50 Books Challenge 2023 Part Four

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fourth thread of the 50 Books 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, 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 and the third one here.

What are you reading?

Insomnia strikes again…I’ve just read 21 The Holiday - T M Logan in one go, and am going to regret it when I have to get up in two hours…

This was fine, a real sense of dread kept me reading to find out what was going to happen, but it wasn’t amazing and most of the characters weren’t very believable. It seemed particularly unrealistic that small children would just be left to their own devices on a rambling country estate with sheer cliff drops, or left with clearly messed-up teenage boys to look after them! And I don’t think the (male) author knows how to write women.

17. Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

Recommended by someone up thread then recently dropped to 99p.

Two sisters blame each other for their dads vicious murder, and a trial takes place.

I spent a happy three days trying to guess which sister did it. I had to be really careful when I picked this up to read, as I struggled to put it down. I don't really read much crime (which hasnt been intentional) but this was a great story.

I see I have come in at book 5, I will probably get the others if they are 99p.

Got about 6 books I'd like to read next.... 😊

The mischievous adult chorister with a heart of gold, the no nonsense deacon and his atheist academic wife, a dog, daffodils...it's all coming back to me now!

@cassandre I've read several Barbara Pym novels over the years, and have loved all of them so far. I'm planning a gradual read/re-read of them.

@noodlezoodle Thanks. I'm hoping it gets better soon. It's very frustrating.

I enjoyed the first three Lindchester books a lot, but I felt the last one was a bit of a let-down (I think it was written in real time during the pandemic, & it showed rather). I can see this one was also written as a blog, so I might let others on here read it & see what they reckon before splashing out on the hardback price

25 American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
I wasn't entirely sold on this. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but in retrospect I wasn't really convinced by Alice Blackwell. I think I'd have liked it more without the 'fictionalised Laura Bush' aspect. It didn't feel hard-hitting enough, which is a good thing given that it's a thinly veiled picture of real people, but made it less interesting. I won't seek out Rodham though I might pick it up if I see it in front of me in the library at some point.

26 Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
Audible has a couple of the Murderbot novellas included in the Plus catalogue at the moment. In this one, Murderbot tries to track down evidence of further illegal activity by the GrayCris corporation, but inevitably gets sucked into helping a group of humans. This worked really nicely on audio. The next one is also included in Plus, & I'll probably go for any future instalments in this format rather than buying on paper.

27 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Lots of people have read & reviewed this already. I've had a few days away, & this was the perfect holiday book. I'm the right age for it, and though I've never been a gamer I didn't find that a problem at all. Avoiding spoilers, I was a little disappointed by the big plot point nearer the end of the book - I thought that a less dramatic approach could have been more telling. But quibbles on what was a good fun read.

28 & 29 Arrows of the Queen & Arrows Flight by Mercedes Lackey
A (multiple times) re-read of the first Valdemar books. I can't imagine that anyone reads these now except old fans. There's all sorts of things to criticise, but even in her earliest books, ML is just exceptionally good at putting emotion on a page. I've not read them for a while, and I was surprised at how affecting I found the protagonist Talia's relationship with elderly herald Jadus, which I haven't really taken much account of in the past.

First an apology: I'm about to derail slightly and I haven't posted any reads for AGES, so I feel like a heel.
But: I need your collective wisdom.
Is there anywhere other than Amazon to easily sell second-hand books? I do sell some on Amazon, but I don't really like supporting it, and it's so huge with so much choice that most of my books just sit there and don't sell.
I do sometimes sell to my local second-hand bookshop, but he doesn't take everything I offer and he pays pretty badly. I'd like some other options, if anyone knows of any.
TIA.

I sell via Ziffit or WeBuyBooks. They won’t take everything though and you don’t get much, but I just save up until I’ve got a parcel and send them off.

