50 Book Challenge 2021 Part Six

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the sixth 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, the third one here, the fourth one here and the fifth one here.

So, we're now almost half way through the year - how's the first half of the year gone for you, reading-wise?

@cassandre

Piggy, in general I would say teachers receive far too much criticism and not nearly enough appreciation!

Seconded!

Just finished a rather enjoyable thriller A Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson. This is by no means high literature, more in the vein of Gone Girl etc. but I would say is better done. It has elements of Highsmith's Strangers on a train, as Ted and Lily meet in an airport lounge drinking martinis while their flight is delayed. They then sit next to each other on the plane and Ted tells Lily about his wife who he has discovered is cheating on him with the contractor for their new house. He says he'd like to kill her, and Lily offers to help.
There's a lot of twists and turns in this book so if which were rather unexpected. I'd recommend it as a decent beach read, or page turner.

Finally finished….

59. The Mirror and the Light - Hilary Mantel

I have been saving this up to read whilst on holiday to avoid carrying it on my commute. I re-read Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies earlier in the year to get myself back into the world of Cromwell. I know lots of you have read it already but it picks up immediately after the execution of Anne Boleyn and covers Henry’s marriages to Jane Seymour and Anna of Cleves finishing on the day of Henry’s marriage to Katherine Howard (and Cromwell’s execution). Cromwell deals with all the crises which arise during this period and amasses more wealth, power and titles - by the time of his death he was Earl of Essex, a Knight of the Garter, Lord Privy Seal, Chancellor as well as Master Secretary. He also manages to manoeuvre his family and members of his household into key positions as he starts to do some succession planning. It was a fascinating read but could perhaps have done with some editing - having said that I really enjoyed it…

22. Expo 58 by Jonathan Coe Civil service junior manager Thomas Foley is sent to the World's Fair in Brussells, ostensibly to keep an eye on the British stand. A good-looking young chap, he seeks to make the most of some time away from his wife. However, the Cold War is under way, and he becomes useful to British intelligence while he's there. I wasn't sure this was good or funny enough to get away with being very daft and implausible.

23. Summerwater by Sarah Moss In a rain-soaked loch side lodge resort, a terrible event is shortly to occur. We meet the residents of each lodge in turn, without knowing which among them will be involved. We are largely introduced to the characters by their inner monologues, although it's a third person narrator. The characters are very recognisable, and there is a focus on attitudes to immigration and race. Tension builds beautifully, and I liked the interspersing of character-focused chapters with short passages about the natural environment.

23. Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan. Part psychological thriller, part-courtroom drama, this depicted the trial of a powerful, well-known man accused of rape. Flashbacks shown hidden connections in the past of those involved in the case. Pacey and well written, and deals sensitively with very difficult subject matter, but you can see the "reveal" coming round the corner from a mile away.

45. Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd
Oh I enjoyed this so much. It took a little time to get going, for me, perhaps because it starts in 1919 when I was expecting to go straight into 1933 onwards. 'Travellers in Interwar Germany' would be more accurate and less catnip to - well, readers like me I suppose. Anyway, I submitted to Julia Boyd's project and benefited from it. The travellers have a heavy lean to the very posh, given the number of aristocratic families whose love of Germany and/or right-wing politics made sending children to have an educational experience in Hitler's Germany a reasonable choice. The most interesting are the more unusual, such as the Friends (Quakers) who travelled to try and promote peace, or Ji Xianling, who went to Heidelberg to study Sanskrit for two years and was trapped in Germany for a decade by war. I loved the banality of some accounts, the perspicacity of others. I have no doubt I would have been on the banal side if I'd been writing letters and diaries of this type then.

30. Message from Hell (Creasy #5) by A J Quinnell

Another good Creasy book, even if not the best, and I am grief-stricken that I have come to the end of this series.

Creasy finds out that the dog tags of a young soldier he thought was shot dead in battle is recently sent to his parents along with Creasy's name, and prepares to find out if he was kept as a slave/PoW all these years.

As is usual with Creasy books, this was as much about Cambodia's background as about the gripping plot about MIA soldiers and mercenaries.

I highly recommend Creasy books to everyone here.

18. Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. I have read and enjoyed several Picoult books whilst others have been complete rubbish. This was the latter - I feel like the author got a big bit of paper and did a spider diagram with all the ‘issues’ she wanted to cover and then spent the book writing process attempting to shoehorn them all in.
19. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. My daughter is finally keen on chapter books at bed time - this was lovely, if a bit dated. Some of the dialogue is so familiar from the various adaptations and was lovely walking down memory lane.
20. The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard. I think I picked this up on recommendations from this group years ago. Focus on the summers just before WW2 and following a wealthy family a party Downton Abbey. I loved this and look forward to book 2.

