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LindsD's Book List

79
Completed
1
Abandoned

2024 [8 books]
4	The High House Jessie Greengrass Mar 2024 COMPLETED	Thank you to Chrisull for choosing this. I sped through it in 2 days, and it would have been faster if I hadnt had to keep putting it down because it was too bleak and depressing. I really liked it. The writing was good and the story compelling. I found it particularly good on the absolute blinkers that we all have for whats happening around us and what is happening to other people. There were also some descriptions that really chimed with me. A lot of the passages about being around Pauly were so evocative of looking after small children/parenting, but one in particular that took me right back was when she describes coming home from university and pulling down the window to breathe in the air.I used to catch the train to Preston, and just before the station the train passes over the Ribble, which at the point is wide and the viaduct is high. The ground drops away into the valley and darkness and you can see the river if theres a moon. Thats when I knew I was home.I read a review just before I finished it, and I kinda wish I hadnt, as it pointed out that although the characters of Sal and Caro were different, their voices were not, and I do agree with that. I had also wondered why there were no violent people in this particular dystopia, but I guess that was explained because the house was hidden. I wanted to know what the story was with Sal and her Grandy where were her parents And where was Caros motherMinor gripes, though. I enjoyed this very much. I think I will read her first novel.
5	Abba Hallo Ralf Knig Mar 2024 COMPLETED	The second book I got for Christmas. This one I hadn't read. New characters. Liked it a lot. Would read more.
4	A Fortunate Woman Polly Morland Mar 2024 COMPLETED	I bought this for Mum for her book group and she didn't really like it. I liked it quite a lot though it's very overwritten in parts. I found the human stories engaging
5	Der Bewegte Mann Ralf Koenig Feb 2024 COMPLETED	A re-read of an beloved old classic. Had forgotten the differences from the film. Jo bought it me for Christmas so now I have two copies :)
4	Severance Ling Ma Feb 2024 COMPLETED	What to say I definitely looked forward to reading it and wanted to know what happened, but ultimately I was a bit disappointed. I felt like the before and the after narratives weren't sufficiently connected. I was expecting some kind of excoriating critique of capitalism and I didn't really find it. It was clear that the conditions of capitalism had created the conditions for the pandemic, but we already know that (although I guess she might not have in 2018).It was quite chilling just how the pandemic she described did play out in a lot of ways in 2020, like travel bans, and blame, and misinformation, and the mask thing. I kept having to remind myself that it was written before the Covid pandemic.I liked her, and I liked the dystopian bits, though I thought it wasn't really explained why Bob was like he was. The 'stalks' were quite creepy, but I guess that was the point.Unusually for me, I found the upbeat ending a bit of a cop-out. I'm glad I read it, but yeah, bit disappointed. I've read better dystopian fiction. I gave it a 7. Also she wasn't really working for the company at the end, was she She was blogging.
3	Hunger Games: Songbirds and Snakes Suzanne Collins Feb 2024 COMPLETED	Read this because SD recommended it and I liked the film. Dragged a bit in the middle but the moral dilemmas were well explored in the last 3rd.
3	The Rabbit Factor Antti Tuomainen (Author), David Hackston (Translator) Jan 2024 COMPLETED	This was a book group choice. The writing style was a bit annoying and overwritten, but the narrator was clearly supposed to be on the spectrum and I think it was often reflecting his inner dialogue. Diverting enough gangster caper. Read it quickly, but found it ultimately unsatisfying. Lot of things that didn't really convince. Won't be reading any of his others.
5	Politics on the Edge Rory Stewart Jan 2024 COMPLETED	This is a wonderful, though depressing book. He writes engagingly about his time in politics, including a leadership challenge and work at the MoJ and in DfID. His descriptions of the machinations and machinery of Westminster and No 10 are eye-opening, and not in a good way. I finished with not much hope for our country's government. Ditto B Johnson and L Truss. A strong candidate for book of the year already. Will check out his other books.
2023 [39 books]
3	The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds John Higgs Dec 2023 COMPLETED	Enjoyed the first half of this. Found the second half really hard going. Could only eead a couple of pages before falling asleep. Just too much unsubstantiated woo woo. Sources often dodgy. Connection w Dave Bramwell who first told me about Ken Campbell and it turns out has done work w John Higgs.
