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

mackerella I definitely wasn't feeling the love for Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat - I didn't come away with a single recipe I wanted to try, which is very unusual for me (tbf, it's not really a recipe book, but there are recipes & they definitely didn't inspire me). I do like a good foodie book though - Dorothy Hartley's Food in England (what's not to love about a book that advises you to vary your lamb accompaniments depending on where the animal grazed) and The Medieval Kitchen by Odile Redon (which got me making almond milk a good 15 years before it was fashionable ) are particular favourites, along with the much-read-on-here Pedant in the Kitchen. I'd love to hear your recommendations.

I did enjoy all of Moby Dick, although the whale:humour ratio shifts dramatically in favour of whale as it goes on. Completely mad book. I got to the end and wondered what I had just read.
Compared to Infinite Jest, on the other hand, if we are reflecting on stupidly long so called “must reads” it was a breeze.

Never read Moby Dick but I did just laugh at your whale:humour ratio shift comment Pepe

Whale:humour ratio

140. Mexican Gothic by Silvio Moreno-Garcia

Noemi is sent by her father to visit her newlywed cousin Catalina, after she sparks concern for her mental health, and the family suspect her husband of being a fortune hunter.

What follows is a creepy house and even creepier family saga, that I was actually really enamoured of and expecting to write a glowing review of.

And the end... knocked it right down to a 3 star, the explanation for the house and the family is risible frankly. So much so that I'd like to state the Big Reveal in order to make fun but I'm aware the spoiler would be huge.

It's such a shame it was so good til that point

A Town Like Alice is 99p today. It's one of my very favourite books.

Me too Remus

Also a big fan of A Town like Alice

"Something that we've all read?
Of Mice and Men?
Little Women?
The first Famous Five book?
Hans Christian Anderson?"

No, no, no, and no.

"Harry Potter, the first one"

No

"50 Shades Of Grey by EL James"

No

I'm very sorry for your loss, Terpsichore And (((Sadik))).

Eine, I’m very tempted by Mexican Gothic for Halloween reading. I read Stephen King novels so am rarely deterred by a terrible ending . I think I want spooky and creepy so I can curl up under a blanket and be distracted from the actual horror show outside the front door. I can forgive some silliness in pursuit of that if you tell me the journey is worth it, even if the destination is not.

Thank you, Cote

I hope you're doing OK, Sadik

@PepeLePew

Dont want to vouch for it, but would appreciate another reader to go

220. Shuggie Bain - Douglas Stuart A sensitive and effeminate boy grows up with an alcoholic mother and largely absent father on a rough council estate in a struggling mining community in 80s Glasgow. Dealing with class, sectarianism, addiction and poverty in the Thatcher era. While titled for the boy, it really focusses on his mother's descent into alcoholism and the destructive force this has on her surrounding family.

This is a very powerful and grim depiction of alcoholism. It's quite gritty overall and somewhat bleak. Written in dialect, but still accessible, this has some really interesting and beautiful writing. It unfolds very slowly in a non linear fashion. My only criticism is that it could have done with some tighter editing. It was longer than it needed to be and got a little repetitive in places. It does need a trigger warning as well for some very uncompromising depictions of violent rape. It's not one I'll forget in a hurry.

221. Quite literally the worst book I've ever read - An unnamed local author My book club invited a local author to come and speak about his published works and the one in progress. We split the group to ensure between us we'd read both books. Due to covid restrictions this had to be cancelled, with a view to rebooking in the future. I will not be able to attend with a straight face. One member read this and described it as like reading the plot of a Scooby-Doo episode. The quality of the writing was so poor.

"It was the perfect place to write his next novel. And he wasn't going to get a more perfect house to rent than this one. As he stared through the window, he knew this was the place for him. It was the perfect place to write, and it was the perfect place to escape the past."

Every female character was introduced by where she fell on an attractiveness scale and this continued every time a woman was mentioned. Only there were no women in this book, they were constantly referred to as 'ladies' in a very patronising way.

"She had... and a face that was pretty, but could've been prettier if she'd bothered to apply just a little makeup."

I cannot understand how this got published. It was ludicrously dire and the plot was ridiculous. The author obviously couldn't decide between 3 endings so mashed them all together in a nonsensical way. I could completely believe this was written by a committee of Year 8 boys. I didn't want to name and shame as it would be quite outing and probably cruel to someone living their dream. If anyone from my bookclub is on here they will definitely figure out who I am.

