50 Books Challenge 2023 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 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, the third one here here and the fourth one here.

What are you reading?

I’m reading Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson on Borrowbox so thank you for the recommendations as it’s lovely. However I’m still a bit all over the place and doing more listening than reading - rather than an audiobook I have been distracted by a series of podcasts on monarchy - from the Battle of Hastings right up to Elizabeth II.

Yes that is the main/only issue which is why I said Hamnet having settled on the comparison I'm not sure whether I'm mixing it up with a different book

Just finished 8. Riceyman Steps by Arnold Bennett
A year in the life of middle-aged Clerkenwell bookseller and professional miser Henry Earlforward, his widowed neighbour Violet Arb, and their shared maid Elsie.This was a very evocative picture of everyday London life in the interwar years. It's both a sweet depiction of love later in life and a cautionary tale as to the risks of taking parsimony too far. Will definitely check out more by Bennett.

😂The sample seems similar to Hammet in terms of the ‘scenes’ as opposed to a straight narrative and in terms of the awkwardness of the tenses. I’d better give it a miss for now at least, as my tolerance levels are rather low! 🤪

28 The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan another exciting adventure, no Percy Jackson in this one though.

I don't know what to read now, I want to read the next book in this series before it has to be returned to the library but DD is still reading it (her reading has slowed down a lot because she'd got a lot of studying to do at the moment, so many exams!) so I can't start the next one but the only other library book I have out is Casual Vacancy which is long so then I might not get time to read all the books before the library demands them back. I feel very uncomfortable not having a book picked out to read!

51 Lessons in Chemistry- Bonnie Garmus
This has been reviewed a thousand times. I neither loved it nor hated it. It was fine- entertaining at times- like another recent reviewer (I’m sorry I can’t remember who) I preferred side characters like Wakely.

52 Method Acting for Writers- Learn Deep POV using Emotional Layers- Lisa Hall Wilson
I’ve been trying to write bits and pieces myself over the last couple of years and have read a ton of books about it. While a lot of this wasn’t new information, there were enough tidbits to make it worth reading.

Currently listening to Dubliners (read by Andrew Scott) and reading The Count of Monte Cristo and surprising myself by loving both so far.

@TheTurn0fTheScrew I have had Riceyman Steps on my shelf for many years. Perhaps it's time to give it a go - I've only heard good things about it.

50 Russia: Myths and Realities by Rodric Braithwaite
This was a history of Russia, showing how the various leaders and mythologised heroes have shaped both the way in which Russia developed and the way in which – to a degree – Russians think about themselves and the world. I found everything up to WWII rather hard to keep track of – I didn’t know much at all about Russian history and felt as if a lot of knowledge was assumed on the part of the reader. I think I will retain some of this but not much.

51 Friendaholic by Elizabeth Day
I have mixed feelings about this, which I really wanted to like. I think friendship is a really unexplored area that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, particularly when we know the absence of friends is such a big contributor to poor mental and physical health. This book was a slightly odd mash up of memoir and research (I don’t know much about Elizabeth Day, so that may just be her thing) and it worked up to a point. It made me think a lot about friends, and my friends, and the roles they play in my life and vice versa and certainly prompted me to think about things I could do differently and better. But I found the whole “oh, I am a terrible friend and all these amazing people in my life are so much better than me” a bit disingenuous. And all her friends are talented, witty, smart and wise – they may well be but her stories and advice didn’t feel enormously relatable (no shade to my friends, I love them dearly, but they are all sensible normal people getting on with their lives).

52 Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
Short beautiful meditations on cities, all of which are fantasies but which have echoes of reality. I suspect this book is a lot more carefully constructed than my slightly lazy reading of it uncovered and because I loved the overall atmosphere it conjured, I will certainly return to it at some point.

53 Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
I was a Wolf Hall denier for years but am now completely in love with these books. The only reason I haven’t raced through The Mirror and the Light is because I’ve got library books due back and don’t want to get to the end of the trilogy. Such an incredible achievement to bring what is a fairly complex set of historic interactions to life so lightly and in a way that feels both ancient and modern. So good!

54 Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
I don’t have much to add to the discussions of this on here. It was a perfectly fine novel, with characters I cared about, but it isn’t something I will think about in a few months time. Not sure it’s quite worthy of the praise it has received, but it certainly is worth reading.

55 Death in Dulwich by Alice Castle
I picked this up at a book fair only because I know the area well. And for that reason alone it was fun – I liked being able to trace the protagonist’s route through the streets of Dulwich Village as she went back and forth to work at a very thinly disguised Dulwich College (not entirely sure why she bothered changing the name). It was all a bit ridiculous – why she didn’t get told very firmly by the (of course) handsome detective to get back in her box and stop meddling in a murder investigation I don’t know but that was part of the fun. Perfectly entertaining bank holiday reading.

