50 Books Challenge 2023 Part Eight

[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, the sixth one here and the seventh one here

Wow cassandre. That is so interesting (and also terrifying). I am so glad you escaped.

@cassandre .

Absolutely extraordinary, cassandre. Joining everyone else in expressing my admiration for you in breaking away to live your own life. That must have been so hard.

My heart goes out to the young You @cassandre and to the adult You still trying to work through those times. Maybe you should write about it all, even if it’s just for yourself in the end.

Thanks for sharing cassandre

Sounds like it hasn’t been easy cassandre. I’m full of admiration for the strength it must have taken to get yourself out of that situation. 💐

Thanks for your insights, Cassandra.. To add to your book list, I'm glad my Mom Died also talks about growing up Mormon.

@highlandcoo @SoIinvictus I think I might stick Autumn out to the end but if it doesn't drastically improve I'm not going to read the other three of the quartet.

Hugs @cassandre , I’m glad you got out of that life and found a happy future. Sorry you had to lose contact with much of your family to get to that place though x

@cassandre thank you for sharing. People have said everything way better than me.

I have not started Autumn yet. I have read that the others are better so it’s a shame we start with Autumn in some ways.

@cassandre you sound like an incredibly strong person to go through what you have. Thank you for sharing your experience.

@cassandre

So brave to share - thank you.

@cassandre thank you for sharing your story and glad you've come through it x

Thanks for sharing @cassandre . Glad you got some support at university. Prompted by thus thread I watched some of Happy Shiny People this afternoon.

@cassandre, thank you for sharing your story.

I've read a "chapter". That's me done for today with it.

It's all very Bloom and Molly meet Mrs. Dalloway and oh, here's J. Alfred Prufock really.

Can I be bothered? Not sure.

As others have said, it's clearly a masterpiece of wordcraft and poetry (even though it isn't) or, a pile of pretentious wank, depending on how you look at it

Not sure where I lie after one chapter. 😂

It is very interesting and moving to hear about your story @cassandre . I thinkniy is always interesting to write down some of it even if nobody else ever reads it.

26 V2 by Robert Harris
His books aren't what they used to be, but this was a gripping enough canter through a story of the Nazi rocket programme and a group who attempt to combat it. Ultimately the dramatic story element doesn't work brilliantly - I didn't find Kay particularly believable, though Dr Graf had more depth, and it all fell away suddenly at the end - but the authentic tech is fascinating.

The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev and G Weston DeWalt
Lots of us have read and enjoyed Into Thin Air about the 1996 Everest disaster. In that, Anatoli B doesn’t come out of this terribly well, even though he, unlike Jon Krakauer, saved several people’s lives. So this is an attempt to give an alternate perspective.

Unfortunately, it’s an interesting and tragic story, and an heroic story, told very badly and very boringly.

I’ve just had a read of the sample of Autumn on my kindle (the first chapter and an half) and surprisingly, quite liked it. That said I quite like stream of consciousness. I may pick it up on my next trip to Waterstones. I remember the Ali Smith book that I hated which was The Accidental many years ago.

@SoIinvictus I have come down firmly on the side of "pretentious wank" and have binned Autumn.

That's an incredible story @cassandre

The Rachel Incident is in the 99p deals today, I really enjoyed it and I think others did too recently. A coming of age story about a young Irish woman against the backdrop of the financial crash, but not a bit like Sally Rooney.

62. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. During the pandemic, Lara's grown up daughters return to their family cherry orchard to help with the harvest. They spend the long days picking cherries hearing the story of their mother's youth as an actress, and the love affair she had with the now extremely famous actor Peter Duke.

This was deceptively slow and gentle but it built to a really emotional climax. Beautifully written as you'd expect from Ann Patchett. She explores the family dynamic really well and makes some universal points about the very unusual experience of discovering your mother had a relationship with an Oscar winning actor before you were born!

I'll probably be joining you sooner, rather than later. 😂

Uh oh. Maybe I should hold off on Autumn then. If I liked the first chapter and a half (the kindle sample) am I likely to keep liking it so you think @SoIinvictus and @MamaNewtNewt ? I do like stream of consciousness but don’t like books that are ‘just vibes’ or too pretentious.

@BaruFisher I quite liked the first chapter or two but, for me, it went rapidly down hill afterwards. There are plenty of people who love it though, so might be that it's just not for me.

Thanks @MamaNewtNewt i think I’ll keep it on my tbr but maybe move it down for now.