50 Book Challenge 2015 Part 4

Hope you're ok, Rosehip

37. The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir. This is a biography (as opposed to historical fiction) and is well-researched and interesting. I liked the way the author painted a vivid picture of all six women, not just the more famous ones.

Not sure what to read next. I tend to read non-fiction much more slowly than fiction, and I've read two long non-fiction books recently (the above and Thinking, Fast and Slow). It may be time for something snappy and escapist!

Duchess, I haven't read Meadowland but it sounds exactly like my sort of thing so I am off to research it right now

I really enjoyed A Buzz in the Meadow but I have heard A Sting in the Tale is better.

Been away, so haven't done much reading. Hope all are okay?

Book 105 is, 'The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow' by Catherine Woodfine, and I really enjoyed it. It's a children's book and it won't win any literary prizes, but it's a good old-fashioned mystery story, a bit reminiscent of Pullman's Sally Lockhart series although not as sophisticated. I believe it's the first in a series, and I'd definitely read the next one.

I like the sound of A Buzz in the Meadow, whippet. Have you read Meadowland by John Lewis Stempel?I'm reading it at the moment and really enjoying it.

It’s been a while since I updated due to being on holiday in rural France with a very weak internet connection. I couldn’t even load Mumsnet!
I am just catching up on all the entries from everyone and enjoying finding out what I have missed. I didn’t get much reading done on holiday unfortunately but have read the following:

67. Therese Desqueyroux – Francois Mauriac
    A powerful story about what an unhappy marriage can drive a woman to do. Set in rural France but with a surprising ending, I really enjoyed this.

68. Swimming Home – Deborah Levy
    I did purposely have a French theme going on for my holiday. This Booker nominated novel is full of uncomfortable and unlikeable wealthy British characters on holiday in Provence. The whole book is full of suppressed tension and the writing style borders on the infuriating. Most reviews of this either give one star, though a few give five, but I rather liked it. A book with horrible characters that I liked?! Most reviewers describe it as pretentious but I couldn’t put it down.

69. A Buzz in the Meadow – Dave Goulson
    The entomologist Dave Goulson buys a house and meadow in (ahem) rural France and then talks in detail about the lives of the many insects that inhabit it. I really enjoyed this and bored on to my family for hours on the importance of insects. There is some sobering reading at the end about the use of pesticides. I must read A Sting in the Tale now as he is really a bee specialist.

70. Our Souls at Night – Kent Haruf
    A very simple, short, low-key but strangely moving story about a widow and a widower defying convention in small-town Colarado. I will definintely read more books by this author, who sadly died in 2014.

Holiday reading:

89. A Lot to Ask: the Life of Barbara Pym, by Hazel Holt. BP is my favourite author, so I enjoyed this - you can see how she mined her life for material. A different world - the almost pleasurable pangs of unrequited love, and the consolation of small pleasures.

90. The Invisible Woman, by Helen Walmsley-Johnson. A polemic about the limited employment opportunities and financial constraints facing many women in their 50s and 60s. Not all that well-written, and when she goes beyond her own experience, it falls into look-what-I-googled territory. But her description of her own experience (she took redundancy and found it impossible to get back into the job market - a not-uncommon experience) is thought-provoking. Adds a new perspective to the everyday sexism discussion. She has something worth saying.

91. The Last Englishman: the Life of J L Carr, by Byron Rogers. A slightly eccentric biography of a somewhat eccentric man. I absolutely adored A Month in the Country when I came across it last year - best book I'd read in years. Enjoyed this.

92. The Mangle Street Murders, by MRC Kasasian. Enjoying this series - a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes with sparkling dialogue and a sense of fun. You're not allowed to forget the real tragedy of the Victorian poor in the background.

Books 44 & 45: The Hundred Year Old Man who climbed out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson & Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman. The first is rather quirky with a central character to whom "things" happen and who meets extraordinary people in history which I read as a bit of a running joke; the second is a series of witticisms and clever jokes in this story of the end of the world being nigh and the Son of Darkness ending up with the wrong (normal) family due to a cock up at birth by the satanic nuns. Both easy light and funny(ish) reads, but I've read better.

My reading has been seriously interrupted by the bloke & parents being ill or wounded - and therefore underfoot - which is making me a tad grumpy, especially as I am heading into my annual challenge to read the Booker shortlist before the winner is announced.

Rosehip hope the implosion fades fast and you are back to being able to enjoy reading soon Thank you to whoever alerted me to Mr Penumbra's bookshop being a kindle 99p special - most gratefully snapped up!

I'm going to have to read his first memoir now, southeast

85. How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran. Surprised at how much I enjoyed this. It's utterly filthy, rude and very funny. Just what I needed. No idea what I want to read next. Off to browse the bookshelves ....

