A-Z Reflections Post 2026

Well it's time to do a reflections post on the A-Z challenge and one of the co-hosts, J Lenni Dorner gave some pointers on what to consider including so here goes:

• How do you feel about the Theme Reveal? (Especially if this is not your first year doing the Challenge.) I think it's useful to let people know you're taking part and what you're planning to write about but I'm not sure having a list on the A-Z site is actually that helpful. (Although it probably is for the co-hosts to gauge what the level of participation is going to be.)
• In what ways does the reflection post help you?  It's a good way of looking at what worked, what didn't etc.
• What experiences have you had in the past, or hope to have this year, with the Road Trip?  I've tried to do the Road Trip a couple of times and have failed miserably.
• Does the HTML on the badges/ graphics page help you? Yes, thanks.
• Did you meet your blogging goals in April? I did.  
• What were your top five favourite blogs from the challenge to visit in April this year? Difficult to say - I'm still working my way through the list but several people who I already followed did the challenge so I enjoyed following them through the challenge.
• Did a co-host (J Lenni Dorner, Arlee Bird, Zalka Csenge Virág, John Holton, Jayden R Vincente, or Ronel Janse van Vuuren) comment on your blog during the challenge? Yes, several of them, thank you.
• Is there a comment you received on your blog in April that is your favourite? "Wendy, how do you remember all of the authors you've read! I am amazed at your A-Z this year and you are only on "D"!! Wow!"  This was left by one of my regular readers who always leaves me great comments.
• Who were your top comment-leavers this challenge, and did they do the challenge?  Definitely Terri, who left the comment above, plus Kim and Joanne who did not do the challenge. Of people that did do the challenge Joyce at http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/ and Faith at GOLD in the CLOUDS were regular commenters.
• Is your blog open to comments from everyone, or only comments from those who "sign in" to the platform? Open to everyone.
• Do you feel this helps or hurts your blogging comment goals? Helps
• Are there any other blog hops you regularly take part in? Wednesday Hodgepodge at From this side of the pond, a weekly gratitude post at Living to tell the Story and I also try to join in with a stream of consciousness post on Saturdays here.
• Did you discover anything interesting because of the Challenge? Lots of things.
• Will you plan to do the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge in 2027, and why (or why not)?  I probably will if I can think of a suitable theme.  I definitely work better with a theme.
• Will you recommend this blog hop to others?  Difficult to say.  My regular followers are already aware of the challenge from visiting my blog and new visitors have tended to be people doing the challenge anyway.
• If RoadTrippers only visit one of your Challenge posts, which would you suggest and why? (This question is also the prompt if you create a RoadTrip post.) Probably the A post.
• Do you plan to visit the A to Z site every month? I look at all the new posts as and when they're posted.
• Did you refer someone to hope to win a guest post spot? No
• What else could the team offer you to persuade you to encourage others to join the challenge?  I don't feel I need encouraging, I just don't have that big a circle of people.

Phew that was a marathon.  I really enjoyed doing the A-Z again this year particularly looking back at the books I've read and their authors.  What frustrated me, as it seems to every year, was that despite deciding on my theme way back last summer, I still wasn't totally prepared by the start of the challenge.  Consequently that meant I didn't have as much time as I'd like to work my way through the list of people taking part.  I think I'm about half way through the list now and I've tried to comment as much as possible.  I will continue to work through it but it will probably be at a more leisurely pace.  The way the commenting system works on Blogger still frustrates me too as it's hard to see the continuity in the same way as you can on Wordpress sites but I have no plans to switch platforms.

Finally 2 big thank yous - firstly to the team that make the A-Z challenge possible.  I can't imagine how time consuming it must be for you all especially when you all have your own sites to maintain and many of you are published authors.  Secondly to all those people who did visit my A-Z posts and particularly those that left regular, encouraging comments.  A lot of my blogging is about keeping a log of my daily life so I'd do it even without the comments but it is great to feel that your posts are not just disappearing into the web.

Z is for Zevin (A-Z Challenge 2026) 30/4/26

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 Z authors I've read are:

• Zevin Gabrielle
• Zusak Marcus

Yes two Z authors!  So joint prize winners for most read - not difficult as I've only read one book by each author but I gave both 5 stars.

Zusak's The Book Thief had been on my bookshelf for some time.  In fact at one point I think we had 2 copies in the house.  I finally got around to reading it in 2020.  You know, the year when we had a lot of time to stay at home and read!

Anyway I loved it.  My review said, "What a great book! Interesting narrative and so well written. Different to read about WW2 from a German perspective too."

Zevin's book was "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow".  This was a book club choice.

The blurb for it says, 

This is not a romance, but it is about love

Two kids, Sam and Sadie, meet in a hospital gaming room in 1987. One is visiting her sister, the other is recovering from a car crash. The days and months are long there. Their love of video games becomes a shared world -- of joy, escape and fierce competition. But all too soon that time is over.

