50 Books Challenge 2024 Part Five

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fifth 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.

Some of us bring over to the new thread lists of the books we've read so far, but again - this is your choice.

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

What are you reading?

Elkie, I really enjoyed hearing about your books and shelves. Alas, we are in a small flat so are committed to Billy and his brothers.

I love an Agatha Christie. I like buying old paperbacks because they have such crazy covers sometimes.

The Darling Buds of May, H E Bates
I have fond memories of watching the original series with my family when I was growing up and it really was a nice little, cosy read. A tax inspector arrives to question Pop Larkin but he basically provides a welcoming family vibe, fills him with good food and plenty of drink, not to mention encouraging a burgeoning romance between ‘Charley’ and Pop’s daughter Mariette. I’d quite like to read the others, but I am terrible with reading a series so no idea if I ever will, but this did the job I needed.

41. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir a recommendation on here I think. Fun and feel good sci-fi, I loved it!

@Kinsters I keep hearing that the audio book is very good. I’m only slightly put off by comments I’ve heard that it’s very similar to The Martian(which I read and enjoyed well enough but not the kind of thing I’d read all the time).

@OdileO I read the Martian years ago and enjoyed it but can't remember a thing about it except the basic premise.

I can see where criticisms come from - both are solo, nerdy, male hero against the world. Idk though, I thought it was fun. I think it'll stay with me better than the Martian did.

Much slower than you guys but on with
16) Strange Weather in Tokyo.

About half way through and loving the style (May just be a good translation) but really engaging and charming

The Ministry of Time - Kaliane Bradley Another poster (lost the review, many pages back ) found this book disappointing as did I. It has been so hyped up in the media that I should have known better. I often wonder how publishers make the choice about who to throw all their resources behind, when other fantastic books go unnoticed. I DNF it. I couldn't really suspend my disbelief and just go with the premise of taking people "who wouldn't be missed" (as they would have died at that point in time anyway) from the past and bringing them to the future where they have to be given a "bridge" helper to navigate life in a hush, hush government programme. Really? and why? I thought the story would be a tight mystery or espionage drama but it mostly settled into a light romcom about cultural differences and misunderstandings. I just found it all a bit strange. Life is too short to finish it - sorry, Kaliane.

@OdileO @Kinsfers

I read Martian and PHM the "wrong way round" both as audio. There are similarities but I thought PHM was better, those who read Martian first tend to go with that as first choice.

36. Rizzio by Denise Mina Very late to the party with this one but had to buy it after everyone on here raving about it. Follows the assassination of David Rizzio, private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, and her subsequent imprisonment by her own nobles and daring escape

This was really good. I studied early modern history in a Scottish university so was very familiar with the assassination of Rizzio but this book really brought those few days to life. I'd have liked more detail on Mary's escape as this was very much glossed over but overall I really rate this book and a definite bold for me

Just saw the Women's Prize results.

Fiction - Brotherless Night - V.V. Ganeshananthan

Non-fiction: Doppelganger - Naomi Klein

Both decent books, so no disgruntlement here.

I'm on holiday and horribly behind on the thread and even worse of reviews. Hopefully back soon to rectify both.

Don't have holiday envy - no sunkissed beaches here, just a windswept rainy field in Yorkshire. In a tent. With a wet dog. And I've run out of wine.

Sone long overdue reviews from me.

43 Meet Me On The Bridge by Sarah J Harris

A woman (can’t remember her name and cannot be bothered to check) time travels to meet the love of her life (can't remember his name, and definitely cannot be bothered to check), fucks up everyone else’s life, and makes things worse by trying to fix it. Very slight story which I didn’t really enjoy.

44 Black Diamonds: The Rise and Fall of an English Dynasty by Catherine Bailey

This is ostensibly about the Fitzwilliam family of Wentworth House, but is really a history of the seismic changes in society in the first half of the 20th century, with a particular focus on the coal industry. This was a really interesting approach, and I found the section where the Kennedys make an appearance especially fascinating, but it jumped about a bit too much for this to be a bold for me.

45 To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

I have read this once before, and it was my least favourite of the series. The lighter tone that I didn’t much appreciate last time was something I found more to my liking this time around. The Victorian era isn’t my favourite, but I really enjoyed this leisurely tale, and found the supporting characters (with the exception of Tossie and Mrs Mering) to be charming. The time incongruity was well done, and I wonder if Jodi Taylor read this one as the ending seems to be a plot device that makes an appearance in the St Mary’s Chronicles.

