Bekka's 2nd 2018 Thread

I've finally given in and started a second thread... unusual for me!

So here goes for the second(ish) half of the year. I'd love to say that I will be reading more grown up books than I have so far, but I suspect that won't happen.

Challenges (aka books Bekka is entirely failing to read...)

So - BAC = British Author Challenge
AAC = American Author Challenge
IAC = Irish Author Challenge
LO = Leftover from last few years challenges (in a number of cases started by not finished)

January
Doris Lessing Shikasta (LO)
Joan Didion - Democracy (AAC) - finished 07/01/2018
Edna O'Brien - In the forest (IAC) - finished 15/01/2018
George Eliot - Adam Bede (BAC) - finished 03/02/2018

February
William Trevor - Fools of Fortune (IAC) - finished 15/02/2018
J.G. Farrell - The Siege of Krishnapur (BAC) - finished 22/07/2018

March
Hilary Mantel - Wolf Hall (LO) - finished 1/04/2018
Eric Ambler - Cause for Alarm (BAC) - finished 26/03/2018

April
A.S Byatt The Children's Book (LO)
Alice Walker – The Temple of my familiar (AAC)
Samuel Beckett - Murphy (IAC) - finished 4/06/2018
Heaney - Beowulf (BAC) - finished
Ishiguro - The Buried Giant (BAC) - finished 9/05/2018

May
Zora Neale Hurston - Their Eyes were watching God (LO)
John Irving - A Prayer for Owen Meany (LO)
Dorothy L. Sayers -Murder Must Advertise (BAC) - finished 31/05/2018

June
Salman Rushdie - The Satanic Verses (LO)
Michael Chabon - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (LO)
Walter Mosley – Devil in a Blue Dress (AAC) - finished 11/06/2018
Anne Enright - The Gathering (IAC) - finished 13/06/2018

July
Iris Murdoch - The Sea, the sea (LO)
Amy Tan – The Joy Luck Club (AAC)
Colm Toibin - The Master (IAC)
Alan Sillitoe - Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (BAC)

August
Don DeLillo - Falling Man (LO)
Molly Keane - The Good Behaviour (IAC)
J.G Ballard - Cocaine Nights (BAC)

September
E.L Doctorow - Ragtime (LO)
Roddy Doyle - The Commitments (IAC)
Something by Sir Walter Scott (BAC)

October
Rebecca West- Harriet Hume (LO)
Stephen King – The Stand (AAC)
Jerome K Jerome - Three men in a boat (BAC)

November
Maggie O'Farrell - The Hand that first held mine (IAC)
Pat Barker - Regeneration (BAC)

December
Ernest Hemingway - To Have and Have not (LO)
F. Scott Fitzgerald – Tender is the Night (AAC)
John Banville - The Newton Letter (IAC)

So reading plan for the rest of the month...

Finish
The Joy Luck Club
The Temple of my Familiar
Scourged
Gosta Berling's Saga

Happy new thread, Bekka! :)

Happy New Thread, Bekka. Glad you enjoyed RPO! And hooray for The Joy Luck Club. I am glad you are still participating in the AAC. This will be my final year hosting but Linda will be taking over and she has big ideas.

Hope all is well with you and the family.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Bekka!

From your previous thread: I felt the same after finishing Ready Player One.

Happy new thread, Bekka! I hope you enjoy The Joy Luck Club more than I did.

>4 Deern: Thank you Natalie :)

>5 msf59: Hi Mark - I am still trying to... the challenges have just gotten away from me this year due to the prolonged spate of comfort reading.

>6 drneutron: Thank you - it was time, the previous one was getting unwieldy!

>7 FAMeulstee: Hola - it is good isn't it! Hubby wants me to watch the film now but I'm not keen as I know they changed a lot of it.

>8 thornton37814: Ta :) I am loving it at the moment - though bits of it cut painfully close to home with the mother/daughter relationships.