Esther Freud's new novel I Couldn't Love You More is on Daily deals at £1.69, and there are pages and pages of new offers which are neitther daily or monthly deals on ereaderiq - I bought rather a lot, including some that I aim to pass on paperback copies of.

I bought Salt Houses, a Palestinian family saga that's been on my wish list for ages (I'm not quite sure where I heard or read about it first) for £1.99, several Penelope Lively novels, Alice Hoffman's Local Girls at £1.99 each, Eva Ibbotson's Magic Flutes at 99p. And rather a lot of other stuff. And there are some other bargains that I've already snaffled on previous occasions too. A lot seems to come from Penguin Random House's various imprints.

The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton
Set in the high society of old New York at the turn of the last century where scandal is worse than death. A young woman returns to NY after a failed marriage in Europe. Reintegration into polite society is gatekept by a handful of old families and her time is made harder when her cousin's new husband makes a play for her. His obsession could be her next downfall.
Very slow moving but reveals all the subtleties of societal norms of the time and muses on the expectations placed on women vs men. Glad I read it, but I wouldn't run round raving about it.

Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality - Helen Joyce
A frank look at the state of trans rights activism and the culture wars surrounding it, defining the reality of society and the needs of women vs the ideological arguments for acceptance without exception.

She's preaching to the choir with me, but I thought she did a good job at aiming for balance while discussing some very contentious issues. This thread isn't the place for that sort of discussion, but well worth a read if you have any interest in the topic and especially if you find the feminism board a bit much. A coherent and concise look at all of the issues.

The Menopause Manifesto: Own Your Health with Facts and Feminism - Dr Jen Gunter
Author of the Vagina Bible puts forward some clear and sensible advice and guides you through the myriad of health issues you may encounter in the lead up to, during and after menopause as well as a few other age related problems. She offers medical and general advice as well as arming you to be able to advocate for yourself as information surrounding menopause is woefully lacking even within the medical profession.

I'm early 40s and wish I'd been able to read this at least by my mid-thirties as a frank look at what's ahead and how to prepare for aging in general. It has certainly hit home that I need to make some desperate but sensible changes to my diet and lifestyle to give myself better outcomes much further down the line. I found the intro a little off putting in terms of style but it soon settled down. Starts with a history of menopause and how it is viewed societally before moving onto the medical side. A must read if you are 35+.

24. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz Jacob Finch Bonner is a writer. His debut novel received critical acclaim, but subsequent efforts bombed. To pay the bills he therefore grudgingly teaches creative writing courses, despite his cynicism that writing can be taught at all.

He encounters an arrogant young student who initially refuses to discuss the plot of his planned novel, believing it to be so spectacular that however bad a writer he may be, the novel cannot fail. On finding out the details Bonner is also convinced that the as yet unwritten novel will be a roaring success. But years pass and Bonner hears nothing further of this particular student. Some digging reveals that the student died just months after attending the course, and the novel remains unwritten.

Pretty much everything that happens from then on requires a spoiler warning, so I shan't go into detail. There are a fair few plot twists and reveals, some of which you can see coming, but the ride is thrilling and fun nonetheless. The novel makes frequent references to The Talented Mr Ripley and I think will appeal to fans of Highsmith.

I agree Palegreenstars TheBook of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult is utter tripe. I liked the Cazalet Chronicles (except for the final book) - lots to look forward to.

87. The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox

Where to start?

I was fully disposed to think well of this. I read Knox's The Vintner's Luck years ago and absolutely adored it would still recommend it.

The reviews call this "an instant classic" "a masterpiece" the new Jonathan Strange

Basic premise. Taryn Cornick's Grandfather has a library with a Very Important Thing In It. Taryn's sister Beatrice is killed by a drunk driver and Taryn turns to a mysterious stranger for revenge.

It was shortly after this that I literally lost the plot. People move from A to B with no explanation. Characters have completely incomprehensible conversations about fairies. Nobody appears to have a motive for randomly dramatic behaviour. Events are perpetually unclear to the bemused and two dimensional characters and even less clear to the reader. Gates are involved and demons. There is constant, but yet again entirely inexplicable peril. A police officer talks to crows and is generally incompetent. It reminded me of the excesses of the Patrick Rothfuss books but at least with those I could still follow the plot.

Like I don't consider myself in any way Hard Of Understanding, but I had No Idea What Was Going On, None.

