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

Thought, at the time, that The Miniaturist was one of the most overhyped things I'd ever read. It made no sense and ended nowhere.

Waterstones at the time promoted it heavily and also Essex Serpent which put me off reading the latter .

I'm a bit embarrassed over Old Baggage as it was one of my options for book club. In turn we propose 3 books and someone else chooses from these. I didn't think it would get picked and now feel a bit sheepish about it. I've given it a decent GR rating as the author has recently withdrawn her latest book from consideration for the Women's Prize on a matter of principle (yet another Prize failing its remit) so she got an extra star for that.

In terms of ratings, I am stingy with 5s, but would like to throw them out more widely. I feel there needs to be a 5+ option for the truly outstanding. I can't believe I put this much thought and effort in as if it means anything anyway.

235. I have finished Troy and it was marvellous. I really don't think you can spoiler one of the oldest stories of all time, but everybody dies. Soz.

I appreciated this for the extra explanations Stephen throws in. I had a few penny drop moments, particularly in the early who's who part and also where certain words have come from. Audio is the way forward for this one, it was beautifully done.

Stephen Fry is also doing the audiobook for The Ickabog which is JKRs latest offering for children.

Some interesting bookish auctions here if anyone’s interested. Some v low bids. Donations go to Fareshare bookstonourish.wordpress.com/?fbclid=IwAR14Wp5KJHwIecrrH1keBqKwvn2vBIueeIfAq7c8LvqHaOQLx8CV5-pGzEs

Fortuna I've also finished Troy today.

63. Troy by Stephen Troy I thoroughly enjoyed Mythos and Heroes earlier this year, and the next installment of Stephen Fry's retellings of the Greek myths. They are well-told and accessible for the modern reader, but he sticks to the story well and doesn't mess around with it too much. There is enough of the back story of the betrothal of Helen and the oaths of her many suitors to always protect her, to give the Trojan war enough context. The characters of Achilles, Ajax, Helen, Paris, Hector and Agamemnon were well drawn and it made for an enjoyable read.

I listened to it on Audible, well narrated by the man himself. He has such a lovely storytelling voice.

My default is 3 stars, like a lot of people I think. 3 stars is OK, enjoyable. 4 stars for yes, a good book I'd recommend. I don't give out many 5 stars, for the really outstanding. I've just looked on Goodreads and my recent 5-star books (in the last few years) are:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Heart's Invisible Furies
The Dutch House
Nothing to Envy
The Lord of the rings
The Mists of Avalon
11.22.63
Rebecca
Katherine by Anya Seton
Fall of Giants
Pillars of the Earth

I also appear to have given out 5 stars very readily when I first joined GR, and have given less and less as time has gone on. One of the first books I ever reviewed was The DaVinci Code which I gave 5 stars. I throw myself to your mercy

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit

HOW VERY DARE YOU BETTS

LIGHT THE LAMP NOT THE RAT

I love it so much I have owned it in 3 different formats

PAH! AT LEAST I HAVE TASTE

Bookwitch I throw myself to your mercy

I too will admit to rather liking The DaVinci Code at the time. I couldn't put it down.

Troy by Stephen Troy

😂😍

Eine - gah, typo! I have Troy on the brain, obviously!

@BookWitch - Katherine by Anya Seton is one of my all time favourite books but I didn’t include it in my 5 star books above as I was only looking back at recent reads but a great read.

I really liked Old Baggage. I thought it was funny and moving, and I would have appreciated it as a book club choice more than the fucking cat book thats for sure

@FortunaMajor

Bookwitch I throw myself to your mercy

I too will admit to rather liking The DaVinci Code at the time. I couldn't put it down.

I'll admit to it too, after all if people can admit to liking The Muppets then what could possibly go wrong.

Nooooo not Rebecca spoilers argh!!

