50 Book Challenge 2020 Part Five

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fifth 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, it's not too late to join, 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, the third one here and the fourth one here.

How're you getting on so far?

25. The Gathering - Anne Enright

My first book by this writer. I quite liked this. The protagonist Veronica reflects on past events which have shaped her family history and specifically events surrounding her brother Liam who has recently died, as the family gather for his funeral.

If you enjoy rambling family stories by the likes of Colm Toibin and Sebastian Barry, then you will probably enjoy this, and as I do, I did . Very dark in places, and very lyrical. The central character veered a little to close to self-indulgent for my liking, but this marred my enjoyment of the book only slightly. Undoubtedly well written. I'm tempted to read her latest which I think was long listed for the Women's Prize but will probably wait until it comes out in paperback.

Yes, satsuki I was trying to figure that out, too! Lots of Squealers. Not Gavin Williamson, not important enough!

And whoever writes BoJo's uplifting speeches, I guess in Minimus!

I fear all the rest of us are Boxer...

I think I remember that I liked the Crowhurst - it's an odd story. Definitely worth 99p.

I hated Fingersmith - a very poor substitute for Wilkie Collins, I thought.

Is there a character in Animal Farm who feels furious and cheated but powerless to do anything except send rude tweets to the pigs? If so, that's me.

That would be Benjamin remus.

Except he can't be arsed to do the rude tweets.

Must admit, I'm not a big Animal Farm fan, tbh.

It is the most apt book at the moment !

I'm listening to 1984 at the moment which is also quite apt. Double think anyone?

15. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P.D. James (1974) – classic crime novel, one of two featuring private detective Cordelia Gray. Gray’s first solo case is an investigation into the motives behind the apparent suicide of Mark Callender. It leads her to the countryside close to Cambridge and the college where Callender was a student not long before he died. Thought this was really strong on atmosphere, not so much on plot. I enjoyed the setting and the quality of the writing. I had some issues with Gray’s character partly because I felt she was more convincing as a mouthpiece for the author than as a 22-year-old – not helped by a tendency to move between a very formal prose style and a more direct, conversational approach. I wondered if P.D. James also had difficulties in formulating the character and if that was why there are only two Gray mysteries. Still some great passages/elements and will go on to read the next instalment.

Love the analogy Piggy horribly accurate!

This weekend I've finished:

35. Psycho-logical - Dean Burnett (Audible)
I was disappointed by this, after enjoying the neuroscientist's first two books on the workings of the brain. This was much less funny, perhaps understandably given the subject matter. The stated aim is to reduce the stigma around mental health, but as it mostly focuses on neurological mechanisms and ignores genetic, societal and environmental factors, it doesn't seem to go very far towards achieving this. It also only explores anxiety, depression and addiction, so has nothing to say about psychotic disorders. I almost gave up halfway through as my mind kept drifting off in the midst of all the biochemical detail, but after I'd listened to The Five I had a bit more stamina so went back to it.

36. The Ghost: a cultural history - Susan Owens

An exploration of the portrayal of ghosts in British art and literature (as opposed to folk belief, which I might actually have preferred). It was a little on the short side, which meant sometimes it lacked depth and could be a bit list-like, but it gave me a new insight into some well-known passages. For example, it showed how the appearance of Hamlet's father's ghost allows Shakespeare to explore conflicting medieval Catholic and Reformation views of what such apparitions might represent. It also made me add M.R. James' ghost stories to my TBR, as I like the idea of arrogant archaeologists digging up eerie things that the locals have advised them to leave well alone. Worth reading if you are interested in this sort of thing.

58 The Five by Hallie Rubenhold
Much reviewed already so won't recap, but I found this absolutely fascinating. I wouldn't have picked it up without this thread, so many thanks to those recommending it.

InMyOwnParticulardom Agree with you about the Susan Owens, good on anecdote not so much on analysis. I think M.R. James is brilliant when on form, also a number of the excellent BBC adaptations on YouTube, although would avoid Martin’s Close first M.R. James drama I couldn’t finish…and it was a short one!

63. And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseni

I read The Kite Runner when the novel had its "Book Of The Moment" run.

Contrary to the popular swell at the time I really didn't like it, specifically because I found the child abuse sections utterly harrowing.

But having spent a lot of time in used bookshops I had acquired unread paperbacks of his other 2 books, and in the spirit of clearing TBR, here we are.

In the 1950's, two small siblings, Abdullah and Pari are separated due to poverty. The rest of the story is told in a multi narrative different angle tapestry, of pre and post Taliban Afghanistan.

This was, up to a point, a 5 star book for me. Gorgeous. And then he goes and fucks it all by wasting 100 pages on a tenuously linked Greek doctor and the most depressing as fuck ending.

Tsk

4/5

I loathed And The Mountains Echoed. Can't even remember the ending but thought the whole thing was awful. Hated his second one too, but loved The Kite Runner and read the whole thing in one evening, because I didn't want to put it down.

97. Coffin, Scarcely Used
98. Bump In The Night
99. Hopjoy Was Here*
100. Lonelyheart 4122
101. Charity Ends At Home

All by Colin Watson. This was a set I picked up cheap from the Book People in their closing down sale - I had never heard of him before but thought for £2 it was worth a punt - and it was! These are crime stories set in the 1960s but written with a very dry sense of humour. Not laugh out loud funny but wryly funny. There’s another 7 books in the series which I’ll seek out at some point.

