Books Read 2020

Well, what a year huh? As I was lucky that I kept working all year, I was unlucky in the respect that I didn't read anywhere near the number of books that I would have liked to have read. Also not helped by the fact that the local library was closed (as I mentioned in last year's book list). With the whole pandemic bringing around lockdowns, I never ventured to try out the other two libraries,

So here is this year's list, with plays in italics and re-reads with asterisks:

1. A Capitol Murder - Lindsey Davis (28/12/19-4/1/20)

2. A Blink of the Screen - Terry Pratchett (18-19/1)

3. The Golden Age of Murder - Martin Edwards (29/2 - 10/5)

4. Dress in  the Age of Jane Austen, Regency Fashion - Hilary Davidson (?/3 -   )

I didn't finish reading this, as it is printed with small grey text, and I'm kind of blind without bright light (and/or my glasses), which the tea room at work doesn't really have, and whilst I do have a pair of glasses at work, remembering to grab them out of my locker/defeating my vanity. I do want to actually read it all the way through, as it was written by a friend. I promise I'll read it Hilary! Honestly!

5. Akhnaton - Agatha Christie (26/4 - 13/5)

6. Death Comes As The End - Agatha Christie  (2/6 - 2/8)

7. Alexandria* - Lindsey Davis (8/11 - 5/12)

8. Hereward the Wake - Charles Kingley (shortened)  (7-16/12)

9. Devil's Wolf - Paul Doherty (20-24/12)

10. A Libertarian Walks Into A Bear - Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling (26/12 - 1/1/21)

This one made me very happy that I don't or be inclined to, live in the US, especially New Hampshire. It had a couple things odd to its end - whilst being fairly descriptive of actions that had happened, it ends with a turn of phrase that does not really let you know what happened. Also in his acknowledgments, where he thanks all the people that are mentioned by name, even for the smallest of bits, for talking to him, he doesn't include one of the main characters with one the most amount of book space. It could be because the man died, so wasn't there to feel the appreciation, but neither was his family, for being happy to let him mention their father, who was a man that I felt, he thought had worthy morals(?)/ambitions(?)/world views (perhaps?).

So that's not too bad, about one a month or so and I read more than last year! Woohoo!! Again reading mostly at lunch hence the read-time spread of most of them.

 

The funny thing with 5 & 6, was that reading 3, which is looking at the writers of detective fiction in the "Golden Age" it mentioned that Agatha Christie was actually a fan of archaeology, and wrote both a play and a novel set in Ancient Egypt. So when my brother asked for suggestions for a birthday present, I said the novel, but I told him the title of the play, which I didn't realise until I opened said present. Mum then went and got me the novel, theoretically for Christmas, but she gave it to me when it arrived.

Stay safe and indoors and read - build your knowedge and your aspirations.