Double blind by Edward St Aubyn

I won’t lie to you, this was probably a bit too clever for me, but somehow I didn’t mind. Francis, whose job is to rewild a property in Sussex, meets Olivia at a conference and they become lovers. Olivia’s friend Lucy returns to London after some years in New York to work for the super-rich Hunter on one of his scientific projects before receiving some unexpected news that binds them all together. The settings are glorious, the characters engaging, sometimes over the top, and the language complex and lyrical. Richly detailed, Double Blind ruminates on the environment, the brain, genetics, and relationships, and is darkly humorous, thought-provoking, touching, and marvel-inducing.

The calculating stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

I was looking forward to reading this alternate history about women fighting for their chance to be astronauts. It is 1952 and a meteorite has hit the earth. It is predicted that the the earth is now headed towards an extinction event and there is an need to colonize the moon to save humankind. Women are heavily involved in the space program as mathematicians (computers) but have ambitions of doing more. The problem with this story was not in the storyline but the characters emotions. Yes they were well described but they did not translate into me caring for them. The emotions and opinions of the characters became repetitive with not a lot of growth and change.

Dear Mrs Bird by A.J. Pearce

Emmeline Lake and her best friend, Bunty, live in London during World War Two. Emmy gets a job at a magazine, where she helps Mrs Bird with her advice column, but when Mrs Bird refuses to address any of the significant problems, Emmy takes matters into her own hands. This is a gentle, sweet, amusing, and moving story, addressing the harsh realities of life in London during the war. For fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, it is uplifting, quietly romantic, with a focus on kindness and friendship.

The rose garden by Susanna Kearsley

A little bit of history, a little bit of time slip and a lot of romance. Eva returns to Cornwall with her sister’s ashes to scatter, to a house where they spent enjoyable holidays growing up. While there Eva slips back in time to the 1700s where she meets Daniel. Slipping between the two eras Eva makes the choice to follow her heart.

A necessary evil by Abir Mukherjee

I am enjoying this series very much. Set in 1920 it starts off in Calcutta where a prince is murdered in Captain Wyndham and Sergeant Banerjee’s presence, and then moves to Sambalpore as they investigate at the Maharajah’s palace. There is a glorious sense of time and place, a fast-paced, twisty mystery, gentle humour and we are getting to know the main characters.

The scholar by Dervla McTiernan

And now I’m caught up. I started with the third book and went back for the first and second; it worked, though I wouldn’t choose it again as the books do have significant character development for Cormac Reilly and his partner, Emma, who becomes seriously involved in Cormac’s case in this book. Irish setting (and accent if you listen to the audio as I have), interesting and compelling characters, and a satisfying mystery.

Double blind by Edward St Aubyn

I won’t lie to you, this was probably a bit too clever for me, but somehow I didn’t mind. Francis, whose job is to rewild a property in Sussex, meets Olivia at a conference and they become lovers. Olivia’s friend Lucy returns to London after some years in New York to work for the super-rich Hunter on one of his scientific projects before receiving some unexpected news that binds them all together. The settings are glorious, the characters engaging, sometimes over the top, and the language complex and lyrical. Richly detailed, Double Blind ruminates on the environment, the brain, genetics, and relationships, and is darkly humorous, thought-provoking, touching, and marvel-inducing.

Victoria Park by Gemma Reeves

We follow the lives of different people who live around a park in London, for a year. Each chapter tells a different character’s perspective, in a different month. Through an older married couple coming to terms with the wife’s Alzheimer’s, the couple trying to conceive through IVF, the teenagers working out who they are, the older woman no longer able to care for herself, and more, we reflect on life; what makes it worthwhile, how our choices affect others, the struggles of marriage, parenthood, love, making a living. The way the stories interconnect highlights the power of connection and community, and the beauty in ordinary things.

Notes on grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A truly beautiful, tiny book reflecting on Adichie’s father and her grief at his loss during 2020. As one of my fathers died just before the pandemic, and the other in March 2020, I related to the strangeness of loss at this time, and from a distance. Deep thinking, raw emotion, lyrical writing; a worthwhile book to read at any life stage.