January 2025 Reading

When January began I knew it was going to be a stressful month and so my reading theme was "escape". I planned for it by putting aside a number of books (mysteries) that I had been looking forward to reading. I had been holding on to them for months. Maybe that built them up too much in my mind, but they didn't do the trick for me this month.  Unfortunately.  Very disappointing.

Although one of my reading resolutions for the year was to, again, try to read fewer mysteries, four out of the seven fiction books I finished this month were mysteries. I think when I set my goals I didn't realize how traumatic the news of the world would be this year so I am letting myself off the hook.  This may be a year when I do mostly "lite" reading. I did also read one book of poetry and one non-fiction book. One of the fiction books was a classic and three were historical (literary fiction or mysteries). 

These are the books I finished in January:

The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts by Louis Bayard

I was on the library hold list for this novel for quite a long time. I can see why it was popular. The dramatist/author Oscar Wilde infamously had his life ruined by the Marquess of Queensberry who accused Wilde of debauching his son leading to a criminal trial and imprisonment for Wilde. In this novel Bayard looks at Wilde's family: his wife Charlotte, his mother and his two sons, Cecil and Vyyan.  From what I can tell, Bayard seems to stick to the facts and, in fact, credits interviews with Vyvyan's son Merlin for some of his facts. A lot is made (quite rightly) about the travesty of the anti-gay laws in countries like the UK and how they forced people to lead double lives. And that was certainly hard on non-heterosexual persons. But the wives and children who were lied to were also harmed, psychologically and, if the spouse was ruined, sometimes financially. Wilde's family suffered financially but mostly psychologically, changing their name to Holland and hiding their connection to him. Wilde, who is depicted in the novel as a very good father, never saw his sons again. This is an interesting novel because it doesn't try to tell Wilde's side of the story (and Lord Alfred Douglas comes off as a complete ass), it follows the rest of the family. I found it quite engrossing and rather sad. This is literary fiction at its best - the characters are well drawn and the move through time from the late 1800's to the 1920's is handled well.  I'm glad that the first book I finished in 2025 was so good.  Recommended. 

The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff

When someone posts their three favorite books of 2024 and you have read two out of the three, it's only logical to find the third and read it. I would never have heard of this book otherwise.  First published in 1931, this novel was re-issued in 2021.  Sherriff  was more well known as a screenwriter, working on Mrs. Miniver, Goodbye Mr. Chips and other films, but did write several novels and at least one well known play.  In this book the Stevens family (father, mother, three children of which two at this point are adult and working) take a yearly holiday to Bognor, a seaside town on the coast of England.  Every year they stay at the same boarding house, a place that the parents stayed on their honeymoon more than 20 years earlier.  They do the same things every year and rediscover the familiar places each year - noting the changes that have been made in 12 months. Of course the boarding house is getting shabby and the children are perhaps getting too old for these types of family holidays but for this year at least they enjoy their traditions. The Stevens are always aware that with the passage of time things may change so it's important to enjoy them in the moment.  Anyone who has ever vacationed each year at the same place can relate to this. This is not at all a plot driven book but by the end you know the characters like they are your own family and you know the place so well it is as if you, too, had holidayed there each year.  It is a book that explores what it is like to be in a family that loves each other and looks forward to being together on holiday each year - even if they also worry about things going right. I finished the novel with the hope that the characters enjoyed more years on these holidays even though knowing that nothing is for certain.  

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

The most recent Flavia Albia mystery, this one also includes her dad Marcus Didius Falco in a small role.  A woman's body is found in the Tiber and Flavia is determined to find out what happened to her.  It turns out that she was from Britain (as was Flavia) and was the common law wife of the man who raped Flavia when she was a young girl.  He is now in Rome and she is determined to avenge herself. (and the dead woman). This was one of the books I was saving for January and it didn't quite do it for me. I enjoy this series because I like ancient Rome, but for some time now I've felt that Davis' very thorough research has gotten in the way of the pacing of her stories. I don't remember that being an issue with the Falco series but I do find it with the Flavia Albia series. I only recommend this if you really like reading about ancient Rome - if not, you will probably find yourself skimming a lot. I also think this series is best read from the beginning.   

