50 Book Challenge 2015 Part 4

Wilting - I think I might be ready to face a darker dystopian novel - never read any Stephen King. Is The Stand a good place to start?

I'd quite like a few recommendations for dystopian novels - nothing too heavy (don't have a good track record for reading complex sci-fi :o) but something a bit "meatier".

Duchess thanks for the tip re: 'Nothing to Envy' - I have bought it and am really looking forward to it - it sounds fascinating.

Tumble SO glad you liked 'The Hours', I remember the film being excellent too, though I haven't seen it for years (I searched for it on Netflix recently and strangely they don't have it. Shame).

I'm currently reading two books 'Swimming to Antarcitca' by Lynne Cox and 'So you've been Publicly Shamed' by Jon Ronson (the latter mainly in the early hours on my kindle whilst feeding DS2). Both are excellent. Full reviews in due course...

Book 27 The Tortoise and the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins. Written and set in the 1950s. It follows Imogen who is married to an older, successful barrister. He strikes up a friendship with a neighbour who is also older and less attractive than Imogen. She rather complacently thinks she has nothing to worry about but it gradually dawns on her that not only does this woman like her husband but he might very possibly like her back. Well written, I enjoyed this one.

The portion on the breakdown of society is nothing as good as Stephen King's The Stand for example. There's really little or no exploration of that or where it came from etc.

It really focuses on life afterwards and the memories/nostalgia of an interlinked group of characters.

It's dystopia lite... actually not sure I'd call it a dystopian novel. Bit of a "return to nature" vibe about it.

Actually i feel I must have missed something about this book because it seems really popular and I thought it was only average. Perhaps my expectations were just out of kilter.

Cote, Station Eleven is not sci fi.

station eleven is a bit lighter than your average 'end of world' book, and here's a lot of focus on the relations of people before the flu that wipes out most of the people.

It's also interesting that a lot of the action is based 20 years later, so not the immediate "society breaking down" and survival - people are farming and coping with the new reality now so it's not quite so scary.

There are very touching bits (there's a bit that's really just a line regarding the bodies of a family they have found and it really upset me)

The girl on the train - Paula Hawkins

Really disliked this. Reviewed up thread several times, so won't summarise other than to say I found all of the characters very unlikeable, the story preposterous, the two page chapters irritating and the ending obvious from about halfway. Wish I hadn't believed the hype and waited three months for a copy from the library!

Cote - it's going to be on the lighter side of the sort of books you normally read but it's a rattling good story. Not sure about touching but it is interesting, and appealed to my need for a dystopian novel Would agree definitely one for the beach.

Definitely agree about Nothing to Envy - a really eye-opening read.

I was just going to post to ask if anyone had read and would recommend Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society so very pleased to see my question has already been answered and the answer is yes!
I would also recommend Nothing to Envy - I read it earlier this year and it is a very honest and powerful description of life in North Korea and very readable too (I'm not usually a huge fan of non-fiction)

Duchess - I might read Station Eleven when I park myself on the beach in three weeks I just have this impression that it might be a "women's fiction" book because several friends who don't ever read sci-fi have been talking about how "touching" and "wonderful" it is prejudiced? moi?

Dutchess - I've read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - it is very good, hope you enjoy it!

oh I haven't got round to posting my list on this thread yet! here it is (bold very good, italic very crap/disappointment):

1. The White Queen – Philippa Gregory
2. A murder is announced – Agatha Christie 3. Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel
3. The uncommon reader – Alan Bennett 5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
4. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austin
5. Death of a Gossip – M.C. Beaton
6. The Lady of the Rivers – Philippa Gregory 9. Arthur and George – Julian Barnes 10. A Crooked House – Agatha Christie
7. Bring up the Bodies – Hilary Mantel 12. Death of an Outsider – M.C. Beaton
8. The Silkworm – Robert Galbraith/ J. K Rowling
9. The Perfect Murder – Peter James 15. The Night Watch – Sarah Waters
10. A Life Like Other People’s – Alan Bennett
11. Appointment with Death – Agatha Christie 18. We have Always Lived in the Castle – Shirley Jackson
12. Charm – Sarah Pitborough
13. the Gatecrasher – Sophie Kinsella
14. The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins
15. Georgiana Darcy’s Diary – Anna Elliot 23. Raven Black – Ann Cleeves 24. Where Angels Fear to Tread – E. M. Forster 25. White Nights – Ann Cleeves
16. Lady Susan – Jane Austin
17. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas – Agatha Christie 28. The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern 29. Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel
18. The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion

The most recent ones:
31. Death at the Manor – Celina Grace - bit shit, she wants to be a new Agatha Christie, but doesnt have the talent, did the very standard thing of someone writing now based in the 20s to have the 'twist' being that some charaters are gay, then all other characters (including the police) being deeply shocked at such a thing. This is becoming rather cliched now - in fact, every time I read something written recently but based in the past, I'm now looking out for the gay characters - who obviously will be the murderers.

