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?

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Betts - Happy to supply you with critical acclaim anyway. Please consider yourself applauded, and us impressed.

Hahaha, OK

I picked up my kindle this morning and discovered I still had 10 pages left in the book, I'd just dreamt that I finished it as well so I wrote my review here somewhat prematurely.

Thanks Pepe and BoiledEgg, you are making me think I just need to take the plunge with Ducks! I'm a Brit living in the US so it sounds like I might also learn a lot about my adopted country.

196. The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish

I enjoyed this. Jamie commutes to work up the Thames by riverboat, and has made friends with some of his fellow commuters. Then one of them, Kit, disappears, and another passenger claims to have seen Jamie leave the boat with him. The story then jumps between the present and the last year showing the events leading up to Kit’s disappearance. I found this quite gripping and wanted to know what happened, despite not really liking any of the characters.

197. The Child That Books Built by Francis Spufford

Very disappointed with this. I was expecting something like Bookworm, but instead this is more of a literary exploration on the psychology of reading. There were pages here and there I enjoyed but generally I found this a real slog even though it’s not even that long. Would not recommend.

Have to say I am also tempted to try Ducks off the back of the intriguing and reassuring comments above. Previously I'd just seen "stream of consciousness.... single sentence..." and my brain went "NOPE NOPE NOPE"

I've also just added Ducks to my tbr list

Ducks is on my mental but not my physical TBR

Ducks is on my mental but not my physical TBR

This EXACT same thing for me

Honestly, tempting us all with 1000 page novels when it’s nearly October I do want to read both now, maybe a starter for 2021.

I'm so pleased that Ducks, Newburyport is getting a second look-in and do hope you all enjoy it. My one suggestion is that it's really worth looking up the odd names that crop up, seemingly at random, but that actually prove to be very apposite and provide a fascinating insight into US history.

I hope that doesn't make it sound too much like hard work, it really is a Good Read!

I've just found that Ducks is available from our online library - bit of a wait but available mid November, so should be ideal for some long winter evenings :)

@SatsukiKusakabe

I'm putting off The Luminaries for this reason

58. The Binder - Bridget Collins

The book seems to be set in Victorian times but is not actually specific about period. Emmett Farmer (as his name suggests) is the son of a farmer but he has been unwell and is no longer up to farming so when the local elderly bookbinder who lives in remote countryside requests him as an apprentice his parents reluctantly agree.

Books and binding are bad but it’s unclear why initially. It gradually emerges that binders have magical powers and are able to take away unwanted memories and bind them in a book and Emmett has the gift to do this. Unscrupulous binders may then sell the book so others can read about your misery but Emmett is apprenticed to someone who has high moral standards and keeps memories under lock and key.

When Emmett is forced to leave his original apprenticeship and move to the local town for work he discovers a book with his name on it and realises he has been “bound” and had memories removed. He burns the book and his memories return. I enjoyed this part the most when we relive Emmett’s time on the farm when he was healthy with his sister Alta and their friend/Alta’s suitor, Lucian (a middle class visitor from town) and events unfold to show why Emmett’s memories were removed.

The final part of the book is told by Lucian and I enjoyed this part the least.

This book was a mixed bag for me. An interesting premise and some enjoyable sections but I disliked the final section (although I was keen to find out how it ended).

Has anyone else read this?

Don’t be deterred by the “one long sentence”. In my view it works really well and you soon forget there is any other way to write first person narration. Plus there are the mountain lion interludes.
It merits a re-read, I think. I feel sure it would be a different experience second time round.

Plus there are the mountain lion interludes

Mmmm I am getting a whiff of NOPE from this new information

[grin]@KeithLeMonde

pepe I’ve ordered it from the library. By the time I get it I may have cleared some of current stack. Infinite Jest is on the mental tbr (that autocorrected as mental tube)

I shared your dismay, Keith. Who wants what amounts to a whole short novel on a mountain lion? The answer? Everyone! Or me, at least. Not to mention it breaks up the book into something that feels chapter-y which is helpful with a single sentence novel

Western mountain lion or Eastern mountain lion?

What’s it’s velocity?

@TimeforaGandT I read The Binding fairly recently and like you I enjoyed it. It was a great concept, with a sometimes flawed execution. I agree the section on the farm when Emmett falls in love is the best - it is totally absorbing and moving and really captures those feelings of first love. The concept is great and raises lots of issues around narrative and power, abusers rewriting family history and who controls your story. But it does seem to sort of lose its way at the end.

@TheNavigator - pleased to hear I am not the only one who has read this (attracted by the lovely cover!). It’s such a pity that the final section is not as strong as the earlier parts as lots of potential for it to be a really good book because of the concept and issues, the characters and storytelling.

Sorry folks after triggering all of the Ducks, Newburport chat I disappeared off the face off the earth. I've just spent 2 days in assessment centre/ job interview hell which was very stressful and stole all of my time.

I got as far as putting Ducks on my phone ready to listen to it a few weeks ago, but I was trying to get back on track last month to my moonshot target for this year. I didn't make it so have abandoned the ridiculous notion that would see me stressed for the rest of the year and take any enjoyment out of it. I am really not in it for the numbers I know I'll never have this free time opportunity available again so have wanted to make the most of it while it lasts. Which means Ducks and other such doorstops can wait while I pretend I'm not counting.

Hope it went well Fortuna

A Walk in The Woods - Bill Bryson in which he attempts to walk the Appalachian Trail with his friend Katz, braving moose, bears and personal incompetence, mainly on the part of Katz. Mountain Lions get a look in here too.

Hope it went well fortuna. I can’t believe you’ve ducked out of it

I don’t think too much about the numbers, I kind of average between 50-70 without trying too hard, or thinking about book length, so guess that’s my sweet spot. I would like to hit 100 one time.