50 Book Challenge 2021 Part Four

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fourth 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, the second one here and the third one here.

Laura Spinney's Pale Rider is in the Daily Deals for 99p this morning - consistently excellent reviews on this thread.

Stokey, if something gory is getting to me, I'd give up sooner rather than later before some horrible image gets lodged in my brain.

Just came back to the thread to say that
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World by Laura Spinney is 99p today.

It's not just a great overview of the Spanish Flu pandemic but also a rare analysis of its global effects in population demographics, politics, philosophy, and art.

Here is my 50-Book review back in 2018.

@BestIsWest

BoiledEgg I am 58 this weekend so not that much age difference. (How did that happen?)

I know, it's ridiculous isn't it?! Happy Birthday for the weekend, I hope you have a lovely day (and plenty of new books).

ps Annie Ernaux is very good on aging in The Years.

I'd really recommend Pale Rider as well. As Cote says, it's far more than just a book about Spanish Flu.

Catching up on reviews, with a string of three really really good reads and one not bad one. It's nice to finally feel enthusiastic about books again - last year was a bit of a slog in that regard, but this year's choices have been much better.

27 Look at Me by Anita Brookner
I picked this up after listening to the Backlisted episode about it, and having never read any Brookner. Frances works in a medical library and lives a modest and solitary existence in her flat in London with only an ageing housekeeper for company. She meets Nick and Alex, a glamorous and sociable couple, who take her under their wing. Everything changes but her inability or reluctance to play by all their rules puts her new life in jeopardy. This was a wonderful, understated, thoughtful book and just what I wanted to read. I've ordered several other Brookners and can't wait to get started.

28 The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown
In the 1840s, wagon trains left the prairies to head over the Sierra Nevada to Oregon and California in search of opportunities. One group - the Donner Party - got stranded in the high Sierra as winter hit, and the story of how some of the party survived and some did not has become part of the pioneer legend. Brown tells the story from the perspective of one of the group, Sarah Fosdick, who was part of a rescue mission that set out in unbelievable conditions to get help for those that were left at the camp. This has made a really deep impression on me; it's not a story I knew much about but it's one that really shows the will to survive and the capacity of humans to look after each other, and turn against each other, in different ways.

29 Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
This is just long enough that I think it counts as a book in its own right. And a peculiar book - a plague hits Venice where a celebrated German author is spending time on vacation, pining after a young boy who is staying at the same hotel. This was enjoyable, but I certainly am not going to seek out any more Thomas Mann as a result. I could manage the philosophical musings over 170 or so pages, but any longer would have finished me off.

30 Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
I know several of you have read this already. It's a worthy Booker winner, I think - accessible, funny, and heartbreaking. Shuggie is the youngest child of Agnes, an alcoholic. He and his siblings do their best to save Agnes, while looking out for themselves in the bleak mining town outside Glasgow that they find themselves in after Agnes's marriage breaks down. I couldn't put it down; it's certainly not a cheerful read but there is love and optimism and some hope there.

Great reviews Pepe - I've read (and really rated) Shuggie Bain but have added the other three to my TBR.

Well suggestible me just bought Pale Rider. I worry about how easily influenced I am as I realise when I'm writing on this thread that I really struggle to form my own opinions and am so easily swayed by others: I must be a shoe-in for a hypnotist.
Which brings with fear and trepidation to
11. Station Eleven. Bought on another 99p deal to see what all the fuss was about. I think I enjoyed it if enjoy can be used for a book about the end of the world. I thought the way the stories wove together was interesting, I liked the idea of survivors forming new tribes but I did wonder about the lack of people cobbling stuff together eg solar/wind power. I also watched the film Contagion recently and thought that was a more realistic view of a pandemic- the way this wiped everything out in a few days seemed plot convenient

Just finished my next Shardlake. This was Revelation, sillier but more fun than the previous one I thought. Shardlake does get himself into considerable scrapes doesn't he??

19 Reflections, Diana Wynne Jones I’ve read parts of this in other places but treated myself to the physical book as she is one of my favourite authors. Musings on writing, Tolkien, school visits....

