50 Book Challenge 2020 Part Six

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the sixth 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, the fourth one here and the fifth one here.

So, we're now almost half way through the year - how's the first half of the year gone for you, reading-wise?

Thanks for the new thread, @southeastdweller. Bringing my list over below. I haven't checked, but I think I am behind where I was last year. Unsurprising given that lockdown for me has entailed more work as well as homeschooling two kids (thankfully one now back at school). But I am managing to squeeze a bit of reading time in.

Interesting reading everyone's thoughts on standout reads. I have finally realised that the way to do this might be to put the stars in my Word list, so I'm trying that today! But in the past I have just put the bolds in as I go along and have changed the standouts. For example, in my first list of this year, I bolded This Must be the Place and not Swan Song. But I subsequently swapped them, because Swan Song has really stayed with me. I remember doing this in previous years as well.

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
6. A Place Called Winter – Patrick Gale
7. The Reunion – Guillaume Musso
8. Black Water Lilies – Michel Bussi
9. Wilful Blindness – Margaret Heffernan
10. The Last Painting of Sara de Vos – Dominic Smith
11. The Farm – Joanne Ramos
12. The High Window – Raymond Chandler
13. The Lady in the Lake – Raymond Chandler
14. The Little Sister – Raymond Chandler
15. She Lies in Wait – Gytha Lodge
16. The Last Anniversary – Liane Moriarty
17. Bitter Orange – Claire Fuller
18. The Lost Man – Jane Harper
19. What Red Was – Rosie Price
20. Keeping an Eye Open – Julian Barnes
21. Heartburn – Nora Ephron
22. Crooked Heart – Lissa Evans
23. Old Baggage – Lissa Evans
24. A View of the Harbour – Elizabeth Taylor
25. The Crow Trap – Ann Cleeves
26. Lives of the Painters, Sculptors and Architects: Part 1 – Giorgio Vasari
27. Telling Tales – Ann Cleeves
28. The Year of Magical Thinking – Joan Didion
29. Burial Rites – Hannah Kent
30. How the Dead Speak – Val McDermid
31. Idaho – Emily Ruskovich
32. After the Party – Cressida Connolly

And my latest:

33. Miss Happiness and Miss Flower – Rumer Godden

I have finally managed to co-erce my eldest into letting me read him my old copy Little Plum (which he seems to be enjoying, even though it's full of girls and dolls. It helps that he has a very beloved soft toy). I bought "Miss Happiness and Miss Flower" a couple of months ago on Kindle (I never had or read it as a child), and after a horribly stressful week at work, this seemed like a good time to crack it out. Oh, it's lovely. So nice to see the earlier iterations of Nona and Belinda and lovely Tom and Anne. Like a lovely warm mug of hot chocolate.

I’m at how many books some of you manage to read!

I keep waiting for a new Sarah Waters book - the last one was in 2012.

There was some discussion of whether libraries will be reopening at the end of the last thread - the one I work in will be opening from 4th of July for returns and loans. No sitting down allowed (we have lots of study space) and staff will be sorting and shelving rather than working at the desks so self service only.

@Welshwabbit I loved Miss Happiness and Miss Glower and Little Plum when I was young but had totally forgotten about them. Now going to buy a copy to read to my daughter.

I've been interested in the discussion on ratings too. I give my books a mark out of five and that's definitely based on my initial reaction and enjoyment but looking back a while later there are definitely some books where I'd change the ratings.

I mean Miss Flower!

Good news about your library re-opening Kensal. Best case scenario for me would be allowing users to order in advance. Doing so involved minimal human contact in my library even pre Covid. We pick up from the reservation shelf and check out using the self service system, which will only allow the book to be issued to the person who has reserved. Minimises the risk to everyone.

There’s no self service system at my local library.

That might hold up the libraries re-opening around here.

Although I’ve been going past the library regularly now that DS2 is back in school, and there’s some sort of renovation work going on in there.
Work vans in the car park, book shelves sheeted in plastic and men with a variety of tools visible through the windows.

I guess lockdown and enforced library closures makes this a good time for the council to do any necessary maintenance or renovations in the libraries.

Kensal Glad to hear yours will be back open soon. Mine have put out a message today to remind everyone fines will be waived and they are meeting this week to assess.

I bought a box set of 20 slim volume books from a charity shop, with one missing. It's Giovanni's Room. Officially gutted. I also really liked If Beale Street Could Talk recently and picked it off the back of how many people really rated it on last year's thread.