5	Station 11 Emily St John Mandel Dec 2023 COMPLETED	Picked this up in the work library as I liked The Glass Hotel. Liked this also though was a little perturbed when it turned out to be about a pandemic. Some people from The Glass Hotel were also in it, which was nice. Think there were some connections I missed because of reading when tired but overall I really liked it. Dystopian fiction w some hope.
2	The indisputable existence of Santa Hannah Fry and some bloke :) Dec 2023 COMPLETED	Book group book. Smug and boring. Should know better than to read non fiction. Maths of Monopoly interesting
3	The Rider Tim Krabbe tr. Sam Garrett Nov 2023 COMPLETED	Odd book. Very well-written but I kept falling asleep. Supposed to be the authentic experience of racing. Learnt a bit about the peleton etc. He doesn't sound like a nice person.
3	Babel RF Kuang Nov 2023 COMPLETED	I really liked this at the beginning. Set in Oxford, about translation, written by someone who understands translation. Anti colonialist. Lost its way a bit towards the end. Like she had a great idea but didn't know where to go with it.
2	The Running Girls Matt Brolly Oct 2023 COMPLETED	Read this because his wife is my friend and colleague. Not for me. One-dimensional crime. :(
4	Lessons in Chemistry Bonnie Garmus Oct 2023 COMPLETED	Really liked this tale of feminism and love in the 50s. Got a bit silly towards the end, but generally a great read with strong characters.
3	Before the coffee gets cold Toshikazu Kawaguchi tr. Geoffrey Trousselot Oct 2023 COMPLETED	. I'm wondering whether there is something about Japanese that means that when it's translated into English it feels overwritten, or whether I've just been unlucky and every book I've ever read that's been translated from the JP has been poorly translated. I think a. is more likely than b., and I can see that (with my translator head on) there is often an imperative to maintain the 'foreignness' of a book (actually my PhD was related to this). However, it's annoying. The beginning of this book, in particular, felt like I was being mansplained to or had travelled back in time to primary school.I also struggled to remember who was who at first and how they were related.It either settled down or I got used to it, as I stopped noticing it so much after about 1/4 of the way through.I liked this, but didn't think it was special. It's one of those sorts of books that offer insights into the human condition through a sci-fi device. It reminded me a bit of The five people you meet in heaven. I did care about the characters by the end and was happy that things were mostly wrapped up. Again, though, it was obvious to me what was happening with Kei's daughter even when it wasn't obvious to the characters.I gave it a 7 but I don't think I'll read any more.
1	Rabbit, Run John Updike Sep 2023 COMPLETED	Firstly, thank you to westmoors for choosinating it. I have been meaning to read it for decades and I'm glad I have. I didn't like it, though. I can see how he's 'a great writer' and I can see how every word is carefully chosen, but so much of it is description which does nothing for me. I'm not a visual person and books don't paint pictures in my head. I'm interested in people and characters. And all the people in this book were vile. Every last one of them, except Nelson, who was just damaged. I found I felt unsettled and unhappy after reading it. The women are all extremely one-dimensional and basically only exist to illuminate parts of Rabbit's personality. And I knew something awful was going to happen and then it did. To be fair, I really struggle with bad things happening to people who are drunk, because it's too close to the bone for me. My edition had an afterword which said something about the 'soliloquies of the women'. I struggled to remember where I'd heard anything from the women that wasn't filtered through Rabbit. That said, I am quite intrigued by the idea that the next books come every ten years (I think that's what he said) so might give the next one a go.
1	The Daylight Gate Jeanette Winterson Sep 2023 COMPLETED	This is about the Pendle Witches and I had high hopes. Thought it was a kids' book at first as it was so overwritten. It was simplistic and boring, and violent and misogynistic. REally unnecessary and v disappointing as I usually like JW. Interesting to see poverty and misogyny as reasons for accusations of witchcraft but it also relied on actual witchcraft which was just stupid. Neither one thing nor the other. Ugh. Do not recommend.
