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?

Hi @Mia184 I have that book on my tbr so curious as to what others think.

@StitchesInChristmasTime solidarity on the home schooling (and anyone else). My first time and not a single clue what I’m doing. Zoom story time for 4 y olds was not the one.

I’ve just started book 3 Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain after enjoying some of his tv shows. I love it already.

@StitchesInChristmasTime I know it’s all a bit much. I decided if I am going to hang on to my sanity I must read 50 pages of something a day - it seems to have helped me stay with it, some days I do more and some less but having the aim makes sure I pick up something.

I really liked HDM but don’t think the adaptations have quite got it.

13. Sunburnt Penguins Tour The USA: America’s East Coast and Midwest Through An Englishman’s Eyes by Jim Stanson

I picked this up because I like books about the States and reviews compared him to Bill Bryson. The reviews are wrong - this is nothing like Bill Bryson. This is basically a man telling us all about the holidays he and his wife have had. He’s not a great writer, but I did still enjoy this as he talked about some places I’m less familiar with.

@bumpyknuckles I have been thinking about listening to the David Suchet bible books. Do you know which version it is? I tried reading King James years ago and it rather put me off.

I reckon we should create a new 100 books list. There are some amazing books that are never on the lists and they should be. Totally agree about the oddity of some of them eg the example about Chronicles of Narnia or Lion The Witch and the wardrobe.

Shall I start a thread for suggestions?

I'm another one trying to wfh and homeschool - good luck all!

Adding myself to the anti His Dark Materials brigade. I re-read it last year when the BBC adaptation started, and while the first two books are fine, the third is just not for me. It reminds me of the Narnia chronicles in that the last one is just so full of religious overtones, plus the Irish woman (Mary?) seems an entirely pointless side story. Maybe I just didn't get it, but it was enough to convince me not to try the Book of Dust

Still haven't finished book 1. I'd justified that by the fact it's nearly 900 pages long, but with so many of you getting into double digits already, I clearly need to get a move on!

Top 100 lists are always dominated by dead white men. There was an attempt a few years to generate the list of the best women (in translation): here, it's an interesting list.

I'm another who didnt get on with His DARK materials. Really struggled to read it and it never made me gripped I plowed on as friends were fans.

Satsuki I hope you enjoy The Makioka Sisters. It's on my list of books I'd like to reread one day however there are so many books I haven't got to yet so not sure when that will happen.

I like the sound of Other People's Houses. I've been interested in the Kindertransport since Alf, Lord Dubbs, the Labour peer, gave a talk at my kids' school about his own experience of it aged six. He was very lucky that his mother was later able to follow him to England. She was a seamstress and, as he spoke English and she didn't at first, he would deliver and collect her work from houses in Cheetham Hill as a young boy. He got a bursary to a local grammar school, made the most of his educational opportunities, eventually became a Labour MP and has been a strong advocate for child refugees and various charities. A really engaging speaker and someone who has more than repaid the support he received in Britain.

Janina that's an interesting list. I found I could also access it via Goodreads, just to avoid the cookies. To my shame, I have read only five of them. I avoid Elena Ferrante, but will search out some of the others this year.

If anyone has any particular recommenstions from the list, I'd be interested.

I’ve been struggling to get past 50 pages a day this last week, unless we’re counting books I’m reading to the DC. I’m not going to start adding the likes of The Very Hungry Caterpillar or The Day The Crayons Quit to my list though

And I’ve just realised we missed one of the DC’s online school sessions today. At least it was just the story time one 🤯
Although I must say that their primary school’s trying really hard to make this work. They’re offering live online Maths and English sessions daily, and usually at least one other daily live session.

I love HDM but could get to grips with the latest trilogy. Plus there’s a bit in SC where an older / good character admits to fancying a much younger character since they were a young teenager. So tired of this sort of thing. Dirty old Pullman.

highlandcoo I've only read 7 and DD has read the last one on the list: The Letter for the King, which she adored. Of the ones I've read my favourite is probably Like Water for Chocolate, but it's no good for those who don't like magic realism. I liked the recipes.

Sapat Great review of Earthlings. I also picked it up on the back of CSW, but couldn't convince book club to choose it as our 'book in translation' this year. I'm now quite looking forward to it.

Satsuki OPH sounds amazing.

Janina thank you for posting that brilliant list of WIT. There are some fantastic suggestions on there.

If like me your level of religious devotion is knowing St Pancake's day is your favourite festival, may I suggest the much more accessible version of the bible called The Brick Testament.
Clicky here!
You may thank me later.

Like Water for Chocolate bold fail

I am reading the thread and added a few books to my list, I am so bogged down in work that just struggling to keep what has been said in my head. Although I love Dick Francis and will be adding him to my list this year as just need very easy not taxing reads.

Speaking of which

Date With Death by Julia Chapman the first of the Detective Series

It’s a by the numbers very gentle murder mystery set in the Yorkshire Dales (which sound lovely by the way). Local boy returns home after 14 years with a dark past, sets up detective agency in the same building as old girlfriend (although that’s never established) who runs a dating agency, the men who sign up for her agency are gradually dying although made to look by accident or suicide. Gently amusing and beautifully untaxing, did get the murderer but then doubted it. This was a 99p buy and I did get the next two so will read them in a while.

13. Five Rivers Met On A Wooded Plain by Barney Norris

I acquired this rather than chose it and it has literally sat unread on my shelf for about 4 years.

To be honest, it was the title put me off, I just thought it sounded deathly dull. I also thought it was going to be about American Pioneers. I was wrong on both counts.

The Five Rivers in question converge on Salisbury. And it is a bit of a love letter to Salisbury done as a multi POV piece. And I REALLY enjoyed it. I thought it was really well done and the writing lovely.

Did have to chortle a little when Salisbury Cathedral is described as the most beautiful building in the world, it led me to wonder if the novel was popular in Russia.

From that list I remember enjoying The Summer Book
Strange Weather in Tokyo
The Housekeeper and the Professor

Have read a few more than I thought and will be going back to it, thanks.

@highlandcoo that’s so interesting. I think you would like this, Segal has a similarly inspiring story, but down a very different road. It gave me a perspective I didn’t feel I’d seen before.

@palegreenstars I’ve not felt compelled to read the second lot yet but urgh!!

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit

finished my first book of 2021 and what a cracker. All That Remains by Sue Black is a book about death by the world leading forensic anthropologist.
Sounds a bit gruesome, you might think. It's not really. It's horrific in places - where she write about the atrocities in Kosovo I found particularly harrowing. but as a not scientist/medical person I found this book easy to understand, insightful, fascinating and thought provoking. I think that's why it's taken a while to read, I generally couldn't read too much one one go without having to go away and have a think. but would wholeheartedly recommend

@Okki it's the New International Version (NIV). Seems pretty accessible so far, but I'm only on Genesis 😬

Fortuna, in the spirit of The Brick Testament, we’ve got a Minecraft version of the Bible.

It was a gift from some family friends who gave it to DS1 because they remembered that he likes playing Minecraft. It’s kind of bizarre.

Eine

As Salisbury is my second favourite cathedral, I believed them.

fortuna they weren’t wrong...about the cathedral.

Stitches I admire their dedication and if it makes it accessible... It takes all sorts.

I looked for Brick Testament as a gift for someone when it first came out in print. I went into Waterstones and did the whole, "I'm looking for a book, but I don't know what it's called or who it's by..." After a sigh and the look between staff they lept into action and found it after I'd explained what it was. A very easy request of that sort apparently.