50 Book Challenge 2020 Part Four

Hope you’re on the up again soon piggy, rest as much as you can.

For all those who can’t concentrate remember Audible has some classics and children’s books up free at the moment at stories.audible.com. I might indulge in The Wind in the Willows

Welcome thereplycamefromanchorage

Thank you

Sorry to hear that, Piggy. I believe from friend who has it that it does indeed come and go for quite a while. Hope you manage a restful day.

@thereplycamefromanchorage

Welcome!

I spoke about The Starless Sea on the last thread. Gutting was not the word.

Poor world building
Poor characterisation
Nonsensical narrative strands
Unexplained motiveless antagonists
Hollow end reveal due to lack of investment
Nothing came together
Jumping form

I loved Night Circus too. It was such a disappointment - absolutely shocking

Thank you!

I have had a little bit of a relapse with this sodding virus (if indeed that is what it is) so not sure if I'll get reading done today but am fairly determined to get The Night Circus done with!

All E. Nesbit’s books are worth a read really. I absolutely loved Five Children and It when I was a child. Especially the bit when they wish themselves into a besieged castle in olden times, then realise they can’t eat any food because modern-day dinners have become invisible....until they discover the food’s still there when they bite into thin air and manage to get a slice of mutton in their mouths. This struck me as a wonderful idea when I was 9 or 10

Can I join? This thread is such a saviour, and reading such a brilliant escape at the moment.

@noodlezoodle so sorry about your mum. I found reading really difficult after my dad died - I agree with other posters, that finding your favourite comfort reads can help, even going back to childhood reads.

Here are my books so far:

1. On the up by Alice O'Keeffe*
2. Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
3. To throw away unopened by Viv Albertine*
4. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
5. Unrest by Michelle Harrison
6. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgernstern
7. Under the Skin by Michel Faber
8. Reading Allowed by Chris Paling
9. Another Planet by Tracey Thorn*

Favourites are starred. Most disappointing read so far was The Starless Sea. I persisted, because i had loved The Night Circus so much, and it also started pretty promisingly. But I really stopped caring about any of the characters or even try to understand what was happening.

Hi all and so sorry Noodle for your loss.

Probably like lots of people my reading concentration is a bit shot right now while attempting to juggle home schooling and working so I don't expect to get into high numbers this year! But I am finding reading a comfort and distraction, when I can manage it.

Anyway l'm rereading Mantel so just finished:

1. Wolf Hall - I don't think there's anything to say that hasn't been said already except that imo Mantel is the greatest living writer and this is an absolute masterpiece and pure joy to read.

You lot are absolute lifesavers in these crazy times.

This, several times over.

noodle I’m currently reading The Railway Children to my daughter and it is very comforting and lovely and funnier and deeper than I remember as a child.

noodlezoodle I’m so sorry about your Mum

Thanks for the new thread Southeast.

1. Black Hammer Vol 1
2. Life Among the Savages
3. Comet in Moominland
4. Jim Henson’s Biography
5. Catch and Kill
6. A Spool of Blue Thread
7. Thin Air
8. 12 Rules for Life
9. The Sisters Brothers

I am currently reading a few things fitfully.

welshwabbit I’m glad you enjoyed Crooked Heart. Lissa Evans has just finished writing a sequel to it I believe.

Oh, Noodle. I'm so very sorry about your mum. For comfort reads, my favourites are:
Ballet Shoes - I just got one called Party Shoes for 99p on Kindle
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
84 Charing Cross Road
The Little Women series
I'll even turn to Enid Blyton sometimes!I

Paula by Isabel Allende is a mother whose daughter has died, but it's just wonderful. Might be worth a try.

Also, cookery books with lots of writing - Nigella, Nigel Slater, for example. The Dishoom book has lots to read, and is a thing of beauty.

So sorry to hear about your mum, noodlezoodle

Thanks for the new thread, southeast.

