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?

46. All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

This was a quickie for me - the book is less than 250 pages, bur for all that, it packs such a punch.

Most of what we see reflected in our media is the British experience of WW1

This book, about soldiers in the German trenches, really highlights the commonality of the experience, the futility of war and the tragic human cost of a lost generation.

An essential war novel, I would have thought

The last paragraph made me cry.

Definitely an essential war novel - so powerful.

We read it at school, around year 9 or 10, and I remember crying on and off throughout- and the - not quite surprise, I guess realisation, that it was the German perspective.

Howl's Moving Castle is just a perfect book imo, one of my absolute favourites!

25. • The Prodigal Tongue by Lynne Murphy- subtitled the love/hate relationship between British and American English. Very readable, though slightly less amusing than I remember the similar Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson- although maybe slightly more scholarly. Anyway, very enjoyable if you like little quirky language things, although maybe too laymanish if you know more about linguistics and things.

Eine - I think that All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the best books I've ever read. It was on our reading list for a WWI course at university and was one of the few things we read from a German perspective. Ive read it a couple of times since and totally agree that the final paragraph is a gut punch. Every time.

Catching up on this thread has made me realise that, despite being a huge Cure fan, I have (shamefully) never read Charlotte Sometimes. I must correct that immediately!

21. The Black House by Peter May
    I really enjoyed this book. I am a bit of a sucker for Scottish Noir and this doesn't disappoint. The only criticism I have is that it suffered from a man struggling to write women. The protagonist behaves like an absolute shit to the woman he loves, who is supposed to be very smart and self-possessed, and yet she just blithely goes along with it and lets him off the hook. Personally I would have punched him.

22. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
    I didn't enjoy this. I found it predictable, unbelievable and one-dimensional. I think I've read one too many books founded on 'kooky characters with baggage living in a vast decaying house in London that nobody could ever afford in real life'. It was also patently obvious from about the second chapter what was going on.

There were some interesting plot strands trying to get out (for example, the itinerant fiddle player with her children) but then it all wrapped up into this cosy, chummy ending that made me feel faintly queasy.

23. Murder in Belgravia by Lynn Brittney Ugh. I abandoned this about three quarters of the way in. It's a nice premise but horribly executed. I felt like I was reading a GCSE essay about the status of women at the beginning of the 20th century. The characters are caricatures and their conversations serve as vehicles to lecture/teach the reader. Nothing rings true and anachronisms regularly come thudding to the floor. Awful.

All Quiet is a wonderful, powerful book.

Agree that All Quiet is wonderful.

Reading Lamentation, the last Shardlake. I love the characters and his rich descriptions but have to say it’s a bit dull. My heart sank when I saw I was only on 53% this morning.

However I’ve been caught like this before with the one set in York which turned out to have the most gripping passages towards the end so I will plod on.

Wild and Crazy Guys by Nick de Semlyn (Audiobook)

This is a history of the improv comedy set from SNL in the 70s and how they all went on to dominate film for the next two decades, going behind the scenes of The Blues Brothers, Ghostbusters, Beverly Hills Cop, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Groundhog Day and many more. Features lots of funny anecdotes, insights into the movie business and the era, a whistle stop tour of the careers of many comic favourites like Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, Dan Ackroyd and Rick Moranis and also some quite moving appraisals of the contribution to the culture made by John Candy, John Belushi, and Harold Ramis, who left the stage. I love John Candy in movies and liked him even more after this. I began listening to this on leisurely walks back from school drop offs earlier in the year and moved through the first part quite slowly. These last weeks of lockdown and illness it’s been invaluable to me, got me through many nights of no sleep, by taking me into territory both familiar and new and hitting just the right spot for distraction. It was written by the editor of Empire magazine and he is kind to his leading men, but not dismissive of their faults and flaws. It is read by Curtis Armstrong, himself a veteran of the era being described for films like Revenge of the Nerds, and he hits a great energetic tone that makes it a lively listen without straying into zaniness. Recommend if you have any interest in this era of movies.

29. Someone Like Me by M R Carey

This was a great read. A sort of cross between a psychological thriller and a ghost story, and about domestic violence and it’s aftermath.

Liz is an ordinary woman trying to rebuild her life and raise her kids after separating from her abusive ex-husband - until he attacks her, and something takes over, moving her body like a puppet to defend her.
Fran is a teenager suffering from PTSD following a childhood abduction, and with an imaginary friend (a fox called Jinx) that only she can see.

Their stories converge when Fran becomes friends with Liz’s son Zac. It’s difficult to say much more without spoilers, but it’s a gripping read and well worth a look.

30. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

A re-read of Pratchett and Gaiman’s take on Armageddon after I watched the excellent TV version of the novel.
I love this book, it’s one of my all time favourites.

