50 Books Challenge 2022 Part Five

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fifth thread of the 50 Books 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.

The first thread of the year is here, the second one here, the third one here and the fourth one here.

What are you reading?

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer, sorry to hear you've not been well bett, wishing you a speedy recovery.

Haven't posted in a while as I've been busy with uni, house hunting and now starting the process of house selling so not had as much time for reading as I'd like.
Still following the War and Peace and Woman in White readalongs and have also picked Bleak House back up, have the last third or so to finish off.

Joan Lingard died, aged 90. Really interesting obituary:

www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jul/20/joan-lingard-obituary?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

I enjoyed this as well.

If you liked this, pretty sure you'd also enjoy The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness too.

16) Three Sisters by Heather Morris

I read the Tattooist of Auschwitz a couple of years ago and loved the writing style and flow of the book so decided to read this by Heather Morris too. I found it incredibly moving and a joy to read.

Remus have you seen the tv adaptation of The Alienist? I thought it was really well done (although the characters didn't look at all as I'd imagined them!).

Thanks, Noodle. I haven't seen it, but rarely watch TV, so unlikely to ever do so. I'll google some pictures to see what I think of the casting!

Okay -
Cyrus - I like!
Stevie - fine
Sara - no, no, no, no, no: SO wrong
Moore - not what I imagined but okay
the Isaacsons - nope
Kreizler - totally wrong

59 Why We Fight by Christopher Blattman
Interesting examination of why some conflicts become violent, when in most cases rivals end up with some kind of compromise or deal. The author talks through the main reasons leading to the failure of compromise, and the situations in which conflicts can then become entrenched. He then looks at ways that enemies can be encouraged to make deals and move away from violence. The examples include inter-nation wars (historic and more recent), long standing conflicts including N. Ireland, and other situations including gang rivalries. Obviously this is a highly relevant book right now, given the situation in Ukraine (and depressingly easy to apply Blattman's theories to Putin / Russia).

60 Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead
I picked this up from the e-library following reviews on here & discussion of the women's prize shortlist. I have to say I think I might have got my reviews mixed up somewhere, as I remembered the subject matter, but was expecting a very short, tight novel with spare prose, and it's very much not that.
Overall I thought it was a decent read - it didn't feel like a prize-list type of book, but since I often dislike literary fiction and don't mind a long trashy beach read that's not a negative for me.

Now I just need to figure out what the women's prize listed book was that I actually wanted to read!

52: Swan Dive - Georgina Pazcoguin

Swiped this in the kindle deals recently. Pazcoguin has been a member of New York City Ballet for some 2 decades, starting at 17, and is a smart and sassy personality with plenty of attitude. She’s also half-Filipino, which meant she fell foul of the prejudices of the company's long-term artistic director, Peter Martins, who routinely exiled 'ethnic' dancers to the comedy and character parts and refused her requests to let her try out for the classical roles she was perfectly well equipped to dance (he ruled with a rod of iron and retired in 2018 after allegations of sexual assault, which were investigated by NYCB's own lawyers and found to be unproven).

There's a lot of laying bare of 'the secret life of the ballet' - epic late-night drinking, occasional pot-smoking etc - and, more poignantly, the relentless pressure to be thin, another Martins diktat; at one point Pazcoguin sneaks off to have secret liposuction on her thighs, and is genuinely riven with guilt at doing something she knows is bad and sends a wrong signal, while simultaneously rejoicing in her newly-svelte outline.

She credits a ghostwriter at the end but I’m assuming the enjoyably sweary, slangy style is a pretty good reflection of Pazcoguin herself in full flight. This is a fun book if you’re at all interested in ballet, and maybe even if not particularly.

@Piggywaspushed Thanks for posting the Joan Lingard obituary - about to go and read it now. I've read lots of her other books as a kid and adult, and still have many TBR, but the Kevin and Sadie series especially were very much part of my reading as a child/teenager.

@Sadik I loved Great Circle but nearly everyone else thought it was much too long, and the present day story framing the historical one worked fine for me and I think it was better for having it there. I've read her second novel a few years ago and have the first on my virtual (Kindle) TBR that doesn't take up too much space in my home. Hoping to get hold of her newish collection of short stories, whether as a library loan or a Kindle offer.

@Terpsichore I bought Swan Dive at the same time as you. Looking forward to it now.

The Fortune Hunters by Joan Aiken
This was terrible! If you fancy reading a dreadful book by a generally well respected writer, then this work of pure, unintentional comedy can be yours for just 99p.

In other news, I've had my second eye surgery - the effect in terms of vision was immediate. A newish friend from local political activity very kindly offered to take and collect me when I mentioned I had to get 3+ buses each way on Monday (when we were dreading the heatwave. Especially lovely of him as only patients are generally allowed in the waiting room, though someone's adult daughter who had come to collect mum was allowed to come in when they went through the discharge advice (how to take all the eye drops and the dos and don'ts) - I was glad to see that they had the flexibility for this when needed and am very grateful to my friend for his generous help, time, petrol, braving the heat.

On Wednesday I picked up some exciting new library books and have noticed that the latest Ruth Galloway series instalment The Locked Room is in transit. I'm reading and enjoying another forthcoming Elly Griffiths book at the moment, courtesy of Kindle - Bleeding Heart Yard features a cast who could be drawn from the Mumsnet forums (maybe she is or has been a lurker here?) at a fictional secondary school which makes me think of Holland Park or Fortismere (by hearsay rather than personal experience - my kids' schools will never be the kind that people want advice on getting their kids into on the forums here - that's mostly about where we live etc).

