50 Books Challenge 2023 Part Seven

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the seventh 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, the fifth one here, and the sixth one here

Thanks everyone!

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie I can't quote on my laptop for some reason, but I read Looking Glass Sound and enjoyed it more than Sundial which I did also like though. I think I made LGS a bold, I haven't read Needless Street for comparison. There does seem to be a lot of, not sure how to put it, circularity in novels at the moment, metafiction? I felt quite tolerant of leaning into being clever but can appreciate what you disliked. I love the cover!

53 Swimming Home Deborah Levy I enjoyed this. It's the second book I've read by her and again a lot of the power comes from what is unsaid. A simple story on the surface; a couple and a family on holiday together in a villa in France have their peace disturbed by an unexpected, even unwelcome young guest. By the end it develops into something moving and perplexing. Deborah Levy is brilliant at building a story through metaphors and symbols. Clever and a bold.

54 The House of Broken Angels Luis Alberto Urrea The reader is invited to a weekend with a big extended family of Mexican Americans, the matriarch of 100 years is buried on the Saturday and on the Sunday her son Big Angel de La Cruz celebrates his seventieth birthday. Lots to take in as there are stories, snippets, histories, happenings between and about a clan of blended brothers, cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents and it is hard to keep track. I think it's meant to be. It is big in emotion and depth; jealousy, joy, anger, fear all it means to be alive and in the midst of death. The climax is wonderful and I was glad that the second half of the book more than compensated for my struggle to orientate myself at the beginning.

I didn't know that but it makes me very happy!

44. Round the World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne

Another reread of a classic here. Phileas Fogg, English gentleman, makes a bet with members of the Reform Club that he can travel around the world in eighty days.

It was a real page turner, with some great action set-pieces. Passepartout played a bigger role than I remember. Having a French author gave a different perspective on the English, and considering the era it was written in it wasn't too jingoistic or uncomfortable. An early example of a novel with a plot twist.

Just noticed that the cover was illustrated by someone who probably hadn't read the book: it includes a balloon and penny farthing, neither of which (spoiler) were used as transport for Phileas Fogg and team. Also an aeroplane, which was invented some 30 years after the book was written...

DD has to read a 19th century book as part of her summer reading challenge - this is a good entry-level contender so I shall pass it on.

Sorry to hear about Norway @Piggywaspushed Hope you get the chance to make up for it soon.

91 A Psalm for the Wild-Built- Becky Chambers
This sci-fi tells the story of a tea monk (a monk who listens to people’s troubles and makes them a cuppa) who decides to travel into the wilds (beyond human habitation) where he meets and befriends a robot. Despite the robot being quite sweet, the grumpy monk’s non-binary they pronouns kept tripping me up and made it hard to follow. I’ve heard wonderful things about this being life affirming etc but I think I’m just not built for cozy books- no matter what the genre. Perhaps I’m just as grumpy as the monk!

92 Moon over Soho- Ben Aaronovitch
Much less saccharine! The second of the Rivers of London series and I liked this better than the first- funny and fast paced, I enjoy the sarky Detective Grant and adore the audible narration which elevates an average story into a great listen.

93 The Age of Innocence- Edith Wharton
Continuing my attempts to catch up on reading classics. The biting wit in this one was much more up my street. Beautifully written, divine descriptions and an engaging plot as Newland Archer struggles with whether to break out of the rigid structures of New York society and follow his attraction to the intriguing Countess Olenska instead of her demure cousin (and his fiancée) May Welland. Funnily enough I couldn’t stop picturing Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder as the two women, despite never having seen the movie- I’ll have to try and find it now. A bold for me.

Found you..how are you all ?

@bettbburg lovely to "see" you!

@bettbburg welcome back!

@snowspider I might give Sundial a go.

@BaruFisher I absolutely hated Innocence. It definitely seems to be a love it or hate it novel.

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du M
Sorry, but I can’t remember who recommended this and on my phone so it’s awkward to try to search. I’m on holiday and running out of books, so I finished this. Had I been at home, I might not have bothered. I did think it got better after a slow start, during which I found it hard to warm to Dona. I also found the initial meetings with the French man a bit implausible and not terribly interesting.

I quite liked the later sections where it all got quite adventurous and perilous. Loved William. Didn’t think much of the ending. So, a mixed bag and definitely not a bold for me, but not a complete disaster.

Ah @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie it was me and it’s on my special five star list. I loved all the dialogue, the swashbuckling and derring-do. du Maurier didn’t like it much either though.

I loved Frenchmans

Hi Betty

What a shame Piggy. I hope you're feeling better now.

And hello bett; nice to hear from you!

Just now I'm reading Travels with my Aunt by Graham Greene. The story of a single retired bank manager who's been leading a quiet suburban life tending his garden until his eccentric Aunt Augusta swoops into his life and carries him off on her dodgy adventures around Europe and South America. It's gentle and amusing and of its time.

And recently finished Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris. I always expect his books to be better than they are, as the ideas they're based on invariably sound intriguing. Pompeii was particularly disappointing. And yet he gets amazing reviews (from all his mates probably).
This one - based on historical fact - follows the fortunes of two of the fifty men who signed the death warrant for Charles I. The Royalists back in power, these two colonels, father-in-law and son-in-law, flee to America and stay on the run, moving between Puritan settlements, for an unbelievably long time. Back at home the families they've left behind suffer through the plague, the Great Fire and other tribulations. It's a page-turner in parts although RH is guilty of shoe-horning in chunks of history that somehow don't quite fit the narrative so it's a bit clunky at times. Quite enjoyable but patchy.

Hello @bettbburg , nice to see you!

