50 Book Challenge 2021 Part One

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the first 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, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

Who's in for this year?

Early Graham Mastertons were....interesting He took the same formula as James Herbert and Shaun Hutson and turned out some good stuff. I do think he did his research wrt folk legends back then. They were just a bit more sensationalist than the sometimes rather sniffy approach to FH now. There’s no greater artistic merit to Masterton or Herbert working in a shower sex scene than there ever was to tits oot for the Witchfinder General.

6. V for Victory by Lissa Evans. Conclusion to this trilogy, thank you to those who recommended it last year, I really enjoyed each book. This one was maybe a little too neat and happy in its conclusion, but I would have hated a sad ending. Definitely recommend (but start with Old Baggage!).

Once I'm in the slow readers corner so I definitely count rereads! Don't just lurk all types and quality of reading welcome from fast food chick lit to haute cuisine classics.

My first two books of the year, but only because I started reading them last year!

1. The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Daré. I enjoyed listening to this, it is written (and read) in an authentic Nigerian voice. The 14 year old protagonist, Adunni, shows us the horrors of Uganda's backward patriarchal society. Removed from education, and sold for her bride price by a lazy, alcoholic father, she becomes the lowly third wife of the local taxi driver in whose home she is subjected to rape by her husband and abuse from his disgruntled first wife. Escaping this nightmare she becomes a domestic slave to a violent, abusive woman and once again has to deal with unwanted male attention in the shape of the woman's husband. Adunni's only solace is her relationship with the other servants and with a neighbouring middle class neighbour, Tia. All of whom play their part in showing Adunni a possible escape from this wretched situation. From this summary it sounds like a dark and depressing read but Adunni's strength of character and optimism serves to lighten what could be an unbearably heavy subject matter. I would agree with EmGee however that Adunni's relationship with Tia stretches credulity somewhat, and I didn't think the 'mystery' of the disappearance of the last housemaid, Rebecca, added much to the novel.

1. One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time by Craig Brown This is probably one for the fans, although having read quite a few biographies of the Beatles there wasn't much here about them or their entourage that I wasn't already familiar with, however some of the chapters concerning the peripheral figures were new to me. The poor Singing Nun for one.

Easy to drop in and out of, perhaps too easy as I seem to have been reading it for months and months!

@Saucery

Early Graham Mastertons were....interesting He took the same formula as James Herbert and Shaun Hutson and turned out some good stuff. I do think he did his research wrt folk legends back then. They were just a bit more sensationalist than the sometimes rather sniffy approach to FH now. There’s no greater artistic merit to Masterton or Herbert working in a shower sex scene than there ever was to tits oot for the Witchfinder General.

Agreed

Not sure about artistic merit 😂 but his early books introduced me to a lot of American folklore that I later researched in more depth, so appreciate him for that. Later ones however...

Currently rereading Dan Simmons Summer of Night

His The Terror is fascinating and very well researched, set me on a long list of books relating to the Franklin expedition. Actually they’re due a reread.

Well I’m stuck isolating till Covid test comes back, have added many mentioned to my wish list, what better time

@OnceUponAMidnightBeery I preferred Dan Simmons as a horror writer. I tried The Terror but it made a decent mini-series script is all I can say. The treatment of Hickey in both annoys me. We know fuck all about this person apart from his name and possibly his profession but hey, let’s have him as a murderous cannibal?
That’s the opposite of saying someone’s name from a gravestone and they live fleetingly again. Hate it.

Today, I have reorganised THE SHELVES and made a point of putting all TBR together. On a bit of a mission to try and clear unread paperbacks, so putting the Kindle to one side for now.

1. Annie Dunne by Sebastian Barry

Part of 'The Dunne Trilogy' which includes On Canaan's Side (which I have read) and A Long, Long Way (which I haven't)

It's odd that I should read this is such proximity to Lolly Willowes as there is unintended thematic crossover.

Annie Dunne is a spinster, left with nowhere to go after her sister dies, she is taken in by a similarly unwed cousin. Their quiet life alters when they are asked to temporarily care for Annie's great nephew and niece.

This is a sad little book, really, full of pathos and regrets. Set in Ireland, the first cracks of modernity are emerging and Annie is a woman discontented with both the new era and her place in it.

Very much one for the Irish or the Irish Literature inclined/interested (myself included here btw) references to historic and cultural points.

(Trigger warning if required for hints at sexual abuse)

A bit misery lit. A little bit.

2. Fat Cow, Fat Chance: The Science and Psychology of Size, Jenni Murray
Afraid of reading a book with footnotes? Never fear, Jenni will do it for you and explain to your dull little mind in words of one syllable.

I think I've read most of the same books as her and I felt very patronised as she laid out her grandly-titled "research" for me. Besides that, it's an account of her lifelong relationship with her weight, from being made to clear her plate in childhood through an unwise crash diet at university, gaining weight in her 40s and bariatric surgery in her 60s. She is brave to be so personally honest, but she doesn't bring anything new to the table.

Whoa whoa whoa, no more spoilers for The Terror please, I'm about 1/3 of the way through!

