50 Book Challenge 2019 Part Two

Thanks Fortuna and Remus for the John Boyne fictionalised Bounty information - will definitely give that a go later in the year if my current (no idea where it came from) obsession with seafaring stories continues. Am nearly 80% of the way through Moby Dick on my Kindle - I have been trying to read at least one big "great" novel that is missing from my list each year and looks as though I am going to get there early this year since I am finding the endless descriptions of spermy doings (did anyone ever manage to 'teach' this novel to giggling teenagers?) surprisingly interesting.

Adding I'd Rather Be Reading to my list!

Finished Viking Britain, by Thomas Williams. On balance I enjoyed it. It's not just about the Vikings, but also about their impact on the various local kingdoms and their jostling for power, so there are a lot of references to battles at which there was a great slaughter and king so-and-so was killed, to the extent that the author himself pokes fun at the repetition. He has a blessedly light touch, and he includes imaginative vignettes where he brings certain scenes to life - I particularly enjoyed the Viking imagining of the ending of the world. He also occasionally brings himself into the story, so he and his wife are sitting on the edge of a historical site sipping from their thermos, or holed up in a holiday cottage with the flu. I'm also interested in how people at various times think about the past, so I appreciated the parts about the Anglo-Saxons looking to Neolithic monuments or Roman Ruins, and the Victorians creating a particular image of the Vikings. This has a lot of the things I value in history writing.

Forgot to mention I read The Bookshop at 10 Curzon Street: Letters Between Nancy Mitford and Heywood Hill 1952-1973 by John Saumarez Smith I expected a cross between the letters exchanged between the Mitford sisters and 84 Charing Cross Road, but it was a disappointment. Mitford and Hill repeatedly told each other that they'd met a mutual acquaintance who made them absolutely shriek [with laughter] but you never get to hear the witticism. It did not amuse.

Now on Reading allowed : true stories and curious incidents from a provincial library, by Chris Paling Libraries are my happy place, but I sometimes marvel at how the staff cope with the people who use it as a kind of adult social day care. This tells it from the staff perspective - worth the read.

Morning all!

1. Bookworm by Lucy Mangan.

Now reading the fascinating The Secret Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben and also a book about Prince Philip's childhood.

In addition, I bought a book over Christmas called A Poem for Every Day of the Year by Allie Esiri. It's seasonal and so far I have enjoyed dipping into it although I don't remember to do so every day.

I haven't updated my recent reads so here goes:

12: Crossing the bridge of autism: our family story, Stephanie Maddox
13: 365 Surprising and inspirational rock star quotes, Alison Taylor
14: I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life, Anne Bogel
15: The Wheel of Justice, Steven Livingston
16: The Librarian, Salley VIckers

Crossing the bridge of autism
I had high hopes for this one as I work with children with autism and thought it would be an interesting read and an insight into life with an autistic child. Sadly it wasn't as it was very shallow and seemed more like an expanded diary of appointments but it was worth a try.

365 Surprising and inspirational rock star quotes, Alison Taylor
There was nothing inspirational about this. It was free though so nothing ventured, nothing gained. At least it was short.

I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life
I enjoyed this one. It basically does what it says on the tin. The dilemmas are lighthearted and fun and I'd recommend it for a short read when you have too much to do - in fact when you'd rather be reading.

The Wheel of Justice
This was a free short story. It's very bizarre. Set in America at an unknown date but modern, it's the story of a game show with questions about capital punishment. The 'winner' gets to execute a murderer. It's not what I'd normally choose to read; I didn't look at the description before I 'bought' it but as I'm not in favour of the death penalty it wasn't so much my cup of tea.

The Librarian
I enjoyed this one, started it yesterday and finished it off overnight when I couldn't sleep. A woman in her 20s moves from her job in a city library to a small middle England village in the 1950s and gets involved in village life and really makes the library appealing to the children and gets involved in coaching a girl for the 11+ after her landlady introduces them. Things go wrong and there are ripples in the metaphorical mill pond. It's a good story with an interesting ending.

I'm currently reading Wonderland: A Year of Britain's Wildlife, Day by Day by Brett Westwood, Stephen Moss but am doing so day by day so it's going to be a long read. It's excellent so far, having read about 3 weeks in one go to catch with it. I'm resisting the temptation to look ahead and read the entry for our family birthdays.

12. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Set in Germany during WW2 and narrated by Death, this is the story of a young teenage girl who comes to live with her foster parents. During this time she learns to read, develops a close friendship with a local boy and the family hide a Jewish man in their basement.
It is hard to say you enjoy a book when the subject matter is about the war but I did. I liked the way it was written, though not particularly the narrator being Death. This did allow for a touch of lighthearted humour however and despite the subject matter the book isn’t a dark, gloomy story. It certainly has its moments, particularly the last quarter but it really focuses on the girl and how she grows and changes and the power of words. I’d certainly recommend this especially as a YA novel.

