SandDune reads 75 in 2019 - Thread 4

Welcome to my fourth thread of 2019, and to my eighth year doing the 75 Book Challenge. I'm a 58 year old accountant and, after spending most of my career in the City of London, I'm now the Finance Manager of a local charity which provides support to children and adults with learning disabilities. I live about thirty miles north of London with my husband (aka Mr SandDune), who is Assistant Principal at a local secondary school, and our 19 year old son (aka J) who is currently doing A levels. There's also our 7 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Daisy, who tends to feature prominently in my threads.

I'm originally from Wales rather than England, so I do have an interest in all things Welsh (although I can't speak the language - at least only a few words) and I tend to get huffy if people call me English rather than Welsh! I read mainly literary fiction, classics, science-fiction and fantasy, but I have been trying (and enjoying) some crime recently. I tend to avoid horror, chick-lit and thrillers. Last year was a difficult year at times, and I did a lot of rereading, but I want to tackle some more challenging reads in 2019. I belong to a RL book group which has been going since 2000, and I also try to keep up with some of the challenges going on on LT, with varying degrees of success.

All my family are avid readers, although Mr SandDune doesn't get time to read as much as he would like. J has inherited a love of reading science-fiction and fantasy from me and a love of reading history from Mr SandDune so our books are increasingly shared. I read hardbacks, paperbacks, on kindle and listen to audio books particularly when driving or walking the dog. Apart from reading I love travelling, eating out, and going to the theatre, and over the last few years I've been gettting more and more interested in politics and environmental issues.

I didn’t do a very good job of keeping my thread up to date in 2018 - hope to do better in 2019.

I like to start each thread with a famous (or not so famous) painting and this year I’ve chosen to have a seasonal theme. So for November l we have : 'Birch Forest I’ (1902) by Gustav Klimt.

Favourite books from 2018:

5 stars:
City of Bohane Kevin Barry
Educated: A Memoir Tara Westover
Frederica Georgette Heyer

4 1/2 stars:
A High Wind in Jamaica Richard Hughes
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Gail Honeyman
A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens
Plainsong Kent Haruf
The Siege Helen Dunmore
Ghost Wall Sarah Moss

Plans for 2019

RL book club:
We meet monthly apart from January and August.
January - no meeting
February - Every Man for Himself Beryl Bainbridge
March - Home Fire Kamila Shamsie
April - Sing, Unburied, Sing Jesmyn Ward
May - Go, Went, Gone Jenny Erpenbeck
June - A House Full of Daughters Juliet Nicholson
July - A Gentleman in Moscow Amor Towles
August - no meeting
September - The Cut Out Girl Bart Van Es
October - The Magic Toy Shop Angela Carter
November -
December -

This year we’ll also be reading the Costa Novel Shortlist in April:

The Silence of the Girls Pat Barker
From a Low and Quiet Sea Donal Ryan
The Italian Teacher Tom Rachmann
Normal People Sally Rooney

This year, I am going to try to read more fiction by African writers, to expand my reading horizons a little. It's turning into reading more fiction but Nigerian authors. Read so far:

Nigeria - The Thing Around your Neck Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Nigeria - My Sister, the Serial Killer Oyinkan Braithwaite
Ghana - The Hundred Wells of Salaga Ayesha Harruna Attah
Nigeria - Welcome to Lagos Chibundu Onuzo

