50 Book Challenge 2020 Part Two

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the second 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.

The first thread of the year is here.

What are you reading?

Thanks southeast, we really are moving fast this month!

My (short) list so far:
1. Me, by Elton John

And finished this week:
2. Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, by Mike Isaac. Hmm, this was nearly very good, a missed opportunity. He obviously wanted to write this year's Bad Blood (which was one of my standouts last year), but while the story of Uber's rise and the fall of their showboating CEO is pretty compelling, he gives too much irrelevant background and it's poorly edited. Still very interesting but not amazing.

3. Conviction, by Denise Mina. I loved this. Anna's husband leaves her for one of her friends, and as she seeks to distract herself by listening to a true crime podcast, she realises that she knew one of the cast of characters in a former life. I loved the premise and she keeps very tight hold of the plot, unlikely as it is in places, and writes with a beautiful lightness of touch. I read one of her books on a recommendation from this thread last year and will definitely seek out more of her work.

Thanks for the new thread southeast

Bringing my list across:

1. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
2. Death is a Welcome Guest by Louise Welsh
3. Bird Box by Josh Malerman
4. Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan
5. Calmer, Easier, Happier Homework by Noel Janis-Norton
6. Skeletons by Jane Fallon
7. The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice
8. Red: A Natural History of the Redhead by Jacky Colliss Harvey

Bringing my list over.

1. Pet Semetary by Stephen King (2/5)
2. The Outsider by Albert Camus (5/5)
3. Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter by Carol Ann Lee (3/5)
4. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. (4/5)
5. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. (5/5)

Currently reading 4321 by Paul Auster which is taking me ages also just started Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann which I'm really enjoying so far.

Thanks for the thread, Southeast

Here's my list so far:

1: Quartet in Autumn - Barbara Pym
2: The Sale of the Late King's Goods - Jerry Brotton
3: The House Opposite - Barbara Noble
4: Jacob's Room is Full of Books - Susan Hill
5: The Gathering - Anne Enright
6: The Night Fire - Michael Connelly
7: The Shadow District - Arnaldur Indriðason
8: 1939 - Frederick Taylor
9: North Korea Journal - Michael Palin
10: Clock Dance - Anne Tyler
11: The Missing Ink - Philip Hensher

I'm also reading David Copperfield and have started an early Lissa Evans novel which so far is a bit self-consciously zany, so not sure I'll persist with it; time will tell.

Book 4 finished - The Dutch House - Ann Patchett. Not sure on this one, the story seemed a bit meh...did love the author's explanation at the end of how book covers are chosen. A pleasant enough read but it didn't wow me.

Second thread already! And some very impressive lists. Mine:

1. The Subtle Knife, Pullman

2. Lies Lies Lies, Adele Parks

3. Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas, Adam Kay

4. The Distant Echo, Val McDermid. Never read any of Val’s books before, but since starting to listen to audiobooks on my commute, I’ve found crime fiction work best. They need to be books I can listen to in the background, where it doesn’t matter if I miss a few seconds. But they also need to be pacey enough that I don’t get bored: as the narration is often a bit slow for clarity, the story needs to compensate. I usually enjoy reading slow burners, so audiobooks are adding some interesting variation. With this book, I enjoyed the second half much more so than the first, which needed editing down much more. But, although I’m not rushing off to read the next, I’ll probably pick it up at some point.

I’ve also had my first abandon of the year: A Nearly Normal Family by MT Edvardsson. It just goes on and on! I’ve listened to what feels like hours and still have over 6 to go. I keep having to stop listening because I find some of the character’s actions so toe-curlingly awful, I can’t bear listening to the results. I just want to scream “Don’t be so bloody stupid!” at them. If I was reading the book, I’d probably make the effort to skim through the rest, but as lovely as Mr Armitage’s voice is, I’m finding it too slow. Anyone else read it? Is it worth pushing on through?

My list is looking a bit light, particularly on proper books (as opposed to quick reads / audiobooks), but I've currently got 4 on the go, three of them long reads, so it might stay that way for a while!

Oh @MamaNewtNewt, I love Ethan Frome! I don't know if you talked about in the last thread (it was moving too fast for me to keep up), but I never think it gets the attention it deserves. I'm so happy when someone else reads it and loves it :) So beautifully atmospheric and melancholic

Thanks for the new thread! List so far:

1: The Body - Bill Bryson
2: Gotta Get Theroux This - Louis Theroux
3: The Dutch House - Ann Patchett
4: Trick Mirror - Jia Tolentino

Currently reading book 5: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. Have read a lot of hype about since the sequel came out so thought I'd get myself up to speed!

