50 Book Challenge 2020 Part One

[southeastdweller]

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

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2020, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

Who's in for this year?

1. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (Gail Honeyman)

I really liked this and the little twist actually got me. Wasn’t expecting it. Some little quirks with the writing on occasions but can be easily attributed to the character.

Next up is Good Samaritans (Will Carver)

Sherlock Holmes - the definitive collection; Arthur Conan Doyle (read by Stephen Fry on Audible):

1. A study in scarlet

I dithered over spending an Audible credit on this as I've never had the slightest interest in reading the Sherlock Holmes books - I don't even like the various TV series. However, they get rave reviews so I took a chance. There are around 10 books I think included, and 72 hours of audio, so I got a lot of entertainment for my money! I've just finished the first book, A study in scarlet, and oh it was wonderful. I was hooked and couldn't stop listening. I listened while cleaning, cooking, in the shower, driving, brushing my teeth, putting makeup on, getting dressed.

Stephen Fry brings it to life - he's a fabulous narrator - and the story was so much better than I was expecting. This is the story of how Watson and Holmes met and came to share rooms, and then a murder case, done in two parts. At first I thought the second part was a brand new story and I'd missed something because it was such a different setting to part 1 with completely new characters, but then it was cleverly woven into the first part at the end. Terrific. I can see these audio books being my favourite reads of the year already.

2. The List by Mick Herron This is only a novella (in the Slough House series) and annoyingly my library app doesn't have the next one in the series which I am now in the mood for! Competent spy novels, but not worth reading this as a standalone.

3. dumped again by Nick Spalding an easy read book which has plenty of amusing moments.

1. Not My Father's Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming. I wasn't sure what to expect from this but I thought it was an honest, heartbreaking but also funny and inspiring autobiography. He had a terrible upbringing and some parts are difficult to read but it is balanced by his positivity and humour in the present day chapters and I liked the way the book alternated between the two. He really is a survivor. Overall I'd give it 4*

2. Persuader by Lee Childs An easy read while I watched the DC climbing and at the soft play.

Welcome to all the new posters!

👋🏼 DamnitsSevenAM and Copperstars. Yes, my name is Taylor Swift inspired! I have only recently started reading Hardy - loved Tess and liked Far from the Madding Crowd. I saw your favourite Hardy is Jude the Obscure, which is definitely on my tbr pile but have to build up the emotional strength!

Desdemona, I totally agree about this thread being a fabulous-all-on-my-terms virtual book group.

😂 biblio Okay bitches, it's on! Love it!

My first read done:

1.The Go-Between by LP Hartley.

Set at the turn of the 20th century, the main character is Leo, invited to stay with a rich school friend in a large country estate over the summer, becomes a messenger/go-between in an illicit love affair. Told from his point of view, it feels true to that time period and to that of a thirteen year old boy. Cleverly written, it has the feel of Any Human Heart and Atonement. I liked it well enough (3/5) but would probably not have chosen this book myself.

I'm trying to check in on this thread regularly to see what everyone's reading and keep up.
As I said I'm trying to read the books I have (starting with a couple of borrowed books so I can return them first) but now I'm eyeing up new kindles seen a lovely white one on a group but this looks like it isn't a paper white and I love those...
Now just to remind myself regularly that I don't need a new one!

I've had a busy few days so have still not finished my first book of 2020. Hoping to get some reading in over the weekend.

Name changed and everything in honour of this. Just finished book 2 which I only started today. Amazing how much reading you can get done in three days of hiding away at your MILS

I'm remembering now how alarmingly fast this thread races ahead at the beginning of January! That being said, I've been able to spend most of today reading, so I feel relatively on top of things

2: The Sale of the Late King's Goods - Jerry Brotton

Good, though extremely long and detailed, account of Charles I's spectacular art collection (amassed by means of considerable skullduggery in many cases), followed by its ignominious dispersal following his execution. As a final twist in the tale, his son, Charles II, re-acquired the bulk of the collection within a few years of his restoration. Jerry Brotton is excellent on the intricacies of this tale and the various emissaries who swapped loyalties with dizzying speed as the balance of power shifted - he also demonstrates how crucial art was as a weapon of royal and political power across Europe.

I'm going to try something a bit shorter and lighter next, though....

I would like to join too this year. I love this thread for keeping my tbr list in the hundreds! I am really anal and read books in the order I get them, if I am gifted/pick up one in a series I have to go to the beginning and read in order! I haven't set a target but it will be around 100-150 depending how the year goes. So onto Book One for 2020

1. The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia I got this book as part of my promise to branch out my reading but wasn't one I was overly looking forward to. Well I LOVED it and straight in as one of my top ten ever. It is so so beautifully written, set in Mexico mainly around 1910-1925 it follows the narrators family history in a farming village.

The author is Mexican and is the first of her books to be translated into English so for anyone wanting to read more translated, historical and foreign settings, add this to your list.