I’ve just finished Bookworm thanks to recommendations here. If the author had read up a tree it could have been me though I devoured talking animals and horsy books more. Also noticed a lack of Diana Wynne Jones my perennial favourite....

Fortuna My DH loves the Crowner John books by Bernard Knight so I must give one of them a go. He wasn't so keen on the Medieval Murderers, he thought they were a bit hit and miss depending on who wrote each part.

So far I have read

1. How To Stop Time by Matt Haig
2. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
3. Killing Eve by Luke Jennings
4. Power by Naomi Alderman - currently reading

Looking for a great crime story next. I hear Unwanted by Kristina Ohlsson is good. Anyone read it? If so what did you think?

Fortuna wow thank you for that extensive list!!! I'll see what my local library has and I'll get reading!

MrsArabin, what a sweet little doggie, I'm so sorry.

Just finished No 4, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. Suspenseful and exciting. The author imagines the network of people who helped runaway slaves in the US as a real railway with underground trains. The characterisation perhaps was weaker than the plot, but it gave me a lot to think about.

1. Cassandra Darke by Posy Simmonds.
2. If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino.
3. Milkman by Anna Burns
4. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

*2. A Good Time To Be A Girl - Helena Morrissey
*
Part self-help/improvement text, part essay on gender equality. Morrissey is a successful CEO in the finance industry and mother of nine (yes, 9).
I don't normally read this kind of thing but I picked it up at the library and I'm glad I did. She writes well and is clearly incredibly passionate about improving inclusion and diversity in workplaces. There are also some handy tips on breaking your own glass ceiling.
It does get a bit repetitive after I while. I get that it's not about trying to emulate powerful men to be successful, it's about making systemic change so women's voices are better heard, I don't need it reiterating on every other page.
Definitely worth a read if you are interested in gender politics or improving inclusivity and diversity in your workplace.
There's also a lovely section at the end that her children have contributed to and an interview with her husband, who gave up his own career to raise their children, which was almost unheard of in the early 90s when he did it.

I really need to get a wriggle on to stay on target and get four books under my belt by the end of Jan. I'm sure I spend more time reading this thread than I do actual books at the moment.

MrsA we are currently slaves to our second ruby cavalier, plus a beautiful Blenheim boy. They are lovely dogs.

FortunaMajor thanks for all that information, they look like just my kind of thing. I've also read a few of the Cadfael books and liked them but have many that I haven't read so it was good to be reminded of them.

I also like Ken Follett but haven't read the latest PIllars of the Earth book. Edward Rutherford is another historical author that I like.

I am so sorry MrsA- she was beautiful. I love my spaniel so much, I didn’t grow up with dogs and I never knew how much love they could inspire - even when we (dh, me, teen dses) are at ours with each other we all adore the dog.

Whippet, I don’t know about Norway, but they certainly drink a lot of coffee in Sweden!

I love Alfie and Annie Rose too, but those I read to my children, I don’t remember them from my childhood.

I will give the Bosch/Ballard crossover a go (I am so sorry not to namecheck but I can’t go back a page on my phone!), I think I missed it on the kindle deal though! Will try on Overdrive or maybe even pay! Thanks for the recommendation.

I really enjoyed Caroline Alexander - The Bounty. The JB fictionalised one draws very heavily on it, but is okay - the only one of his I've particularly liked (not read the latest one).

BonBon I passed one of the copies on to my mum who was delighted with it.

mrsarabin
How am I finding The Iliad so far? Fine, because I’m only on the introduction!

Fortuna I read the first three of the Chaloner series and found them a bit clunky. I was really disappointed because it's my favourite period of history and I had high hopes. It might have been me though or just a case of bad timing. I could give them another go.

Apart from Cadfael, I've only read the first Owen Archer by Candace Robb from your list. It was quite a few years ago but I wasn't that thrilled IIRC.

I have been meaning to try the Crowner John series for ages so I may bump the first one of those up the to read list.

was she a ruby Cavalier? Such loving little dogs
Yes she was, never a bit of trouble and full of affection. She was always ready for a walk but quite happy to curl up next to me if I was reading or knitting or whatever.

Satsuki It's lovely that you can keep his memory alive by telling your children about him.

Indigo Thank you. Yes, she was a sweetie.