So far:

1. Murder by the Book, Judith Flanders
2. The Warm South, Robert Holland
3. A Bed of Scorpions, Judith Flanders
4. The Second Sleep, Robert Harris
5. Confessions of a Bad Mother: The Teenage Years, Stephanie Calman

Currently on the final stretch of How Not to Diet, by Michael Greger. Not much to say about it for the purposes of this thread - people will read if they want the information, and not on the basis of its literary merits. The sheer weight of the hardback is at least giving my arm muscles some exercise.

Two books have been bumped up the tbr pile as other readers are clamouring for their return to the library: The Body, by Bill Bryson and Homesick: Why I live in a shed, by Catriona Davies

Thanks for the new thread southeast.

1. Gods of the Morning by John Lister-Kaye
2. The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Grey
3. Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
4. Ten to Zen by Owen O'Kane

1. Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver I absolutely love the writing of Barbara Kingsolver. She gets inside her female characters so well. Dellarobia is a sharp and witty young mum who never fulfilled her potential to go to college, as she became tied down by family life in poor rural America. One day she discovers a natural phenomenon on her family's land that brings international attention to her and her small town, and makes her think about climate change and her own life choices in a way she never has before. Don't read this if you want non-stop action, as it's a bit of a slow burner, but I loved every bit of it. BK herself describes this book as 'a fictional story within a plausible biological framework' and she clearly knows her stuff when it comes to environmental issues.

1. The Other Daughter by Lisa Gardner This opens with the execution of a serial killer in 1977, then jumps forward 20 years to focus on the unravelling of the family of one of his victims, whose adopted daughter's background is a mystery. The first couple chapters are reasonably tightly written and intriguing. Then it gets bloaty and clunky, with attitudes and motivations that seem dated, convoluted and bizarre. I read to the end, but it certainly did not regain early promise.

Found you!! Thanks SouthEast :)

No stand-outs for me so far this year:

1. The Hunting Party – Lucy Foley
2. The Unexpected Joy of being Sober – Catherine Gray
3. Ta deuxième vie commence quand tu comprends que tu n’en as qu’une – Raphaëlle Giordano

I have a ridiculous number of books on the go at the moment. I've just counted and it amounts to 7!! 2 of which I'm reading in instalments - David Copperfield and The Christmas Chronicles but I really need to concentrate on finishing some of the others. I usually have 2 or 3 books on the go at any one time but this is madness

As always, loving all the chat - and lively debate

Thanks for the new thread.

I'm useless at reviewing books, sorry.

I've just finished Finding Henry Applebee by Celia Reynolds and absolutely loved it.

I've now started The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, I'm already halfway through in one evening, couldn't put it down.

How are you finding Olive Kitteridge, cake? I'm also reading it but finding it very dull. Not very far in but I have no inclination to pick it back up. Thinking I'll read something else instead.

Thank you for the new thread Southeast
1 Motherland-Jo McMillan
2Force of Nature-Jane Harper
3 Silver Dark Sea- Susan Fletcher
4 The Immortalists-Chloe Benjamin
5 Fierce Bad Rabbit -Clare Pollard

6 Platform Seven-Louise Doughty
A well written story that falls into 3 parts. This was a page turner for me. The early section introduces us to the protagonist, Lisa,and her ghostly life on Peterborough station. The middle section looks back on her life and describes the main theme of the book . Finally we learn more about the other characters and what happens to them. The middle section is well researched ( I hope it is research,given the subject matter)but follows a well worn path. The final part was sensitive and hopeful. I find this kind of psychological thriller unsettling to read so moving on to something completely different Fighting on the Home Front-Kate Adie about the impact of WW1 on women's lives.

@DesdemonasHandkerchief I read Olive Kitteridge last year and absolutely loved it! I think if you're finding it dull, it won't 'improve' as you go on. Not a lot actually happens, I just loved the writing and grew very fond of Olive. Really looking forward to reading Olive again!
Everyone keeps telling me life's too short to finish books you're not enjoying (but I'm not very good at following this advice!). Just thought it might help you to decide whether or not to continue. What's next on your list??