When the pair spot each other eight years later in a crowded train station, they are catapulted back to that moment. The spark is immediate, and together they get to work on what they love - making games to delight, challenge and immerse players, finding an intimacy in digital worlds that eludes them in their real lives. Their collaborations make them superstars.

I really enjoyed this book once I got into it.  I wasn't sure I'd enjoy all the stuff about video gaming, and there is a lot of that, but that is kind of the framework of the story.  Essentially we see how Sam and Sadie's lives become intertwined and how their relationship develops over time.  The ups and the downs.

There are other characters that are key to how that happens but as the blurb says, the story is full of love but it is not a romance.  I liked the way Shakespeare was woven into the story and how other things were included that gave the writing depth.  Who knew there was a glass flowers museum in Harvard?  Not me, but I do now.  I even picked out a favourite quote, "What is a game?" Marx said.  "It's tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.  It's the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption.  The idea that if you keep playing, you could win.  No loss is permanent because nothing is permanent, ever."

(Although a 5 year old that gets hold of a permanent maker could leave some indelible marks lol.)

This is not the sort of book I would usually pick up but that's the good thing about belonging to a book club, sometimes you're challenged to read books outside your comfort zone.  This was a good pick.

What's the most challenging book you've read?

Y is for Young (A-Z Challenge 2026) 29/4/26

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 Y authors I've read are:

• Young Louisa

I was slightly surprised to see I only had one Y author on my list but Louisa Young's "My Dear I wanted to tell you" was definitely a 4 star read for me.  

I read it back in 2019 and my review was, "A very poignant story that details the WW1 experiences of Riley Purefoy and the love of his life, Nadine Waveney.  It's a grim reminder of how awful life was in the trenches and an insight into the terrible injuries soldiers received and how medical advances enabled facial injuries to be repaired."

I can't honestly remember too much about it so I checked out some other reviews on Goodreads which reminded me that it covers the use of postcards sent home by soldiers who had been injured to their loved ones that started with the line "My dear I wanted to tell you" and gave them the options of being very truthful about their circumstances or sending a more edited version to spare feelings.  Postcards being able to be sent quicker than letters which required censorship.  

There is also a lot about the advances in plastic surgery that were necessary due to the awful injuries soldiers sustained.  It's a bit graphic on that front.  

Unfortunately, despite being able to read about the horrors of WW1 and WW2 we still don't seem to have learned any lessons from them.

I swing between watching the news so that I'm informed about what is happening in the world, despite how awful it is, or switching it off and immersing myself in a book.  The books seem to be winning at the moment.

X is for Xarissa (A-Z Challenge 2026) 28/4/26

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 X authors I've read are:

• Xarissa Diana

Hands up who thought I'd have to be creative with this letter?

Well not creative exactly but I did seek out an author beginning with the letter X when I was planning for this challenge as I didn't have one.

There are actually lots of authors starting with X, many of which are Chinese.  I went for Diana Xarissa who is American.  I chose Aunt Bessie Assumes, a very cozy crime story featuring, yes you've guessed it, Aunt Bessie and set on the Isle of Man.  Aunt Bessie stumbles across 2 dead bodies in short succession which is surprising given that the Isle of Man, which lies between Ireland and the UK, is only 221 square miles in area and has a population of just over 84,000.

In fact, Aunt Bessie features in her own A-Z series and she's also tackled cold cases.  If you thought that small island, famous for its TT race was a safe place to live, maybe think again lol.  

Turns out Diana has self published over 100 books! Unfortunately one was enough for me.

Do you have an author that you've read but would never read again?

W is for Waal - (A-Z Challenge 2026) 27/4/26

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 W authors I've read are:

• Waal Kit de
• Wake Jules
• Ward Sarah
• Ware Ruth
• Watson S J
• Weaver Tim
• Webb Debra
• Weiner Jennifer
• Weisberger Lauren
• Wetmore Elizabeth
• Wiggs Susan
• Wilde Oscar
• Williams Julia
• Wilson Jacqueline
• Wilson Mairi
• Winman Sarah
• Wood Simon
• Wood Val
• Woodman Cathy
• Worth Jennifer
• Wyndham John

 Well quite a few W authors.  The prize for most read author goes to Cathy Woodman with 6 books.  I read a whole series by her all relating to a veterinary practice in the English countryside.  The Goodreads blurb is "Cathy Woodman, a fresh new voice in women's fiction, has written a warm, breezy romantic comedy that makes for the perfect relaxing cozy read".  The books definitely fit that description and I must have been in the mood for that type of book at the time which was back in 2018.

Jacqueline Wilson makes the list as the two I've read by her (The Story of Tracy Beaker and Double Act) were on the BBC list.  As was Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray which also ticks a classic box. I didn't enjoy it though, only giving it 2 stars.

Funny how some books stay with you and others don't, even by the same author.  I have reasonably clear memories of The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham but I just had to look up The Chrysalids to see what it was about.  Both dystopian of course.  It probably helped that I've seen a film version of the Day of the Triffids.

