Last Tuesday I posted twenty novels read during 2017. Below are another nineteen read in the second half of the year. Some excellent possibilities to consider. Links are to articles or blog posts based on these books.
I use the following rating approach: LR = light, enjoyable read; GR = good, several caveats; ER = excellent, few caveats; OR = outstanding; DNF = did not finish; NF = Non-Fiction; NMT = not my type.
| Title | Author | Comment | ||
| Jul | Crazy Rich Asians | Kevin Kwan | LR | Love and devious manoeuvrings in an Asian setting |
| The Alice Network (interview with author) | Kate Quinn | OR | A highly recommended read with strong voices and an absorbing plot | |
| No Shred of Evidence | Charles Todd | ER | Low key mystery with an intriguing post WWI detective | |
| Hillbilly Elegy | J.D. Vance | NF | Excellent read – an attempt to understand what’s happening in America | |
| Aug | A Tangled Mercy | Joy Jordan-Lake | ER | Dual timeline: a novel of yesterday’s atrocities and today’s ongoing racial travesties |
| Paris Time Capsule | Ella Carey | LR | Recommended by a Lake Union editor; good premise, simple writing, quick read | |
| The House By the Lake | Ella Carey | LR | Also recommended by LU editor; not as effective as Paris Time Capsule | |
| Sep | The Virgin Queen’s Daughter | Ella Mary Chase | ER | Who knew there was a rumour about Elizabeth I having a daughter? Thoroughly enjoyed the novel. |
| March | Geraldine Brooks | ER | The story of the absent father from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women
Brooks’ writing is wonderful. |
|
| Winter Garden | Kristin Hannah | ER | The siege of Leningrad told by a woman who survives. Creatively told. | |
| Oct | The North Water | Ian McGuire | GR | Book club read. 19th century whaling expedition goes wrong. Far too many gruesome passages. |
| The Perfect Summer (review on the blog) | Juliet Nicolson | NF | A second reading – 1911 England on the verge of great change | |
| Manhattan Beach | Jennifer Egan | ER | Audio book – intriguing story set mainly during WWII; too many voices | |
| Day After Night | Anita Diamant | GR | Refugee camp in post-WWII Israel; disappointing | |
| America’s First Daughter (interview with Stephanie Dray) | Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie | OR | Wonderful story about Patsy Jefferson and her father Thomas Jefferson | |
| Nov | The Private Lives of Old Hong Kong | Susanna Hoe | NF | For research purposes; an intriguing look at European women living in Hong Kong from 1841 to 1941 |
| Letters to the Lost | Iona Grey | ER | Dual timeline linking WWII and present day and lost letters between lovers | |
| One Lavender Ribbon | Heather Burch | LR | Heart-warming romance set in Florida’s Gulf coast | |
| Dec | Purple Swamp Hen | Penelope Lively | ER | Short stories are not normally my thing but Lively is an excellent writer. |
Wishing you a wonderful year of reading ahead.
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M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel, TIME AND REGRET was published by Lake Union. Mary’s other novels, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or on her website www.mktod.com.
12 Responses
I’ve read a few of those and agree with your rating!
Thanks, Pat! Any others you’d recommend?
Just finished America’s First Daughter and I would agree with you, it was outstanding! The writing was wonderful and it was so interesting to learn about her life with him.
What were standout novels for you in 2017, Gale? I’d love to have some new recommendations.
I have your Time and Regret and Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network on my 2018 list!
Many thanks for including Time and Regret – I’d love to hear what you think when you’ve had a chance to read it. Best, Mary
Wow? Look at all the books I missed last year. I did get to Hillbilly Elegy and some of the others are on my want to read list. I had a very long drive for Christmas so I listened to A Brewer’s Tale. Loved it. Great research on brewing and the times of Henry the IV. So many books. So little time. thanks for the suggestions.
Mary,
Thank you for adding some remarkable books to my TBR list! I have Hillbilly Elegy—will pull it closer.
And a splendid 2018 to you too!
Let me know what you think of Hillbilly Elegy, Danie.