50 Book Challenge 2018 Part Four

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fourth 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, the second one here and the third one here.

How're you getting on so far?

Over half-way now, and I seem to be picking up steam.

26.) The Blackest Streets, Life and Death of a Victorian Slum, by Sarah Wise social history focusing on a deprived area in London and the people who lived there. A fascinating and at times grim overview, which focused a lot on how the poor were exploited by very wealthy landlords. Some interesting characters here too Reverend Jay in particular stood out, a charismatic High Church Anglican, who built a stunningly beautiful Catholic-style church in the area (when his bishop was expecting a meeting house), provided a gymnasium and club for the men to use, and all the while musing about the luxurious sex-segregated internment camps that could be build to house the poor in until they all died out from old age.

Particularly poignant was the ultimate gentrification of the area. For all the plans of the fine housing that would be built to house the residents, ultimately only a tiny number out of the thousands was actually resettled in the area.

27.) Eligible, Curtis Sittenfield -- modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, set in Cincinatti. Eh. I enjoyed it well enough at times, but it was a bit too long. and I found Liz a bit irritating. I think it did a pretty good job with Mrs Bennet though.

28.) The Buried Giant, Kazuo Ishiguro -- In the Dark Ages, an elderly couple set off across a land beset by mist and rain to find their son. I'm not sure how to feel about this one. It's allegorical, told a lot through dialogue that's overly formal, with the characters constantly describing things to each other in an oddly stilted manner, rather than describe them through narrative ("Look there, see how the etc etc"), which almost gives it the feel of an overly stylised stage play. And it's a bit too obviously an allegory, with constant references to the characters having forgotten things or trying to cling onto faint glimmers of memory. But on the plus side it didn't leave my wanting to gouge my eyes out with boredom like the last Ishiguro novel I tried to read. Still, I'm not convinced by his writing, let's put it like that.

Catching up a bit here and I have at least one review to add, but just wanted to say to Satsuki that Meg Wolitzer is well worth exploring. The Position is great - about a family whose lives have been altered forever by the sex manual the parents published in their young married life (think 'The Joy of Sex'). They and their grown-up children are now still dealing with the consequences. It's sharp and very funny in that wry American way. I so want to choose it for our book group but can't because the more prudish members would blow a gasket (though it's not even remotely saucy, just a great read).

Another one adding The Hearts Invisible Furies to my tbr list!

A few to update on-

13. He said/she said by Erin Kelly. This was a bit meh for me. Too much unlikely actions and flat characters for my liking. Forgettable.

14. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. I really enjoyed this and has been much reviewed already. About a piece of the world and history I'd never had known about it it wasn't for this book and this thread!

15. Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey I loved this! A lady with dementia is searching for her lost friend, her current memories getting entangled with the past. The 'crimes' were both fairly pedestrian but the real joy of this book was how perfectly dementia was described- how the seemingly irrational actions of those with the illness are in fact not at all irrational and born often of fear or frustration. Would definitely recommend

16. The Gin Shack by Catherine Miller. An ebook only that made me want to get out my red pen and mark all the writing errors! It has a load of suspicious 5 star reviews on Amazon and good reads
    The story is of Olive, an 84 year old (who moves, acts, thinks and speaks like a teenager) who moves to a retirement complex full of equally sprightly and independent OAPs. She hatches a plan to break out so she can enjoy her 'bespoke gins' on the beach but there's trouble afoot...
    A story so light my dyslexic 8 read old could probably read it. A ridiculous plot, awful writing and even worse- the references to gin were so vague it was if the author couldn't be bothered to research it properly. Although I suspect that has more to do with Carina UK not sorting out the Rights to name the brands? Avoid!

Away from unreliable train WiFi so back with my next review

27: The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau - Graeme Macrae Burnet

Manfred Baumann is an unremarkable man living an unremarkable life in the small French town of Saint-Louis. His daily routine is unvaried, centred around his job at the bank and evenings at the Restaurant de la Cloche. Then one day a waitress, Adèle Bedeau, goes missing. Manfred finds himself drawn into the investigations of local police chief Inspector Gorski......now read on.....

