50 Book Challenge 2019 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 2019, 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?

I was a bit surprised to read that bit about teachers needing to be steered away from giving Steinbeck to primary school children. This surely can’t be a very common scenario?

I hate the Mr Men. I find their one dimensional nature very irritating. As if Mr Nosy, for instance, is going to stop being nosy forever just because the other Mr Men have been orchestrating a few nasty nose accidents!
I deliberately didn’t buy any for the DC, but they’ve still acquired about half a dozen in party bags over the years.

Sorry to hear about your grandad @splother. I was at my grandad’s funeral today which was hard so I understand how you feel.
I am working my way through 1984 at the moment which I am enjoying but have really struggled to find the time to read this week. Might dedicate some time tomorrow.

Thank you everyone for your lovely thoughts.
And sorry to hear about your Grandad too MynameisMrG

Interesting stuff about the Mr Men but I seem to remember being told this before. I am sure it was at one of the school presentations about 'hearing your child read' at DC's primary schools.

Splother and MrG

The Mr Men books are dire, I wouldn't choose them for any classroom I worked in.

for splother and MrG

14 Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor

Bought this on a Kindle deal after it was much recommended on last year's thread. I wasn't quite sure after the first 30 pages or so but as I went on it really grew on me and by the end I loved it. The book starts with what seems like a familiar trope - a missing girl. But McGregor uses her disappearance to explore the impact of a devastating effect on the community over a number of years. The writing is beautiful and your care and concern for the characters creeps up on you. I will look out for a deal on the prequel/side story, The Reservoir Tapes.

That should have been event not effect!

Sorry to hear about your grandad too MrG

MrG

Finished

15 The Rumour Lesley Kara last night. Romped through this- and enjoyed it. Child killer supposedly living in small community and main character unwittingly starts a rumour about who she is supposed to be. Well written in manner of typical psycho-thriller, the only slightly irritating bits were how the writer managed to make everyone the main character comes into contact with a possibility for the child killer and the far-fetched ending. (I skimmed the actual Big Final Scene as so many of these books end with the same scenario- almost as if the writer is thinking how it will play out when ITV buy the rights for a TV adaptation- a well-crafted story for print suddenly turns into a high-adrenaline dramatic denouement with us all meant to be gripping our armchairs in horror.)

After two "Richard and Judy-esque" easy gallops I'm now settling down with Sharon Penman When Christ and his angels slept

I've put Educated on hold for a while so I'm now reading The Perfect Child which was one of the free prime books for February though I bought it as I really wanted two of them. It was worth the money - I can barely put it down.

mynameisMrG So sorry to hear about your Grandad

28. The Good People by Hannah Kent Set in Ireland in 1825 the book is loosely based on a true story. It charts the lives of a group of women in a rural village where superstition and the 'old ways' are at odds with the catholic church. Recently widowed, Nora is left alone to look after her crippled grandson who is widely believed to be a changeling and the source of bad luck locally. As a last resort Nora seeks the help of a wise woman on the fringe of society to help her cure the child. Highlights the difficult lives of women and their lot based on a differing circumstances.

The writing is stunning and lyrical and evokes a sense of time and place, however the book lacks the tension of Burial Rites and the characters are not drawn as strongly. It's a lovely read but isn't as gripping and doesn't have the same simmering sense of injustice as her previous work.

34 The Woman who met her match - Fiona Duncan the lightest of chic-lit. Barely "Woman's Weekly" standard.
35. Landfall - Helen Gordon - Alice is experiencing some existential mid-life angst and returns to her suburban home as she is at a job & relationship crossroads. The oddball characters of her youth are still in evidence as is the reminder of her sister's disappearance 17 years ago. I found this quite well-written with some good witty asides but the abrupt & unexpected ending gave the impression the writer had had to break off suddenly in order to answer the door for an Amazon parcel.
Did not finish Linda Grant - The Dark Circle - well-worn tropes I just couldn't be bothered with. Or Philip Hensher - the Emperor Waltz.
The Book shop - thanks for the recommendation for the Netflix filmprevious poster. Enjoyable in a non-threatening way. I can't remember this Penelope Fitzgerald although I thought I had read all of hers. Then I got distracted by Emily Mortimer and her mother Penelope. Some potential re-reads there.
re Kindle prices - if you are on holiday without anything to read and hotel wi-fi then all limits are off. I ended up with a load of early Nina Bawdens once which were really not worth it. Moral - download the 99p ones whilst you have the chance.

sending love to mynameisMrG and splother
9. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
Saga on the lives and, most often, deaths of the working class Yorkshire family of Ruby Lennox. The story alternates between incidents from throughout Ruby's life, told from her perspective, and episodes about her ancestors.