32. The Red Queen – Philippa Gregory - Philippa Gregory really doesn't like her main character here! Good for getting the Lancaster point of view, although as much as Gregory makes many of the main characters unlikable, their view that the Yorks have no right to the throne does make sense.

33. The Ipcress File – Len Deighton - a classic spy story, but I found a lot of it hard to engage with, Deighton's writing style is a bit 'flowery' and in many cases, he's trying so hard to be clever he just sounds smug. The last third of the book is very good though, when he stops trying so hard and focusses on the story. I'm still not 100% certain exactly what happened in parts and think I should go watch the 60's film!

going to have a read through as feel the need for some more books to add to my 'to read' list.

Two good kindle daily deals today - Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick. I read it a few years ago. It's a shocking and very honest portrayal of life in North Korea. If you haven't read it, do. You won't regret it.

The other good one is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. On my reading pile. DH says it's very good.

27. The Duchess of Nowhere - Lawrie Graham - story of Victoria Melita one of Queen Victoria's granddaughters and her life in Russia at the beginning of the 20th Century told in the usual Lawrie Graham style. I enjoyed this book and found it as interesting as her other historical novels. I had this as an audiobook which added to the atmosphere.

28. Cuckoo Calling - Robert Galbraith - had put this off a bit as I'm not wildly keen on her style of writing. I know many on here hav praised it but I really found it very run of the mill and have decided not to read any more of her books. Her style makes me think she has been on a creative writing course and is writing in a technically good style rather than from the heart. Consequently I wasn't really interested in the characters or the story.

Cote - I'm not a big Sci fi reader - just the occasional dystopian novel so can't offer any comparisons. I didn't think it women's fiction but you might disagree . Try a sample and see what you think. I'd be interested to see what you think of it if you do decide to read it . It also doesn't read like YA fiction either.

47. 4.50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie

Jane Marple's friend Mrs McGillicuddy witnesses a murder in the opposite carriage as her train and another run side by side along a short stretch of track. But although she reports it no body is found and she isn't believed. Miss Marple sets out to find the body, with the assistance of the very capable Lucy Eylesberrow, and also to find the murderer.

Miss Marple is unusually proactive in this one, actually seeking out a murder rather than simply happening to encounter one.

I've binged enough on Agatha Christie for now. Going to switch to non-fiction for the next one.

Duchess - Could you compare to Station Eleven to some other sci-fi books for me? I'm trying to decide if I want to read it or not. Some details about it that I have heard gave me the impression that it's a bit of a "women's fiction" book.

65. Stoner by John Williams. 3.5/5 stars.

Whilst the writing was good, I really didn't enjoy the story. I found it relentlessly downbeat and depressing. Didn't want to give up on it, but also didn't really feel very motivated to read it.

66. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel. 5/5 stars. Was in the mood for a dystopian novel and this fitted the bill exactly. Absolutely loved it.

The story is set both before and after a virulent flu epidemic has killed 99.5% of the world's population. I really enjoyed the way it travelled back and forth in time both before and after the epidemic, looking at the lives of those characters who survived and those who didn't. All loose ends tied up, and a satisfactory ending.

Whippet - I hate Ishiguro. Only read two, and both infuriated me. I won't be reading any more of his.

Thanks for the recs, Cote. I wish, 'Golden Son' would come down in price.

Philip K Dick's masterpiece A Scanner Darkly is £1.99 on the Kindle at the moment.

For anyone interested in well-written non-fiction about war/spies, Ben Macintyre's book Agent Zigzag: The True Wartime Story of Eddie Chapman: Lover, Traitor, Hero, Spy is £0.99 on the Kindle just for today.

"something that I can read in dribs and drabs and that won't make me think too much"

I may have said this before, but have you read Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities? I don't read Italo Calvino sort of stuff usually, but this book is really good, with a new imaginary city (all named after women) is described on each page (some on 2 pages). Very easy to dip in and out of.