Having read, and really enjoyed, His Bloody Project, I thought I'd give this a go. It was GMB's first book and, as is inevitably the way, was republished after His Bloody Project did so well. There are recognisable parallels between the two books: the action takes place in small, almost claustrophobic communities, with lead characters who seem passive and with little or no initiative enabling them to find a positive way out of their predicaments. GMB also maintains the fiction that he was the translator of this book and that its author was a little-known Swiss-French writer called 'Raymond Brunet' (all carefully explained in an Afterword). A certain Simenon-like quality has been mentioned in reviews and I think that's probably fair.

I enjoyed this, although it didn't grip me quite as much as I'd perhaps hoped. However, I'm still keen to read the sequel (also allegedly by 'Brunet') which features Insp. Gorski and picks up on an incident described in this book.

Desdemona and anotherwastedsecond When you get round to reading it hope you both love The Heart's Invisible Furies as much as I and clearly EmGee did. Do give your feedback. Also really liked Burial Rites and Elizabeth is Missing anotherwastedsecond

I just bought The Heart's Invisible Furies and The Position based on reviews here - thanks Carbuncle and Terpsichore.

Oh good Tarahumara hope you enjoy it too.

Is Elizabeth Is Missing the one where front gardens play a significant part? Have been trying to remember this for ages!

Yes Piggy - that's the one.

Well, that scratched an itch. Thanks!

All these books with people's names in the title do tend to blur into each other, but I did quite like that one. Much preferred it to Eleanor Oliphant.

Ooh I've had The Heart's Invisible Furies on my kindle for ages, you've bumped it up the list!

57. Turn Right At The Spotted Dog: And Other Diversions by Jilly Cooper

This is a collection of her newspaper articles and interviews, published 30 years ago. It’s like reading a real life version of her novels. I spotted several snippets that she has used in her books. It’s very dated now but if you enjoy her books you will enjoy this!

24. The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah

I have learnt that Hannah is quite well known (at least in the US). I picked this up in Waitrose and didn't expect much and was pleasantly surprised. It's good to have a book with (two no less!) female protagonists who don't just routinely fall in love with every man they encounter (although there are a couple) and this does tell an unsung story of the Resistance movement, to an extent.

It was a bit syrupy and over written in places but I did find it a proper page turner and cried at several points.

I thought the ending was overly cinematic and American : but it is indeed to be made into a film, so that figures. And it had a 'good Nazi' - no only De Bernieres can get away with that...

Superior chick lit, I'd say , genre wise.

26. Unless - Carol Shields author’s teenage daughter drops out of university and life and sits on a Toronto street corner. In reality this is about the invisibility and dismissal of women’s writing by men and struck me as a very angry book.

Can't keep up with this thread!

After reading Jane Hawking's memoir I thought I would try and read 14. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. I finished it not long before he died. It was a bit of a struggle to say the least.

Also read some more of my charity shop finds: 15. Over to You by Roald Dahl, a collection of his short stories based on his experiences as a figher pilot in WW2. #16 was The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing, about the life of two women in London in the late 1950s. Doris Lessing won the Nobel Prize for Literature and the only thing I had read by her before was a short story called Through the Tunnel in Year 9 English. (I was given a copy of Martha Quest as a teenager, but can't remember if I read it or not).

#17 was completely different: Farewell to the Horse - The Final Century of Our Relationship by Ulrich Raulff. I find it quite fascinating to imagine what human history would have looked like if horses had never existed or if they hadn't been domesticated. They were the backbone of transport, agriculture and the military for so many years. It was an interesting, wide-ranging read, albeit with some distressing photos and descriptions of equine suffering.

I've been lurking on the thread for a while and thought it is about time that I added my list (I'm another slower reader, not that it matters!)