I read all the books in Jennifer Worth's trilogy on which the excellent series "Call the Midwife" is based.  But of course there are my usual choice of thrillers on there as well.  Ruth Ware for one and Tim Weaver for another.  Weaver's The Missing Family was a 5 star read for me.  

Another piece of trivia for you.  I really enjoyed Kit de Waal's book My name is Leon.  Set in the 1980s it tells the story of 9 year old Leon who has a difficult start in life. The book follows Leon's struggle with being in foster care and losing his brother. I concluded my review of that by saying, "The ending is quite open ended.  It will be interesting to see if the author writes a sequel."  I just googled this and apparently the author has expressed plans to write a sequel based on when Leon is 43.  I also discovered the original book had been televised.  Another one to add to the watchlist!

Do you have a watchlist of books you've read that have either been made into a film or televised?

V is fr Vincenzi (A-Z Challenge 2026) 25/4/26

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 V authors I've read are:

• Vincenzi Penny

Well another short list!  And only 1 book by the author - The Dilemma which I read so long ago it doesn't even have a rating let alone a review on my Goodreads page.  I don't really remember anything about it either, even though it's over 800 pages long.

Perhaps I should have added another few authors to this list to have more to say.  I don't have any V authors in my pile of To be Read books.  Any recommendations?

U is for Union (A-Z Challenge 2026) 24/4/26

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 U authors I've read are:

• Union Gabrielle

When I was preparing to do this challenge I realised I didn't have an author for the letter U so I did some googling and came up with:

We're going to need more wine by Gabrielle Union.  The title sounded interesting so I ordered it from the library.

It probably didn't help that I didn't really know who Gabrielle Union was when I started this book.  I'm not really better informed now - she's obviously very well know in the USA and appeared in a lot of shows, none of which I have watched.  But she does tick the author's name starts with a U so I accomplished that at least.

It wasn't a difficult read - although there is a lot of swearing and sexual detail in the book.  (Just saying for anyone who would be put off by that.)  But I couldn't really say it was an enjoyable read.  It did raise my awareness of how difficult everyday situations can be for Black Americans though.

Are you familiar with Gabrielle Union?  Watched any of her shows?

T is for Taylor (A-Z Challenge 2026) 23/4/26

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 T authors I've read are:

• Taylor C L
• Teague Paul J
• Tessaro Kathleen
• Thomas Jo
• Thompson James                                                                
• Tokarczuk Olga
• Tolkien J R R
• Toltz Steve
• Tomlin Jenny
• Toon Page
• Tope Rebecca
• Townsend Sue
• Tremain Rose
• Tremayne S K
• Trollope Joanna
• Truss Lynne
• Tsiolkas Christos
• Turley Jane
• Anne Tyler

Joanna Trollope is my most read T author with 6 books.  A change from my usual crime thrillers, Trollope writes about the trials and tribulations of domestic life.  And I think she's very good at it.

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien tick the classics box.  I loved the Hobbit.  I've read it twice.  But Lord of the Rings took me a while to get through.  I do enjoy a bit of fantasy, now and again, and we had all the films on DVD so I had to get through the book.  I always prefer to read then watch. And once I'd finished the book I binge watched the films.

One crime story on there that I would probably never have read if the book hadn't been gifted to me was Drive your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk.  I didn't find this book an easy read - it took me quite a few days and it's not actually that long.  The blurb on the cover sums up the book quite well and it is about the mystery surrounding several deaths in a community in Poland with an ending I hadn't predicted.

Why 5 stars?  Because it is beautifully written.  It's clever.  It doesn't just tell the story. I wouldn't say I loved it but I can appreciate why the author is a Nobel prize winner.

There's also a 1 star book on this list, The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas.

At 485 pages this is quite a long book given it all relates to "The Slap" that takes place during an afternoon barbecue for friends and family.  (Not a spoiler - that's quoted in the blurb.)  What follows is the story of subsequent events as seen through the eyes of 8 of the people who witnessed the event.  Time moves forward as we are given insights into the lives of each of these 8 people.

Clearly Tsiolkas has a good understanding of people but I found the style of interspersing actual speech with the thoughts of the person annoying.  I had to check for quotation marks on many occasions to separate one from the other.  And the characters were horrible.  I nearly gave up after about  a third of the book but I really hate to DNF and this was a book earmarked for a challenge choice so I made it to the end, just.  I think it's fair to say that the idea of "the slap" being a catalyst for an interesting book did not deliver.

It also contains lots of swearing, sexual scenes and racism.

What makes you give a book 1 star?