I'm 80% of the way through a brand new Jessie Burton novel - The House of Fortune is a sequel to The Miniaturist set in Amsterdam - 18 years after the first book and early in a new century. I noticed this in a digital library catalogue and placed a hold, and got a notification the day before its listed publication date.

Also finally reading The Girl With the Louding Voice, about a 14 year old Nigerian girl desperate to continue her school education - been meaning to read this for a while.

SOLD!

Or maybe not

Elkiedee Is the new Jessie Burton any good so far? It's on the new books shelf at the library, but I'm trying to resist until I finish the stack I have.

I've just started A Passage North which has a beautiful opening passage about not learning to appreciate time until you don't have much of it left.

I've not been able to think in the heatwave, it turned my brain to mushy peas, so I've contented myself with a Ruth Galloway and a Simon Serrailler. Not really noteworthy.

Good news about your surgery, @elkiedee - hope the improvements continue apace.

@FortunaMajor
With a caveat that I think we read quite a lot of the same books (for example I know you have already read/listened to most of the Women's Prize list) but have very different views on some of them, I'm loving The House of Fortune so far. If you liked The Miniaturist then you should borrow this and read it before others notice it's out/start placing reservations. I'm still very impressed that I was able to place a pre publication hold on the ebook and it just showed up on 6 July!

It's also not taxing.

Which Ruth Galloway? Are you reading the series in order or just what you come across? I found the series at #3 so have been impatiently awaiting the latest instalment in this and Elly Griffiths' historical Brighton series (in which the main detective and his friend have been displaced by a former colleague, now his wife, and a rookie detective, both women) for a few years. It's just as well EG seems to be producing at least 3 books a year between her 4 series (including Justice Jones for young readers and those of us who are happy to read kids' books)

@FortunaMajor Please read it so we can compare notes!

@elkiedee Great news about the surgery.

In the interests of research, I’ve just finished another Joan Aiken 99p mystery.
The Silence of Herondale
I enjoyed this one. Lots of twists and a satisfying ending. Occasional silliness forgivable.

Thank you @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie, I think. Have just bought all 6 of the Joan Aiken 99p Kindle books. I think I have some of the others in paperback/hardback around the place but I'm not sure where. I think I read some of the Austen sequels years decades ago but remember nothing about them.

I read The Alienist after watching so Kreizler is him for me. Sara, she was a grower in the series, at first I wasn’t keen on her but she pulled it off I thought. Cyrus was so perfect though. Even though I’d seen it, I still didn’t read John as Luke Evans and I say that as someone who quite likes Luke Evans.

I’ve been reminded by this thread to perhaps read the second book.

Nice try Remus, but I will not be led astray.

Elkiedee glad to hear all went well. Amazing that it's made an immediate difference.
I did enjoy The Miniaturist for the writing and atmosphere. but I found large elements of the plot very unsatisfactory and felt there was too much left undone. Maybe this will rectify it. I've decided to wait for the audiobook as I have too many others in print that I'm not getting through.

It was Ruth G #8 Woman in Blue and Serrailler #7 A Question of identity. I am going in order but save them for when I feel I have very little brain for reading. I can't say I love love either series, but they do a job.

Betts sending you lot of good wishes for a speedy recovery.

Absolutely agree Remus, - although Sara grew on me throughout the series because Elle Fanning played her so well. Kreizler was totally wrong in that I pictured him as much older, stouter and white haired, but the actor did such a good job that he won me over.

I particularly enjoyed the villainous Irish policemen, who looked the part and were gloriously menacing.

StColumb I read the second book but I think my memories of it have been replaced by the second series. I may well revisit it though.

47 No One is Talking About This - Patricia Lockwood

The unnamed protagonist's life in 'the portal' is brought into an abrupt confrontation with reality when her sister's child is diagnosed with an very rare condition in utero. The fragmentary, poetic style is almost certainly not for everyone, but I found this exceptionally compelling, with the reader's experience cleverly paralleling that of the protagonist - we spend the first half indulging in twittersphere nonsense, and the shift to the pathos of her niece's condition is very moving.

48 Realms of the Gods - Tamora Pierce

Last in the series of YA fantasy featuring Daine, whose wild magic gives her a special bond with animals and the ability to shapeshift. By far the weakest in the series, - fails to build much tension until the final quarter, and the romance with her teacher Numair (31 to her 16!) is really quite dodgy, given that this is a book for young teens. I'm sure this wasn't a good look even when it was written in the early 90s.

49 The Diary of a Bookseller - Shaun Bythell (Audible)

Very late to this one! Gently amusing insights into the life of the owner of The Bookshop in Wigtown - I'll look out for the sequel (and there seems to be another coming out this year - Remainders of the Day.)

Hope you’re better soon bett. Glad to hear your op has been a success elkie.

Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner I hadn’t heard of Steiner before the sad news of her death recently and was struck by the affection for the author and her books expressed on here. welshwabbit’s post in particular made me want to read the Manon Bradshaw books and this turned out to be very much up my street. A young woman is missing and we get to know the detectives searching for her as well as the friends and family of the missing woman. More than the mystery, the strength of the book is the characters and the group dynamics within families and particularly between the police team, and I found myself reading on late into the night. We meet good people in the book and so it is a humane read as well as having interesting things to say about crime and the press. The ending was satisfying too. Just wish I’d come across the author for happier reasons.

I just finished 31 - Booth by Karen Joy Fowler
Epic about the Booth family, one of whom was John Wilkes Booth, the man who shot Lincoln. Fowler says in her notes she wanted to tell the story without centring John Wilkes Booth himself. I didn’t know anything about the story really, and certainly not about his fascinating wider family. I enjoyed this as I have the rest of Fowler’s work, I know that We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves was divisive but I loved it. Didn’t love this one as much but enjoyed it.