@MarkWithaC

eBay have a look at Job Lots - individual books are always on there

Wob use Ziffit

www.ziffit.com/en-gb/

Two more read, number 22 The Cleverness of Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith which was a collection of short stories. Some were alright but others felt a bit like non-stories but was a quick light read
Number 23 was the final part of Under The North Star: Reconciliation and it was another heavy depressing read, with the experiences of the Lapua fascist movement and the 2nd world war and more Koskela boys dying. This time the book focused more on the women though which was nice, and their strength to endure so much sorrow. Was interesting to see the politics of the Koskela family go full circle, from tenants bemoaning the evils of the landowners to land-owning farmers bemoaning the constant rises and changes in their workers pay and conditions.

Great, thank you! And thanks Chessie too.

13. Stay With Me Ayobami Adebayo * * A difficult one to review. I know a lot of people have loved this, but I struggled with aspects particularly the middle section . It deals with some very difficult issues and perhaps my head wasn't in the right space to engage with them. I've been quite stressed recently and am finding it hard to concerntrate and read. Im getting through a lot of mindless rubbish on netflix, but not many books. The story follows Yejide & Akin's struggles with infertility in 1980s Nigeria. There is some beautiful writing in it - I particulatly liked the early passage where Funmi is first introduced into the household. I did spend a lot of time wondering about Funmi's story as I read. She plays a pivotal role, but we learn next to nothing about her. I've been reading in hard copy & it has taken me ages to finish. In the meantime Bear Town (that I started) has been returned on borrowbox. Will have to see if I can get it back.

Mortal Monarchs: 1000 Years of Royal Deaths by Susie Edge

This was fun! A few pages for each monarch (plus a few other notable royals) covering how they died (as much as we know) and what was happening in their body at the time. Gleefully gory in some places, it’s not one to read while you’re eating, but I found it really interesting to read the medical perspective of the various ways monarchs met their ends. It doesn’t include Elizabeth II as this was already published (or was well on its way through the publication process) when she died.

The woman on the bench - Eliot Stevens
this was an audible book, story I really enjoyed, a thriller about a married man who meets a woman he has an affair with and they decide to hatch a dastardly plan! Really liked the imagery the author conveys and the plot was well paced and twisty. One thing I wasn’t keen on, the audible version is read by one man, and there are several parts in the book that are from a woman’s perspective. So the reader puts on a more feminine voice and it just sounds odd and not real.

Haven’t they grown and have you seen Melody? Both by Sophie Hannah. Books were ok but in both books the main characters were extremely unlikeable and made the stories hard to get through.

Mayflies by Andrew O’ Hagen
Well, this was lovely. I went into it knowing very little other than that it’s partly set in Manchester and has some good music references. I won’t say much more except that if you’ve ever thought Morrissey was speaking straight to you or you’ve ever played endless drunken games of, ‘Name your top 3 Joy Division’ songs in the pub, or you’ve ever had a friend you thought might live forever just because they seemed to be more alive than anybody else you’ve ever met then you should read it. I loved it.

Great review of Mayflies, Remus. I really enjoyed it too.
Genuine love between two straight men is rarely portrayed in modern fiction in my experience, and it’s very convincing here.
There’s an interesting article in the Guardian explaining how O’Hagan based the book on his friendship with Keith Martin; it’s apparently very close to what happened in real life. Sorry can’t link but easy to find.

Thanks for this. I hadn't realised it was based on the truth. I thought that as fiction it was really moving, and now even more so. What a tribute to a friend.

Sounds brilliant!

Those who have a Mr B’s subscription. How detailed is the questionnaire, what kind of questions do they ask? I’m tempted but very fussy about books and have a pile of them lent by well-meaning friends that I’ve no interest in reading. So wonder if Mr B’s are up to the challenge!

53. Possession by A.S Byatt (Audible)

Lauded poet Randolph Henry Ash has a legacy fought over by scholars on both sides of the Atlantic. Postgrad Roland discovers a trove of letters belonging to Ash which were hitherto unknown. The correspondence reveals a love affair between Ash and fairytale writer Christabel LaMotte and tensions rise over the ownership of this discovery.