5	The Only Story Julian Barnes Aug 2023 COMPLETED	Loved this and read it in two days. About love and youth and addiction and pain. Reminded me a bit of Sense of an Ending. Also did that shifting narrator thing like in Complicity
3	Frankie and Stankie Barbara Trapido Aug 2023 COMPLETED	I've had this on the bookshelf for ages and this is my second attempt. It's OK but not really captivating. The SA history stuff is really interesting but where other books (Disgrace, The Promise) teach you in a subtle way, this felt like a history primer at times. Don't think I'll read any more of hers.
3	Wir sind schlielich wer Anne Gesthuysen Aug 2023 COMPLETED	Treated myself to this when I was in Luxembourg. Bit disappointing. Liked the central character and the observations on small town life and being nobility were interesting. I got q caught up w it in the middle but ran out of steam at the end. Couldn't recommend in all good conscience.
5	Coraline Neil Gaiman Aug 2023 COMPLETED	Fab and disturbing. loved it. Want to see the film.
3	Noah's Ark Barbara Trapido Jul 2023 COMPLETED	Yeah. Not sure. Liked the characters, but it was v contrived and a bit misogynist. I have another of hers and will probably read it to see. Some of the writing was nice and some was just very pretentious. And some of the relationships were a bit sitcom-like. Ali is from SA and Noah is an American Jew. Failed infidelity with Mot Adderley. Ali is just too vague to exist. Etc. NOtes to help me remember.
4	Black Water Louise Doughty Jul 2023 COMPLETED	Found this on my bookshelf. Slow to start but really enjoyed it. Set in Indonesia. Knew nothing of the politics. Bit menacing w some moral dilemmas.
5	Sense of Wonder Ann Patchett Jul 2023 COMPLETED	Never disappoints. Set in the Amazon. Tribe where women have babies until they are old. Gripping and thought-provoking. Great characters.
4	Angelmaker Nick Harkaway Jul 2023 COMPLETED	Book club for June. Everyone hated this except me. It was terribly overwritten but mad and a bit Dirk Gently. I cared about the characters and was interested in how he was going to tie up the story. It was a bit overlong but I did enjoy it.
4	The Kraken Wakes John Wyndham Jul 2023 COMPLETED	Read this when I was about 12 and loved it. Was a bit worried it would not have stood the test of time. It definitely did. Really enjoyed it. Good stuff about sexism and roles in marriage, about the government (how many bodies are acceptable for the greater good) and wanting to look good rather than take action, and about our view of others. Also a really good yarn. Might revisit his others.
4	Living Better Alistair Campbell Jun 2023 COMPLETED	I really enjoyed the first part of this, about his family and his own depression. It lost its way a bit in the middle where he goes looking for cures. Overall, it was a good and easy read, and useful. Would recommend.
2	Luckiest Girl Alive Jessica Knoll May 2023 COMPLETED	I picked this up as I've been researching the film for work. An odd one. Read it in two days, couldn't put it down, but it was utterly nasty and horrid and made me feel ill. Gang rape based on the author's own experience, graphic descriptions of what women do to fit in at school and also in the world of New York publishing. Not a nice person amongst the whole cast. Not sure how I feel about it, tbh.
4	The Help Kathryn Stockett May 2023 COMPLETED	A hard read, but worth it. Thought-provoking and well crafted. Hannah recommended this to me..
5	Jews don't count David Baddiel May 2023 COMPLETED	Totally loved this and am generally not a massive fan of non-fiction. Whizzed through it. Clear-sighted and persuasive without being whiny. Everyone should read.
0	The Glass Hotel Emily St John Mandel May 2023 COMPLETED	Really liked this. Lots of different threads and some foreshadowing all coming together in the end. Great characters and interesting descriptions of Vancouver Island, Vancouver and New York. Would read more by her. Read it quickly and enjoyed it.
5	The Bean Trees Barbara Kingsolver May 2023 COMPLETED	Loved this. Recommended by Hannah. Character driven and engrossing. Read it in two days. Poor girl from Kentucky is forced to look after an abandoned child in Arizona.
2	The Invisible Girl Lisa Jewell May 2023 COMPLETED	Sharkie gave me this and warned it might suffer in comparison to Gwen Riley. She was right. I hated it at first. Found it really overwritten. Got into the story later on though and enjoyed it. A good plane read though I'm not sure I would spend time reading any more of hers.
