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?

@Sadik

Glad your DH liked the Crater School *@Welshwabbit* The sequel is just as good :) I got the recommendation from KJ Charles' best books of 2021 & there's quite a few others on there I fancy

Thank you so much Sadik for the original recommendation, and the link.

7. The Etymologicon - Mark Forsyth
An entertaining stocking filler book. Reads like a series of blog posts (which is how it started) about the origins of certain words/phrases in English, each one linking to the next. I shall always think of avocados as big green Aztec bollocks from now on.

@ChannelLightVessel

7. The Etymologicon - Mark Forsyth An entertaining stocking filler book. Reads like a series of blog posts (which is how it started) about the origins of certain words/phrases in English, each one linking to the next. I shall always think of avocados as big green Aztec bollocks from now on.

Ooh adding this to the list!

@ChannelLightVessel

7. The Etymologicon - Mark Forsyth An entertaining stocking filler book. Reads like a series of blog posts (which is how it started) about the origins of certain words/phrases in English, each one linking to the next. I shall always think of avocados as big green Aztec bollocks from now on.

With such fruits on offer, who could resist?

I read 10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World by Elif Shafak last year. Sadly, unlike @CoteDAzur, I know nothing about Turkey or Turkish culture, but then happily that meant I wasn't irritated by all the inaccuracies. Actually on reconsideration I wish now that I had known of them because I hate reading historical novels that get the facts wrong and review them accordingly. I wish I could have applied the same rigour to my review of this novel. Anyway I did enjoy the first part of 10 Minutes, although it deals with the difficult subject of sexual abuse of Tequila Leila, her transition into a prostitution and her eventual murder. I thought the conceit of using the 10 minutes and 38 seconds it takes for her brain's activity to shut down was cleverly handled. Then comes Part 2 which degenerated into a farcical chase episode with elements straight out of "Weekend at Bernie's". It's like 2 very different novels have been clumsily spliced together. I probably would not read another book by this author.

I did however really love The City and the City... sorry CoteDAzur.

hi everyone, I normally just keep track of my books on Goodreads, but it's nice to talk about them on here.
I've decided to start my year off with the current Richard & Judy selection. I don't think they discuss them anywhere now, but I normally like the books they (or WH Smiths) choose.
First was The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell. I was a bit meh about it, I thought the end was a bit silly.
Currently reading One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin, which had me ugly crying this morning. I already think this will be one of my favourite books this year, but haven't finished it yet.
On audio, I'm re-reading/listening to
The Dresden Files as I haven't listened to the latest few books and I've forgotten a lot of what happened.

Thanks for the thread! Never done one of these before, so hi to all

Read so far this year:
Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Secrets of Metamorphosis Fascinating. Biog of one of the first naturalists/botanical artists. 17th-century woman, travelled to Suriname at age 52 (not at all the Done Thing then) for her studies. Linnaeus built on her work, as did many other naturalists and artists who followed. She was the first person to depict butterflies etc on the plants they lived and fed on, rather than just out of context. As such she is considered to have contributed to the birth of the science of ecology as we understand it. It's full of detail of not just her work but also the problems she faced because of her sex/class/age.

The Fair Botanists, Sara Sheridan. Kind of a similar theme! But this is fiction and pretty lightweight. I didn't think the elements of character and story all hung together or were brought out brilliantly, but liked the period detail, especially learning that in the 19th century the whole of the Edinburgh botanical gardens were moved to a new site by horse/ox and cart. Massive plants and trees processing through the streets. Fascinating.
The Light Years, Elizabeth Jane Howard. Wonderfully nostalgic about a childhood and an England so far away from my own – inter-war, starting with a bucolic summer in east Sussex at affluent grandparents' rambling house and grounds. This is the first of a massive family saga. Characters are so vivid and relatable, or if not then at least understandable. She writes so well and perceptively about everyone, whatever their age, sex, position. Particularly good on the tiny changes and nuances of children's lives and relationships as they grow up.

I really like Elif Şafak. I’ve met her a few times and been to some book talks. I have a very similar relationship to Turkey and how I feel about it as her so the points that she often makes resonate with me about identity and belonging so I think I am forgiving of some of her errors for that reason. It’s sentimentality in me (again). She was also the first Turkish name I saw on the shelf in a bookshop in England so I attach some nostalgia to that memory I think.

It’s impossible to disagree with Cotes points around names etc. I can’t really see any reason for it than an English speaking market will be more familiar with Leila than Leyla, but it’s definitely not necessary. I haven’t read this particular book yet so I will bear all of these things in mind when I do.

Finished 3 things about Elsie
Found it quite hard to get into but persevered and glad I did. An interesting and thought provoking sort of experience of confusion and lost memories for an elderly lady as a face from the past who can't possibly be there arrives.
Next it's the Nanny State Made me...

A Place of Greater Safety was my first book of last year. I had the advantage of having studied the period at school (a long time ago…..) which helped. I really enjoyed it but did struggle to distinguish some of the minor characters from one another.

Just finished:

3. The Passenger - Ulrich A Boschwitz

The passenger is Otto a German Jewish businessman who is married (to a non-Jew) and runs a successful business with his partner (also a non-Jew). The book is set in 1938 when restrictions on Jews started to really bite and action against Jews became much more forceful. The period covered by the book is only a few days when Otto is forced to go on the run. He spends most of the book on trains travelling around Germany either trying to see people (his business partner or wife) or trying to leave Germany. The sense of how frantic and trapped Otto feels and how non-Jews distanced themselves is conveyed well but I didn’t love this.

On the subject of Shafak and Şafak there is a really great chapter in The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla by Chimene Suleyman about names - Chimene is Çimen in Turkish. Both have chosen to represent their names anglicised which is interesting in and of itself.

2. Still Life, Louise Penny

I'd heard a lot of praise for this series of crime books set in Quebec (of which this is the first), but I hadn't realised that they are towards the cosy end of the genre. For me, this meant that an interesting setting (a picturesque, artsy community in rural Quebec) and decent plotting (not too many suspects, no massive out-of-the-blue revelations) were spoiled by an irritating cast of larger-than-life quirky characters, none of whom felt at all authentic. I might have liked it better if I'd known in advance what I was getting, but every time we switched from the police work to the overdone conversations between the gang of locals, I had the urge to put the book down and not bother with it further.

@VikingNorthUtsire

2. Still Life, Louise Penny

I'd heard a lot of praise for this series of crime books set in Quebec (of which this is the first), but I hadn't realised that they are towards the cosy end of the genre. For me, this meant that an interesting setting (a picturesque, artsy community in rural Quebec) and decent plotting (not too many suspects, no massive out-of-the-blue revelations) were spoiled by an irritating cast of larger-than-life quirky characters, none of whom felt at all authentic. I might have liked it better if I'd known in advance what I was getting, but every time we switched from the police work to the overdone conversations between the gang of locals, I had the urge to put the book down and not bother with it further.

I hadn't heard of those. The setting does sound fascinating but I wonder if they're too cosy for me too. Might try the first one.

@IntermittentParps the Fair Botanists was the last book I read in 2021 and I too enjoyed it for the reasons you mentioned.

@VikingNorthUtsire

2. Still Life, Louise Penny

I'd heard a lot of praise for this series of crime books set in Quebec (of which this is the first), but I hadn't realised that they are towards the cosy end of the genre. For me, this meant that an interesting setting (a picturesque, artsy community in rural Quebec) and decent plotting (not too many suspects, no massive out-of-the-blue revelations) were spoiled by an irritating cast of larger-than-life quirky characters, none of whom felt at all authentic. I might have liked it better if I'd known in advance what I was getting, but every time we switched from the police work to the overdone conversations between the gang of locals, I had the urge to put the book down and not bother with it further.

I read Still Life last month. My first Louise Penny novel, and I'm leaning more towards not continuing with the rest of the series.

I like a good crime novel series, but don't like them too cosy (with the exception of Agatha Christie) or too graphic either.

3. Waiting To Begin - Amanda Prowse

The book alternates between 1984 on Bessie's 16th birthday, and 2021 on her 53rd. We first meet Bessie on her birthday, a happy, go lucky, head full of hopes and dreams, which is also the day she gets her exam results. Bessie has her life planned out, this is the day that will change everything....it does, but not in the way she expects.

She is a naiive 16 year old, we've all been there to some degree, and Amanda Prowse puts this across so well. Bessie at 53 is unhappy with her life, she feels she doesn't have anything. We meet her parents again and husband and children too, but Bessie didn't become what she wanted, she didn't become an Air Hostess and travel the world like she dreamed, and she doesn't have money. She feels she's failed, missed out.

Amanda Prowse is so good at bringing people, families, and situations alive, and showing us, the reader, that we may not have done what we expected, but our lives are just as rich and fulfilling as if we had.

I liked this, although not my favourite Prowse book

@ChannelLightVessel

7. The Etymologicon - Mark Forsyth An entertaining stocking filler book. Reads like a series of blog posts (which is how it started) about the origins of certain words/phrases in English, each one linking to the next. I shall always think of avocados as big green Aztec bollocks from now on.

I loved that book! I have never used the word feisty about a woman since reading Etymologicon a few years ago.

It also meant I understood a prediction by the Fool in a Robin Hobb book, which DH missed completely, so felt like a smarty-pasnts for the evening.

Have you read Word Freak by Stefan Fatsis? It's about 20 years old now, but I remember it fondly. It's about the world of competitive Scrabble players - fascinating stuff and also somewhat bonkers.

1. My Antonia - Willa Cather

Life on the prairies in the early 20th century - great character sketches and lovely descriptions of the prairies and rivers. Loved it all.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Retelling of the Iliad from Patroclus's viewpoint. I got annoyed at the beginning when Patroclus talks about men having sex with slave girls to generate more slaves (I though inherited slavery was an invention of the transatlantic slave trade). It was very readable but I don't think it was as interesting a retelling as The Silence of the Girls.

I suppose the discussion around Khaled Hosseini and Elif Shafak, are related to those about Jeanine Cummins and American Dirt. Who is allowed to tell what story and how many changes should to be made to make it acceptable to the Anglophone world? Is choosing to write in English the first problem? Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o stopped writing in English, should other writers do the same? There are plenty of writers that have grown up with split cultural heritage and that otherness might well be a contributor to their success as writers. I think overall the success of writers like Khaled Hosseini can only help push open the door for other writers from countries where people don't speak write in one of the dominant publishing languages.

I liked Circe much better than The Song of Achilles.

I agree @JaninaDuszejko - I think Pat Barker's book showed how weak Miller's book was in comparison. Barker wrote something truly wonderful, Miller wrote an airport novel. Both have their place (hell, I just read 2 Bridgerton novels on purpose) but the juxtaposition of the two approaches to the same story was pretty striking.

The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgerton 2) - much more fun that Bridgerton 1 with its weird rapey incident. A nice light and breezy was to pass a rainy Sunday afternoon.

I liked a greater place of safety but had to read it slowly and have wikipedia open on my phone asi really knew nothing about the period.

As for 10 minutes 38 seconds I agree with the above poster, I liked the first section (not hugely original but I enjoyed it) but the send part took such a turn it really jarred.

Right, off to a great start with my first read this year,

1. I who have never know men by Jacqueline Harpman

Described as scifi but for me if say more dystopia, 40 women are kept in a cage for many years, they are brought food but otherwise they do not have any interaction with the outside world or with their guards. The women are unknown to eachother and remember their lives before but do not know the reason for their capture or even if they are on plant earth.

If you like your books to give explanations then I'd avoid but after a slow start (it's less than 200 pages) this really took off and I ended up really into this very strange book. I would recommend

Forgot to add book 2

1. The dark is rising by Susan Cooper

A nice read in the run up to Christmas and the new year. I enjoyed the family and village life sections to the fantasy parts more.

Ooh I'm joining in too! I got TEN books from my lovely children at Christmas and look forward to starting with them.

@angieloumc

Ooh I'm joining in too! I got TEN books from my lovely children at Christmas and look forward to starting with them.

Welcome angieloumc - what books did you get? It's always interesting to know what everyone's planning to read.