50 Book Challenge 2019 Part Six

I’ve only read 9 on that list and many of them I’ve never even heard of!

Haven’t updated for ages so recent reads are:

169. The Last by Hanna Jameson

Nonsense about a group of people stranded in a remote hotel during a nuclear war. Someone is found murdered so it has to be one of the group. The group didn’t behave in believable ways (for example it was about three weeks before they searched other rooms in the hotel - surely that would be one of the first things you would do?!) and the ending was really annoying.

170. Everything You Know About London Is Wrong by Matt Brown

Debunking some well known ‘facts’ about London. I like stuff like this.

171. The Girl In The Letter by Emily Gunnis

This started well, with a journalist discovering some letters from a woman who was in a mother and baby home 50 years ago, and starts trying to find out the woman’s story. However it soon got a bit melodramatic and confusing with lots of people turning out to be connected to each other.

172. The Storied Life Of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

This was cliched, with some very unbelievable events, and written in a very simplistic style. However, it had enough charm that I actually really enjoyed it. The titular character is a taciturn bookshop owner who softens up when he adopts a baby who is abandoned in his shop. As I said, cliched and unbelievable, but if you liked A Man Called Ove, this is in a similar vein.

173. The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham

Two pregnant women become friends but both have secrets that could ruin their lives. This kept me gripped.

174. Arsenic for Tea by Robin Stevens

Second in the Murder Most Unladylike series which my DD loves and is making me read. More schoolgirl detecting in the 1930s.

175. Friends Like These by Sarah Alderson

Thriller where a woman sends a Facebook message to the person she’s bitching about by mistake, and that person then takes revenge. This had some ridiculous and annoying ‘twists’. Someone died at the end and I’m still not sure who.

176. Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez

This was a bit stats heavy and was a bit repetitive towards the end, but has definitely made me think about the ways women can be indirectly affected by the way things are done.

My copy of The Testaments has come in at the library now, which I’m pleased about - I was expecting to have to wait months! I’ve got a couple of other books to finish off first and will get going on that.

Of the ones I've read I'd definitely agree with Thinking Fast & Slow as a standout. Capital in the 21st Century is also a fair choice though I doubt it will be much read in a few years.

of that Guardian list I've only read 14. And of those 14 I only really rated three - Small Island, Wolf Hall, and The Line of Beauty. Surprised not to see The Sellout, Home Fire or The Sense of an Ending there.

Sorry you’re not well frankatzenjammer

sadik I thought it was an odd list in some ways. There were definitely some omissions that surprised me. I know it’s all subjective but Normal People on there but not, say, Middlesex? I’ve read about 18, dnf a few more and have about half a dozen on the shelf. Others I’d not heard of, or have not appealed. I still like a list of books though so I’m part of the reason they keep doing them and annoying me.

Sorry you're still ill Franz. I started David Bowie Made Me Gay on library audio, but gave up - sounds like I should have stuck with it. I might try again on paper where I can skim the slower bits.

Anyone had a look at the '100 best books of the 21st Century' list in the Guardian today? Like all these lists, it's rather random (why The Fifth Season of all the wonderful recent SFF?), but still strangely compelling. I've read 12 of the 100, mainly non-fiction.

Yes, noodle, it's infuriating, isn't it?! I can't think how I missed it, too! I keep seeing it in bookshops and gnashing my teeth. But I'm too much of a cheapskate to pay full price for it

FranKatzenjammer sorry to hear that you're still unwell

35. Force of Nature by Jane Harper Detective Aaron Falk is involved in a case where five female colleagues go into the bush for a survival weekend, and only four return.

The second of Harper's novels featuring Falk, this was pretty pedestrian and nowhere near as gripping as The Dry. The female character, all of similar ages and working for the same firm, weren't well drawn so I kept muddling them up, although by the end I didn't really care who did what.

I understand the third Falk book is better though, so will look out for a deal on that one.

Terpsichore I'm also waiting for Bookworm to come back round as a daily deal. It has been on my wishlist for an absolute age and I was extremely miffed to have missed it last time, particularly because I get the daily deal email plus regularly read this thread, so I'm still not quite sure how it passed me by!

I’m still not too well (though back at work, unfortunately)- I’ve been reading but not updating, so here goes:

159. Call of the Weird- Louis Theroux At the time, I couldn’t wait for the new Louis Theroux book (which I’m listening to currently: it is superb), so I downloaded his earlier audiobook, despite already having the book in paperback and on the Kindle (plus many DVDs). In it, Louis tours America and visits many of his previous subjects, such as JJ Michaels the young porn performer, Lamb and Lynx the Neo-Nazi children’s music duo, and Hayley the prostitute. It is excellent, but you would need to be familiar with the specific programmes to appreciate it fully.

