50 Book Challenge 2015 Part 3

I've managed the following since the start of the year. It interests me to see that out of 19 books I would only actually recommend 4 (starred for anyone who is interested).

1. Kraken (China Mieville)
2. The Gathering Dark (L Bardugs)
3. Monument 14 (E Laybourne)
4. Sky on Fire (E Laybourne)
5. Station 11 (Emily St John Mandel) *
6. The Book Thief
7. The 100 (Kaso Morgan)
8. Lexicon (Max Barry) *
9. The Unquiet Grave (Steven Dunne)

I also tried one called the Highway, but I couldn't finish it as the characters were so 2-dimensional that I didn't care if they lived or died. Which is not an auspicious start for a story about a serial killer and two possible victims!

Mumslife so sorry to hear about your loss. I am still struggling and it's been 4 months. I still can't concentrate very well

riverboat I have read The Unconsoled and whilst I would say I enjoyed it was one of Ishiguros that was the hardest to get into. I would recommend his latest one over The Unconsoled.

So sorry to hear of your loss mumslife. It's a huge gap in your life, and I know I found after my mum died it took time (big cliche but true) just to slowly build myself up to cope. Reading took time and I definitely found my reading choices changed a lot. I took to comfort reading and also found The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin very useful to re-evaluate my life and find distracting goals to help.

Book 19. The Watch Tower by Elizabeth Harrower

A well written psychological read. Two sisters living in Sydney in the 1950s are put under constant mental abuse by the husband of one of them. He never gets physical with them but over the years completely destroys any sense of self-worth the women may have once had. The whole time you are reading it you are hoping for them to escape. It’s not a quick read because it wears you down and is pretty relentless. Sometimes I got confused as to who was narrating but other than that it’s well written. This is not a thriller, the pace is slow moving and takes places over several years but worth a read.

mumslife

Book 14: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
I absolutely loved this book. There have been excellent summaries of this book on this thread already but just to add that for me this is a story about memories and the feelings that can remain when memories are gone. And is it better to forget the things that have caused us pain or do they Add to who we are that its important to hold to painful memories ?
Having lost a close family member to Alzheimer's fairly recently this theme resonated with me and I would highly recommend this book

:: waves sadly at mumslife:: - I know you a little from the bereavement thread. This is a much nicer one to be on. Hope you get back into reading soon. It has been quite comforting to me, in an escapist sort of way.

I'm very sorry for your loss, mumslife.

So sorry to hear that, Mumslife It does get easier but I still miss my mum 22 years on.

So sorry for your loss, mumslife.

I was at my book club this evening, and it appears that a couple of the other members now spot me on a fairly regular basis before work. I assume they are in a car because I've not seen them, but they commented about seeing me walking down the road reading. It's when I read the most actually, walking down to one of the cafes near my office to have latte before going to work, or having a half hour walk on my luch break. There aren't many people on the pavements so I don't have to keep breaking concentration, and I've got pretty good spatial awareness so never walk into or trip over things. They seemed pleased to have discovered how I get though as many books as I do - for a book club, it is surprising how little some of the members actually read!

Sorry to hear that mumslife.

I'm trying to find a really good book for my next one...

Mumslife

Mary, you need to get a kindle to avoid situations like this one!

I have just finished No Hayders Wolf. I love a good thriller and this one certainly disappoint! Basically a murder which effected a family years before and now said family are being held in their own house. Nice short chapters. When I thought I knew where it was heading it did a complete u turn which I didn't expect. Now picked up Poppet by the same author. So far, so good

Sorry to hear that mumslife

Big Hugs xx

I have realised I have a crisis brewing. I finished my last library book this morning (charm - review above) - I've started 'Her Fearful Symmetry' that a friend lent me, but it's only 380 pages, so as DH is out tonight and we've got time off, I'm thinking this will be done before Sunday. I have only some really godawful looking 'chic lit' books a mum at school gate lent me after I mentioned I was trying to read 50 books in 2015 - I was only holding onto them for a time limit that seemed decent before returning. Library won't reopen until Tuesday. I'm going ot have to read the chic lit aren't I, or make conversation with my husband over the easter break.

Ah, you can't beat a book in the bath

I think that's my most favourite place to read.

Although you have to choose your size of book carefully - Its hard to manage a big thick book with one hand while my other one holds the wineglass

I wish! I work full time and often bring work home too, but read on the way to/from work, and have (at least!) an hour in the bath with a book every evening. :)

Don't worry gethappy I have visions of remus lounging about by a pool in some countryside idyll, with hordes of immaculately dressed servants running back and forth to do her every bidding whilst she devours a mountain of books

I get through a fair few books because of a 90 minute commute - so that's three hours a day reading. I'm sure if I pulled my finger out and learned how to drive I'd get through a fair few less!

Plus, it sounds like you've really enjoyed some of the books - and that's the main thing.

Ahh thank you everyone for your kind words ... I know it's not a competition. I'm just jealous of you all who get to read so much

My list so far is:

1. Elizabeth is Missing

1. The Curious Incident of the dog in the night.

1. The Letter by Kathryn Hughes.

1. The 100year old man who jumped out the window and disappeared.

1. The Secret Life of Bees.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird

1. Us by David Nicholls

I am thinking of starting The invention of wings next but struggling to get into anything at the minute.

I also have not updated for about a month - I spent quite a lot of it a bit ill and rereading Louise Penny "cosy" crime for comfort.
So
#19. The cruellest month - Lousie Penny
#20. The Murder Stone - Lousie Penny
#21 - The Paying Guests - Sarah Waters. I think other people have reviewde this but it's set between the wars about a mother and daughter who take in a couple of lodgers to make ends meet. I found it quite similar to her other books, beautifully written but the plot dragged for me. It took me well over a week to finish which for me is a looooooooong time.
#22. The Brutal Telling - Louise Penny
#23. The Narrow Road to the North - Richard Flannagan. This won the Booker last year and is about Australian POWs in Burma building a railway in WW2. It was a great read,sad without being cloying and about an aspect of WW2 that I didn't know much about.

#24. Bury Your Dead - Louise Penny - one of her weaker ones but kind of a folllow on to The Brutal Telling.
#25. A Trick of the Light - Lousie Penny - better than the previous one.

then I read Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer , on recommendations from here which was great. And that got me on to a slight mountain disaster theme.

so #27 - No Way Down - Graham Bowley - which is about climbing K2 in 2008.
#28. Dark Summit - NIck Heil. Climbing Everest in 2006
#29. K2: Triumph and Tragedy - Jim Curran. K2 in 1986.

None of them are as good as Into Thin Air but I found the stories very compulsive. It's fascinating to see how it all pans out. Jim Curran's was the best of the others I think as he, like Krakauer, was actually there although he stayed near base camp as was filming. It's also interesting from a historical perspective how much changed from 1986 to 1996 and again to 2006 in terms of phone technology/internet etc. Also in 1986 soem of the routes were still unclimbed.

Phew... will try and update more regularly next time.