They shoot the horses don't they? by Horace McCoy

Author:  Horace McCoy
Original title:  They shoot the horses don't they?
Pages: 288
Edition Language: Russian
Series: no
Format: e-book
Genres: Classics, Crime
Goodreads

 Blurb:         
       The marathon dance craze flourished during the 1930s, but the underside was a competition and violence unknown to most ballrooms—a dark side that Horace McCoy's classic American novel powerfully captures.

My thoughts: 
      I find this title in one of the "you should read before you die" lists and it perfectly suited one of the prompts in my #popsugarchallenge2019 - read a book with the question mark in the title. Was I expecting anything special? No, just another display of difficult life. But I was so surprised by this short novel. It is really short and very brutal, full of events and great array of the side character and snippets of the their lives, all these give us enough to see humanity at the bottom of desperation and despair.
      The entire novel takes place on the dance floor, which is also quite unique and fresh setting. I have a feeling that the contest, in many ways, is the falsity and illusion of the American Dream.
      I found this short work was beautifully assembled, although the prose is quite simple, the narrator gives insight into the events of the dance marathon and the character of Gloria, a negationist, who sees through the falsity of this marathon. I did not like the main female character though and found her terribly irritating. But still definitely recommended.

 Rating:  

    4/5  

Middle Grade March Announcement and TBR 2020

One of my favorite month long challenges is happening again. Middle Grade March is a month long readathon happening March 1-31. It will be hosted by Katie @ Life Between Words  and Krista from BooksAndJams.
Katie's Announcement Video
Krista's Announcement Video
Don't forget to use the hashtag #middlegrademarch

CHALLENGES (optional, of course):

1. A book with illustrations 
2. A book about books or stories 
3. A mystery 
4. A book set in another country 
5. A book to screen adaptation

  I do not read too many so I put up quite a big TBR list so I can choose from.

1. I want to check Serafina series by Robert Beatty: Serafina and the Black Cloak; Serafina and the Twisted Staff; Serafina and the Splintered Heart; Serafina and the Seven Stars. There are four books so far and quite chunky, so it will be good to start and see if it's any good. I do not have the 4th book, so my aim here is read at least first 3 that I have.

2. For challenge #2 I have not found a book that grabbed my attention.

3. For challenge #3 I have Murder Is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens. It is the first book in Murder Most Unladylike Mystery series, which has at least 9 more books. I am not sure about this one, as this book will be out of my comfort zone, I do not read many middle grade mysteries.

4. For challenge #4 I have Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery. I would like to continue in the series as I loved the first book. So I hope it will be the same good.

5. For challenge #5 I am thinking about The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. There are 5 books in the series and I am not sure if I would like those books as a grown up. My nephew loved another series by Rick Riordan - Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, and I want to check this series before him, so I can be sure to recommend it or not.

Apart from the challenge prompt, I want to read below books which I have for a long time, but never picked up.

• The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
• The Giver by Lois Lowry 
• The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
• Die magische Gondel by Eva Völler - still not translated into English
• The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
• The Distance Between Me and the Cherry Tree by Paola Peretti

So altogether it is 10 mandatory books, which is quite ok. So I am quite hopeful that I will be able to read through many series during the month and find new favorites.