Squiz81 did you enjoy the Tim Leach? I read The Last King of Lydia by him a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it so much I got the sequel and a small collection of poems. I am definitely a fan

@jux I enjoyed it. I will have to get a copy of The last king of Lydia. I have to say though, for books set in that era it wasn't as good as those by Eduardo Albert, who I really love.

Hello, and thank you for the new thread.

1 Guest House for Young Widows by Azadeh Moaveni
2 Little Women by Louisa Alcott
3 Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
4 Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner
5 The Institute by Stephen King
6 Dracula by Bram Stoker
7 The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend

I'm behind with reviews as have finished off several books that I had on the go in the last few days but will try to pick them off one by one. First off...

8 Snowblind by Ragnor Jónasson
Picked up because I like a good Scandi noir novel and love Iceland. This was good on the latter front, being set in a small town on the north coast, but only passable on the first count. Big city (well, Reykjavik ) cop moves north and is caught up in a couple of cases that link up. Or don't. I honestly can't remember because I didn't care enough to pay attention. By the end I was only reading for the descriptions of the snow and the landscape.
Possibly I’m the only one who didn’t think this was very good, based on a skim of Goodreads reviews. It felt oddly episodic, and plot threads just tailed off. It’s the first in a series so some of the extraneous information about the protagonist may be relevant in subsequent novels but I will never find out, as I am not going to read any more.

I used to read 2 or 3 books a week when I was working ft and had a very full social life. I am down to 1 book taking several weeks. This is thanks to family interruptions (dh is home all day too), MN, Netflix etc. I really have to take my life in hand (but then, I can't afford to buy new books, so have to grab apparent good ones from charity shops, which usually turn out to be dross).

I can't believe I haven't finished the Whittemore I started on the last thread! Oh the shame.

@MaJoady I did mention Ethan Frome on the other thread and agree it doesn't get the recognition it deserves. I absolutely loved it, I was just entranced the whole way through.

Here's my list:

Blue Genes by Val McDermid

*Star Struck by Val McDermid.

The Benefit of Hindsight: Simon Serrailler Book 10 by Susan Hill

Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner.

The Lying Room by Nicci French.

And my latest read was:

The Inquiry by Will Caine

Quite a good thriller, well written storyline of jihadist threats and the UK’s counter terrorist activities. A young Muslim Lawyer, Sara Shah is drafted into a govenment inquiry into the intelligence agencies record against terror.

I feel a bit rudderless in my reading so far this year. I need to settle down & find a few books that I am really going to enjoy & stop reading so much crime/thrillers.

A re-read of Wolf Hall & Bring up the Bodies is looming, before March & the release of The Mirror and the Light.

@MamaNewtNewt

I loved Paul Auster's 4321 but I did read it whilst on holiday so could read for long periods without interruption, which I think helped a lot.

@magimedi I am really enjoying it but I feel like I've been reading it forever and I'm only 50% through so having to read other books at the same time just to break it up a bit.

I need to update my list and post it up.

I'm still reading from my paperback TBR pile and today I've started book 21. We Need to Talk About Kevin. Only 10% in but enjoying it so far.

Here's my list. Let's see how long I can keep this up.

1. Conviction by Denise Mina
2. Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert’s Year of Living Dangerously by Jessica Pan
3. Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets: A memoir by Jessica A. Fox
4. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Currently reading Wild Swans by Jung Chang for book club, Maybe you should talk to someone as my commuting audio book and The Salt Path.

List so far, which have all been good to be honest - I think the two bolded ones just edged it.

1. Autumn Term – Antonia Forest
2. Mutual Admiration Society – Mo Moulton
3. Swan Song – Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott 4. This Must be the Place – Maggie O’Farrell 5. The Bookshop – Penelope Fitzgerald

And now number 6, A Place Called Winter – Patrick Gale. My first male author of the year, falling back into old habits of just reading women (and that's likely to persist, looking at what's on my Kindle). Anyway, I really liked this as well. An engaging, moving story, loosely based on the author's grandfather's move to Canada to farm in the early years of the twentieth century, with a few additions (notably the main character's homosexuality). Much like the only other book I've read by this author, Notes From An Exhibition, the characterisation of both central and more minor players is fully realised, and you become very invested in everyone quickly. Some really horrible things happen, but there are redeeming notes, and I found the descriptions of farming amongst miles and miles of flat, open land evocative and interesting. Another goody!