S is for Salinger (A-Z Challenge 2026) 22/4/26

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 S authors I've read are:

• Salazar Noelle
• Salinger J D
• Samson Polly
• Sandy Claire
• Sansom C J
• Seeber Claire
• Sebold Alice
• Serle Rebecca
• Seton Anya
• Sewell Anna
• Shaffer Mary Ann
• Shemilt Jane
• Shortall Eithne
• Shriver Lionel
• Simms Gill
• Slaughter Karin
• Smith Dodie
• Sparks Nicholas
• Spyri Johanna
• Stanley Mary
• Stedman M L
• Danielle Steel
• Steeples Jill
• Steinbeck John
• Steiner Susie
• Stevenson Benjamin
• Stevenson Robert Louis
• Stockett Kathryn
• Stone Lisa
• Strout Elizabeth
• Summers Judith
• Swaby Rachel
• Swain Heidi
• Swan Karen

Unsurprisingly a crime writer - Karin Slaughter - is the most read S author on my list with 12 books read.  Many of these are very dark and grisly in places.  Not to everyone's taste.

There are a couple of children's classics on there, Black Beauty and Treasure Island but the only real adult classic is Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger which I only gave 2 stars to.

This was a book I felt I should read rather than wanted to read. It's a classic - it made the BBC Good Read list but it had never made its way to the top of my TBR pile. It fitted a prompt for the 52 book club challenge tin 2025 so I decided it was time. Well, it was hard going. I can't say it's a book I enjoyed or liked. I was impressed by the way it was written. Salinger definitely seems to have managed to get inside the head of a 16 year old boy, filled with grief, but I just wasn't drawn into the story. Thankfully it was quite short at 220 pages but it took me 11 days to get through it. Never a good sign.

Danielle Steel features on the list although only for 6 books.  I'm sure I've read more of hers but that must have been before I kept records of my reading.  Unfortunately the one I read most recently, Trial by Fire, I only gave 2 stars.  It needed a lot of editing.  It was very repetitive and felt formulaic for me.  Steel has written over 200 books but it feels to me that maybe she has reached her limit.

One of the 5 star books on this list is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peal Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer.  A much lighter read which I loved.  I've watched the film twice.

Two other authors that stand out for me on this list are Elizabeth Strout and C J Sansom.

Strout just has a lovely way with prose.  Her books are quite different from my usual reads and although they're not thrilling or even full of events they were just good to read.

C J Sansom is the author of an historical series revolving around Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer in the times of Henry VIII who gets involved in mysteries.  Again not my typical read but I'm really enjoying the series.  I've read 5 of the 7.  Another set of tomes though.  The first in the series was over 400 pages and they've got longer.  The final instalment is over 800 pages!

Do you have a limit on a size of book that you will read?

R is for Rankin (A-Z Challenge 2026) 21/4/26

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 R authors I've read are:

• Rankin Ian
• Rayner Sarah
• Redmond Pamela
• Reichs Kathy
• Reid Carmen
• Reid Kiley
• Reid Taylor Jenkins
• Reilly Martina
• Rekulak Jason
• Ribchester Lucy
• Riley Lucinda
• Rimington Stella
• Roberts Caroline
• Roberts Geraldina
• Roberts Nora
• Roberts Sheila
• Robinson Anne
• Robinson Peter
• Robotham Michael
• Robson Amanda
• Rooney Sally
• Rosen Jane L
• Ross LJ
• Rowling J K
• Rubin Gretchen

Well it's more of a close run thing for most read favourite "R" author with  L J Ross winning with 16 but Ian Ranking (13) Kathy Reichs (12) and Michael Robothom (11) all come close behind.

Interestingly these are all serial writers and writing about crime.  Actually that's not such an interesting fact when you know that's my favourite genre.  

L J Ross writes about DCI Ryan with stories set around the NE area of England.  Ian Rankin's books are set in Edinburgh and feature Inspector Rebus.  These are quite gritty and dark.  Kathy Reichs writes about Temperance Brennan a forensic anthropologist but all the stories involve crimes.  This was televised as "Bones" which I loved watching.

Michael Robotham writes about Joseph O'Loughlin who is a clinical psychologist.  He's also written other books of which I've read a couple.

There are another couple of series that I've read on this list:

Lucinda Riley's Seven Sisters which was a huge undertaking as the books are all long.  I found there to be a little bit too much repetition at times at the beginning of some books.  I know that was probably to enable each book to be read on it's own but it was annoying.

And of course who hasn't read Harry Potter?  Especially if you have children.  Ok maybe you haven't and yes not everyone is into magic and make believe.  I loved them all though, and the films.

I've also read The Casual Vacancy   well I thought I had.  An adult novel by J K Rowling.  I shall have to investigate that.  And although I haven't read the novels she's written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, I have watched most of the televised versions of these. (Strike)

No classics on this list and no real stand out books although I did give 5 stars to Amanda Robson's Guilt which was a good psychological thriller.

I'm also probably in the minority over Normal People by Sally Rooney.  I didn't really like this book.  I understand the hype and I think the basis of the book is sound but the execution didn't do it for me.  I particularly disliked the lack of punctuation around speech and thoughts.  Made it very confusing at times and I found myself re-reading paragraphs to work out who had said what, or if it was actually just a thought process.

I also was not impressed with the ending.  Is there a sequel planned?

Any thoughts?

Q is for Quinn (A- Challenge 2026) 20/4/26

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 Q authors I've read are:

• Quinn Kate

Yep that's right.  Only 1 Q author on my list and the book I read was The Phoenix Crown which I gave 3 stars.

