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

159. The Silence Of The Lambs by Thomas Harris (Audible)

Never seen the film, and thought I'd read the book first. Given the reputation around it I expected a lot more - fairly generic American procedural really.

@sadik TLP is in my wish list waiting for it to be 99p.
@Blackcountryexile I hope you enjoy three hours, I've finished it now. One of the twists was one I really didn't see coming, it was quite disturbing which surprised me as it wasn't the one I expected to find disturbing. Trying not to spoil the plot.

I've decided I'm going to give reading Lethal White a miss, was too keen to watch the BBC adaptation and got a small mountain of library books to work through already. I'll just go straight to Troubled Blood, which might be a while as the library dont seem to have got in any of the new releases for ages. Does this make me a bad 50 booker?

Very wise decision. Lethal White is rubbish. All it really achieves is getting rid of that tosser, bloody boring bloody Matthew.

175. The Little Prince- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry I listened to this on BorrowBox. It wasn’t what I expected: I think I had mixed it up in my mind with The Happy Prince!

176. Empty Cradles- Margaret Humphreys An account of the horrors of child migration to Australia (and elsewhere) and how the author set up a charity to reunite people with their long-lost families. It makes quite depressing reading.

177. Bel Canto- Ann Patchett I was given this as a birthday present. It was a pretty good call, as I’m a musician and I also enjoy a good siege! I absolutely loved the first third and raced through it. The middle section, in which the relationships between the characters were developed, dragged at times and I thought the ending was a bit silly. But generally, this was a successful present.

178. A Monster Calls- Patrick Ness I had been impressed with both the book and the film. This, the audiobook, was equally accomplished. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy.

179. The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How it’s Broken- The Secret Barrister I listened to this on BorrowBox after having found the Secret Barrister slots on Channel 4 News interesting. It is very revealing about the inner workings of the legal system, particularly how little time barrister often have to prepare before going to court and how little they are paid for legal aid work. Annoyingly, there are a couple of mistakes on the audiobook which hadn’t been edited out, when the narrator had stumbled over his words and restarted a sentence.

180. The Stand- Stephen King Like several on this thread, I bought this when it was cheap on the Kindle recently. I am keen on apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic fiction and had been meaning to read it for ages. I mostly enjoyed it, although I did feel it was overly long and all the Randall Flagg stuff did absolutely nothing for me. Finishing the book felt like a proper achievement.

181. My Own Story- Emmeline Pankhurst It is years since I studied the Suffragettes, so it was good to be reminded of their story, particularly from Emmeline Pankhurst’s own point of view. This was free on the Kindle.

I'm still plodding along at a much-reduced reading rate, not able to settle to very much (have dropped off the OMF readalong temporarily but hope to rejoin next time). I've managed to finish another relatively short read, though:

83: Who Saw Him Die? - Sheila Radley

A much more violent crime than normal for Radley is at the centre of this book, but as ever her sharp insights into character and relationships are a pleasure to read. She's particularly acute about Inspector Quantrill's marital dissatisfaction and his perpetually roving eye, with the small-town setting skilfully evoked as ever. I've only got one more of these to read and I'll be sorry to have finished them.

I’m enjoying Troubled Blood much more than Lethal White. Obviously it could lose about 30% of the words with no impact on the plot but it’s great so far. Sorry to hear the ending is terrible, but I don’t mind that so much - I like Stephen King so bad endings don’t really register much any more!

119. Slow Train to Venice, by Tom Chesshyre.
I'm reading travel narratives in lieu of going places. Author take s trains across France, Belgium, Netherlands and to points eat as far as Odessa and the circles back to Venice. He's no Paddy Leigh Fermor. We get What I Can See Through The Train Window, A Conversation with the Conductor, What I Ate and Here's A Random Gobbet From The Guidebook. I still found it soothing.

The Life Project was very favourably reviewed by me in 2018, but I probably picked it up in the first place due to Sadik's 2016 review.

75. All Things Wise And Wonderful by James Herriot Lovely, lovely comfort read. This one recounts his time spent away from Darrowby in the RAF, and as such, unlike the first book, the veterinary tales do not build up a chronological story of his life there but are more anecdotal. The format is each chapter starts by recounting what he was up to in the RAF, followed by a clumsy segue into a vet story which takes up the bulk of the chapter ('This incident served to remind me how much grit you needed to make it as an RAF pilot. That got me thinking about the time I removed a piece of grit from old Ned Birtle's best milker's udder...' This is not a real example, but honestly it's nearly as bad as that). That's all I can fault it on though. Just charming and engaging.

