Hello everyone,
My journey through the alphabet of my reading continues with the letter ‘G’. It is the letter of Gothic and ghosts and great, gripping stories.
Looking back, there is a very interesting mix of things on this list, from iconic characters and settings to the names of whole universes. So here we go – the most memorable books, authors, characters and settings to start with the letter G.
Gabriel
A main character in The Evidence Against You by Gillian McAllister. His daughter Izzy is the narrator, and she spends the whole book wondering if he was guilty of the crime he was convicted for, and if she can trust him. As the reader, you are never quite sure yourself.
Gap Mountain
The setting of Lies Like Wildfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez. An area of the United States that is particularly susceptible to wildfires, and also carries the risk of being attacked by a bear. As settings go, it is one of the more hostile I have read in a young adult book.
Gareth
The future husband of Esme in The Dictionary Of Lost Words by Pip Williams. He shares a lot in common with her, which makes the end of their relationship even more tragic.
Gavin Parrie
A convicted criminal in the DI Adam Fawley series by Cara Hunter. Upon being released from prison, he vows to exact revenge on Fawley, who was instrumental in him being found guilty years earlier.
Gawthorpe House
The main setting for The Familiars by Stacey Halls. A stately home that is part of a large estate in Lancashire, I was lucky enough to visit it back in 2021 and honestly, I had the best day.
General Jianyun
The general of the Celestial Army in Daughter Of The Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. He becomes a mentor to the main character and narrator, Xingyin.
Genya Safin
A major character in the Shadow And Bone series by Leigh Bardugo. A tailor with the ability to heal wounds and enhance human features, she tends to Alina Starkov at the Little Palace but initially has divided loyalties.
Genz
The chief forensic investigator in The Chestnut Man by Soren Svelstrup. Genz is on the scene as a number of women are murdered by a mysterious assailant.
Germaine Batt
One of the pupils at Ellingham Academy in the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson. An aspiring reporter, Germaine creates the Batt Report, a news outlet highlighting the unseemly events at the school.
Gideon
A warrior in the Daughter Of Erabel series by Kristin Ward. He is injured in battle at the beginning before being nursed back to health by Fiadh and her mother. He returns to his kingdom to find his people massacred.
Gideon Hill
The main villain in The Once And Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow. A mayoral candidate in New Salem who strongly opposes the very notion of witchcraft, he ends up becoming an even more terrifying adversary than it originally appears.
The Gilded Wolves
The first book of a trilogy by Roshani Chokshi, known as the Gilded Wolves trilogy. It introduces you to a world of puzzles and antiques and a group of loveable characters travelling across Europe pursuing their next acquisition. I read this in 2019, but only read the final book of the trilogy earlier this year.
Gillian McAllister
I have already mentioned her in this post, but Gillian McAllister is one of my favourite authors. After being introduced to her debut novel in 2017, she has published a succession of very good thrillers and seems to be going from strength to strength, with the outstanding Wrong Place Wrong Time in 2022. I have read all her books to date.
The Girl In The Tower
The second book in the Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden, and my personal favourite. This one has it all, from an intensely captivating plot to beautiful writing and a frightful villain. I loved it.
Girl In The Walls
A novel by A.J. Gnuse about a girl called Elise who lives inside the walls of the house, unbeknownst to its residents. I must admit I was sold by the cover, but I also liked the sound of the synopsis. As it turned out, I had mixed feelings after reading it.
The Girls
Also called The Girls In The Garden, this is one of Lisa Jewell’s more underrated books. I read this in 2018 and really enjoyed it. I especially liked the sense of mystery and the small setting.
Gislingham
DS Chris Gislingham, to give him his full name. A character in the DI Adam Fawley series by Cara Hunter. He is one of the most fair and reasonable of the team, and definitely the most reliable.
Gita
The female protagonist in The Tattooist Of Auschwitz by Heather Morris, who Lale falls in love with during their incarceration at the concentration camp. They were both real people, who survived the war.
Give Me The Child
A thriller by Mel McGrath which I read in 2019. I was ill at the time so my memory of it is a little hazy, but I remember it being very good!