San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage.

Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace.

His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have imagined . . .

Until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justice . . .

It's clear from the fact that this book took me 10 days to read that I didn't find it riveting. I didn't dislike it but it was slow going for about the first two thirds then it improved. However I thought the ending of the story was also a bit rushed compared to the beginning so not very balanced.

Anyway....some of the comments people have left suggest that I read all the time, I mean how have I read books by so many authors? Well the data I'm using goes back to 2008. During 2008 through to 2014 I probably averaged about 27 books a year. Once I left work in 2015 that number increased and I now probably read just over 50 books a year. 2020 was a good year (can't think why lol) because I managed 73 books. Now I usually set my target as 52 which of course ties in nicely with the 52 book club challenge but the last couple of years I've passed the 60 mark.

But... it doesn't matter how many books you read, what matters is that you read. Or listen. I know some people only do audio books. Nothing wrong with that. I am not a reading snob. Similarly it doesn't matter what you read. I try and read 1 or 2 classics each year but I don't beat myself up if I don't. I've tried Wuthering Heights twice and still haven't finished it. Maybe that's one I should try out on audio. Or maybe not lol.

Do you set yourself a reading goal each year?

P is for Page (A-Z Challenge 2026) 18/4/26

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 P authors I've read are:

• Page Libby
• Page Sally
• Palin Michael
• Paris B A
• Parks Adele
• Parmar Priya
• Parsons Tony
• Pascoe Sara
• Patchett Ann
• Patterson James
• Patterson Richard North
• Peake Mervyn
• Pearse Lesley
• Pearson Allison
• Pelzer Dave
• Penner Sarah
• Perkins Sue
• Perkins-Valdez Dolen
• Perks Heidi
• Perry Philippa
• Perry Sarah
• Phinn Gervase
• Picoult Jodi
• Pine Alex
• Plath Sylvia
• Pooley Clare
• Pratchett Terry
• Pullman Philip

Well a lot more P authors and, given that he has written an enormous amount of books, well over 200 as at 2024, it's not surprising that James Patterson is my most read P author with 37!  Of course lots of those are written with co-authors but still....he puts his name on a lot of books.  But he also gives back - donating to literacy focussed philanthropy, providing scholarships, supporting independent booksellers amongst other things.

I don't think I've read any bad Patterson books.  Yes they can seem a bit formulaic at times, especially the series, but they're often fast moving, action packed page turners.  I'm sure they're are lots of critics out there who will find flaws and faults but sometimes you just need a book that keeps you from thinking about everything else that is going on around you.

Another great author, in my opinion, on this list is Jodi Picoult.  I've read 18 of her novels and, of those I've rated and reviewed only 1 got a 2 star rating (House Rules) - it was written back in 2010 and features Jacob who has been diagnosed with Asperger's.  The book could do with an update.  

Most of her books rate at least 3 if not 4 stars from me with a few getting 5 stars:

Small great things

A Spark of Light &

Mad Honey

Picoult is not afraid to challenge difficult subjects and her research is usually excellent.

Other books I've rated 5 stars from this group of authors include:

The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page

The Stranger in my House by Adele Parks

Take my Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

A couple of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series also made it onto this list from my BBC challenge.  Sadly Pratchett died in 2015 having been diagnosed with a form of Alzheimer's back in 2008, he was only 66.

Have you or your children read anything by Pratchett?

O is for O'Brien (A-Z Challenge 2026) 17/4/26

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 O authors I've read are:

• O’Brien James
• O’Farrell Maggie
• O’Flanagan Sheila
• O’Leary Beth
• O’Loughlin Ann
• Obama Barak
• Obama Michelle
• Oliver Jenny
• Orwell George
• Osman Richard
• Owens Delia

My lists seem to be shrinking - only 11 "O" authors with 15 books between them.  They are mostly single choices with the exceptions of Sheila O'Flanagan, Ann O'Louglin, Jenny Oliver and George Orwell who have 2 each.

Only 1 5 star book too - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.  I loved it but you can also find 1 star reviews on Goodreads from readers who hated it.

There aren't many stand out books on the list.  Predictably the 2 George Orwell books I've read are Animal Farm and 1984 both of which feature on the BBC list.  Of the Obama books, I found Michelle's autobiography a bit hard going and long.  Barak's book (Dreams from my Father) gave an open and honest insight into his background and how he became the person he is.

The oddball in the list is probably James O'Brien's How not to be Wrong: The art of changing your mind.

O'Brien is a presenter on LBC radio and I find him quite opinionated.  He often starts his show with a long monologue about a particular subject and he can be very unforgiving to people who don't present their arguments very well, especially if there are holes in them.

This book was refreshing as it presented a more balance image of O'Brien and showed that there have indeed been times when he's realised that he needed to look at something differently.

