It must be November 2020 since I took part Top 5 Tuesday, so I thought it was high time I took part again.
So here are the 5 books I will definitely read this year.
Thomas Cromwell series by Hilary Mantel
Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
Tidelands by Philippa Gregory
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
Die Standing by John Jackson Miller
I have been desperate to read the Thomas Cromwell series for ages and I hope to read the first one in the series as a buddy read with my best friend. I have never read any Maurier and I think this year I will remedy that as I actually own most of her books. The others have been on my TBR pile for way to long so I will get them read as I plan to work the pile down this year.
So there are the 5 books I will definietlty read this year.
Please drop me a comment with a link to your Top 5 Tuesday post and I will head over for a visit.
It is 1537, a time of revolution that sees the greatest changes in England since 1066. Henry VIII has proclaimed himself Supreme Head of the Church and the country is waking up to savage new laws, rigged trials and the greatest network of informers ever seen. Under the order of Thomas Cromwell, a team of commissioners is sent through the country to investigate the monasteries. There can only be one outcome: the monasteries are to be dissolved.
But on the Sussex coast, at the monastery of Scarnsea, events have spiralled out of control. Cromwell’s Commissioner Robin Singleton, has been found dead, his head severed from his body. His horrific murder is accompanied by equally sinister acts of sacrilege – a black cockerel sacrificed on the altar, and the disappearance of Scarnsea’s Great Relic.
Dr Matthew Shardlake, lawyer and long-time supporter of Reform, has been sent by Cromwell into this atmosphere of treachery and death. But Shardlake’s investigation soon forces him to question everything he hears, and everything that he intrinsically believes . . .
Review
This book was my buddy read and I came across this book because my buddy had suggested it, otherwise I might never have discovered the wonderful character of Shardlake.
I will be honest I struggled to put this book down once I became engrossed in the story and got acquainted with Shardlake’s character. Dr Matthew Shardlake is a lawyer and as well as having his own successful practice he also works for Cromwell and it is on Cromwell’s bidding that Shardlake finds himself at the monastery of Scarnsea. Shardlake uses his many skills in deduction to work out what exactly has been going on at Scarnsea and it is wonderful to see how he works everything out and puts together the truth.
Matthew is Shardlake’s assistant in the investigation and a family friend who Shardlake feels greatly responsible for. Matthew clearly does not have the same skill set as Shardlake but he is useful for Shardlake’s protection and when Shardlake needs someone to look menacing. Matthew clearly has a great affection for Shardlake in return and is always checking on Shardlake’s welfare and I really enjoyed how their friendship shifted through the story.
The monks in the monastery are I admit all suspicious and it made it hard for me to try and work out the murderer although I was pleased to find I was half correct in my own deductions. As the story unfolds it quickly becomes clear that all the monks could have had a reason to commit the crime.
Sansom’s description of the different parts of London and Scarnsea are all excellent and the little extra details he gives about Cromwell’s office and other areas really helps set the scene and you soon realise that everything Sansom has described has a purpose, even if you do not see the significance right away. You can also see Sansom’s considerable experience in history as everything is well researched within the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I have ordered the next in the series as I can’t wait to see what Shardlake is up to next. I give this book 5 out 5 Dragons and highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction and a good crime thriller.
(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)
About the author
C. J. Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. He lives in Sussex.
I hope everyone has some good reading planned for the weekend. I am hoping to finish reading Leviathan Wakes by James. S. A. Corey.
My chosen poem this week is by Edgar Allan Poe and it is Poe asking questions to science. The questions do not get an answer though. It does make me wonder whether Poe liked or disliked science when reading this poem.
To Science
Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes.
Why preyest thou thus upon the poet's heart,
Vulture, whose wings are dull realities?
How should he love thee? or how deem thee wise,
Who wouldst not leave him in his wandering
To seek for treasure in the jewelled skies,
Albeit he soared with an undaunted wing?
