50 Book Challenge Part Five

Just joined, may I share my books so far this year?

1. The girl in the red coat, Kate Hamer
2. The secrets we share, Emma Hannigan
3. Trade, Oliver Bishop
4. The cosy Xmas shop, Caroline Roberts (light relief!)
5. The food of love, Amanda Prowse (child with an eating disorder)
6. happy ever after, Patricia Scanlan (very light relief!)
7. The reading group, Della Parker
8. The child's secret, Amanda Brooke
9. The affair, Amanda Brooke

Ham
It's perfect reading for Berlin - and Berlin is an amazing city. I am very jealous!

42. Capital by John Lanchester this had been unread on my kindle for 4 years, I'm glad I finally got around to this. A long, enjoyable read following the residents of a fictional London street, Pepys Rd, in the run up to the 2008 financial crisis. Mysterious postcards with photographs of the houses bearing only the words "we want what you have" begin to appear through the letterboxes of the diverse range of people living on the well to do street, closely followed by DVDs showing videos of the outside of the homes. The strands of the diverse characters lives gradually became entwined in unpredictable ways and the identity of the postcards sender revealed. Easy to read and very enjoyable!

I'm also almost finished with Commonwealth by Ann Patchett which I'm very much enjoying :)

I've just finished Olive Kitteridge (interesting structure, liked the idea, overall positive though found the plots slightly underwhelming) and started CJ Sansom's Winter in Madrid so there may be a slight delay...

Enjoying the City and the City debate. I have it in my audible queue, and am now going to bump it to the top, especially as I'm off to Berlin next week, and sounds like it will be an appropriate listen, with Remus's Berlin Wall / divided city analogy in mind.

25. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card An odd one, didn't love it, but am glad to have finally got around to this sci-fi classic. Precocious child Ender has been identified as potential space commander material in the war against an alien race, and is whisked away from his bullying brother and much loved sister to embark on military training mostly consisting of games pitted against a computer. I'm not particularly interested in military strategy and space battles, so the long, long, mid section during his training years flagged somewhat for me. However, the concept, world building, psychology and sibling relations were interesting, and it was worth persevering, as things came together nicely at the end.

Doing a little halfway to 50 books dance.

Very true, VG.

The 50 Books threads are a fascinating study in reader response theory.

Oh well if you're going to bring maths into it, I'm out of here! . I guess it's going to come down to if people prefer maths or metaphor!

Sunset and Best - please hurry up and read it and report back!

"It IS two different universes - in the same place. I honestly don't understand what you're finding so confusing or weird about it!"

I'm talking about actual, scientific, mathematical Multiverse theory as first proposed by Schrödinger - parallel universes, occupying different dimensions, by definition not in the same "place" although it may be possible for them to perceive each other.

You are talking about something else. People with different cultures or political convictions living in different "universes" etc.

Exactly, VG.

A metaphor.

I don't think 'my' version and the 'two different universes' version are different tbh. They live in the same place geographically but not on any level - so it IS two different universes - in the same place. I honestly don't understand what you're finding so confusing or weird about it!

Gives up...

I read The City & The City as allegorical, or maybe as a commentary on how city dwellers largely exist in a certain sphere, willingly ignoring or othering those in the same physical location but differing social/socioeconomic spheres.

"Imagine the Berlin wall. You're on one side of it and I'm on the other. We're separated. Now take the wall away physically but keep it there in your head and in the fact that you'll be 'disappeared' if you don't. Still separated."

Sorry but that sounds like absolute nonsense dipped in crazy to me Wall (physical or "removed") would actually separate people into two groups. In this book, people actually live in the same place, just pretending they are not (?)

I think I liked it a little when I thought it was actually two separate universes, somewhat translucent, where people could perceive each other but not cross over except in some places. The way you are telling it is completely bonkers

I've had to buy it too. It was pretty cheap on Kindle today.

Me too Satsuki. I've now had to buy The City and The City to find out what it's all about.

Welcome curly.

Enjoying an old school remus and cote throw down

Of course there's separation. Imagine the Berlin wall. You're on one side of it and I'm on the other. We're separated. Now take the wall away physically but keep it there in your head and in the fact that you'll be 'disappeared' if you don't. Still separated.

Anyway, we're going round in circles (nothing new there with us and fiction!).

Remus - I sort of remember that we are the same age Yes, that sort of intermeshed overlay was what I was thinking of, but then you said it's all the same place and the "separation" is but political/psychological. So no separation, really.

It's all a bit silly and, in the absence of any explanation, ultimately pointless. Don't see those people of we'll disappear you. Err OK then

It could have been an interesting book if it actually talked about two realities that diverged some time ago, with two cities with different cultures actually occupying the same place at the same time. Some thought would have to be spent on the details & a coherent plot, though

And some bits of the layered overhead projector sheets will be both blue and red at the same time, so then you have to try even harder to only see the 'right' colour.

Cote
Are you old enough to remember overhead projectors? Imagine a cityscape printed/drawn onto one of the clear sheets, let's say in red ink. Then draw the same city on another sheet in blue. Then rub out, at random, bits of each city. Then put the two sheets on top of each other and try to only 'see' one of the colours. That's the city and the city - but if you're Blue you're only allowed to notice the blue city, and if you're Red you're only allowed to notice the red city.

You think it's impossible? Now imagine you'll die horribly if you're caught seeing red when you're only supposed to see blue. You'll try damn hard not to see red then, yes?

Welcome, Curly.

You've just reminded me how much I detested Human Croquet!

It's only the same place geographically! For somebody who can deal with concepts such as people mining on Mars, adolescent astronauts growing potatoes on Mars, Virals that can live virtually forever etc, etc, I can't understand why that is so difficult for you to deal with, unless you're just being willfully obtuse.

Welcome Curly

If your interpretation is what the author intended, the book is sillier than I had originally thought

If it's al the same place, what does it even mean to "cross over"?

Bonkers.

Hello all, new to this! Love to read, here's what I've managed so far:

1. Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami (outstanding)
2. Stuart Maconie - Cider with Roadies
3. Lemmy Biography - Mick Wall

1. The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt (on MN recommendation- adored it)

I have a book about North Korea to read next. Currently reading Girl on the Train along with half the world! for an undemanding read.