50 Book Challenge 2021 Part Two

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the second thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2021, 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. Could everyone embolden their titles and/or authors as well, please, as it makes the books talked about easier to track?

The first thread of the year is here.

Remus WHY must you torment me by routinely resurrecting the wanking vicar?

I keep forgetting where the wanking vicar lives and I dread stumbling across him by accident. I do know one day in the future I'll probably find him while reading somewhere public like on a train and I won't be able to stop laughing.

1. The Invisible Life of Addie la Rue by VE Schwab

This has a nice premise - Adeline la Rue, a young woman from a small village in 18thC France makes a (somewhat accidental) deal with the devil and receives eternal life, but at the cost of being forgotten instantly by everyone she meets, friends and family included, the moment she leaves their sight. The novel has two timelines, one immediately following her deal, and another in 21st century New York. There's nothing particularly new to it, and she's a bit manic pixie dream girl, but it's very readable and the ending is neater than I expected.

1. Pilgrims by Matthew Kneale

I picked this up in 99p deals after reading a couple of reviews, in the paper & on here by Terpsichore . It's really charming, though there are darker overtones. The main section of the book follows a group of 13th century pilgrims on their way to Rome. Each takes turn to tell their story, very much as if you were walking beside them on the road. Initially it felt quite episodic, rather like a series of character sketches, though still very enjoyable. But then around the middle of the novel it picks up and a more recognisable plot emerges (and Iorweth, my favourite of the characters). One I'll remember & re-read.

1. The Sealwoman's Gift By Sally Magnusson

The author's Icelandic heritage underpins her fictional reimagining of a real life event.

In 1627, Barbary pirates seized 400 Icelanders and forced them aboard ships to undergo a horrendous journey to Algiers where they were sold as slaves. They included a pastor and his children, and remarkably Olafur Eriksson's account of the event and his own subsequent trip to beg a ransom from the Danish king and later return to Iceland, has survived.

Sally Magnusson has used this journal as the framework for her novel, but has told the story largely from the viewpoint of Asda, the pastor's wife. The novel begins with Asta giving birth in the hold of the slave ship and stays with her through her enslavement in Algiers and what follows.

One strength of the novel lies in SM's gift for description. The horror of life aboard ship is vividly portrayed, and the contrast between the bright colours, sounds and smells of Algiers and the cold, bleak and occasionally beautiful landscape and living conditions in Iceland, underpins and illustrates the struggle between two very different ways of life. The dilemma faced by Asta later in the book and the consequences of her decision are believably and cleverly handled. It is a book about love, loss, compromise, loyalty and belief, with a thread of folklore/magic woven in too.

It also - and I found this very topical - shows people using stories as a way of holding on to what is important, and as a means of escaping from sadness and difficulty. There is one lovely line; I can't recall whether it is used by Asta, or by one of her children speaking to her:

Let us go inside a story and shut the door.

I really love that.

You do need to power through the first fifty pages or so. SM's knowledge of Icelandic saga is extensive (her father translated them in two volumes) and although they add to the depth of the book, I felt a little swamped by the detail occasionally. And there are a couple of brief Mills and Boon-like moments which don't quite live up to the quality of the rest of her writing.

This is nit-picking though. I really enjoyed the book. I had had no idea about this aspect of Iceland's history and it's vividly brought to life in this readable novel.

Good God! The pastor's wife is called Asta not Asda

Stressing about my online order as the website keeps crashing today is my excuse!

That's a brilliant review, thank you. This is also on my (very extensive) Kindle tbr pile.

@finisterreforever

That's a shame, because I loved it. Post Victorian family drama, don't be put off!

Sealwoman is also on my Kindle, but I am determined to get through my paperback and hardback TBR first

Fortuna I loved all of The Goldfinch INCLUDING the Vegas part, so don't despair!

I picked up The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole in the 99p deal and started reading it last night. I was completely snort-laughing on practically every page. I think I was probably late teens or early twenties when I last read it and it's so much funnier as a forty-something woman. Absolutely joyous, am going to take my time with this one because it's so good.