Water, Water (poems) by Billy Collins

Billy Collins is the former poet laureate of the United States. He is known to write "accessible" poetry because he writes about day-to-day things. I generally enjoy his poems for that reason. I like that he can take something perfectly ordinary and write a poem about it. This most recent collection was, however, not one that particularly resonated with me. Usually there are a few poems that I really, really like - that I would read aloud or say to someone: "listen to this".  But this time, there were none. Which is not to say that I did not enjoy it.  I did.  I just don't think it will stay with me like, say, Picnic, Lightning did. 

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

Another book that I saved to read in January that didn't quite do it for me. This is #19 in the Inspector Gamache series and, while I enjoyed it, it was not my favorite of the series.  A few years ago Louise Penny collaborated with Hillary Clinton on a thriller that I thought was very good.  Well, this also seems like a thriller with international travel and big national consequences. While the premise of the threat seemed very real to me, the actual finding of the culprits seemed very forced to me.  A lot of "coincidences" needed to occur to get to the end. And then it ended on a cliffhanger. There wasn't enough of the residents of Three Pines in this book to satisfy me. I like this series best when Inspector Gamache is solving actual murders and not trying to avert national (or international) catastrophes. 

Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson

I am a big fan of Kate Atkinson, although I like her literary fiction more than her Jackson Brodie mystery series.  Possibly this is because she only writes an installment when she feels like it (there was five years between the last one and this one) and she is far more interested in characterization than in plot. This was the main book that I was saving to read in January and ... it didn't quite hit home for me.  Atkinson is exploring the trope of the Golden Age mystery by setting it (at times) in an English Country House where everyone is stranded due to a snowstorm.  But she also throws in everything but the kitchen sink - art theft, a killer on the loose on the Moors, the death by accident(?) of a character we never really meet, the local Vicar who has lost his religion, and more. There is also a Murder Mystery Weekend going on at the Country House. It's all somewhat farcical - although I think it is intended to be that way.  In true Kate Atkinson fashion she gives many of her characters a lot of depth. Part of the problem for me was that there were so MANY characters that I found myself wanting her to get back to the plot and away from their back stories. I enjoyed this novel but it won't go down in my books as the best Jackson Brodie mystery.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This was another BlueSky read-along. Maybe if I had read this at a different time I wouldn't have disliked it so much. But given the state of the world right now, and following on the heels of reading Gravity's Rainbow, Cat's Cradle and Things Fall Apart, it was just too depressing for me to like. And the constant themes of pedophilia, incest and rape were enough to make me dislike it. I find it interesting that the book reviews that I've read (and watched) gloss over the pedophilia, incest and rape - most of them don't mention it and when they do mention it they don't analyze it's use in any way. One said that the book was like mythology and you would find all of  that in myths. Ok, but myths are short and this was a long book. Another said that Garcia Marquez was using them, along with all the other bad things that happen in the story, to show that humans were constantly doing things like this throughout history. And I agree that history as circular time is a theme of the book.  But the thing is - not ALL history is bad. In my opinion, this novel was unrelenting in its negative view of people and history. And the actions that he chose, over and over, to reflect this were actions that I'm tired of reading male authors write about. I guess I'm glad that I can cross it off of my list of classic books I "need" to read.  But I didn't enjoy it.  And I think it colored my reading for the whole month because every day I dreaded picking it up and reading the assigned pages. 

Gallows Court by Martin Edwards

Desperate to find a mystery that would keep my mind occupied (which didn't happen with any of the other mysteries I read this month) I went to my very, very long TBR list and chose Gallows Court.  My expectations were low but I was so happy to discover that it was a real page turner.  The story takes place in London in 1930. The main character is Rachel Savernake, the enigmatic daughter of the late Judge Savernake. There is a lot going on in this novel - Rachel is very mysterious - is she good or is she evil?  Jacob Flint, the new crime reporter for The Clarion isn't sure but he is desperate for a scoop.  And Scotland Yard thinks a woman should mind her own business and not try to assist them in solving crimes. I actually guessed one of the major twists in the story fairly early but it didn't matter.  There are at least two more books in this series so far and I'm sure I'll read them. 