The Glass Woman
This book set in historical Iceland was one I read back in 2020. The atmosphere was exceptional with descriptions of the cold, rugged landscape and it was scary at times too. It was a good read, but it did not always live up to its promise.
Golden Lotus Mansion
One of the settings in Daughter Of The Moon Goddess. This is where Xingyin worked as a maidservant for Lady Meiling, who did not treat her especially well. Everything changes when Prince Liwei of the Celestial Kingdom pays a visit.
The Golem And The Jinni
A novel by Helene Wecker, which tells of two fantastical creatures – one created and the other ancient – who are thrown into 20th century New York and make a living for themselves. I read this in 2021 and it was a long book, but a good one.
Goliath
Tristan’s pet tarantula in The Gilded Wolves.
Good Girl, Bad Blood
The second book in the A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder trilogy by Holly Jackson. This sees Pippa investigate the disappearance of her friend’s brother, and discovers a connection to an infamous crime of the past.
The Good People
A book by Hannah Kent which I read in 2020. It is a historical fiction set in Ireland about a woman who believes her baby son is a changeling and she looks to the local herbalist for a cure. A very atmospheric and interesting read, if a little slow paced.
Gordon Playfair
The governor of the Cooper’s Chase retirement complex in the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman. He does not appear much, but gets occasional mentions.
Graham Dunne
One of the band members in Daisy Jones And The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid; the brother of frontman Billy Dunne. The bass player, Graham is an idealist and has an ongoing relationship with keyboardist Karen Sirko.
Grand jeu
The main form of assessment at the school of Montverre in The Betrayals by Bridget Collins. The book retains a lot of mystery about what the grand jeu actually involves, but it is described as some kind of performance of the physical sciences.
Grandma
Lots of protagonists have a grandma who appear in their book, but the one I am specifically referring to here is Lola’s grandmother in Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis. When Lola is sent to stay with her in the titular town, she gives off some very unsettling vibes.
Gray
A character in I Found You by Lisa Jewell. Gray is one of the main characters in the past timeline, and suffers a traumatic experience while on holiday.
Grayson Hawthorne
One of the four grandchildren of recently deceased billionaire Tobias Hawthorne in the Inheritance Games trilogy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Grayson is formal, well spoken and seemingly unflappable, but he hides of emotional hurt.
Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition was held at Hyde Park in London in 1851, and it features prominently in The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal. The villain Silas hopes to display his taxidermy there.
Greek mythology
I love reading retellings of Greek mythology, and there are so many of them! I began with The Song Of Achilles, and several more have followed in the past few years. The whole mythology is so compelling, and there are many ways in which it is relevant for modern audiences.
Greer Hendricks
One half of a writing partnership with Sarah Pekkanen. I have read two of their thrillers, beginning with An Anonymous Girl in 2020.
Greyswick
The main setting for The Lost Ones by Anita Frank. It is very much a haunted house, and one that hides many buried secrets. Definitely one of the more frightening settings I have immersed myself in.
Grishaverse
The universe created by Leigh Bardugo for an incredibly popular set of books over multiple series. Those who practice the Small Science are known as Grisha – basically having magical powers. I was late to the Grishaverse, only reading the Shadow And Bone series in 2020 before picking up the rest. By that time I had heard all about it via book bloggers and bookish social media as a whole!
The Guest List
A bestselling thriller by Lucy Foley, which I read in the summer of 2020. It follows an inviting premise of several wedding guests stranded on a hostile island as a murder takes place. It certainly does keep you guessing.
Gull Cove Island
The setting for The Cousins by Karen M. McManus. The three cousins go there for the summer to see their rich grandmother, with unexpected results and revelations.
Gwyneth
A main character in The Family Secret by Tracy Buchanan. A wildlife photographer in the past timeline, she falls in love with a Scottish man who lives in a picturesque home.
Let’s Chat
Have you come across any of these books, authors, or characters? Let me know in the comments!
Happy reading 🙂
Stephen Reads Books 