50 Book Challenge 2016 Part Two

Rhu, have you read PopCo by Scarlett Thomas? That might fit the bill of smart, geeky, weird etc. I liked that one but her others have been a bit disappointing, for me.

ChillieJeanie - thank you for reminding me that I have some history type books to read. Have you read any others by Francis Pryor?

Lost my reading mojo atm. Got distracted by a craft challenge which makes books/screens awkward. Local library doesn't do free audiobooks. Not entirely sure what route to take atm.

Can't remember who was talking about Katniss having said everyone who wants to read the series has. I haven't read it yet. The series is on my pile to read. I am in too minds because i barely lasted the first 15mins of the film. Just could not give a damn about the characters. Are the books any better or would I be best to cut my losses and just shove the books on the rehome pile?

The Everest one is Into the Silence and is absolutely brilliant. I imagine you've read it already though, Meg!

Or Wade Davis' Everest book, that is amazing and covers history (WW1, colonialism, Bloomsbury) and exploration. Exquisite!

I've just read Scarlett Thomas Our tragic universe. It was a light enjoyable read, a bit disappointing because I thought it would be unconventional, science geeky, smart and weird. That it wasn't but not bad for a find in a holiday let. That's my number 9, not sure what to read next. Got stranded in boring uncle Robert Macfarlane's droning on about whatever.

Lost a T from Scott somehow there!

Have you read Ice and the English Imagination by Francis Spufford? Not only exploration but quite interesting. Or Beryl Bainbridge's The Birthday Boys?

Or Captain Scot's Marvel about Birdie Bowers?

I haven't read it but this sounds good.

Ah I love that book Remus but fancy something I haven't read before.

I wanted to like rivers of London- I wanted it to be like Neil Gaiman's American Gods crossed with 8 days of Luke, plus the DL Sayers where Peter goes down to the water below the theatres. And it wasn't!

Meg I'm re-reading The Worst Journey in the World - it is exquisite.

Can't decide what to read next... I fancy a really good exploration or history book, anyone recommend anything?

3.The Moon in the Gutter by David Goodis. I picked this up on a whim from the library, front cover describes it as 'A Midnight Classic', 'classic piece of pulp trash written in 1956. I really enjoyed this story, only 180 pages long. Not much actually happens but the scene setting and characterisation is vivid and I could picture myself there in the grimy backstreets of Philadelphia. This is the story of William Kerrigan, a dockworker who lives in the seedy end of town and this is described well. Kerrigans sister has committed suicide in one of the back alleys and Kerrigan finds himself unable to move on with his life. His encounter with the beautiful Loretta from 'the right side of town' offers him some chance of escape although we as the reader know this is never going to happen. A great story, I understand it was made into a film with Gerard Depardieu and Natassia Kinski.
Now reading All the Light we cannot see, like a lot of us it seems.

#2 Slade house by David Mitchell.

I loved this book. A boy and his mum are drawn into a haunted house and unusual things happen. This is a short book. It is told by several different characters each with a unique voice. There are lots of connections to other parts of David Mitchell's novel worlds e.g. desiccated embryos is mentioned. It is quite spooky and you really feel for the characters as you realise what is happening to them. I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I must read cloud atlas this year.

Hmm, I've just reached the start of Teddy's war so I'll stick with it. I'm not a great listener so I've never tried Audible or much in the way of audio books. My mind wanders off.

Best - I really enjoyed the audio book of A God In Ruins. Maybe it worked better for me having it read to me (Alex Jennings was a brilliant narrator), because I loved it. Was one of my favourite books of last year. I wonder whether I would have enjoyed it quite so much if I had read it myself.

I just finished the audio version too and I think it was better for me than reading the book. I actually miss it now I've finished it.

I'm struggling with Vanity Fair for a book club. It is relatively easy to read but somehow I don't seem to be making much headway. I have until the 15th to finish it, so I might try having something else at the same time. I hope Becky Sharp isn't punished for being smart and cunning, but somehow I think she will be.

Best - I really enjoyed the audio book of A God In Ruins. Maybe it worked better for me having it read to me (Alex Jennings was a brilliant narrator), because I loved it. Was one of my favourite books of last year. I wonder whether I would have enjoyed it quite so much if I had read it myself.

Sometimes a book just works better for me narrated (like Wolf Hall is at the moment).

Thanks Cote, I love your reviews of Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks. Thought-provoking.

