50 Book Challenge 2020 Part Nine

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the ninth 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 still not too late to join, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

The previous threads of 2020:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Fortuna ...the horror.

Oh gawd. Don't get me started on Lethal White, Jolly. I wanted it to serve as escapism for me, but I wish I could have escaped the boredom of reading it. I found it as dull as a dull thing on a dull day with a very special reason to be very, very dull.

And I say that as somebody who likes Robin and Strike and feels relatively invested in what happens to them.

The Little Princesses by Marion Crawford (aka Crawfie) is 99p at the moment if anybody who hasn't read it wants to after it was mentioned on here not so long ago.

Indie music aficionados, so is Alan McGee's book about Creation Records.

@Remus
I finished Troubled Blood this afternoon, and it is far far better than Lethal White
I'll get around to a proper review later

Interesting, Bookwitch. Look forward to the review.

Sending sympathy and good wishes to those living with sadness and loss at the moment.

72. Rodham, Curtis Sittenfeld

We know that Sittenfeld does earnest, clever women, and powerful men, and gender politics, so there was plenty to enjoy here. But I still struggle to understand WHY. Why did she decide to write this intimate fantasy (not just the sex scenes but the diarrhoea, the leg shaving, the lube!) about a woman who is not only still alive but who has had all kinds of nasty shit flung at her over the years? I understand that it's a fascinating dynamic, the quietly ambitious woman, the charming, sexually incontinent man, the question of whether either of them can or should subdue their nature to enhance the other, but surely Sittenfeld could have taken those elements and run with them into a scenario that doesn't involve real people?

Readable, sure, but I felt grubby afterwards.

PS Not to gloat but my library reservations for Difficult Women came though for both the ebook and the physical version this morning! Will ring them and let them know they can pass the real book on to the next person. I love Helen Lewis, she's written some brilliant articles recently.

66 The Golden Rule. Amanda Craig
I had seen this reviewed in a magazine and I had the impression it was a thriller inspired by The Strangers on a Train. It turned out to be the tale of a poor, bright girl who marries an abusive, rich man but returns to her loving family in Cornwall and meets a good, rich man who teaches her about video games and rescues her in her hour of need. The suspense is a small part of the story .Fine if that’s what you’re looking for but unfortunately for every paragraph relating to the plot there is one giving us an opinion about Brexit, the housing crisis, gig economy….. The author also has the habit of dumping chunks of research into dialogue so there is mansplaining as well. Not for me.

Interesting what you say about Rodham, Keith. I've not read it but wondered something similar. I loved American Wife but felt even that - which at least was lightly fictionalised - trod a fine line in terms of where it was appropriate for a novelist to go. I think that there are probably enough books in the world that I don't need to put Rodham high up my TBR list. Probably a relief, given its length.

keith yes agree! American Wife felt enough removed to enjoy as a fiction - I read it not realising the Bush story was so aligned with it - Rodham just felt weird and sort of prurient. And also oddly restrained in some ways, like she had a great premise and didn’t do anything interesting with it.

Yes, Satsuki and I both felt similarly about Rodham IIRC

Could have been so much better and some strange choices.

Gosh Black and British is a fabulous book!

It ahs taken a good week and half to get through but very paragraph is fascinating. It is increasingly jaw dropping towards the end , although I did ha! out loud with some satisfaction at the mention of Colston's erect (at the time of writing) statue gazing down.

I have read my way through Black History Month and feel all the better informed and somewhat reflective for it. Not heartened though.

There is a young person's version of Olusoga's book now, which I heartily recommend.

Oh no, I just bought Rodham in a 99p deal this month, and now I feel guilty for considering it! Is it not possible to consider it as complete fiction (i.e. inspired by Hillary but not actually meant to be an alternative her for real)? Like how some people become.so famous that the myth takes on a life of its own, completely separate from the real person?

211. The Other Side Of The Coin: The Queen, The Dresser and The Wardrobe by Angela Kelly

This is written by the Queen's dresser and therefore includes a lot of detail of how outfits are designed or chosen for a particular event. It’s actually quite interesting even if you’re not particularly interested in dressmaking but if you are you will get more out of it. I did like the little insights into what the Queen is really like - she does come across in this book as a nice woman to work for. However, Kelly does still work for the Queen so this can be sycophantic at times. She’s also not the best of writers.

212. Theatre Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

Originally called Curtain Up this has been republished with a ‘Shoes’ name to tie it with Ballet Shoes. This actually does link back to Ballet Shoes quite a bit although I don’t think all the Shoes books do. This is about the Forbes children who are sent to live with their acting grandmother during the war, who promptly dispatches them to Madame Fidolia’s Academy where they are awarded scholarships from the Fossil sisters. There are other similarities with Ballet Shoes - there’s one episode where the eldest girl has to wear an old velvet dress that’s too small and I recall a similar event in Ballet Shoes. If you liked Ballet Shoes you will probably like this too.

213. In Strictest Confidence by Craig Revel Horwood

The third volume of his autobiography, covering 2014-2019. Some insight into the Strictly contestants although he never says anything truly nasty. Easy read for Strictly fans.

214. Glorious Rock Bottom by Bryony Gordon

Another memoir, this time about the start of the author’s recovery from alcoholism. Very brave and honest and an interesting read even if you’re not directly affected by the issue yourself.

215. Just Before I Died by S. K. Tremayne

Overwrought psychological thriller. Katy’s car skids on ice and ends up at the bottom of a lake, but luckily she escapes. However she then starts finding out things that lead her to believe it wasn’t an accident. This had a good setting (Dartmoor in winter) but was just all a bit too unbelievable.

I had similar thoughts about Rodham just upthread. I still think it’s worth a read mackerella, especially for 99p.

58. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith

Probably my top read so far this year. Certainly the best page turner. At 900 pages (I listened on Audible - nearly 32 hours!), it probably could have been tightened up a bit and been 200 or so pages shorter, but honestly, I really didn't mind. Easily the best in the series so far.

Robin and Strike take on their first cold case, as they are hired to investigate the disappearance of GP Margot Bamborough in the early 1970s. There was a botched police investigation at the time, and it is generally believed that she was a victim of a now convicted serial killer who was active at the time.
The plot meanders over a year of Robin and Strike's lives, who investigate the numerous lines of enquiry in the cold Bamborough case alongside other cases in their busy detective agency, as well as significant developments in their personal lives, Strike's aunt Joan (who pretty much brought him up) passes away, his estranged rock-star dad is trying to get in touch and his ex-girlfriend Charlotte is in a bad place. Robin is in the midst of a sticky divorce and is being sent dick pics by one of the part time investigators the agency has hired due to the work load.
The Bamborough case is complex and intricate, but it comes together well and I didn't guess the killer. It is low on action and big on dialogue and characters being interviewed and their memories of events 40 years ago being challenged , but I have never been a fan of books were detectives are chased through dark alleys.

For anyone wondering about the trans controversy - there is no trans character, and certainly no transphobia or bigotry that I could see. The already convicted serial killer ( a heterosexual male) who is suspected of killing Margot MAY have disguised himself in a woman's coat in one of his known murders. There is a lesbian couple, one of whom is the daughter of Margot Bamborough who hire Robin and Strike to investigate, and Robin's new flatmate is gay - all very positively portrayed.
There is a lot of feminism, both from the numerous female characters from the 1970s - Margot as a young female GP was up against a lot of prejudice from the establishment that as a wife and mother of a young baby, she should not be working, the access to reliable contraception and safe abortion was still an issue etc, to Robin in the present day being harrassed by dick pics and her decision to finally stand up for herself and not be treated like crap.

I really enjoyed it, have a bit of a book hangover now.

Bookwitch, I agree, Troubled Blood was excellent. I was sorry to finish it.

Oh I feel silly for not thinking about the strangeness of writing THAT book about Clinton, but you are right it’s strange thing to do especially as she clearly respects her a lot.

48. The Mirror and The Light by Hilary Mantel.

Twice as long, half as good.

I think this was the hardest chapter to write as many good characters have been killed off. I miss the more domestic sections and I found the international politics pretty dull. Last 200 pages were very good but honestly I just feel relieved it’s over which is a shame as I loved the first two.

Good review bookwitch

mackerella worth 99p it’s well-written and not unenjoyable to read, I found a lot of the political stuff quite interesting, especially coming up to another election in the US, and the historical look at Hilary’s career path I quite liked. So not a complete dud.

@Palegreenstars

I felt very similarly and also felt that good end section you mention was rushed. I wasn't surprised when the hat trick nomination was not forthcoming.

137. Mrs. Jordan's Profession by Claire Tomalin

Firstly, I want to say from the top that I loved this, I thought it was brilliant, maybe my read of the year yet. If you are one for a historical biography and or one for "women forgotten by history" this is for you.

As many people "know", Queen Victoria ascended the throne because she was the only living child the sons of George III managed to produce.

Except this is untrue, her uncle King William IV from whom she inherited the throne had 10 living children, except they were all illegitimate and all born to him from his long term mistress of 20 years, popular stage actress Dora Jordan.

Considering the Victorian era and the years before it are largely considered to have had higher standards of "Christian morality" than we do now, Mrs Jordan's Profession strongly shows otherwise.

It is hard to imagine our modern day Prince William "getting away with" having 10 children with a stage actress he never married before going on to make a legitimate union, 20 years later, when bored of his "common law wife"

William and Dora, were strongly lampooned in the press for a time but it died down. Their children, both male and female, felt the stress of being technically royal grandchildren and yet not enough. As adults the illegitimacy effected the sons more strongly.

It is hard not to see Dora Jordan (no Mr Jordan ever existed) as anything other than extremely ill used. Though it was true that William couldn't marry Dora due to the Royal Marriages Act, he also didn't have much of an income and she continued to play roles on stages throughout Britain and Ireland to support their children and to keep him in the lifestyle to which he was accustomed; often this happened when she was heavily pregnant or was breastfeeding. And even though he needed her to work he perpetually guilted her about the propriety angle of it. Honestly, he seems like a Proper Arsehole.

As her body slowed down, she stopped conceiving and reached menopause and middle aged spread, he jilted her, proposed to a younger woman who refused him then used her profession which had sustained them, as the moral failing by which he deserved custody of their children, and she sank into poverty and died alone. He married a German Princess, Adelaide not much older than his oldest daughters.

What a twat.

Great book though. Fascinating. Highly recommend.

Great review Eine. I'll put that one on my TBR list, sounds like the sort of thing I'd like. I really enjoyed The Strangest Family last year, that was about all the Georges but was largely focused on George III and his numerous children (about 17?) . What an absolute car crash of a family. None of the girls were allowed to marry, as George III thought no one was good enough for them (though to be fair he did have serious mental issues ). Therefore they mostly became rather odd old spinsters all living together. All the sons behaved like absolute knobs, fathering am army of illegitimate children. Out of all their children, there was only ONE legitimate grandchild, the Princess Charlotte, who would have been Queen, if she hadn't died in childbirth. Then there were no legitimate heirs so the sons then engaged in a race to marry and produce a legitimate child who would become king or queen (Victoria was the result of this) . What a farce!

Great review Eine.

And interesting addendum Bookwitch. Thanks both.

That’s a great review of Troubled Blood thank you Book!

I’m pleased to hear you all rate TB more than Lethal White as I’m already planning it as next read.