50 Book Challenge 2020 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 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, the second one here and the third one here.

What are you reading?

IndigoSalt, I also enjoyed your description of how your reading has been affected by the current situation.

I've added My Dark Vanessa and Hidden Valley Road to my wish list. I'm trying to clear my kindle backlog rather than buying new books, but both those sound too good to miss.

Pepe my DH is a great fan of the film of Under the Skin, which stars Scarlett Johansen as Isserley. I haven't seen it but he's forever trying to persuade me it's the greatest thing ever. He seems particularly struck by a scene where she sits watching Tommy Cooper on the TV in the Glasgow flat of a man she's picked up (and is going to kill), but I think that's more because he's vastly entertained by the juxtaposition of S. Johanson and T. Cooper

Belated thanks to SouthEast for the new thread and to the 50-Book-ers who have been going through a tough time recently.

Bringing my list over:

1. Lanny, Max Porter
2. Warlight, Michael Ondaatje
3. Airhead, Emily Maitlis
4. Paris Echo, Sebastian Faulks
5. Alchemy, Margaret Mahy
6. My Midsummer Morning: Rediscovering a Life of Adventure , Alastair Humphreys
7. Mrs Everything, Jennifer Weiner
8. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, Roxanne Gay
9. The Salt Path, Raynor Winn

10. The Second Sleep, Robert Harris 11. Don’t Go There: From Chernobyl to North Korea—one man’s quest to lose himself and find everyone else in the world’s strangest places, Adam Fletcher 12. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea, Barbara Demick 13. Punishment, Anne Holt 14. Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret, Craig Brown 15. Nine Perfect Strangers, Liane Moriaty 16. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, Patrick Radden Keefe 17. Mudlark: In Search of London's Past Along the River Thames, Lara Maiklem 18. Dark Fire, CJ Sansom

19. The People at Number 9, Felicity Everett

If you've read Louise Candlish or Lisa Jewell you'll recognise the set-up here - a rather smug, rapidly gentrifying corner of South London, a newly arrived family (chaotic, bohemian, glamorous) whose arrival makes the other couples look at their less exciting lives with new eyes. Sara and Neil, our protagonists, initially fall under the spell of their new next-door neighbours, sculptor Gav and film-maker Lou, but as the friendship develops, Sara starts to wonder whether they are really as wonderful as they seem. This isn't original but it's well done, the observations about trendy middle-aged urban hipsters are painfully accurate, and the story develops into a rather more subtle and complex tale than the one you might have expected.

20. Conviction, Denise Mina

I know a few people have read this recently but I've totally failed to get the MN search to lead me to any of those threads. So here's my own review with no reference to anyone else - sorry!

I loved the idea of this one, a woman with a complicated and secret past starts listening to a true crime podcast and quickly realises that (a) she knows the victim and (b) there is a possible link between the story and her own. Unfortunately I didn't find the book convincing. It starts off on an over-dramatic note and just gets more and more far-fetched, pulling in drug addiction, anorexia, a number of people with double identities, at least two Eastern European hitmen, an ex-pop star, rape, and a Dan-Brown style flight through some of the glamorous resorts of Europe, along with quite a few murders - too much for me! Also, a very niche point but it annoyed me that Mina got her English south coast geography wrong in a way that a quick google would have sorted out. It was compelling but I didn't feel any real satisfaction at the ending as I didn't really think it made sense - I may have tuned out to some of the finer details TBH.

21. The Warden, Anthony Trollope

Well, this couldn't really have been more different to the Mina. If you haven't read it, it is, in summary, a novel based around a question of possible irregularities in church finances :) The Warden of the title is a well-meaning clergyman who, having made a success of his career, has been given the position of warden to a church-run "hospital" - basically a charitable retirement facility for working men who have retired in poverty. The position happens to come with a very nice house and income, an issue which becomes the subject of a legal complaint - should the warden be getting this money or should it be going to the elderly residents?

Trollope sets this up partly as a question of personal integrity and conscience - the Warden, Harding, is clearly a good man but his situation is ambivalent - as well as family tension - Trollope positions Harding's family and friends in such a way that either to give up on the living or to carry on with it will mean upsetting people he cares about.

It struck me that this could be thought of as the Victorian equivalent of a "book group read". It takes a knotty contemporary moral issue (according to Wikipedia, "Trollope's tale seems to have taken inspiration from the 1849 enquiries by the Rev. Henry Holloway, a Church reformer and vicar of St Faith's Church, Winchester, into the finances of the Hospital of St Cross, Winchester, and the income derived by the institution's Master..... conjectured to be in excess of £2,000 a year....") and weaves it into a family tale, making each side sympathetic enough that you can see their side even if you don't agree. Think, for example, of the discussion you could have over "Little Fires Everywhere" or "My Sister's Keeper" - I can imagine Victorians similarly discussing whether Mr Bold or Mr Harding were right, whether they sympathised with the Bishop, whether they approved of the involvement of Mr Harding's daughter etc.