Finally I must mention Richard Osman.  I have actually only read his first book The Thursday Murder Club.  My review was as follows:

"Well I'm a bit torn on this one. It's a nice cosy read - think Midsomer Murders meets Miss Marple except Miss Marple has a gang of residents in a retirement village. The group meet once a meet to discuss cold cases but then they're presented with an actual murder.

It all gets a bit silly at times although in a funny sort of way. I just felt the author was trying to be too clever with the plot lines - there are lots of them to keep track of. And characters. It also switches between 1st and 3rd person POVs which didn't really add to the narrative.

I didn't hate the book - I got through it in two days - but I certainly didn't love it. Unfortunately I think some books by well known celebrities don't always get the rejections an unknown writer does."

Of course lots of people loved it.  He's written 4 more and 2 in a new series (We solve murders) so he's obviously doing something right.

Are you a fan?

N is for Nadal (A-Z Challenge 2026) 16/4/26

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 N authors I've read are:

• Nadal Jay
• Nadin Joanna
• Nally James
• Nesbo Jo
• Ng Celeste
• Nicholls Adam
• Nicholls David
• Niffennegger Audrey
• Noble Elizabeth
• North Freya
• Norton Graham
• Norton Mary
• Nugent Liz

Not as many names on this list and and in terms of most books read Norwegian Jo Nesbo tops the list with 10 books, The Thirst, (Harry Hole #11) earning 5 stars.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger also got 5 stars.  This started off slowly for me then I started to really enjoy it. Not my usual genre and wasn't really sure how to categorise it. It's a love story, a ghost story and it's also about the relationships between twins.  I also learned a lot about Highgate Cemetery.

Many of you may know her for The Time Traveller's Wife which I read a long time ago so I don't have a rating or review for that one but I know I enjoyed it.

I've read a couple of books by Graham Norton better known for being a TV presenter, and was pleasantly surprised by them.  

No real adult classics here but The Borrowers by Mary Norton is definitely a children's classic that I loved.

Do you have a favourite children's classic?

Start here

M is for Mackie (A-Z Challenge 2026) 15/4/26

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 M authors I've read are:

• Mackie Bella
• Mackintosh Clare
• MacMillan Gilly
• Magnanti Brooke
• Mallery Susan
• Mankell Henning
• Mansell Jill
• Margolyes Miriam
• Marks Rachel
• Marsh Henry
• Marsh Katie
• Martel Yann
• Martin Madeline
• Marwood Alex
• Mason Richard
• Matthews Carole
• May Peter
• McAllister Gillian
• McBeth Collette
• McCullough Colleen
• McDermid Val
• McEwan Ian
• McGregor Jon
• McInerney Monica
• McNish Hollie
• Michaelides Alex
• Milne A A
• Money-Coutts Sophia
• Montgomery L M
• Moorcroft Sue
• Morgan Ann
• Morgan Sarah
• Morgenstern Erin
• Moriarty Liane
• Moriarty Sinead
• Morrey Beth
• Morris Heather
• Morrison Toni
• Morton Kate
• Moyes Jojo
• Murakami Haruki

Another mixed bunch of authors here with Carole Matthews being the most read with 8 titles.  A quick scan of the titles would show them to be chick lit but with a bit of depth.  I gave many of them 4 stars.

A few classics on there - who doesn't love Winnie the Pooh?  Plus some titles many of you will recognise:

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery

The Tattooist of Auschwitz & the sequel Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris (Both 5 * in my opinion.)

All of the Me Before You series by Jojo Moyes although the first one is definitely the best.

A couple of books fell outside my usual remit:

Do No Harm by Henry Marsh who worked as a neurosurgeon, this book outlines case studies and shows how difficult it can be when one mistake can change a patient's life in a devastating way or even result in death.

Nobody Told Me: Poetry and Parenthood by Hollie McNish 

Loved this book. Hollie kept a diary from the start of her pregnancy until her "Little One" reached the age of 3. But more than just a diary, it's also full of poems. She really captures the ups and downs of parenthood and manages to convey in words so many of the trials and tribulations and the joys of becoming a Mother. Great poems but her prose is beautiful too.

I also enjoyed Miriam Margolyes' autobiography "This much is true" but it wouldn't be to everyone's taste.  Miriam is a bit like Marmite, you either love her or hate her. For me she is ok in small doses. As your friend, she would always have your back but you'd never want her as your enemy. She's also very crude.

A few other 5 star books on this list:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Homecoming by Kate Morton

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (Great twist in this one.) and

Saving Missy by  Beth Morrey.

Are you good at spotting the twists before they come?

PS Toni Morrison appears on the above list and I did start "Beloved" by her but I could not get into it.  I hate giving up on books but it really wasn't doing it for me so I passed.

L is for Lagercrantz (A-Z Challenge 2026) 14/4/26

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 L authors I've read are:

• Lagercrantz David
• Lapena Shari
• La Plante Lynda
• Larsson Stieg
• Le Carre John
• Lee Harper
• Leith Prue
• Leon Donna
• Lewis C S
• Lewis Susan
• Lindstrom Eric
• Linskey Howard
• Llewellyn Julia
• Logan T M
• Low Shari
• Lupton Rosamund

Well a tie again for most read author on my L list between Lynda La Plant all featuring the female detective Anna Travis and Susan Hill who also writes crime fiction but many of her books that I've read focus on family situations and relationships.

