50 Book Challenge 2020 Part Eight

[southeastdweller]

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

What are you reading?

51. Country Girls by Edna O'Brien

Coincidentally this came up in my order of purchase list just as the discussion about Girl was going on upthread. A justly famous coming of age story, I really liked this. I don't quite know how she does it but O'Brien seems just to be talking to you whilst conjuring beautiful images that pull you up short. The content was obviously much more shocking when first published, but I think the scenes towards the end between Caithleen and Mr Gentleman are still electrifying despite their relative innocence. Going on to the second in the trilogy now.

I am definitely looking forward to the new Netflix adaptation of Rebecca and not just because I will watch literally anything Kristin Scott Thomas does.

Hmm, I've just watched the trailer for that new Rebecca and I have to say that Armie Hammer would not be my idea of Maxim - he looks positively well-fed rather than tortured, and from the bit I heard, hasn't quite managed to eradicate his American accent.

However, as I don't have Netflix I won't have the problem of getting annoyed by it!

He certainly doesn’t look like my idea of Maxim.

That may be because he doesn’t have a moustache.

Agree, too handsome, too young

I understood Max and wife as very young girl, middle aged man

76. The Season of Passage by Christopher Pike

A US space mission is heading to Mars to explore, and they’ve also got to check out why the previous Russian mission to Mars never returned. The short answer is, ancient evil alien monsters who are just waiting for unwitting astronauts to stumble across them.

It says on the book cover that this is written for adults, but length aside, it doesn’t feel all that different from the Christopher Pike books I used to devour as a teenager. Still an entertaining read.

77. Autism: How to Raise a Happy Autistic Child by Jessie Hewitson

The author talks about her experiences of raising an autistic son, and gives advice and tips, based both on her own experiences and those of other parents and autistic adults.

78. Nod by Adrian Barnes

One morning, the narrator, Paul wakes up to discover that he’s one of only a handful of people who slept. Most of the world was unable to sleep. And this state of affairs continues for the whole novel, with the awakened growing ever more deranged due to lack of sleep. Paul is proclaimed a prophet after some of the awakened latch onto a half written book on obscure words that he’s left lying around.
This was all a bit odd and it didn’t really work for me.

79. The Ogre Downstairs by Diana Wynne Jones

Casper, Johnny and Gwinny can’t stand their new stepfather, who they’ve nicknamed The Ogre. They don’t like their new stepbrothers Douglas and Malcolm either. But things start to change after the Ogre gives unusual chemistry sets to Johnny and Malcolm.

I liked the magic chemistry sets a lot, which caused plenty of usual effects such as flying, body switching and invisibility. The portrayal of the Ogre was rather jarring though, with lots of shouting and corporal punishment.

I watched the trailer for Rebecca last night, and I agree, Maxim looks too young.

IMO Olivier was a perfect (and very handsome) Maxim in Hitchcock's Rebecca. I'll still give the new adaptation a go, and as DD1 recently loved the book it will be fun to watch together.

I'm a bit ashamed to confess I've never read Rebecca. It's one of those I've been meaning to... but haven't ever got round to... books!

Not much free reading time available at the moment but keeping up with all your book news feels like I'm reading vicariously.

They've announced Hamnet as the winner of this year's Women's Prize for Fiction: www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/reading-room/news/announcing-the-winner-of-the-25th-womens-prize-for-fiction

Thanks mackarella, I'd forgotten that was last night. Very pleased for Maggie O'Farrell. I really liked Hamnet and was surprised it didn't get a Booker nomination. It was a strong field this year, I could only get my list down to 7 and would have struggled to choose an overall winner.

I loved Hamnet - I'm pleased with that choice.

I didn't think 'Hamnet' was good, but I understand why it won. Worthy women's stuff that takes itself very seriously.

I loved it. I thought it was beautiful. I have read so many badly written books lately.

I didn’t read enough of Hamnet to seriously judge it, but didn’t really get into the style. I feel like O’Farrell has been around a while writing successful books without much fanfare, so nice for her to get some.

