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

Sadik I had an Apple Newton, I got given one by somebody who worked for the manufacturer.

I've finished Names for the Sea about the author's life living in Iceland. It was interesting to read about a country that I've been to several times (3, 4?) and hear the perspective of an expat living there. I'm hoping to find a contemporary book written by an Icelander for comparison as the general outlook on life seems to be very different to ours, and why wouldn't it be?

I've also read the Hourly History Beethoven book which was interesting but not demanding. Other than that I've had a few DNF books which I hope to come back to Autumn (Ali Smith) Jacob's room is full of books (Susan Hill) and The Nanny State made me* (Stuart Maconie).

I tend to either finish a book in a couple of nights or not finish it at all.

I also think there are far too many books about posh people in massive houses surviving on just a crust of bread and wanging on about how poor they are and living off the vicars charity

71 Few Eggs and no Oranges Vere Hodgson
This is a diary of an ex teacher living and doing charitable work in Notting Hill during the second world war. She writes vividly of her experiences and comments on the progress of the war. I was struck by how basic living conditions were and how stoical she and those around her were in the face of constant danger from air attacks. She has great respect for Churchill;it must make a difference to be able to have faith in the prime minister’s leadership

Ex-H had a Newton through his work Betts - they knew what they were trying to do, just the rest of the world hadn't caught up

I've bitten the bullet and ignored both my Northern ancestors creaming about thrift and my inner voice screaming about how awful number 4 was, and bought the latest Strike on Kindle. I feel as if I need to at least give it a go so I can argue about it if I hate it, and I can't find anything else I want to read.

You can always return it, Remus. I’m listening to it on Audible. Early days but I’m much more invested in it than I was in Lethal White.

@Sadik

Ex-H had a Newton through his work Betts - they knew what they were trying to do, just the rest of the world hadn't caught up

Sadik That sounds much like most of my friends who worked in a converted water company building.

73. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan Sequel to Crazy Rich Asians. If anything, I enjoyed this more than the first book. I've read that Kevin Kwan pretty much surprised himself by writing Crazy Rich Asians, as he had aspirations to be a much more serious and literary writer. By this second book, it feels like he has settled more into this blockbuster style and decided to have some fun with it. This time, the main protagonists from the last book, Nick and Rachel, feature less heavily, particularly in the first half. As these two tend to be the voice of sensibility and restraint, their absence allows the more outrageous characters to take centre stage, with some pretty funny over the top set pieces. Just the escapism needed.

74. The Wild Remedy by Emma Mitchell Beautifully illustrated journal of a year in wildlife, with some very thoughtful and honest insights into the effect of nature on mental health, and Emma's own mental health throughout the year. The basic concept that being in nature boosts our mental health is not new or ground breaking, so to base a book around this, it has to have something extra. In this book, it was the illustrations - her own drawings and photos, plus arrangements of flowers and found objects. Aside from the pictures, the writing was also good. I already followed her on Twitter, and caught her recent appearance on Autumnwatch, so roughly knew what to expect from this book, and it didn't disappoint.

43. Confusion by Elizabeth Jane Howard The third instalment of the Cazalet Chronicles did not disappoint. Tempted to go straight on to no.4 but I know I'll enjoy it more if I eke it out

118. The Girl with all the Gifts, MR Carey
Zombie apocalypse; a ragtag band of survivors make their way across hostile territory. I have a vague memory of this dividing opinion on here a few years ago and didn't expect much, but it kept me turning the pages till silly o'clock to see what happened. Not great literature - stock characters whose fates were all a bit pat, but I enjoyed it.

The Wild Remedy can't download to my ancient Kindle, Museum, due to the pictures, and i my phone screen is too small. A bit frustrating.

Oh that's frustrating biblio. I read it on a Kindle Fire and it worked well, though the text was a bit small and had to be enlarged by zooming rather than increasing the text size, as I think even the text portions are technically images. I can see how it wouldn't work on a traditional Kindle or phone. Just as an experiment, I just tried to open it on my laptop through my Amazon content, which most books will allow you to do, but no go. I guess it's just too image heavy. Hope you find some way of reading it at some point, it's worth it.

I treated myself to The Wild Remedy in hardback because the illustrations looked so beautiful. It really is lovely. I haven't read it all the way through yet, it's on my 'break open in case of emergency' shelf

154. One on One by Craig Brown

101 real life encounters between celebrities.

I'm afraid I tired of this quickly and thought much of it wasn't that worthwhile.