How Sondheim Can Change Your Life by Richard Schoch

This was a book I was looking forward to because I love the music (and lyrics) of Stephen Sondheim so I was happy my library hold came up during my "escape" January.  But what a disappointment it was.  First, it really didn't focus on "How Sondheim Can Change Your Life", it didn't even focus on how Sondheim changed the author's life. The author is a drama teacher and the book seemed to be written for people who didn't have enough life experience to understand the point of some of Sondheim's lyrics. Maybe he has spent too much time around college students. It is also possibly written for people who had never seen the Sondheim shows. There is a lot of explaining the plot and the characters.  I didn't need any of that and there were no new revelations to come from him. Not recommended. 

In addition to the books I finished in January, I embarked on a year-long read of Don Quixote with a BlueSky reading group which I am very much enjoying. I also joined in on a read of Clarissa which is an epistolary novel (written in letters).  The letters are dated and we are reading each letter on the day of the month on which it is dated.  It should take all year (if I keep up with it - it's too early to tell). 

 

December Reading

I'm posting this before the end of December because I know I won't be finishing any more books before the end of the year.  The following are the books I finished in December:

The Night Woods by Paula Munier

The latest in the Mercy Carr mysteries, this one finds Mercy very pregnant with her first child which does not stop her from solving three mysteries with her dog Elvis.  The first mystery involves the murder of an academic who was visiting Mercy's friend Homer in his remote cabin.  When Mercy and Elvis come upon the body, Homer and his dog Argos are missing.  The second involves a missing billionaire from a nearby hunting preserve. Are they connected? The third mystery is a mysterious drawing that is left on Mercy's front door. As usual I loved all the dogs that show up in the Mercy Carr books. This book was heavy on references to Homer's The Oddysey which I didn't mind. 

My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand

Whew. I chose the audio version of this memoir (narrated by Barbra herself) so that I could listen while I was making meals or cleaning my house. At over 48 hours I figured it would take me about a month and 1/2 to finish it. In fact I finished it in less than 30 days and my house was very clean because I always wanted to get to the end of a chapter. Streisand seems to go through every minute of her long life, analyzing herself, her politics, her movies, her TV specials and her music.  She doesn't hold back. I admit that I found the last few chapters a bit of a slog as she got into all of her political activism but maybe that was the result of reading it right after the election. Fortunately for her she kept a journal that she could refer to, although she seems to have very specific memories of every piece of clothing she ever wore. She is very up front that she wants to set the record straight on all the things that people have gotten "wrong" about her throughout her career (including the Streisand Effect). I don't know if she will achieve that but I was entertained. 

Held by Anne Michaels

Anne Michaels is a Canadian poet who also writes novels. This is a beautifully written novel that isn't for everyone. When I first heard it was a multi-generational novel I thought - oh no, this isn't for me. Those are usually huge and involve a lot of drama but may skimp on the character development. But I also heard that it began during WWI and I'm a sucker for WWI novels. So I thought I would give it a try. It's hard to describe the structure of this novel. I won't say it is a series of linked short stories because it isn't - and that was good because I don't really care for short stories anyway. It is more a series of vignettes, or even pictures, of various characters in different time periods who are all linked in some way.  And even within a chapter, the story is often told in little snippets of pictures (photography is a recurring plot element in the novel). As I said, this is not a novel for everyone.  If you like a linear storyline this isn't for you.  If you want to know every detail of a character's back story, this isn't for you. This is a beautifully written study of the effects of trauma, war, and love on individuals across generations.  It is definitely going on my "best of" list for 2024.  I wish there had been time to re-read it immediately but it was due back at the library and there was a long wait list. Although I read it digitally I think it would be best read in hard copy so that the reader can easily flip around figuring out how the characters are related to each other. 

French St. Louis:  Landscapes, Contexts and Legacy edited by Jay Gitlin, Robert Michael Morrissey and Peter J. Kastor

No one who isn't, like me, interested in French colonial North America will need to pick up this book although if you do you will find 10 well written essays about the colonial legacy of St. Louis.  This book arose out of a symposium at the Missouri History Museum in 2014 when the City of St. Louis was celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding.  I did not attend (and I'm not sure why since I was VERY interested in all the celebrations that year).  It is divided into five parts:  (i) Fashioning a Colonial Place:  (ii) St. Louis between Empire and Frontier; (iii) St. Louis and New Orleans, a Regional Perspective; (iv) Visualizing Place:  New Sources and Resources for Telling the Story of St. Louis; and (v) Maintaining the French Connection of St. Louis.  All were interesting to me.  It was helpful that the essays were not written in too much of an academic style.

Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

This was a BlueSky read-along for December. I had read some Vonnegut before but not this one. I can see why some people really like it because it is funny (in the usual Vonnegut absurd way) and you can't really disagree with his underlying message (dour though it is, as usual). But it also came off as very dated especially with respect to the characters that were people of color and women. I didn't really care for it but I'm not sorry I read it. 

The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich

I love Louise Erdrich's writing and I don't think she has written anything that I haven't enjoyed. I purchased this book as soon as it was published but I saved it to read toward the end of the year. (I like to end the year on a high note if possible.) The novel starts after the 2008 financial crisis and has as its main characters three teenagers living in a small farming town near the Red River. At first I admit that I found the story hard to get into because I just wasn't in the mood to read about teenage angst. But as the story developed I found myself engaged, especially with the adults and their problems (including worrying about their teenage kids).  As the story moved into the problems of farming, especially beet farming, with industrial herbicides I (surprisingly) found myself engrossed. There is a section where a character is working in the fracking industry and I found it nerve-wracking because it is so dangerous. If you want great writing, Louise Erdrich is for you. If you want deep character development, Louise Erdrich is for you.  If you need a galloping, page turning plot, she probably isn't for you - but there IS a plot and she does build suspense. Most of her novels take place in the same general vicinity and there are usually Easter Egg references to characters from other novels - she's sort of the Upper Midwest/Native American version of William Faulkner in creating a sense of place that extends through all her novels. This is not my favorite Louise Erdrich novel but as usual I enjoyed it tremendously.  

The Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey

This is the fourth in the Perveen Mistry series set in Bombay (Mumbai) in the 1920's. Perveen is the first woman solicitor in Bombay but she is not allowed to act as a barrister (appear in court) because she is a woman. This series is interesting because although it is set in colonial India (and there are so many books that are set during the colonial period) Perveen and her family are not Hindu or Muslim, they are Farsi (Parsi) and live by a different set of rules. I find that background interesting and Massey certainly creates a deep sense of place in these novels. I like Perveen as a character and the mysteries are fine. It isn't my favorite mystery series but I enjoy it and I was pleased to discover this fourth book. 

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Another BlueSky read-along, this ghost story has been filmed so many times that I found myself distracted by remembering film versions of the story and I couldn't even remember if I had ever read the original. When I reached the end I was positive that I had not read it before. The Victorians liked to be told ghost stories at Christmas (think A Christmas Carol) and so I tried to think like a Victorian. But I truly don't get the enjoyment of ghost stories at Christmas unless they involve Christmas. It is an interesting story because James purposely explains nothing and it seemed as if almost every sentence was ambiguous.  And the end came out of nowhere! I listened to the audio book for this reading which may have influenced my reading because I was very aware of just how impressionable the governess was (and also the reader made every sentence out of the little boy's mouth creepy). I enjoyed reading it but I think in the future I will stick to my annual re-reads of A Christmas Carol.

Murder at La Villette by Cara Black

I've always enjoyed Cara Black's Aimee Leduc mysteries. She sets each one in a different arrondissement in Paris, but each takes place about 20 years in the past. She says this is because that is the time period she lived in Paris and remembers well. I've always enjoyed the sense of place in this series. One thing I don't like in a mystery series is when the author apparently runs out of crime ideas and starts having the detective and his/her family be the targets of the crime. It just seems so unlikely to me. And that is the direction this series has been going in for some time. This time Aimee is accused of murder and must find the real murderer in order to clear her name. The part that I found most unlikely is that her close friends wonder if the accusation is true.  This is a short book, about one hundred pages shorter than her usual mysteries and I think it's because there isn't much there. Mostly Aimee runs around Paris noting well known sights.  So, unless you are already invested in this series I don't recommend it. 

PS: 

I am adding a book to this post that I read in August while I was on vacation.  As I was drafting my end-of-year summary of reading I realized that I had neglected to include this book in any blog post. 

Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein

Set in Trinidad in the 1940's this is the story of cultures existing in a period of change. This story centers on the island's minority Hindu population. Hansraj Saroop lives with his family in the "Barrack", a dilapidated shelter that houses multiple families. His wife wants him to purchase land in the village for a real house and that leads to him taking a job as a night watchman at a local estate where the wealthy husband has disappeared leaving a wife behind. But to me it was the peripheral characters who made this novel come to life. There is a plot but it seems secondary to Hosein, who draws vivid pictures of all the characters in this novel. This novel won the 2024 Walter Scott Prize for Fiction and, while it wasn't my favorite historical novel this year, I did enjoy it. 

 

First Quarter Reading

 Last year my resolution was to blog monthly about my reading but in the end I just did an end-of-year summary.  This year I made no resolutions.  But since I have time I thought I would do a first quarter summary of my reading.  

JANUARY

January started out slow.  I only read 3 1/2 books and two of them were really short:  2 mysteries, 1 memoir (?) and the half book was historical fiction.   I spent most of January in a fog, mostly watching TV in my free time.  (See my blog post about January TV watching.)

The January books I read were:

        A Hanging at Dawn: A Bess Crawford Short Story by Charles Todd. In this short story (which is actually kind of long) we finally get to learn why Simon worships Bess’s mother. I don’t really like short stories and this had all the shortcomings of one.  Just not enough there for me.  Recommended only if you are reading the series.

        Dear Miss Kopp by Amy Stewart.  A continuation of the wonderful Miss Kopp series.  WWI is ongoing and Norma is in France with her pigeons, making a friend called Aggie and solving a mystery. Constance is working for the Bureau and Fleurette is entertaining the troops stateside and acquiring a parrot.  I love epistolary novels and liked that she tried that with this book.  Recommended but read the whole series. 

        The Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett.  I've been re-reading the Lymond Chronicles with The Lymond Book Club on Youtube.  In January they and I finished the reread of this third book in the series.   The entire series is HIGHLY recommended but you have to start from the beginning. 

        Olive, Mabel & Me by Andrew Cotter.  A memoir about Dogs. If you haven't caught their videos on YouTube you are missing something.  Recommended if you like dogs.  ️ 

    

FEBRUARY 

In February I read six books and a couple of them were quite long:  1 Classic, 2 mysteries, 1 memoir, 1 young adult/children's book and 1 non-fiction book. 

        

        Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin.  This was actually the pick by my book group to read for January and I started it in January but only finished half in time for the Zoom meeting.   But I'd read it before.  Multiple times.  I decided to finish it in February just because I always enjoy it.  Always recommended. 

        The Searcher by Tana French. I generally like Tana French's crime novels.  This one was a bit different, it didn't involve the London Murder Squad and was set on the western side of Ireland not the eastern side.  The main character was an  American ex cop. I actually guessed who did it immediately.  But the real question is:  Why would anyone want to move to western Ireland if they weren't at least of Irish heritage?   I've been there.  I'm of Irish heritage and I didn't want to live there.   Recommended because of her writing style. 

        A Fatal Lie by Charles Todd.  This was the new Inspector Rutledge mystery.  The murder involved a famous aquaduct (I googled it) and a missing child. I mostly liked it but felt like they didn’t know how to end the part with the child.   Maybe the child will return in a future novel. But the "Plan B" of farming the kid out to friends was daft.  Melinda is too old to take it and how can he push it off on Scottish friends.  Recommended with reservations. 

        I Want to be Where the Normal People Are by Rachel Bloom.  I got this book for Christmas.  I really enjoy Rachel Bloom and I could hear her voice as I read it.  I did think that maybe I would have enjoyed it even more if I had listened to the audio book.   Recommended only if you like Rachel Bloom. 

        Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson.    Where to start?   Not as good as her previous book.  Good anecdotes. Good metaphors. But non-rigorous in its arguments. Very repetitive.  And the same annoying style as her last book.  I listened to the audiobook version of this so I could listen as I did other things.  If I had been reading it in book form I doubt I would have finished it.  Not recommended. 

        The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder.   Ok, ok, it's a kid's book.  But I was cleaning out my book shelves and came across it, started to read it and couldn't put it down.  If you know any girls in middle school it's a great book to give as a gift.  Recommended if you are at least middle school aged. 

MARCH

March was my best month for reading, I read 15 books:  10 mysteries, 2 historical novels, 1 alternate history historical novel, 1 gothic novel, 1 fable (?) 