The Innocent Mage - Karen Miller
The Awakened Mage - Karen Miller
Notes to my Mother-in-Law - Phyllida Law
Big Brother -Lionel Shriver
Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Mount! - Jilly Cooper
A Spoonful of Poison - M.C. Beaton
Cat Confidential: The Book your Cat would want you to Read - Vicky Halls

This morning I started The Crimson Petal and the White (Michel Faber) and so far am rather enjoying it - very intense descriptions of the people and locations in Victorian London

Piggy, I just went to add The Nightingale to my goodreads "want to read" shelf, only to find it was already on there - someone else must have recommended it as well, so will definitely bump it up the list!

I'm doing the popsugar challenge this year, but I think next year needs to be the year I actually read through my TBR list! Either that or read through all the books I own, but haven't read - but the presence of Ulysees on my bookcase makes that one less appealing!

Haven't posted for ages, so here are my three quick reviews of my latest reads...

21. Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race – Reni Eddo-Lodge

Have been waiting or ages for this to come out in paperback and was not disappointed. Extremely well written, I read this in two days and at every available opportunity. I would urge everyone to read this book - I’ve already enthusiastically passed it on to a friend. I feel I now properly understand what “white privilege” is and how it functions. The section on feminism was illuminating, if uncomfortable reading at times. This is one of those rare books that has made me question the way I see the world and challenge my own way of thinking – non-fiction read of the year so far for me.

22. The Lost Daughter – Elena Ferrante

Usual Elena Ferrante fare. Middle aged woman experiences life crisis while on an impossibly glamorous Italian beach holiday. I think you either love or hate Ferrante’s impassioned, nothing held back style. I am definitely in the former category.

In some parts of this book I felt she was introducing themes and ideas which she elaborates on in much greater depth in her Neapolitan novels ; the loud, outspoken Neapolitan family she meets on the beach in The Lost Daughter feel like a quick sketch of Neapolitan family life which she will go on to develop into her technicolour masterpiece in the Neapolitan novels.

Troubling Love is now the only novel of hers I haven’t read yet. My plan is to save this one for later in the year, but will see how my resolve goes.

23. Exit West – Mohsin Hamid

Interesting and thought provoking. Can’t decide whether Hamid’s rather emotionless, flat prose enhanced or detracted from the powerfulness of the story. I’m not the biggest fan of magical realism but I felt it worked well most of the time here.

Nadia and Saeed leave their war torn home in an unidentified MiddleEast location via a series of gateways which manifest themselves as ordinary doors. The writer uses this as a device to consider the fates of refugees attempting to make a life for themselves in Mykonos, London and California.

Although moving in parts, I found Nadia and Saeed felt a bit like devices themselves, created to make a point, rather than to exist as fully developed people. There was something lacking in this book, and I've struggled to decide exactly what it was.

On the topic of finding time to read, I'm fortunate enough to have a 30 min bus journey to and from work every day, and I usually manage to squeeze in an extra 30 mins before I go to bed. Also, DD is a big reader; at the weekends we can generally read companionably on the sofa. We usually do this more when the weather is bad, and it's been pretty bad recently.

Reading I can do, posting regularly I find more of a challenge, as I spend so much time on my PC at work, often I really don't feel like facing my laptop in the evenings.

Tara I hope you enjoy The Position (as it were )

Have added The Heart's Invisible Furies to my TBR list. Have just realised he also wrote The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, one of my Dd's favourite reads.

terpsichore thanks for recommending me The Position too - I’ve downloaded the sample of The Wife as it’s cheap and see what I think.

Satsuki, I really enjoyed Wolitzer's novel The Interestings and think you might, too.

I downloaded The Position when it was $1.99 a while ago but forgot about it; thank you all for the reminder!

That’s one of the things that put me off Invisble Furies, when I realised it was the same author. Didn’t enjoy Boy in Striped Pyjamas at all but was it YA?

I've seen Striped Pajamas in the YA section.