50 Book Challenge 2019 Part Five

[southeastdweller]

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

whippet - The first book in that series Annihilation was weird and interesting but the sequels were just dull and pointless. I'm not planning to read that last installment.

Welsh - re "My husband (a big SF fan) has recommended Sheri S. Tepper as a good feminist SF writer. Anyone on here a fan? I would like to give one more book a go before deciding SF is not for me!"

Why don't you just read some very good SF without worrying about the feminist angle? I can't think of a single female author who has written a great SF book in the last 20 years. My advice would be to ask your DH for his favorite Neal Stephenson book and go from there.

Scribbly - re "That he [Bach] might not have been a devout Christian is fascinating, is there much debate amongst Bach scholars about that?"

There has been some debate but there just isn't much data either side can base their viewpoint on. Those who believe he was extremely religious bad this opinion on his copy of the Bible which was heavily corrected in his own hand, but he sounds like an obsessive man, a pedant even, and correcting errors would be just normal for such a person. Gardiner takes a different view and portrays Bach as a rather progressive man in his book on Bach called Music In The Castle Of Heaven.

Just from what we understand about the man from his huge body of work, he was very methodical and mathematical, even geometric in his way of thinking. I would expect him to be a scientist and philosopher rather than a man of blind faith.

"Are there any other Bach biographies you could recommend that give further insights into his personality, preferably as engaging to read as Palace?"

I enjoyed Sir John Eliot's book mentioned above. Other than that, I read the Forkel biography Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work which is significant because it was written so soon after Bach's death, but otherwise rather dull and full of errors.

@Welshwabbit You could try “Occupy Me” by Tricia Sullivan. Pearl is a powerful angel (literally, has huge muscles.) There’s also a Quetzalcoatlus, but don’t let that put you off. It is thoroughly bonkers in places, but the main character is brilliantly done.

21. A Brief History Of Classical Music: A Tale Of Time, Tonality and Timbre by Arthur Wenk

This was a great summary of Western music's development, starting from Antiquity, on to Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and finally Modern periods. It was interesting, clear, and well-researched, with an analytical approach. I enjoyed it and learned a lot from it.

I especially applaud the author's decision to focus on a handful of composers and very few works in each period (Purcell, Buxtehude, Vivaldi, and J S Bach for Baroque. Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven for Classical) as this allows his points to be made in a clear and concise manner.

I recommend this book to everyone.

22. The Deceiver by Frederick Forsyth

This was another great spy book by F Forsyth that combines good stories with outstanding historical and geopolitical understanding. It can be seen as a collection of short stories featuring the same character, as we revisit the more fascinating stories from the life of a top spy towards the end of the Soviet empire.

On the SF front I can heartily recommend Ann Leckie, her Imperial Radch series is absolutely superb.

Though saying that if you really hated Iain M Banks then it might be a bit space opera for you. I'm afraid I adore my SF big and spacey.

Thanks for the Bach recommendation Cote. Have also put A Brief History of Classical Music on my want to read list.

The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben Macintyre
Audiobook narrated by Ben Macintyre

Last year I listened to and loved Macintyre's A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal. This book is in many ways is the mirror to his book about Philby, and charts the life of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB careerist who in 1968 decided to switch sides and become a double agent for MI6. Just as with the book about Philby I found myself repeatedly with jaw open or muttering “bloody hell”. It's full of shocking ‘truth is stranger than fiction’ events and explains beautifully how sometimes spycraft is an essential component of maintaining or cultivating peace as well as, perversely it's role in undermining it.
I enjoyed how much of the spying occurs in the late 70s and 80s (rather than the historically murky-to-me Cold War 60s) and includes political figures who I remember from my childhood. Lots about Thatcher and Gorbachev and a seriously bloody hell section about Michael Foot. Plenty of women in senior roles too which made a nice change.
Macintyre does a great job of explaining the convolutions, paranoid overthinking and plans within plans that went on both within the KGB and MI6 as they ran their overseas agents. He also examines the cost to Gordievsky and his family of his secret double life.
The final section which covers Gordievsky's exfiltration from Russia by two members of the British Embassy, their wives and a baby is gripping stuff. As good as anything you'll read by Le Carré or Forsyth but with the completely bizarre addition of a packet of cheese and onion crisps and a dirty nappy.

A fantastic listen. Macintyre narrates and his frightfully British jolly hockey sticks accent actually works beautifully, particularly in the (few) moments of humour in the book. There’s a wonderful scene between the private secretaries of the Queen and Thatcher which should they make the film of the book absolutely has to feature.

Due to travel, I have books on the go all over the place - left my big Neal Stephenson hardback at home, took a paperback, and another on my phone. None completed as yet.

I tried to post when I finished this, but messed up pressing the "post" button - so my only update is this:

28 One on One by Craig Brown

101 encounters between famous people, linked together as a chain, so everyone encounters two other famous folk. The research is impressive, and he has put a great amount of work into relating each story in 1001 words. Each is interesting enough, but I found over time that nothing was "sticking", it's all by it's very nature a bit random. Three points to take away: (1) I hadn't appreciated how European Russia was before the revolution, the chain flows in and out of Moscow very easily; (2) Gossipy diaries and letters used to be very gossipy indeed, all a bit shocking really to see what people were writing about each other; and (3) Famous people like to party late into the night. Many meetings take place in the small hours - Proust is asked to join a dinner party after the meal, and arrives at 2.30am

"left my big Neal Stephenson hardback at home"

Which one?