136. A Far Cry From Kensington - Muriel Spark In post-war London, a book editor keeps getting fired from her job because her nemesis keeps submitting books that she refuses to work on. Meanwhile in her rooming house, anonymous letters and blackmail cause severe distress to her housemates. Also comes with some excellent dietary wisdom that is included in the price of the book.

What an absolute gem of a book. I've put off reading Spark again as I found Brodie so very odd, despite was it Best's? excellent defence of it. (Apologies, I can't remember exactly who put forward reasons why it is very good). This was fabulous. Equally odd, but with a sense of humour. Partly based on her own experiences and written as revenge against someone she didn't like. Marvellous stuff.

Indigo I was one of the On Chapel Sands lovers and on the basis of that I hunted down Laura Cumming's Velasquez book. I absolutely devoured it and it, too, contains a mystery. No spoilers but it shares her very particular way of looking at things, as an art critic and as a highly visual person. I really enjoyed being encouraged, through her eyes, to think about art in a new way. I'd be interested to hear what you think if you do read it.

Thank you for the new thread. Just bringing my list over.

1.The Dilemma - B A Paris 
<strong>2.Dangerous Crossing - Rachel Rhys</strong>
3.The Testaments - Margaret Atwood
4.A Wedding in December - Anita Shreve 
5.The Other You - J S Monroe 
<strong>6.To The Lions - Holly Watt</strong>
7.Here to Stay - Mark Edwards 
8.The Bigamist - Mary Turner Thomson
9.The Other Wife - Claire McGowan 
10.Finding Cupid - Bridget E Baker
11.All the Rage - Cara Hunter 
12.The Donor - Clare Mackintosh 
13.Who Did You Tell - Lesley Kara
14.I Wanted You to Know - Laura Pearson 
15.The Recovery of Rose Gold - Stephanie Wrobel
16.I Did It For Us - Alison Bruce
17.Half a World Away - Mike Gayle
18.The Suspect - Fiona Barton
19.War Doctor - David Nott
20.Tell Me Your Secret - Dorothy Koomson
<strong>21.My Dark Vanessa - Kate Elizabeth Russel</strong>
22.In Safe Hands - J P Carter 
23.Anything You Do Say - Gillian McAllister
<strong>24.The Flatshare - Beth O'Leary</strong>
25.Keeper - Jessica Moor
26.Blood Orange - Harriet Tyce 
27.Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens 
28.How to Marry Your Husband - Jacqueline Rohen
29.The Chain - Adrian McKinty
30.Just My Luck - Adele Parks
31.Strangers on a Train - Patricia Highsmith
<strong>32.Daisy Jones and The Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid</strong> 
33.Little Disasters - Sarah Vaughan
34.The Craftsman - Sharon Bolton 
35.His & Hers - Alice Feeney
36.Missing Pieces - Laura Pearson 

Currently reading Little White Lies by Philippa East

Our county is opening some libraries in July with a click and collect system. No browsing.

Intrigued to hear others opinions on My Dark Vanessa. I started it but gave up 1/3 of the way through even though I thought it was very well written as it made me feel very uncomfortable. I work in a field with people that have experienced significant trauma and felt like it was too much for me to be surrounded by.

Our local library is always a great disappointment to me. It's got shelf after shelf of ancient reference books and very little that I would want to borrow. I have been toying in lockdown with a membership of the London Library which looks wonderful and is reasonably easy for me to get to. But it's not cheap and then I think if I don't support the local one it will shut. Perhaps I use the London Library for the books I want to read and go to the local one to check out some of the ancient reference books from time to time to keep things moving. It is tempting - I reckon I'd easily cover the cost of membership by not buying books in hard copy. And it could be a good place to work when things start to reopen.

Meanwhile, discovery of the week is Storygraph. It's Goodreads without Amazon ownership and looks much slicker. It's only on a web browser at the moment (no app) but you can import your Goodreads lists and it does all sorts of funky analysis. I'd say its recommendations to me so far are much better than anything I got on Goodreads, so I am a convert. I don't use the community features on Goodreads at all, so don't miss those. The reading challenges look really interesting too, for next year and beyond.

Fortuna, I am one of the Spark/Brodie lovers (although I know there are others so not sure who you were thinking of). But I am so glad you liked A Far Cry from Kensington. If you haven't read it already, The Girls of Slender Means has a similar "feel", I think. I also recently read Loitering With Intent, which I really enjoyed, and is also set in the world of publishing.

