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?

I think I probably need to read Behind the Scenes again as I was slightly taken by surprise by it not having read any blurb and might be able to disentangle the family connections better on a second read. I enjoyed it but didn’t love it in the way I did Life after Life.

Now reading The Madness of Grief by Richard Coles

I like the Palin diaries too, Tarahumana, but there are a lot of them and they are indeed long! noodle I'll have a think about some others I’ve enjoyed. I often tend to gravitate to historical ones, which might not appeal to everyone - I really love Beatrix Potter's diaries, which she wrote in self-invented code and which had to be cracked before anyone could read them. She was incredibly sharp and switched on as a teen/young woman, growing up in a prosperous household where girls weren’t expected to do anything much.

Letters-wise, have you ever read the letters of Evelyn Waugh and Nancy Mitford? They’re just hilariously funny.

Glad to see I'm not the only non-Pratchett fan, I think I'll continue to avoid as I'm not at all convinced their my type of books

Finally made some headway with reading today when DS2 was napping and DS1 asked to watch a movie, so I stuck Mulan on for him and cuddled up with him on the sofa and finally finished book 6

One Small Mistake by Dandy Smith
I've no idea where this came from but it must have been either a first reads freebie or a 99p deal. Elodie Fray has quit her successful marketing job in London to move home to sleepy Somerset and pursue her dream of being an author. She feels like a perpetual disappointment to her parents and can never match up to her older sister, despite being a graduate and a talented, though yet unpublished, writer who has already had a successful career. Her sister on the other hand dropped out of school before completing her a-levels and her greatest achivement in adult life is marrying rich and being a bored housewife.

Elodie feels the only person on her side is her best friend from childhood, Jack, an impossibly handsome, phenomenally successful man who seems to adore Elodie.

The story opens with Elodie being stalked by a mysterious man and things escalate quickly until Elodie disappears (not a spoiler, it's on the back of the book).

I found this an ok read. There were several twists that I saw coming a mile off but I felt overall the book was well done. I felt Smith's portrayal of her characters was very believable and realistic. I really like the portrayal of Adaline and Ethan's marriage, it was so reminiscent of many of the threads on MN about relationships that aren't outright abusive but are just two people not quite suited to each other

I felt the ending was a bit too twee but apart from that a good book

I've realised I haven't yet read any non-fiction this year, so will try and get some in soon

My input to recent book chat:
I have never read any Pratchett but my brother was a massive fan and I feel like I’ve missed out and should give his books a try at some point.

I have no idea what all the fuss was about Behind the museum. It hasn’t put me off reading more Kate Atkinson though as I did enjoy Transcription, would rate her highly as a writer and would be keen to try more of her work.
I flipping hated The Blind Assassin which is the only Atwood I have finished to date but am currently reading The Handmaid’s Tale as DD1 is studying it and I’m loving it so far.
Also currently listening to How to build a girl on audible and loving it.

Meg, some good recommendations thank you, I definitely fancy the Kenneth Williams diaries.

Tarahumara and Terpsichore, I've read and loved the Palin diaries, definitely worth the time investment.

Terpsichore, BP diaries sound great, as do the letters!

I’ve not read any Atwood, though I do have some of her books that I’ve picked up in charity shops over the years. I just haven’t got to them yet.

Pratchett is not really on my radar as it’s not really a genre that interests me. I took a brief look to see if there was something to read with DS3 but he opted for something else in the end.

I love Margaret Atwood and The Handmaid's Tale is my absolute favourite book. I've had The Testaments on my bookshelf since it came out but haven't been able to bring myself to read it. In my opinion The Handmaid's Tale is a perfect book, I loved the ambiguity and find that I don't want my questions answered. I haven't read Alias Grace or The Blind Assassin for a few years so might have to do a re-read, but thought both were brilliant.

I also really like Kate Atkinson, especially Life After Life and it sounds like I'm one of the few who actually liked the ending of A God in Ruins.

It's interesting to see that not everyone reads and loves Terry Pratchett. I tried one years ago and wasn't grabbed, however I wouldn't mind another go some time, having been so impressed by his heads-on approach to his Alzheimer's diagnosis.
Similarly, when Iain Banks was terminally ill, I followed his online discussion/blog about his illness, where he was very courageous and open about his condition. I decided, as a sort of tribute, to read all his books in order, but came unstuck with the third or fourth IMB space opera (I think?) one. And I concluded that serious illness in a writer is probably not the most logical criteria for reading their stuff.
Havng said that, if I was going to read one TP, is there a stand-alone one that anyone would recommend? I keep thinking I might be missing something really enjoyable.
I stumbled into watching Alias Grace on Netflix, although I hadn't already read the book; something I try to avoid normally. I enjoyed it although I can't compare it to the written version. Agree that The Testaments was extremely disappointing. I felt at the time it was YA, but fanfic is a better description.
I love lots of Kate Atkinson's writing, especially Life After Life. The Jackson Brodie books are a slightly different genre, a less demanding read; the sort of thing you want when you're waiting in hospital for an unpleasant procedure and need something to take your mind off it.

