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?

I'm aiming to read a classic every 1 in 10 this year, but my good intentions always fall by the wayside, so I'm getting a few in early.

1. The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky

On the surface a murder mystery and courtroom drama involving 3 brothers in dispute with their disreputable father. On a deeper level it is a philosophical work dealing with religion, free will and morality. It captures a certain age in Russian history/culture. It is an exhausting experience with a lot thrown in to chew on. I think I only made it to the end with the aid of a particularly lively narrator for the audiobook. All of the 'action' as such takes place in the last 25% of the book and there is a lot of ponderous musing that goes on before it. The scant plot is a vehicle for a lot of (worthy) navel gazing. I'm glad I've read it, but wouldn't say I enjoyed it as such and wouldn't rush to recommend it unless you already have a particular desire to read it. An admirable work, but not one for entertainment.

1. Medea and Other Plays - Euripides (trans Phillip Vellacott)

Containing the plays Medea, Hecabe, Electra and Heracles. Each quite short and involving only a few characters each. These touched on what were for me, lesser known parts of Greek mythology, dealing with the aftermath of the more famous part of the story. I am not generally a fan of reading plays, but I really enjoyed these as they filled in blanks of my knowledge. I've read the obvious eg The Illiad and The Odyssey and a great many of the last few years worth of new releases of Greek retellings. It's understandable why these remain so popular as a source for new work. At some point this year I want to read Christa Wolf's Medea which deals with her story in a lot more depth. I'll be returning to some of the older works as well as good stories have no time limits.

Viking and NowaNearly - snap! I'm glad it's not just me!

Viking I asked a few years ago as I was wondering too, she's not as 'nice' as you think.

1. Call of the penguins by Hazel Prior

I really enjoyed this, it's the sequel to "away with the penguins".both easy enjoyable reads. The same author has written another book called Ellie and the harp maker which is also just lovely

2. Ramble Book by Adam Buxton

I thought I was going to really like this book, and while I didn't dislike it, I didn't like it either. I really can't understand why, I loved the Adam and Joe Show, and still find Adam funny and warm whenever I have come across him.

Maybe I'm just not in the right mood but it just had a bit of a indulged posh-boy vibe with way too many boring in-joke references. The fact that Adam is 10 years older than me (I had thought we were closer in ages means that the pop culture stuff wasn't as relatable as I expected, which didn't help. I rarely found it funny and generally found it a bit, well, dull. I'm genuinely perplexed and might give it another go at some point.

Highlandcoo It was me that recommended Foster. All I can say in mitigation for the price is that I have read it so many times that if you counted it by pages read it's a bargain!! (At another level, I think it is such a fine book I would pay way beyond that if I ever needed to replace my copy. There is so much going on beneath the surface that, as I mentioned before, I always find something new when I re-read it.) I'd also add that the couple aren't really strangers, the woman is the girl's aunt (her mother's sister) so have a deep understanding of the girl's home life. Anyway, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! The other books of Claire Keegan's that I have read have been collections of short stories so that seems to be her preferred form.

@YolandiFuckinVisser

2. Cloud Cuckoo Land - Anthony Doerr The story of the loss and survival of anancient Greek text, written from the viewpoints of a Greek Christian girl in 16th Century Constantinople and a boy conscripted into the Sultan's army on the other side of the wall, an American orphan and his experiences in the Korean war, a disaffected teenager in 21st Century Idaho and a girl on a spaceship from Earth on its way to colonise a new planet following the climate disaster of our future.

I loved this, Doerr is a fabulous writer. It is as much about the joy of books and libraries as it is about the human characters which makes it very much to my taste!

This sounds great, and I loved All The Light We Cannot See by him. Added to the TBR pile 👍

1. Life at the Top - John Braine

A sequel to Room at the Top, 10 years on from the events therein. Joe, having attained everything his younger self wanted so badly, is discontented with his life. Only his 4-year-old daughter brings him any joy. Stuck in an unsatisfying job in his Father-in-Law's firm, he no longer loves his wife and finds his tasteful modern home constricting and uninspiring. On meeting an attractive young woman at a council meeting he struggles with his desire until he discovers his wife's infidelity and decides to set himself free.