Happy new thread

>10 figsfromthistle: Thank you :)

#70 Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan (July AAC)

Beautiful little book. I struggled at first as I was only dipping in and out and reading other things. This one deserves - and indeed needs to be focussed on, as it switches from character to character - and from Daughters to Mothers. This focuses on four Chinese/American families - but I found the relationship commentary very relevant, despite the disparity in situation to myself.

All in all, well worth a read.

Very slow to drop by to wish you a Happy New Thread, Bekka.

Hope you have a lovely Sunday. xx

Thank you Paul :) It's going okay for now - and I've not had a great few days so it's nice to relax a bit. We are currently creating mad lego cars to race down a ramp on the stairs!

#71 Kensuke's Kingdom - Michael Morpurgo

Short kids book, but a lovely read. Cass read this at school and desperately wanted me to read it. Always happy to oblige.

I failed miserably at my books to finish off last month. I'm nearly done with Scourged but I still have over 200 pages of The Temple of my familiar to read.

Will update shortly with reading plan for September (I just wrote April! This year may have gotten away from me somewhat...) but must go race lego cars.

#72 Scourged - Hearne

Final Iron Druid novel - and I was rather underwhelmed. Which is a shame because I loved this series. That said, it's worth reading purely for the sloth.

Yes. You read correctly. The sloth.

So...September plans:

To finish:
Gosta Berlings Saga
The Temple of my familiar
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

Either The Master or Cocaine nights.

Plus something fun :)

Let's see how far off I end up!

Happy new thread, Bekka. I think you should start with the something fun, first!

Been awol. Will probably be so again for a while... Very little reading in the interim;

#73 Gosta Berling's Saga - 1,001

Long - good in places

#74 Maya the Bee - kids 1,001

Again, goo din places. Some nice imagery.

#75 The Night Circus

Adored it so very very much.

Congrats on hitting the goal!

Congratulations on reaching 75, Bekka!

Congrats on reaching 75!

Happy 75, Bekka! (from another AWOLer..)

Thanks all :)

One more down yesterday;

#76 Saturday night and Sunday Morning - Sillitoe - 1,001 - July BAC

Enjoyed his writing, found the characters both intriguing and repulsive. Still not sure about the protagonists final choice - i.e does he or doesn't he!

#77 Haroun and the sea of Stories - Rushdie

Wonderful little fantasy/fable from Rushdie - been meaning to read this for ages and very glad I did.

Question. Why is Ravel's Bolero the background music to my head? Whenever I'm not earwormed by something else (oooh just segued into Tightrope from greatest Showman) I default back to Bolero. I blame a massed orchestra performance when I was 16. But hell it's been 20 years. get out of there!

>24 BekkaJo: I don't know why, Bekka, only know that the Bolero is in my head now ;-)
For many years I had it with "The Internationale". It is gone now, and only pops up occasionally.

In mine as well, HELP :)))

*maniacal laugh*

#78 The Blue Fairy Book - Andrew Lang (Kids 1,001)

Lots and lots of fairy stories! The majority I was familiar with but some were completely new to me.

#79 The Gods of Mars - Burroughs (Sci-fi 1000)

Second of the John Carter novels - imo nowhere near as good as the first, though it finishes on a doozy of a cliff hanger. Which does mean that, despite not intending to read it at all, I have started the third already...

I forgot one... I may have been comfort reading again :/

#80 Clockwork Angel - Clare

First in the infernal devices trilogy - lots of fun, full of the expected teen angst.

#81 Clockwork Prince}

#82 Heidi
I know - it's indefensible that I had never read it!

FYI, doing National Novel Writing Month - aka write 50k words in November, therefore will not be around much. Not so much as awol this time as absent with permission!

Hi Bekka! Happy NaNo. Also very glad that your 75th was The Night Circus, an all-time favorite of mine.

Isn't it amazing! I loved it.

Hit 25k words last night, so only 25k to go.

Only. Why do I do this to myself!!!

Wow, you're doing NaNo again! :o
I forgot all about it, like every year...

