50 Book Challenge 2019 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 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, the second one here and the third one here.

How're you getting on so far?

Sadik, sorry to disappoint! I did think as I was writing it whether there was anywhere else I could go with it, but sadly not. They really have nothing in common apart from being written by women!

Hope everyone's had a good long weekend. We've been away in Yorkshire for a family wedding.

Not much time for reading but have been working my way through a YA triology. #40 The Extinction Trials, #41 The Extinction Trials : Exile and #42 The Extinction Trials : Rebel which as I said before is Jurassic Park meets the Hunger Games meets 10,000 BC . It's OK. I'm reading it because as my DD wants to and it's her choice for our family "book club". She's loving it. I think the Eco destruction theme appeals to her. I am annoyed by inaccuracies in the dinoaurs and the whole humans dino dymanic that I also disliked in 10,000 BC. I guess you have to be 13 to enjoy these. Still almost done!

Remus I have The House on Vesper Sands lined up when I’m done with This Thing of Darkness. I was a little spooked by the Guardian review which definitely set me up for disappointment in its effusiveness. So reassured to hear it wasn’t terrible.

15. Five Days by Douglas Kennedy. I've read a few of this author's on the past and enjoyed them. This was fine but.... I'm reading a couple of challenging but very rewarding literary fiction works at the mo, but keep getting distracted by lighter stuff like this. What I feel now is that the pain of plot surprises or bad events is just not worth it for me any more unless the book is really top notch. Is this the kind of 'snobbery' we got accused of recently? probably.

36. Night After Night by Phil Rickman*

A TV company does a haunted house version of Big Brother. Interesting concept but a fairly average (and I suspect unmemorable) read.

37. Grimm Tales by Philip Pullman

An enjoyable retelling of selected stories from the Brothers Grimm. Many of the stories were familiar to me, unsurprisingly, as there’s many versions of the more popular stories around.
I liked the little footnotes at the end of each story.

Is this the kind of 'snobbery' we got accused of recently?

??? I think I’ve missed something! What’s this about snobbery?

I must have missed it too- you miss one thread...! I can still read light fiction, but it has to be well done- a page turner I guess. I think the skill needed to write good light /genre fiction is generally much under estimated!

I am reading Circe at the moment (recommended probably two threads ago, had to wait on the library) and I am LOVING it- such lovely writing and pace (so far). Thank you.

I don't think the "snobbery" plopper ever returned to explain what she was referring to, did she?

So we can argue over interpretation, which is quite fitting for this thread

Thanks scribbly hadmt thought of Kindle App that might tide me over until I can replace the precioussss.

Ha @ snobbery plopper!

Ah, I wrote a review of Waterlog by the late Roger Deakin as it's 99p today and it's disappeared into the ether. I'll try again.

The author was a writer, film maker and co-founder of Friends of the Earth. His book is a mixture of autobiography, travel diary and guide to our nature and culture as he travels the country (the UK) swimming in as many wild places as possible. It's a beautiful book, one which I have read several times and will be reading again.

20. The Year of Reading Dangerously:How fifty great books (and two not-so-great ones) saved my life by Andy Miller

A non fiction account of a new Dad trying to read all the books he feels he ought to have read and has previously pretended he has. This was quite an interesting read. I liked the bits about his family and his very tolerant wife best. This is one of the presenters of the Backlisted podcast and I think that form suits him better than this.

21. Still Life by Louise Penny
This is the first in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache books set in Quebec. A lovely retired teacher is killed in a sleepy little village. I liked this a lot. Lovely descriptions of food and I learnt a few new terms I didn't know. The story is told from both the police and the suspects perspectives which I enjoyed. There were literary references in there too. It wasn't perfect but I feel the author has potential to improve.

Just started This Thing of Darkness. Didn't realise it was so long. After regretting not getting the John Boyne the other week everyone was raving about I dived at this one but 772 pages! I have also got waterlog this morning which has been on my wishlist for ages.

flora, I've been eyeing up The Invention of Nature in my local library. Its heft has been intimidating me, but I might take the plunge.

I've been re-reading some more Adrian Mole books (The Cappuccino Years and The Weapons of Mass Destruction).

Also:

56. Seven Signs of Life, by Aoife Abbey
Another doctor's memoir, this time from a young doctor working in intensive care. Unusually, she doesn't delve into NHS politics - her focus in on the experience of being a doctor. You're breaking a dying person's sternum as you carry out chest compressions - does this feel like you are helping them in any meaningful way? Is it right to reassure the patient that everything will be fine, when you know it probably won't? This doesn't have the jokes and gory stories and mass appeal of This is Going to Hurt - it's more about reflective professional practice. I'd buy it for a teenager contemplating a career in medicine.