I'm afraid I really didn't get on with this. It may have been because it's the sort of book that doesn't suit audio, but I just found it all so dull, dour and dreary whether in the past or the modern section.

I also found it "rather dated" despite the fact it was published in 1990.

I had already DNFd this in paperback, but I should've DNFd this at the halfway point really, I carried on due to feelings of time wasted.

It's a shame because I've only read one other of hers The Children's Book and I absolutely loved it.

54. My Fourth Time, We Drowned by Sally Hayden

It's hard to know where to start with this multi award winning book about the international migration crisis.

It's a very difficult and very challenging book to read as the circumstances it describes are so atrocious.

It was eye opening as well, a real education. I can't say I was aware of the detention centres in Libya previously or their terrible conditions or indeed the level of EU complicity in this as it aids those abusing refugees in Libya to continue as long as they prevent crossings.

The UN an institution many feel is above reproach is revealed as useless, toothless, complicit and possibly corrupt.

This is one of those books where it's like "Oh? You had some notions things were bad? BAM. Here's how fucked everything actually is"

One of those rather harrowing, God humans are vile, what is this world coming to, depressing as all get out books. Not sorry I read it, bearing witness is important as is educating yourself but it is most definitely a :

"Do I have the mental strength this book requires of me?"

consideration, prior to reading.

It's fairly detailed, I was able to basically put as much or as little detail in, it asks for favourites, it asks for general descriptions of stuff that is your vibe, genres, that sort of thing.

Righty-ho.

I've just spent a couple of days on and off catching up with you all (and given the absolute stinker I'm going to review, your insights and posts have been better than reading books!)

Since we last spoke, I've:

1. DNF'd Hamnet. Meh.
2. Started an Excel for my TBR KIndles. I've got as far as 273. I have at least 6 times that many to still add. My name is Sol and I am an addict.
3. Appreciated the idea of James Norton's bottom very much.
4. Remembered my cousin was visited in hospital by Brian Clough when he had a cornea operation in the 1970s.

And been reading...not sure where I got up to on the last thread so forgive me if I repeat myself.

11 Trust Me: T M Logan

This was a does- what- it- says- on- the- tin -psycho- nutjob 99p. I'd read The Holiday last year and thought it was pretty dire, but this was much better, and I will buy more if they're 99p.

12 Tigerlily's Orchids: Ruth Rendell.

Quirky little standalone RR about ordinary people finding themselves in extraordinary situations. This time all based really on boring middle aged men living in suburbia getting the hots for a young Asian woman on their avenue and the dreadful consequences that ensue. Was OK.

13 The Ex: S E Lines

See above re: TM Logan. This was also a fast paced psycho nutjob themed story. Ultimately more twisty and believable than the TML and I'll buy more of these at the right price as well.

14: The Rites of Spring: Anders de la Motte

Scandi Noir tries to be literary and a bit woo with bizarre family saga thrown in. Too much going on. Too many characters. None of them pleasant.

15: The Woman in Black Susan Hill

Our old friend of the landing. Quick read. Was OK. She clearly fancied herself as a bit of a Bronte. She fails. Often reads like a parody of gothic ghostly goings-on. I doubt that was her intention.

And a drumroll for my stinker of the year. (and I include the 3 DNFs)

16 The Brighton Mermaid: Dorothy Koomson.

Christ on a fucking bike. KER-IST. I skim read the last 100 pages. I also looked this up at one point thinking I'd misunderstood the brief and this was also a parody. It wasn't.

Plot: 2 kids find dead body.

Observations:

The main character can drive all over the UK and is clearly a wordly wise well travelled independent woman, who, at one point when she hears someone lives in Lewisham, wonders if it's "even a real place"

There are three children very peripheral to the story who are always listed in the same order, and if one is listed doing something mundane and irrelevant, then the other two follow. Think Greek tragedy fixed expressions without the gods and muses. "Albert came in the door and put his bag on the table, then Bertha opened the fridge door and soon after Caroline said "hello Aunty" Ad infinitum but usually listing stuff that takes up a page and a half.

