50 Book Challenge 2021 Part Three

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the third 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 and the second one here.

1 Hilo Waking the Monsters by Judd Winick
2 The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami. Translated by Allison Markin Powell
3 Hilo Then Everything Went Wrong by Judd Winick
4 Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan. Translated by Lisa C Hayden
5 Hilo All the Pieces Fit by Judd Winick
6 Days of the Bagnold Summer by Joff Winterhart
7 The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
8 Serpentine by Philip Pullman
9 Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. Translated by Geoffrey Trousselot

10 Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Thought I'd better read this quick before too much is revealed by everyone reviewing it. Brought to mind Robinson Crusoe. Best book I've read this year so far. Haunting. Hope it doesn't take Susanna Clarke as long to write her next book!

So far in the monthly deals I’ve bought a novel called Euphoria (about a Margaret-Mead-esque anthropologist) and The Sheep-Pig to read to DD. Will probably go back in for My Dark Vanessa and Black Narcissus. I can strongly recommend the memoirs War Doctor (David Nott) and I Am, I Am, I Am (Maggie O’Farrell) which are in there too.

The Kindle deal is terrible, although The Grand Sophy is there if anybody fancies a romp.

I've bought Murderous Contagion: A Human History of Disease - sounds cheerful!

I've bought Murderous Contagion: A Human History of Disease - sounds cheerful!

It's one of the best books I've read but it is quite a grinding read. I had to read it in small chunks. I imagine it will get a second edition when this shitshow is over.

Thanks, Juniper. I usually really like medical histories, so hopefully this will be another good un.

Thank you for the recommendation of Murderous Contagion, I have bought it.
I hugely enjoyed Adam Kucharski’s The Rules Of Contagion last year.

I think you’ll “enjoy” Murderous Contagion, Remus, but the chapters about intestinal parasites seem to go on forever and made me itch.

I have bought The Grand Sophy and will go back for some others - probably the Lissa Evans and possibly some others too but making myself read more before buying more!

Damn you all and your tempting Kindle deals! I've just bought Their Finest Hour and a Half, despite not having read Crooked Heart, Old Baggage or V for Victory . I've also Barkskins, Euphoria and the first Manon Bradshaw book, all based on recommendations on here...

I'm also shaking my fist at Terpsichore (a frequent nemesis of mine when it comes to suggesting interesting books)! I haven't even read Just My Type yet, but Shady Characters has gone straight onto the TBR list...

Interesting review, TaxTheRatFarms! I read Good Habits, Bad Habits at the end of last year, and I agree totally about the bits that you found useful - I've been trying to use some of that information to make (very modest) changes in my life, with some success! I did find the studies interesting, but I wasn't as familiar with the material as you were.

I love the Manon Bradshaw series! I’m reading Homecoming by Susie Steiner at the moment and it’s growing on me. Started off a bit Archers but the family dynamics of the farming family are quietly captivating. Who will get the farm? What is the future for the garden centre?

22. Jude The Obscure by Thomas Hardy

History with Hardy as follows :

Hated his poetry at A Level, appreciated it more later, its still extremely self indulgent though

Tess - great
Madding - great
Casterbridge - worth a read but not as good as the other two

This. Ok the ending of this was spoiled for me years ago by a tv series on novels, I think the folks one. The paperback is a chunk and I thought it would be a trudge but I made quicker work of it than I anticipated.

Yes, the end is properly horrific; but were there ever such simpering foolish bores alive as Sue and Jude? Not to mention Philloston?

If I could have slapped them all I would have. Christ Alive, Never Again! This was panned at publication and deservedly so.

Whingy fools become the architects of their own misery, and wallow in it

Jude The Tedious.

I was on Amazon earlier and looking at deals, in the small print it said the monthly deals start on the 1st Tuesday of the month.

Now I can't find the deals at all though, does anybody have a link please?
I need to look at the book deals that I won't be buying

www.amazon.co.uk/Kindle-Deals/b/ref=nodl_?ie=UTF8&node=3017941031

My review should say Faulks not folks

@LadybirdDaphne

I think you’ll “enjoy” Murderous Contagion, Remus, but the chapters about intestinal parasites seem to go on forever and made me itch.

Susan and Jude are definitely high on my, 'Characters who need a slap list.' But not as high as Angel Fucking Clare.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit The Woman in White is one of my favourite books (I love Wilkie Collins) but I totally agree about Laura, she was just so insipid, I kept thinking surely Walter (and everyone else) will see Marian’s awesomeness.

@Welshwabbit - great picks, Just Kids is a brilliant read.

Whingey fools become the architects of their own misery, and wallow in it is the best review I have read of Jude the Obscure

Count Fosco is one of the best villains in literature, imo.

Thank you Eine
I've bought these as I have (had!) an Amazon voucher after a customer service complaint the other day.

Susan Calman Cheer up love - god knows I need it.
Catrina Davies Why I live in a shed
Elspeth Beard Lone Rider
Jennifer Saunders Bonkers
Ross Brawn Total Competition
Tom Baker Who on earth is Tom Baker

I can recommend The girl with seven names - it's one of the better books about a defector from North Korea. Also on the deal is A river in darkness by a male defector, it's also very good.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Susan and Jude are definitely high on my, 'Characters who need a slap list.' But not as high as Angel Fucking Clare.

Yep. What a fucking tosspot. Tess is one of my favourite classics, and I reread it regularly, and every time I get so mad at him. Abusive gaslighting wanker. It doesn't help that whoever the actor is in the Nastassja Kinski film reminds me (now) of Ed Sheeran. So abusive gaslighting caterwauling drippy hobbit. Gah.

I have bought a handful of books from the Kindles...Broken Greek (because it mentioned music and the 70s and the 80s) Cold Earth (Ann Cleeves Shetland 7) My Dark Vanessa, The Healers (Ann Cleeves Ramsay) Black Narcissus, A History of Loneliness, Sophie's World (for DD)

Uff. Namechange fail again. It's the thought of Angel fucking Clare.

We should have a parallel thread where all reviews should be one pithy sentence only. Though one of us would do it as magnificently as Eine !

abusive gaslighting caterwauling drippy hobbit

Eine - just seen your final post on the previous thread.

You're wrong, of course.