A is for Aaronovich (A-Z Challenge 2026) 1/4/26

The A-Z Home page can be found here.

My theme this year is authors that I've read.  More about the books I've read than the authors themselves. 

I'm an avid reader.  I'm a member of 2 in person reading groups through my local library.  I'm gradually working my way through an old BBC reading list of 100 books (I'm about half way through) and I'm taking part in the online 52 Book Club Challenge for the third time this year where the challenge is to read 52 books over the year based on 52 different prompts.  You can also find me on Goodreads here.

The A authors I've read are:

• Aaronovitch Ben
• Adams Douglas & Milly
• Ahern Cecelia
• Alcott Louis M.
• Alderman Naomi
• Alger Christina
• Ali Monica
• Anderson Celia
• Andrews V C
• Archer Jeffrey
• Arlidge M J
• Arnold Johann Christoph
• Ashe Lucy
• Ashley Tricia
• Ashton Juliet
• Atkins Dani & Lucy
• Atkinson Kate
• Atwood Margaret &
• Austen Jane

The standout author on this list for me is M J Arlidge – I’ve read 10 of his books which all feature Detective Helen Grace and are set in the south of England.  I love a good crime thriller and these haven’t disappointed.

I loved Louisa May Alcott’s books as a child – Little Women etc. and I can also remember reading the Flowers in the Attic series by V C Andrews.  I was a little surprised to find my 13 year old reading Flowers in the Attic from her Catholic school library though.

At the time I started preparing this post (June 25!) I’d only managed to read Pride and Prejudice by Austen despite having the complete works.  I’ve earmarked 2 more to read by the end of the year for the 52 Book Club challenge.

I do like to stretch myself.  Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy is an example of that.  Not my usual choice but it's on the BBC list.  Not my usual genre of crime fiction or chick lit but it was a fairly easy read.

Funny how with some authors you can love one of their books but hate something else.  (Although I very rarely DNF (did not finish) a book.  Both Cecelia Ahern and Monica Ali fall into that category.  I enjoyed Ahern’s PS I love you but almost DNF A Place called here.  Monica Ali’s debut Brick Lane was quite good but her novel Untold Story was another one that was a slog.

I read Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and found it quite chilling.  I haven’t managed to watch much of the TV series though but I would like to read The Testaments at some point. (Although I’d probably need to reread Handmaid’s Tale first to refresh my memory!

So these are my A authors.  Have you read any of their books?  What’s your favourite genre?

PS I’ve now read Sense and Sensibility by Austen and I have Mansfield Park on my “to read” list for this year’s 52 Book Club challenge.