Hast thou not dragged Diana from her car?
And driven the Hamadryad from the wood
To seek a shelter in some happier star?
Hast thou not torn the Naiad from her flood,
The Elfin from the green grass, and from me
The summer dream beneath the tamarind tree?
Edgar Allan Poe
As I am doing so much studying into the Ancient Romans at the moment I have chosen a quote by Cicero (106-43 BCE). Cicero was a Roman statesman, lawyer and scholar who wrote extensively about philosophy, rhetoric and politics.
The rules are answer the questions below and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?
Hello!
I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I am getting rather fed up of my essay and will be pleased when I submit it today. I just want to curl up and read a book!
So here is my WWW Wednesday
What I am Currently Reading
I am back into reading this after a little break and absolutely loving it. I have ordered the sequel as I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
What I have Recently Finished Reading
Really enjoyed this and review will be posted soon. I have also ordered the sequel to this series.
What I think I will Read Next
I really would like to read an Agatha Christie book a month so hopefully I will read this one in January. My other options is one of my Willoughby Book Club books.
There is my WWW Wednesday. Please drop me a comment with your WWW Wednesday and I will head over for a visit.
I hope everyone is doing well. We are in Lockdown number 3 so I thought today’s quote would be one attached to a cute picture of our cat Lyra. Lyra has taken to squeezing between my husband and myself on the sofa and finds this her absolute favourite spot at the moment so I have gone for a related quote.
Love these two books so much. Dissolution is my buddy read so I am holding back from blitzing it which I could easily do as I am enjoying so much. Leviathan Wakes is excellent and I think I will be reading the next in the series straight away and I hope it will be as good.
Books Acquired
No new books this week as I am restraining myself and trying to reduce my TBR pile slightly. I do plan on doing some preordering though as I always like a surprise book in the post occassionally.
I will be honest I keep forgetting it is Friday, so it is lucky I have remembered the Friday poetry post. On Sunday the limbo will end because it is all back to work and the break is sadly over but this does mean I will know what day of the week it is.
My chosen poem this week is one by Jackie Kay and I have chosen it as I think it is perfect for New Year.
Promise
Remember, the time of year
when the future appears
like a blank sheet of paper
a clean calendar, a new chance.
On thick white snow
You vow fresh footprints
then watch them go
with the wind’s hearty gust.
Fill your glass. Here’s tae us. Promises
made to be broken, made to last.
Jackie Kay
Well 2020 has gone so it is time to look back and see how it went.
Firstly, I would like to say a massive thank you to all my followers for supporting my blog and encouraging me. I would also like to say a massive thank you to all my fellow bloggers for writing such fantastic posts that have kept me entertained through 2020 and have also made me buy and read some books that I would have never thought of reading.
I read 71 books in 2020 and was really pleased with that result as I had a reading slump in January and February that made a dent in my reading time so I was concerned I would not reach my reading goal. Lockdown 1 and 2 helped because it gave me more time to read – about the only bonus of the lockdowns.
I also discovered that I think my favourite genre is now historical fiction, it was always fantasy and sci-fi but I think historical fiction has taken over. I still love fantasy and sci-fi though and the first two books I am reading in 2021 are from the genres historical fiction and sci-fi so I am having a nice balance.
I read 18,043 pages in 2020 so I obviously read longer books than 2019 as I only read 15,902.
The shortest book I read was Letters from Fairyland by Charles Van Sandwyk at 24 pages.
My average book length was 254 pages.
I haven’t actually got a favourite book of 2020 but I have a favourite series instead and that is the Six Tudor Queens series by Alison Weir. I love this series and I can’t wait for the last book in the series and will definitely be reading more books by Alison Weir.
Sadly, my Waterstones Challenge has had to be put on hold because I am shielding as much as possible due to Covid and underlying health issues.
So I think that is about a wrap of my 2020. I have some great plans for the blog in 2021 and can’t wait to get reading and blogging.