Rosehip - so sorry to hear about your split, hope it all works out for the best.

My older dc's enjoyed Wonder, I found it a bit predictable but a pleasant enough read.

I've just bought my ds Maggot Moon which has been on his y7/8 reading list but he's not v keen. I think I might read it myself first once I finish the 3 books I'm currently reading!

Catching up with my list (been away on holiday)

82. The Life and Loves of a He Devil by Graham Norton. I approach memoirs of people I like with lots of caution, in case I find out something I don't like about them, but I needn't have worried about this one. There are no nasty shocks, just lots of interesting stuff, some laughs (his dogs are utterly bonkers), and some sad bits too. I loved it.

83. Mr Mac and Me by Esther Freud. Have added review to the MN Reviews section. Thoroughly enjoyed this - well written, superb story.

84. The Bolds by Julian Clary - bedtime story for DS. We loved it - entertaining, funny, great story. Couldn't wait for bedtime to read the next chapter :)

Currently reading 85 - How To Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran, which I'm enjoying very much - funny, and quite rude. And also, 86 - Mr Gum and the Power Crystals by Andy Stanton - the next in the Mr Gum series (DS's bedtime story - very funny).

35. A Better World by Marcus Sakey
    Second book in The Brilliance Trilogy. Still loving the characters, plot rollicks along, v.enjoyable.

36. Wonder by RL Palacio
    Young adult fiction. Found this on a bookshelf at the library, remembered it was on my Amazon wish list and took it. Lovely book. About a young boy with facial disfigurement who starts middle school. Told from the boy's POV, his sister and various friends. A bit sentimental at the end for me but the message and the story are inspiring. Wish I had read it when I was young and will definitely give it to DS when they are older.

Rosehip :-( hope you're okay
I loved Us too

No 67
Claire Douglas Sisters
Slightly scary , though not as scary as promoted, look at two separate twin sisters with major issues
Read it in a day as was gripped & didn't predict the twist

Rosehip - I'm sorry to hear about the implosion of your marriage. You must be going through a stressful time. I hope it all calms down soon and leaves you happier & more content

Book 32 Us by David Nicholls.

Just lovely. Laugh out loud funny, intuitive, sad and oh-so tender.

Just perfect.

Not sure when last posted - reading rather tailed off when marriage imploded.

20 The Good Girl, by Monica Kubica
Really enjoyed this. Detailed, suspenseful writing, and likeable characters. Thought far superior to girl on the train. Young, idealistic teacher is abducted and held in remote cabin as winter approaches. Narrative moves between the girl, her captor, her Mother and the detective investigating. Plot rrather obvious in the middle, but didn't see the twist coming. Recommend.

21. Still life with breadcrumbs, by Anna Quindlen
    Recommended on this thread, and thanks to who mentioned it. Fading successful photographer rents remote house in upstate New York, and rediscovers herself. Will look out for more by this video.

22. In the light of morning, by Tim Pears
    Absolutely love this writer - In the place of fallen leaves is one of the most evocative books I have ever read. This was set in the early part of WW1, in Slovenia, where a small band of diverse soldiers are sent to assist the partisan resistance. I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. The difficulty is that there are always battles, people die, and others fall in love, and it is hard to remain overly focused.

23. Remember me this way, by Sabine Durrant
    Excellent writing, interesting premise, but found the male character, who may or may not have died in a dramatic car accident, irrationally annoying, and it rather tainted the other characters. Absurd twist spoilt what was a good read, and the neat ending reduced it's impression on me

Yes it was, I love that book and was a bit in love with Lionel Terray by the end!

Meg - Glad you enjoyed, 'Cold'. DP did v well when choosing it for me for Christmas!

Was it you who recommended, 'Conquistadors of the Useless' btw? Started it last week but then got distracted by other things. It's good so far though.

27. Cold - Ranulph Fiennes

Enjoyable account of the veteran explorer's many challenging expeditions including his crossing of both polar ice caps and ascent of Everest (he was the first person to do all three). Interspersed with plenty of interesting historical anecdotes.

53. The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller

Enjoyable easy read. Laugh out loud funny in parts. Enjoyed agreeing and disagreeing with him and picking up recommendations.

It depends what kind of thing you want Remus. I have read and enjoyed Do No Harm by Henry Marsh, Inferno by Keith Lowe, In Plain Sight by Dan Davies and One of Us by Asbe Seierstad this year. About respectively brain surgery, the bombing of Hamburg, Jimmy Savile and Anders Brevik

No 66
Sinead moriaty
Mad About You

This was about relationships , marriages , careers
I figured out the twist quite early on and found the book a bit predictable and rushed towards the end

I think I can cope better with things that are obviously NOT clever, than things that are trying so hard to be clever and rejoicing so much in their own cleverness...or something.