50 Book Challenge 2019 Part Seven

ShakeitOff if you want something a bit more current than Galbraith, Ha Joon Chang's books are good - both Economics: The User's Guide, and 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism. (Despite what the title of the latter might imply, he's actually quite pro-capitalism on the whole.)

InMyOwn, ref Louis Theroux, I agree he definitely does feel some genuine guilt ref his friendship with JS, but as you say he's not above making money out of that guilt. (I'm sure he also kicks himself for missing out on the scoop of his life if he'd dug a bit harder!)

He does talk about Nancy frequently complaining that she felt like a single parent who was doing all the heavy lifting on the home and parenting front whilst he was away working, then goes on to say she got a new job, lost her baby weight 'an ineffable sparkle and lightness had returned to her'. Suddenly she doesn't mind him working away for weeks at a time, suggests if he wants to 'pursue an outside physical relationship' she'd 'be okay with that' and then finally tells him she's having 'thoughts about other men'. Maybe I'm putting two and two together and making five because he doesn't actually say she had an affair but he certainly details a lot of red flags that would make you wonder.

You're spot on with the person/persona comment. Having read the book I'm still not sure where the boundary is.

Elena Ferrante has a new book out in Italy today. Hopefully it will be translated PDQ and on our shelves soon.
www.theguardian.com/books/2019/nov/06/ferrante-fever-grows-as-fans-gather-across-italy-for-new-book-launch

87 Riceyman Steps by Arnold Bennett. Bought this cheap on Kindle, thanks to the poster upthread who flagged it was on offer. I really enjoyed this. It was more in style and tone of The Old Wives Tale rather than the "wading through mud " style of Bennett's Clayhanger series IMO.. It focuses on Mr Earlforward who has inherited a bookshop, TT Riceyman's from his uncle on the Riceyamn steps in Clerkenwell, London. In his forties he nurses romantic hopes that the similarly aged widow who has inherited a shop across the way will notice him. They share a charwoman, a twentysomething Great war widow who has a shell shocked, sometimes violent boyfriend. An argument between them about her staying behind to do extra work for the shopkeeper throws the older together. However, one of them is very frugal whilst the other is a miser who feels ill and anxious about contemplating any expense. There household is therefore devoid of any lixury or comfort and leads to disaster. The book is set in the 1920's but the description of the area and the derprivations of the local people is positively Victorian. An enjoyable, quirky read

Museum I recommend asking biblio for the half points - she is generous with them.

48 Conclave by Robert Harris

I was fascinated by all the details reported around the time of the last Conclave in the Vatican, although I have no links with Catholicism at all. When I started this, I was worried I wouldn't follow who everyone was, but having sprinkled titles and honorifics for a cast of thousands liberally across the first few pages, the author quickly settles on a few key characters each referred to, in the main, by their surname. That being sorted, I rattled through it. Novel perspectives and good fun. It is what it says it is, though, the story of the election of a Pope. You may not be intrigued to read such a thing at all.

I always seem to put why I came to read a book in my reviews, which I see as a "bad habit" from the point of view of a review. But one of the reasons I like this thread is I love to see the amazing variety of books each person reads, turning from genre to genre and medium to medium. So this one - my mum was ill and had asked visitors to "bring a book". Someone brought her this, so I had read the back and seen that there was a map included. I said to DH that evening that I had been intrigued and her said "But we've got that" so I picked it up and began.

I haven't read the Connie Willis or St Mary's, but from scanning through their Amazon entries I offer this for fans of this sort of thing - The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland.

HI Chessie, I've had my eye on that Connie Willis book for a while so might splash out after your review. I read her two other books which featured characters from the future travelling in time to WWII. They are not jolly japes - I'm not sure I wholly loved the books at the time, as they felt a bit bloated, but some of the scenes have really stuck with me.

214. To Say Nothing Of The Dog by Connie Willis

I loved this! It’s a comic time travel caper, similar in tone to the St Mary’s series. In this, Ned from 2057 is sent back to 1888 to repair and incongruity in the timeline. There’s a boat trip, a grumpy dog, a spoiled cat, romance and lots more. Definitely recommend if you like St Mary’s.

Hi Fran and emcla!

Desdemona - re Louis Theroux, I'm not sure I got a hint that his wife had an affair before they were married, but I grasped that there were some problems between them - didn't she tell him she found someone else attractive? I didn't get the sense that she'd acted on the attraction though.