Quog - I also enjoyed the audiobook of Wolf Hall. It took me about a month of driving to listen to it all!

satsuki it will sound really pretentious but the book is just an experience that is hard to put into words! To me it felt really original and was beautifully written, bleak and shocking and brutal but somehow inspiring. Hard to describe - you need to read it! It is also a short read more of a novella.

cordeliascott I read and liked The Testament of Mary last year. Well written and had quite an emotional impact.

arcadia (one of my favourite plays if that's where your name is from!) could you tell me a bit more about The Vegetarian? What made it so good?

bestiswest God in Ruins does pick up plot wise around the midway point and especially when she gets stuck into the air war, though it is patchy.

Any more cheapo Kindle recs, please, anybody? I fancy a well-written spy thriller or something of that ilk, and have absolutely no idea what to look for. Not the sort of thing you'd buy at airports, like John Grisham etc. Needs to be not trashy.

Water For Elephants is £0.99 on the Kindle, just for today.

CordeliaScott good to hear about The Testament of Mary. I have it by my bed for ages. I have also read on here that the narration by Meryl Streep is amazing so am waiting for it to come up on an Audible deal or borrow it from the library.

These are my latest
6. Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone – JK Rowling. Harry Potter has been orphaned and is living with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley. Life is tough on Harry, his family seem to hate him, he has to live in a cupboard under the stairs and he suffers a lot at the hands of Dudley and his parents. Then letters addressed to Harry start to arrive which cause a lot of upset to Uncle Vernon who does everything he can to prevent Harry getting the letter. Eventually Harry finds out that his parents were wizards and he has been accepted into Hogwarts which is a school for young wizards. Life for Harry has suddenly taken a turn for the better. However all is not well, Voldermort the wicked wizard who killed his parents hasn’t really gone away and Harry and his friends have to face him in a battle for the Philosopher’s Stone. Audible have finally started selling the Harry Potter audiobooks which are narrated by Stephen Fry. We listened to this in the car on the school run and it is fantastic. We had all read it before and it still gets a big thumbs up from all in my house.

7. God is not Great – Christopher Hitchens. I have been a fan of Hitchens for a long time and recently bought this in an Audible sale. No religion or belief system escapes the Hitch treatment in this well written and concise book.

8. The Boy Who Climbed into the Moon – David Almond. I read this as a bedtime read over a week with the kids. Charming story of Paul who believes the moon is a hole in the sky. With the help of his parents, and a few eccentric neighbours and friends he manages to climb a ladder and go right into the moon where he makes more discoveries. This is a book about the unli¬¬mited imagination, following your dreams and reaching for the sky. It was really wonderful.

9. Eeny Meeny – M.J. Arlidge. Helen Grace is a detective inspector who is investigating a series of murders. These cases are particular in that two people are abducted and one has to kill the other to survive. It becomes apparent that Helen is the link with all of the victims and she has to face a few of her own demons before the final denouement. Fast paced and enjoyable.

10. So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed – John Ronson. This was a really good look at what can happen when someone says the wrong thing or makes a mistake and it becomes public knowledge which results in the person being vilified and having their reputation and life destroyed. Social media has been a prime tool for this type of behaviour and it is quite scary to see how anonymous people behind a keyboard feel that they can contribute to a public shaming and don’t seem to stop to consider the consequences. It is a bit like the days of old when people were put in stocks and had rotten food thrown at them… but worse this is much worse because the power of social media can have an immediate global reach and google searches can mean that it never really goes away.

I had started The Gospel of Loki just after my last update but mislaid the book so had to put it on hold. Thankfully I found it again when cleaning the car so have just resumed it. We are almost finished the second Harry Potter and I am also reading a Jodi Taylor on kindle. I am also listening to Bill Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything but am struggling with the narration. After a busy few weeks the plan tomorrow is to stay home, light the fire and curl up on the sofa with a book or two and a nice hot brew .

11. How To Be A Husband - Tim Dowling

Pretty much a longer-form version of his Guardian columns, so if you enjoy those (which I do) then you'll enjoy this. Nothing life-changing but he has a nice line in self-deprecating humour and this was an easy and entertaining read.

I hope you enjoy Carry On, Vanderly, I thought it was a fun read. I haven't read Landline, but I think dd is planning to get a copy, so will read it then (my YA reading is based on what she has on her shelves!).

Currently reading The First Casualty about war reporting, depressing but interesting and well written.