>33 BekkaJo: Halfway point with half the words - way to go Bekka! It's fun but I'm finding it a frantic pace. I don't know how you can do it. Best of luck on the downhill slog to November 30!

>34 Deern: Always!!! :)

>35 Familyhistorian: I'm not sure I can to be honest! I've utterly fallen out with it - today is the first day I absolutely do NOT want to write. It's nearly 6pm here and I've written 300 words today. Daughter has her annual boy/girl disco (only second one ever - she's 10) and it's all a bit fraught in my house.

Bekka, you *can* do it! One un-writey day does not write the month off, particularly when there is disco-related drama going on at the same time.

I hope you have a more peaceful, word-filled Sunday :-)

I'm snuggled in for a crappy Sunday and have some amazingly spicy and crispy cornbread crockpotting away for my later delectation. Hot buttered cornbread and butternut squash "chili" are my meals for today, probably to be shared with my YGC though that's not certain. Depends on my blasted roommate's presence or absence. I'm hoping for the latter.
I continue to reacquaint myself with Riverworld. The Fabulous Riverboat is due back at the library and can't be rechecked so I'm putting off The Dreaming Stars yet again.

>37 susanj67: Definitely feeling more positive today - am 30k for 30k. Woop! Lovely hubby took the kids swimming and to the crafts at museum activity day. Which would have meant I got to write. Except I realised that SIL is arriving with one year old on Thursday - ergo mad cleaning instead!

But just powered out my 2k words and feel better about it. Ish. Maybe.

>38 richardderus: *jealousy*

Lots of cleaning and homework trauma. But also a fun dinner (California on our round the world adventure - fish tacos for the win! Plus I have coleslaw and mango/pineapple salsa for the whole week ffs). Hmmm. Might go check if there are any slow cooked ribs left...

Lovely librarian at smaller branch library (we only have one and the branch) took off the book we have managed to lose - as she put it, it's nine years old and it may have been an error through the automated system in town - and if we find it bring it back. I may love her.

Fish tacos, oh myyyy; the gloire that is coleslaw *drool* and mango/pineapple salsa *Homerdrool* makes for excellent lunches. Your librarian lady is a princess among bureaucrats and must needs be propitiated! Permaybehaps some coleslaw?

Go Type Bekka go type! Or better "write" or "create"? Whatever helps - cheering for you!!

>38 richardderus: Yum! There's a butternut squash in my fridge. Must look for chili recipes, and for corn bread as well!

>39 BekkaJo:
Missing libraries
Was missing librarything
Was missing visiting my pals

Now happy

Have a lovely weekend.

40k down! Ooof!

>40 richardderus: All the salsa got in ma belly! Nom nom nom. Really want to make some more.

>41 Deern: Thanks Nathalie :) I've had the week from hell so I'm shocked to be on track to be honest :/

>42 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul - we've all been missing you too. Hope your weekend is going well too. X

We're on the down hill slope now, Bekka. Just five more days (well at least it is here) and your life will be your own again!

>44 Familyhistorian: Yup - just over 8k to go. Good luck with the final days :)

Okay. I'm at 45k.

My daughter/niece have given me a horrible cold/throat on me. Functioning is hard. I have not got the option of not going to work as the only cover for me (am only) is on leave till well into December.

Plus, y'know, kids and all their stuff (including an extra orchestra practise on Friday night).

I know that's only 5k left ... but... this might be a to-the-wire one. Fingers crossed I get some sort of mad flow going tomorrow and clear it ;)

Then I could actually finish a book!!!!

Only 5k to go, you can do this Bekka. Be strong, you can succumb to cold and sore throat germs once the writing, working and taking care of family is done. (I think that actually translates into practically never).

Just imagine Nov is a 31 day month? Why did they chose a shorter month anyway? Anyway, *extra cheer*
Get better soon! Stupid cold&flu season starting...