57. The Importance of Being Aisling, by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen
Irish chicklit, but I make no apologies. Like the original Bridget Jones books, the authors are aiming to capture a young woman in a particular social milieu, here contemporary small town Ireland, and they do so very well, notwithstanding some wish fulfilment. The main character and those around her are depicted with a affection and a knowing eye.

I also bought The House on Vesper Sands when it was going for 99p, so thanks for the review, Remus.

When were we accused of snobbery?? I like this thread because it's egalitarian : it's more or less the only thread where I haven't been accused of having a chip on my shoulder

I remember the accusation. Someone who doesn't normally post on these threads popped up and said something like "LOL! You're all such snobs". Everyone was fairly bemused - it wasn't even in the middle of a particularly lofty discussion (and there is nothing wrong with those). The poster was asked (nicely) why they thought that, but disappeared.

It was quite a few threads back, I think.
I am popping in before this thread ends, though am still plodding through Lionheart (Sharon Penman) I did fear it would be a bit too battle-y, and t'is so. I'm keeping going though, as am 300 pages in, but am treating it more like a textbook than a historical novel and if I get through 2 chapters a day, I'm allowed to get back to my Kindle psycho thriller.

I've also (obviously) bought TTOD and (almost) everything else ever on daily deals. I am spending more 99ps on Amazon than I am on food. Gah!

The only book to add to my list is:
23. The Suspect. Teenage son gets involved in drugs etc on the Khao San Road in Bangkok. Mother sets out to clear his name, conveniently being a journalist investigating the drug connected death of 2 teenage girls. Was OK. The interesting bit really was reading about Bangkok and the KSR as I spent 2 months there in 1991 and thought "oh, in 10 years time this place is going to be a foul cesspit of drugs and depravity" Seems I was right.

I can think of many more threads that the snobbery plopper might like to visit. S/he might want to start at Education.

38. Ghost Virus by Graham Masterton

Horror novel. Police officers Jerry and Jamila are investigating brutal killings instigated by a supernatural force.
This was extremely gruesome and gory with very graphic violence.

The supernatural force was, however, utterly ludicrous. The force behind the killings is possessed second hand clothes, which, when worn, attach themselves to the wearer, attempt to psychically possess the wearer, and fill the wearer with violent and cannibalistic urges. Things get even more unbelievable when the murderous possessed clothes start moving themselves around the place to hunt down more victims.
It was all so ridiculously far fetched that it was impossible for me to sustain any suspension of disbelief.

Thank you Floraloctopus for the review of Waterlog - I had skimmed my eye over it and hadn't realised it is about wild swimming. Off to part with my 99p!

Waterlog is a wonderful, joyful read so would highly recommend that everyone gets it who hasn't already read it.

Meanwhile my year of rereads continues with...

19. Mao II - Don Delillo

Been many years since I read this so tbh I had forgotten much about it, but I'm glad I revisited it. It's a dense, intriguing and deceptively short book where not that much actually happens (a reclusive author has his photo taken and gets caught up in a plan to release a poet held hostage in Beirut), but it delves into the psychology of crowds, terrorists, writers and artists and how they all seek to make sense of and shape the world.

25 The Lubetkin Legacy by Marina Lewycka, she of Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian fame. Yes, yes, more uplit...

But it's also dry and witty and quite political in its way. It's like The Lido,with no deus ex machina , no cod feminism and occasionally brilliant one liners (I can't find the one about the bowel movement that made me chortle.)
Not sure the dual narrative/Kenyan sub plot added much.The main narrator is not terribly likeable , but that's the point. And the Ukrainian stuff can get irritating. It's full of stereotypes but knowingly so. Plenty of black humour and slapstick too.

A jolly jaunt. Not brilliant. I like Jonas Jonasson (sp?) and it is rather similar. Some of you, therefore, would not like it.

Better than Dear Mrs Bird though and MUCH better than The Lido.

Newsflash! My random number generator has selected Dissolution. I am about to be initiated unto Shardlake.

I feel a bit trepidatious (is that a word?), like those embarking on TTOD.

Ooh. Can't wait to hear what you think of it, Piggy. If you quite like it, the series really picks up when the lovely Jack appears but I can't remember if that's in 2 or 3.

I love Shardlake though I do feel that to do the books justice you need a cosy winter weekend break with no wifi, or a dose of Victorian convalescence from a nasty chill - strict bed rest with nothing more tiring than reading an atmospheric tudor period detective story.

I'm afraid I wasn't smitten with Shardlake Piggy, I just couldn't buy into the mock tudor (which is weird as I love Heyer's mock regency). Somewhat mystified by how much love it gets here!

I'm told one should always have a chip on each shoulder, then you are well balanced!

To be honest it might as well be Winter!