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?

@CoteDAzur

8. Ancient Rhetoric - from Aristotle to Philostratus translated and edited by Thomas Habinek

My classical singing teacher told me about the ancient teachings of rhetoric and declamation as the basis of Baroque performance, and this compilation felt like a better use of my time than reading Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian separately.

It was the right choice. The editor has grouped their writings according to subject matter and distilled them to their essentials. It was interesting to read their individual thoughts on how delivery makes a speech effective and folds the audience captive.

Recommended.

@CoteDAzur Thanks for this recommendation, I'm also interested in ancient rhetoric, but I'm always worried that the actual works are going to be too dry

Your review also made me remember that I took a Latin poetry class with Tom Habinek in California about 30 years ago (when I was a much bigger Classics geek than I am now). I remember him as being a lovely, gentle teacher... but I was so young then, a lot of what he was saying probably just sailed over my head. I looked him up and discovered that he has now passed away of cancer

@VikingNorthUtsire
Glad you're not in a slump.

I've just read Circus Shoes by Noel Streatfeild but can't remember if I said so on the thread already! Not one I'd read before - it wasn't bad.

@cassandre I saw Translations at the National a few years ago with Ciaran Hinds and was absolutely blown away. It was magnificent.

Thanks @VikingNorthUtsire, I'm still plunging ahead with War and Peace, even though I've been very quiet on that thread too!

I think I have a lot of fear around Covid as I'm asthmatic, so the fact that I'm very tired at the moment and short of breath is scaring me a bit. But in actual fact most of my friends with Covid have felt rubbish for the first few days, and I'm still only on day 3, so I'm sure that feeling rubbish is par for the course. We've all got it from our primary school DC

There's also that superego voice in my head telling me that I need to stop resting and start WORKING but I'm trying to ignore it, because honestly, the brain fog is real.

StColumbo, lucky you, I would love to see Translations live!

It's the kind of play that's so deep, I'm not even entirely sure what I think about it yet, I'm just going to let it ruminate for awhile.

And try not to drive teenage DS crazy because his mum is more interested in his homework than he is

@bibliomania

16. Why Women Read Fiction, by Helen Taylor The author researches the titular question by sending out questionnaires and carrying out interviews. She doesn't find out anything very surprising - we read to expand our lives. Women tend to do more social networking so are more likely to join book clubs and attend literary events. The only dissenting voice was the journalist and former novelist Bidisha who links reading to female passivity and wants us to be out there engaging with the world instead. Not saying I agree, but I was interested in a different perspective. The book as a whole reads a bit like a dissertation - conscientious but a bit plodding.

bibliomania, a friend of mine read this recently and was also underwhelmed. It seems like a fantastic topic that was somehow imperfectly realised.

@cassandre

StColumbo, lucky you, I would love to see Translations live!

It's the kind of play that's so deep, I'm not even entirely sure what I think about it yet, I'm just going to let it ruminate for awhile.

And try not to drive teenage DS crazy because his mum is more interested in his homework than he is

It was on NT @ Home not long ago, but I cancelled my membership so haven’t looked. I’d say worth the £6 or whatever for a one off viewing, even if not live.

P.S. to Viking: I had to laugh at your Not as bad as the fucking Salt Path, thank God. I quite liked The Salt Path but I know what you mean, at points I just wanted to give the author a hearty shake.

Most of my friends loved Wintering so I'm intrigued by your more ambivalent take on it (I haven't read it myself yet).

OMG thank you StColumbo!!

I would LOVE to see that and I will gently twist DS's arm to see if he'll watch it with me.

@VikingNorthUtsire I agree re Wintering and The Salt Path. Both seemed b self indulgent.

When I started wintering I thought it was going to be some horrific tragedy with the husband but it turned about to be appendicitis which he recovered from straightforwardly?

Btw, I'm another reader who has tried and failed to appreciate Terry Pratchett. I can see that what he's doing is very witty and inventive, I just find it such hard work to read. I don't think comedy is a genre that comes naturally to me; many classic comic films stress me out as well

@JaninaDuszejko, I've started reading The Wreath by Sigrid Undset. Very interesting.

And incidentally, should anyone want a copy of The Wife, the 2nd volume of the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy, Amazon sent me three copies instead of one. ??? And told me to keep all three. So I have two spares. It's the more modern translation by Tina Nunnally. If anyone is interested, please message me. I'm happy to post it to you free of charge -- the only caveat being that I need to self-isolate for another week, so I won't be able to make it to the post office for another week or so! Otherwise I'll just donate to Oxfam.

I'm a bit ashamed of buying from Amazon to be honest, I normally try to avoid them...

7. When Will There be Good News by Kate Atkinson
A re-read, picked up at a free book stand. This time we encounter a train crash, a suspected kidnapping, and a freshly released from prison murderer. Jackson is endearing as ever, and his love life still shambolic. Atkinson's writing lifts these above lots of detective series.

Well did not know to read Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie in order so thanks for the heads up. I tried an audio of one of hers I think last year and gave up but I do have Big Sky that’s been sat on my shelf for a good while picked up from local charity shop. So I will delay reading that and find out what the first is and do them in order.

I also saw Translations years ago and loved it. Also another Friel play, Making History.

Some Tame Gazelle is one of my all-time favourites, Cassandre.

Currently on What to Read Next, by Stig Abell, his account of his reading on his daily commute. Loving it so far.

@Midnightstar76 in order the Brodie books are Case Histories, One Good Turn, When Will There Be Good News?, Started Early Took My Dog and then Big Sky is the most recent.

Thanks @ChessieFL looking forward to getting stuck in.

P.s I am Faith1976 as well so as not to confuse , it comes up when I reply via e-mail but is an old username no idea why lol

1. The sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

Had this on my tbr then someone on here linked to the monthly Kindle deals can't remember who it was sorry but thanks so I got it for 99p!

I enjoyed it, wasn't quite as good as I was expecting but still good

Madonna in a Fur Coat, Sabahattin Ali, trans. By Maureen Freely and Alexander Dawe

I’ve overused the word magnificent today, but this is my first stand out read of the year. I’ve given it four and a half stars but I really think it’s five. I think it’s my fault that it hasn’t quite got the extra half. I don’t have faith in my ability to read and absorb this in the original, but it meant that often paused to wonder what turn of phrase Ali might have used at various points which interfered with my reading, so that is on me. It’s a Turkish classic written in the 1940s about a man who travels to Germany in the early 1920s and falls in love. It’s set quietly against the backdrop of the founding and forging of the Turkish Republic. It’s very short, only 168 pages and I devoured it having started last night.

I forgot to say, I think those of you who enjoyed Stoner might enjoy it.

@StColumbofNavron I HATED that. I was so bored. Coteliked it iirc.

Stoner? I can see it’s not for everyone, it’s just ordinariness moving very slowly to no particularly interesting end. I have a high tolerance for things like that though. I’d say more happens in Madonna in a Fur Coat but it is still about ordinariness overall I think.

I'm sorry you are feeling rough @cassandre, it took me a while to start feeling better even though I only had it mildly.

15. Lose Weight, Feel Great by Fr Ranjan Chatterjee. Nicely put together diet and health book- up to date advice about what and when to eat (I do know it but don't always do it!).

@StColumbofNavron

Stoner? I can see it’s not for everyone, it’s just ordinariness moving very slowly to no particularly interesting end. I have a high tolerance for things like that though. I’d say more happens in Madonna in a Fur Coat but it is still about ordinariness overall I think.

Madonna is the one I hated. I haven't read Stoner, but dp loved it.

Ah I see. I (obviously) loved it, so much so that in real life I am going to be very selective who I recommend it to.