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?

17 - 500 miles from you - Jenny Colgan
Just what I needed. Warm and fluffy with a perfect dose of Scottish romanticism. Dreadful stereotyping of cold-hearted, London city-dwellers though!!

47 1989 - Val McDermid

I struggled to get into this one. I like her books but I think this was too long and overcomplicated. 1979, about (then) rookie journalist Allie Burns was better.

It is 1989 and Allie is head of the northern investigations desk for a Manchester newspaper, except all her colleagues have been sacked and she’s doing it all alone. The Lockerbie bombing and the Hillsborough tragedy both feature but aren’t the focus. Allie’s ultimate boss is a lightly disguised Robert Maxwell and various conspiracies (one sub plot too many) take us to east Germany along the way.

I think the movie of A Passage to India was pretty good @Thewolvesarerunningagain. I remember thinking the plot was stronger than in the book. Then again I saw it in a garden in India when I was a teen so maybe slightly biased.

Latest reads:

117 Greengates by T C Sherriff

I loved this. It was written in the 1930s but set in the 1920s. It follows a childfree couple after the man’s retirement, as they both realise that life in retirement isn’t going to be what they expected, and how they escape their rut buying a new build house in the suburbs. The characters and their thoughts are so well observed. If you have read and enjoyed The Fortnight In September by the same author you’ll like this too.

118 Mad Woman by Bryony Gordon

More about her struggles with mental health. I like Bryony and this is easy to read but doesn’t really add anything to her earlier books.

119 The Fair To Middling by Arthur Calder-Marshall

An odd children’s book about a group of children with various disabilities who are taken to a fair and given the chance to live without their disabilities, only to realise that the grass isn’t always greener and the opt to go back to how they were. I liked the idea of it but couldn’t get on with the writing style.

120 Underfoot In Show Business by Helene Hanff

More memoirs from the 84 Charing Cross Road author, here looking at how she tried to make it as a playwright in the 1940s and 1950s. Interesting but not as good as her others.

121 Miss Ranskill Comes Home by Barbara Euphan Todd

Another Persephone book. Just before the war Miss Ranskill was shipwrecked on a desert island, and finally makes it back to England in 1942 only to be completely baffled by all the wartime rules. You do need to suspend a bit of disbelief about the whole shipwreck business, and Miss Ranskill isn’t an entirely sympathetic character but I really enjoyed seeing how she coped with her return.

122 The Last Goodbye by Tim Weaver

Continuing my reread of the David Raker series, looking for a missing woman and a separate case of a man and his son who went into a ghost train ride and never came out. Good.

123 London Curiosities by John Wade

Interesting book about unusual things to be seen in London. Will look for some of them in my next trip. Included lots of photos which I like in this sort of book.

124 Creating Back To The Future: The Musical by Michael Klastorin

I’m a big fan of BTTF and loved the musical so it was interesting to read the process of putting it all together. Very detailed.

125 Meet Me On The Bridge by Sarah J Harris

Rather convoluted time travel romance book. Obviously with time travel you always have to suspend some disbelief, but this was very confused about the reason for being able to time travel and why some people remembered things and others didn’t and I found that off putting - I do like to have some sort of logical explanation for why things are happening! Not bad for an amazon freebie though.

126 Nowhere To Run: The Ridiculous Life of a Semi-Professional Football Club Chairman by Jonathan Sayer

Jonathan is part of Mischief Theatre who created The Play That Goes Wrong and The Goes Wrong Show amount other things. This is his account of him and his dad taking over as chairmen of a lower league club. It’s an amusing read but not very long and the author says at the start that some of it is exaggerated and fictionalised so you never really know how much of it it’s true which tainted it for me.

127 The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr

Clayton was abandoned as a baby at the house owned by the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers and was brought up by them. Now he’s been set a puzzle quest to find his real parents. The idea of the Fellowship is a bit twee but I liked the characters and the puzzles sprinkled throughout the book.

128 The Household by Stacey Halls

Set around the real house for fallen women that Charles Dickens helped to set up with a rich friend, Angela Burdett-Coutts. I was interested by the Dickens connection but for me the story was just OK. Looking back at goodreads I’ve read all Halls’ books but all have only been rated 3/5 so maybe her writing just isn’t for me.

@ChessieFL I've never met anyone else who's read The Fair To Middling. I loved it as a child, and on a recent re-read I thought it held up well & was definitely ahead of it's time in making it clear how much of disability is about wider society.

The style reminds me rather of The Man who was Magic by Paul Gallico if you've read that.

On a separate note, does anyone know how to delete @ mentions? I tagged
@Cherrypi by accident & even reloading the page determinedly hangs onto it. Sorry cherry ...

60. Cloistered, by Catherine Coldstream

Someone has it in for Mother Elizabeth. I thought at one point she'd be found in the potting shed with a garden fork still quivering in her cold, cold heart.

I agree with everything Sadik said about this non-fiction account of the author's years as an enclosed nun. There was a bit too much exposition of Catholic doctrine, but I was gripped by the section when there's dissension in the ranks and outright rebellion against a new prioress, led by a particular clique. I wasn't particularly convinced by the author's final assertions that she has forgiven them all, and overall enjoyed her more when she was airing human grievances rather than espousing divine love.

