50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Three

Now I have that as an earworm, thanks cote

Hugely enjoying the debate today.

Pride and Prejudice = 'average'???!!! I think I need a little lie down.

Best - "ust got to the part where they realise they've found Mallory. Hadn't expected to feel so emotional... Feeeelinggs in a mountaineering book "

Ah but you see those are regular feelings. They are OK

Feeeeeeeliiiiinnnnnngssss (to be sung to the tune of ) are an entirely different kettle of fish. They are the tear-jerking, heartstring-tugging, exaggerated, phony and whiny half-cousins of normal feelings

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

19 What We Cannot Know by Marcus du Sautoy, listened to on audible (read by the author)
This is absolutely wonderful, I've been stretching it out to try to make it last - added to by the fact that MdS has a gorgeous reading voice.
The overarching theme of the book - as in the title - is an exploration of the limits of human knowledge, and an attempt to establish whether there are things which are truly unknowable. It is divided into seven 'edges' of current knowledge (ranging from quantum mechanics to the meaning of consciousness). It starts relatively slowly, after a couple of chapters definitely needs full concentration, but is totally understandable as a lay person - the last time I studied any sort of science or maths I was at school (and taking O levels, so a very long time ago ). I'm very tempted to get a text copy now to read myself & for dd who doesn't like audio so much.

Cote Philistine!

And no, curses. I'm still working.

"There are more things in heaven and Earth than STEM, Horatio "

Satsuki

I quite enjoyed the one Shakespeare play I studied in high school ("6th form"?) but doubt if I would understand much of the others if I read them now. That "English" is not easy for those of us who are not native speakers.

Cheerful - "Westminster Bridge, tho. Ozymandias! Kubla Khan! She Walks in Beauty!"

Are you pished?

"Savage: The Life and Times of Jemmy Button"

Ooh, I'd love to read that book but I see that there's no Kindle version I don't know how many times I clicked that button "Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle". Nothing ever happens.

Oh that's good to hear Remus, I'll look forward to it arriving!

Satsuki Excellent post re children's lit.

Murine - The Jemmy Button book is excellent. I often recommend it as a companion piece to This Thing of Darkness.

I've almost finished This Thing of Darkness and don't want it to end! I found a related book that I've ordered, Savage: The Life and Times of Jemmy Button by Nick Hazlewood, has anybody else read it?

I'm not a huge fan of Turdsworth I must admit, but I do have a soft spot for The Prelude. Love Keats.

cheerful I enjoyed your thoughtful post about children's literature and agree, too, sadik, complexity is not the sole pleasure storytelling has to offer. Also, I don't leave my intellect at the door whatever I'm reading; I can enjoy something simple on other levels - historical context, patterns, motifs, and archetypes which have had a lasting cultural impact or follow a tradition for example.

I do like a bit of Coleridge, I must admit. Turdsworth is v apt.

Westminster Bridge, tho. Ozymandias! Kubla Khan! She Walks in Beauty!

Agree they did also churn out a fair amount of shit. Bryon used to call Wordsworth 'Turdsworth' apparently ...

The White Spider and Touching the Void both v good.

Satsuki

Thanks chaps. She is feeling terribly sorry for herself.

I read Heinrich Harrer's The White Spider many years ago and was absolutely gripped by the stories of determination to climb the north face of the Eiger. As a self-confessed lazy arse I find the mind set of the explorers absolutely fascinating. I was similarly gripped by Touching the Void which I read immediately after. There was quite a lot of feeeeeeelings in that.

I like Romantic poetry. There are more things in heaven and Earth than STEM, Horatio

Sorry for your poorly child, crisps. We had illness over half term too.

Hope said child feels better soon, Crisps.

Cote Romantic poetry is full of feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelings, few of which I have any interest in. I'd rather eat my own eyeballs than ever have to read any more Wordsworth, for example.

Best - It's lovely, isn't it? I think the searchers were all so in awe of Mallory that you can't help but be moved by their feeeeeeeelings on finding him.

12. The Girls - Lisa Jewell

A girl is found lying attacked in a communal garden where previously another girl was found dead decades ago. It shifts back to the time leading up to this and throws suspicion on a lot of people living there. I didn't have this figured out and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Back from my long weekend break to be faced with a very poorly sick child - back to earth with a bump!

Updated list and review then I will catch up on the thread.

1. The Muse - Jessie Burton

1. Gone Without a Trace - Mary Torjussen
2. Flesh Wounds - Christopher Brookmyre
3. Phantom: a Harry Hole Thriller - Jo Nesbo
4. Dead Simple (Roy Grace Series) - Peter James
5. All Good Deeds (A Lucy Kendall Thriller) - Stacy Green
6. The Turtle Boy - Kealan Patrick Burke

1. The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion

11. Tales of Protection - Erik Fosnes Hansen

A book which is essentially 3 novellas extremely loosely linked by the in-coffin mental wanderings of the recently deceased Bolt. An eccentric scientist, he reflects upon the three stories and how the patterns which connect them. Either side of the stories are a prologue and an epilogue which set the scene and give us some context of the old man's early years.

I very much enjoyed story one, of fellow Bolt family black sheep Lea, and how she finds purpose amongst Bee keeping and stories of coincidence as Bolt's Great Niece. It slips, at times, into magical realism which is beautifully written and worth the diversion from the story.

The second story of a 19C lighthouse keeper, his family and the crew on their island at the mouth of a fjord was wonderful. It was compelling and I felt absolutely engaged with the characters and their lives.

The third story was a bit more of a struggle for me as we inexplicably leave Norway and head for Renaissance Rome and explore the lives of artists. Dipping again into magical realism I found myself skimming pages of this and getting frustrated at the endlessness of the prose which became terribly indulgent.

Overall, I enjoyed this and am glad I read it. I think the author should have been more disciplined or should have had a more firm editor. Worth reading for stories one and two and the wider choice context within which they are set.

Feeeelinggs in a mountaineering book

Remus have just got to the part where they realise they've found Mallory. Hadn't expected to feel so emotional.