102. Sealions In The Fountain by Peter Spence

I grew up in Somerset and as a child we used to go to Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park a lot and I loved it. This is the story of the opening of the park and the first few years of operation. I really enjoyed it but it only goes up to the late 1970s and I would love an extended version covering the filming of To The Manor Born and then going into the 1980s and 1990s, which is when I used to visit. There is a very brief postscript but doesn’t go into any detail. Sadly it’s all closed now, the house is an adults only hotel and you can only access the grounds if you stay in the hotel.

103. Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K Jerome

Somehow I had never read this before. For those who haven’t, it’s the story of three young Victorian men (to say nothing of the dog!) who decide to take a boat trip down the Thames and have various mishaps along the way. It’s really funny and I’m very glad I finally read it!

104. The Good Thief’s Guide To Paris by Chris Ewan

Charlie is a thief, but also writes crime stories so as well as his latest escapade you also get a bit about the book he’s writing which inevitably links into his current job. This is another light hearted crime series and I’m enjoying them.

105. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I had read this before so knew vaguely what happened but couldn’t remember any of the detail. I was inspired to reread it by the chat upthread. It’s fabulous and terrifying and I couldn’t put it down.

My question though is where were all these British schoolboys flying to/from to crash on such an island? What happened to the plane? And why weren’t there any grownups? It can’t have been just boys on the plane so you would have thought at least one grownup would have survived (although then the book couldn’t happen!)

"Fingersmith is ace, but not if period pieces are not your thing Cote"

Period pieces can be fantastic, and they can also be rubbish. I give you the amazing Shardlake books and the pathetically stupid The Crimson Petal and the White.

My reservations about Fingersmith are that it is (1) written by a woman, and (2) in a family/domestic setting. It feels like a book that will focus on feeeelliiiingssss in a way that kills my interest in reading a story.

I like those Colin Watson books, Chessie - haven't thought about them in years!

I’ve never read a Sarah Waters, often toy with it when they come on a deal, but always decide against.

DNF Fingersmith. In fact DNF any Sarah Waters.

I’ve really enjoyed a few Sarah Waters books (why is she taking so long to complete her latest?) but I never got the love for Fingersmith.

I'm not a big fan of Fingersmith either, but I'd say your worries about feeeelings are unfounded Cote.

I think Sarah Waters is seriously over-rated. The only one I quite liked was The Little Stranger.

I thought I might have read a Sarah Waters but wasn’t sure so had to look through her books. Turns out I have read The Night Watch, but can’t remember anything about it other than it was set during WW2 and there was a woman who wore men’s clothes. Can’t recall either loving or hating it which probably means I thought it was OK! Doesn’t really inspire me to seek out others of hers.

18. The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood I was hoping to recapture the excitement of discovering Alias Grace by Atwood, however I found this dystopian novel a let down. A young couple, Stan and Charmaine, are living hand to mouth in their car, in a society that has irretrievably broken down. They are at constant risk of falling prey to one of the desperate gangs roaming the streets. When Charmaine sees an advert for utopian society 'Positron' it seems like the answer to their prayers. The only snag is you have to cut all ties with society outside the city once you commit to living there. They decide to move into the cult like city anyway, the occupants of which take it in turns on alternate months to live in Positron society, or live in a comfortable prison. They share their living accommodation with a set of 'alternates' that they are never meant to meet. At first life is much easier and brighter for the couple but events take a darker turn when a note is found by Stan that he believes to be from their 'alternates'. This started promisingly but degenerated into a sex farce, I think Atwood was going for a black comedy vibe but for me it just became a bit of mess with an airhead female protagonist and a thoroughly unpleasant male protagonist. Not her best!

    19. Abomination by Robert Swindells a quick YA read waiting for my next book to become available on BorrowBox. A girl brought up by strictly religion parents keeps their secret of the 'abomination' in the cellar. Mercilessly bullied at school she is befriended by a new boy who helps her break free of the oppression she is living under and becomes her first love to boot. This was a quick enjoyable read. I remember my girls reading it in school around Year 9 and it would be a good recommendation for that sort of age range.
    20. Me by Elton John a gossipy, warts and all retelling of Elton's life. I'm not a huge fan but this rattled along and kept my attention.

19. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin

20. Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin
    The above two were picked up on a 3 for 2 Audible deal. I don't think I'll be seeking out any more Inspector Rebus mysteries. Not really my bag.

    23. Carry On Jeeves by PG Wodehouse This was the third of the 3 for 2 deal and I enjoyed it immensely. Rip roaring fun, makes me realise what inspired casting Fry and Laurie were for these parts in the 90's. This I would seek out some more of.

Cote - The Crimson Petal and the White is one of my favourite ever books! I think it was a case of 'the right book at the right time' for me though...

I really liked it too. Also like a lot of Sarah Waters's work. Fingersmith's not my favourite but I enjoyed the way she played with various period influences/contexts from the proliferation of pornography to the more gothic elements. Think she's remarkably skilful when it comes to an intelligent reworking of material, and subverting the discourses of the period she's representing. I also find her books incredibly entertaining - not all but most.