Ok so although I thought this was Absolute Garbage I desperately need another 50 Booker to volunteer for what I think might be torture, so I know its not just me and I am not alone

Actually reading the Absolute Book as an experience was like listening to 2 fluent speakers of a language that you have a GCSE in and having no clue what the overall conversation was but feeling chuffed because you recognised a few words here and there. How can a book in my native language produce that??

It was about fairies and gates and a shapeshifter man and talking crows. Beyond that nothing. And I read the whole thing, though to be fair the last 40% was skimmed, I gave up trying at 60%

EineReiseDurchDieZeit

Not sure I'll be volunteering to read that one myself, but I really hope someone else does and I look forward to their review!

41. The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M Graff. Recommended several times on here, and I can only add to the praise. This is an oral history of 9/11, told through the stories of those present, and skilfully edited to form a complete picture of the day. So interesting to read the different perspectives woven together.

I’ve got The Absolute Book in my physical TBR but haven’t got round to it yet because it’s too big to lug about. On paper it should be right up my alley - books, mythology, urban fantasy… I’ll report back (probably in quite some time).

@SapatSea I can never decide whether to go straight in to the next with a series I enjoy or to make them last!

Eine

Your review isn’t encouraging me to give it a go

Although I’m struggling to find the mental capacity for anything more challenging than Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone this week. (DS1 has requested that I read the whole thing to him. Even though he’s now read ahead to the end. He keeps chipping in with spoilers as I read )

Hello again and sorry for being an infrequent visitor to the thread this year. I have excuses (working and studying) but am trying to get back in the swing of it. I have treated myself to some nice additions to my TBR pile to motivate me.

21. The Big Midweek: Life Inside The Fall - Steve Hanley

The Fall's long-suffering bass player recounts 18 years at the heart of the legendary band with the legendarily difficult Mark E Smith. Although I didn't find it quite as engaging as Brix's The Rise, The Fall and The Rise it was enjoyable enough.

Oops bold fail there! The Big Midweek: Life Inside The Fall

36. A Thousand Goodbyes: The surprising life of a funeral celebrant by Ruth Graham

This is an entertaining short book that I came across when the author mentioned in one of my Facebook campervan groups that she'd written it. I went and downloaded it before I forgot about it and have come back to it now as this weekend we held a bit of a wake for Dad, being unable to back in February.

It's an interesting look at a job that isn't well known, and I appreciate the insight into what it takes to be a good celebrant. There's also quite a few anecdotes from fellow celebrants that made me chuckle.

@FortunaMajor I am adding Menopause Manifesto to my list after your review. I'm 39 and it's only after an older family member has been chatting to me about peri-menopause that I realise I have no idea what's coming. I never talked to my mum about it before she died of cancer at 53. I don't know if she went through it naturally, if her hysterectomy bought it on, if she struggled, if the cancer overshadowed it all, or if she sailed through it and it was all done before the cancer hit! Time to get learning I think.

Hi guys
Just laid low with covid. Absolutely floored me but I have managed to finish Murder on the Links, a Poirot mystery. Rather silly with Hastings falling in love all over the place after about one encounter and about 17 plot twists but it passed the time without challenge.

Hope you have a quick recovery Piggy

Oh no, Piggy Hope you feel better very soon.

I'm continuing my journey through The Chronicles of St Mary's on audiobook and am really enjoying them.

*66. And the Rest is History by Jodi Taylor
67. Christmas Past by Jodi Taylor
68. A Perfect Storm by Jodi Taylor

69. The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley

This story sounded right up my street - a family holiday in Cornwall in the last summer of peace, adventures of a family and their social circle during the war and a family reunion at a funeral 40 years later - but I HATED it. The good - I did like the fact that the women were strong characters and were very sexually liberated, although I wonder how realistic this was and question the almost complete lack of sexual or emotional jealousy on show. The bad - if ever a group of people needed to widen their social circle it's this one, everyone was sleeping with everyone else and no one seemed to even question the cousin on cousin loving (yes it's legal but would definitely raise comment in most families). The ugly - the subject of Nazism and anti-semitism was handled poorly ("that's not the Jew he fought for") and there was an alarmingly high number of men interested in little girls, which was either ignored or pretty much dismissed as an mere eccentricity. Yeah this book really wasn't for me.

31. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

I read this as a teen, almost certainly in another language, but remembered nothing of it except that 451F is the temperature at which books burn.

Overall, the book was somewhat better than I expected. There was very little story to remember, but the immersive media and society's contempt and fear of intellectual thought was almost prescient.

It had beautiful prose in some parts and utter tripe in others. This felt strange until the end of the book, where the author explains that he write it as a novella and then was told by a publisher to double its length.

Another bit of interesting information was that Fahrenheit 451 was first published in installments in Hugh Hefner's brand new magazine Playboy