>47 Familyhistorian: I suspect you are right... think that's a pipe dream! Feeling a bit better today but my left side of my jaw is seriously painful. Urggggh. Plus a whole big, very public, issue it going down at work which is stressy.

>48 Deern: I know, right!!! So mean.

I'm at 45700ish - and have three pages of handwritten scrawl I did whilst Cass was at orchestra = around 500 words. Going to need to get my head down tomorrow.

You've come this far, Bekka. The finish line is waiting for you.

I finished!!! Woooooo! Just used my lunch break to complete the last 1000 words or so. So happy :)

WOO-HOO!!!!!! Go you! Really well done, Bekka. And you're half a day early, too :-)

>51 BekkaJo:

Wooohoooo! Bravissma! :D
Now wishing you a nice quiet weekend

Thanks all :) Chuffed tbh. It cam easily in the end which was unexpected.

But... quiet? noooo. Stroppy pre-teen had an orchestra event (lovely, honestly really enjoyed watching her) followed by a school choir event - with a fish and chips dinner rammed in between. Oh and major 'what should I be wearing' on all sides as well. Retrieved her and another school chum about 7.30 and home (where hubby was not - and had removed son to my sis for the night).

Sleepovers. I mean who the hell decided they were a good idea???

Actually they were sweeties Mad and manic - and late. But nowhere near as bad as they could have been. But seriously? NOT QUIET!

After sleepover chum was picked up we went to B&Q for the annual 'pick a new bauble' session. Tree up this afternoon, fire is lit (and burning through my wood in a mad flurry).

And I finally finished a book. Okay, so it's teen but I'm just glad to get another one done!

#83 Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare

Slower than the previous of the series - or that may just have been me being pre-occupied. Did I like the ending? Hmmm. Not sure.

I've heard mixed things about #83, though to be fair that controversial ending is the source of most of the angst in older readers while younger ones are all "...and the problem is...?"

I suspect that has more to do with levels of life experience, but I ain't sayin' boo turkey to anybody.

Congrats for making it to 50,000, Bekka. Ha, I have to laugh at the thought that getting to the end means you get to relax. No, you just get to pick up the pieces of RL that went a bit by the wayside while you were busy. At least that's what I found.

>56 richardderus: I suspect you are very right :)

>57 Familyhistorian: Yeah... RL is a bit of a mess! But it's Saturday. Thank the everything.

PLUS... trip to the charity shop this morning was very lucrative. In an almost Cranswickian haul (well it was if you count the additional 8 I got for Will), I got the following;

Snow - Orphan Pamuk
Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
Before I go to Sleep - S.J Watson
The Giver - Lois Lowry
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine - Gail Honeyman
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow - Peter Hoeg
Bel-Ami - Guy de Maupassant

The first four are mint condition.

And all 7 cost me a massive £1.30. In total. TOTAL.

Wow, that's a great haul, enjoy!
Hoping you'll be getting some rest this weekend.

A pound and a half with money for the meter! I am impressed with your shopping skills. I expect you'll really love The Giver, but heck they're all pretty darned good and as buys go, *wow*

>59 Deern: Daughter woke me up at 1.00 am to tell me she'd been sick in her bed. And has been sick every hour or so since. Rest might not be on the cards... *yawn*

>60 richardderus: I was just shocked by how cheap. As The Giver was a kids book it was 10p! I'd been looking to read it for a while but the library copy was due back in 2009...

Oh dear, what a nightmare! :((((
Crossing crossables that no-one catches it.

Oh no - so sorry to hear about Cass. I hope she rallies soon.

>58 BekkaJo: Amazing haul up there!

>61 BekkaJo: Healing *whammy*s for poor, dear Cass! And a long nap *whammy* for Mother.

Great haul, Bekka. I hope your daughter is feeling better.

Thanks all. She threw up all day. Poor baby - hated her heaving with nothing in her. But she slept well Sunday night and after a day off school she seems good to go. Tired still, but back to herself. Just nice to see her smile.