@highlandcoo I'd say Reaper Man.

I've also just read and loved A Place of Execution, so thanks for all the recent recommendations on here.
Oh, and EmGee a French copy of Le Bal de Folles arrived yesterday from Wob. With a beautiful cover and in perfect condition. I may be some time ..

@highlandcoo

It's interesting to see that not everyone reads and loves Terry Pratchett. I tried one years ago and wasn't grabbed, however I wouldn't mind another go some time, having been so impressed by his heads-on approach to his Alzheimer's diagnosis. Similarly, when Iain Banks was terminally ill, I followed his online discussion/blog about his illness, where he was very courageous and open about his condition. I decided, as a sort of tribute, to read all his books in order, but came unstuck with the third or fourth IMB space opera (I think?) one. And I concluded that serious illness in a writer is probably not the most logical criteria for reading their stuff. Havng said that, if I was going to read one TP, is there a stand-alone one that anyone would recommend? I keep thinking I might be missing something really enjoyable. I stumbled into watching Alias Grace on Netflix, although I hadn't already read the book; something I try to avoid normally. I enjoyed it although I can't compare it to the written version. Agree that The Testaments was extremely disappointing. I felt at the time it was YA, but fanfic is a better description. I love lots of Kate Atkinson's writing, especially Life After Life. The Jackson Brodie books are a slightly different genre, a less demanding read; the sort of thing you want when you're waiting in hospital for an unpleasant procedure and need something to take your mind off it.

I'd say Mort. I am biased, as I said upthread, as it was my first Pratchett and a 'lightbulb' reading moment. But I do think it's great.

I liked the TV adaptation of the Jackson Brodie material. Am not sure about reading them as I don't tend to like much 'genre' crime fiction, but maybe I should give them a go. Does one start with the oldest, or do they all stand alone?

6. The oak papers by James Canton

From the cover:

James Canton spent two years sitting with and studying the Honywood Oak...Initially visiting the tree for escape and solitude, in time he learns to study it more closely. He examines how our long-standing dependency on oak trees has developed and morphed into myth and legend.

I really wanted to like this book. I liked the idea of someone taking time out to closely observe to nature, but the resulting book lacked interest for me. It’s mainly made up of observations of the oak tree and the wildlife that depend on it, with some bits of poetry, folklore etc. The nature observations are of the type you can have anywhere (look, there’s a blue tit!). May be that’s a strength in some ways, but I personally like to learn a bit more from a nature book.

What bothered me more though was that, as the book progressed, it became more and more “hippyish”. I am not averse to a bit of nature watching myself, but had to draw the line at all the talk about the author becoming one with the tree and sightings of a “green man”. It’s just not my kind of thing at all.

Eurgh, horrible typo of their instead of they're in my last post. My autocorrect only ever wants me to use their, it's very frustrating

Terry Pratchett was one of the few authors whose latest book I would buy in hardback when it came out. He takes a while to get into his stride though - the early books are pretty thin and immature. I wouldn't bother with anything before Witches Abroad/Lords and Ladies/Men at Arms. To sample some of his more mature efforts, it might be worth trying Carpe Jugulum or The Night Watch or Jingo. Or Monstrous Regiment as one of the non-series books.

He plays with and subverts fantasy tropes, but it works best if you have an underlying knowledge of and affection for those tropes in the first place.

1. Death On The Nile - Agatha Christie

Read for the February Christie challenge and ahead of the film. I’ve read this quite a few times, last time only about 2 years ago but have the advantage of never remembering Whodunnit. This is what Christie does best IMO, a quirky cast of characters, all with motives, in a confined place (boat, train, isolated island), plenty of period detail and humour.

@highlandcoo

I've also just read and loved A Place of Execution, so thanks for all the recent recommendations on here. Oh, and EmGee a French copy of Le Bal de Folles arrived yesterday from Wob. With a beautiful cover and in perfect condition. I may be some time ..

I've finished Le Bal des Folles and enjoyed it:)

13. Windswept, by Annabel Abbs
Non-fiction. The author is working through her own feelings at her children growing up and leaving home, looking back at when they were small and she felt suffocated by domesticity and longed for freedom, but not knowing quite how to claim it now. Each chapter deals with a women who went off for long walks, including Nan Shepherd and Georgia O'Keeffe. To be critical, the chapters can get a bit samey - the women are tired, hungry, footsore and sick of leering men, but exult in their liberation. However, the underlying theme does resonate with me - how to reconcile the desire for adventure with the longing for home and children.

