Tuesday’s post included 21 of the 38 books read during 2019. Below are the remaining 17. And here’s the legend.
LR = light, enjoyable read; GR = good, several caveats; ER = excellent, few caveats; OR = outstanding; DNF = did not finish; NMT = not my type.
| Title | Author | Comment | ||
| Jul | The Spy and the Traitor | Ben Macintyre | OR | This true story of espionage and double agents during the Cold War is riveting. |
| Jul | Eye of the Needle | Ken Follett | ER | An exciting, tense spy thriller set during WWII. One of Follett’s best. |
| Jul | Gone with the Wind | Margaret Mitchell | DNF | Devoured this when I was a teenager but could not get ‘into’ the story a second time. |
| Aug | Ribbons of Scarlet | Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie, E. Knight, Sophie Perinot, Heather Webb | OR | Wonderfully written novel set during the French Revolution. Told through the eyes of six unique, complex women. |
| Aug | The Guilty Ones | Joy Ellis | ER | Definitely a page-turner with many unexpected twists. |
| Aug | The Punishment She Deserves | Elizabeth George | OR | Superb twists and turns in this murder-mystery be acclaimed author Elizabeth George. |
| Sep | Crime on the Fens | Joy Ellis | LR | Crisp police detective story, with many twists and twisted characters. |
| Sep | The Irish Princess | Elizabeth Chadwick | ER | Superb historical fiction featuring Ireland in the 12th century, a time of warring kingdoms and England’s plans to seek control. |
| Oct | Know My Name | Chanel Miller | OR | A stunning journey through the lived experience of Chanel Miller a victim of sexual assault. |
| Oct | She Said | Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey | ER | Breaking the news of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual harassment and abuse and the #MeToo movement |
| Nov | Button Man | Andrew Gross | LR | 3.5 stars. Intriguing historical backdrop and time period – the garment industry in 1930s New York – make this an interesting read. |
| Nov | The One Man | Andrew Gross | DNF | Folks on Goodreads said this was Gross’s best. Perhaps I wasn’t in the right mood. |
| Nov | The Ragged Edge of Night | Olivia Hawker | ER | A beautifully written story that features distinct and memorable characters; set in WWII with German characters |
| Nov | Written in Their Stars | Elizabeth St. John | ER | The novel sizzles with emotion, tension, and memorable characters who struggle to overcome tragedies during the English Civil War. |
| Nov | The Harem Midwife | Roberta Rich | LR | An intriguing peek into the confines, jealousies and power struggles of a sultan’s harem. |
| Dec | The Dressmaker of Khair Khana | Gayle Tzemach Lemmon | ER | An inspiring story of women coping with life in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Non-fiction. |
| Dec | The Fortunate Ones | Catherine Hokin | ER | This novel grabs your attention from start to finish and makes you think about war, consequences, choices, and the power of love. |
| Dec | The Dutch House | Ann Patchett | ER | Words like quiet, introspective, compelling characters, and atmospheric come to mind. |
I hope you all enjoyed some wonderful books in 2019. Recommendations and comments welcome.
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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.
3 Responses
The Ragged Edge of Night was one of my memorable reads of 2019 – as was The Huntress in Part 1. Your lists give me ideas for my future reads – many thanks. However, my reading is too slow: https://rolandclarke.com/2020/01/02/reading-review-wreckage/
Thanks for visiting, Roland. I understand slow reading … there are times when it’s all I can to read for twenty minutes each night!