I thought everyone knew a Christmas carol? I remember how one of the movies scared the shit out of me in English and I almost fell back in my chair from the jump scare

Recent top reads are:

An inspector calls
Mists of Avalon
A little life
Anna Karenina
Labyrinth
Catcher in the rye
Gone with the wind
Islands of mercy
To kill a mockingbird

Sharpens pitchforks to hound Bookwitch, Fortuna and bett* off thread.

Okay, The Da Vinci Code kept you turning the pages while in the moment, but five stars? The star system is forever sullied.

So I have finished Rebecca and absolutely loved it! May have cured me of my avoidance of such "classic" books. Despite obviously having the wrong story in my head for most of it . Sorry for any spoilers!

I am quite disappointed it's not on my 100 book poster to scratch off though. Great idea for a gift but it just hasn't encouraged me to read any and I aas almost certain this would feature.

Now what to read next? Any classics that will grip me for the future that anyone could suggest?

@KeithLeMonde

I really liked Old Baggage. I thought it was funny and moving, and I would have appreciated it as a book club choice more than the fucking cat book thats for sure

Keith you still sound bitter It will certainly give us a lot to talk about, but I was raving about Crooked Heart so may have over promised.

Biblio I think we probably deserve to be rounded up, but it was definitely a thing at the time.

Some of my 5 Stars (I know that the minute I post this I will think of more/better ones) but:

A Fine Balance
House of Spirits
Year of Wonder
Rebecca
A God in Ruins
The Goldfinch
Beloved
The Blind Assassin
Restless
The Poisinwood Bible
The Stand

Matilda I would say no Dickens yet even if this lot are promising Muppets and any amount dead Marleys to go with it.

Some of these are whoppers so approach with caution. I'm also not sure what you've already read.
Vanity Fair
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
Pride & Prej?
Lark Rise to Candleford
North and South
Middlemarch
The Picture of Dorian Grey
The Importance of Being Earnest

Unless you're looking for something a bit more modern?

If memory is correct @FortunaMajor, one of the first lines are Marley was dead as a doornail

Gah it posted before I was ready and properly ordered

Matilda

The Bell Jar
Of Mice and Men
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
To Kill a Mockingbird
Breakfast at Tiffany's
The Great Gatsby
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Frankenstein
Jane Eyre
Lord of the Flies

Thanks for the ideas @fortunamajor!
I actually haven't done many as I seem to have avoided them after school. Read Lord of the Flies and Gatsby at school. I enjoyed them so I imagine it was the endlessly looking for deeper meanings that put me off. And I've read To Kill A Mockingbird. Couldn't get on with Austen (tried Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion) but again I was still school age back then! Maybe time for another go.
Jane Eyre I feel I should read so I manage to find out about the woman in the attic

157. Unnatural Causes by Richard Shepherd

One of the many in the recent trend for "profession memoirs" Richard Shepherd is a forensic pathologist, and a high profile one at one time. He was involved in the cases of Stephen Lawrence, Rachel Nickell and Shipman, and represented Britain during the 9/11 identification process.

It's a "cut above" many profession memoirs because it is so well written, nearly novelesque, I really, really liked it and would strongly recommend.

It also gave me the heeby jeebies for MN related reasons. If you've been around on any of the "woo threads" you'll know about "The Savernake Forest" story. It only turns out there was a big shooting incident there in the 80s 👀

@bibliomania

Sharpens pitchforks to hound Bookwitch, Fortuna and bett* off thread.

Okay, The Da Vinci Code kept you turning the pages while in the moment, but five stars? The star system is forever sullied.

🤪

@FortunaMajor

Gah it posted before I was ready and properly ordered

Matilda

The Bell Jar
Of Mice and Men
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
To Kill a Mockingbird
Breakfast at Tiffany's
The Great Gatsby
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Frankenstein
Jane Eyre
Lord of the Flies

Four of those are gcse texts that my ds has been studying this year.

One of the great joys of being a grown up is reading a classic, expecting it to be awfully dry and heavy, and realising "Oh, THIS is why this book has been read and re-read for generations"