43 Exiles - Jane Harper Someone on here reviewed a book by Harper recently, and I got this from the library on the strength of that. I hadn’t realised this is the third in a series, but it worked fine as a standalone. Aaron Falk is a police officer on a trip from Melbourne to a small town in Australia’s wine country, for his godson’s christening. A woman goes missing and Falk gets involved in solving the mystery. It’s a pretty straightforward police procedural but with nice characterisation - the setting and the people all seemed realistic and believable and it was a nice well-rounded story. I’d happily read other books by Harper.

40. Perfectly Impossible by Elizabeth Topp Amazon first reads freebie. Anna is a part time (unsuccessful) artist and part time personal assistant to Kissy Von Bizmark, one of New York's preeminent socialites. The book follows the run up to a huge society event which the Von Bizmarks are hosting and Anna is tasked with organising. Alongside this Anna is desperately trying to get recognition for her artwork and salvage her failing relationship

This book is partially autobiographical as Topp is a part time pa and part time author. Anna is supposed to be the perfect pa but to be honest she seems extremely bad at her job. She's constantly dropping the ball with things and making mistakes. The sheer entitlement of the Von Bizmarks is horrendous. Anna is very self-involved and pretentious and I personally found her not very likeable. Overall I didn't really like this book, it didn't really go anywhere and nothing really happened and no one learned any important life lessons. All a bit pointless really

So sorry to hear about your holiday Piggy.

Little by Edward Carey This is a weird and wonderful novel about the life (mainly childhood and young adulthood) of ‘Little’ Marie Grosholtz who grew up to be the Madame Tussaud. She grows up in Berne and Paris in the household of Doctor Curtius where she learns the art of wax modelling and suffers under a wicked stepmother figure. Later she moves into the palace of Versailles as a sort of tutor-pet to Elisabeth, a minor royal, and then returns to Curtius in time to get a view of the French Revolution from an utterly distinctive angle. I really enjoyed this, it was engaging and interesting and unlike anything I’ve read before. Knowing nothing of the French Revolution I wondered if it would be too difficult, but I needn’t have worried, we stick with Marie. There are lots of illustrations so the book looks and feels distinctive too. The book is admittedly macabre - Curtius’ original trade is modelling body parts from the deceased, and in the throes of the revolution many waxworks are taken from dead rather than live bodies - but I avoid the gruesome and never found this too much. Occasionally I was ready for the story to move on slightly before it did, but it was always readable and engaging and I recommend it.

There was a cartoon of 80 Days around the world wasnt there? I am currently humming the theme tune but can only remember one line!!

You’ve got me humming it now @RazorstormUnicorn. A proper earworm. I only know the one line too.

Me too! I loved that programme - Willy Fog!

I’ve been useless with my reading again, it’s been really full on couple of weeks and whilst we did have a holiday, it was the kind where the toddler slept (if at all) in our room and whilst I tried to read every night I’d fall asleep after a page or so!

Thinking of booking a night away for myself in the near future where I just hide in a hotel room and read. Feels rather indulgent but I might do it anyway.

You could send off to the Broom Cupboard for a lyric sheet, which my mum did but I’ve no idea if I’ve still got it in a scrapbook somewhere 35ish years later…

’80 days around the world
To find a pot of gold
la da di da di da da da da…’ is about as far as I can get.

Haha going round in my head too. I think I remember a little bit more, maybe between us all we'll get the whole thing without googling 😊

80 days around the world
We'll find a pot of gold
Sitting where the rainbows ending
Time we'll fight against the time
Something something white wings of a dove

For your nostalgic pleasure

(Sorr, I know it’s a cheat, but you don’t have to click on it 😆)

I am on easy reads at the moment as anything else is too much of a struggle (in bed with temperature/sore throat etc):

55. Peril at End House - Agatha Christie

Poirot investigates attempts on the life of Magdala Barclay but is unable to prevent a murder occurring. Set in Cornwall and based at Magdala’s End House, Poirot’s focus is on her family, friends and servants but has he got it wrong? Not bad - kept me turning the pages.

56. Free Love - Tessa Hadley

This was recommended upthread (or possibly on last year’s thread) - I can’t remember by whom - but, thank you as it was great. At the beginning of the book, Phyllis is a late 1960’s suburban housewife with a husband who works in the Foreign Office and two children. Her life revolves around keeping house and local committees. By the end of the book her life has transformed and she has embraced a bohemian lifestyle. I don’t want to spoil the plot so won’t give more details but highly recommended. Definitely a bold for me.

57. Five Little Pigs - Agatha Christie

Poirot is asked to investigate a death which occurred 16 years earlier by the daughter of the victim (her father, Amyas, an adulterous artist) and convicted murderer (her mother, Caroline) who has subsequently died. He narrows the alternative suspects down to five people and spends his time listening to and reviewing their accounts of the fateful day. I thought I had guessed this but got it wrong. Again, kept me reading (and guessing).

26. A Court of Thorns and Roses/27. A Court of Mist and Fury/28. A Court of Wings and Ruin/29. A Court of Frost and Starlight/30. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

Fantasy series about fae/faeries: powerful beings and a young human called Feyre who ends up becoming a fae. Prythian, the fae lands, are being controlled by an evil queen causing a blight on the lands. Feyre manages to defeat her (with help). Feyre and her friends and "mate" try to prevent conflict but dangerous foes want power and conquest so there ends up being a war. Feyre's sisters also end up being turned to fae against their wills. They all try to move on and heal their wounds but Nesta struggles to heal. They all strive to keep the newfound peace but it is tenuous.

I liked the first two books but my enjoyment lessened as I read on and I struggled with book 5 and won't be reading anymore.