By way of complete contrast, I'm a third of the way through Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson, following the gauntlet thrown down by Cote. The obvious thing to say is to admire his prescience regarding the Metaverse. Maybe I'm not far enough into the book, but I find the characters to be one-dimensional and I don't really care what happens to them. Sorry Cote, we just look for different things in our reading. I'll keep going and it might still win me over.

34. Cuddy - Benjamin Myers. Thanks again @splothersdog for the bolding which made me pick this up again. It's been quite divisive but I ended up firmly on the pros after starting it months ago and putting it down. I didn't really like the chapters with different extracts from other histories and there are more of these at the start of the book. But once it got into the narrative, I found myself fascinated and gripped. There are 4 main stories: Ediva, a cook, who is traveling with the band of monks carrying Cuddy's coffin until they find a resting place in future Durham and her companion Owl-Eyes in 995; Eda in 1346 who has an abusive husband and sells ale to the stone masons building the cathedral; a Victorian professor in a Gothic ghost story exhuming the body of Cuddy in 1827; and a young man Michael working to support his dying mother in present day. The writing varies from each section and Cuddy and Durham echo through the generations - as well as Ediva and Owl Eyes. This may be a bold for me, the only thing that precludes it was the slow start. I also listened to part of it and recommend the audible.

28. Instructions for a Heatwave: Maggie O'Farrell.

The air is stifling and it hasn't rained for two months. It's July 1976 and Britain is in the grip of a heatwave. One morning, as Gretta Riordan is sitting down to her first cup of tea of the day, her husband Robert goes out to buy the newspaper and doesn't return. Her three adult children return home to help her solve the mystery. They uncover details of their father's past that they hadn't known about. They also have problems of their own that need to be resolved.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a good story, well written and the pace was lively. In comparison to other novels by O'Farrell that I have read, 'Hamnet' and 'The Marriage Portrait', I enjoyed this the most. Some reviews suggest the ending was a bit abrupt, but I liked it as I thought it reflected the beginning very well.

29. Making It So: Patrick Stewart.

I listened to the audiobook on Borrowbox and I really enjoyed it. I think it would have been a great read in print as well, but I enjoyed Patrick's narration very much and especially when he recited excerpts of verse to illustrate a point.
The early part of the book, Patrick's childhood, reminded me of my mother's difficult childhood and as I was also reading about the dysfunctional family in 'Instructions for a Heatwave' there was an intersection for me between those two books in that regard.

I enjoyed listening to Patrick's life story very much. There are many good stories and laugh out loud moments. It is an entertaining, engaging (ha!) and honest account of his life and career. I mainly only know him from Star Trek but I have always admired him. I think it must be a real challenge for actors to maintain close family relationships when they are tied to a production. Patrick admits to not coping well with long distance relationships and how it impacted on his marriage and family. I think it's a career that poses challenges in that regard.

30. The Talented Mr. Ripley: Patricia Highsmith.

I watched the series on Netflix and I was curious about how the series matched the book. It does follow it closely. There are a few differences towards the end that I picked up on and name changes but overall, I think it was a very good interpretation and in my mind's eye I was picturing the scenes from the series as I was reading it. It's a very dark, tense portrait of a psychopath. In the introduction it suggests that the reader cheers Tom on and wishes for him to succeed, but I think for me it is more a case of looking on in horror as he gets away with it. It struck me too, how naive they all were to accept his version of events and this requires some suspension of disbelief, but it is very well written. He was a cool, clever criminal who had luck on his side.

@ChessieFL I am in awe of your reading list. You must be a seriously speedy reader! I cant imagine managing to read so many books if I could dedicate my entire day to reading. I'm just too slow, and you manage to review them. (I have a tendency to forget what I have read as soon as I put the book down. I think Jane Austen and the Count of Monte Cristo are the only novels I could actually describe what happens and remember the plot!)

29. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden I considered buying this in the works recently to get to my 3 books on the 3 for £6 deal but decided against it. Then a friend lent me her copy after finishing it saying it was really good, although the friend in question isn't a big reader so I wasn't completely sure of her judgement

Millie has recently been released from prison and is struggling to find a job when rich housewife Nina Winchester offers her a job as her housemaid. The Winchesters appear to lead a charmed life: husband Andrew is handsome and incredibly rich and completely devoted to his wife Nina who fills her days with brunch and PTA meetings, while 9 year old Cecilia is a spoiled brat who has her every desire met by her doting parents. But soon Millie starts to suspect that things aren't as rosy as they seem

About halfway through I realised this seems to be a re-imagining of Jane Eyre (Rochester/Winchester is a big clue). What if Mrs Rochester wasn't actually mad? What if her husband was the mad one but he managed to convince everyone she was insane whilst keeping her locked in the attic against her will?

It's an interesting book with some impressive twists and turns although the ending is a little too neat. There's actually a sequel called The Housemaid's Secret but I'm not sure I care enough to read it

@Sadik - yes the themes of The Fair To Middling were very ahead of their time. I haven’t read the Gallico book but not sure I’ll seek it out given I didn’t really get on with the style of TFTM!