Anyone on my Goodreads can see what it was. I won't be leaving a review or a star rating as it would destroy the one 5 review in place. I'm beyond disgruntled but not a complete monster.

@TimeforaGandT

64. Second Form at Malory Towers - Enid Blyton

I read this in bed on Sunday morning. A nostalgic read and was impressed how much I remembered despite not reading for 30+ years. Darrell and her friends have moved up to the second form. They are joined by three new girls: Ellen - a short-tempered scholarship girl, Belinda - a scatter-brained artistic girl and Daphne - a beautiful, rich girl. The storylines revolve around the new girls and ultimately doing the right thing. Perfect for the moment.

Have you seen the tv series on cbbc. Really good. Ignore the fact it was made for childrens tv - should have been put on Sundays evening as it’s family viewing.

FortunaMajor oh dear, that does sound bloody awful. Are you being expected to think up intelligent questions to ask?

I like Alice and Moby Dick (not shortening that title!)

fortuna that sounds amazing!

Quite literally the worst book I've ever read - An unnamed local author

We surely must live in the same area because I read a book by somebody who is a local author and their written English was appalling. If I'd been asked I'd have suggested an adult education class to them.

Talking of terrible books I have just finished a psychological fiction book by a nameless author who actually holds up the parents of a high profile missing child as an example of how it's always the parents. I have left a scathing review of the book online and given it 1 star as 0 stars are not possible.

At the moment I am enjoying Autumn by Ali Smith and The nanny state made me by Stuart Maconie. Earlier reading, as the debacle with university finance has been resolved at last, included the takeaway menu as it's the first day of the school holidays.

Sadik and Terpsichore thinking of you both

I'm also A Town Like Alice fan though I think I have read it one time too many, I read it a lot in the past and loved it every time but I read it earlier this year/last year and didn't really enjoy it

BookWitch we've agreed that polite ones will do. I'm sure he's not a bad person, so we will be welcoming. My issue is more with the publisher, but asking who he's sleeping with there is apparently not in the spirit.

"The wanking vicar was from that silly book about aliens, the title of which I have forgotten."

It was by the author of that stupid book about an intelligent, interesting Victorian Era prostitute who becomes a dull housewife shortly after she starts caring for a child

I couldn't finish that stupid book, Cote. .

Satsuki if it were my copy, I'd post it to you so you could find out for yourself how amazing it is. That's the only saving grace, I borrowed it and didn't pay out for it.

Betts I'd be thrilled if we did. You could come and present a thesaurus to him with me. Does your town feature heavily in a non-fic book fairly popular on the thread?

@FortunaMajor

Satsuki if it were my copy, I'd post it to you so you could find out for yourself how amazing it is. That's the only saving grace, I borrowed it and didn't pay out for it.

Betts I'd be thrilled if we did. You could come and present a thesaurus to him with me. Does your town feature heavily in a non-fic book fairly popular on the thread?

Fortuna It does feature heavily in a non-fic book but nobody has ever mentioned it on the thread so alas, no.

That stupid book is one of my all time favourites

I finished that stupid book six years ago and it was unforgettable. Here is my review:

59. The Crimson Petal And The White - Michel Faber

This book started out really well, with original and spirited narration and fine detail about Victorian-era London, focusing on a young intellectual prostitute called Sugar. It was so promising in the beginning that I kept on reading it & hoping that something interesting would happen, even after it went downhill and died a long slow death between pages 100 and 500 or so.

I know that this book has its fans on here and I was going to hold back in my criticism for that reason, but I feel that people have a right to know just how terrible it is. The original writing style that makes the first chapter so interesting disappears into thin air shortly thereafter. The so-called intellectual prostitute (well, she can hold a conversation with men and is writing a book about a female serial killer when the reader first meets her) quickly becomes a dull, boring servant. Gives up on the book she is writing, and judging by the evidence, on all efforts to influence her fate one way or another. Becomes a helpless puppy craving her man's affection, whereas she was previously capable of discretely manipulating him for her own purposes.

894 pages of this drivel on domestic boredom, and you don't even get a story with any sort of plot At least the non-existent story somewhat prepares you for the shockingly inept "ending" which was so not an ending that I was puzzled when I turned the page and didn't find anything there.

Gah. I can go on but you get the message. I'm actually feeling pretty pissed off about having spent two weeks on this and can safely say that I will not be touching another Michel Faber book ever again.