50 Books Challenge 2023 Part Six

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the sixth 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, the fourth one here and the fifth one: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/what_were_reading/4793238-50-books-challenge-2023-part-five?page=20&reply=126860721

What are you reading?

I’ve only stayed for Robin and Strike. Career of Evil is the worst one though. Closely followed by Lethal White and the latest one.

This 100%

@MegBusset I really liked that one. Highly recommended for the exploration and peril in remote lands crew.

I’ve been away for a very very hectic and busy few days at work; so missed the new thread starting. Too late for my list now but wanted to get it on ‘threads I’m on’.

Will try to catch up now

42. At The Table - Claire Powell. This is about a family, mum & dad Linda & Gary in their late 50s, grown up children Nicole & Jamie in early to mid 30s and follows a year of their lives through different meals they have either together or with one or the other. It starts off at a mother's day lunch where Linda & Gary announce they're separating. Nicole storms out of the restaurant, and then it moves between the different characters and their PoVs. This was ok rather than amazing. I spent quite a bit of it finding Nicole immensely whiney and annoying, I think you're meant to, and Jamie very wet. I would quite like to have slapped both of them. I got more sucked into the story as it developed and think the second half was stronger. I listened to it and don't know whether that made them more annoying.

Same here!

I can’t remember where I had got up to with reviews so apologies if I repeat anything.

Don’t Close Your Eyes by P S Cunliffe

This was my Amazon first reads book for this month. As soon as I read the premise I knew it would be rubbish and it didn’t disappoint! A woman’s husband is missing presumed dead, but the woman is convinced he isn’t dead and starts looking for him. So far so standard. However the twist here is that for some inexplicable reason she decides she’s not going to sleep until she finds him. As we all know a lack of sleep is not good for you so as she gets more tired she starts passing out, hallucinating, and just generally doing really stupid things. It just makes no sense because surely anyone with any sense would realise that this isn’t helping, but no. And the worst thing is she’s a GP! Several times she sits there telling herself all the things that can happen to you due to a lack of sleep and then just carries on! Bonkers.

Call Time by Steve Jones

This is written by the TV presenter Steve Jones. Bob is a typical selfish uncaring media agent who suddenly discovers he can make phone calls to himself in the past and therefore change things. The story is good fun but the writing isn’t brilliant (everything is over described).

The Favour Nora Murphy

Two women who have never met before realise they’re both in abusive relationships so decide to do what they can to help the other. I did like most of this but the ending was disappointing as it just petered out.

The Cassandra Complex by Holly Smale

Holly usually writes YA and this is her first adult novel. However it still has a YA feel about it, just with a bit of sex thrown in here and there. Cassandra discovers that she’s able to go back in time whenever she wants so uses this ability to try and stop her boyfriend dumping her and her boss firing her. Cassandra is autistic and doesn’t always deal well with social situations so this ability allows her to keep trying until she gets it right. She’s also obsessed with Greek myths so these are sprinkled though the book. I liked Cassandra and I like time travel books so I liked this.

The latest Strike book was I felt the worst one, doubt I'll ever reread it. Am hoping for better things from the next in the series.

And yet I thought Troubled Blood was excellent though IIRC Remus didn’t like the ending.

I hated the ending, but really enjoyed it until the final 20% or so.

Doing them back to back reveals certain persistent problems.

The ridiculous quotes
The insistence on mentioning the farting couch
Stereotypes and Cliched Characters
References that will date
Reminders of things like who Charlotte is

Yet, I am still listening

I wasn't going to read Jane Harper's Exiles as I had found her more recent books tedious . But it was £5 for the hardback on deals. In the end, I liked this better. It tried less hard. Too many characters who were too similar and I find her women weakly drawn. Also, I had the exact outcome guessed from about page 50! Notwithstanding, a good summer page turner.

Red Love (The story of an East German family) by Maxim Leo.

This was fabulous.

I remember watching the Wall come down on TV and learning about how many people lost their lives trying to get to the West.

Leo explains why so many felt passionately supportive of the GDR and re-tells the impact of a political ideology on a family (not perhaps a typical family as his maternal grandfather was a state hero, his Mother, Anne is a noted academic and his Father a talented, celebrated artist).

He also tells the individual stories of his family members which skilfully explains the variety of identities Germans had and the belief systems they aligned themselves with.

Honest, compassionate and humane. If you are at all interested in post WW2 German history (or family histories) then read this book.

I only ever read the first Strike book. I didn't feel the need to read more.

Ditto, Piggy!

That was definitely my own take until I realised they might be just what I need from an audiobook and about that I was right. Easy listening but some meat to it no intellectual demand.

Thanks @Gingerwarthog I will definitely get it.

Would be interested to hear your views on it.

@Gingerwarthog thanks for the recommendation, I’ve added to my wish list. Have you read Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall by Anna Funder? It tells the stories of various people who found themselves on the wrong side of the wall.

@TattiePants
Thanks - yes I have! Was completely absorbed in that one too.
It's all those stories of ordinary people who were spying on neighbours or incredibly brave while going about seeming to be ....ordinary that fascinates me.
The thing is Maxim Leo helps you to understand why Germans coming out of WW2 wanted to build the GDR as an anti-fascist state, but those ideals got very much lost in translation.

In my head Strike looks like my boss because my boss has a partner called Charlotte who is apparently French and très glamorous but we've never met her and think the reality is she's either a blow up doll or one of his hens.

Can't remember where I am with Strike, so memorable are they. Think I've done the third have I? The one after Silkworm. Blearghhhhhh.

Don't know why I'm continuing either. 🤣

That's were I am Sol just finished 3/started 4.

@So1invictus
"In my head Strike looks like my boss because my boss has a partner called Charlotte who is apparently French and très glamorous but we've never met her and think the reality is she's either a blow up doll or one of his hens."

Ooh, this made me giggle.

I was absolutely gripped by Stasiland. @Gingerwarthog @TattiePants have either of you read Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriman? It began as a podcast then she turned it into a book. It’s about a plan to dig a tunnel between East and West Berlin in 1962. I snapped it up when it was 99p but haven’t started it yet; it sounds promising, though.

I haven't but that's another added to my wishlist!