I'm on book 40 - so 50 is still doable, with a bit of focus, right?
how do people who are well into three figures read so much, what's the secret?

The secret for me this year is being clinically vulnerable and in lockdown. 100 has been my limit in previous years.
Pushing for 200 is technically doable but it will be a push and might break me

Also is it just me or is there literally fuck all on television.Even Netflix has been slim pickings.

hope you are staying well @EineReiseDurchDieZeit
have just checked my list - am actually on book 41 now, after just reading We Should All Be Feminists, which was a petite 50 pages but made a point

@FranKatzenjammer I thought the same about Empty Cradles but I'm so glad I read it. I'm hoping to see Oranges and Sunshine" at some point, I might have a look and see if it's on Netflix or similar later. The Secret Barrister was one I read and enjoyed too but I've yet to read My Own Story* from my TBR pile.

@bibliomania I haven't read that Tom Chesshyre book but enjoyed his From Source to Sea about the River Thames even though I'd have preferred it to be about the Severn.

Eine I was going for 200 but downgraded it a few weeks ago, I'm on 93% of my new target so might make it.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit

Also is it just me or is there literally fuck all on television.Even Netflix has been slim pickings.

I can't say as I've noticed but the downside of having the xbox in the lounge is that I rarely get to watch TV. It's DS's TV as my Mum decided to buy him a TV for Xmas and his birthday last year not thinking that I'd say no to the xbox being in his bedroom. Consequently I rarely watch anything at all as I like watching TV with company not alone. I do miss it at times though.

I am reading right now as DH os on the x box Betts! Tbf he would stop if I wanted the telly. There isn't that much we both like at the moment though, and he likes films where I like long TV shows with superheroes and story arcs!

70. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie. I am on a Christie roll now, I think it is something about this time of year! Also they are very soothing in a stressful time (which for me rn os not corona but a house sale!). This was the first Tommy and Tuppence once, and it isn't really a whodunit, more of a thriller. It's quite clever though.

@Tanaqui

I am reading right now as DH os on the x box Betts! Tbf he would stop if I wanted the telly. There isn't that much we both like at the moment though, and he likes films where I like long TV shows with superheroes and story arcs!

70. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie. I am on a Christie roll now, I think it is something about this time of year! Also they are very soothing in a stressful time (which for me rn os not corona but a house sale!). This was the first Tommy and Tuppence once, and it isn't really a whodunit, more of a thriller. It's quite clever though.

DS would stop too but I tend not to ask, it's his tv after all.

Catching up on the last couple of weeks' reading:

73. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
74. When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
I won't go into detail because I know these have been very widely read on here! I've been re-reading the Jackson Brodie books so I can remember what's what before I read Big Sky. They're just as enjoyable as I remember (I know Kate Atkinson is a bit Marmite on these threads, but I love her) - vivid characterisation, ludicrous coincidences, surreal events, satisfyingly neat plotting and all. This time round, I was struck by some rather rapey comments about Jackson's relationship with Julia - it's just a fleeting reference and is completely glossed over, but it really stuck out for me this time (post Me Too), and rather took the shine off St Jackson.

75. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
I really, really enjoyed this! It's a Golden Age-style mystery story (so gentle and plot-driven rather than gory or procedural), but set in the present day. The twist is that the investigators are four residents who live in a luxury retirement village: kind-hearted and diplomatic nurse Joyce, firebrand ex-trade unionist Ron, precise and cerebral pyschiatrist Ibrahim, and tough, devious Elizabeth, who knows how to kill a man with her bare hands and whose shadowy career has taken her to the former Eastern bloc for unspecified reasons. The four friends are members of the eponymous club, which brings them together to try to solve cold cases - each of them has particular skills and qualities to contribute. When a plot to dig up an old graveyard and develop it into more retirement properties ends in tragedy, the quartet decide to solve the mystery themselves, both helping and hindering the two bona fide detectives who are also assigned to the case.

This was a very humane and good-natured book - all the characters were sketched fully and thoughtfully (with the exception of villainous property developer Ian Ventham, who falls the wrong side of caricature). The book could be described as "cosy" - but it also doesn't shy away from sadness and from the realities of ageing (without rubbing your nose in it ). There was a rather convoluted plot involving drug-smuggling Cypriot gangsters but I just let that wash over me because I was enjoying the dialogue (which is slyly humorous) and the characterisations so much. I listened to this as an audiobook, and there is a (rather gushing) interview with Richard Osman and Marian Keyes at the end. It's clear that they've both read (and admire) each others' writing - and I can see why MK was chosen to interview RO as their books have a lot in common - similar character-driven humour and so on. (I really enjoyed Grown Ups earlier this year!)