46 On Bloody Sunday: A New History of the Day and its Aftermath By the People Who Were There by Julieann Campbell

This is an oral history, with accounts from people who were there before, during, and after Bloody Sunday. This book did a fantastic job of showing the events leading to Bloody Sunday, the horror of the event itself, as well as the immediate and long term impact on the families, victims, Derry, and Ireland. This was a very emotional read and the author did an absolutely amazing job of balancing individual stories with the wider situation. I would never|condone terrorism, but reading this definitely made me understand why so many felt they had no other recourse. If you are systematically discriminated against, then your right to democratic protest is made illegal, then when you take part in a peaceful march where people including your family, friends, and neighbours are murdered by the army, and then the inquiry into the massacre is a whitewash, I can understand why some embraced violence. And yet, at its heart, this is the story of the triumph of those who did not choose violence, and who were responsible for the Savile enquiry which exonerated the victims, albeit nearly thirty years too late. This book broke my heart, and as the descendant of Irish Catholics I felt this perhaps even more keenly than I might have otherwise. This is undoubtedly one of the best books I have ever read.

@FortunaMajor you definitely need to do some wine shopping at least.

I too am pleased with the winners for both categories of the Women’s Prize, both were in my top 3 - Brotherless Night was my favourite.

@FortunaMajor , that sounds like a very English holiday! As UlldemoShul said, you need to restock the wine. I was thinking you could be cosy in a tent with wine and books, but actually tents in the rain are not necessarily very cosy!

I'm also happy with the Women's Prize winners. I was hoping that Enter Ghost would win, but Brotherless Night is an excellent novel that tells a historically important story.

And Doppelganger is actually the only book from the nonfiction shortlist that I've read, but it was a bold for me. I did hear Klein speak a few days ago, and she was an engaging and articulate speaker. I had just two reservations about the event: first, she spent the whole hour talking about the Palestine/Israel chapter of the book. It's a great chapter, but it's only one chapter! So the talk seemed quite narrow in that regard. And second, she decided not to take any questions from the audience. That disappointed me, because questions from the audience are often the best bit of attending a public talk. But never mind!

Incidentally, Naomi Wolf (Klein's personal 'doppelganger') is visiting London and made the following tweet this week:
https://x.com/naomirwolf/status/1800308369703461216

'I am in London for the first time in 5 years. Unrecognizable. Grotesque huge modern buildings looming over historic neighborhoods. No sign of British culture except for vestigial pubs. Huge LED screens in formerly beautiful peaceful streets. People sleeping, living on the street. Dirt and chaos. Bike riders on sidewalks as newly in NYC! My Ghanaian cab driver (UK born) complaining about the loss of British culture and about immigrants who are taking over town councils one by one. There is no hint of Virginia Woolf’s London. It’s a globalist parking lot. Tragic.'

And then Naomi Klein, also in London, tweeted:
https://x.com/NaomiAKlein/status/1800486817772589225

'For the record London, I think you are gorgeous. Bit chilly, but gorgeous.'

😂

@SapatSea I read Ministry of Time recently. There is an 'explanation' at the end but I couldn't make any sense of it. I really did enjoy the falling in lobe section so it's a shame the whole thing didn't hold together.

Currently a third of the way through The Bee Sting and loving it.

40. Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange. Following several generations of a Native American family from the 19th century to the present day, with lives touched by addiction throughout. Parts of this are very hard to read but it is beautiful and elegiac. This will be a bold for me.

41. Hang the Moon by Jeanette Walls. I bought this in America where it's being heavily promoted, about a young woman who takes over her father's liquor running business during prohibition. Should have been a hoot but the plot was wildly OTT - every single page had a new murder, faked pregnancy, long lost sibling, arson attack... it was just too much.

42. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I'm the last person to read this so everyone knows what it's about! I cannot fault it in any way and the final chapters were really very moving, but I think I've just reached my limit of Iliad retellings now.

That's brilliant @cassandre re the two Naomi's!

I'm happy with Brotherless Night winning. I thought it was a really moving book and shed light on the atrocities committed by all sides during the Sri Lankan civil war. I wasn't entirely convinced the ending worked but can see that she felt she needed to wrap it all up.

I wonder if Enter Ghost would have felt too politicized as she didn't address the Israeli PoV at all. Not that she needed to - it's a novel not a commentary - but it could have garnered a lot of controversy (see Eurovision).

I haven't read any of the non-fiction but have just ordered Thunderclap as that was the one that most appealed. I think I remember someone on here saying Doppelganger read a bit like an extended blog which slightly put me off.

Good luck in the tent @FortunaMajor - thoughts and prayers.

I saw that Naomi Wolf tweet and my eyes nearly rolled out of my head. Yes, London's dirty and neglected and there’s an inexplicable amount of building going on, but I regularly walk past Virginia Woolf's old home in Gordon Square and indeed through the whole Bloomsbury/Fitzrovia area. It's still there, Naomi, if you'd bothered to look.