Stitches, I absolutely love The Ogre Downstairs. I agree re-reading it now the stepfather is alarmingly prone to corporal punishment and it really jars to modern eyes. But it’s such a clever idea and so well executed.

I watched the Rebecca trailer. I’ll be interested to see the show - the second Mrs de Winter looks far too spirited and Maxim far too blonde and hearty. And they certainly don’t have sex much based on many rereads of the book. But I love love love the book and the Hitchcock movie so will be very interested to compare.

@FortunaMajor I read Marion Crawford’s book The Little Princesses years ago . As I remember she was fawning in her adoration for the family -think 1950’s women’s magazines. She said nothing that could possibly have justified their treatment of her.

56Ladies Can't Climb Ladders Jane Robinson
A lively and fascinating study of women who entered professions in the early and middle part of the twentieth century, against tremendous odds. The author’s witty style gives us a vivid picture of their achievements and the appalling attitudes of the male dominated establishment- although for many of them their mother’s attitudes were a major stumbling block as well! It is sobering to reflect on how many barriers women in professions still face . A huge amount of research has gone into this book as so many of the women have been forgotten. I went to a talk by her about one of her previous books about the suffragist movement and she is a very interesting speaker.

57 Victory Disc Andrew Cartmel
One of a series of comic mysteries, based around a collector of rare vinyl records and his sidekicks. Completely unbelievable but I found myself turning the pages anyway

Magimedi same problem with kindle and downloads here too. Sometimes it downloads a book when I press the Sync symbol. If not I have to search it which means doing it as soon as I've bought something otherwise I forget!!!!

I thought Hamnet was fine, but it paled against The Mirror and The Light on the same shortlisted. I was pretty convinced the latter wouldn't win only as Mantel has scooped her fair share of prizes, and so there was limited potential sales uplift.

26. Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge On an average day in the USA, seven children and teens will die from gunshot wounds. Younge, a Black British journalist living in Chicago, picks a day at random and attempts to find the stories behind the deaths of the ten young people who died in shootings on that particular day.

Younge touches relatively lightly on the second amendment and gun control, and focuses more on the socioeconomic problems linked to low levels of supervision and high crime in poor areas. He talks about what the media perceive as worthy and unworthy victims, and it's shocking how little media attention some of the deaths attract. Obviously a tough read, this was shocking, moving and important.

Yeah Another Day is a 2020 standout for me as well Terps

Blackcountryexile that makes me really sad, as if she were horrible they wouldn't have kept her for so long and you can't say you wouldn't be close after all that time. Seems so sad.

Regarding prizes and sales uplift. One of the reasons The Testaments was a controversial shared win for the Booker was that her sales had significantly outsold all of the other finalists book sales together at the time. She didn't need the exposure.

It would have been boring if Mantel had won. She's a league apart, so a bit predictable. It will be interesting to see if she gets a third Booker. Saw a comment earlier that the reaction to O'Farrell's win on Twitter and in the press was very warm and well received. There were a few on the shortlist I didn't feel belonged there compared to others, but they freely say they have an agenda for the type of book they are looking for each year to fit a trend or theme.

Just checked my Kindle Paperwhite but new purchases seem to be being delivered ok. Is it a particular model that's affected?

I'm all over the place with reading at the moment, what with the DCs returning to school and work suddenly becoming frantic again (university). Can't focus on anything! I keep starting books and abandoning them. I'm also very, very tired but not going to bed early enough, so when I finally do roll into bed I can't read for more than about 5 minutes before I start falling asleep. It will be a miracle if I finish any books at all this month (but when I do, I'll probably finish all 8 books that I've started simultaneously ).

So guys, I am ill. Ordinarily I woyld call it normal flu as thst is how I feel. My test was neg for CV19 but I am still a bit scared because its hit my chest in the last day and I am not in general a healthy person

Mostly doing audiobookd right now no emergy to read and will still be posting, I dont kmow why I am saying it I suppose its just because I am awake and wheezing and nose running at 1.30am and it makes me feel a bit scared

Take good care of yourself, Eine. Even 'normal flu' will knock you for six. Hope you manage to get some rest. What are you listening to?