        The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse   by Charles Mackesy.   Another Christmas gift.  Hard to describe.  A fable (?) with hand drawn illustrations.  It was actually just what I needed.  Very comforting.  Recommended if only for the illustrations. 

        The Blue by Nancy Bilyeau.  A novel set in the 1700s that involves the mania for collecting porcelain and the search for a perfect blue color. Lots of exposition about porcelain and blue. Because it was told in first person narration it required the heroine to be a bit dumb which was annoying.  I learned a lot about porcelain but didn't really enjoy it.  Not recommended. 

        Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukharjee. This is the 3d book in a series set in India in the 1920's involving a drug addicted white Raj police officer and his Indian sidekick.  I enjoy these books a lot.  Recommended and I don't think you have to have read the other two books to enjoy it. 

        Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia.  A Very Weird book that involves a creepy house, and a fungus and requires great suspension of disbelief. Didn’t really hang together in my opinion.  Not recommended. 

        Outlawed by Anna North.  An alternate history of the Hole in the Wall gang is the best way to describe it.  It's an odd book but I did enjoy it.  Recommended if you like odd alternate histories. 

        Death in the East by Abir Mukharjee.  The 4th book in the series.  This involved a convoluted plot set partly in England and partly in India at an Ashram.  Less successful than the other three books in the series mostly because of the flashbacks.  But the growth in the characters almost made up for that.  Recommended with reservations and you really need to have read the other books. 

        The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.  British retirement community crime solvers. If this hasn't been optioned for a TV series with Judy Dench, Maggie Smith and company - what are they waiting for?   Recommended for fun, light mystery reading. 

        The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey.  Since I was enjoying mysteries set in India I tried this one.  Set in the 1920’s it involves a woman solicitor.   The flashbacks to her awful marriage were too long and she should have stuck to the mystery.  Not recommended. 

        Boundary Waters Mysteries.  I also started reading a series of mysteries by William Kent Krueger set in Northern Minnesota in the Aurora area (just south of Vermillion and near the Boundary Waters).   The detective is former sheriff Corc O'Connor who is three quarters Irish and one quarter Ojibwe.  The first book is called Iron Lake.  I've now read the first six (6).   I love the setting because I'm so familiar with it.  I like his incorporation of the Ojibwe people into it.  His women characters leave a lot to be desired but they aren't absolutely horrible.  I'll probably end up reading them all.   Recommended with reservations.  Pretty sure men who like mysteries would like them. 

        Finally, my Lymond Book Club read along that I finished this month was Pawn in Frankencense. They won't finish talking about it until April but I finished it in March.   Always recommended but you have to read the whole series. 

My February and March reading turned out to be pretty good, considering that I also watched a whole lot of TV. 

A Year in Reading - 2020

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. 

My January 2019 Reading

This month I finished the following books:

In a House of Lies by Ian Rankin.  There is no better way to ring in the new year than with a new Ian Rankin book.  I started this on New Year's Eve (the day it was published in the U.S.) and finished it on New Year's Day.  John Rebus is back (and up to all of his old tricks).  Siobhan Clarke is called in to assist when a long dead corpse is discovered in the trunk of a car lying abandoned in a gulch (or whatever the Scottish word for gulch is).  It turns out that this is an old missing persons' case that had been handled (or mishandled) by Rebus' team back in the day. That brings in Malcom Fox to review all the old case files.  I love the "team" of Rebus, Siobhan and Malcom.  This time there is also a new character, DCI Graham Sutherland, who is a good addition and I hope Rankin keeps him around for more cases.  I was particularly struck by how Rankin managed to include a warning against Brexit by the end of the story without being preachy.

Early Work by Andrew Martin.  If this novel hadn't been short I wouldn't have finished it.  In my opinion the world doesn't need any more novels about men thinking with their dicks - John Updike perfected that genre.  I'm making a note of the people who gave this novel good reviews so that I remember that we don't agree on what is good and I don't take their reading advice in the future without looking into the recommendation more.  I was reminded, yet again, how boring I find novels about people who are drunk or stoned most of the time (which also reminds me of how good a writer I found Edward St. Aubyn despite the fact that his main character was a drug addict.)  Anyway ... not recommended by me.

Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday.  A somewhat odd little book, in three parts where the second part seems unconnected to parts one and two (except it isn't).  I really enjoyed part two - I liked the characters, I liked the writing and the plot took me in an unexpected direction.  I found part three entertaining because I like to listen to the BBC's Desert Island Discs and it was a riff on that.  But part one left me cold.  I really never understood the main female character and, worse, I just didn't care about her. And I had no real interest in the writer she was involved with.  But it is a small novel so that part doesn't go on for very long. And I do like the way that she writes, even in part one.  The first paragraph is an homage to Alice in Wonderland and the main character is called Alice.  And as she slips down the rabbit hole into her relationship with this man, there is a lot of "eat this" or "drink me".  I found that amusing.  The problem is that, just like the "real" Alice, this one is very passive.  That's ok in a little girl but I found it tedious in a grown woman.  As a side note, this book should carry a trigger warning for St. Louis Cardinals fans - it will bring back your memories of the 2004 World Series.

Milkman: A Novel by Anna Burns.   I loved, loved, loved this book.  It was chosen by my reading group (although I planned to read it anyway) and from what I can tell, no one loved it but me and most people didn't get through it.  (I missed the meeting.)  Burns sets her story in an unnamed place with unnamed people (the time period appears to be the 1970's).  With just a little effort it's easy to identify the locale as Belfast, Northern Ireland during "the troubles".  The characters are the narrator, her family, "sometime boyfriend" and the people who live in her neighborhood.  Oh, and a character known only as "Milkman" who has taken an interest in the narrator and is sexually harassing her - but without touching her or saying anything.  The plot is not the point of this novel (and in some ways it is tied up far too neatly at the end) and the characters are somewhat secondary.  Burns was trying to evoke what it felt like to live in that kind of situation and I think she handled that perfectly. The thing that struck me was how brilliant it was to not name the characters or the locale - because it was so easy to analogize the situation to many OTHER situations:  the #metoo era, what life must have been like in Beirut back in the 1980's, what life must be like in parts of many American cities in the 20th century if you were black and living in the midst of the drug war. 

Here are some representative lines that seem to me to evoke the ideas of the novel, but could be applied to many different stories, not just this one - I could put most of them as a lead-in to a tweet about a news story of the day somewhere:

"I did not want to get in the car with this man, I did not know how to say so though, as he wasn't being rude and he knew my family for he'd named the credentials, the male people of my family, and I couldn't be rude because he wasn't being rude."

"I did not like twentieth-century books because I did not like the twentieth century."

"...if no physically violent touch was being laid upon you, and no outright verbal insults were being levelled at you, and no taunting looks in the vicinity either, then nothing was happening,, so how could you be under attack from something that wasn't there?"

"If we were in a proper relationship and I did live with him and was officially committed to him, first thing I would have to do would be to leave."

"I said this was because of the twisting of words, the fabrication of words and the exaggeration of words that went on in this place."

" 'it's not about being happy, he said, which was, and still is, the saddest remark I've ever heard."

"They killed it because it liked them, because they couldn't cope with being liked, couldn't cope with innocence, frankness, openness, with a defencelessness and an affection and purity so pure, so affectionate, that the dog and its qualities had to be done away with."

"This was why you didn't get many shining people in environments overwhelmingly consisting of fear and sorrow."

"No one has ever come across a cat apologising and if a cat did, it would be patently obvious it was not being sincere."

"... because no information could be forthcoming that wouldn't be perceived by at leats one party to be a distortion of the truth."

"... their survival as an armed guerrilla outfit in a tightly knit, anti-state environment depended upon local support in that environment."

"Hard to define, this stalking, this predation, because it was piecemeal."

"...the only time you'd call the police in my area would be if you were going to shoot them, and naturally they would know this and so wouldn't come."

I could go on and on.  I was constantly highlighting phrases in this novel, stopping to think how the thought applied to more situations than simply a girl living in Belfast in the 1970's being stalked by an older man who was part of the IRA.   

 A lot of people have said this book is difficult to read because it has an almost stream of consciousness style.  I didn't find it difficult, but maybe because when I read I "hear" specific voices very clearly and this character had a very distinctive voice.  The two people in my reading group who made it through the book both listened to the audio version.  That may make a difference.