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?

@bumpyknuckles

No, but I'm quite keen now you've mentioned it. Would like to be able to say I have read it cover to cover.

I have a friend who has done this twice. She is very religious though.

It strangely appeals to me just for the challenge, however probably not enough to actually do it.The sections with a lot of begats would be hard going, but there are some great stories in the Bible.

I read the entire bible cover to cover as a teen. I probably wouldn't recommend it.

How long did it take Phyllis ?

Many years ago I tried to read the Bible cover to cover. Got as far as Leviticus then gave up. There were chapters and chapters of rules about cutting your beard and things and I lost interest. Audible have mixed it up a bit so the beard-cutting is mixed in with more interesting stuff, so I thought I'd try it again and see if I get any further this time!

I can't remember tbh. Probably a full year or 2. I did it alongside my usual reading, dancing, drama and being at school. Most of it is rather shit tbh. And I say that as a Christian. I've treated myself to a "journalling Bible" so will be re-reading it!

My phone doesn't recognise journalling as a word, possible I've made it up or am spelling it wrong. It autocorrects to journal lingerie

5: Under the Rainbow - Susan Scarlett

Unadulterated froth from Noel Streatfeild, writing under a nom de plume in 1942. Saintly vicar Martin, sent to the idyllic rural Sussex village of Saltings, takes in his young niece and nephew after their parents are killed, and also, in kindly charitable fashion, gives a home to his vituperative old Aunt Connie. As he is both godly and unbelievably innocent, he hasn't noticed that local widow and moneybags Lady Veronica Blacke has the hots for him.

When he hires a young woman, Judy Griffiths, to look after the children, Lady Veronica seethes silently and plots her downfall, as does wicked Aunt Connie. Everyone else in the village falls in love with pretty, intelligent, practical Judy...but she has A Past, darkly hinted at. Will Lady Veronica's diligent investigations uncover the truth about Judy? Will Aunt Connie spontaneously combust with rage? Will Martin grow a pair and stop behaving like a cardboard cut-out? These and other questions are answered in the expected happy ending (and of course we learn that Judy is blameless and as good and virtuous as they come). Hurrah!

I always think it’s a bit odd that the Bible is included in those ‘100 books you must read’ type lists. It’s obviously an important book that you should be familiar with (even if not religious) but I imagine very few people will have actually read it all the way though. Most people will have read bits of it only.

Similarly, these lists always include The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Again, many people will have read some Shakespeare plays but only real aficionados will have read all of them.

I always think it’s a bit unfair in a way including those in lists - in all conscience I can’t tick them off as I haven’t read the full books cover to cover, but I have read bits of the Bible/some Shakespeare and it’s a shame there’s no credit for that (disclaimer - I do know that my score on these lists matters to nobody except me so it really doesn’t matter)!

Satsuki, your reviews have definitely made me want to try Lore Segal.

And Terpsichore, I'd never heard of Noel Streatfeild before but your review made me laugh!

I'd recommend breaking up the reading of the bible so you're reading 2 old testament books and one new. Some of the old testament stuff is very heavy like leviticus and deuteronomy or pages of genealogy like numbers. Maybe not a bedtime read.

CHessie I am a sucker for those lists but some of them are ridiculous. I teach English, and am familiar with a fair amount of Shakespeare but in all honesty can't say I have read them all.
Likewise, sometimes they are badly put together for example the list The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lion the witch and the wardrobe separately.

Still love them though (having done Russian literature in College helps me up the score of some of those obscure ones!)

I've read a few Japanese books in the last year and agree with the descriptions above. I do love that about them though, it feels far more realistic to have not a lot happen and for everyone to be slightly disconnected from each other. They feel like palate cleansers in comparison to more plotted novels. I have a few more on my TBR pile.

3. Hilo. Then Everything Went Wrong by Judd Winick

Book 5 in DS's graphic novel series and it ends in such a cliff hanger I had to immediately order the next one from Blackwells. About as far away from The Nakano Thrift Shop as it was possible to get!

Not sure what to read next. I'm swithering between The Five, The Girl with the Louding Voice both of which are well loved on here and Three Apples Fell from the Tree which is described on the cover as 'balm for the soul'.