Here's my list:

1. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
2. 11.22.63 by Stephen King
3. The Yorkshire Shepherdess by Amanda Owen
4. Thomas Hardy: the Time-torn Man by Claire Tomalin
5. Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks
6. The Dark Side of the Mind by Kerry Daynes
7. Back Story by David Mitchell
8. The Path by Malcolm McKay
9. Ulysses by James Joyce

noodle so sorry to hear about your Mum.

Thanks for the new thread southeastdweller. You lot are absolute lifesavers in these crazy times.

Bringing my list over:

1. The Hunting Party – Lucy Foley
2. The Unexpected Joy of being Sober – Catherine Gray
3. Ta deuxième vie commence quand tu comprends que tu n’en as qu’une – Raphaëlle Giordano
4. L’élégance du hérisson – Muriel Barbery
5. Three things about Elsie – Joanna Cannon
6. Restoration – Rose Tremain
7. The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth – William Boyd
8. The girl you left behind – Jojo Moyes
9. Antigone – Jean Anouilh
10. The Light Years – Elizabeth Jane Howard

Just finished:
11. Scissors, Paper, Stone – Elizabeth Day
Charles is in a coma and as a result his wife and daughter are forced to come to terms with some uncomfortable truths. I found this to be quite a page-turner, which is no mean feat in our current situation.

As it deals with domestic abuse, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the families who are dealing with this on a daily basis right now and have no escape.

A handhold and for you, noodle

@noodlezoodle - very sorry to hear about your Mum.

For something light and heart-warming - I see you've been reading some Jenny Colgan - I would definitely recommend her Mure Island series (The Summer Seaside Kitchen, A Very Distant Shore, The Endless Beach, Christmas On the Island)

So sorry to hear of your loss @noodlezoodle are there any old favourites you could revisit?

noodlezoodle, I am sorry for your loss.

I’m sorry to hear about your mum @noodlezoodle (and your dad @bettybattenburg).

For comfort reads I go for something like Bill Bryson, or Marian Keyes/Sophie Kinsella.

I'm so sorry to hear about your mum @noodlezoodle, I know what you mean about difficulty reading as I'm the same since my dad died a few weeks ago for you. Just wanted to let you know you aren't alone in your grief.

I'm very sorry about your mum noodlezoodle

When my mum was very ill I found myself reading easy cheerful stuff like the James Herriot vet stories. Not what I would usually go for but all I could manage at the time.

Maybe think of some old favourites to revisit?

Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer

Got better in the second half, after quite a tedious opening.

I still fail to see why Heyer 's heroines insist on falling in love with men who try to strangle them etc - makes me feel very uncomfortable.

Once that was over though, and the long exposition which introduced far too many characters, this turned into quite a diverting farce, other than the three pages on dressing milord which I could have done without.

Not her best but okay for 99p and better than the appalling Powder and Patch at least.

Thanks southeast, agree with Pepe that this may be not only the last remaining sane place on mumsnet but also on the internet.

I'm behind on both reading and posting, and have barely picked up a book in the last few weeks, but I'm not sure how quickly I'll get back into it. My lovely Mum has been very ill in hospital for the last couple of weeks and died on Thursday. I'm desparate to get lost in a book or find some comfort reads but my concentration levels are all over the place at the moment.

Bringing over my list in case anyone with similar tastes can recommend something comforting and diverting.

1. Me, by Elton John

1. Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, by Mike Isaac

1. The Sober Diaries, by Claire Pooley

1. The Vagina Bible, by Jen Gunter, MD

11. Class, by Jenny Colgan. Malory Towers for grown ups. Highly undemanding and mostly enjoyable.

12. Underland, by Robert McFarlane. I loved this but he could definitely find space in Pseud's Corner, and some of the comments on the last thread about his writing really made me smile. I think the Epping Forest and Paris chapters were my favourites but found the whole thing really compelling.

13. Uncanny Valley, by Anna Weiner. Bit disappointing. Good memoir about working in Silicon Valley but nothing startling. She also refuses to use real names for the most part, for example referring to Facebook as 'the social network everyone hated', which might be accurate but gets quite annoying after the first few times.

Thank you for the new thread southeast

I'm reading Trollope's Barchester Towers at the moment and thoroughly enjoying it. Should be finished ready to post a review tomorrow.