50 Book Challenge 2015 Part 4

Good luck for tomorrow, Best. Hope all goes well for you

Congratulations Atticus. DS2 sounds gorgeous. Finding it hard to remember that stage. My tiny newborn of 17 years ago is now a huge 6'5" and sitting next to me on the sofa watching Game Of Thrones. Where does the time go?

40 to 42, Vera Stanhope 3, 4 and 5 - Ann Cleeves. Loving these though no 5, The Glass House has gone off the boil a bit.

Having difficulty concentrating at the moment, DH hasn't been well and I'm seeing a surgeon tomorrow about a relatively minor but tricky op which could be potentially life changing (for the better) if he decides to go ahead. I've been waiting a few years for this so fingers crossed.

Big congratulations to Atticus! That is wonderful news and glad all is well with you and new baby boy

Finished 35: The free book I got from Mumsnet: The Girls from Corona Del Mer: Very much enjoyed it, a story about two girls growing up and their relationship. I felt one girl was in awe of the other one and when her life begins to fall apart it is almost like her friend is glad. Complex and clever and I give it the thumbs up

45. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

This Miss Marple novel is interesting for not having our heroine appear until very late in the story. It's told in the first person by Jerry Burton, who has moved with his sister to the sleepy village of Lymstock to recuperate after a flying accident. Shortly after their arrival they discover that someone is at work with a poison pen - anonymous letters are being sent all round the village causing upset on every side. The suicide of one recipient brings the police out in force to find the guilty party, but when they don't seem to be getting anywhere the vicar's wife calls in Miss Marple to get to the bottom of things.

64. The King's Speech by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi.

This is a biography of the life of Lionel Logue, the speech therapist who helped cure King George VI's stammer. He, in fact, worked with him from the 1920's right through to the end of WW2.

There was quite a bit of padding of the story, with lots of WW2 history, but it was a very interesting book.

Still reading Stoner by John Williams, which is beautifully written but just so sad.

Oh congrats Atticus :)

I'm reading very slowly this year and don't even have a baby as an excuse. Think I'll be aiming at 40 not 50!

I so wish I'd been cuddling a newborn, instead of reading my latest book.

Book 76: 'Monsieur Lecoq' by Emile Gaboriau. This is a 19th century French detective novel, and, sadly, I can't recommend it. It was very long and silly, and any initial promise was over-ridden by the deeply unsatisfying ending.

Book 75: 'On the Edge' - a collection of excerpts from books by climbers. I can't find it online to link to, but if anybody is interested, I'll go upstairs later and find the ISBN. This was interesting, but I'd read most of the contents before in the original texts. It would be better for somebody who is just getting interested and is looking for inspiration on what complete texts to read.

15. I finally finished the 4th Game of Thrones book. I enjoyed it but I am slightly running out of steam with them so I think I will give GOT a break for a bit.

I am now reading Red Rising, I am not as thrilled with it as I'd hoped, I need to go back and look at other people's comments but I think I'll finish it first.

Congratulations Atticus!

Thank you for your lovely congratulations messages! So kind of you! DS2 is currently asleep so I'm limping my way through the end of 'The Versions of Us' trying not to fall asleep (the book is good, I've just been up most of the night. Ah, the joys...)

Congratulations to Atticus

Ooh, I got so carried away by new baby excitement that I forgot to post about my book!
51. L’Assommoir – Emile Zola

This roughly translates into The Drinking Den, although sometimes it’s known as The Gin Palace. I do like reading Zola but the last one I read, Germinal, was so tragic it’s taken me years to get up the courage to read one again. However, this novel gives you the origins of Nana, one of his greatest characters, so I wanted to read about her origins. It’s set in working class 19th century Paris and follows the life of Gerviase, a young woman who, at the start of the novel is deserted by Lantier, her lover and the father of her two children. I don’t want to spoil the plot, but being Zola, it’s not all big fun time.

Huge congratulations Atticus! That is awesome x

Congratulations Atticus!

Oooooooo a BABY!

Congrats and enjoy Atticus :)

Littlebooktroll - Part of the furniture and jumping the queue are good Mary Wesley novels.

Atticus - huge congratulations!

Lovely to hear that, Atticus!

Many congratulations, Atticus :)

Huge congratulations, Atticus. :) :) :)

Congratulations! Enjoy your little baby

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know that DS2 was born safely last week. He's gorgeous and I'm enjoying lots of newborn snuggles. My reading has taken a back seat for the moment but I guess that's inevitable for a while. I'll update once I've read a few more books! Hope you are all doing well.

24 The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell. I thought this was a beautifully written novel with different perspectives and narrative which didn't seem to be just there to be clever but actually added features to the overall story. I felt very emotional reading about Esme's life - my mum had worked at an old fashioned "asylum" and she cared for the elderly whose stories reflected Esme's. I thought it showed some fascinating research but I did want to read more about Esme's life in between.

25 Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty - my first read by this author who is often recommended on this forum. Wow! Great structure and very observant of playground politics and parents. I enjoyed this a lot, and couldn't put it down. Definitely will read her others. It was subtly above other best selling thrillers. She has a great pyschological grasp of her characters.

Now reading White Teeth for a course and I Let You Go in between.

chilliejeanie - love love love that book, one of my all time faves :)