I haven't seen any spoilers. Anybody who knows anything at all about Franklin must have at least some idea about what might be coming, I'd think.

For what it's worth, my opinion on Simmons is that he needs serious editing and his endings are poor. I think I've only read 2 or 3 of his though.

@LadybirdDaphne

Whoa whoa whoa, no more spoilers for The Terror please, I'm about 1/3 of the way through!

Oh, do we do Spoiler Alerts on here for old books? Sorry, will be more careful next time

It’s a bit of a minefield on here tbh

@Saucery

It’s a bit of a minefield on here tbh

It's safe and lovely on here, really.

Just make sure that you:

• Don't count DNFs
• love TTOD
• Hate Station Eleven
• love, hate or feel totally indifferent about Wolf Hall and Never Let Me Go
• always remember to thank South for the new threads (I believe she has a tally somewhere of all of the ex-posters who forgot to do this and then were never seen again)

Don't count DNFs -

• love TTOD - loathe it, but HT’s biog of Peter Cook is on my Enduring Favourites list
• Hate Station Eleven - nope. The plane description bit, all other post-apocalyptic novels can kiss its arse
• love, hate or feel totally indifferent about Wolf Hall and Never Let Me Go Hilary M peaked with Beyond Black and even then she went on a bit. NLMG ripped off Spares by Michael Marshall Smith and I don’t know why he didn’t get some shit hot lawyers involved. Possibly he is too classy, I dunno.
• always remember to thank South for the new threads (I believe she has a tally somewhere of all of the ex-posters who forgot to do this and then were never seen again) Thank you, South. I have enjoyed these thread for many years but too lazy to join in

I feel like an intruder now as don't know what TTOD stands for

This Thing Of Darkness
It’s about a ship. Last seen stranded aground Dullsville Sound or something.

You and me both on Station Eleven and Beyond Black, Sauce, but we have to talk very, very quietly. And TTOD was fine, but not the very best thing I've ever read. Ssshhhh.....

@Saucery

Don't count DNFs -

• love TTOD - loathe it, but HT’s biog of Peter Cook is on my Enduring Favourites list
• Hate Station Eleven - nope. The plane description bit, all other post-apocalyptic novels can kiss its arse
• love, hate or feel totally indifferent about Wolf Hall and Never Let Me Go Hilary M peaked with Beyond Black and even then she went on a bit. NLMG ripped off Spares by Michael Marshall Smith and I don’t know why he didn’t get some shit hot lawyers involved. Possibly he is too classy, I dunno.
• always remember to thank South for the new threads (I believe she has a tally somewhere of all of the ex-posters who forgot to do this and then were never seen again) Thank you, South. I have enjoyed these thread for many years but too lazy to join in

Erm.... are we talking about the same thing re TTOD?

I hated Beyond Black.

@Saucery

This Thing Of Darkness It’s about a ship. Last seen stranded aground Dullsville Sound or something.

It is absolutely NOT about a ship.

Well, I'm obviously expecting some cannibalism, but I didn't yet know who was going to be doing the eating...

1.no one is too small to make a difference Greta Thunberg. First audio I have ever done, inspired by those who mention them on here and really enjoyed it on dog walks.
This is a collection of Greta’s speeches and is a short one...decided to start with a short one of hers as I really didn’t know what I would think listening to her. I was blown away, I definitely found her inspiring and would like to think I will be inspired to make some changes myself. Also made me think about the negativity she can receive and how it is a smoke screen for those not wanted to address the actual issues she raises.
As this is a collection of speeches there is some repetition however I listened to it over several instalments so it didn’t grate on me. Worth a listen in my option.
2 midnight sun Stephenie Meyer. Ok so this is my embarrassing read...I have read all the twilight series and whilst it is trashy and I actually find the main characters annoying I can’t help but read it. This is the first book told from the perspective of Edward. Took me a while to get into but was an ok read.

It has a ship on the front. And it was very boring, in a way that Peter Cook was not boring. And then the author died and you couldn’t really criticise it because of the Tub Of Lard and Victoria Coren and loads of reasons.
Should I give it another go?

@Saucery

It has a ship on the front. And it was very boring, in a way that Peter Cook was not boring. And then the author died and you couldn’t really criticise it because of the Tub Of Lard and Victoria Coren and loads of reasons. Should I give it another go?

Well, I think it's utterly brilliant. But I haven't got a bleeding clue what most of your post means here, so not sure if you should give it another go or not!

👀

I haven’t read TTOD either, though I did like his book about Tintin/Hergé.

5. Human Voices - Penelope Fitzgerald

Another masterpiece by this brilliant author. A more conventional setting than some of her novels - BBC Broadcasting House in 1940 - but the usual nuanced mix of humour and pathos in depicting the characters. And a very affectionate portrait of the BBC in WWII, where Fitzgerald herself worked.

Harry Thompson was the producer of Have I Got News For You. His idea to replace Roy Hattersley with a tub of lard, was widely known to be having an affair with Victoria Coren. Wasn’t TTOD published posthumously? I know I bought it and wondered why after a couple of hundred turgid pages.

But.....life would be boring if we all liked the same things so I’ll stop slagging off old faves and get on with my next book.