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?

Err sorry that should have been for @mathanxiety

Have added Guesthouse, Public Author and the Frank Skinner memoir to my TBR, thanks for the recs

I preferred Bring Up The Bodies to Wolf Hall.

Mark Ryland and all the cast were amazing on the telly.

I am quite excited about the new one but it will be v long so can wait til paperback release I expect!!

Rylance

I love Wolf Hall. Even though Rylance's Cromwell was brilliant, I loved Ben Miles in the RSC adaptation, which was lighter and wittier than both the book and the telly version. Really hope that The Mirror and The Light gets the RSC treatment too.

4. Cause for Alarm - Eric Ambler
A classic thriller, first published in 1938. A recently-engaged British engineer loses his job, and takes a post in Milan as agent for a company exporting shell-making machinery. He finds himself caught up in international espionage, and has to run for his life from the Italian Secret Police. It’s no surprise that Ambler later had a career as a Hollywood screenwriter; far superior to Ian Fleming, in my view.

Hello everyone,
I fell off this thread last year even though I managed to read 60+ books.

First book of 2020 was Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver. I enjoyed this - it was very readable with a straightforward story line. Less of a 'heavyweight' read than her others.

Almost finished Swan Song - quite enjoyable read about Truman Capote's betrayal of his 'swans' (close circle of female friends).

I really want to read the Elton John biography as well as Lady Anne Glenconner's....but waiting til they come down in price!!

4. Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race- Reni Eddo-Lodge I am very late to the party on this one- I fell into the trap of being a bit put off by the controversial title- but found it extremely informative and very readable. I learnt a great deal: about important moments in Black British history (which isn’t taught properly in schools), about issues related to feminism (which the author says is invalid if it’s only for white women) and class (‘gentrification’ of areas pushing black residents out). I already knew that black workers earn less than their white counterparts, but learnt the shocking fact that with higher qualifications, the gap actually widens. I read the interview with Nick Griffin and my jaw almost hit the floor. In fact, I read much of the book feeling a bit ashamed to be white. Near the end, however, Eddo-Lodge says that white people who notice racism have an important part to play, and we can’t do it while wallowing in guilt or by spending all our time apologising. There is also a very good afterword on Brexit, Trump and the Grenfell Tower disaster, which puts everything into context. Overall I thought this book was superb and I’ve been recommending it to everyone who hasn’t already read it!

5. Lost at Sea: the Jon Ronson Mysteries- Jon Ronson This is vastly longer than most of Ronson’s books and thus was excellent value at £3 in the Audible sale. About half of the articles had already appeared in Ronson’s earlier collections Out of the Ordinary and What I Do (which I reviewed last month), but it’s nice to hear them read by the author (as those collections aren’t available as audiobooks). They include the excellent pieces about Deal or No Deal, Indigo children, Stanley Kubrick and Jonathan King. The newer articles include pieces in which Ronson interviews a robot with AI, attends UFO conventions with Robbie Williams, drives around in an Aston Martin pretending to be James Bond and meets a science hobbyist who tries to split the atom in his kitchen. There is also an interesting chapter about Muslim actors playing the parts of terrorists and feeling rather uncomfortable about it. When the child of one of them is asked what her father does at work, she replies ‘He hijacks aeroplanes’. This is a good collection but I tend to prefer Ronson’s earlier work.

6. Gotta Get Theroux This- Louis Theroux I reviewed the audiobook in 2019 but found the ebook on BorrowBox and got the urge to read it as well. I still thought there was slightly too much about Jimmy Savile and I was still surprised that Theroux was so candid about his occasional marital difficulties. As a huge fan of Theroux, I preferred the audiobook, but I’m glad to have read it in addition. It was interesting to be reading Louis Theroux and listening to Jon Ronson at the same time (well, not literally at the same time) as there are occasional overlaps in the ground they cover and they mention each other now and again.

I knew I'd find Never Let Me Go on here today.

I HATED it. Cote and I generally agree on what we think is crap, but less so on what we think is good.