Fortuna - wanking vicar is from The Book of Strange New Things. It's not good.

Didn't mind the Vegas part of Goldfinch hated the final third

It was the Vegas part I couldn't be doing with. And it started so well. I thought The Secret History was great but have never attempted The Little Friend after my husband spent an entire fortnight's holiday struggling through it and complaining. Put me right off.

I couldn't get to the end of Love Nina. It reminded me of Caitlin Moran. Although I agree with some of her opinions, I find a little bit of her goes a long way.

I've put Falling Angels on the list.

I always find Tracy Chevalier good but not great tbh but I'm fascinated by Highgate Cemetery and like that historical period. After loving Old Baggage I'm up for a bit more suffragette action.

@WednesdayAllTheWay I totally did not think very much of Such a fun age by Kiley Reid I also really wanted to enjoy this but it just fell flat with me. I found I did not care for the main character and her friends. I can not remember much apart from the scene at the beginning when the babysitter is in the shop with the child she is in charge of and is accused by the security guy. Disappointing read.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Fortuna - wanking vicar is from The Book of Strange New Things. It's not good.

Thank Remus. For some reason I thought he was in either The Crimson Petal and the White or The Red and The Black so I've been avoiding both.

I find Tracy Chevalier can be a bit hit and miss, but I'll definitely be putting Falling Angels on the list.

Noodle I never read Adrian Mole as a teen despite them being fairly contemporary to me. I vaguely remember a TV series? You've inspired me to give them a go.

@highlandcoo

The Little Friend is one of my most hated books of ALL time. 13 hours I'll never get back.

Secret History I loved actually.

Ah, that's interesting Eine. I've heard a few other people say the same. Possibly a good one to avoid.

1. A Litter of Bones by J D Kirk

A police procedural and the first in the Jack Logan series. I liked the various characters and the Scottish dialogue seemed spot on and quite sharp and funny at times.

However, although I read a lot of crime in amongst more literary stuff, I don't like the theme of child kidnapping and torture, and so this book was a bit of a tough read.

It came as a three part volume and I'll certainly read the next, hoping the crime is less distasteful, as everything else about it was fine.

My comfort reading continues with Nerve by Dick Francis 57 years young and still as captivating as it was the first time I read it as a teenager.

Jockeys are losing rides when lies are being spread about them, in comes our hero Rob Finn who solves it all, a galloping read.

As for the lack of lesbians, the new film about Anning coming out this year has decided to make her as a lesbian despite no evidence either way

Ah, I see what you did there Fortuna, very good

Mary Anning is somebody I admire, I was listening to a lecture about her a few weeks ago. She's a fascinating woman.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit

Sealwoman is also on my Kindle, but I am determined to get through my paperback and hardback TBR first

Sealwoman really does deserve to go to the top of TBR. It's up there with, if not above, TTOD.

I'm enjoying the love for the Francis books on this thread. Or even the love for Dick Francis but that might be just slightly weird.

1. Big Little Lies Liane Moriarty. Absolutely loved this, quite an easy read but also believable characters and a good plot. This was made into a series with Nicole Kidman that I’d watched ages ago but luckily forgot the plot so the twists were a surprise 🤣. Story around a death that happens in a small, community of gossipy kindergarten mums in a wealthy beach town in Australia. Now on the look out for other books of hers.

Now I’m starting The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse. I’m looking forward to this as discovered her books last year and read Sepulchre, Citadel and Labrynth. All her books are set around Carcasonne in France at different points in history and focus on strong female characters. I like her descriptions and her books have actually inspired me to want to go on holiday to that region (when we can! 😢). This one is set in 1500’s during the wars of religion, can’t wait to get started.

Looks like I'm in a minority but I quite liked The Little Friend but it was nowhere near as good as The Secret History which I feel I'm due a reread of.

Fortuna, yes! I'd forgotten about the Mole tv series. I much prefer the books.