With Saville, I thought that Louis does genuinely feel guilt - but that doesn't mean he's above capitalising on the interest generated by his relationship with the disgraced DJ. As always with Louis, you're never quite sure where the persona ends and the person begins.

I've read 31 on the list. If I was to beg for half points for close but no banana I would also do considerably better. I'm just back from my hols and have a few to review - will do it soon. Hi new folks!

Welcome, Fran! And 👋🏼 to emcla and to all the other long term lurkers..

Oooh, I love a list. I’ve read 34 and have several in my tbr pile and some I have dnf’d.

My two recent reads:

57. Why We get the Wrong Politicians by Isabel Hardman.

Audiobook. Politics journalist Isabel Hardman describes the set-up of the House of Parliament and what it takes and means to be a councillor, an MP and a cabinet minister, using recent examples. The book does describe some terrible mistakes but it doesn’t demonise politicians, recognising that we are all human after all, and she offers some thoughts on changes that could be made to improve the set-up so that these mistakes happen less often, in her opinion. And although not particularly ground-breaking (I don’t think I learned much new knowledge) I liked Ms Hardman’s genuine enthusiasm for British politics and politicians.

58. Talking to my Daughter about the Economy: A Brief History of Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis.

I was browsing the shelves at my library and picked this out because of the catchy title and red hardback cover. But also because he has come up in this thread and in the press so I wanted to make my own mind up. My mind is not made up. I am no expert in economics but I found this book too brief, a bit patronising (could just be me) and his solutions short and insubstantial. The premise is that Yanis Varoufakis is speaking to his 14 year old daughter and I think that that age group, or people who know absolutely nothing about economics, are the audience for this book. On a positive note, it has renewed my interest in learning more about economics - I feel the need to be more informed. My DH has recommended A History of Economics by John Kenneth Galbraith so that has gone on my tbr list.

@FortunaMajor underground is on my never ending TBR as well!

69. The Book Thief *Marcus Zusak. I feel like if I’d been on this thread when this came out it may have been a bit marmite but I loved at the time. Round 2 via audiobook was superb and the narrator is perfect for death. I’d definitely recommend it.

Hi all. Thanks for the welcome!

And I'm also a King fan. Book twins!

Hi RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie Also a Remus fan here.

Hi Fran G and the new 'lurker' whose name I have forgotten, sorry!

Palegreen it could just be me but I was very disappointed. I usually enjoy everything from the Oprah book club fold. I was half way through thinking it would never end. It gets compared to Colson Whitehead's Underground Railroad for obvious reasons but that was far superior.

Hi original Fran! Yes, Fran Goldsmith is a character in The Stand by Stephen King. I've not seen Black Books but I love Tamsin Greig in Episodes.

Thanks for the welcome, Palegreenstars

@FortunaMajorinterested in your review of TheWater Dancer I assumed as it was an Oprah book that it would be fast paced but may push it down my list if it’s a slog!

Welcome @FranGoldsmith I loved a Walk in the Woods too

Place marking. Just re-read The Mangler by Stephen King. Truly terrifying!

Welcome to the other Fran ! You seem to have quite similar taste in books to me as well...

My username is Fran from Black Books, played by the delightful Tamsin Greig. I think yours is from a Stephen King novel (but not one I've read)?

88. Broken Angels (Altered Carbon#2) by Richard Morgan

I found this one disappointing. The first book in the series was one of my favorites this year. This was slow moving. Not as gripping. The first one was a human drama set in a sci-fi world. This was a war novel. Takeshi Kovacs is involved in a plot to sell a Martian ship to the highest bidder. I didn't enjoy it. I finished it because we're in November and I want to reach 100 books by the end of the year. So I ploughed on.

Thanks SatsukiKusakabe

Hi Fran and welcome

fortuna yes it is chilling but I don’t think the idea impacts a younger reader quite in the same way and the daemon conceit works well in that respect. I do agree in general it’s a good idea to know what you’re giving them to read, but I think you were ok there. My niece is just hitting her teens and I feel at a loss as, like you, we shared a lot of stories but now I’m not sure what she’ll want. I’m going to be getting some YA out of the library to check before Christmas, as one book I thought looked ok and fairly bland had some sexual content on consulting goodreads, so it’s a bit of a minefield from here on.