5	My Phantoms Gwendoline Riley May 2023 COMPLETED	This was a really difficult read but pretty close to perfect. I gave it 10/10. Mother-daughter rlp. Both reminded me of me and the mother of my mother. Loved it.
3	Der nette Herr Heinlein und die Leichen im Keller Stephan Ludwig Apr 2023 COMPLETED	This was fun but the ending was a bit meh. Kept me guessing. Quite absurd in an enjoyable way.
4	Redhead at the side of the road Anne Tyler Mar 2023 COMPLETED	Always feel a bit unsatisfied by her books but this one was better. Enjoyed reading it but again a bit yeah and at the end
4	The Alperton Angels Janice Hallett Mar 2023 COMPLETED	This was fun and dark. Doesn't pretend to be highbrow but keeps you reading and puzzling. Stayed w me. Good for a holiday read. Also set in my local area.
2	Taste Stanley Tucci Mar 2023 COMPLETED	This was perfectly pleasant but just slid over the surface of my brain somehow. I just wasn't very interested. I may go back to some of the recipes. Although I probably won't. Not memorable enough to be dislikeable.
3	Parable of the Sower Octavia Butler Mar 2023 COMPLETED	Dystopian future novel set in 2024 :-0Liked this though the writing was simplistic at times. Pretty horrifying but believable. Reminded me of The Death of Grass. Lost its way a bit in the middle
3	My Brilliant Friend Elena Ferrante tr. Ann Goldstein Feb 2023 COMPLETED	This is well written and well translated and gripping but the depiction of the Neapolitan world is disturbing and unsettling and I was glad to finish it.
4	The Sandman Neil Gaiman Feb 2023 COMPLETED	Loved this as it reminded me of the tv series, which was the best tv I saw in 2022. Don't think I would have got on with it if I hadn't seen the tv.
5	Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Caf Fannie Flagg Feb 2023 COMPLETED	Loved this. Wistful tale on the surface, well told, but hiding social comment and real humanity. Fab.
4	The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett Feb 2023 COMPLETED	Re-read. Love this. Like a mug of hot chocolate. Not unproblematic in some of its attitudes, mind.
5	Are we having fun yet Lucy Mangan Jan 2023 COMPLETED	Totally loved this. She is me! Spot on about being a parent.
4	The Death of Grass John Christopher Jan 2023 COMPLETED	Showing its age dystopian sci fi but still horrifying. Book club choice. Some interesting parallels w CV19
4	Feersum Endjinn Iain M Banks Jan 2023 COMPLETED	Second go at this. Enjoyed it though didn't always know what was going on. Wish I'd read it when my brain was better.
2022 [33 books]
3	The Complete Stories Truman Capote Dec 2022 COMPLETED	Depressing stories. Glad I read them but hard going at times.
2	The Readers' Room Antoine Laurain tr. Aitken Boyce Mackintosh Nov 2022 COMPLETED	Easy read. Bit silly. Some interesting characters but a paper thin story.
4	Beautiful World Where are You Sally Rooney Nov 2022 COMPLETED	Weird. Raced through it, looked forward to reading it, but found it somehow irritating and unsatisfying. Really disliked one of the characters and found one of the central relationships unbelievable.
2	For whom the bell tolls Hemingway Nov 2022 ABANDONED	I did Hemingway's short stories to death when I taught English in Germany didn't hate them, they leave me a bit cold. I read 2 chaps of this in 6 weeks, painfully. didn't hate it, but I just cba.
5	Rules of Civility Amor Towles Nov 2022 COMPLETED	Loved this. Given it by Mum. It's the story of a year in the life of a woman in NY in the 1930s. Reminded me a bit of City of Girls, but was better. Also a bit of the Shipstead about ballet.
5	Anything is Possible Elizabeth Strout Nov 2022 COMPLETED	Loved this. It's the second Lucy Barton book. Should read it again because I kept forgetting the links between the characters.
4	What we think about when we think about football Simon Critchley Oct 2022 COMPLETED	This is really good. A non fiction book taking a slightly philosophical look at football. Took a while because it's non-fiction but enjoyed it.