56 Through the Language Glass by Guy Deutscher
This looks at whether languages shape how we see the world, and how different languages shape our understanding. It’s really interesting – accessible but also well researched, and with plenty of anecdotes to bring it to life along the way. The exploration of genders in language and what that means for poetry, and our relationship to the world, in particular was fascinating.

22 Dead Famous - Greg Jenner

Took me a long time to get through this history of celebrity, mostly I think because it really was a thematic analysis of the nature of celebrity, taking in its origins and relationship with the emergence of capitalism (celebrity always has been used to sell something). Whereas I just wanted some salacious gossip about historical celebrities 🤭

23 Secrets of the Sea - Robert Vennell

Beautifully illustrated coffee-table style introduction to New Zealand fish species, taking in their biology and cultural importance to both Māori and Pākehā (European settlers). Probably of limited relevance to most Mumsnetters, but I liked it and it’s been nominated for non-fiction awards here.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow And Tomorrow- Gabrielle Zevin

I’m probably not the demographic for this. I’m probably too old now that my age begins with a 6 and I was never a gamer. I might have played Pac-Man or Space Invaders once in the 80s. But my kids loved gaming and I worked in computing for all of my career so I’ve been around gamers enough to know most of the retro games and references - the mention of Leisure Suit Larry raised a wry smile as I remember the lads at work huddled round a PC playing it during overtime hours in 1987 when there was no management around. I found the methodology behind the development of games the more interesting aspect of the book.

A pp mentioned that they just didn’t find Sam or Sadie likeable enough and I’d agree with this. Marx was lovely and though he’s really an incidental character, I wanted more of him. There was enough to keep me interested for the first two thirds of the book but my interest began to drift towards the end. There’s a section where the characters are in a game and I was bored by that. Irritating because it followed a section about Marx that I thought was beautifully written and emotionally provoking. I did like the very ending though and when Sadie reflects how quickly you go from being the youngest in the room to being the oldest that certainly resonated.

Good but not a bold from me.

I'm reading Tomorrowx3 at the moment, @BestIsWest I'm* *one third into it. I like it so far. I like the dynamic between the three friends, that they are all so different but get along well. So far I'm fine with the description of the game and gaming although it's not my thing. Interesting to read your review.

I thought of you all today - I was in a charity bookshop and the man behind the counter was enthusing to a customer about his favourite book - which was This Thing of Darkness. I’ve never come across it outside Mumsnet before!

I 'think' I might have started off the love after finding a copy in a charity shop, so hearing it spoken of in a charity shop feels nicely apt!

I still haven’t read it despite owning it for years. It is in my pile to read this year….

Same here 😳

38. With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix I've seen this recommended a few times on here. KM is a palliative care doctor, & this book aims to demystify the process of dying, and encourage people to talk about death.
    I have to say, I've got very mixed feelings about the book, & nearly DNFed it about 2/3 of the way through, though on they whole I'm glad I went back & finished it. I found there was really rather too much of the 'patient is suffering, mentally or physically, then doctor - or occasionally nurse - comes along and either with medication or often a cosy chat makes everything OK'.
    I also felt that though she name-checked the fact that, inevitably, her experiences are with patients who are receiving functional palliative care she didn't really take on board the implications of this. Perhaps I've just been unfortunate in my experiences caring for dying relatives, but I found rather too much of the book overplayed the positive to the extent that it felt like sugar-coating. Like my DM always said, it's not the dying, it's the bit beforehand that's the issue... I was particularly frustrated by the several stories that made assisted dying appear to be something wanted only in theory and by the healthy for the sick. Maybe she's never had the contrary experience, but I find it hard to believe, and I think it would have been good to acknowledge that some people really do get to a point where they want to die, & would like to be able to choose to do so (and how traumatic it can be for families to deal with the consequences if they decide to take direct action).
    I know lots of people have found this book helpful, but personally I'd recommend Being Mortal by Atul Gawande as an alternative.

39. The Left-handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix I can't remember if this was also a recommendation from here, but if so very many thanks to who-ever reviewed it. Urban fantasy set in an alternate 1983. Susan Arkshaw comes to London searching for her father, who left before she was born, with a handful of clues extracted from her hippy mother. Instead of her father, she finds a clan of magical, fighting booksellers, and falls into a string of adventures with them. I guess it's pretty standard issue for the genre, but it rattles along & is a lot of fun, & I'll definitely read the sequel.