I have to admit that there were times that I longed for a bit of a subplot - the issue of the warden's position wasn't enough to fascinate me over 21 chapters - but this was a good read, with copious gentle humour.

I keep dropping off this thread and it takes ages to catch up 😅. As with most, my reading has slowed, but I've just finished

20. The Essex Serpent, Sarah Parry

Set in 1893, it's a story about a recently widowed Cora Seaborne. Retreating to the Essex countryside to follow her love of paleontology she meets rumours of 'the Essex Serpent' a creature from folklore, which the fearful villagers believe is back roaming the marshes taking victims. On its trail Cora meets the local vicar William. They clash on matters of science and faith but as the blurb on the back of the book says "...find themselves drawn together, changing each others lives in unexpected ways..."

I can't untangle what I thought of this book. The writing is VERY descriptive. I found it slow to get going and didn't fully believe in any of the characters...and yet, 3/4 of the way in I was wanting to pick it up to see what happened next. Some of the writing is beautiful, and I liked the complexities in Cora and Williams relationship. I ended up giving it a 3 on Good Reads.

Keith I agree with your summing-up of The Warden which I also read recently. Mr Harding wrestling with his conscience re his salary is a slim idea stretched over a whole novel; having said that it's really nicely done.

I went on to read Barchester Towers which is a much meatier book with a wider range of characters and a more involving plot. Having a complete change now and reading This Thing of Darkness (brilliant) before I move on to Doctor Thorne. I'm looking forward to completing the series.

Thanks CluelessMama and Tarahumara - I think writing down my thoughts on reading during the last crazy couple of weeks helped me make sense of it all, ifyswim?

And thank you Southeast for keeping the thread going; catching up with everyone's reviews has helped me persist with getting back into reading.

Have enjoyed reading reviews of My Dark Vanessa. This book has been on my radar since I heard the writer interviewed on Woman's Hour recently.

Here's my list so far.

1. Anatomy of a Scandal – Sarah Vaughan
2. Childhood: The Copenhagen Trilogy 1 – Tove Ditlevsen
3. Persepolis – Marjane Satrapi
4. Animal Farm – George Orwell
5. Hazards of Time Travel – Joyce Carol Oates
6. Ghost Wall – Sarah Moss
7. Florida – Lauren Groff
8. This is Pleasure –Mary Gaitskill
9. Only Killers and Thieves – Paul Howarth
10. Milkman – Anna Burns
11. Ladder of Years – Anne Tyler
12. Youth: The Copenhagen Trilogy 2 – Tove Ditlevsen
13. Motherwell – Deborah Orr
14. The Nickel Boys – Colson Whitehead
15. The Five – Haillie Rubenhold
16. Slack-Tide – Elanor Dymot
17. Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel
18. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

Just finished book 7 - Sandi Toksvig - Between the Stops. Part memoir/autobiography and part history of places off the number 12 bus route. Enjoyed this overall.

I've lost my reading mojo somewhat, but hope to pick up a bit.

Hi All,
Would I be able to join at this late stage please?

I’ve been a part of this before and it’s often my NY resolution to revive it again but the thread just moves to quick for me in Jan/Feb

I’ve tried to remember what I’ve read so far this year - here goes in no particular order:
Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantle
Turtles All The Way Down - John Green
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie
The Murder at the Vicarage - Agatha Christie
Frannie Langton - Sara Collins
Carry on Jeeves - P G Wodehouse
Before The Coffee Gets Cold - Toshikayu Kawagochi
1984 - George Orwell
Tidelands - Philippa Gregory
The Burning Chambers - Kate Moses
The Mermaids Singing - Val McDermid
Girl, Woman, Other - Bernadine Evaristo

The most standout book of the year so far was Girl, Woman, Other. I absolutely loved it. The characters were so real and so skill fully woven together.

Currently reading Spring by Ali Smith although just going to catch up on this thread now

Nice to see you back, Sonnet.

Currently reading, and really liking so far:
The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
Has anybody read it?

I read 'The women's room' about 20 years ago too. I think it merits it reread.

20. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Very enjoyable account of a project to introduce salmon fishing into the Yemen, told from a varietyof perspectives. Reviewed as being 'very funny' , I found it more wryly amusing or even bittersweet as you get to know the characters and their home lives.

Good to see you Remus Hope you found something to read.
What did you think about AJ Cronin ? Read as a teenager and enjoyed but not looked at since.
Well purchased The Sealwomans Gift and thrilled to know I was not alone in not getting along with Jodi Taylor or Ben Aaronovitch. Always loved the premise of the Taylor books though so may give the first another go.

The Five by Hallie Rubenhold Much reviewed up thread. I found this particularly interesting as my grandmother was born into a poor working class family in the East End less than 10 years after the murders. Unsurprisingly, she was a lifelong teetotaller.

I Will Never See the World Again by Ahmet Altan I think this will be one of my standout reads this year. Ahmet Altan is a Turkish journalist who was imprisoned after the failed coup against President Erdogan in 2016 and this is his beautifully written (and beautifully translated) collection of writing smuggled out of prison. The writing is deceptively simple, very moving and profound, and a timely reminder of how much freedom we have even during lockdown.