20 Notebook, by Tom Cox slim volume of diary snippets. Didn’t hold my interest as well as his 21st Century Yokel and Ring The Hill because of the short nature of the passages but they are humorous and philosophical and the illustrations ( by his parents ) are delightful.

21 Hungry, by Grace Dent I used to love her restaurant reviews so gave this a whirl. Hilarious in places, deeply affecting in others, as she looks back at her life and forwards to what dementia is doing to her father.

22 The Last House On Needless Street, by Catriona Ward Just amazing. Can’t say too much about it, because to admire what she has done with the subject matter is to give away the major plot hinge. She has an understated style and an ear for dialogue, internal and external that suits this twisty thriller perfectly.

21 The Truants, by Kate Weinberg a passable mystery, although I didn’t really see why the main female character was so enamored by the horrid group of privileged wankers she found herself tangled with.

22 The Panopticon, by Jenni Fagan much preferred this to Luckenbooth by the same author. I was really drawn in to the main characters struggle with herself and the mental health facility she found herself in. Made a deeply troubled and unsympathetic girl a person you rooted for by the end.

23 The Burning Girls, by CJ Tudor taut mystery, not quite up to her usual standard, however.

24 Hired, by James Bloodworth. Found him a bit patronising at times, particularly in the social care worker section. He seemed to think himself a bit above a lot of the jobs he ended up doing. Not a patch on Poverty Safari, in fact it was a bit of a Poverty Safari.
(Might have reviewed this one in an earlier thread, but it’s down as no. 24 in my notebook, so, here it is again in that case!).

25 The Cut, by Christopher Brookmyre. Takes the genre of ‘old lady with a past’, shoves it in a sack, shakes it up a bit and adds bucketloads of gore from the Video Nasty era. Thoroughly enjoyable and led to much Googling of film titles, studios and directors to see what was real and what wasn’t. Excellent and timely nod to the corrupt media empire family plot thread too.

Big Girl, Small Town, by Michelle Gallen I would never have chosen this from the title, but I saw it mentioned on here and on a thread about books whose main characters are autistic. The rhythm of Majella’s daily life with her alcoholic, self pitying mother, no strings empty shags and all human life represented by the people who walk through the chippy door was finely drawn out. Ending a bit abrupt. Not a fan of having to guess what a character will do next.

17. Dickens - Peter Ackroyd

A predictably fine, atmospheric biography which delves into Dickens' life and works and the connections between the two. It has inspired me to tackle some of the works I haven't read yet (I've done Great Expectations, Bleak House, Our Mutual Friend and A Christmas Carol) so am cracking on with David Copperfield next which could take another few weeks!

23 Havana Year Zero by Karla Suárez. Translated by Christina MacSweeney

An enjoyable and intelligent novel that is almost impossible to categorize. Julia lives in Cuba 1993. The collapse of the Soviet bloc means Cuba is undergoing an economic crisis. Julia and her friends distract themselves from the situation by searching for a document that will prove Meucci invented the telephone in Cuba long before Bell invented it in America. This is a detective story of sorts but also a comedy of errors and a history lesson (in among our characters we learn the real story of Meucci and the scientist who restored his reputation in the 21st century). It is funny and atmospheric and compelling and the denouement made me laugh out loud. I loved it.

12) Life’s Journey to the top of Everest by Ben Fogle & Marina Fogle
I requested this as a present a couple of years ago and have only just read it. I do that a lot. On the whole I found this really interesting reading about his personal adventure. He did this with Victoria Pendleton. I remember watching this on T.V as well. I liked how his wife contributed to the book with her perspective on things whilst Ben was away. At the same time Ant Middleton was also doing the climb. I have his book as well about it which I will read at some point. I have to say I was on edge at all the dangerous descriptions and his story was well told.

Book serendipity is weird. Pepe I've just read your fab review of The Indifferent Stars Above. I hadn't heard of the Donner party until an hour ago when I was listening to an old episode of the Currently Reading podcast and they were discussing The Best Land Under Heaven which is also about the Donner party, and mentioned the book you read as well. Have added to my enormous TBR list...and now I'm off to buy Pale Rider!