31. Calmer Easier Happier Screen Time by Noel Janis-Norton

As the title suggests, this is all about parenting advice on limiting children’s screen time. There’s some useful tips and advice.
It’s been sitting on my shelf for a while, and now seemed like a good time to read it. I think my older DC would be happy to spend the entire lockdown playing Minecraft if we let them

I've had All Quiet on the Western Front on my TBR pile for ages.
Might make the effort. I was thinking of trying it on Audible as I have a spare credit.

15. The Passion of Artemisia – Susan Vreeland This was lent to me by someone I don’t really know that well and she was convinced I would love it. Oh the pressure! As a result, it’s taken me a while to get round to it but I have just devoured it in a few days, despite having tons of work on. I loved it!! A fictional work, seemingly based pretty closely on real life events, in which the Roman-born post-Renaissance painter, Artemisia Gentileschi, struggles to achieve recognition as one of the very few female artists of her era. Raped by her painting teacher, and father’s friend, she flees Rome at just 18 to escape humiliation and begin her life as a painter. Totally recommended.
    Has anyone read her first novel called Girl in Hyacinth Blue?

Stitches Good Omens was excellent on TV wasn't it?
My DS's would be on Fortnite a lot if I let them, it's a tricky one as it's their only social time with their mates.

I agree with all the recommendations for All Quiet and may even be prompted to re-read it.

21. Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut

This book follows the story of Billy Pilgrim who was an American private who survived the Allied bombing of Dresden. The book intersperses Billy’s war experience with the rest of Billy’s life which includes Billy’s belief that he has been abducted by aliens and spends periods of his life on the alien planet. Whilst I understand that the alien beliefs are meant to show how much Billy’s war experience had disturbed him mentally, they didn’t really work for me - I felt like I was reading two separate books. The author also used the phrase “So it goes” on a frequent basis and this really started to annoy me. I generally enjoy war books but the author’s approach and style did not suit me at all.

TimeFor - I thought Slaughterhouse 5 had some good moments but wasn't a terribly good book. The other things of his I've tried have been awful. I think he's very over-rated.

@TimeforaGandT

I was strongly recommend Slaughterhouse by a male friend. Didn't rate it at all. Seems very popular with male readers and I can't figure out why.

@BookWitch

As All Quiet is very short, I enjoyed it as an actual read, I think I would save my credit for something longer.

Glad to hear I am not alone Remus / Eine in not enjoying Slaughterhouse 5. At least it was short! I can safely say I won’t be reading anything else by him....

I read All Quiet On The Western Front when I was a teenager and I still remember the last paragraph, pretty much word for word.

25 The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves

The first in the Vera Stanhope series, I really enjoyed this. A good, long yarn with memorable characters, a nice slow build up and a few plot twists to keep you interested. And not many flashbacks, and no itty bitty chapters constantly switching points of view. Good thing really as I bought the whole series as a job lot on a big deal a few months ago, so I have all the others to work through at my leisure.

19. Home by Marilynne Robinson.

I loved this book. Following on from Gilead we learn more about the Boughtons. So beautifully written, the characters are brought to life with themes of family, belonging, faith and redemption. A story to savour and ponder and a definite re-read for the future.

20. Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy.

This book is about Kate Clanchy’s experiences of teaching English and poetry. The chapters are split into topics by pupils (using false names) to create discussion points - class, immigration, trauma, the state of teaching today. She makes some good points and is obviously an inspiring teacher. What can I take on board for my home-schooling stint? Inspire children with your Enthusiasm and try to adapt to their needs. I’ll do my best!

I listened to Slaughterhouse 5 on Audible narrated by James Franco and really liked it but I do wonder if I would have enjoyed it to the same extent after reading a paper copy. I love a lot of the audiobooks I choose and I wonder if it’s good choices or that I like being read to. Probably a combination of the two.

Loved All quiet..

A heads up that 5 of Ann Patchett's books (Bel Canto, The Magician's Assistant, Taft, The Patron Saint of Liars and Truth and Beauty) are 99p on the Kindle Big Deal today. I think quite a few of them were only recently released on Kindle.

I think I may be the only person on here who hasn't read an Ann Patchett!

I don’t believe I have, Piggy. Ann Patchett fans, where should I start? For 99p I’m willing to give it a go.

Bel Canto would be my recommendation Pepe. The first one I read and still my favourite.

And thanks Welsh . There are a couple there I haven't read yet.

Thanks for the Ann Patchett pointer @Welshwabbit. I've really enjoyed The Dutch House and State of Wonder by her so will look at these others.

Thanks Welshwabbit, I've just snapped up two of those. Pepe my favourite is State of Wonder, but that's not included in the 99p deal so go for Bel Canto.

ShakeItOff I've also noticed that I often end up rating my Audible reads highly. I'm not sure if it's because of careful selection (I listen to far fewer books than I read, so I take a bit more time choosing) or because the format suits me. After all, who doesn't like being read to!