was good but I did not like it as much as the others. Richard Cromwell, the son of the Protector, was a character. The main thing I didn't like was how Taylor suddenly changed the essential characteristics of one of the characters. I suppose it is possible that otherwise good men can become not so good once you marry them but it just didn't ring true to me. I can't tell if this is the last in the series or not. I hope not.
- The Scent of Death A mystery novel set in New York during the revolution. I liked his evocation of colonial occupied NYC and his emphasis on loyalists. I thought the mystery was weak. And truthfully I don’t think parts of the plot hung together very well. His women characters also don’t seem deeply drawn. But despite all of that, I did enjoy it.
- The Silent Boy (Sequel to The Scent of Death, but set about 15 years later, during the French Revolution). In general I enjoyed this book but his women characters left a lot to be desired.
19. A Step so Grave by Catriona McPherson. This was the next installment of the Dandy Gilmer mysteries set in Scotland in the 20’s and 30’s. Light reading but always enjoyable and this one lived up to expectations. (Recommended, although you might want to start at the beginning of the series.)
20. The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths. Book 12 in the Ruth Galloway mystery series. Ruth is an archaeologist who teaches at a local university and sometimes assists the police. I enjoy this series and this one was as enjoyable as ever. But I am getting tired of Ruth being in mortal danger and Nelson saving her. (Recommended but you might want to start at the beginning of the series.)
21. Three Hours in Paris by Cara Black. Cara Black writes the Aimee Leduc mystery series which I love. This was a stand alone thriller featuring an American recruited by the British to assassinate Hitler. But is she really just meant to be a patsy? It was a page turner even though I have little interest in WWII. (Recommended)
22. The Grove of the Caesars by Lindsey Davis. The next in her Flavia Albia series set in Ancient Rome. Flavia is a female detective, the daughter of Davis' detective Marcus Didius Falco (who is now retired) from her first long running mystery series. I have loved both of these series. This, however, was maybe the first Davis mystery I didn’t completely enjoy. Too much telling. Lots of narrative and not enough dialogue or action. The main mystery wrapped up early, was easily guessed and was anticlimactic. The secondary mystery was somewhat uninteresting. (Recommended only if you are reading the whole series, but tepidly)
23. Crossbones Yard by Kate Rhodes. Meh. A thriller with a stupid principal character and lots of familiar tropes. (Not Recommended)
24 - 36. C.S.Harris Mysteries. This mystery series was the find of the year. I flew through them in August because I could spend every night reading them while I sat with an ill relative. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ENTIRE SERIES and can't wait for the next book to come out. I felt bereft when I finished the last one and realized there were no more until she writes another.
- What Angels Fear. First in the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries. Set in the early 19th century, during the Napoleanic Wars and the beginning of the English Regency in London. Sebastian is the son of a nobleman and is framed for a murder. Rather than flee the country he sets out to solve the murder.
- When Gods Die. Second in the series. Like the best mystery writers she sets up her detective to also have a mystery in his life that will keep you reading the series. The actual mystery was also very good. Because Sebastian is a nobleman he doesn't work as a detective but the local law enforcement find him useful when crimes among the upper classes are committed.
- Why Mermaids Sing. Third in the series and even better than the first two, although I’m pretty sure she cheated by making us think she had told us that one of the characters was the daughter of a nobleman when I'm sure she didn’t.
- Where Serpents Sleep. Fourth in the series. She makes some interesting choices in this novel with one of the women characters. When I finished it, I was somewhat apprehensive of where she was going with the character.
- What Remains of Heaven. Fifth in the series and I needn't have worried. She knows what she is doing.
- Where Shadows Dance. Sixth in the series. I really enjoyed this one. Her main female character is now officially one of my favorite mystery series characters ever -- she is able to save herself from danger! Plus, at the end Harris had Sebastian quoting a portion of a certain poem by Thomas Wyatt. What? I of course immediately looked it up, and yes, Harris is a Dorothy Dunnett Fan.
- When Maidens Mourn. Seventh in the series. This one involved Arthurian legends. And a mysterious pub keeper with yellow eyes.
- What Darkness Brings. Eighth in the Series. An unexpected death puts Sebastian on the case.
- Why Kings Confess. The ninth book in the series involved the legend of the lost Dauphin. And a birth.
- Who Buries the Dead . In the tenth book she took the plot in a direction I didn't expect. This one involved mysteries with headless victims.
- Where the Dead Lie. This eleventh book is dark and involves serial killers of children. And someone we know marries one.
- Why Kill the Innocent. This twelfth book involves the death of the piano teacher to Princess Charlotte, the heir to the throne.
- Who Slays the Wicked . Book 13. Could someone we know have killed her husband?
- Who Speaks for the Damned. Book 14 finds Sebastian investigating the death of a lost earl and also contemplating for himself what could have happened to him if he hadn't been able to clear his name of murder in the first book. It also involves a half Chinese child trying to live on their own on the streets of London. This was the latest book and I can't wait for the next one.