Book 3 The Breakdown by B A Paris it was okay but it was fairly obvious who the killer was.

You're outnumbered this time Remus.

When I first saw the book that shall not be named it mentioned I wasn't sure whether to pop my tin colander on as a hat for safety or get the popcorn out.

I remember being new and getting minced alive for liking it.

I hated it too!!

FM - we might have minced the book, but not you! 😂

There was one heck of a bunfight.

Remus check your gmail.

Sorry - couldn't resist when I saw it there this morning. The ridiculous thing is I don't actually have strong feelings about it one way or the other. It is just the argy-bargy on here that makes it stick in my head!!
I will slink off now and promise to behave!

Can I join the "didn't love it or hate it" team?!

2. Sorry I'm late, I didn't want to come: An introverts year of living dangerously by *Jessica Pan
*
An introvert chronicles her year of extroverting. She meets several experts for tips. I found this interesting and there were a few tips for this introvert.

They're starting an introverts bookclub at our local library. There's definitely been more acceptance since the Susan Cain book.

Gmail?

Your email account.

3. Bird Box by Josh Malerman

This was all a bit meh.

The world has been infested with mysterious creatures that cause people to go mad and kill themselves at the sight of the creatures.

Malorie is raising 2 young children (who just go by “boy” and “girl”) alone, and is about to set off on a trip down the river to try and find somewhere safer.

The book flips between the present, with Malorie’s journey, and the past, where Malorie’s pregnancy coincides with the first appearance of the creatures.

It’s all very claustrophobic, with people hiding themselves away in boarded up houses and wearing blindfolds whenever they step outside, but there’s also large stretches of the book where nothing much happens and it’s all a bit too boring.

4. Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan

YA novel. 17 year old Laurie starts getting visits from her long lost identical twin, who’s using astral projection to visit Laurie and cause trouble for Laurie.

It’s a quick easy read but a far more entertaining one than Bird Box was.

Wow. Just read my first five star book of the year: Evil Eye: Four Novellas of Love Gone Wrong by Joyce Carol Oates. Feminist in flavour.
I loved three out of the four stories. Although perhaps ‘loved’ isn’t the right word, as they are very disturbing. One produced a very emotional reaction in me, it was that good/horrible. You could say they are about marriage, young love and family, but to say much more than that would be to give away spoilers.
I tried to read a book from this author many years ago, but dnf.
Now I want to read more. Has anyone got any good Joyce Carol Oates recommendations? She’s written so much!

Not sure if my posts for books 7,8,9 posted.

1. The Sister by Louise Jensen

This was very similar to quite a few books I read last year, nothing special but an OK light, easy read.

1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

I think A Thousand Splendid Suns has the edge and had but of an impact on me but but I still really liked Kite Runner.

1. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

I picked this up a few times last year but never got past page 20. Glad I picked it up again and stuck with it, I really enjoyed it and didn't want it to end.

10. The Lost Man by Jane Harper I saw a review in this thread for this book, I'm so glad I did, I absolutely loved everything about it, the setting, the story, the writing and the characters. I did figure 'it' out early on, but it didn't spoil the ending for me. I also have The Dry on my TBR pile.

Next book is Never Let Me Go!

That should read *more of an impact!

@Nuffaluff I love the sound of that book so will have to check it out. I thought My Sister, My Love by Joyce Carol Oates was really good. Shades of the JonBenet Ramsey case but so well written.

Nuffaluff I read and really enjoyed We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates last year. Funnily enough I am also just about to start Hazards of Time Travel. One of my resolutions this year is to read more of her books, but I agree her prolific output is a bit overwhelming!

*1. A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg

1. Under a Mackerel Sky by Rick Stein

1. Me by Elton John*

An engaging, gossipy read. I was a teen in the 70s so Elton John was the music of my formative years. I was never a real fan but found his story enjoyable. It's quite honest about his flaws and addictions. He's brutal about some people (not a fan of Bowie or Tina Turner!) and in light of current news his insight on the Royal Family was particularly interesting. Bit of a guilty pleasure!