Read in 2019:
1. The Salt Path Raynor Winn *****
2. The Trauma Cleaner Sarah Krasnostein ****
3. A Darker Shade of Magic V. E. Schwab ***1/2
4. The Thing Around your Neck Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ****
5. The Chosen Chaim Potok***1/2
6. The Little Snake A. L. Kennedy ****1/2
7. Mrs Gaskell and Me Nell Stevens ***
8. Every Man For Himself Beryl Bainbridge ***1/2
9. The Wall John Lanchester ****1/2
10. My Sister, the Serial Killer Oyinkan Braithwaite ****
11. Normal People Sally Rooney **1/2
12. Home Fire Kamila Shamsie. ****
13. Darktown Thomas Mullen ****
14. The Psychology of Time Travel Kate Mascarenhas **
15. Lanny Max Porter ****
16. Stuart: A Life Backwards Alexander Masters ****
17. The Hundred Wells of Salaga Ayesha Harruna Attah ***
18. From a Low and Quiet Sea Donal Ryan ****1/2
19. The Italian Teacher Tom Rachman ***1/2
20. The Man who would be Kling Adam Roberts **1/2
21. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World Debbie Tung ***1/2
22. The Silence of the Girls Pat Barker ****
23. The Stopping Places: A Journey through Gypsy Britain Damian Le Bas ****
24. Charity Girl Georgette Heyer ***1/2
25. If Cats Disappeared from the World Genki Kawamura ***
26. Gingerbread Helan Oyeyemi **
27. Go, Went, Gone Jenny Erpenbeck ****
28. Memory Lois McMaster Bujold ***1/2
29. A House Full of Daughters Juliet Nicolson ***
30. Wilding Isabella Tree *****
31. The Monstrous Child Francesca Simon ****
32. Book Love Debbie Tung***
33. Case Histories Kate Atkinson
35. Plight of the Living Dead Matt Simon
36. The House at Seas End Elly Griffiths
37. Vallista Steven Brust
38. Agent of Change Sharon Lee Steve Miller
39. Conflict of Honors Sharon Lee Steve Miller
40. Carpe Diem Sharon Lee Steve Miller
41. Plan B Sharon Lee Steve Miller
42. I Dare Sharon Lee Steve Miller
43. Storm Front Jim Butcher ***1/2
44. Sorcerer to the Crown Zen Cho ***1/2
45. Time and Time Again Ben Elton **1/2
46. Europe in Autumn Dave Hutchinson ***1/2
47. The Cut Out Girl Bart van Es ****1/2
48. Why you Should Read Children’s Books, Even though You Are So Old and Wise Katherine Rundell ***
49. The Second Sleep Robert Harris ****
50. Convenience Store Woman Sayaka Murata ***
51. The Magic Toyshop Angela Carter****
52. Welcome to Lagos Chibundu Onuzo ****
53. Something Fresh P.G.Wodehouse ***1/2
54. Mothering Sunday Graham Swift *****
55. Fly by Night Frances Hardinge ***
56. Beloved Tony Morrison ****1/2
57. Komarr Lois McMaster Bujold ****
58. A Civil Campaign Lois McMaster Bujold
59. The Testament of Loki Joanne Harris ***1/2

Happy new thread, Rhian!

>1 SandDune: That is a beautiful Klimt painting.

Happy new thread Rhian my dear.

Happy new thread!

>1 SandDune: I love the effervescent joy I get from Klimt's paintings.

Happy new thread, Rhian.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Rhian.

Wishing you a splendid weekend.

>5 FAMeulstee: >7 quondame: Hi Anita, Susan! It is a beautiful painting isn’t it? I love Klimt, but I wasn’t familiar with this one previously.

>6 johnsimpson: >8 Familyhistorian: >9 mahsdad: >10 PaulCranswick: Welcome John, Meg, Jeff, Paul! It’s a wet and windy day here in Bishop’s Stortford and I am supporting Mr SandDune in watching England vs South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final, a competition in which I have lost ‘personal’ interest since Wales were knocked out in the semi-final! However, Mr SandDune will be ecstatic if England win.... Daisy will be pleased to see the end of the rugby - because of Mr SandDune’s illness he has been watching virtually all the matches and Daisy is not happy about it, not happy at all ...

Edited to add: Mr SandDune now not happy either, as England getting annihilated ...

Edited again to add: Final score South Africa 32 : England 12

We are a slightly healthier household than last time I posted. Mr SandDune has (more or less) recovered from his post-viral fatigue. The last two weeks have been half-term, but he has been in work on four days this last week and will be back at work properly next week. He’s still getting more tired than normal though, and has lost a great deal of fitness. He’s frequently a 15,000-20,000 steps a day man on a normal work day, but at the moment he’s not doing anything like that amount of walking.

J has also recovered from his concussion, but I still am suffering from my shoulder tendon problem. I phoned my GP yesterday to arrange a cortisone injection, only to discover that the GP at the practice who does that is on training for several weeks and the first appointment I can get is the beginning of December. Apparently, it’s not something that GP’s routinely do, so he’s the only one that can do it at my practice. So having psyched myself up to have it done, I’m going to pay to have it done privately with Mr Saw (yes, really) next week. He operated on Mr SandDune’s rotator cuff injury a few years ago and is apparently very good.

>12 SandDune: I'm glad to see everyone in the family is on the mend, if not in tip-top shape just yet. Good luck with the cortisone injection -- I'm glad you're able to get it taken care of another way. I've been dealing with some knee pain that hasn't gone away on its own. I finally decided I need to call my doctor next week for an appointment. Getting old is no fun!

I've been hopelessly derelict about posting on threads, but I'm here today and trying to catch up. Some good reading in 2019! Angela Carter is a strange one, no? But I find myself mulling over bits of her stories. Lesser stuff falls right out of my head!

Good luck with your shoulder.

Happy new thread, Rhian. I hope your household continues to improve health wise. Good luck with the shoulder.

>13 lauralkeet:, >14 sibylline:, >15 BLBera: I think if the right GP was actually there then I could probably get an earlier appointment. Last time I went to see them when it took a turn for the worse they fitted me in same day. But with the GP away all they could do is refer me to a consultant which would take longer anyway. I don’t have private health insurance but I do have a cash back scheme for bits and pieces like this so that will pay for most of it.

>13 lauralkeet: Sorry to hear about your knee Laura.

