To my surprise I found I'd read only 49 books this year (will probably add at least three or four more by 31st December) but it's been a much busier year than I anticipated in January as I took over the presidency of The Society of Women Writers Victoria the following month.
If I add in the books I read to my granddaughters, then I could claim several hundred more as we get through several in a session! They thought this pile was suitable for one bedtime.
From my reading, my favourites are the following - in no particular order. As always, I'm choosing from books published at any time.
Susan Hurley: Eight Lives. Library loan. A twisty turning mystery to uncover the issue of responsibility for the death of a scientist who is developing a new drug and dies after testing it on himself.
Tom Rob Smith: Cold People. Library loan. Not my usual sort of choice but a page turner with huge ethical implications about the manipulation of genetics. And would you decide to escape death by living in Antarctica when the alternative is staying put and being eliminated in a month's time!
Gabbi Stroud: The Things That Matter Most. Purchase from local bookshop. Just how far do teachers' responsibilities go toward their pupils?
Alli Parker: At The Foot of The Cherry Tree. Bought at an author event. Of course I wasn't going to buy another book but Alli figuratively and literally sold it to me. The true story of her grandparents, Australian Harry and Japanese Cherry who meet in post-war Japan. Will Harry be able to bring his bride back to Australia?
Kristin Hannah: The Nightingale. On my bookshelf for some time - from a community bookshelf. Isabelle becomes a leader in the French resistance, helping allied airmen escape capture. Family issues complicate her work.
Sue Williams: That Bligh Girl. Bought at discount book shop. The story of Mary Bligh, daughter of William Bligh (yes, that one) when he was Governor of New South Wales in the early 1800s.
Kylie Orr: The Eleventh Floor. Bought at author talk. A new mother checks into a hotel alone for a decent night's sleep. She witnesses something alarming but cannot tell the police because there are serious implications for her if she does. How much responsibility does she have for what happened that night?
Annie Buist and Graeme Simsion: The Glass House. Bought at discount bookshop. Set in a psychiatric hospital we follow the lives of staff members over the course of several patient admissions.
My daughter who is a mental health nurse vouches for its accuracy. The sequel is out soon!
Christian White: The Wife and the Widow. From my TBR pile - second-hand. Two murders in as a small Australian Island. Is there a link?
Lianne Moriarty: Here One Moment. Bought at discount bookshop. A woman on a delayed flight begins telling passengers the cause and their age at their deaths. Is she misguided but harmless or could there be some truth in her predictions? A thought-provoking read.