50 Books Challenge 2024 Part Four

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fourth thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2024, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

If possible, please can you embolden your titles and maybe authors as well of books you've read or going to read? It makes it much easier to keep track, especially when the threads move quickly at this time of the year.

The first thread is here, the second one here and the third one here.

What are you reading?

I picked up Mayflies, thanks @Welshwabbit .

And managed to finish And Then She Fell before the shortlist announcement. I thought it was excellent - original voice, lots of issues touched upon like mental health and racism/colonialism, and a satisfying, bonkers ending. Pete may be my favourite character this year. I can see how it might not be to everyone's taste but it's a 5 star for me.

ts of desperation- Megan Nolan
3 Quickly, while they still have horses - Jan Carson
4 The covenant of water - Abraham Verghese

Sorry - been MIA but life has been full on.
Got a bit to catch up and afraid reviews will be brief.
Night Bloom - Peace Adzo Medie More women's prize. Two cousins, book of two halves telling their stories from each perspective. Much preferred the second half but not outstanding
Acts of Desperation- Megan Nolan Younger women, older man. Toxic relationships. No where near as good as Ordinary Human Fallings
Quickly While they still have horses - Jan Carson - loved her book The Raptue. This is a series of short stories often darkly edged and with a great sense of humour. Irish writing at its best - bold for me
The Covenant of Water - Abraham Verghese** Loved loved loved this. Indian from 1900 to late 1970's - family saga. Has Suitable boy vibes. Another bold

Now reading A trace Of Sun - back to Women's prize. Have read 11 of short list in full. DNF'd Blue Beautiful World
Only have 5 on short list. Not a bumper year I don't believe

Please ignore the random list at the top!! Bad copy and paste job!!

@splothersdog A Covenant Of Water was my first bold of the year too.

A bold of mine last year too, and I still think about those characters and the descriptions of the landscape.

I bought his Cutting For Stone shortly after, which I'm saving for some uninterrupted reading time, probably a holiday.

Just dropping in with my Women's Prize shortlist before the official announcement tomorrow.
1 Soldier Sailor
2 Ordinary Human Failings
3 Enter Ghost
4 Brotherless Night
5 Western Lane
6* ? Possibly In Defence of the Act, which I'm still only halfway through but it's a chaotic ride that could easily go off the rails, in which case River East, River West by default.*

The eloquent praises are giving me slight FOMO over And Then She Fell (which has been snubbed by all of my libraries as well as the Carol Shields panel 🤔) It does sound very weighty, and best saved for the right mood. Which I'm not currently in - having probably done too much reading recently, at the expense of other things (expect regret will kick in over lack of sewing once the weather improves). Hope to slow down a bit now back at work, and catch up on reviews since I find all yours so helpful.

31 Becoming Liz Taylor by Elizabeth Delo

On recommendation upthread, I read this because my current fiction book (The Familiar) is rather disappointing (review to follow when I’ve managed to get through it.
Val is in her early 70s and with two major, crushing bereavements in her past, likes to go the whole Liz Taylor of an evening. She comes across a baby she convinces herself has been abandoned and there follows a tense road trip from Weston Super Mare to Wales and Brighton. This is interspersed with chapters from the POV of her estranged son, Ralph/Rafe, who has broken up with his long term partner and is struggling with depression.
There was much to like about the book and I found the depiction of Val very touching. However, little things like a police officer letting her continue a car journey without a car seat for the baby didn’t ring true and the baby himself was remarkably easygoing, with a very untypical attitude towards waiting to be fed!
Overall, it was a tad clunky and amateur, but I did find myself wondering how Val got on after the book ended so I suppose it filled its brief of being engaging. “Ideal for Book Clubs” is always a warning sign that Tell, Not Show might be the chosen style. Well worth the 99p, however.
Now, back to The Familiar <sigh>

Finished animal factory and a bit undecided on it. Starting
10) the Pearl - John Steinbeck today, ashamed to say I’ve never read it

I've just read Daughter and Coleman Hill from The Carol Shields Prize. Daughter was ok, but I didn't think much of Coleman Hill. I've still got Burnham Wood to go, which I started a few months ago, but wasn't in the mood for. I read A History of Burning a while ago and thought it was fairly run of the mill historical fiction. Had a quick peek at the longlist to see what I'd missed and it had Loot on it which was a massive stinker for me and Chrysalis which I really rated. I wasn't that keen on Land of Milk and Honey either.

I will come back and review properly.

I think we've all largely agreed across the board on the Women's Prize list, especially the stinkers. I love seeing everyone's personal shortlists and then seeing the real thing. It's out at 8 so I'll be back soon, howling about it no doubt.

