50 Books Challenge 2023 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 2023, 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?

I've just reserved House of Glass on Borrowbox. Thanks DuPain and Boiledegg. * *

Book 4 was City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert. Early on in the book I wasn’t sure whether to keep going as the main character is annoyingly shallow and vain but (I think) I’m glad I kept going - it’s a very easy read which is what I’m after at the minute.

Vivian is ninety and looking back on her life from age nineteen onwards. Initially the book is set in 1940s New York as Vivian moves into a rundown theatre owned by her aunt and adjusts to having her first real taste of freedom. The unconventional characters she meets are richly drawn and I did get a great sense of a bygone era. There are a few male characters in the book but the plot focuses on the women and the relationships between them.

Ha ha to nativity . How did that happen?!

Just found this @Cote.

Nice to @EineReiseDurchDieZeit having my back again (re *Dune) . I think you and I often dislike the same things, Eine!

@Remus is The Dancing Bear by Michael Morpurgo?

@nowanearlyNicemum Francis Faviell
Only £3.99 on Kindle

Oh I see this thread every year and lurk away like a little book vampire in the shadows, feeding on all the recommendations.

I love that it brings me to books I love that I probably would never hear of otherwise.

Anyway, lurk no more - this year I'm in. I have no idea how many I read in a normal year, but I'll aim for 50 and see how I get on.

To date I've read:

A God in Ruins - Kate Atkinson
I reread this after rereading Life After Life (which I loved both times). I was meh about AGIR first time around a few years go, but thought it was absolutely fantastic this time around.

Act of Oblivion - Robert Harris
Getting a bit sick of Robert.

The Secret Network of Nature - Peter Wohlleben
Thought provoking and interesting while undemanding emotionally.

Currently rereading An Equal Music - Vikram Seth after too many years. Love him.

I've also rejoined the library in the last few months to keep costs down and I'm really enjoying the oasis of calm it provides, along with the books of course!

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

The film actually isn't too bad, but at the time I posted my review (probably 2020s thread) I went and read the sequel synopses on Wikipedia, basically people become possessed by the spirits of former villains, rampant incest and casual cruelty are the order of the day, Absurd.

@AConvivialHost I read the Rumaan Alam last year. I remember him being weirdly obsessed with bodies.... Does the husband do yoga with his penis? I thought it was good but also the people were weirdly passive about finding out what was going on. I wonder if the series will have more of an ending and as much nudity?

Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie Late to the party on this one which I found on my Kindle and must have bought a few years back after reading Americanah which I recall I liked.
The pacing was strange, a lot of minutiae and huge cast of characters in Nsukka before the Biafran War and then a strange time jump and a relationship mystery to be revealed very, very slowly in the midst of the horror of civil war. I didn't know much about the Biafran secession from Nigeria so that was interesting. I found the characters very distant and oddly dispassionate. It's a long book and I thought I'd never reach the end. Sad to think Nigeria could be heading for civil war again.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit I avoided the film, but everyone I've spoken to who's seen it liked it.

I don't doubt that the sequels become increasingly ridiculous.

Does the husband do yoga with his penis?

How would one do yoga with one's penis, one wonders? Would it sort of...erm...hold one in the air whilst one bent the rest of one's body into various positions?

It gives a whole new meaning to the downwards dog.

Or the staff, perhaps.

Theres a book where the husband does yoga with his penis??? 😵‍💫

Mind boggling. And somewhat impractical, surely?

Checking in quite simply as it was imperative to read the entire post up there and not just the penis-yoga sentence which was tantalizing me.

@Suasthuasanuas welcome! We have penis yoga and everything!

After 3 goodies I'm harumphing at Simon Jenkins and his Small History of London I'm going to persevere as I like a factoid, but it feels like I'm reading somebody's revision notes rather than a coherent piece of writing. (Goodreads tells me he's going to get insufferable later and start banging on about architectural eyesore)

Started Robert Harris The Ghost last night which is not modeled on Tony Blair at all at all. Just what I need after Mr Revision Notes, a quick thrill.

@Stokey I think it was something along the lines of his penis doing a salutation to the sun 😂I don't think I'd have been jumping naked into a hot tub with people I had met less then 24 hours earlier either - although maybe all bets are off when you're dealing with a cataclysmic event. I agree they were a bit passive in finding out what was happening, but I kind of saw it as them knowing would make it real. Personally, I would have sent my husband out there - hoping he would get lost - whilst I polished off the wine and ice cream.

Checking in as I thought you were all talking about Spare, but turns out even Harry is not that (ahem) athletic. Haven't had much time to post this year but doing lots of reading so will be back with reviews.

God I had to go back and read my own post from earlier to make sure I hadn't made a penis yoga typo to prompt that 😂.

That sounds .... fascinating!

@SolInvictus I loved the thinly veiled Tony and Cherie in The Ghost! I've just googled to remind myself of the history and apparently Robert Harris called TB who used to be his friend, "a tragic narcissist with a messiah complex". So not a fan, then.

I think it was something along the lines of his penis doing a salutation to the sun 😂

Well, that’s an… interesting… mental image 😵‍💫 🤣

Im not reading as quickly as I’d like so not much of use to add, but I didn’t want to fall of the thread completely and I figured penis yoga was as good a moment to jump in as any!

I’m still on The Book of Form and Emptiness - mixed feelings for now.

It's all gone a bit Tales of the Unexpected around here 😅

Welcome Suasthuasanuas!

Sorry penis yoga was a slight exaggeration but yes a sun salutation!

I'd be happy to join you with the wine and ice-cream (in a swimsuit clad hot tub) @AConvivialHost !

A very belated hello and Happy New Year. Thanks as always to Southeast for hosting.

I went AWOL towards the end of last year after being in a near miss accident that would have been fatal. I was then in a very strange place mentally, got very behind, felt overwhelmed and went into hibernation for a while.

I'm going to float this year if I may. I can't realistically review 250 books and do them justice, so I'm only going to post a review if I've read something worth saying something about. I have really missed keeping up with the thread so need to go back and catch up with the end of last year and this one so far. Lovely to see you all here, both old and new.

Lovely to see you Fortuna

went AWOL towards the end of last year after being in a near miss accident that would have been fatal. I was then in a very strange place mentally, got very behind, felt overwhelmed and went into hibernation for a while

Jesus @FortunaMajor are you ok now ? I had noticed you missing the other day and was thinking about tagging you in a post. You must have been so shaken!

Very glad to see you back and kicking, looking forward to your many great reviews as always