27 Ne lâche pas ma main - Michel Bussi (in French) A gripping thriller set on Île de la Réunion. I really liked this - exciting story, plenty of twists, lots of colourful description of the island and good characterisation. It doesn’t get a bold because some of the twists were a bit obvious and it was very strong on the male viewpoint / women as objects or ciphers, but a really good read nevertheless. I think this might have been recommended on here - if so, thanks to whoever suggested it!

23 Rotherweird by Andrew Caldecott an attempt to blend history, mystery and fantasy all together. I thought that often bits were poorly developed and key points rushed. It was all trying to be a bit too clever for its own good and I don't think it succeeded. I doubt I'll read the sequel

23 The It Girl by Ruth Ware

I succumbed, and am reasonably glad I did. Lots and lots of cliche in here (girl from the suburbs goes to Oxford, feels out of place, poor little rich girl, kind stuffed shirt boy etc etc), but it rattled along and there were some nice details along the way, especially about the main character's pregnancy. The group of friends does seem random but eventually makes some sense. My two main gripes are that we don't really get to know one of the main characters, which meant I found some parts towards the end a bit jarring, and I felt the solution was FLAGGED UP IN BIG RED LETTERS a bit too early. But it was a diverting way to pass the time, which was why I bought it, so I can't complain.

Now reading (and enjoying so far) Lessons in Chemistry.

Wolf, I agree about Rotherweird - it could have been fun but the author didn't pull it off.

A Heart That Works - Rob Delaney

The actor and comedian Rob Delaney lost his two year old son Henry to cancer. This is the story of Henry and those who loved him and of grief. Tender, bitter, sweet and angry, sometimes funny, brutally honest and a tough read but worth it. A bold from me.

48. TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow
49. Day of the Predator by Alex Scarrow
50. The Doomsday Code by Alex Scarrow
51. The Eternal War by Alex Scarrow
52. Gates of Rome by Alex Scarrow
53. City of Shadows by Alex Scarrow
54. The Pirate Kings by Alex Scarrow
55. The Mayan Prophecy by Alex Scarrow
56. The Infinity Cage by Alex Scarrow

I first read this YA time travel series about 10 years ago and have been revisiting over the last month or so. Maddy, Liam and Saleena were plucked from different points in history, just before they were about to die, to form a team dedicated to making sure that history remains unchanged. Whenever a time wave arrives to change the present the team go back in time to deal with those who would try to rewrite history. I love time travel and enjoyed the exploration of alternate realities and possible answers to some “What if…?” questions. There’s no hard science here, but it’s a lot of fun, with great characters. I look forward to rereading in another ten years!

57. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz

Another reread given that I can see from Goodreads that I read this at some point, but I had no recollection of the story. Given my rating on Goodreads I clearly enjoyed it a lot more this time round.

Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'cemetery of lost books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son, Daniel, one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out La Sombra del Viento by Julian Carax.
But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from La Sombra del Viento, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind.

I really enjoyed the central mystery and the characters, especially Fermín Romero de Torres, a beggar who becomes Daniel’s best friend. The romances were a bit weird and obsessive and the main villain Fumero was a bit pantomime villain, albeit a psychopathic one. I can see that there are a couple more books in the series but I'm not sure I will both reading those, the story already feels very complete to me.

74. 84k by Clare North

Well....

Many years ago I read her book The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August and thought it was brilliant

Since then it hasn't been so much diminishing returns as much as there has been zero return. Touch was crappy and I can't even remember why as I've basically forgotten it. The Pursuit Of William Abbey was boring, repetitive and strewn with plotholes.

This, a UK centric dystopia, Is a really lukewarm poorly written/built/fleshed out universe that doesn't make sense and is impossible to believe in. There are so many "but how would that WORK?" holes that you have to wonder how much she could be arsed even writing it. It very much reads like the work of a germ of an idea that never really grew by someone who fell out of love with it.

What this most reminded me of in terms of what it's trying to do is like a pale imitation of Oryx and Crake enough to suggest the author read it anyway.

Complete with the level of shallow character depth and silly dialogue you expect from a cheap thriller, I think I'm done here. Won't be buying another Clare North, which is a real shame.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit I loved The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August too, but couldn't get into 84K at all. I planned to revisit at some point but not sure I'll bother now. I have a couple of her other books on my TBR pile too so it's a shame none of them live up to Harry August.

Hags and Fire Rush are both in the daily deals today. Hags I couldn’t get on with on Audible but will try on Kindle; I’m reading a library copy of Fire Rush atm and would highly recommend - beautiful, immersive language.