50 Book Challenge 2022 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 2022, 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.

If possible, please can you embolden your titles and maybe authors as well of books you've read or going to read? It makes it much easier to keep track, especially when the threads move quickly at this time of the year.

Who's in for this year?

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini.

At times harrowing story of two womens' lives set against the backdrop of Afghanistan's recent history. I wonder how the tale would have continued into the present day? Received as a lucky dip present, now in charity bag to go. I love books but I have too many and the aim is to end the year with less than I started. This may not happen...

First DNF of 2022 - The Brethren by John Grisham. Just not in the mood for Grisham's schtick at the moment.

@RomanMum I adored that book!

1. Saint Deaths Daughter

I really enjoyed it - addams family + shadow and bone

Are we counting academic books? If so, I read 2 more.

5. Three Twins at the Crater School - Chaz Brenchley
Steampunk Chalet School on Mars. A delight. I was browsing last year’s threads, and found it recommended there. Whoever it was, thank you.

Really enjoyed that one too @RomanMum.

I read
The dressmaker of Khair Khana last year which was a real life story of women surviving and building a dressmaking business in Kabul in the 00's. It was really good.

God I hated A Thousand Splendid Suns. Written in English by an American who knows little about Afghanistan or the people in it.

Maryam studies the Quran but doesn't know her name means Mary, the mother of Jesus The author doesn't seem to know that the Muslim call to prayer is 5 times a day.

Everyone in the West knows two things about Afghanistan - (1) Buddha statues were blown up by the Taliban and (2) women get beaten up there. And that is all this book talks about.

Like a book about the US, written in Arabic, by a Saudi guy, which talks only about everyone eating hamburgers and having sex with each other.

2. Death in Disguise by Caroline Graham silly but enjoyable. Hoping for a parcel of books in the post today before I decide what to read next 😁

1. The Heart’s Invisible Furies John Boyne

This was so well reviewed and often recommended that I was really looking forward to it. And I definitely really enjoyed it, but I wasn’t blown away in quite the way I expected to be, was almost a tiny bit disappointed in a way I wouldn’t have been had I come to it without the weight of expectation.

That’s not to say I didn’t really enjoy it, I did. I was interested to see it was dedicated to John Irving and I could certainly see the influence/ parallels - it reminded me of The World According to Garp in many ways - mother son relationships, focus on/ in jokes about writers, so much sex amongst other things. And oh so many coincidences and instances of paths just happening to cross - which really stretched my credulity at times. I found the sections about Cyril’s childhood far more engrossing and the rest a little more uneven. The section in New York was very moving. And of course some very funny sections too. I’m really glad I read it, it just didn’t blow me away as much as I was hoping.

Highlandcoo - no it’s not the gardens on that peninsula, I think it’s the golf course . Anyway, back to books - I haven’t finished any due to holidaying with a 5 year old. I tend to get more read when I’m at work and have my precious lunch breaks!

@ChannelLightVessel I think the Crater School was me :) I've just remembered the sequel came out on Christmas eve, had meant to buy it for holiday reading, but it'll make a nice cheerful option for January evenings. (Currently working my way through The Art of Fermentation, poor DP is now being subjected to my kimchee/sauerkraut experimentations!)

@CoteDAzur

God I hated A Thousand Splendid Suns. Written in English by an American who knows little about Afghanistan or the people in it.

Maryam studies the Quran but doesn't know her name means Mary, the mother of Jesus The author doesn't seem to know that the Muslim call to prayer is 5 times a day.

Everyone in the West knows two things about Afghanistan - (1) Buddha statues were blown up by the Taliban and (2) women get beaten up there. And that is all this book talks about.

Like a book about the US, written in Arabic, by a Saudi guy, which talks only about everyone eating hamburgers and having sex with each other.

I'm not a fan of Khaled Hosseini's novels either. I've read The Kite Runner, which started off OK but ended up disappointing me with a poor ending. I didnt like And The Mountains Echoed, so never bothered with A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Another one who hates the khaled hosseini books.

Just finished pachinko- one of the best books i have read I think, would definitely recommend if you like generational books.