I've also just bought Pale Rider - thanks for the recommendation.
I have no willpower when it comes to 99p deals

The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer
Heyer at her silliest. Perfection.

I love The Talisman Ring - one of the funniest set pieces in all her books!

31. Duplicate Death by Georgette Heyer. Heyer's detective stories are not a patch on the romances, this is very much like a below par Agatha Christie. But I found it quite soothing during a stressful week (I have read it at least twice before).

I've just added Havana Year Zero to my wish list @JaninaDuszejko. You read some really interesting books that I've never heard of.

Thanks for the giving up book advice. I stopped crime thriller and moved on to
31. Because of you - Dawn French. This reminded me of the snobbery discussion as I have to confess it is not the kind of thing I would normally read but I picked it up as it has been nominated for the Woman's prize, which I guess makes me a snob!
The story starts with two couples in a maternity ward on 31 Dec 1999. Julius is a black MP and total nightmare is married to white Anna, Hope is an 18 year- old British West Indian and her partner Quiet Issac from Sierra Leone. Hope has a stillborn baby and so steals the other couple's child. There is a lot of warmth in the book but there were also a few bits that I found unconvincing, particularly Julius who is so unremittingly awful that you can't imagine what Anna ever saw in him. On the whole, this wasn't really for me and I'm not going to be rushing to read more of her stuff.

Tanaqui - it's so funny. It just needed a giant hero to perfect it.

Read so far this year:

1. Small Pleasures Clare Chambers
2. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
3. Limitless by Tim Peake
4. Ghost by Iona Holloway
5. The Missing Sister by Dinah Jefferies
6. The Truths we Hold by Kamala Harris
7. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
8. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
9. The Ghost Road by Pat Barker

10. Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh 11.The Panoptican by Jenni Fagan

12. Are We There Yet by Ian Pilbeam - written by a friend who took off on a trip around the world with his family for a year. It's interesting, but a bit like spending an evening watching a slide show of someone else's holidays (younger readers might not understand that old and dreaded invite). Overall, quite nice to get some vicarious travel.

13. Cut by Hibo Wardere - what a moving book. It's a difficult read in places but just brings it home how brave this woman is. The writing style is very engaging and although it's a tough subject, there's also a lot of love and hope there. I wouldn't say I enjoyed it, I did feel inspired and I am so glad I read it.

14. The Accused by Jeffrey Archer - book club choice. Drivel. But it was short

15. All Fun and Games until Somebody Loses an Eye by Christopher Brookmyre This is enjoyable nonsense. Yes, it's far-fetched and some themes a bit predictable but a good story well told.

16. Airhead by Emily Maitlis - nice insight into Emily's career and quite honest look at some of the big names she has interviewed over the years.

17. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute A book of two halves.
    I very much enjoyed the stiff upper lipped narration together with the growing relationship and affection between the narrator and the books protagonist, Jean. The first half of the novel, set in the Malayan jungle during WW2, describes how our plucky heroine, Jean Paget, is captured by the invading Japanese army, she and a group of women and children, are separated from the men and marched mercilessly through the jungle with no end point in sight.
    Following the war Jean comes into an inheritance and decides to return to Malaya to help the people who helped her, and also visits Australia where she hopes to meet up with someone else who made a big impression on her.
    For me the second half of the story dragged somewhat, and felt a little anti climatic after the brutality and emotion of the Malayan experience, it was a fitting end to the story but would have been better taking up 25% of the book rather than 50%.
    This book is very much a product of the 1950's and should come with a racism warning, the Japanese are referred to as Japs or Nips and the Australians as Abos or boongs. The treatment of the Aboriginal characters in particular is also shockingly casually racist throughout.