TM Logan comes closely behind these 2 with 6 books which have all been good page turning thrillers.

There's one on there by Prue Leith who in my opinion should stick to cooking.

I'm trying to work my way through Narnia but so far I've only managed the first two. 

Several Le Carré books and Stieg Larsson's Millennium series are all there including #4 which was written by David Lagercrantz.  I felt it blended well with the first 3 but it was a bit too futuristic for me with lots about the development of AI.  I am not a fan of AI, probably because I don't know enough about it.

Are you a fan of AI.  Do you use it when blogging and if so how?

K is for Kabler (A-Z Challenge 2026) 13/4/26

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 K authors I've read are:

• Kabler Jackie
• Kay Adam
• Kelk Lindsey
• Kellerman Faye
• Kelly Cathy
• Kernick Simon
• Keyes Daniel
• Keyes Marian
• Kidd Sue Monk
• King Sophie
• Kingsolver Barbara
• Kinsella Sophie
• Kinsley Erin
• Knapp Florence
• Kondo Marie
• Koomson Dorothy
• Koontz Dean
• Krauss Nicole

A nice selection of K authors here with Marian Keyes taking top place with 8 of her books on my list.  Several of those were about the Walsh family and they featured in a television series recently which I enjoyed.

Barbara Kingsolver is there and I expect you can all guess that means I've read Demon Copperhead which in my opinion lived up to its hype and I gave it 5 starts.  The trouble with that one though was that I had to read David Copperfield by Dickens first to be able to see the comparisons.  That was the first long Dickens I've read and it took me a while.  Demon Copperhead took me over two weeks but it was during the Christmas period.

Another 5 star book from these authors is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.  I really loved this book. The main character Lily's journey of understanding her past is sensitively done and interwoven in the book is a lot of information about bee keeping.  I do like it when there is more to a book than just the story.

Florence Knapp's "The Names" is on here.  I found the premise of this book interesting - how does the choice of a name affect our lives going forward? The name choice isn't what really affects the life of the baby in the book but rather the effect its Mother Cora's decision has on her marriage and the events that follow. It should be noted that the marriage is an abusive one. Overall it's a good debut but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's great so 4 stars from me.

There are no real classics on this list but there is a non-fiction book - "The life-changing magic of tidying up" by Marie Kondo.  I'd seen some TV programmes featuring her and my daughter had a copy of the book to lend me but I was surprised it was just a small paperback.  I'd expected something more glossy and with pictures.  There were some useful tips in there and I'm sure if we ever truly downsized I might revisit it but I'm fortunate to have space and storage option in my house.  Much needed for all the books!

Are there a lot of books in your home?

J is for Jakob (A-Z Challenge 2026) 11/4/26

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 J authors I've read are:

• Jakob Juno
• James P D
• James Peter
• Jane Corry
• Jeffrey Diane
• Jewell Lisa
• Johnson Alan
• Johnson Milly
• Jonasson Jonas
• Jones Christina
• Jones Wendy
• Jonsson Ulrika
• Joyce Rachel

Well a few more authors for J and I had to read the one by my namesake (Juno Jakob) titled Atticus. This book details living with schizophrenia, in particular during hospitalization. It's a hard read in that it's graphic - bad language occurs frequently throughout the book and it's dark. But it feels truthful and although sad at times it is also hopeful. Atticus is a fox that appears in the main characters hallucinations.

The book was recommended to me by one of my DILs as it was quite short and fitted a prompt for the 2025 52 Book Club challenge.

Lisa Jewell is my most read author on that list but despite not having many authors on the list there are a few quirky titles:

The Hundred-year-old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared (Jonas Jonasson)

The thoughts and happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals (Wendy Jones) and

The Unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry. (Rachel Joyce)

The Harold Fry was a book club read which I enjoyed and it has since been made into a film which I hope to get around to watching at some point.

There's also an autobiography on there (Please, Mr Postman by Alan Johnson a former MP.) which is not my usual genre and I definitely wouldn't recommend this one. It covers a relatively short period of his life when he worked as a postman and was heavily involved in the union. It was soooo boring. A good snapshot of life at the time but it certainly didn't make me want to read about any more of his life!

Do you enjoy autobiographies?

I is for Ironmonger (A-Z Challenge 2026) 10/4/26

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 I authors I've read are:

• Ironmonger John
• Irving John
• Ishiguro Kazuo
• Ivey Eowyn

Well that's a short list and between those 4 authors I've only read 6 books so Irving takes the prize this time.

I read Ishiguro's "Never let me go" a while back so it doesn't even have a rating or review on my Goodreads page.  I remember I found it disturbing but the fact that I had to look at other reviews on Goodreads to remember more about it shows it probably wasn't a 5* book for me.  

