50 Book Challenge 2018 Part Three

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the third thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2018, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, it’s not too late to join, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

The first thread of the year is here and the second one here.

What are you reading?

21 True Grit by Charles Portis (audiobook - narrated by Donna Tartt, yes, the Donna Tartt. It’s one of her favourite books).

When unarmed family man Frank Ross is shot and killed by one of his workers, a drifter going by the name of Tom Chaney, his fourteen year old daughter Mattie decides to bring him to justice by whatever means necessary. She hires one eyed Reuben J “Rooster” Cogburn to do the job, a mean double-tough Marshall, a man who possesses the true grit which she requires to see the job done.
Rooster is joined by a vain Texan ranger called LeBoeuf who is also seeking Chaney on another charge. The two men set off into Indian Territory to apprehend Chaney, who has subsequently joined the notorious Luck Ned Pepper gang. Mattie doggedly follows, adamant she will not stay behind.

This was great. The plot licks along at a cracking pace, and contains all the elements you hope for in a western (gun fights in canyons, grizzled law men, rattle snakes, fireside banter with bacon and whiskey). The dialogue is really outstanding though. Some fabulous lines that made me regularly laugh out loud. Mattie is a great character, she takes absolutely no shit from anyone, and is full of great pithy one-liners and enormous courage. I don’t know why I don’t read or listen to more westerns, the few I have read have all been really enjoyable.

splother I loved Birdsong, thought the love story very moving too. Deeply harrowing stuff in parts.

Love True Grit, didn’t like Birdsong

Happy International Women's Day everyone!
In honour of the occasion (and because I needed cheering up) I went to Waterstones and bought
A woman's work by Harriet Harman . Conveniently it was on buy one get one half price so I also picked up A history of Britain in 21 women by Jenni Murray .
I think I will put my current book The Luminaries to one side to start one of the above. It's a Booker prize winner, female author (Eleanor Catton) but I'm not caring much about the cast of men in New Zealand in the 1860s.

Yes, happy International Women's Day all :)

Fittingly I finished no. 17 today: A History of Britain in 21 Women by Jenni Murray.
Short biographies of 21 women who have made a significant contribution to British history, ranging from Boudica to Mary Quant. It took me a while to get into this. In some ways it felt rather like a series of Womens Hour pieces (not helped by the fact that I listened to this on Audible, read by the author). I'd been expecting more of a structured history IYKWIM, whereas it was essentially 21 short standalone bios, and I felt the earliest ones in particular were rather superficial (I'm not sure who amongst likely readers of this book wouldn't know about Mary Queen of Scots / Elizabeth 1st etc in at least as much if not considerably more detail than covered here).

I enjoyed the later ones more, though I think for me I'd have preferred less obvious subjects - an awful lot of the women covered have excellent & well known full biographies that I suspect most women interested in history & feminism will have read.

I read 21 women in British History earlier this year and I enjoyed it. I agree in places it is 'a light touch' but I think it is great introduction to some iconic women. A great book for teenage girls and young women, intact I have already gifted twice. For me it is most successful when Murray talks about how these women have had a direct impact on her life.

Interesting Splother. I wondered whether my (strongly feminist & political) 15 y/o dd would like it, and I don't think it would appeal to her.
I think she'd be put off by the earliest chapters & never reach the women like Constance Markiewicz that she may not have heard of & would very likely be interested in.

The North Water
I thought the baddie became too cartoon villain and I got a bit fed up of it in the end. It had promise but, for me, didn't quite deliver.

30: Enigma – Robert Harris
I liked this – so much better than Munich although not quite as good as Fatherland. I got a bit bored of the code stuff and I thought the ending got a bit ‘British spy thriller cliché’ but on the whole, it’s a good read with a decent ‘hero’ in the ‘damaged and a bit strange but we’re gunning for him’ sort of line.

Having objected to the mini-bios in 21 Women, I've just bought 'Forgotten Women: The Scientists' for 99p on the kindle daily deal which is pretty much the same setup . . . (Which also reminds me that the Jenni Murray was a 2 for 1 deal on Audible, so I can't really complain)

I've taken on some extra work so I've got a bit behind with my reading. I've just finished Commonwealth by Ann Patchett. It's one of the best books about siblings I've ever read. All the characters are fascinating, although some are deeply unpleasant. It starts in 1964, moves around quite a bit and ends up in the present day. I thoroughly recommend it - particularly if you've ever fallen out with anyone in your family - and lets be honest, who hasn't ? Only book number 14 for me. I'm falling behind !

