50 Book Challenge 2020 Part Seven

[southeastdweller]

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

What are you reading?

Ella - Merivel is brilliant isn't it, it made me literally shed tears twice.

Tea - congratulations, have fun celebrating!

@Indigosalt

It's all very odd

Shadow State by Luke Harding This is a scary, depressing but hugely important book detailing the involvement of Putin's Russia in Western politics. It covers the different methods used by Moscow such as fake news, cyber hacking and dirty money as well as murder and invasion of neighbouring states and annexations. It describes how Putin backed the election of Donald Trump (and draws interesting parallels between their personalities) and raises important questions about the Brexit campaign and our own government's reluctance to heed warnings of Russian interference. It's not an easy read as there is a huge cast of characters (although many pop up time and again) but some will be familiar names to anyone following international news. It seemed particularly timely to finish it today with the horrendous news about Alexei Nevalny.

ps Congratulations Tea!

Very pleased for you @teaandcustardcreamsx @Piggywaspushed. You, your colleagues and students must have had such a difficult time over the last week.
51 A Year Without Summer Guinevere Glasfurd
As a result of the eruption of the volcano Tambora in 1815 the usual weather patterns were disrupted. This is the story of 6 disparate people and the varying hardships this phenomenon caused . As they are all living in different circumstances this makes the narrative quite bitty. The author is very good at creating believable,nuanced characters and she has done her research. She is keen to bring out the parallels between this event and the impact of climate change However all her character’s lives are harsh, despairing and often violent and I would have welcomed some light and hope to as a counterpoint to this.

Sure have! It has ben mad mad mad.

Congratulations tea!

42. Expectation by Anna Hope. We follow friends Hannah, Cate and Lissa from their carefree lives sharing a north London rental in their late 20s, to their mid-30s when they are coping with various marital, career and fertility challenges. Nothing ground breaking, but this is much better than most of the chick lit out there - I really enjoyed it.

Yes ParticularIdiom I agree. I found Merivel a great tonic, especially this year. Just because it’s so joyous and full of heart.

Bridget Jones’ Diary, Edge Of Reason, Bridget Jones’Baby andMad about the Boy All Helen Fielding.

Let’s face it she should have stopped after two.

I love, love the first two - they are joyous, funny, sweet books with lots to say I think.

The other two are enjoyable enough but I was very irritated by the timeline and little inconsistencies (Was Magda at School or university with her?) And the last one is so very sad. It did help in a way - it made me really cry which I hadn’t really done since losing my dad - welled up a few times but hadn’t had a proper cry. Now I have.

Congratulations @teaandcustardcreamsx - hope you are still enjoying your celebrations!

@BestIsWest 💐. The first is unnecessary but filled with emotion. My fave bit is still the Diana moment in number 2!

Palegreenstars - my favourite bit too!

Boiledegg I went to listen to Luke Harding talk at our local independent bookshop last year. Very interesting indeed and what struck me most was the courage he has shown in challenging some deeply unpleasant and dangerous people.

He spoke about his time as foreigh correspondent for the Guardian in Moscow, when he would return to his apartment and know the KGB had been there while he was out. He said they would deliberately leave something in a slightly different place; just enough to unsettle him and make it clear they could get in at any time. Quite chilling.

On a happier note, well done tea! and to all the teachers who've had a lot to cope with recently.

I watched the film of Bridget Jones' Baby late at night in a hotel room recently. It was totally dreadful. Only read the first of the books, which I liked well enough, but not enough to want to read any of the others.

Yes, I saw the film at the cinema - a free showing luckily. I like the first of the films but the books are much better. Bit of a comfort read.

I really like some bits of the first film, but don't like the actress much. LOVE Hugh G in it!

Well done tea.

And Cote, I thought that was a wonderful review. I doubt I will ever read the book but you inspired me to seek out some of the music.

The baby film would have been much better if Hugh had been in it.

He’s brilliant ( although the film he should have got an Oscar For was most definitely Paddington 2).

109. A People's History Of The United States by Howard Zinn

So I had wanted to read this for years but it is quite demanding and has taken me two months because it really is one that you can only do a Chapter at a time.

Given that most American History books can be quite Land Of The Free, Home Of The Brave celebrations of American greatness and patriotism, Zinn takes a different tack.

During noted times of History, how did the ordinary people fare?

So for example, instead of talking about Columbus and his amazing discoveries, he talks about the mass slaughter and genocide of the Indian people.

That the founding pilgrims resorted to cannabilism

That the constitution was written and for rich white men

Womens Rights, Conscription, Slavery, Segregation and Trade Unions.

There is to be fair, way too fucking much on Trade Unions and my eyes did glaze over. Equally not being American some of it did not interest me and I felt "done with it" long before finishing, if I'm honest, I did skim. And because of the dry parts, it's not one I'd rush to recommend even though there is some very educational stuff in it.

Mixed bag.

The baby film would have been much better if Hugh had been in it.
I'm not sure even Hugh could have saved it. I won't comment on Paddington, having not seen it because the bear is too terrifying to bear.

Thanks all I can’t believe that I actually did well in everything especially since some subjects were touch and go for a short while (especially after mocks ). Celebrations just finishing and heading off to bed soon (that is, if I manage to sleep....still can’t believe it )

Clothes and Other Things that Matter has been on my wish list since I read a Grauniad review a while back - in the Daily Deal today.

highlandcoo I'm very envious, I would love to hear Luke Harding speak! Thank heavens for the courage and dogged determination of journalists like him, Carole Cadwalladr et al in pursuing their investigations of this murky world. I'm sure there is a lot more to come out in the future.

Big congrats, tea. Lovely to have some good news in amongst the ongoing horror show and I hope you slept soundly!

Another one for my list - 61: Their Little Secret - Mark Billingham

This was from DH's 'read and finished with' pile (although we've nowhere to take them at the moment as the charity shops aren't accepting donations). We've both read a lot of MB's books over the years and this one was pretty ho-hum. A woman with a secret meets a man with a secret and between them they become a force for (even more) evil. DI Thorne and sidekick Nicola Tanner have to try and find and stop them.

I'm getting a bit impatient with the lugubrious Thorne as he mopes around being generally miserable and full of his own woe, and this book doesn't see him make any improvement on that score. I also guessed the twist quite early - and I'm the sort of person who never guesses the twist, so it must have been quite bad. Back on the 'to be disposed of' pile smartish for this one.

@Terpsichore I don’t know what the library situation is where you are, but my local libraries are currently accepting book donations if the books are in good condition.