John Ironmonger's "Not forgetting the Whale" was a magazine book recommendation I read back in 2016.  I can't remember too much about it other than that the main character was a man running away from a disastrous work situation and ending up on a beach.  Also ending up on the beach was a whale.  It wasn't my usual sort of read but I clearly enjoyed it as I gave it 4*.

A more recent read was The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.

I loved this book.  It’s a fairy tale for adults filled with joy and sadness.  It also beautifully outlines the harshness of Alaska and the difficulties early settlers faced.  It details the relationships between husband and wife and parents and child as they battle to make a life for themselves in the brutal climate.

And now to Irving. I've read 3 of his books.

1) "A Widow for One Year" 

To say this is a story about a woman (Ruth) who had been a widow for one year wouldn't be wrong but the book is about so much more than that.  The book details Ruth's life but also covers much of her parents' lives and more.  Irving includes in his book whole sections that feel superfluous to Ruth's story.  He writes paragraphs where many writers would use a sentence.

I'm not sure if I think Irving is a great writer but he's definitely clever.  The book isn't a page turner like a thriller would be but I did want to keep going and find out how things turned out for Ruth and the other characters in the book.  He's also not shy about including details of the sexual relationships of his characters and indeed in this book there is a lot of information about the Red Light district of Amsterdam.  This might not be to everyone's taste.

2)  "A Prayer for Owen Meany".

It took me a month to read this book!  John Irving does not mince his words.  This is the story of Owen Meany, a small person with a strange voice and a calling.  

It's the 3rd book by Irving that I've read and although they've all impressed me they've all felt too long.  This is a very slow story of Owen Meany's life as told by his best friend John Wainwright.  I'd like to say it gathers momentum to a satisfying ending but it doesn't.  Irving takes his time.  He goes into great detail about everything.  Set in America there is a lot of information about the Vietnam war and what was going on in America around that time.   But the events revolving around Owen Meany are in the past for the narrator so we also get his views on American politics in the 1980s.  There is also a lot about religion in the book, particularly the different churches in America.

I'm glad I made it to the end but it wasn't a compelling read for me.  I hate giving up on books so I persevered.  I've given it 4 stars because I couldn't in all honesty recommend it for reading without a lot of caveats but the way Irving pulls this story together is impressive.

Looking at my review of Owen Meany I had to check out which other book of his I'd read as it wasn't listed on my Goodreads page!  Turned out to be "The World According to Garp".  Another tome.

Are you good with reading long books or would they be a non starter for you?

H is for Haig (A-Z Challenge 2026) 9/4/26

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 H authors I've read are:

• Haig Matt
• Hallett Janice
• Halls Stacey
• Halton Linn B
• Hamer Kate
• Hannah James
• Hannah Kristin
• Hannah Sophie
• Hannigan Emma
• Hardy Thomas
• Harmel Kristin
• Harnetiaux Trish
• Harper Jane
• Harpman Jacqueline
• Harrington Carmel
• Harris Anstey
• Harris Joanne
• Hart Emilia
• Haruf Kent
• Hawkins Paula
• Hawley Noah
• Hayden Torey L
• Hayder Mo
• Hayes Samantha
• Heatherington Emma
• Heller Joseph
• Heminsley Alexandra
• Henderson Meg
• Henry Veronica
• Hepworth Sally
• Herbert James
• Higashino Keigo
• Hilderbrand Elin
• Hill Melissa
• Hill Reginald
• Hill Susan
• Hogan Faith
• Hogan Ruth
• Hogle Sarah
• Honeyman Gail
• Hooper Enna
• Hoover Colleen
• Hopkins Cathy
• Hornak Francesca
• Hornby Nick
• Hosseini Khaled
• Howells Debbie
• Hughes Kathry
• Hunter Alice
• Hunter Cara
• Hurley Andrew Michael

Susan Hill is my most read H author - I've read 10 of hers - all the Simon Serrailler detective series which of course is my favourite genre. (Although she has written other stand alone books.) 

Most of the other authors I've probably only read 1 or 2 of.

I have read 3 by Hannah Kristin who most people will have heard of.  I loved "The Nightingale" which got 5* and although I really enjoyed "The Women"  I did feel the main character had too many disasters in her life for one person so that brought it down to 4* for me.

There are a couple of Hardy classics on there, "Far from the Madding Crowd" and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles". 

A couple of other 5* were "Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman and "The Keeper of Lost Things" by Ruth Hogan.

Books that got a lot of hype but didn't over impress me were:

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover and

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.  There was just something about the main character in this one I couldn't take to.

Another one that took me a while to read and wasn't that enjoyable (but was on the BBC list) was "Catch 22" by Joseph Heller.  That was a real slog.

There's also a Japanese writer on there - Keigo Higoshino which was a first for me.  A different take on a crime novel set in Tokyo.

One that also stands out was the dystopian "I who have never known men" by Jacqueline Harpman.  This was gifted to me and I must admit I wouldn't usually choose dystopia but I was impressed by this one.

Are you a fan of dystopian novels?