Keith - I really enjoyed The North Water.

I don't agree with Remus (surprise! ). Nobody looked like a cartoon villain in that book.

TooExtra - Thank you for the recommendation. I'll give Sal a go. It sounds exactly like the sort of book DD would like to read, too.

Satsuki, yes I was very happy to see The Wild Other reduced. And I bought Sing, Unburied, Sing as much for DH as for me- it may sit on my Kindle for a while..

Ha! Noodle, I just check my wish list regularly and those were reduced. 😊

True Grit added to TBR list immediately: it's one of my favourite films ever and I was unaware of the novel, thanks ScribblyGum!

BellBookandCandle, have you read Margaret Atwood's collection Stone Mattress? I just finished it (my no. 18) and loved the collection of nine short stories. One of them, and possibly my favourite as it's so darkly funny, I Dream of Zenia with the Red Teeth, is a sequel to The Robber Bride.

I'm going to attempt to read the Women's Prize list too, I can tick off 5 so far: Eleanor Oliphant, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, Elmet, See What I Have Done and HomeFire. I've just looked a few up and found When I Hit You is 98p at the moment so have bought that.

Ah Shakeitoff, the wishlist trick . I do this too and I'm embarrassed to say that I've been scrolling through pages of my list each time, before it suddenly occurred to me that you can sort the list by price, low to high. Ooops.

@Murine - I will check out the Atwood short stories. I'm not a fan of short stories normally, so have avoided this.....but I think I can make an exception in this case

@Sadik and @Toomuchsplother - in a similar vein to the 21 women and the female scientists books is one by Marcus Binney about the women SOE agents. Despite it's questionable title - The women who lived for danger (sounds a bit click-bait-y) it is a very good read, quite harrowing in places, but the women were strong and brave in the face of such danger and adversity. I'd recommend it (but I am fascinated by the activities of the SOE and the various Resistance groups)

Murine thanks for the heads up on When I Hit You kindle bargain.

I borrowed True Grit as an audiobook free from the library, straight into my phone, always very satisfying. Donna Tartt does a good job as narrator and adds an after word explaining why she loves it so much. I want to see the film now, although I gather there are two. New or old which is better?

17. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. (Audible narration by Simon Callow)

Excellent narration by Simon Callow. I loved listening to this unabridged Audible production. Well crafted characters, love and drama. Some laugh out loud moments and, arguably, the most famous opening and closing lines of any book. Looking forward to the next Dickens Audible narrations - Our Mutual Friend and Bleak House which are out later in the year.

18. World of Trouble (The Last Policeman Book 3) by Ben H.Winters.

Last book in The Last Policeman series. The world is ending (a comet will hit Earth within weeks) and Hank goes to find his little sister, who joined a group who believe they can save the planet. This instalment took a while to get going but I thought the second half and the ending was fine, not great but okay. Overall this series has been an entertaining read, with the first book as the stand-out.

Scribbly - thanks for the booktuber recommendation, she’s fab!

Noodle, I did not know that either! But I quite enjoy scrolling down my list and suddenly out pops a bargain I’ve been waiting for. Cheers up my day! Small pleasures and all that..

Shakeitoff I really enjoyed reading The Last Policeman series. Third one was not the best and I was a little disappointed in the outcome for the sister but I did like the very end of the book - no cop out from the author.

scribbly the old film is a classic and well worth watching for John Wayne as Rooster. I also enjoyed the new one though as I thought the girl playing the lead was very good and it was a bit more in keeping with the book. So both!

14. On the back of this thread, A Very British Scandal. I was quite appalled reading this but upon reflection I don't know why given how the Establishment have covered up, and continue to cover up, all manner of scandals past and present.

I was left feeling angry on behalf of all victims, past and present, who are treated so shabbily by those in power who in turn get away with such abominable behaviour because of their position/contacts etc.

7 SPQR by Mary Beard
A history of the Roman empire covering the foundations of Rome right through to the moment when everyone throughout the empire became a Roman. Very interesting and I learnt loads. Had to read it slowly so that I could digest it all. It is an engaging read, it didn't feel like a slog which is how I find some history books.

8 Lucia's Progress by E F Benson
A social comedy of manners from the 1930s. The residents of Tilling spar with each other under a veneer of good manners and breeding. It's not quite as good as the previous book but still funny.

I've only seen the newer Coen brothers version of True Grit, ScribblyGum, I'll be looking out for the John Wayne one now though!