3. Conversation Piece, by Molly Keane
Published in 1932. She writes about eccentric Anglo-Irish gentry in crumbling houses - already a lost world by the time she was writing. Her later books have a bleakly comic edge - this is an earlier one so it's a bit lighter, although seasoned with a sprinkle of emotional cruelty. An English man visits his Irish cousins where he is immersed in their world of horses, horses, horses and the garrulous local peasantry (although to be fair, the local gentry are garrulous too). There is lots of horse-trading, point-to-point racing and fox-hunting. I can only really recommend it if you are yearning for the days of riding to hounds and you long for detailed accounts of same. Actually I did quite like the domestic detail, particularly the butler being looked after by the daughter of the house when ill and vice versa. Overall I think she was quite influenced by the Irish RM when writing this and hadn't fully found her own voice yet.

I keep seeing Pachinko being reviewed favourably and it's been on my "think I might want to read" list for a while . Moving it to my TBR list for this year (hopefully), although my existing book pile is teetering and in danger of becoming out of control.

4. Treacle Walker by Alan Garner. I had no idea Garner was still alive, let alone writing, so when I saw this mentioned last year I went on the library waitlist right away! It's typical Garner- myth and legend, playing with words- almost as much poetry as prose. It's a different reading experience from the usual plot driven stuff I read, but it was lovely.

Pachinko was a book I thought I was going to love, but I found it just ok. It has a lot of favourable reviews though so might just be me.

God I hated A Thousand Splendid Suns. Written in English by an American who knows little about Afghanistan or the people in it.

Khaled Hosseini has Afghan parents, was born in Kabul and spent the first part of his childhood in Kabul before his parents received asylum from America.

(Or 4 if we are counting academic books- any thoughts on that?)
one day I shall astonish the world
By Nina Stibbe

Shades of Victoria Wood. It passed the time. I laughed out loud a few times,also

I have to read for academic work @SuperLoudPoppingAction. I don't always read cover to cover so don't count, but if I read a book then I count it, academic or not.

2. This Much is True, Miriam Margoyles
I quite liked this biography. I liked her self-awareness even when what she is talking about isn't particularly laudable. For me, Margoyles is a face I recognise but I've only recently remembered her name if that makes sense. I've seen her in lots of things but she is usually a side character. I think is her frequent Graham Norton appearances that have solidified her in my mind as Miriam Margoyles. This is a light biography, she had a lovely upbringing, opportunities and full-filling friendships and a partner who she has been happy with for 53 years. I was surprised by the level of her apparent sexual activity with men, rather randomly - but I wonder if she may have embellished some of these a little. There is also at least two moments where she talks of flashing her breasts at crew as if doing them some sort of favour and I just couldn't really see the difference in the John Barrowman stuff and what she was doing really.

Overall, I would recommmend this if you have a spare day, are feeling down or having a dip in self-esteem. It definitely feels like a pick me up and I am pleased that I read it.

I personally wouldn't count academic books as I feel like I gut them rather than read them, but I've no objection if people want to list them - I'm just generally nosy about what people read and it's all grist to the mill.

I tend not to read academic books cover to cover but if I did I would definitely count them! Similarly to cookery books, I do count those if I've literally read the whole thing.

at bibliomania gutting academic books!!

See also children's books. When I was reading a chapter a night of (eg) Harry Potter I would count that, but as soon as I read 1 chapter and they read 3 on their own I stopped counting. Except for the occasional book where I've 'borrowed' it after they've finished as I want to read it myself.

I listened to Prisoners of Geography and 23 things they don't teach you about capitalism on my (teenage) son's recommendation last year.

This is a genuine question - how are some people 4 or 5 books into this year already?

I will count the academic books i read cover to cover.
Academically, I read like this far more than is sensible.
I'm getting better at reading selectively though, when needed.

I'm not sleeping at the moment which is why I'm reading a lot. I read on my kindle at night if I can't sleep.
I didnt sleep until about 7am last night/this morning.

Usually I read around a book a week, but have a few on the go at once.