    18. The Last House On Needless Street by Catronia Ward Unusual for me to invest in a newly published book (actually an Audible credit, and it was brilliantly narrated) but this review in the Guardian caught my eye:

The Last House on Needless Street, published on 18 March. Buzz has been building for months around a dark, audacious highwire act of a novel that can be only tentatively described for risk of giving too much away. Whereas Ward’s previous novels were historical chillers set in remote corners of Britain, featuring young women traumatised by cursed families and social oppression, the new book looks at first like a contemporary American thriller. There are horrors hidden in a rundown house on the edge of a forest; a spate of disappearing children; a vulnerable woman searching for answers. Ward introduces us to Ted, a bizarre, childlike loner who lives with his daughter Lauren and cat Olivia – and then pulls the rug, repeatedly, from under the reader’s feet.
The book’s starting point was the relationship between serial killers and their pets, the disarmingly upbeat Ward explains by Zoom from Dartmoor. What happens when those without empathy connect with another living being? As she points out in an afterword, Dennis Nilsen’s dog, Bleep, “was the only creature he could be said to have had any functional relationship with”. But the project wasn’t getting anywhere, until seismic life changes – the end of a long relationship, leaving her job working for a human rights foundation and, at 38, moving back in with her parents – left her with “nothing to hold on to except the idea of this strange narrative about a cat”.

One of the book’s many surprises is that it is partly narrated by Olivia, a fastidious, deeply religious feline who refers to humans as “teds” and gives us an exterior perspective on her unreliable owner. (“Ted is not a very clean ted. His bathroom does not look like the bathrooms on TV.”) Olivia, Ward remarks, owes something to David Sedaris; she provides humorous respite from the otherwise harrowing narrative. It is, she admits, difficult to write as a cat.
“I started having fun with it when I realised that what a cat would really like to do is watch a television show of itself, describing different types of naps."

As Saucery commented above, and the extract from the Guardian I've pasted here points out, this is not a book that you can say too much about without being spoilery, it throws you into the action and is initially a little disorientating, thinks don't make much sense, until they suddenly do!
I thought this was a good thriller, lots of twists and turns, sure it's a little far fetched, but I did find myself drawing comparisons with Stephen King, which can't be a bad thing. I'll be seeking out her other novels.

viking, DH gave me The Years for Christmas so I have saved your review for after I have read it. I’m intrigued, particularly after reading the earlier positive posts by others.

20. The Mountains Sing by Nguyên Phan Quê Mai.

Historical fiction of one family in Vietnam from the 1930’s-80’s, covering the Communist uprising, Vietnam war and post war Vietnam and therefore there is hardship and uncertainty, famine and violence. But it was also like life; a mix of light and shade, showing humans at their best and worst but also the resilience, strength and support that can come from family.

21. Hamlet by Maggie O'Farrell
Bloody hell.
I think I always knew that I would want to read this, and so I've avoided reading any reviews on here or elsewhere.
I'll just say that I cried through the third quarter of the book and through the ending, and it has left a huge mark on me. I have no idea how O'Farrell could summin the bravery to write it; it shows that novelists are somewhere out in a place that most of us could never reach, doing something few can.

God damn autocorrect to hell for putting Hamlet instead of Hamnet. I know what I typed you smug t**t. [Excuse my language I am Upset]

@PermanentTemporary

21. Hamlet by Maggie O'Farrell Bloody hell. I think I always knew that I would want to read this, and so I've avoided reading any reviews on here or elsewhere. I'll just say that I cried through the third quarter of the book and through the ending, and it has left a huge mark on me. I have no idea how O'Farrell could summin the bravery to write it; it shows that novelists are somewhere out in a place that most of us could never reach, doing something few can.

Why bravery? Not being an arse - just wondering. I'm asking as somebody who didn't love it, but not looking for a fight.

I feel a bit bad for not being more positive about The Years now. I think I would probably have appreciated it more as an audiobook. I found myself almost skim-reading at times and think I missed some of the brilliance because it's deliberately a bit hidden in paragraphs which are otherwise rather list-y.

"We did X and we did Y, at the ABC we saw DEF, and meanwhile [amazing perception beautifully phrased]" - I think I didn't read those sentences as carefully as I should have, and that's my fault.