Not one redeeming character, but rather a series of 2 dimensional stereotypes. The black ones and the white ones. The (presumably, though not stated explicity) first generation immigrant father will say "we will go the shop and we will buy a hammer and a new door lock and I will change the locks for you" (seemingly the writer's way of distinguishing young black characters from older black characters lies in abbreviating verbs)

A cardboard cut out pantomime baddy policeman. If anyone has read the Wimbledon Poisoner it reminded me so much of the policeman in that, that that was the point I looked it up to see if it was supposed to be a ridiculous parody. It's never completely made clear (we are obviously supposed to think that it was pure and simple racism) why bad cop was so bad (apart from him whispering in teenage girls' ears that they are dirty sluts, (no me neither)) but it's OK! Someone runs him over!

We segue from lots of unnecessary detail about DNA and genealogy, alopecia, everybody sleeping with everybody else's partners, husbands, boyfriends and then being run over. (Spoiler! If you're a character in this book, or have given birth to a character in this book, not even the pavement will save you! I actually lost count as to how many people did the sadface thing to our heroine and said "my mother/father/parents/sister/brother/bloke I worked with was run over"

I could go on. But the absolute what the fucking fuck moment came when, after hundreds of pages of drivel involving DNA, genealogy, pantomime policemen, suggestions of child abuse, women with OCD who then leave home and try and fuck their sister's boyfriends, ex husbands who keep being mentioned to no real purpose, men without eyelashes, sons of pantomime policemen who pantomime policeman address in the same way as Michael Caine addresses Bob Cratchett etc etc etc and, BEARING IN MIND THAT FOR THE WHOLE BOOK THE DEAD BODY HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS THE BRIGHTON MERMAID BECAUSE SHE WAS FOUND ON A BEACH (capitals for parody effect) we discover that...ta-da her real name was SIRENE. That was the point I decided that I will read Katherine May and that other whiny woman who moved to live on an island and then didn't like it for the rest of my days rather than pick up another book by this writer.

I've looked on Goodreads and am agog at the 5 star reviews. I've also looked her up on here and seen she's recommended as chick-lit. So, in fairness, I'm as confused as the woman who thinks Lewisham might not exist, or the other one who has to list her children in order in case she forgets one.

Ahem.

Anyway, I'm also in Troy now. A Thousand Ships was randomly generated so in I've gone. I'm quite enjoying it. Have a feeling it might be seen as the what Jean Plaidy/Philippa Gregory are to historical fiction, this is to Greek Myths, but that's fine. Anything is fine after the fucking mermaid.

26: Charlotte Sometimes - Penelope Farmer

I wanted something easy and enjoyable to read after my quite intense last book, and this children's book fitted the bill. It was first published in 1969 and I can’t understand why, as a child mad on time-slip fiction, I’d never read it before, but there you go.

In the late 1950s, Charlotte Makepeace begins her time at a new boarding school and something very strange happens - one day she wakes up in 1918, at a different school with a little sister, Emily, who keeps calling her Clare. Gradually she works out that she and Clare are somehow changing places while they sleep, thanks to their old-fashioned bed with distinctive wheels. But when she and Emily are moved from the school to separate lodgings, can Charlotte get back to the bed to return to her own time, or will she be trapped in 1918 forever?

This was a gentle, rather melancholy and at times genuinely quite profound book about time and loss, beautifully written, and I’m glad to have read it at last, if belatedly.

@Terpsichore Charlotte Sometimes is one of my favourite children's books. I love the melancholic atmosphere - the sadness of the unmarried sister in the house they lodge in really touches me for some reason. I read it to DD over lockdown - it left her completely cold. Our reading choices rarely if ever align. I think the only book we both have really enjoyed together is The Wolves of Willoughby Chase.

So1invictus I live in Lewisham and am shocked that Dorothy Koomson didn't know it was a real place; does she not realise that we were awarded the status of "Least Peaceful Place in England and Wales" in 2013, just 5 years before she published her tripe!