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?

Eine, that is exactly what Leonard and Hungry Paul is like. I quite like my mother’s ramblings about people I met once in 1979, so perhaps that is why I enjoyed the book. It’s not the sort of thing I’d usually go for at all, but it was rather soothing and cheerful.

[grin]@EineReiseDurchDieZeit

Not much for me in the monthly deals but have snapped up Exhalation by Ted Chiang having really enjoyed the last book of stories of his I read. There is also a book about Octopuses that I think someone on here read recently - I’ve already read a book called The Soul of the Octopus so don’t know if I need this one as well...

One of the best (IMO) Shardlakes, Dark Fire is in there and the almost universally liked Into Thin Air. A couple of my favourite novels too - Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny and Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

I'm not even looking at the deals this month, I had an email overnight to say university have taken £600 from my bank - they were supposed to take it at the end of the month when the student finance comes in but have taken it today thus leaving me with £100 for the month. A strongly worded complaint has been sent already, cc'd to the bank.

Thanks Piggy

That sucks betts

I’m always quite pleased when there’s not a lot I want.

Slim pickings betts

I bought Waterlog by Roger Deakin and requested a couple of samples.

Good month to be skint betts

Absolute dross

Unless you are desperate to read Stepbrother With Benefits or similar

There’s a fair proportion of Why Mummy Why and Don’t tell her I’m at the Window types this month.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit

Good month to be skint betts

Absolute dross

Unless you are desperate to read Stepbrother With Benefits or similar

Awww, shucks and to think I've wanted to read that for so long now

Sorry about the money, betts, and I agree with everyone else that you're not missing out this month. I feel like anything I might want to read, I have already read.

60 The Ghost Fields Elly Griffiths
One of an easy read crime series set in Norfolk . Main character is a professor of archaeology with a complicated personal life . This one is based around a second world war air force crew. I find these entertaining to read and the characters engaging.
61 The Turn of the Key Ruth Ware.
Inspired by Turn of the Screw but nowhere near in the same league. A young woman takes a job as a nanny to a family in a remote highland house. The parents promptly leave her in charge while they go to a conference . Cue ghostly happenings leading to her being blamed for a tragic event. All highly unlikely and I doubt the portrayal of the nanny was taken from any first hand experience of that profession.
However reading this was distraction from having to read
62 My Year of Rest and Relaxation Ottessa Moshfegh
This was someone else’s choice for a book club. A wealthy young woman decides that the answer to all her angst is to try and sleep for a year using an incredible array of medication prescribed by a psychiatrist who I hope bears no resemblance to any real medical practitioner. As the reader learns more about her bleak and loveless childhood and adolescent the main character( we never learn her name) becomes more sympathetic but even so I really couldn’t find anything to like about her or any of the other characters. There was some good writing, the basic idea was an intriguing one and there was some redemption at the end but for me there was so much about the book that was nasty and unpleasant that I was glad to get to the end.
I'm going to read the new Sally Magnusson now as a palate cleanser!
@bettsbattenburg I hope the money is soon back in your account where it belongs

Stepbrother with Benefits There are quite a few of the 1950s Nursing Angels at Christmas, The Quirky Small Business Venture by the Sea and Do You Believe Him? - A Gripping Psychological Thriller With An Unreliable Narrator A Shocking Twist variety, too.

I've bought a few books but nowhere near as many as usual! I may even see a net reduction in my TBR list at this rate... I got:

Drive Your Plow Over The Bones of the Dead (as I was intending to read it anyway)
In Black and White: A Young Barrister's Story of Race and Class in a Broken Justice by Alexandra Wilson
Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics by Peter Geoghegan

@mackerella

I wasn't being witty, I didnt make it up, it's REAL

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stepbrother-Benefits-1-Mia-Clark-ebook/dp/B00WNE62GW

And there are AT LEAST 5 volumes

I really loved this green and pleasant land by Ayisha Malik on the deals. Would appeal if you like The Archers I think.

Another Day in the Death of America is 99p again but I think most gave snapped this up previously. There does seem to be more trash to wade through each time but I did pick up a few things: Lot Bryan Washington and Scabby Queen by Kristen Innes both 2020 reads that look interesting.

I don’t know why though I’m drowning in Mantel still which is officially too long for me but am persevering because it’s a lovely read. It’s just taken such a big chunk of my year.

The sale is total crap.

Robert Macfarlane is still annoying.

I read a poetry book - I liked (I think) about 6 of them.

Sorry you're having a bad reading steak, Remus.

OMG, I thought you were being satirical, Eine . I've just read the blurb and ... eeeewwwwwww. It manages to be both eye-rollingly hackneyed and jaw-droppingly gross at the same time, which is quite an achievement.

I'm laughing at the idea of Remus having a bad reading steak . Hopefully a rare occurrence - well done for not being too chippy or beefing about it.

(I feel there's a joke about being a tartar in there, but I wouldn't dare make it.)

I'm hoping to 'meat' the right book for me very soon. I refuse to be cowed by my bad reading steak, and intend to take the bull by the horns in searching out new reading matter.

Oops,

Little Scratch - Rebecca Watson
Stream of consciousness very akin in style to Eimear McBride. Takes place over 24 hours in the thoughts of a young woman dealing with the after effects of a sexual assault at work.

While this is quite bleak in terms of content there were a few moments of laugh out loud dark humour. I do like this style and thought this was done really well. It's very fractured and I think the unusual form will probably put most people off, but it was worth the effort. It's only short which works (3 hours on audio). I thought this was narrated perfectly although I would like to actually read it at some point.

In job news, I've been offered something else I was waiting to hear back on for a local community project. Yay! No soulless corporate hell or long commute.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

I'm hoping to 'meat' the right book for me very soon. I refuse to be cowed by my bad reading steak, and intend to take the bull by the horns in searching out new reading matter.

Such a shame, make no beef about it it's a crying shame for such a well seasoned reader.

I hope the money is soon back in your account where it belongs

Nope, they have refused to refund it because I do owe them the money. I can try and claim it back from the bank via something called an indemnity claim and then make a payment plan with the university but I'd be in arrears (even though my module doesn't start until January) and then I'd lose access to the online resources and wouldn't get my certificate for the postgrad qualification I completed last month. I'd have to pay it in three weeks if I did that, I think i'll just do some strict budgeting.

Betts that's really awful of them!

I thought you were joking eine

remus I like the way your post reads like a diary entry. You just need to put “Fed dog, wrote another letter to the BBC” to channel Sue Townsend

I've been composing a poem about Margaret Thatcher, as it happens, but I have a spot and it's making me so depressed that I'm finding it difficult to compose poetry sufficient to bring down a government.

And I'm still trying to think of more rhymes for 'Pandora' - I already have a plethora, because she's a fine señora - especially when she's wearing Angora.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie how is her aura? If she's been associating with Margaret Thatcher then perhaps it's not as good as it could be.