50 Books Challenge 2022 Part Seven

Had an excellent book haul this year. My Amazon wish list is heavily influenced by you lot as can be seen from this little pile.

Hope you all had a good Christmas. And who else is considering moving to Italy so their children can get a culture bonus, what a brilliant idea!

Trying to catch up with my reviews (and others’ reviews!) before 2022 comes to an end. I became really exhausted during term-time and found it hard to focus on any reads that were remotely challenging.

First, two DNFs from the Booker shortlist:
Alan Garner, Treacle Walker. I read The Owl Service this year and was really taken with it, but Treacle Walker seemed to consist largely of old men making cryptic pronouncements to a young boy, and I ran out of patience.

NoViolet Buyawayo, Glory. Again, I found myself lacking in patience. If I knew more about the history of Zimbabwean politics, I’m sure I would have found the narrative more nuanced, but as it was, the satire seemed very heavy-handed and the characters extremely unpleasant.

Two French books I read on my summer hols (I told you I was behind with reviews!):
57. Les Fiancés de l’hiver (La Passe-miroir I), Christelle Dabos [A Winter’s Promise (The Mirror Visitor Book 1)] 4/5
YA fantasy lit and absolutely excellent. I’ve thought about this story a lot since I read it. A young archivist finds herself in a hostile land and engaged to be married to a grumpy, reticent court aristocrat there. The machinations of court and family members, as well as the mirror theme, reminded me somewhat of 17th c. Versailles. Looking forward to reading the other volumes in this series.

58. L’Amour des trois soeurs Piale, Richard Millet 2/5
    A very evocative, lyrical writing style that conjures up a bygone era of rural France. This book however was ruined for me by the author’s evident sexism. The sex scenes are recounted from a point of view so masculine that it’s almost comical (semen is described at one point as ‘liquid the colour of the stars’). And there is a really disturbing scene where a young man gropes his sister as she emerges from the shower, and her eyes are streaming with tears, but she lets him because she knows it’s part of his sexual education (or something like that). Seriously, WTF? Since this novel was published in 1997, Millet has come out with some really unpleasant political views as well. It’s a shame because he’s a gifted writer, but his vision of the world is very narrow in some ways.

59. Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies, Maddie Mortimer 4/5
    I think my brain was too tired to do justice to this book, as I admired it more than I liked it. Bits of it were amazing, but I found it a hard read, partly because the main character (a mother with terminal cancer) has a child the same age as I do. I enjoyed the straightforward narrative sections more than the experimental ones, narrated (I think) in the voice of the protagonist’s disease. Very original on all counts.

60. Hidden Depths, Ann Cleeves 4/5
    I always find Cleeves’ detective novels gripping and soothing in equal measure, and this one was no exception.

61. The Marriage Portrait, Maggie O’Farrell 5/5
    Much reviewed on here already. I loved it. In some ways it feels like a fairytale narrative, especially the ending, but it’s so well done: a surprisingly refreshing read for my weary term-time brain. I felt transported to 16th c. Italy. The idea of hidden layers (of paint, of identity, of emotions) constitutes a powerful motif throughout the novel. I read a library copy but will buy and reread it when it comes out in paperback.

Thanks for the heads up @noodlezoodle just snatched up Val Mcdermid 1989

@SolInvictus The 'Culture bonus' is such a brilliant idea.

@noodlezoodle Thanks for that. Have popped in and bought it and will give it a go in today's bath! I didn't like If Nobody Speaks and DNF Reservoir 13 but it sure looks like my sort of setting!

grannymaindland Winter Solstice is my favourite Christmas book, even though it is so far removed from normal life. Agree it's so difficult to place timewise...also if I really think about the storyline it gives me the rage (timeline of Oscar moving on) but I just roll with it and pretend that my Christmas will be exactly like that!

Happy Christmas you lovely lot.
No books here, but DD has to use up her "culture bonus" by Feb. The Italian govt gives all 18 year olds 500€ to spend on "culture". Can be used to pay for extra-curricular courses, books, theatre and cinema tickets etc. Cannot be used for technology (huzzah!) She has about €200 left and probably won't use, so I said I'd buy it from her. So, tragically, I may be forced to buy 200€ of books for myself.

I have Nigella's Feast. I am a bit of a cookbook collector. Nigella to me, is a bit like Nigel. A food writer rather than a cook. And all the better for it I think.

I am under a blanket and we are about to watch Love Actually. Dp has fallen out with his family (no big tragedy, they're fuckwits one and all) so it's just the 3 of us. DD home from uni. I am lazily reading Remarkable Creatures. I think Tracey Chevalier is one of my certainties in a "wtf shall I read next" world. Interesting, well-written, quiet and understated, gentle. Always. Perfect.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit enjoy your subscription. 😍 I got DD the book spa. (she's at Bath uni so Mr B is on her doorstep)

Spot on there GrannieMainland. I have a soft spot for Rosamunde Pilcher but I agree, it’s a completely alien and ridiculous world.