>14 sibylline: I had difficulty deciding whether I enjoyed the Angela Carter or not, but eventually decided I did. As you say, she’s an author who tends to stick with you.

Happy new thread, Rhian. I'm sorry your shoulder continues to be a bother. When I dislocated mine earlier this year, it made me appreciate just how important a fully working one is!

Just finished reading Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift, my next book club read. A really masterful piece of writing. It’s going to get five stars from me. Review to follow once I’ve had a chance to think about it more.

Happy new one!

>18 SandDune: I intended to read that when it was first released, but it fell off my radar screen. Thanks for refreshing my memory, Rhian.

Hi Rhian. Happy New Thread!

I'm glad everyone in the family appears to be on the mend.

Glad the family are on the mend. Hope your arm follows suit soon.

>18 SandDune: I enjoyed Mothering Sunday too Rhian.

Love the Klimt painting.

I'm another fan of Mothering Sunday, Rhian. My book club read it earlier this year. I will look for more by Swift.

54. Mothering Sunday Graham Swift *****



The 30th March 1924 is Mothering Sunday, a day for girls in service to spend visiting their mothers. But the housemaid Jane Fairchild, abandoned at birth and with no mother to visit, spends it instead in the bed of her lover Paul Sheringham. Paul is the cosseted only surviving son of a rich family, his elder brothers having been killed in the war: in the house where Jane works also there are two empty bedrooms that must be dusted but never changed, the rooms of young men who have not returned from the war. Paul is due to marry his fiancée, Emma Hobday, in two weeks time, (and Jane is under no illusions about her future in this arrangement) but at the same time Paul seems oddly unenthusiastic about his future path ...

As Jane looks back on the events of that Mothering Sunday at the end of a long and unexpected life, it becomes apparent that the day is both a beginning and an ending ...

This is a beautifully written and moving book that is both hugely sad as well as uplifting, and which also shows the difference that books can make in a life. Although hardly longer than a novella, it contains a great deal to think about.

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Rhian!

Nice to see Frederica and Plainsong up there among your favorites.

>1 SandDune: I was not familiar with that work by Klimt - love it! Thanks for sharing.

Happy new thread Rhian!

>24 SandDune: I've had Mothering Sunday on my list for a while although I can no longer remember who first recommended it. Glad you enjoyed it.

>1 SandDune: I zipped right past that Klimt. Very nice. If you are ever in Vienna, I highly recommend the Leopold Museum which has a "newly conceived presentation" of their collection, called Wien 1900, and includes works by Klimt and his contemporaries.

Good to hear that you are all on the mend, even if you still have to have a shot for your shoulder, Rhian.

I'm glad to hear that things are coming along health-wise for you all, Rhian.

>24 SandDune: I've just added Mothering Sunday to my wish list.

Hi Rhian! Mothering Sunday sounds great, as does Wilding. Good for you going to the climate marches too! I went to the local one in Lincoln which was not hugely well attended but was full of young people who are taking their futures very seriously. Inspiring stuff!

>24 SandDune: Great comments on Mothering Sunday, Rhian. I read it earlier this year and immediately knew I wanted to read more by Swift. This would be worth a reread as well, I think. There is a lot to think about here.

Happy new thread, Rhian!

I've managed to find you again.

I was another fan of Mothering Sunday - I liked his earlier books too. Especially since East Anglia doesn't seem to feature in much fiction (that I've read and can think of now!).

The Klimt is a beautiful choice.

>35 charl08: And I am another devotee of Graham Swift's books. Waterland is a superb novel.

I hope all is going well and your books are keeping you warm, Rhian.

I know - all of a sudden it's a month and we haven't heard from Rhian.

I just saw that you left your calling card over on sibylline's thread, and I thought I'd pop over and say hello. We've missed you.

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Or in other words, Happy Christmas! And have a great New Year as well.

Real life has intervened over the last couple of months! I’m expecting to have more time for LT in 2020.

Here's to a much better 2020 for you and your family, Rhian!

Have a comfy, caring, and very

Merry Christmas!

Or in other words, Happy Christmas! And have a great New Year as well.

Merry Christmas Rhian and family from both of us dear friend.

Merry Christmas, Rhian!

Merry Christmas Rhian. Looking forward to following your adventures in 2020.

Have a great holiday, with the family, Rhian!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, some other tradition or none at all, this is what I wish for you!

Thank you for keeping me company in 2019.......onward to 2020.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Merry Christmas Rhian! Hope you had a great day!

Merry Christmas, Rhian.

Blwyddyn Newydd dda. May your New Year be happy and full of good books, Rhian.

Thanks to everyone who’s been keeping my thread alive in 2019! It’s not been a great year, reading wise - I didn’t even get to 60 books! Here’s hoping for a better 2020!

Another resolution is to keep up in 2020 with all my friends on LT. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Paul!