I enjoyed this. There is some lovely writing here, although like in Room at the Top there are some shocking attitudes expressed by the unlikeable narrator, particularly in regard to women and their roles.

I'm really late joining, so Happy New Year and I hope you don't mind.

Thanks for the shiny new thread.

1. Divergent - Veronica Roth
I have read many reviews of this book that are less than favourable, but I always try to read a book with a clean sheet and no preconceived ideas or notions.

I am aware that I generally have a liking for Dystopian fiction, on the surface I think it is because it is an escape into another reality. Looking into it in more depth, it raises questions about ethics, and morality, what 'could' become of the world if people are sectioned off and power is divided unequally. These things are fascinating to read about, in the same way you find it hard to look away from an accident unfolding in front of you, but also because it's important to keep in mind that dystopian realities could become our reality all too easily.

I read this type of book for the escapism, it allows me to suspend my reality for a while, and live in a different world. For me, all books do this, but in different ways. You are drawn into the world and get to know, love, hate, and sympathise with the characters we meet.

This type of book just takes it a step further.

I enjoyed it, I liked the story and the characters and relationship development between Four and Tris.

I have seen the film, but so far in my life without exception, have preferred the book. I think simply because the people and places are developed in your head, not presented to you as how someone else (such as a film director), views them. I was impressed with how closely the movie was able to stick to the story of the book.

2. Right Behind You - Rachel Abbott
I'm aware i'm a lone voice in this review where I will say that I liked it, but it didn't make me think 'wow' or that it was anything special.

It was a good book but overall, I felt it was nothing more than that.I'm ambivalent about it I suppose.

Straight Outta Crawley by Romesh Ranganathan This was highlighted on my BorrowBox audio and I am glad I happened upon it. Stories from Ranganathan’s life and career, often toe-curling, always likeable and entertaining. Worked really well on audio read by the author.

Can I join? This year so far I've read

1 Sea of Memories by Fiona Valpy
This is a busy woman with tricky family spends time with elderly grandmother and learns all about her life kind of book. It was fine. I read it when I was at my parents over New Year and managed to not pack anything decent of my own.

2 The Cut Out Girl by Bart Van Es
A biography following the life of Lien, a Dutch Jewish girl who survived the Holicaust by being taken from her family and hidden with a succession of non-Jewish families throughout the war years. It was interesting to me particularly because I know a lot of the Dutch places the book talks about and I learned a whole lot more about their history.

Now I'm reading Piranesi, a year after the rest of the world, I know. I'm a bit late to the Piranesi party.

Hi, will join if that’s ok!

I’m on book 2 The Weekend by Charlotte Wood, finding the start a bit slow and not liking the characters so far, but only on page 35 so will carry one.

Book 1 was The Fine Art of invisible detection Robert Goddard - a good page Turner about a private detective assistant turning detective. it is left suggesting that there might be a follow on book.

Just ordered 2 more books the second Slough House book and Vox.

I got into a terrible Amazon Prime habit during lockdown after being an avid library user. Need to get back!!!

@Hushabyelullaby - I know exactly what you mean about escaping from our world. Occasionally if life if hard I seek out fantasy (often YA) to totally shut out my real world.

Nice someone else on here reads ya fantasy. It's more or less dd's only genre so I read things she recommends but I enjoy them.
(Apart from most enemies-to-lovers stuff)

With six of crows, I couldn't get into it until after I read Shadow and Bone

Finished two now:

1) Atomic Habits by James Clear
Generally liked this, and noted down plenty of ideas. But I'd have liked more acknowledgement of how other people can make affect your attempts to develop habits.

2) A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz
Really enjoyed this. I've liked his stuff since Groosham Grange and the Diamond brother books I read when I was younger. I like his idea of writing a version of himself as a character, and Hawthorne is convincingly infuriating.

1. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood I’ve had my eye on this for a while but was a bit put off thinking it was an attempt to cash in on the success of Richard Osman. To be fair though Thorogood is an established writer and I love Death in Paradise so gave it a go. Definitely enjoyable, cosy crime vibe and actually captured the same joie de vivre as Death in Paradise. Weirdly I’ve read his Death in Paradise novels and found them a bit…robotic? soulless? lacking something. So preferred this and worth a read if you like Death in Paradise and that sort of thing.