FranGoldsmith Glad Sherlock Holmes has a new fan. I love the stories (and the various adaptations). I quite often read one or two of them between books and I always read The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle at Christmas.

Terpsichore You've inspired me to add The Sale of the Late King's Goods to my TBR - it sounds fascinating.

I would like to join please. Just read the thread last year but broke my leg in October so possibly read 50 many easy reading type though

1. Kitty McKenzie Annemarie Brear
2. Kitty Mckenzies Land Annemarie Brear
3. Southern Sons Annemarie Brear

loving this trilogy it's a little like little house on the prairie!!

I am another who has many many actual books and loads and loads on kindle and must not buy any more!!!

1. The Dilemma by B A Paris

Livia and Adam are holding a party for Livia’s birthday, but they’re both keeping a secret from each other relating to their daughter Marnie. I enjoyed three quarters of this but then the secrets are revealed to each other and after that I was waiting for an extra twist that just didn’t come. It’s marketed as a psychological thriller like her previous books, but this is more of a family drama. Livia and Adam also behave unrealistically - Livia has apparently been planning this party for 20 years (!) and Adam keeps something secret in a way that just wouldn’t happen in real life. Not this author’s best.

Oh I just posted in book of the month should maybe have looked on this first! Is there a set book or is everyone just reading different things and recommending? 😊

1. A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg - downloaded this to my kindle (99p bargain) based on OllyBJolly's review upthread .

This was a sweet, nostalgic, fairy tale kind of read. With a protagonist who I loved from the first page. V enjoyable indeed.

Hi sparkling we're all reading different things and doing short reviews.

1. Vox by Christina Dalcher

So this caused a lot of chatter on release and I was looking forward to reading it but Christ it was a disappointment.
The word counter is a good gimmick to start with, but the entire rest of the universe of the novel doesn't so much pay homage to The Handmaids Tale as shamelessly plagiarise it. I get that in a patriarchal theocracy set up she doesn't have much room to deviate from certain truths of the nature of that beast, but when it was so lauded at release, I'm amazed that more wasn't made of the levels of similarity.
As spoiler free as I can, what this book has going for it is that counter, but this idea is dropped in favour of a frankly naff James Bond Evil Scientist Laboratory subplot which takes up a 3rd of the novel and is poorly written.
Additionally, this book is supposed to be about the evils of silencing women, so why are all the saviours male?

This idea, the idea of what happens when you restrict language choice was so far better done in a book I loved called Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, which I strongly recommend as a better alternate to this novel.

I know a lot of MNers did read this? Am I alone in finding it a bad letdown?

1. Woke: A Guide to Social Justice - Titania McGrath

Book length offering from the parody Twitter account by comedian Andrew Doyle, poking fun at the over-woke snowflake social justice warrior and identity politics. Usually good for a quick laugh on Twitter, this didn't really translate into a longer format for me. It's mildly amusing and a few pertinent points made. He's certainly got the measure of the stereotype. Thankfully it was short as it did get a bit eye-rolly as it wore on. I could definitely have done without the slam poetry. I borrowed this and I wouldn't recommend parting with cold hard cash to read it.

1. My Year of Rest and Relaxation - Ottessa Moshfegh

A young privileged woman who seems to have it all tries to hibernate to escape from modern life. She decreases her contact with the world and uses a cocktail of drugs in an attempt to spend as little time awake as possible.

Brilliantly written and incredibly compelling for a book in which not a lot particularly happens. Her main character is incredibly unlikable and yet this isn't off putting as you follow her into the depths of depression. I kept putting this off last year as it didn't sound that interesting but the writing is sublime. I will definitely be seeking out more from this author.

One other thing I am doing this year is reading A Poem for Every Day of the Year edited by Allie Esiri. I don't read a lot of poetry, as I am not familiar with many poets, don't really know where to start and don't enjoy reading a book of poetry from cover to cover. I'm hoping this will introduce me to a variety of different poets so I know who to seek out in future. I'm enjoying it so far.

Glad you enjoyed it @PrivateSpidey !

The Alloy of Law was my book 2. Enjoyable but you do need the Mistborn trilogy first.

I'm a bit worried that I will end up whizzing through too fast just to make up numbers - I get too competitive. I need to make sure I stop if I'm not enjoying a book and that if I'm not in the mood that I do something I am in the mood for. I read compulsively if I'm not careful!

1. Bill Rogers - The Head Case
2. Bill Rogers – The Tiger’s Cave 3rd in the DCI Tom Caton series set in Manchester

Ooops posted too soon

Really enjoying the DCI Tom Caton series. I used to work in Manchester and can picture where the various 'crimes' are set.

1. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

I really liked this. It’s the story of Danny and his sister Maeve, and the house they grew up in and were evicted from by their stepmother after their father died. These events affect their futures. It’s more character driven than plot driven but as the characters are well written that’s fine! The house itself is a character in its own right. I’ve only read one if Patchett’s before, Commonwealth, which I thought was ok, but I may well seek out more of hers after this.