50 Book Challenge 2013 -The Sequel!

juneybean I also read The White Queen recently and enjoyed it, although having just watched the TV adaptation in a sense I just re-imagined it all over again while reading the book.

Are you planning to read the others in the series? I've just read The Red Queen (disappointing) and The Lady of the Rivers, the story of Elizabeth Woodville's mother Jacquetta, which I thought was excellent and the best of the Cousins' War novels so far. Now have The Kingmaker's Daughter waiting, but I think I might have a bit of a break from PG tackling that!

35. Rosemary's Baby - Ira Levin

A bit meh, not to mention badly dated in most of its aspects, from dialogues to patronising attitudes to women.

Book 82 - The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson. Rather too long, I thought. Could have done with some good editing but over all there was a good story in there. Did get a bit confusing at times with some similar names. Loved the trial part, and the ending was good. Glad finally to have completed the trilogy.

42. Now Wait For Last Year - Philip K Dick

This was really good, better than Martian Time-Slip which was the last PKD I read. Typically mind-bendy and sad but also kind of hopeful too.

WednesdayNext I enjoyed it, I do like Philippa Gregory's books, the only downside was trying to remember who was who when their titles kept changing!

Did it!

Because of time constraints I had to abandon my original #46 ('Behind Closed Doors by Amanda Vickery). So, after I reshuffle, I reached my target.

46. One of our Thursdays is Missing - Jasper Fforde. Wonderfully confusing, engaging and attention-holding. However, not recommended for those that have not read JF before, or that don't like fantasy - this was essentially a book about a book about a person...

47. The Man who loved Jane Austin - Sally Smith O'Rourke. I found this in the holiday cottage. It was rubbish. A nod to time-travel and romantic novels but pappy, lightweight nonsense.

48. Book of the Dead - Patricia Cornwell. Typical holiday reading for me. Dr Kay Scarpetta on the trail of a killer. Lots of twists and turns, lightweight but in a good way.

49. When God was a Rabbit - Sarah Winman. I'd heard this mentioned, and thought I'd give it a go. I really enjoyed it. The author sums it up as 'a brother-sister love story' - which it is, but not in any horrible way; it's the story of the loss of growing up.

50. Emotionally Weird - Kate Atkinson. Rather like #46 this is a story within a story, but it's also a story about two stories, both of which are the story... If I hadn't read JF first, I'd have been totally floored by this. As it was, I loved every page. Cunningly clever, captivating and engrossing.

I do have some more books lined up, but I started back at college this week and we have absolutely TONS to do over the next six weeks. As and when I read anything else I'll add it.

How was the White Queen juneybean?

Book 48 "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" - I loved it.

Book 49 will be "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

33. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

54 The Return of Rafe Mackade - Nora Roberts
55 The Pride of Jared Mackade - Nora Roberts
56 The Heart of Devin Mackade - Nora Roberts

I had a couple of issues with it, tbh, but it's hard to go into without being spoilerish. It is beautifully written though, and well worth reading.

BOF - How was Heft? I've just borrowed from the library.

I loved Blackhouse too.

35. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
36. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
37. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

All three set in America, the first in the late 19th / early 20th century, the second in the early 20th century and the third in the 1960s. I enjoyed them all, especially The Help - fantastic book.

Thanks I finished it exactly two hours before the book club meeting and was the only one to have finished it, except the ones who had read it many years ago.

Côte - I would like to congratulate you on Anna Karenina. One month is a pretty good time considering the length. Did you finish it in time for book club though?

34. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
    Whilst reading it I found it a slog but by the time I finished I actually got quite into it. Not much happens but it is a bleak insight into interwar Britain but I found the bits about a shell shocked ex soldier compelling.

35. The Sun Catchers by Steve Cole
    Five year old bedtime story, although it is a novel. Not much to say except "meh" and five year old agreed.

Currently reading Around the World in Eighty Days ... Another bedtime story and to be honest even when they have fallen asleep I carry on. It is a reread for me but I had forgotten how great it is and it has made me think about rereading more stuff from my teenage years.

68. Heft, by Liz Moore

69. The Summer We All Ran Away, by Cassandra Parkin (recommend this, she's an MNer)

70. Last Exit To Brooklyn, by Hubert Selby Jr

71. Garnethill, by Denise Mina. Really fantastic, but I felt like I'd gone past caring who the killer was by the end.

72. The Postman Always Rings Twice, by James M Cain

73. The Blackhouse, by Peter May- halfway through, really enjoying it.

1. The Clothes on their Backs - Linda Grant

21 - Confessions of a New York Taxi Driver (The Confessions Series) - Eugene Salomon - need to finish
22 - Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
23 - Apple Tree Yard - Louise Doughty
24 - The Silent Wife

21. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

Book 46 was Alice Hoffman "At Risk", fabulous but also very sad story.

Book 47 was Lizzy Ford "Mind Cafe" which was alright, but quite short.

Next on my list is "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"

41. Farthest North - Fridtjof Nansen

This took a few weeks because it's a long read and also because due to work and school hols I've had precious little time to myself. It's very good though if you're a polar exploration fan, and a really interesting counterpoint to the Scott expedition (very different personalities and - mostly by luck - different outcome).

59. The Shining Girls - Lauren Beukes. Very disappointing. It got such rave reviews but I had to force myself to finish it.

I'm a bit late to the book party, but I would like to join in. So far this year I have read -
1 The Making of Modern Britain - Andrew Marr

1. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
2. Back Story - David Mitchell
3. The Box Lady and Other Pesticles - Richard Herring
4. A Casual Vacancy - JK Rowling
5. The Year of the Flood - Margaret Attwood
6. Oryx and Crake - Margaret Attwood
7. Red Shirts - John Scalzi

I have a lot of catching up to do but I am on hols in a couple of weeks so will hopefully do it a bit more reading then.

Book 81 - The Child In Time by Ian McEwan. Didn't like it very much.

Still battling on with The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. Not enjoying it very much. Struggling to remember who everyone is, and am losing the battle at the moment :(

34. Anna bloody Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

Brilliant but neverending book that talks about absolutely everything worth talking about.

It took me an entire month to read I think I'll follow it with several short/fun books.