By way of complete contrast, I am currently reading Saplings by Noel Streatfeild This was recently recommended on one of the old A Good Read programmes on Radio 4Extra. It's about an upper middle class English family just before the Second World War and charts the disintegration and devastation that the war brings. I'm only at the beginning and it reminds me a bit of the Cazalets (but better written), although I gather it all goes horribly wrong later. As it says on the flyleaf: "Streatfeild's supreme gift was her ability to see the world from a child's perspective. What makes Saplings special is her use of that skill to explore a very adult problem -the psychological impact of war and trauma on family life."

Taswama Sue McGregor and her guests are talking about Salmon Fishing in the Yemen on A Good Read on Radio 4Extra tonight at 6.30pm if you're interested.

Am looking forward to reading The Five based on reviews here. I might see if I can reserve it as a download from library.

Have just started Hot Milk yesterday. Have seen mixed reviews but I’m enjoying it so far!

10. Bring Up The Bodies - Hilary Mantel

Look, you either love Mantel in which case you've already read this, or you don't in which case you never will so not much for me to say except that it's brutal and brilliant in equal measure, and now you won't hear from me for a few weeks while I'm lost in The Mirror And The Light, so see you on the other side!

Remus, I read The Brief History of the Dead some years ago in my book group (before it all went wrong with the street cat book). The story of the woman has really stuck with me although I don't remember the fine details (scientist? Antarctica?). I didn't enjoy the other parts as much. Maybe (again, memory rather hazy) a bit Lincoln in the Bardo -ish.... I enjoyed Lincoln more though.

I feel bad saying anything negative as I am so pleased you have found something that you're enjoying 😊

BoiledEgg - I still haven't managed to get through Saplings. The parents are so annoying and I keep getting bored/losing my place.

Sonnet - I haven't tried the Cronin yet.

Thanks, Keith. Somebody recommended it to me and so far I'm liking both sections. Bardo ended up really irritating me, so we'll see with this! So far, it's reminding me a bit of Douglas Coupland and Dave Eggers in that it's all quite simply written, with a focus on small details and not lots of action.

Remus You're right, they are rather annoying, as are a couple of the children, but I'm quite enjoying the language and attitudes of the time. I've still got quite a long way to go though....

Really enjoying all these reviews. I love the variety of books read on here.

Completely agree about Harper's books. Force of Nature is the weakest.

21. 44 Scotland Street, Alexander McCall Smith

This has been sat, unread, on my shelves for a couple of years because I had a feeling I wouldn't enjoy it. I was right.

It follows the story of a young woman who moves into an apartment in Edinburgh and her various neighbours. It was originally released in short chapters as a newspaper serial, making it rather choppy and formulaic. It all just felt rather flat and I almost gave up on it but then got stubborn about it. I haven't read anything else by McCall Smith, but this one wasn't for me.

Now reading Thinking on my Feet, by Kate Humble. A diary of a year of Kate's walks and runs, mostly around her home in the Wye Valley.

Book 26
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy

A mother and her daughter, Sophie move from London to Almeria in Spain for the mother to attend a specialist clinic. Whilst there, Sophie comes out of her shell, shedding her skin as an invisible carer to her mother and turning into a bolder, braver woman.

The description on the book says ‘dreamlike’ and this is exactly right. In between the descriptions of Sophie’s inner world we see vivid glimpses of the hot, harsh Spanish coastline, the characters (Dr Gomez the clinician, the dive school teacher and his crazed dog, the mesmerising Ingrid). As Sophie grows bolder, her mother progresses with her ‘treatment’ and the two women’s lives and identities are both formed and revealed.

I liked the way the Medusa myth and references from Sophie’s Greek heritage are woven through the story too. Very enjoyable, I would recommend this.

77. Through The Dark Labyrinth: A Biography of Lawrence Durrell by Gordon Bowker

This was good as a description of all the things Durrell did, the people he met etc. but it left me with little sense of him as a person. There was little analysis and little about how Durrell felt about events. That may be because there is no evidence about how he felt, but the book doesn’t say that - it just says that an event happened and then it moves on. For example, the early unexpected death of Larry’s brother Leslie - the book mentions this but then moves on, with no attempt to explain how Larry might have felt about this event. Frustrating as it left me with unanswered questions.

78. The Anastasia series by Lois Lowry

The above biography was quite heavy so I’ve been interspersing it with these funny books I loved as a child, about Anastasia Krupnik, a teenager growing up in 1980s Boston. There’s 9 books in the series but none of them took me long to read so I’m counting the whole series as one book. Enjoyed revisiting them!

Thanks @Boiledeggandtoast - that's really lucky as its a few years old.

I agree with you Nocti . I started that book about three times before finally giving it to charity.

Oh chessie I loved Anastasia Krupnik too! I got them all out of the library though - multiple times - so don’t own them. I still think of lines from them to this day though they were so funny.