160. Waterlog- Roger Deakin Much recommended on here, this account of the author’s wild swimming tour of Britain was enjoyable, but I thought it would be more about the actual swimming!

161. Beautiful Boy- David Sheff Having recently watched the film, I thought the book was better. It is a moving description of the author’s son Nic Sheff’s long battle with drug addiction, particularly crystal meth. David’s two younger children added some much-needed lightness to the story.

162. Poor Cow- Nell Dunn This was a bit disappointing: it was quite poorly written, but I think that was the point. I usually enjoy ‘kitchen sink’ novels but this fell a bit flat.

163. Big Little Lies- Liane Moriarty I should have read this instead of listening to the audiobook: at 16 hours’ duration, it seemed to last for eternity. Having worked in Australian schools, I recognised many of the stereotypes of parents, and these were very well drawn. I wasn’t especially interested in the murder story or the way it was constructed.

164. Educated- Tara Westover I finally got to read this after having it on reserve at the library for ages. I found the first half frustrating and I disliked Tara’s family. The second half, describing her rapid rise through the world of academia despite little education as a child, was much more satisfying.

165. Friendly Fire- Patrick Gale Another well-written and interesting Patrick Gale novel. The protagonist is a girl from a children’s home who wins a scholarship to an elite boarding school, where she makes some interesting friendships. The first half of the book is a little slow, but it really gathers pace in the second half, which is eventful and moving.

166. A Swarm in May- William Mayne This was a reread of a book from my childhood involving choirboys and beekeeping (nowadays this would be a health and safety nightmare!). Once again, I liked the musical sections best and the beekeeping story didn’t engage me much.

167. Crossroads- Mark Radcliffe Mark has recently beaten cancer and is on good form in his brand new audiobook. He takes the idea of musical ‘crossroads’, but really it is an excuse to discuss any musical subjects which take his fancy. It is interesting and humorous.

168. David Bowie Made Me Gay- Darryl W. Bullock This book got off to rather a slow start, describing various obscure LGBT artists of days gone by: I’m sure they were important for the story, but these chapters weren’t very gripping. The second half, which included Boy George, Bronski Beat, The Communards, Pete Shelley, The Pet Shop Boys, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, George Michael and Elton John was much more interesting.

169. I Found My Tribe- Ruth Fitzmaurice Also much discussed on MN, I thought (as with no.160) that this would be more about the author’s hobby of wild swimming. However, the story of her husband’s battle with Motor Neurone Disease and its effect on her and their young family is very moving. It worked well as an audiobook, except the author kept sniffing, which was irritating!

170. Selected Poems- Simon Armitage I probably raced through this too quickly and didn’t savour each poem enough.

171. The Wild Truth- Carine McCandless I have previously read ‘Into the Wild’ and also seen the film, about Chris McCandless’ hike in the wilderness, where he died. This book, written by his sister Carine, helped to give a slightly more rounded picture, but ultimately didn’t add a huge amount.

172. My Thoughts Exactly- Lily Allen Lily’s life has been very eventful: showbiz parents, a chequered education, pop stardom, sex with several famous people, a failed marriage, three children (one stillborn), drug-fuelled excess, a stalker, sexual assaults, etc. etc. She tells the story very well and I raced through the library book in a day.

52. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. This started really well, properly John Wyndom-esque (and it starts with a disaster in the 1950s so this is very good!). However, as it went on it felt a bit clunky- a bit over reliant on careful research, attempts to make the lead character more real (the sex scenes were...not really adding anything), and none of the other characters came alive (except possibly one of the less appealing men!). However, I liked what she was trying to do and might read the sequel.

I can’t honestly recommend The Goldfinch. The middle chunk was deadly boring.

Oh dear, I've still got The Goldfinch unread on my Kindle from the last time it was 99p I promise to get round to it eventually.

What I'm really waiting for is Bookworm, which I missed when it was the Daily Deal a while ago - and it's so far failed to appear in any of my charity shop raids. Except that I just saw a hardback copy today in an Oxfam for..... £7.99 . That's way above my threshold for a secondhand book - a new paperback would be less than that. So I'm holding out a bit longer.

Anyway...... 63: Y is for Yesterday - Sue Grafton

I started reading this some time ago and, I'm afraid, rather lost interest. Sadly Sue Grafton then died and so it will forever be the last of the Kinsey Milhone alphabet mysteries, all of which I've read and mostly enjoyed (apart from a bit in the middle where I think she lost her mojo somewhat).