14. Coastline, by Patrick Barkham
An account of National Trust-owned coastline in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (Scotland is excluded as having its own arrangements). The author pays a visit, talks to people, gives an overview of history and so on. I moderately enjoyed it but it overstayed its welcome. My curiosity was sated long before the author's.

15. My Mess is a Bit of a Life: Adventures in Anxiety, by Georgia Pritchett
A memoir, told in short segments. This slipped down easily, thanks to the deadpan wit - the stories from childhood are funny and sometimes poignant. Life takes its toll, and later on the author is blindsided by her sons' diagnosis of autism. She says she is telling her own story as a form of therapy and it does have that air of needing to be told - not something churned out for the money.

Skimming through a couple of domestic noirs - not reading them properly and not going to add them to my tally. The Lies You Told, by Harriet Tyce - I enjoyed her previous book, Blood Orange. The author was formerly a barrister and set her book in this world, so it had a ring authenticity. Here we have another heroine, again a barrister, but it's starting to feel a bit samey, and the fact that so many gothic things all happen to the same person strained credulity. Also skimming The Other Mrs Walker, by Mary Paulson-Ellis. I like the segments set in 2011, as a woman tries to find out more about an elderly woman who died, but I can't be bothered with the segments set in an earlier timeframe.

Catching up with the thread, after a few days without reliable WiFi.

13. The Lost Spells - Robert McFarlane and Jackie Morris. This is a short book of nature poems, or spells as they're called here, illustrated beautifully by Jackie Morris. Suitable for anyone, from children upwards. Loved it.

14. Murder In Mesopotamia - Agatha Christie. This one comes up later in the year in the Reading Christie Challenge, but the library had it, so I borrowed it. Didn't enjoy very much. I thought the plot rather thin, characters mostly unlikeable, and I thought the setting improbable, and Poirot's appearance unlikely. Not one of her best, imo.

15. The Fell - Sarah Moss. I had been on the waiting list for this for ages from the library. It arrived this week, and I gulped it down yesterday. Loved it, was on the edge of my seat with the tension of it all. Sarah Moss writes so beautifully, and her characters drawn with such depth and understanding of human nature. I was drawn entirely into the story.

16. The Madness of Grief - Rev Richard Coles. A very touching and emotional read. Very sad, but also so much love. His husband, David, was a complex person, with a lot of personal problems, and long term failing health. Life can't have been easy for either of them for quite a while. I hope it isn't a spoiler to say that David was an alcoholic. My late dad was too and we, as a family, went through a lot of the same issues. For us, eventually, worn down physically and emotionally, it came almost as a relief when he finally died.

I read a lot of fantasy, and back in the day I did quite like Terry Pratchett, but now I just find his style grating for some reason, I'm not really sure why.

I watched the Netflix series of Alias Grace after reading the book (which was a stand out read for me last year) and I thought it was very well done and captured the ambiguity of the book.

6. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Just finished this yesterday and have been reading the talk upthread about it with interest.

I enjoyed The Testaments, it’s very readable, but it’s got a very different feel to it than The Handmaid’s Tale.
I’d tend to agree with pp’s who are comparing it to fanfic. It’s interesting to read more about Aunt Lydia, and to see the different perspectives of Gilead from her and the other protagonists, but the identities of the younger two had me rolling my eyes a little. It’s all so…. neat.
And the ending was a bit too much like wish fulfilment.

I don’t mind happy endings as a general rule, but given the dystopia painted in The Handmaid’s Tale, I found it a little hard to believe in the conclusion of The Testaments fitting into the same universe.

@highlandcoo a lot of people (on both sides of the divide) love Small Gods. Its main characters are new, although there are what amount to cameo mentions of recurring minor ones which a new reader might find annoying.

Pyramids is a fairly early one (7, I think) and though one of its settings is a city that features heavily in the earlier books the details are still being worked out.

Another book! I am on a roll.

2 Other Minds: the octopus [etc] by Peter Godfrey-Smith
Interesting. A slightly different feel to other books I've read involving evolutionary concepts (the author is a professor of history and philosophy, including philosophy of science). An engaging consideration of the emergence of consciousness. Took a while to get into it because the first part darted around a bit - this appeared to be deliberate but I wasn't a fan of the choice. I think I should read it again in a year or two. Would recommend.

Now, Casual Vacancy or Ender's Game? Hmmmm

@IntermittentParps you need to read the Brodie books in order starting with Case Histories. They are stand alone stories but there are links to/mentions of earlier events which will be spoilers if you haven’t read in order.

1. The Watchers on the Shore - Stan Barstow

A sequel to A Kind of Loving. Vic has been married to Ingrid for 4 years and getting increasingly resentful of being trapped in a loveless marriage without even a child to show for it. An opportunity to start a new life down South leads to an affair with an actress and the final nail in the coffin of his marriage.

I know I've read this before but I can't have been paying attention because I couldn't remember what was going to happen. Its a good book, and interesting to see what happens next in Vic's life.