@Hoolahoophop I am a fast reader but I definitely don’t always recall everything I read! It has been known for me to pick up a book not realising I’ve read it before until I’m partway in thinking ‘This feels familiar…’

55. The True History Of The Kelly Gang by Peter Carey (Audible)

Many Thanks to @CornishLizard for the recommendation. This finally got off my TBR having been on my TBR for 14 years due to it nearly being entirely in italics.

I really enjoyed this. It wasn't perfect, the excerpt style left gaps but I didn't mind. I also really liked the use of the word "adjectival" for every swear word, which could have become annoying.

I would recommend but only as an audio, I have found the text impenetrable but the audio works very well.

I am on a mini holiday and because Waterstones in Yarm is so lovely I bought The Bee Sting and You Are Here even though they were on my Wish List until they reduced in price #holidaymode

40 The Burning - Jane Casey - Thank you to whoever recommended Jane Casey's DC Maeve Kerrigan. I enjoyed this book, good plot and a great wee twist which I guessed. I'm looking forward to reading the series.

I'm currently reading The Butterfly Room by Lucinda Riley. I've seen quite a few posters enjoy her Seven Sisters series. I'm really enjoying it so far.

Glad you enjoyed it Eine!

You're in Teesside for a holiday? That's an unusual choice! Admittedly Yarm is lovely though.

Fuzzy, I have read the same three Maggie O’Farrell books as you and enjoyed them all. I think Instructions for a Heatwave resonated for me because she depicted the summer of 1976 so well (in addition to interesting characters and storyline!).

Slow progress on the reading front but finished:

31. Berlin Game - Len Deighton

Not read anything by him previously but recognised the name and recommended to me by a friend. Set in the Cold War amongst the spy fraternity. Bernard, who grew up in Berlin, and therefore handily speaks German like a native works for the British security services. Now based in London, he is sent back to Berlin to deal with an informant who has got cold feet. At the same time, the department is dealing with a leak. Good combination of Bernard’s work and personal life which overlap as Fiona, Bernard’s wife, also works for the security services. Some stereotypes and I could see where the storyline was heading so no real surprises but atmospheric and I liked Bernard who shares my jaded, cynical outlook!

Yes @TimeforaGandT it was good! Agreed. I thought the same.

I was thinking the same thing!

we were just stopping off on the way to the Yorkshire coast.

Finished The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey. Should have known better really - reviews on the front by overly accessible fluffy writers : tick ; 'heartwarming' : tick ; large print : tick ; title begins with 'The' : tick; can buy it in Tescos : tick.

It's a coming of age novel set in Yorkshire just after Thatcher is elected but with the additional background of the Yorkshire Ripper and racism. I thought the Ripper stuff might be a bit crass . I wouldn't go that far but it isn't done as sensitively as the Aberfan novel (or written as well). The novel centres around recently traumatised 12 year old Miv and her friend. It is full of cliched characters and everyone has a secret. Only two men aren't harbouring some Dark Truth About Themselves (and both of those are Tragically Bereaved).

I have just read Amazon one and two star reviews and I am inclined to agree with them all.

It's an easy summer/beach read. But then I am not sure who wants to sit on a sunlounger reading a book about the murders of women...

19 The Bridge Ladies by Betsy Lerner
A very pleasant memoir about the author's mother and her friends, who meet regularly to play bridge. The author starts learning bridge to understand more about her parents and their generation.

Except she doesn't; transparently she learns bridge to sweeten the pitch for her book deal (she's a literary agent). I'd say don't read this for timeless truths about mother/daughter relationships, or for a primer on bridge (she manages to make it sound less interesting to me than before, which is saying something as I loathe the entire concept).

However, DO read it for a charming slice of American social history, giving a rich flavour of the very specific lives of US east coast Jewish women born to immigrant families in the 20s/30s. This is a massive sweet spot to me, I love Americana of this era so I thoroughly enjoyed it. A very bleak tang underpins it looking at ageing too. A fantastic counterblast to Lessons in Chemistry.

Just catching up with you all. I'm also in teaching overload at the mo' (am managing to read but can't watch any proper telly as my brain drifts off into Things I Need To Do Yesterday, so am alternating between Gogglebox and Bake Off and taking weeks to finish a book)

On which note:

23 (I think)

Asta's Book Barbara Vine.

Beautifully written, as one expects from BV/RR. But- too long, too many people peripherally involved in "the mystery", too many narrators, none of whom were nice.

I'm very intrigued at Lucy Clarke writing a novel set in mountains not by the sea. How is she going to use the word "salt" and "salty" 46 times on every page. Are they salty mountains?

@ASighMadeOfStone there’s a glacier, and a sea cave, at one point, don’t worry 😀

😅 phew!
Does someone lick the salt from someone else's body after having hot salty tanged sex? I shall be disappointed otherwise!
(I do quite like Lucy Clarke, but feel one needs a hypertension test due to saline overdose afterwards)