Thunderclap is great btw @Stowickthevast. Laura Cumming writes so well and intelligently about art, in a way that really connects (for me, anyway).

Goodness. How interesting. DS (19) and I were in London yesterday. We talked a lot about how much we love the mix of old and new buildings. And the sun as it was setting glinting off of the Elizabeth clock tower/Houses of Parliament was stunning.

Oh @FortunaMajor (or should that be O Fortuna!), British-style camping can be great but without wine it sounds grim! Hope the weather clears up.

I’ve had Doppelgänger on my wish list for a while but was waiting for the price to come down. Maybe I’ll be able to get it on BorrowBox now it’s won the prize!

I'm looking forward to reading Doppelganger, Enter Ghost and Brotherless Night soon.

As for that tweet, 'Empty vessels make the most noise' as one of my teachers used to say.

London is fabulous. I would love to be able to visit more often.

Fell off the last thread while on holiday. Jumping back in with my holiday reads.

Not sure where I last updated but.

20 Last Dance in the Discotheque for Deviants - not my bag, too depressing.

21 Harry Potter and Philosophers Stone - re-read for me, first time for the kids, who loved it, but are not brave enough to move onto book 2 yet!

22 The Skeleton Key Erin Kelly - one of my favorite books so far this year. I liked the way the characters were drawn, loved the back story and the current events, rooted for our hero, despaired at her family and enjoyed the idea of the treasure hunt myths and legends. Very much my thing.

23 The Society for Sole less Girls by Laura Steven - Liked the idea, didn't like the execution. It was a YA book and I think I would have enjoyed a grown up version that was properly scary with less bullish leads.

24 Hex and the City by Kate Johnson - really enjoyed this light hearted daft holiday read. Just fun. Poppy is a witch with sentient hair who seems to cause chaos all around her. She and her witchy friends (not a coven) save the day aided by a hunky stage illusionist. Whimsical, unchallenging and fun.

25 James Blunt - Loosely based on a made up story - no idea if its utter rubbish or true. It was entertaining. I'd not want to party with James Blunt, I couldn't keep up! But if I got stuck in a que he's just the kind of person I would like to be stuck next to.

Currently reading Windswept and Interesting - Love the Big Yin, still following Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and listening to the Maid - the Maid so far is my least favorite of my current reads.

I referred to Naomi Wolf in a lesson today and then later called her Naomi Klein. Oooooops.

55 The Great Post Office Scandal - Nick Wallis
I know a lot of people on here have read this and raved about it and I’m no different. Really engaging despite being very heavy in terminology. Nick writes in a way that is easy to follow. It was long though and I had to be fully in the moment to read it or I got lost.

56 Baby P: This Must Never Happen Again - John McShane
I worked as a cp officer in a primary school in neighbouring Enfield when this case came to light and I still struggle to believe how many people failed that little boy. Harrowing read.

I feel I need something more lighthearted now that doesn’t highlight the failures of our country.

@cassandre that tweet exchange! Death recorded 😉
(Also, 'vestigial pubs' sounds like something for Ben Aaronovitch's SAU to check out.)
Haven't read Doppelgänger and still not sure if I will. I've found Klein's previous books (except the excellent The Shock Doctrine) good but ultimately unsatisfying and the Wolfishness of this one doesn't bode well for my blood pressure levels.

At least Enright didn't win so I'm not thrown into a similar dilemma with the fiction prize! Pleased for Brotherless Night. Deceptively straightforward, it's grown on me since I finished it (and I liked it a lot then) and is definitely one I wouldn't have read without its longlisting.

Maybe I've missed it but did anyone post Orwell Prize shortlists?
https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-prizes/finalists/
Includes several books which have been 50 Bookers have previously reviewed and Ordinary Human Failings for fiction, yay (and Eve for nofic, boo but at least it's not a science prize....) Several from both lists already on my TBR but I'm dragging myself through to the end of term with debilitating bug so doubt I'll manage any before the announcement (on the 27th - what do they think this is, a snap election?)

We are on holiday in the UK at the moment and it is so bloody cold! I wanted to get my ear muffs out but thought I would look too weird.

42. Hex - Jenni Fagan another recommendation from this thread. A short story covering the final night of a girl accused of witchcraft in 15th century Scotland. Enjoyed is probably the wrong word. This was bleak and I won't forget it quickly.

22. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Book one of my holiday (hiking in Albania). Finished on the plane. Recommended by my brother. I did enjoy it, the magical element made sense and was well explained which apparently typical of Sanderson. However it felt very young adult. A sixteen year old gets dragged into police investigation doesn't feel right. But anyway, if it is YA its well written and enjoyable. Finished on a cliff hanger. A follow up book has been due for some time so I won't hold my breath!