Oops, posted too soon. There are some cracking daily deals today - as well as the aforementioned Lean Fall Stand and Alan Rickman diaries, I bought Jarvis Cocker's Good Pop Bad Pop and Val McDermid's 1989.

I hope you feel better soon @Terpsichore . I snapped up the Alan Rickman so thank you!

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie that does look right up your alley. Jon McGregor's Lean Fall Stand is 99p today - might that be your cup of tea?

@GrannieMainland , Winter Solstice sounds perfect for this time of year, and I appear to have it on my kindle so I must dive into the velvet trouserfest.

I read Ballet Shoes in my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day baths!

Happy Christmas everyone! Love seeing the book hauls, none to report here but have a voucher for my favourite bookshop. Have loved the book chat this year and look forward to more in the year to come!

Belated Happy Christmas, and best wishes for a speedy recovery to all those who are/were poorly over Christmas.

And commisserations to those who received no books. Without wishing to rub salt into the wound, can I just say that I did rather well this year.

I know the Alan Rickman diaries have had a bit of a drubbing on here but if anyone does still fancy reading them (and I’ve decided I do) they’re down to £2.89 on kindle today.

Was delighted to be given Portrait of a Marriage, Maggie O'Farrell and Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson.
I know Portrait has had mixed reviews on here and that some have said that Maggie O'Farrell has become formulaic, but I like her formula. Also, I remember being chilled by My Last Duchess at school (once I'd worked out what happened) so am interested to read her story.

Bit late but Merry Christmas you lovely lot! It's been great to share this year with you and find some fab books I'd never have come across on my own

Only one book: Richard Osman's latest Thursday murder club. I know they get mixed reviews on here but I like them as some silly nonsense escapism

Also got an Amazon voucher which I fully intend to use on books. Amazon keep emailing me telling me they'll give me £5 kindle credit if I spend £15 on kindle books so will use my voucher for that and get some extra freebies. Also seeing in laws today and they often buy me books from my Amazon wishlist so may still get some more. My tbr is still over 200 though so not too worried if I don't get anymore

@PermanentTemporary there were a lot of long turquoise cardigans as well so that makes sense

Merry belated Christmas 50 Bookers, my favourite MN thread. I got no books - think everyone is too scared by how much I read to buy me anything - but did pick up Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen in the Amazon deals on Christmas Eve.

Hope everyone gets a chance for summer reading in the in-between days, is been pretty breakneck speed here in December so very much looking forward to some down time.

I'm not counting having read White Boots by Noel Streatfeild in the bath last night, but it was a Christmas joy nonetheless.

Intrigued by the velvet trousers @GrannieMainland. In my experience every female Rosamund Pilcher character is either about to or has just put on a turquoise silk kaftan, but I guess that's the summer version.

As predicted* (and following very heavy hints), DH got me Act of Oblivion and The Marriage Portrait *

I used a gift card to buy myself The Dangerous Kingdom of Love by Neil Blackmore plus an origami book today. Have one more bookshop token but that shop wasn't open today - Fairy Tale is front runner for that.

Happy Christmas to all! I got some interesting looking books I hadn't heard of, and some book tokens so I can stock up.

67. Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. I'm sure well known to many people here. Five people, all tenuously connected and lonely or escaping personal tragedy, end up spending Christmas together in a large house in the Highlands.

I've been sick over Christmas and read this whenever I had a chance to lie down, often with a similarly sick child on top of me, and it was perfect for that.

There are about 300 pages of very complicated backstories for all the characters where you have to learn about their siblings, cousins, friends, friends' children and ex-partners. Then once they get to Scotland almost nothing happens. There's a chapter about someone buying a toaster. There's another where someone has a cold. Still I loved the intricate detail of what they all ate, how they decorated the house, and what Christmas presents they all bought each other.

I found it impossible to place in a time period. At first I thought 70s, then someone mentioned a computer. Then I thought 80s until someone mentioned a mobile phone (though only one character had one). Apparently it was published in 2000 but it didn't feel like the 90s at all.

It's an extraordinary world where the women all wear velvet trousers and work in the ski industry or for auction houses, and the men wear tweed, have opinions about whiskey, and own property in West London. Everyone claims to have no money at all but the teenagers go around saying things like 'I do enjoy my day school, but I think it would be tremendous fun to go to a comprehensive.'

In short, ridiculous book, loved every word of it. I don't think I could face reading any more of her though.

@cassandre I do the same and have an Amazon wish list based on recommendations from this thread! I didn't think of making it visible, but it's my birthday in early Jan so might have to do that.

Thanks cassandre! I'm looking forward* *to it :) get well soon!

@cassandre

I'm definitely going to copy that with my Wishlist and next years thread!