I've read and really enjoyed several of Atkinson's novels, but not got round to this, her first, until it thrust itself at me in a charity shop a couple of weeks ago. I did enjoy this one - Atkinson is as usual deft and funny and hugely relatable. However, I felt that many of the themes and structures were echoed in Life and Life and A God in Ruins, but both of these were more successful. Had I read this first I would have probably enjoyed it even more.

to MrG and Splother

Fortuna - I have The Good People on my shelf but since I had my daughter I tend to shy away from anything where a child is under threat, do you think I would be ok with it?

Brizzle - Who is The Perfect Child by? There are several books with that title.

Haven't been on here for a little while and have enjoyed catching up with everyone's latest reads and recommendations. "InmyownparticularIdiom" your comment about bankrupting yourself 99p at a time resonated with me. I always think 'Oh it's only 99p' but it seems to add up so quickly. I really should make the effort to use the library more often, but it's so easy to buy another Kindle book with just one click!
"DecimusScott" some of things you mention in the book about the history of public schools sound horrendous - even worse than the novel Tom Brown's Schooldays.
I have tried to be quite restrained with this month's 99p deals and have only downloaded two. A Town Like Alice - I read most of Nevil Shute's books years ago, looking forward to reading this again.
Also downloaded The Collector after recommendations on here.

Forgot to add what I have been reading.
10. LOTR Book One, The Fellowship of the Ring
11. LOTR Book Two, The Two Towers Tol
First read LOTR over 20 years ago. Loving reading it, not just because of the story, but because Tolkien created a whole world - geography, history, even made up a new language. The only thing I don't like is the long poetry passages so I just skim through those.
Having a break before I read the last book though as I have just started A Talent for Murder by Andrew Wilson, which is a book club read. I think it's been recommended on here as well. I enjoy Agatha Christie so I'm looking forward to this one.

InMyOwnParticularIdiom I think you might find it unsettling. In trying not to give spoilers, much of what happens is fairly benign, but there are some bits that aren't. These parts are not lingered over and it's not written in a sensationalistic or gratuitous way and it's clear what happens comes from a place of ignorance rather than malice, however events are not pleasant overall.

Thinking about it has now made me horrified I have called it a lovely read given the subject matter, but it really is very well written and that's what I am referring to. She has a gift for beautiful language and is a very good storyteller.

11. killers of the flower moon I assume most people on here have red this but it’s non fiction about American Indians and white Americans and oil. Really brilliant and gripping. I would really recommend

My vote for a good book ruined by the ending is Into The Woods by Tana French. I really enjoyed this and couldn’t put it down, racing to find out what happened - and felt so let down by the ending. I thought I had pages missing! I haven’t read any of hers since.

Sorry magimedi, its by Lucinda Berry.

Chessie that is exactly how I felt about In to the Woods. It is the one and only book for hers I have read and nothing would compel me to pick up another.

30. Old Baggage - Lissa Evans thanks to insomnia, a restless dog and rain I have read this in 24 hours. It has been reviewed beautifully before on the previous thread by Skirmish and I agrees wholeheartedly. A wonderful, pull-you-along book that feels hearty and wholesome.
About to plough on with Crooked Heart which is linked and again thank you to Skirmish for highlighting it in the Kindle Monthly Deals

Fortuna, thanks, I'll read The Good People when I'm not feeling too delicate then. (I read lots of historical fiction and am not averse to grown men hacking each other to bits, it's just when children are in danger I get squeamish.) I did really enjoy Burial Rites so want to give it a go.

I actually really liked the end of Into the Woods, but it is atypical in French's Dublin Murder Squad series. All of the others have a more traditional resolution.

And...

14. Charity Girl - Georgette Heyer

Enjoyable, quick easy read but not her best. Sprig Muslin still my favourite of the ones I have read.

Tracy Chevalier next.