This last book sees Kinsey investigating an attempted extortion that arises from an old murder case concerning a group of unlikeable college kids...the flashback structure is somewhat cumbersome and there are a couple of dull subplots that didn't really do it for me either. And it's far too long. But I did go back and finish it and am glad I did. I've had a lot of enjoyment out of the series even if this is far from Kinsey at her best.

spot on Satsuki !!!!

To be fair that section did make the reader experience the feeling of wasting their one precious life with admirable accuracy.

The Goldfinch desperately needed more a more assertive editor. I nearly gave up on it during the overlong Vegas weed-binge section.

I lend my books, once I've read them and am happy to let them go. A precious few go nowhere though! It can be a pressure to receive them as much as to lend them, the expectation of the lender hoping the lendee enjoys them to an acceptable degree!

I read the Goldfinch. Trudged through it tbh. I didn't get it at all! Maybe I'll give it another try and see if I can understand what everyone saw in it. I just.... Didn't get it

Passed on to a charity shop! Funny how people have misunderstandings. Last time I gave someone a book and thought was very clear I was done with it and wasn’t expecting it to be returned, every time I saw her she looked worried and told me apologetically she hadn’t had a chance to read it. It’s a difficult business.

The Goldfinch is definitely worth getting at 99p though I found it a mixed bag, sometimes brilliant and often frustrating. The first hundred pages or so are marvellous though.

I stopped lending books I love to other people after an incident where a friend donated my book to a charity shop once she’d finished reading it

Now I only pass on books if I was planning on decluttering the book in question anyway.

Oh yes, do snap The Goldfinch up if you haven't read it yet. I lent my beloved copy to someone and never saw it again

*every instance

59. The Missing Lynx: the past and future of Britain's lost mammals - Ross Barnett

Interesting account of the megafauna that used to inhabit the British Isles, from sabre-toothed cats via cave bears to beavers. But the writer wasn't half as funny as he thought he was (footnotes giving 'witty' asides on almost every page), and his insistence that every instant of extinction must be due to humans looked like unevidenced handwaving.

I don't want to fall off the thread so am just checking in to say I am struggling my way through Volume 2 of War and Peace. I enjoyed Volume 1 and found Tolstoy's style (or at least the translation) refreshingly in old-fashioned. But Vol2 is boring me. Not sure I have the attention span to read all this stuff about Masons - and yet, Pierre is a highlight of the early novel. Things have perked up with a few balls and proposals, but I am managing about 30 pages a day.

Welcome to all the new posters! 👋🏼

I am also a fan of Milkman, one of my favourites of this year.

My recent reads are:
48. The Overstory by Richard Powers.

I loved this book, one of my favourites of this year so far, but it left me heart-broken and devastated, unable to read anything else for weeks. Interweaving stories of ecological activists and a celebration of trees. I loved the tree facts, the naming of species, the heart-felt descriptions and will be more careful in future, choosing as much as I can sustainable sources of wood and paper. The complete destruction of forests, vulnerable and important ecosystems - be they the rainforests of Brazil to the forested areas of America and Europe - for human greed and wanting of new and shiny “stuff” is a sad legacy for our times.

But it’s not just about trees, there is the human story too - love, grief, passion and purpose. Hope comes from unexpected areas- an out-there conservation plan for the future, loyalty but it is only a smidgen of hope in all the destruction. Wouldn’t it be great if we could bring about a New Era? With more emphasis on the climate crisis, sustainability and looking after our beautiful planet instead of worshipping celebrity, power and money, cheap clothes, cheap plastic tat and mountains of rubbish. I don’t know. But when we are all gone, I hope the trees inherit the world. ✌🏻🌳

49. Istanbul by Bettany Hughes.

Audiobook and library hardback for reading to consolidate the listening and to look at the pictures and photos that go with the narrative. Fascinating, witty and informative account of Istanbul from Greeks to Roman to Ottoman with a more brief run down of events from the past 50 years or so. I liked the way the book was ordered, her chapter headings and her topics/interpretations. I was shocked (and embarrassed) about how little I actually knew about the history of that region. So much still to learn!

50. A Month in the Country by J.L.Carr.

A gentle restorative read.

And just started The Bear and the Nightingale.

Thank you for the welcome! Here is my list so far, I've highlighted anything I particulary enjoyed in bold.

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid

1. Brave - Rose McGowan
2. The Next Together - Lauren James
3. Charlie and The Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
4. The Waiter - Matthias Faldbakken
5. An Unremarkable Body - Elisa Lodato
6. Nutshell - Ian McEwan
7. Speak No Evil - Uzodinma Iweala
8. The Last Beginning - Lauren James