@PepeLePew thanks I'm going to check that out as I only use Goodreads to track the books I have read.

I finished How We Disappeared by Jing Jing Lee , which I mentioned at the end of the previous thread. Someone mentioned they had other books by her, but must be mixing her up as this is a very accomplished debut novel, longlisted for the Women's Prize. Set in Singapore in two time frames and with two main, converging voices, it weaves the trauma of the island into a skilfully told story. Lee did an MA at Oxford but this reads better than a lot of MA in Creative Writing authors. It did remind me a good deal of Amy Tan, who I love. The only criticism is that it is a little confusing in places. By the end, you realise that this deliberate. The title has many meanings.

I liked this . I haven't read much fiction about Singapore before, if any. I recommend this book.

Terpsichore yes, I thought she wrote about the art in On Chapel Sands in a very engaging way. I've just checked and they have The Vanishing Man at my local library . Something to look forward to over the summer!

I had a vague email from our local library service (a home county with some very posh bits that I don't live in) that they plan to somehow reopen from 6th July.

Eine, I'm in awe of your reading speed - 200 pages in 3 hours is way beyond me for most books. I'm a tortoise at reading - slow and steady...

Pepe Thanks for the info on Storygraph. I'm waiting for my import to load. I like that you can tell it what you don't like.

Welsh Thanks for those Spark suggestions, I would definitely read more of her. I remember someone end of last year (early this year?) writing a very impassioned and convincing argument about why Brodie is a brilliant book. I apologise for not remembering who and I don't have it in me to check back. I was up at 4 for solstice sunrise and I feel like a bear of very little brain today as a result.

Piggy Jing Jing Lee has also written a book called If I Could Tell You. It looks quite interesting and has decent reviews on Goodreads.

I'm 50% into Disgrace - JM Coetzee but not really feeling the love. Anyone know it it's worth finishing?

God - 200 in 3 hours and I wonder if its me or the book!

I have a Reading App that records how long each book took

So, Paying Guests was 5h 55

The Power - 2hrs 28

My Dark Vanessa 2hrs 48

I am a 100pg p/h reader I think 🤔

@FortunaMajor

I was still living at home when I read that so above 15 years ago.

Can't remember other than I had been excited for it and ended up disappointed and that I felt thick because I found the plot/point hard to follow

Eine I nearly picked it for book club and I now realise it would have gone down like a lead balloon. It's supposed to be really good for provoking discussion. I might try more in a few days when I am less tired. I need something light and fluffy today.

I think that si short stories fortuna but I shall look it out. She's a very good writer. Nothing mannered at all.

Oh, I am really confused now because Amazon calls it a novel...

Maybe this one is her first novel in English?

Am investigating...

Ah! The other book is a novella ... I see!

Thanks for the new thread, Southeast. I l also love reading everyone‘s list, pondering the similarities and differences, and adding ceaselessly to my virtual TBR pile.

I thought I am not your Negro was excellent too - one of my favourite films from last year. I’ve still not read any of his books but have many on my to-read list recommended from this thread.

So interesting to read people’s views on bolding. I find some bolds are straightforward decisions but other books can definitely grow on you over time, becoming favourites. So I don’t think it matters if you change your stars, that’s just books for you!

My list so far:

1. The Go-Between by LP Hartley.

2. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexsandr Solzhenitsyn.

1. Normal People by Sally Rooney.
2. Taduno’s Song by Odafe Atogun.
3. 23 Things They don’t tell you about Capitalism by Ha-Joon Chang.
4. Girl Woman Other by Bernadine Evaristo.
5. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris.

8. Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes.

1. Tell me how it ends by Valeria Luisella.

10. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. 11. The Patient Assassin by Anita Anand. 12. My Name is Why by Lemn Sissay. 13. Offering to the Storm (Bk 3 in The Baztan Trilogy) by Dolores Redondo. 14. Taken (Bk3 in the Alex Versus series) by Benedict Jacka. 15. And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. 16. Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon by Jorge Amado. 17. An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield. 18. Black Wave by Kim Ghattas. 19. Home by Marilynne Robinson. 20. Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy. 21. Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier. 22. The Arab of the Future (A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984) by Riad Sattouf. 23. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling. 24. The Making of Poetry by Adam Nicolson. 25. Big Sky by Kate Atkinson. 26. Furniture by Lorraine Mariner. 27. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. 28. Grey Sister (Book 2 of Book of the Ancestor) by Mark Lawrence. 29. A Study in Scarlett by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 30. Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday.