50 Book Challenge 2022 Part Two

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the second 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, it’s not too late to join, 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 the 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.

The first thread of the year is here.

What are you reading?

@bibliomania

Ooh, I quite fancy the Kenneth Brannagh Death on the Nile film, LittleDiaries although it's not showing here till next week. I thought they did a good job with the Murder on the Orient Express film previously.

I think we managed to book for the first day. Hoping the cinema isn't too crowded, though.

I haven't seen the Murder in The Orient Express. Don't know how I managed to miss that but will see if I can find it somewhere to watch.

@SuperLoudPoppingAction - I’m off to look that up, I don’t read any comics/ graphic novels usually but would be good to broaden my horizons. Where do you find them?

@Taswama That’s another good idea, thank you, combines well with the Read Christie challenge too!

I was annoyed with the Brannagh Orient Express film, as it added unnecessary extra bits.

11. The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella. I do enjoy Sophie Kinsellla, I have had a lot of pleasure from the Shopaholic series, and one or two of her others. However, although I loved bits of this (the random bits of feminist solidarity from the heroine particularly), I felt that the narrative voice was not sufficiently distinctive, and the framing was odd- there is a short beginning section, then most of the book takes place in 24 hours, a year or so later. I think it probably needed a few more months of simmering to make the storyline more cohesive and the voice more individual.

I didn’t feel that Branagh quite captured Poirot’s challenge with himself in Murder on the Orient Express. I don’t think Branagh is a bad Poirot overall though, and I disliked the John Malkovitch one for TV that made it all much darker. I did like his version but as something separate from Christie/Poirot. That’s also because in house Poirot is easy family watching.

StColumbofNavron agree about the adaptation of ABC murders with John Malkovitch, I lasted about 10 minutes before switching it off. I'm not a 'purist' by any means but it just felt all wrong. The Branagh adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express wasn't bad and i'll no doubt watch Death on the Nile at some point but for me, David Suchet is the definitive Poirot. I've never been able to bring myself to watch Curtain on ITV as it feels too final and I've still to read about the last four or so Poirot books.

Cote - Brain on fire? Recommended?

10. A summons to Memphis - Peter Taylor Well. This is a Pulitzer winner so presumably it is objectively good. But I just didn’t get it. The writing style was awful, the characters were two-dimensional and unsympathetic (all of them), and I never got a feel for the place and era which the book was supposed to be evoking. It was just odd. As Craig Revel-Horwood would say: dull, dull, dull.

On to the next library book in my pile - Alias Grace.

I hated the Malkovitch Poirot The ABC Murders. Too dark and disturbing. I like my Poirots to be lighter, with some humour, and glamour. DH likes the Suchet Poirot best, so will see what he thinks of Kenneth Branagh.

8. The Last Fighting Tommy - Harry Patch & Richard Van Emden

Interesting story, not just about the war experiences but the whole life of Harry Patch, 1898- 2009. He comes across as a gentle, down to earth chap. This edition published in 2008; it seems unbelievable that someone who fought in WW1 only died relatively recently.

Bought for the book club lucky dip last year but I kept it instead and bought something else. Now in the charity bag. I had to buy the next book due to a queue for the library loan :(

8. Mrs Hemingway by Naomi Wood

A fictionalised account of the four Mrs Ernest Hemingways, which might sound a bit odd but which I found enjoyable and compelling. Wood concentrates on the beginning and end of each relationship and flits back and forth between the two in each section (the book is divided absolutely precisely into quarters). I find flitting quite annoying, usually, but it was fine here as the stories are of course inter-connected, so what you lose in one you pick up in another.

I didn't know much about Hemingway and knew nothing about any of his wives apart from Martha Gelhorn, so this had me diving into Wikipedia and I would quite like to read some non-fiction about their lives (I believe there are various books about the wives as well as about Hemingway). The one nit-pick I have with this book is that the wives were all written really with the same narrative voice, so it was hard to visualise them as separate personalities. It's written in the third person so there's a distance anyway, but you're definitely meant to be seeing things from each wife's point of view, and I don't think Wood quite nailed that. That said, the book is overall very well-written and I finished it quite quickly during a taxing period at wor, so she is doing something right!

*work, obviously.

Now reading Mort by Terry Pratchett, having previously failed to get on with Discworld. So far I have found it highly diverting.

I've set myself a target of 40 on Goodreads but I can always aim for 50.

I'm currently on book number 9 of the year so far. I'll list what I've done so far below but won't bore anyone with lots of long reviews in one post.

1. The Lies You've Told - Harriet Tyce
2. The Baby Group - Caroline Corcoran
3. Minaret - Leila Aboulela
4. The Yearbook - Holly Bourne
5. Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood - Ibtisam Barakat
6. Hidden Lessons: Growing Up On The Frontline of Teaching - Mehreen Baig
7. My Secret Sister - Lauren Westwood
8. Babyville - Jane Green

I'd say My Secret Sister has been the best so far and Tasting The Sky was by far the worst.

I am now reading Other Parents by Sarah Stowell and will review once done!

I read American Overdose a couple of years ago on the same subject @PepeLePew but from a different point of view. It examined the failings of the regulator (FDA) and the tactics employed by Purdue. It was a riveting read while also being extremely depressing.

32. Eat, Drink, Run: How I Got Fit Without Going Too Mad by Bryony Gordon

Gordon is a journalist for The Telegraph who has been very open about her mental health issues including a couple of other books. This covers how she took up running to help her mental health and ended up running the London Marathon. I listened to this read by the author and enjoyed it.

33. A Girl Aboard The Titanic by Eva Hart

Eva Hart was 7 years old when she survived the Titanic sinking. Her mother also survived but her father died. This tells the story of her life. The Titanic takes up about a third of the book and the rest is about the rest of her life. This was less interesting than reading about Titanic and there’s some quite strong political opinions in the later chapters. I’m glad I read it for the Titanic section though.

34. The Fallen Stones: Chasing Blue Butterflies, Mayan Secrets, and Happily Ever After In Belize by Diana Marcum

Non fiction about a journalist staying at and helping with a butterfly farm in Belize. I wanted to live this but I just couldn’t get into it for some reason, and I was very disappointed there were no photos.

Currently reading men who hate women by Laura Bates if anyones looking for a rage inducing female non fiction book. Mostly about incels and the manosphere (terms I’m only just learning about).

@Palegreenstars

Currently reading men who hate women by Laura Bates if anyones looking for a rage inducing female non fiction book. Mostly about incels and the manosphere (terms I’m only just learning about).

I don't know if I dare. 10 minutes on feminist twitter and my blood pressure is through the roof. I do like Laura Bates though.

Just finished Black and British: A Forgotten History - David Olusoga
In which the author traces the history of black people in Britain from the Romans through to 1980s. It's a very decent overview given the scope and doesn't shy away from the realities of the slave trade and Britain's role in it. It was very informative and at times upsetting and bloody frustrating. The author is very fair handed. We don't cover enough of this in schools by a long shot and I say that having had an excellent teacher who ran a lunchtime film club to better inform us about the topics we covered for GCSE.

I'm also slowly getting through The Stopping Places: A Journey Through Gypsy Britain - Damian Le Bas. I've got a long train journey tomorrow so I'm hoping to finish it then.

Welcome to the thread Phos.

11. Fall - John Preston

Gripping and utterly fascinating biog of Robert Maxwell, from his impoverished childhood in Czechoslovakia (I had no idea his family had perished in Auschwitz) through his arrival in England, the building of his publishing empire and his death and posthumous disgrace. He was absolutely a crook, a bully and a con artist, and entirely the agent of his own downfall; but I did feel pity for him, all the same, in his ultimate lonely demise.

Ooh, I’ve got that ready to go, Meg - looking forward to it now

(Did I ever mention on here that I once owned one of Robert Maxwell's televisions? )

I am wondering if I have another book about the opioid crisis in me right. now, Taswama. It would be interesting to have another perspective but i think possibly too depressing at this point. But will check that out as Empire of Pain alludes to FDA failures but doesn't explore it in much detail.

My book 11 was A Place of Execution by Val McDermid as recommended on here.

Totally brilliant, very clever crime story and my first one by her. I might try 1979 next.

I wasn't exactly recommending you read it @PepeLePew . I do have to balance out my reading between light and heavy. I really enjoyed Invisible Women but it made me angry so I don't think I could face the Laura Bates book.

2 for 1 sale on audible today - just purchased A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James and Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo with one of my credits. Looking forward to them both

@LethargeMarg @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Just bought the Francis Spufford as it's 99p and I like the sound of it (am a huge fan of these ordinary people doing ordinary things in ordinary times)

For anyone who has missed out on bosoms in fiction, bouncing or not, then I have just two words: Ken Follett. Seems not to matter if they are female spy, criminal, scientist, victim, perp, cop, robber or medieval wench, there'll be more than the necessary amount of bosoms. (when I think of Ken, I just now have this image of some tittering (no pun intended) immature, repressed little man who probably has to have clear instructions from Barb when in bed. Shame, as some of his 80s thrillers had good storylines, if a little heavy on top, (pun intended)

@AliasGrape, my favourite Spanish novel is Requiem por un campesino español. It's short (always a boon!) and set in the civil war. Similar in some ways to Graham Greene's Power and the Glory without the Catholic navel gazing. Beautifully written.

I don't think the book A Place of Execution is a trilogy- the TV adaptation was a three parter. I think I'm going to treat myself to a reread when I finally fucking finish fucking 112263. I literally have about an hour left, but I am so bored, I just fall asleep after two pages.

Do tell @Terpsichore!

@TheBuriedGiant I can't find the Audible sale in the app?