22. The Dead of Winter by S. J. Parris A collection of the three Giordano Bruno prequel novellas The Secret Dead Bruno is still a monk, working in the infirmary, when late one night he catches the infirmarian sneaking through the monastery so decides to follow him. In typical Bruno fashion he gets caught up in a murder mystery. The ending of this was very rushed and too neat

Academy of Secrets
Bruno's infirmarian invites him to join a secret society where Bruno is given access to a vast library of forbidden books. Bruno instead wastes his time in a dalliance with his new mentors niece and fails to do any actual research and in the process almost causes the downfall of the secret society. I just found Bruno frustrating and annoying in this

A Christmas Requiem
Bruno is invited to meet the pope at Christmas. Typical Bruno japes ensue but this time set in Rome. Probably the best of the three, at least Bruno seems to learn a lesson this time

I found these novellas nowhere near as good as the full length novels covering Bruno's later life. For a man who goes on to have a career solving murders he has a frustratingly blase attitude to murder in these novels. The endings all felt quite rushed and far too neat and convenient. At the risk of spoilers, two of them basically end with "and then the person ended up mysteriously dead and Bruno was saved"

I think this was 99p in the deals so I don't feel too hard done by. I'm going into a re read of the later novels now as want a refresher before I read the latest one

Well...

The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright

Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan

Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville

Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad

Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy

River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure

Looks like I've got a date with Restless Dolly after all. Was going to wait to see if it appeared in audio anywhere first. This might nudge libraries to get it.

I really don't think The Wren, the Wren belongs on there either. I think Anne Enright is generally a very talented writer, but this book was not her best. I don't know of anyone who has read it and liked it.

No issues with any of the other 4, all excellent books and would be worthy winners.

3 I’m glad to see (Soldier Sailor, Brotherless Night and Enter Ghost)
Just finishing River East, River West and it’s a decent read so don’t mind that being there.
Cannot fathom what made them shortlist the other two, unless it was as a long service nod to the authors. Both were forgettable and Restless Dolly Maunder was poorly written.

Short list thoughts!!
Anne Enright and Kate Grenville have made the list on the basis of them being 'names' I feel. Particularly Grenville. Strongly feel that if that had been her first novel she would have struggled to have it published let alone on the women's prize.
Happy enough with the others and need to read Brotherless night

Ahh! I had the same thought as you, @splothersdog , that Enright and Grenville made the shortlist on the basis of them being big name authors. It's interesting that they're the only 'low tier/bottom tier' authors from the various MN shortlists who made it! I don't think that's a coincidence. I'm a fan of Enright and Grenville myself, but I'm not a fan of these particular works.

Apart from those two names, I think it's a very decent shortlist.

If it's any consolation, @FortunaMajor , Restless Dolly is a quick read!

I'm relieved that none of my DNFs made it on (I was worried about Hangman!), because then I'd feel compelled to go back and finish them.

I just finished
68 River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure
I enjoyed this story of two parts. One section deals with Alva, a mixed race Chinese American teen in almost present day Shanghai and how she adjusts to her mother’s marriage to Lu Fang. The other is set in Lu Fang’s past. The two work well together. Both characters are deeply flawed and while there is some tragedy, this book is mostly lighter than some of the others. I enjoyed it and am glad to see it on the short list.

I’m going to skip the last one I haven’t read (apart from DNFing The Blue Beautiful World- I’m never going back there!) which is Nightbloom as it hasn’t been shortlisted. I will try to read it this year. I’ve been reading so much heavy stuff the last couple of months including a few ‘underway’ books (Jerusalem by Simon Sebag Montefiore, Beowulf (the Heaney translation) and a book of Moliere plays) so for now and all of May I’m going lightest of the light! Roll on epic fantasy, crime and frothy reads!

@cassandre and @splothersdog i totally agree with your assessment of those two being shortlisted. It’s a pity theyre playing the man instead of the ball.

I'm a bit surprised Ordinary Human Failings didn't make it as there seemed to be a lot of love for that. I haven't read either Enright or Grenville but not sure I'll bother based on reviews. Also would have liked to see And Then She Fell.

Still 4 out of 6 is decent.

Odd shortlist based on the comments I've heard and seen

I am reading some absolute drivel at the moment so might force myself to read something "proper" next.

I've been in a total reading slump but I finally picked up my kindle and started The Lord of the Rings. I love the descriptive writing and the dialogue, it's a long book though (maybe seems longer as I bought the full collection). I'll have to watch the movies after I've read the book!

One Simply Does Not Admit To Not Having Seen Lord Of The Rings! @Kinsters

I've never seen TLOTR films. As a child/teenager I tried to read the book multiple times (I loved The Hobbit) but hated it and never got beyond The Fellowship of the Ring. To add to my dislike DH is obsessed with it, in the way that only a non-reader can be obsessed with a book. He constantly tells me it's the greatest book ever written despite having read very little.

At this point my knowledge of LoTR comes solely from memes 😅😅

I work with an elf's very close relative. 😏
Said elf apparently only says 8 words in all 847 films, despite being one of the main characters. Or something. And Frodo never blinks. Ever.

I also loved The Hobbit as a child, our teacher read it to us (along with Watership Down and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe) when we were about 8.

It's the worst film of all of them imo. But the books...I just lose the will to live at the dwarvish poetry and wotnot. I have read them all once. No great urge to repeat the exercise.