Two encounters are pretty much directly lifted from Just Kids which I only just read and I think the same is true of most of it in the sense of it's a bunch of anecdotes lifted from other peoples biographies and autobiographies.

I enjoyed the circular way that Ford, Wilde, Salinger, Hemingway, Joyce and Proust all had similar diss encounters with each other

But, inconsequential, ultimately.

104. The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

This is a dystopian tale, where 16yr old girls are banished to a remote island for a year (the Grace Year) to burn out their “magic”, before returning to rejoin their society as wives or workers. The girls have no choices over their eventual fates either, it’s all very patriarchal.

The Grace Year bit, where the girls are all isolated together, has a bit of a Lord of the Flies feel to it, with the added twist that there’s poachers lurking outside their encampment - waiting to catch any girls who stray and then kill and dismember them to make aphrodisiacs and youth potions, which are sold for a fortune.

It’s a bit grim, but overall a very gripping read.

105. Hurrah for Gin by Katie Kirby

This is a light hearted and amusing look at the author’s experience of parenting.

106. All New Wolverine Vol 2: Civil War II

Wolverine faces giant sea monsters and fights Captain America.

107. All New Wolverine Vol 3: Enemy of the State

Lots of bad things happen because of the trigger scent that sends Wolverine into a berserk rage.

108. All New Wolverine Vol 4: Immune

I don’t expect realistic storylines from superhero stories, but this was utterly ridiculous. A deadly alien virus crash lands on Roosevelt Island (New York), and they manage to get rid of it because..... the virus is drawn to attack Wolverine’s healing factor, so when the infected get skin contact with Wolverine, all the virus in them jumps into Wolverine and cures the infected
It’s the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever come across in any story featuring deadly diseases.

Eine I feel the same about I Capture the Castle , I don't understand the love. It was ok and I finished it, but just dull really. Mind you I also feel the same about A Man Called Ove and A Gentleman in Moscow , so what do I know?

I am on the verge of not finishing Three Things about Elsie. It was recommended a lot because I enjoyed Elizabeth is Missing, but I'm nearly halfway through and really not into it yet. I quiet like her little monologues att imes, but it is not really doing it for me. I am enjoying Stephen Fry's Troy on Audible though.

I’m very interested in reading Stephen Fry’s Troy.

I reserved it at the library, but I’ve no idea what’s going to be happening with reservations with the new lockdown. Hopefully they’ll still be doing them once they get their click and collect service running.

It's very good Stiches.
Have you read the earlier two? Mythos and Heroes?
I've enjoyed all of them, great series.
I've listened on Audible, but might end up buying copies for the bookshelf- a good addition I think, might wait until there is a box set

Yes I have BookWitch, Mythos and Heroes were two of my favourite reads from last year.

Buying all 3 of them as a box set (or even individually) does sound tempting. And it’s not long until Christmas 🤔

I really enjoyed Mythos but got bogged down in Heroes. I heard him talk about Troy at the Hay virtual festival this year and have been looking forward to it since reading The Iliad during lockdown.

I got Troy yesterday but can't start it until I've finished my book club read ready for Tuesday's meeting.

It's Old Baggage and I'm not feeling the same for it as I did Crooked Heart, it seems a bit slow at the 35% mark.

Lol at the slogans Remus!

I am looking forward to reading Troy too, would like the audiobook as well as find Fry's voice very soothing!

66. The Foundling by Stacey Halls. Well to be honest this was a bit pants- the idea was great, but the historical setting didn't feel genuine, and leant towards Victoria rather than 18th C. The ptsd suffered by Alexandra felt like a tick box exercise and the ending was ridiculously trite. Still, I did read to the end, so it must have had something going for it.

Stephen Fry reads some of the bedtime stories for adults on one of the relaxation/sleep apps out there, he's well suited to it. His voice is equally relaxing when heard in person as I can confirm after having had breakfast, lunch and dinner with him

I'm listening to Troy too - with Stephen Fry you always feel like you're in a safe pair of hands, so can relax right into it.

80. Creativity: a short and cheerful guide - John Cleese

Certainly very short (well under an hour to read) and fairly cheerful, I suppose. Main advice: give the subconscious time and space to do its work when you're trying to produce something new. Just about worth the 99p I paid for it, but not any more than that.

72 Blue Sky Kate Atkinson
I felt the author’s focus was on humour , rather than building a coherent plot. There was some very funny writing but it didn’t always add to the story . Some very dark themes were dealt with and the shifts in tone didn’t work for me. I didn’t enjoy it as much as her previous Jackson Brodie books.