76. The Doctor Who Sat for a Year by Brendan Kelly
Irish psychiatrist Kelly has been fascinated by Buddhism and by Asian cultures his whole life. He decides to meditate every day for a year, and to keep a journal that describes his progress towards enlightenment. (Much of the journal actually describes his professional life - which is very interesting - his failure to embrace vegetarianism because of his abiding love of burgers, his enigmatic cat Trixie, and his film-going habits, as well as his daily meditations.) The twelve months of the year are used to discuss the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism, as well as a monthly book (mostly about Buddhist history or practice) and other aspects of meditation (e.g. an interesting essay about meditation, neuroscience and psychiatry).

This was a very easy, engaging read, but I'm not entirely sure what the point was. Kelly notes that he is a great doer of projects, and it's hard to escape the feeling that this is another project, which would get written up and published regardless of the outcome. (He claims at one point that he doesn't know who, if anyone, will ever read this journal, but it comes across as extremely disingenuous.) Needless to say, he doesn't reach enlightenment at the end of the year (he does manage to meditate every day but then points out that the value is not in regular meditation per se, but in the changes that this practice brings to the rest of your life). During his journey, I learned all sorts of things about psychiatric practice and law, Buddhist philosophy and the virtues of being rather than doing. It's not an especially deep book, but Kelly is a fun and thoughtful guide along the way.

The Bass Rock - Evie Wyld
Just finished this and still reeling. Full disclosure, it is set on the East Lothian coast where I was born and I felt a visceral connection to the setting, which is powerfully evoked. The book is really a scream of rage against male violence through the centuries, but so well constructed - it shows that misogyny is not recent, a product of porn, or war, or boarding schools, or religion but a timeless reality for women across all societies and classes. Highly, highly recommend.

160. Mindfuck by Christopher Wylie

An explanation of the Cambridge Analytica scandal from one of its architects who didn't realise what he had done til it was too late.

Strongly strongly recommend, Mindfuck is the right word for it. I left Facebook years ago but if I hadn't I'd be leaving it off the back of this book.

Absolutely terrifying. Privacy is dead. We are not living in Orwellesque times. The Orwellian era is here and has been for years. They are watching you, they are telling you what to think. Required reading.

Eleonar and Park
I can't remember who mentioned this, but I'd never heard of it until then. 99p on Kindle, so thought I'd give it a go.

LOVED IT!

Like a more tender Judy Blume, with the best music references ever. Perfect.

Eleanor

ME

I WAS OBSESSED

WHEN IT ENDS I WAS LIKE NO NO YOU CANT END THERE

Still no sign of the promised sequel

Tanaqui I love Agatha Christie too, there's something very safe and cosy about her books. I'll admit that I've only read the Poirot books so far, working through them in reading order and only got a few to go. I'll start on the Marples and standalone novels after that.
I've now hit my target on the Goodreads challenge with 55. Malory Towers First Term. Enid Blyton didn't feature much in my childhood reading and I enjoyed this, will look out for the second in the series after I tackle my library pile. Have now started Daisy Jones and the Six and am hooked already.

242. The Dark Side Of The Mind: True Stories From My Life As A Forensic Psychologist by Kerry Daynes

Kerry’s job is to try and understand why prisoners or those accused of offences think and behave the way they do, either to help with the prosecution or decide if they can be released. There are some interesting stories in here but there was far too much about Kerry herself for my liking.

243. Pigs Have Wings by P G Wodehouse

Toffs play Pass the Pigs. Delightful.

244. My Life Closed Twice by Nigel Williams

This was a bit weird. It’s told from the point of view of a man writing a novel, who looks back on the events in his life that he’s now putting into his novel. I found it tricky to work out what was real and what was fiction. I think it’s meant to be a dark comedy but the humour went over my head because other than a few bits involving his wife I didn’t find it amusing. The wife character was funny but again I couldn’t work out if that was ‘real’ or just what he was writing into his novel. Bit disappointing really.

245. The Disappearance by Katherine Webb

A split narrative story, set mainly during WW2 where a bomb reveals the buried body of Wyn, who went missing aged 8 in 1918. The novel then shows flashbacks to the events leading up to 1918 as Wyn’s friend Frances remembers things to identify her killer. I struggled to believe that Frances would really have forgotten all these things, and there’s also a side plot about a missing boy which doesn’t really add anything to the story. Some of Webb’s books have been really good but this was one of her weaker ones.