50 Book Challenge 2016 Part Three

Remus - am I right in thinking you're a teacher? If so, can I revise my JL Carr recommendation to The Harpole Report (mind you, that's not available for Kindle either!)

biblio - he used to come in quite often with stock, we sold a lot of his little 'pocket books' that he printed. You can still get most of his books www.quincetreepress.co.uk/page4.html direct from his press, they're lovely editions :)

Canyouforgiveher HOORAY!

Sadik, you met J L Carr!

I read Byron Rogers' biography of him, and he came across as an interesting man.

I've been looking out for his other books, but they're not that easy to get hold of.

21. Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

Didn't love this, but it's a well written and for the most part enjoyable coming of age tale; Adrian Mole with actual literary talent and fewer laughs. It reads like twelve (maybe 13?) interlinked short stories each from a month of Jason Taylor's 14th year. There is nothing wrong with any of them, but all together it felt a bit overlong for the amount it had to say perhaps. Tons of 80s references, music, movies, products. Dripping with great metaphors, as would-be poet Jason hasn't learned to use them more sparingly; maybe David Mitchell hasn't either, but he is undeniably a brilliant writer so I'll forgive him.

Onto Flight Behaviour next I think.

22 Midsummer Night In the Workhouse by Diana Athill This is a Persephone press collection of her short stories. I love her memoirs and liked these. the beginning ones are about "youth and buried time" the middle ones a bit about affairs/disillusion etc. and then the last story, Buried, I just loved. It is about a brother and sister in their late 40s, both married - he safely within their upper class/county milieu and she to a foreignish/jewish economist so far from her upbringing. They are coming back together from a dinner and their car breaks down and they end up hiking cross country home together. it is just a lovely discourse about siblings and childhood and memory, and funnily enough, also about the loss to siblings left behind when boys went off to prep school. It was worth reading the book for this story alone.

Just ordered Eileen from my library - I love this thread.

The first couple of Marion Keyes' books are quite lovely and uplifting (and actually made me laugh out loud - at least when I first read them - which is sadly unusual). Ballet shoes? Ooh, I know! Rafael Barker's Hens dancing. Fabulous, funny, moving.

Suppose it depends on DD age blue and whether she would understand old fashioned. I'm sure it's easy to explain away really, I just don't think it was necessary to change them personally

Re the name changes, couldn't you just say that the publisher thought the old names were a bit old fashioned?

Remus, do look out for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, even if it isn't on Kindle, it's hilarious and I think would hit the spot.

I'd also second JL Carr although personally A Month in the Country isn't one of my favourites - I'd go for What Hetty Did as a cheering book. I adored Hetty as an 18 year old, and was always amazed that she'd been written by an elderly man (and a very lovely one - he used to come into the bookshop where I worked and was utterly charming).

*pacy or pacey? I never know!

Good luck finding a reason onemouse

6. Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson
Short novella bridging between Steelheart and Firefight. This was actually shorter than I realised, especially if you take out the preview chapter of Firefight. But like Steelheart, it's nice and pacy and the writing flows really well making it an easy read (wouldn't expect anything less from this author) He's packed a fair bit of action into those few pages! Firefight is on my to read list, but have other books I want to tackle first.

I did consider Game of Thrones but reading recent comments makes me think I'll leave it.

That's what has really annoyed me most MamaBear - DD wouldn't even realise the names are 'rude' right now. Bah.

I don't know how I'd even tackle it actually!

Ooh tricky onemouse would DD even know the names were 'rude'. I assume that's why they were changed, but it's a bit ridiculous really!

MamaBear - me too re. the Faraway Tree. The big problem we have is that DD has just read the first two which are my copies from when I was a child. But the third one had fallen apart so my Mum bought her an updated copy - and I am now going to have to come up with a reason why the names have changed.

ElleSarcasmo p&p is a fave but I also have a soft spot for Emma. I think when I first started reading Austen that I found it easiest. Funnily enough I find S&S my least favourite although I know a few people will disagree there!

southeast oh thank Goodness. Both me and my Mum found the 1st half boring too but I was very worried we'd missed something. I understand that it's got a great message and themes, especially for the time it was written, but I just don't understand all the fuss. My husband watched 5 mins of the film before turning it off.

My guilty pleasure is Sophie Kinsella. Whenever I need some light relief I turn to her or Michael Connelly. And I don't even pretend to use my son as an excuse to read Enid Blyton. Ginger beer anyone?!
I was a bit horrified they changed the names in the Faraway Tree series :-(

Would The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo count as a "punch things" book?

Oh, yes, see what you mean!

Thinking we need to start at least 2 new threads here, the lovely reads and the punch things reads. I rather need the latter right now.

No, She-Devil was more inspired by the punch-something comment! But back to the lovely theme - Grass in Piccadilly, Noel Streatfeild? Saplings wasn't exactly lovely but this one is.

Remus, what about Ellis Peters' Inspector Felse books? I especially like the ones where Dominic is still a young boy, and A Grass Widow's Tale.

Like the recommendations, though She-Devil not loverly in my book, rather mocking, hate-stirring.. Good but not for this, I'd say.
Also been pondering this category, many kids books would fit, Ballet Shoes even for a nostalgic read? Fried green tomatoes cafe thingey? Like water for chocolate? Chocolat ? A theme here.. Wild if you want a completing s challenge against the odds kind of read. Little Women ? (Must admit never to have read it all the way through but imagine it's lover-ly)

Josephine Tey sounds promising too.

Onemouse - if you love the Little White Horse, have you read The Runaways, also by Elizabeth Goudge? It's on Kindle and it's like a little piece of childhood happiness. I purred with contentment and joy while reading it.

Can't stop thinking about the 'lovely books' criteria! Wilkie Collins? I seem to remember you saying you'd read all those, though. I've added DE Stevenson to my To Read list now! I've just bought Mariana by Monica Dickens because it was suggested as similar to I Capture the Castle, Miss Pettigrew and Nancy Mitford on Goodreads, despite the fact that it was £8.55 on Kindle. Damn you, Remus! The Camomile Lawn or Part of the Furniture by Mary Wesley might fit your criteria, or what about The Lives and Loves of a She-Devil, Fay Weldon? Or some of these ?