Cote - the new one! Fall, or Dodge in Hell. I’m getting through it - like several Stephensons before it, it’s a game of two halves...

Many thanks for The Spy & the Traitor review Scribbly, sounds well worth a read.

Biblio I'm not surprised you found Woman on the Edge of Time a bit hard going - it's very much of it's time I'd say, and hasn't worn as well as say Ursula K Le Guin.

Rather than Sheri S Tepper I'd personally go for some of the fantastic current sci-fi that's around. Thinking of a couple of books that have been generally popular on these threads I'd suggest something like Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky or The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu - both proper hard sci-fi but not too space-opera-y.

Anyway, on to
56. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Reviewed a few times already, I loved this, a modern re-telling of a fairy tale told through several distinct and well-constructed voices. I listened to it on audio, and it worked really well - I thought the reader caught each of the characters beautifully.

Very interesting review of the Macintyre book, Scribbly - I bought his Spy Among Friends on the strength of your write-up! (yet to read it, though...maybe next).

Interestingly, Private Eye has often featured Gordievsky and if they're to be believed, many of his claims should be taken with a shovel pinch of salt. They reviewed the Macintyre book recently and took issue with quite a few of Gordievsky's assertions, including the ones about Michael Foot. Not sure if I still have the issue but I'll look and see.

Great review scribbly.
Nearly the end of term and feel like my head is mashed!!
74. The Warlow Experiment- Alix Nathan
Really liked this one. The author based this story on a genuine advertisement she saw in old papers, asking for someone to live underground without human contact for 7 years as part of an experiment. Apparently the document she found said someone had come forward and was three years in. She could find no further information.
Set in 1790 this is her fictional account of the experiment and its consequences for all those involved. Warlow, the subject is a labourer with a family and limited education. His family is provided for by Powyss instigator of the experiment for his time away and then he will receive £50 a year for life.

It is set against the backdrop of the French Revolution and universal suffrage.
Lots to make you think and unexpected consequences.

Hello, wise fellow 50 bookers. I wondered where on MN to post this, and thought I’d start here for advice as I know you all.
I have a reluctant 15 year old reader. She’s more than capable - doing well at school, and has read lots of what I would consider to be good choices, and some quite challenging. But she’s stalled completely and now barely reads - she’ll pick up something I recommend and reject it as boring. She says she's just not "in a reading place" right now.

To be clear, I’m not worried about her generally. She’s a smart and thoughtful girl who is very engaged in activities at school and out. She is slightly dyslexic with poor visual memory but she has found strategies for coping and as I say, used to read lots for pleasure.

As the holidays approach I’d really like to find ways of re-engaging her with reading. But don’t want to push her so hard that she decides she hates it forever.

Any thoughts or tips or book recommendations welcome. Or indeed being told to let her be and she’ll sort it out herself would also be fine - part of this is my own possibly misplaced belief that reading has some intrinsic moral worth, compared to playing Sims and watching Love Island. I am prepared to be told I am wrong about that!

Pepe could audiobooks be a way to get her back into it? Maybe something more passive than active to start with. She could just be brain weary at this stage of the school year and can't give the head space to even consider it, but will be a bit more open after a week or two of nothing.

What sort of things has she enjoyed in the past and is there anything at the more teen chit lit end of the spectrum as an easy in?

The only thing I can think of is to unleash her in Waterstones with a generous book token. She has to want it for herself rather than have it urged on her.

Set up a shelf of books at home that she is 'banned' from reading.

G'day all. I fell off the thread wagon yet again shortly after posting my last reads. Rather disappointed to hear that the third Kingsbridge tome is not as good as the others. Oh well, it will do for a holiday read!

32. End of the world (? 2nd Kingsbridge book) Ken Follet

33. Milkman Anna Burns. Struggled a bit to concentrate on this despite finding it a fascinating read. Sent me off down a Google warren hole doing some research about the Troubles as I read; always the sign of a good read IMO!

34. Ladder of Years John Boyne. Humph. Nowhere near as good as his other books. The premise was a clever one (reminiscent of The Talented Mr Ripley ) but it was executed in a clumsy, amateur style. Which was a shame. Still, it was readable.

35. Normal People Sally Rooney. Preferred this to her other one (Conversations...).

36. A Quiet Life Natasha Walter. This should have been a fascinating read (communist spies in post WW2) but I just didn't get into it. No idea why! Maybe just one of those 'wrong book at the wrong time' moments.

On the TBR pile for the summer:
The Overstory - Richard Powers

the overstory is going to change the ways you see trees, EmGee!

Ooh, sneaky, summer!

@PepeLePew would she engage with eformats? Most libraries now have both audiobooks and ebooks (to read on tablets/phones) so she can browse and choose for free?

Thanks, Grim. Not sure if it's peri or menopause, but pretty sure it's one of them! Hope you find This Thing worth it.

Loved the Overstory