Terpsichore I know what you mean about feeling like you're betraying them. A bit irrational maybe but a common feeling, I suspect.

grimupnorth Thank you.

splother How lovely!

grimupnorthLondon That sounds really interesting. I saw a fictionalised Mutiny on the Bounty by John Boyne, he of Heart's Invisible Furies fame in the library a few days ago. I quite fancied it, but had enough in my arms at the time. I only live a few doors down from the library and still have to remind myself that I don't need to borrow all of the books at once.

Brizzledrizzle The C14th series is Matthew Bartholomew by Susanna Gregory. The first book is A Plague on Both Your Houses. MB is a doctor who teaches at Cambridge University with his friend Brother Michael, they become a crime fighting duo. The series starts towards the end of the first wave of plague. I really enjoy them, but I should mention that they can be complicated, she introduces a lot of new characters because she keeps killing people off and it can be hard to keep track. The clues are there, but there tends to a big reveal towards the end to pull it all together. I am on book 16 and am yet to work out whodunit before it is revealed. Either they are really hard to work out or I think I'm just a bit thick. There is definitely a formula to them which you start to notice if you read a few in succession. It doesn't stop me enjoying them though. They are similar to the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, only set later.

Susanna Gregory is the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cruwys, a Cambridge academic who was previously a coroner's officer. She is also one half of Simon Beaufort, author of the Geoffrey Mappestone series set during the Crusades. Plus she is one of the original Medieval Murderers, the group name of a band of writers (Philip Gooden, Susanna Gregory, Michael Jecks, Bernard Knight, Karen Maitland, Ian Morson, C J Sansom) who do group performances and have written a series of books together.

She has also written another series set during the reformation with a character called Thomas Challenor. I think they are very like the Shardlake books in a slightly different time period. I have read the first A Conspiracy of Violence, and I liked it, but I am saving them for once I have finished her first series and all the Shardlakes. I am on the 6th Shardlake on audiobook, but the puppy has decided this week she is afraid of the dark and will not leave the house so it has halved my listening time as I usually walk her with an audiobook on.

BonBonVoyage I have read 3 Karen Maitland books. Some are in the time period I prefer most of all (1100s-ish), but I don't really like them if I'm honest. They still keep finding their way home with me from the library though. I think the time period is interesting enough without adding 'magic' to it. I don't hate them, but don't love them either. I've also read 2 of the Ariana Franklin - Mistress of the Art of Death series - I liked the first, but not the second. I was grumpy when I read it though, so will give the third one a chance.

I loved Pillars of the Earth, did you now there is a 3rd one recently released? A Column of Fire I haven't read it yet.

There are a lot of medieval series that I haven't yet got around to so I can't recommend them personally, but have a look out for any of the Medieval Murderers listed above, they each have their own characters and series. The books they have written together have a plot that links all of their characters together so they might be a good start to see which author and character you like best. Others to have a look at include:

Clare Alys - Hawkenlye
Cassandra Clarke - Abbess of Meaux
Catherine Coulter - Medieval Song
Paul Doherty - Brother Athelstan/ Hugh Corbert/ Mathilde of Westminster / Sir Roger Shallot
Margaret Frazer - Sister Frevisse/ Joliffe the Player
Martin Jensen - King's Hounds
Bernard Knight - Crowner John
Shirley McKay - Hew Cullan
Ian Morson - William Falconer
SJ Paris - Giordano Bruno
Sharon Penman - Justin de Quincey
Candace Robb - Owen Archer
Kate Sedley - Roger the Chapman
Mel Starr - Hugh de Singleton
Ann Swinfen - Oxford Medieval Series
Peter Tremayne - Sister Fidelma
Michael Jecks - Knights Templar

If you do try any of these, do let me know what you think as I don't know who to move on to next. Although with another 7 Matthew Bartholomews to go I could be some time.

Sorry to hear your sad news Mrs A and congratulations on your exciting find splother

I’ve just finished 4. Caroline Alexander - The Bounty a non-fiction account of the Mutiny on the Bounty that I picked up in the (rather good) bookshop at the maritime museum in Falmouth. This was really interesting because not only does she do an excellent job of conveying ship/explorer/naval life in the 18th century but her research on notions of duty and authority being challenged in England at the time of the revolution in France are fascinating. The twisting tale of who got their version of their mutiny story into popular culture are intriguing - I knew virtually nothing about this story before but ended up feeling quite sorry for poor Captain Bligh!

I love getting book tokens.

The only ones currently in my house are the ones my DC got for Christmas.

Apologies for poor capitalisation of titles and lack of commas in my prev post. I'll try harder next time!

Best my parents (who were happily married and living in the same house) once both bought me the same book for Christmas! Were you able to return one of your duplicate copies?

I dream of finding book tokens. How lovely!