Thankfully (touches lots of wood) no one else has gone down with it. We are all a bit run down though - coughs and colds galore. Time for vitamins methinks.

Wish me luck today everyone - I have a really stressful training session/briefing to deliver and I am terrified!

GO BEKKA! GO BEKKA!

(I am getting major mileage out of this GIF today!)

>67 richardderus: Thanks RD - and def re the GIF!

It's Thursday. It's bloody cold. I am at work. I may be going nuts.

Boooo!

Is it so much to ask to stay in bed all day reading books whilst a silent servitor brings me coffee and G&Ts?

#84 Carrie's War - Nina Bawden

Continuing my read through kids-books-I-should-have-read.

And this is a wonderful little book. Beautiful - and definitely pulls hard on the heart strings.

Hi, Bekka! "Is it so much to ask to stay in bed all day reading books whilst a silent servitor brings me coffee and G&Ts?" Think this is a totally acceptable request? Did it ever happen? Grins...

I have not visited in a long while but I hope you and the family are doing well and I hope those books are treating you fine.

>70 msf59: Nope. I'm sad.

Books are good, family are well - though definitely past time for the kids to have finished school! Hopefully this week will be more chilled - last one was crazy.

I've been v awol on the vast majority of threads - will try and get better. Though I probably say that on average once a quarter at least...

#85 The Devil's Pool - George Sand (1,001)

Short 1,001. I liked this tbh - apart from the prologue and epilogue which I could have easily done without... Not sure it should be on the 1,001 list though.

#86 Faceless Killers - Henning Mankell (1,001)

I don't read a lot of crime novels. But I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

>72 BekkaJo: #85 Amen! How on EARTH does that pleasant, slight story make the 1001? The major reason I think it does is that it's supposed to be a manly version of Sand's own life. I think it's a stretch. Also, I think it's a bit flat.

But hey. Nobody's asking me to put together a 1001 list!

Hm, read it in 2015 and rated with only 1.5 stars, that's rare, I must have totally hated it. and I don't remember anything, only that my expectations were high. Well, it was a bad time in fall 2015 for me anyway. Seriously worst year ever. No, I don't need that topped. A reread maybe with a more positive state of mind.... ?

Find the Light—Reflect the Light—Be the Light

Happy Yule 2018!

>73 richardderus: It really is an odd pick. Agreed rather flat - couple of okay bits but overall disappointing.

>74 Deern: I'd probably go higher than 1.5, but I wouldn't advise bothering to re-read. It's okay though - 2019 is going to be a positive, book filled year.

>75 richardderus: And to you too R-Dear. I wish I could say I was winding down for the break now... but I will be working from home with the kids on Monday and may have to drag them into the office. Trying not to as they are seriously unimpressed at the idea!

Bekka, wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and happy healthy holidays that allow you to squeeze in some reading time

>77 Deern: Thank you lovely :)

TBH I'm having somewhat of a seasonal meh. One kid really run down, the other hormonal and driving me nuts. I'm lower than I have been in a long time and it's making all my family relationships hard. I really desperately want someone to wave a magic wand and make it all better because Christmas is terrifying me - because I don't want to let anyone down.

Best wishes to you for Christmas, Bekka. Take a deep breath and take it easy on yourself, everything will turn out fine or if it doesn't you will cope with it because you are a mum.

Happy holidays, Bekka........I'm sure that it will get better as it goes along. xx

Thanks guys - it was a bit of a mad one in the end! But I got my sea swim in :)

Been back at work for a couple of days, but I'm off now till the 7th - off to the UK to see the in-laws. Also looking forward to seeing my Grandad who turned 95 this year!

Forgot to post it, but I finished book #87 before xmas;

#87 The Home and the world - Tagore (1,001)

Lyrical and terrifying. Wonderful in places but I liked two of the narrative voices much more than the third.

Happy New Year everyone - am off to the UK for a bit. Belated setting up of new thread will be done at the weekend!