5	Maus Art Spiegelman Oct 2022 COMPLETED	This was a hard read but also really good. Recommend
4	The Twyford Code Janice Hallett Sep 2022 COMPLETED	Enjoyed this, even though it's clunky at times. A good yarn with some twists. Also some social comment. Light reading but what I needed
5	French Pleat Anne Tyler Sep 2022 COMPLETED	Loved this. My favourite of hers so far. Not left with the vague dissatisfaction I usually am.
3	Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy John Le Carr Aug 2022 COMPLETED	Overwritten and unnecessarily complicated. Too plot-driven. I did want to know what happened though.
1	The One John Marrs Aug 2022 COMPLETED	Really fucking awful. Interesting idea badly executed. Terrible writing. The idea is that genetic testing can determine your mate for life.
5	Great Circle Maggie Shipstead Aug 2022 COMPLETED	Loved this. Bit hard to get into and keep track at first, but well worth it
1	The Alchemist's Secret Scott Mariani Jun 2022 COMPLETED	Fucking awful sub Dan Brown. Just awful.
5	The Ocean at the End of the Lane Neil Gaiman Jun 2022 COMPLETED	a re-read after seeing the play in April. Loved this again. So clever and moving. The play was q different in parts - mother is dead, fixation with Narnia, but both are excellent.
5	Amy and Isabelle Elizabeth Strout Jun 2022 COMPLETED	Totally loved this. Almost perfect again. Moving yet light
5	The Year of Magical Thinking Joan Didion May 2022 COMPLETED	Almost perfect. Loved it.
5	Astonish me Maggie Shipstead May 2022 COMPLETED	Totally loved this. Darker if anything than SEating ARrangements but as readable and engaging. REminded me a bit of the Lionel Shriver one about tennis. In a good way.
2	On Bended Knee Martin Goodman May 2022 COMPLETED	So disappointed in this. It was as if he'd had an interesting experience in Berlin and then written about it in a really uninteresting way. Flabby and boring.
5	Picked up If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things Jon McGregor May 2022 COMPLETED	really liked it in the end, though I spent a while at the beginning feeling like I wasn't clever enough and hadn't paid enough attention. I also spent a long time thinking the event at the start was something different. Perhaps you are meant to.
5	The Gustav Sonata Rose Tremain Apr 2022 COMPLETED	Loved this. Read it v quickly
0	The Girl In The Mirror Rose Carlyle Apr 2022 COMPLETED	The right one this time. Didn't like this. Over-written and fantastic in a bad way. Ugh. And disturbing sex.
0	The Girl in the Mirror Cathy Glass Apr 2022 COMPLETED	Fucking awful. Badly written, sentimental shite. Upsetting also.
3	City of Girls Elizabeth Gilbert Apr 2022 COMPLETED	Her of Eat Pray Love. Felt similar about this. Diverting and v good in parts but a bit thin and meh. Did enjoy it though.
5	The Promise Damien Galgut Mar 2022 COMPLETED	Really liked this. Structured around four deaths and reflecting the developments in South Africa. Affecting and thought-provoking
5	The Goldfinch Donna Tartt Mar 2022 COMPLETED	Loved this, though it could have done with some editing. Didn't want it to end. Great characters doing vile things but I loved them anyhow. Interesting meditations on trauma and loss.
5	Wintering Katherine May Mar 2022 COMPLETED	Totally loved this. Would read again. About getting through and benefiting from the tough times.
4	They Kay Dick Mar 2022 COMPLETED	Oppressive, sparse sci fi. Not much story but enioyed it. March book group book
5	Seating Arrangements Maggie Shipstead Feb 2022 COMPLETED	Mum gave me this. I had no expectations. Really enjoyed it. It was like those other novelists I like, like E Strout and Ann Patchett.
3	How to be a Footballer Peter Crouch and Tom Fordyce Feb 2022 COMPLETED	Better than it sounds. S bought this for OH for Christmas. A good read with some funny moments and a lot of insights.
5	The Cement Garden McEwan Feb 2022 COMPLETED	Really enjoyed this. Read it in two days. Disturbing but so well written.
5	The Searcher Tana French Jan 2022 COMPLETED	Really enjoyed this. A return to form. Wanted to spend more time with the characters
4	Elmet Fiona Mozley Jan 2022 COMPLETED	Book group book. Kindle. Liked this. Quick read.

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LindsD's Book List

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