A collection of Shirley Jackson's short stories is in the Daily Deal today. The Lottery is one of the most chilling stories I have ever read so if that's the sort of thing you like, I'd definitely recommend it.

Book 5 is The Promised Land by Barack Obama. I listened to a lot of this while restocking shelves in the local foodbank over Christmas which requires a lot of physical input but not much mental input, so this was the perfect backdrop. At 1.2x normal speed it's still 24 hours long which is certainly quite an investment.

I found it much more interesting than I expected, and now I wonder why I downloaded it in the first place given my expectations were low. He tells (and reads) a good story and gave - I thought - just the right amount of detail each time to understand the context and background to the different problems he faced. He's quite candid but as always with a memoir you know he's picking what he says quite carefully.

This only runs up to the attack that killed Bin Laden, so there are another 900+ pages forthcoming at some point on the second half of his presidency. Trump starts to make an appearance towards the end, like the thirteenth fairy, in the context of birtherism, and he doesn't hide his disdain for the man even at that point. It's like a different world - I have to keep reminding myself that the adults will be back in charge soon, and there are good people out there who make mistakes but who are committed to doing the right thing (even though you may not always agree with all of their choices).

Just checking in before I fall off the thread.

My reading rate has taken a big hit following the new lockdown and more remote schooling for the DC. I’m currently making my way through Dracul very very slowly.

I always think it’s a bit odd that the Bible is included in those ‘100 books you must read’ type lists. It’s obviously an important book that you should be familiar with (even if not religious) but I imagine very few people will have actually read it all the way though. Most people will have read bits of it only.

I read the Bible all the way through when I was a teenager. It took ages. I don’t think I’d have the patience to do it again now. There are plenty of interesting bits, but also a lot of very dry bits (such as long passages full of A begat B begat C begat D etc etc)

But it does mean I can tick off the Bible on those book lists

1. The Thursday Murder Club

Finished listening this today. I must admit I struggled to get into it and didn’t eagerly rush back to it when I had the opportunity, but I persevered. However, I don’t feel I 100% who killed who as I got a bit confused towards the final chapters and I want someone to confirm with me who killed who.

Having said that, there were a couple of good little twists and a few parts made me smile. Not sure if I’ll read the inevitable follow up.

Now reading A Stitch in Time by Penelope Lively. I ordered this as I enjoyed a book of hers last year. It’s actually a children’s book, but well written. Maria is 11 year old only child and on holiday in Lyme Regis in the 1970s. A quiet and imaginative child, Maria feels a connection to a girl called Harriet who used to live in the house Maria is staying in. I would have loved this as a child.

Think I will listen to the Shell Seekers next.

Why is it when I type in 'Kindle daily deal' or add 99p in as well, it just comes up with books that mostly aren't 99p? £5.99 doesn't sound like much of a deal to me! Is there a particular section i should be going to? Pepe thanks for advising about The Lottery, my local libraries don't stock this one.

I'm dithering over whether to get the Shirley Jackson. I loved We Have Always Lived in the Castle, but wasn't particularly taken with The Haunting of Hill House.

cassandre I found the first one a good read in that it was unusual and stimulated me to think a lot, the second I really devoured. Although someone on goodreads said the narrator seemed whiny and ungrateful... I mean my 9 year old has his moments and he hasn’t ever been on the run from the Nazis. I find her honesty about her feelings and thoughts one of the great things about it - she is a normal child, not a perfect one, going through an extraordinary and traumatic thing.

highland I bought The Makioka Sisters I believe on the strength of your previous recommendation - I must finally read it, the rainy day has arrived

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie, I didn't "get" His Dark Materials either, even though on paper it would be my type of thing.

@cassandre, if you haven't read any Noel Streatfeild you are in for a treat, as long as you don't mind children's books. Ballet Shoes is the most classic.

@RavenclawesomeCrone

I was quite shocked when I finally got round to His Dark Materials last year I had always believed for what ever reason it was going to be something special and a "cut above Harry Potter" - I thought all of them were dire, though I did finish it.

Can I still join?

Currently reading The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen.

Hi Tanaqui. I think you've mixed me up with somebody else. I liked His Dark Materials a lot, except for the nonsense with that woman and the horses on wheels, which I thought was ridiculous.

I enjoyed your take off of Ducks, karmatsunami85