@Hushabyelullaby @OhDear2200 I love a bit of YA fantasy. Once of my faves is the skyscraper throne series.

@prettygirlincrimsonrose

Finished two now:

1) Atomic Habits by James Clear
Generally liked this, and noted down plenty of ideas. But I'd have liked more acknowledgement of how other people can make affect your attempts to develop habits.

2) A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz
Really enjoyed this. I've liked his stuff since Groosham Grange and the Diamond brother books I read when I was younger. I like his idea of writing a version of himself as a character, and Hawthorne is convincingly infuriating.

I really enjoyed The Word is Murder and A Lune to Kill. I also like Magpie Murders but not so keen on the follow up Moonflower Murders.

6: The Man Who Died Twice - Richard Osman

Library book which, as I noted in a previous post, came through unexpectedly quickly after it was reserved, while I hadn't thought I'd get it till March.

I know Richard O landed a 3-book deal with The Thursday Murder Club but quite honestly it feels as though the strain is telling a bit already. The crime-busting pensioners vibe is in place once again, but the problem is that we now all know what to expect, and the elements that gave the first book its charm have gone rather astray, I felt. Instead there's a convoluted plot involving drugs and international diamond-smuggling - with Elizabeth in full MI6 mode - and a lot of the dialogue is oddly flat and a bit perfunctory. Weirdly, the action is both hard to follow and dull, which isn't a great combination.

I feel a bit bad giving it a poor write-up, especially since it's quite droll in places, but I did slightly lose the will to live partway through and only pushed on because I didn't want a DNF.

2. Girl A - By Abigail Dean

Another one inspired by a recent thread I saw on here. This is the story of a girl who has escaped an abusive family and years later has to come back to face her past and her siblings.

I really enjoyed this. There are a few twists which is didn’t guess too early on and the pace between the past and the present is good. I did sometimes have to check which time I was reading about as it flitted occasionally too quickly, but on the whole a good read.

@MouseTheDog if I remember rightly The Marlow Murder Club came out only a few weeks after The Thursday Murder Club, because I recall at the time that Thorogood must have been really annoyed that everyone would think he was copying when in reality they must have been written at the same time.

@Terpsichore your review of the second Osman is interesting - I actually preferred the second to the first as I felt the plot was less convoluted and we’re getting to know the characters better. I’m really looking forward to the next one!

@Hushabyelullaby @OhDear2200 @MouseTheDog @SuperLoudPoppingAction I dabble with a bit of YA dystopia too mainly to keep the Dds company and check it's not unsuitable. They're 12 and 9 and both loved Divergent although were less impressed by the sequels. I'm always looking for recommendations, particularly ones that aren't sexually explicit as that tends to be the issue with the YA label for slightly younger readers. I just tried to read my first Leigh Bardugo Ninth House at the end of last year but found it really dull so gave up about 20% of the way in.

Hi all!
Terpsichore I know I got some great non-fiction recommendations from you last year and I was so pleased to see that you have read and enjoyed House of Glass - one of my favourite reads of 2021. Will be looking out for more of your non-fiction reviews
Palegreenstars I'm envious of your reading lamp! Acquiring one is on my 2022 shopping wish list.

1. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Retired tennis coach Joy Delaney has gone missing. We spend time with her four adult children as they remember events from their childhood and from last year when Joy and her husband took in a mysterious house guest, and in the present as Joy's disappearance is investigated and her children wonder if their father could be responsible.
This was a really fun read, up there with Big Little Lies by the same author and much more enjoyable than Nine Perfect Strangers - I liked the setting, plot and characters more in this one. Sibling dynamics and family relationships are explored in depth and with humour, secrets are revealed, the endless tennis references made me laugh and I loved the way seemingly small threads reappeared and came together.
Currently halfway through The Worst Hard Time - non-fiction about life in the Great Plains during the dust bowl of the 1930s.

@ChessieFL ha! Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for it, although I started in high hopes of being entertained.

I think it is a bit of a problem that the original set-up was quite novel, and where you go from there once that element of freshness has gone presents a challenge for any writer.

Fortuna - my secret's out!

We were supposed to go hiking in the mountains today but gale force winds have put paid to that. So it's a toss up between reading and marking... tough call.