50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Two

1. His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The narrative devices were really entertaining - the novel was structured a bit like a case study into the murders of a crofting family in 1869. There was quite a twist in the tale, which has made me want to read the first half of the story again, as it made me question the reliability of the murderer's memoir. I'm going to read Ian McKewan's new book next.

Altered, no my the sister was a cheap psycho thriller- yours sounds much more interesting!

Still not reading much but really enjoying the thread. Have bought Lolita. I am pretty sure I read it in my teens but am equally sure most of it would have gone over my head at that age so looking forward to reading it properly. Also have American Gods and The Essex Serpent on my TBR list.

mugglebum is The Sister the one by Lynne Alexander about Henry James' sister? I don't think it is from your summary but it has been a couple of years since I read it. If it is, I really enjoyed it and would recommend.

I've just bought the daily deal too- thought the story looked interesting but not what I would normally choose. A bargain though

A quick visit to say that A Spy Among Friends is £1.29 on Kindle today. A really good book about Kim Philby. Recommended!

I've also just purchased the Audible daily deal for £2.99 which is Winter Pilgrims - historical fiction about War of the Roses. Anyone read it? Have I just wasted 3 quid?

I think cote should read it just for the review which would follow.

Thank you for the warning, Every

Ah, I missed your post Every, but definitely agree.

Mouse place we read wolf wilder last year- or rather listened to it on audible. I agree a great children's book for adults too!

5. The Sister oh this was alright. Felt a bit like I'd wasted a bit of my reading life but it was ok. Very basic but twisty and I guessed all the twists. The protagonist has lost her best friends and the secrets to the death are gradually revealed.

6. lying in wait Liz Nugent does not disappoint again. I read this within 2 days and yes it's a page turner but so much happens in this book. Please read this if you like psychological thrillers. The writing is so subtle, the atmosphere just gradually builds and the end terrified me! Can't review properly without giving the plot away. Written from the point of view of sociopath, insane mother , her son and the sister of the nurder victim who the mother and her husband buried in their garden.

Eviscerating even

Best I also said/generally think that Sarah Moss is "Middle Class Probs"

and on that note Arlington Park well I'm only 50 pages in and I already know Cote would hate it

I look forward to eviscerate this on the thread at some point this weekend

1. E is for Evidence Sue Grafton. This is the 5th installment in the alphabet series staring private detective Kinsey Millhone. In this story evidence comes to light that makes our private detective look like she is taking bribes and infiltrated in insurance fraud. It also fleshes out the main character's background somewhat so if you like the series its worth a read. Essentially your basic crime thriller.

Number 6 is F is for fugitive as im really enjoying the series.

Biblio, that's a great way of putting it - 'sideways' encouragement for the win!

I quite liked The Moving Toyshop, too. Lightweight but witty. Not my favourite genre though in general.

I LOVED The Moving Toyshop. I thought it was clever and very funny.

5. The Moving Toyshop - Edmund Crispin - Jolly murder mystery from 1930s Oxford. I was recommended the Gervase Fen books (of which this is one) as I like Agatha Christie books as was told these are similar. They are not, I shall go as far as to say this was crap. I can't even begin to be bothered telling you what it's about.

1. The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell. This is a children's novel that DD read and loved, and as it had a good testimonial from Philip Pullman I thought I would give it a read. It's set near St Petersburg deep in the Russian winter in the late 19th Century, and is the story of Feo, a girl who "wilds" wolves that the aristocratic families of St Petersburg have grown tired of. She makes an enemy of a local general in the Tsar's army who captures her mother and she goes off to rescue her.

I really enjoyed it - it was a very well written (but not difficult to read) children's novel that had the feel of classic children's fiction.

Re: Lolita opening - he makes the reader unconsciously repeat and 'taste' it too, so they are unknowingly complicit in his delusion from the first sentence, before the extent of it is revealed. It is difficult to read that description of the tongue tapping out the syllables without trying it. Hideous, but brilliant.

1. Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland - Sarah Moss

Writer and her family relocate to Iceland for a year. A look at the the Icelandic people and their way of life and what makes them such a happy nation.

I picked this up thinking it would be similar to A Year Of Living Danishly and in some ways it was. Much more worthy and introspective and a bit humourless though.

Sadik said up thread that the author seemed only to be able to see things through middle class eyes and I think that was very true. For example she seems to have no understanding of why people don't want second hand things, although I think she does eventually come to a realisation.

I was a bit bored by the end.

:)

The sing-song 'L' alliteration of that opening, coupled with the hissing sibilance and the whole way he's tasting the name in his mouth is so very cleverly done. I wish I'd written it!

Aargh, wish we could edit posts.

I meant to say that I agree with you about the first half, and that the opening passage has stuck with me.

Remus I agree about the opening passage of Lolita. I read it over 12 years ago and can still remember it pretty much verbatim

"Lolita, light of my fire, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul" And then some more about how the name is pronounced, and how the tongue moves while saying it.

Horrific, and yet so so beautiful.

I found Lolita extremely hard to stomach. It was so hard to square the beauty of the prose to the abuse that was being described. I don't think I will ever be able to re-read it.

Finished Closed Casket (not quite as good as the Monogram Murders, I think) - an enjoyable light read and have begun No 8 - Celebrating Life - Jonathan Sacks, based on his Credo columns in The Times. It's very ready;e,but also gives great food for thought. I'm enjoying it immensely.

Looking at other people's current reading-works-in-progress:

Loved - Flight Behaviour (and also the Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver); Lolita - superb book; American Gods - great stuff!; Child 44 - loved the book - the film was rubbish! They changed so much, including a lot that was pertinent to the story.

loathed - Needful Things. I used to love Stephen King's books, but now I find them very "same". Still like "The Green Mile" though.

Trump can read?????

Yes - but he moves his lips.

Still here (still ignoring Margaret Atwood.

Book 6
The House by the Lake - Thomas Harding
The story of one house (Non-fic) built by a lake on the outskirts of Berlin. This tracks this one house through Jewish ownership, to being ‘Aryanised’ (translation: allowed to be sold to somebody non-Jewish looking for a bargain) through war, to having the Berlin wall built literally through its garden. This was a slow starter not helped by the writing not being great in places (the ability to punctuate accurately would have helped) but in some places, especially the wall section, it was fascinating. Worth a read if you forgive its flaws.

The first half of Lolita is stunning. Some of the best prose ever written, I'd say.