37. A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukharjee. Mystery set in India in the 20’s with an Anglo police detective and his Indian assistant. This is the second Mukharjee mystery I've read and I've enjoyed both of them. I need to remember to look for more. (Recommended)
38-39. Charles Finch Mysteries: I read a few of Finch's Charles Lenox Mysteries a few years ago and I wondered why I hadn't read more. So I read a couple, but I can't recommend.
- A Burial at Sea. This is the fifth in the series. Charles Lenox who is now a member of Parliament has to leave his Mayfair home to go on a mission for the government and ends up solving a shipboard murder. Of the two that I read, this was the better. But he tends to go on and on about ... things.
- A Death in the Small Hours. This is the sixth in the series. It includes an interminable description of a cricket match. Need I say more. (Although Dorothy Sayers was able to do it well in Murder Must Advertise.) Don't think I'll be reading more of this series.
40. All the Devils are Here by Louise Penny. Latest Gamache mystery but this time the whole family is in Paris where, of course, they solve a murder. Not my favorite of the Gamache mysteries, but entertaining. And it was nice to remember a time when I could travel to Paris. (Recommended)
41 - 43. CS Graham Thrillers: CS Graham is the name that CS Harris and her husband ( a former Army intelligence officer) write under. These are thrillers set in modern times. I didn't like them as much as the Sebastian St. Cyr series. Although realistic modern thrillers it also involved "remote viewing" which is sort of like clairvoyance. But not really. Anyway I found that part hard to get into. But I liked the rest. (Recommended with reservations)
- The Archangel Project
- The Solomon Effect
- The Babylonian Codex
44. A Song For Dark Times by Ian Rankin. Rebus is back. This mystery takes place partly in the north of Scotland in Caithness, but also of course in Edinburgh. The surprise here is that the mystery involves Rebus’ daughter Samantha. Which was a nice surprise. It's amazing that Rankin can keep writing this series and it never grows stale. (Highly Recommended)
45. The Reckoning by Rennie Airth. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t read more of this John Madden WWI series. But there was a lot of telling, not showing, in this tale of revenge. (Not recommended)
46. Murder is in the Air by Frances Brody. The next volume in her Kate Shackelford series set in the 1920's, Kate solves a mystery set in a brewery. (Recommended if you are reading the series)
General Fiction
1. Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussman. Half mystery/half novel. This won a British National Book Award but didn’t appeal to me - too predictable. I didn't find any of the characters interesting enough. I think I don’t like multiple points of view books when I’m bored by the characters. (Not recommended.)
2. Now We Shall be Entirely Free by Andrew Miller. I really enjoyed this novel. Mr. LaCroix is home from the Napoleanic wars, suffering from PTSD. He leaves on an excursion to the Scottish isles to find himself again. But his past (and Corporal Calley) are following him. Miller is good at creating both hope and dread. (Very Recommended).
3. The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey. This is set in a medieval village where a leading citizen drowns. Did he commit suicide, was he murdered or was it accidental? The Dean wants to know. The parish priest tells the story. Backwards. I guess I could have counted this a mystery but I felt it was more lit fic. I enjoyed it. (Recommended)
4. To Be Where You Are by Jan Karon. Always nice to stop by and visit Mitford. (Recommended for fans of Mitford. ).
5. To Calais, in Ordinary Time by James Meek. We are in England during the onset of the Black Death. There is a group of people heading toward a port city where they can take ship to Calais. Will they make it? My biggest problem with this book is that it was written in fake old English that was not only difficult to follow but mostly meant I couldn’t “hear” most of the voices in my mind. I found it frustrating, although I admit that during these months of pandemic I have found myself thinking of it from time to time. (Not Recommended)
6. A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier. A “surplus woman” after WWI, Violet is starting a new life in Winchester where she becomes involved with the group of women needlepointing the cushions at Winchester Cathedral. There were moments in this novel where I felt sad that single women still have to put up with many of the same issues they had to deal with in 1932. The plot was somewhat predictable but I enjoyed it. (Recommended)
7. Nine Women, One Dress by Jane L. Rosen. A small book that a friend had read and passed on to me. I wasn’t sure I would like it, but it ended up being very enjoyable. A classic “beach read” that I read in January. A little black dress finds its way into the lives of various unconnected women as it is purchased, returned, lent. etc. (Recommended if you are looking for something short and very light)
8. Vaucluse by Donna Every. A novel set in Barbados in the first half of the 19th century. Sometimes historical research gets in the way of a novel. This is based on a real person, apparently. But lives don’t have narrative arcs. After all this time, I barely remember the plot. (Not recommended.)
9. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. Sort of a realistic novel about slavery but also an alternate reality novel where the underground railroad was a real train. I’m not much for alternate realities but the writing was beautiful, which made up for that. Whenever the story was with Cora, the main character, I was deep into the story but when it switched to others I often lost interest. On the whole I am glad I read it. (Recommended)
10. The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Gowar. A beautifully written but odd novel involving a London merchant, a courtesan and a mermaid that takes place in the 1780’s. The characters were well drawn, the writing was witty but the plot was a little too odd to suit me. I found I would read a few chapters, shake my head and have to put it down for a while. The character I kept thinking about at the end was a minor character named Polly, who disappeared from the story and seemed to have been included as a warning about what happened to women who had to prostitute themselves on the streets. (Recommended with reservations)
11. My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh. Weird book. Very weird book. The main character just wants to take pills that let her sleep away her life because of ... reasons. It also unexpectedly turned into a bit of a 9/11 novel. It isn't very long which is I why I finished it. (Not recommended).
12. Star Gazing by Linda Gillard. I can't remember who recommended this. I don't read a lot of romance novels but I thought it would make a nice break. It involves a blind woman and an unexpected pregnancy and an oil rig explosion. As with many novels there was too much telling and not enough showing. Most of it bored me and I skimmed the last third. (Not recommended)
13. Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich. This novel involves a dystopia and an Indian reservation. I put off reading this for two years because life is too dystopian. So I read it at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Because, why not? It is not my favorite Erdrich novel but I always enjoy her writing. (Recommended)
14-16. Hardwired by Meredith Wild. Hardpressed by Meredith Wild. Hardline by Meredith Wild. Recommended to me by a friend as an escape romance series in the 50 Shades genre, which I don't mind. It was the beginning of the pandemic and I really wanted light reading. The first book in the series is a total beach read. But it was downhill from there. The plot of the second book was ludicrous with a villain who might as well have twirled his mustache etc. and the heroine kept getting dumber and dumber. And by the third book I could take no more of the obsessive, controlling, abusive billionaire love interest. (Not recommended)
17. Normal People by Sally Rooney. One of the best books I read this year. About two young people made for each other but constantly misunderstanding each other. She captures the angst of high school and college. Very realistic. I haven't watched the TV series because I liked the book so much. Maybe someday. (Highly recommended)
18. The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel. The end of the trilogy finally. Not as tightly written as the first book but more compelling, to me, than the second book. A little too long, as most books at the end of a series are, as if she wanted to cram all her remaining research into it. It also didn’t pull me along in a way that compelled me to keep reading. I started this on March 14 and by March 16 had read three quarters of it. It then took me three weeks to read the remainder partly because of the disruption of lockdown but also, with all the death in the world, I didn’t really want to read about another death. Was that a failure of the novel or just a sign of the times? But still, beautifully written and a great ending to the trilogy. (Highly recommended).
19. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. Maybe one of her best novels. The main character, who works as a Night Watchman, is trying to save his tribe from the machinations of the politicians in Washington. He is a delight and as usual all the secondary characters are also good. I especially liked the subplot of the missing sister in Minneapolis/St. Paul and the search for her. (Highly recommended).
20. My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. A very short read but thought provoking. I really did not know what to expect from this novel and wondered whether I would enjoy it, as I usually don't like serial killer stories. But I enjoyed this. A good first novel for the author, I look forward to reading more from her. (Recommended)
21. Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. What happens when you know something but you don’t admit you know, even to yourself? The Ponzi scheme that is part of the plot of this novel is only part of that question. I didn’t like this as much as I liked her last novel but I did enjoy it. (Recommended)
22. The Oracle Year by Charles Soule. An odd book about a man who wakes up one day knowing a finite list of things (108) that are going to happen in the future. It kept my interest but the end was a disappointment because it never explained how he knew these things. (Recommended with much reservation)
23. Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim. Meh. Again I was trying to find something light to read and someone recommended this. It is a romance but has mystical elements, reading tea leaves sorta. (Not recommended)
24. The King at the Edge of the World by Arthur Phillips. I had high hopes. It involved London and Scotland at the end of QEI’s reign. The main character was a physician from Turkey. But it ended up being too meta even for me. (Not recommended)
25. One Night Promised by Jodi Ellen Malpas. Another meh romance with a dumb heroine recommended by someone who obviously doesn't know what I like to read. (Not recommended).
26. A Pure Heart by Rajia Hassib. An Egyptologist comes to terms with her sister’s death in Cairo from a suicide bomb. It's a dark topic but that didn't bother me. (Recommended)
27-28. The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett, books 1 and 2. A re-read explained above.
Miscellaneous
1. Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer (copy chief of Random House). A Christmas gift that I enjoyed immensely. Sister Francis Xavier (my 6-8 grade English teacher) taught me well but there were many things I didn’t know. (Recommended)
2. Intimations: Six Essays by Zadie Smith. Thoughts during quarantine. I always like Smith's writing. (Recommended)
3. Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson by Mark Bourrie. Recommended for those who like French Canadian history.
