50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Three

cluelessmama I was looking forward to the Semple book, having really enjoyed Bernadette, so glad you - mostly - liked it.

Can't read and keep up with threads!

5. Joan Didion, Slouching towards Bethlehem. A collection of essays about the USA in the 1960s, some autobiographical. I read this because I kept seeing her name everywhere. She writes beautifully, but none of the essays have much substance.
6 Laila Lalami, Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits. I read The Moor's Account last year, and was a bit disappointed as I follow Lalami's blog, and like her non-fiction. It was good, but a bit rambling and I lost the thread a few times. Hope is her first novel, quite short, but much better IMO. It's the story of four Moroccans trying to get across to Spain, told as before and after the trip. Unsentimental, but very moving.
7. Dorothy Whipple, The Priory. An English country family, short of money and clinging to the past, in the 1930s. Not a huge amount happens, but it's very good on how little choice women had then over what happened to them. The ending would be far too Hollywood except there's a twist which only the reader can know.
8. Annie Ernaux, La femme gelee (The Frozen Woman) Don't know if any of her books have been translated. I liked the ones about her parents (La Place and Une Femme). This one is I think also quite autobiographical, a woman realising slowly that all her dreams of independence are being stifled by marriage and children. Well-written, but I did find myself thinking 'so what?' at the end.
9. Monica Dickens, Mariana. A woman gets bad news one night and lies awake thinking back over her life up to that point - quite a standard novel about growing up, again, in 1930s England, but likeable characters and quite funny in places.
10. Katherine Mansfield, Journal. Reading this because I like diaries, but this isn't a proper diary, just random descriptions and notes for stories. Don't bother, is my advice, unless you are a big fan of her stories.

Now need to make sure I keep up with these threads, as half the fun is reading the reviews!

Finished 7. Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple*. One crazy day with Eleanor Flood, a main character with aspirations that today will be different because she will be a better person, who instead has a day that is VERY different when her son is sent home from school and she finds out her husband has been lying to her about...something.
I enjoyed it. It is witty in a very cynical, kinda bitchy way but with some fab observations, and the characters are interesting. The best thing about listening to the audiobook was the fantastic narration, one of the very best performances I've listened to. The downside is that I believe there are illustrations that I missed out on. And there were A LOT of American references that went straight over my head. And the more I think about it, the more I remember plot threads that actually didn't go anywhere. Hmm.

BestisWest While I agree with everyone else that Night Watch is the best Pratchett, I'm not sure it's the best one to start with. So much of the humour lies in seeing familiar characters as teenagers etc, and there are loads of in-jokes you just wouldn't get. I'm not sure which one I'd recommend as a first read - Nation, maybe?

I love The Ladies of Grace Adieu - though obviously not as much as I love Jonathan Strange. I love fairytales.

I started off liking The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society a lot, and then it didn't really seem to go anywhere. It also kept reminding me of 84 Charing Cross Road, for some reason - perhaps the epistolary format and the post-war setting and the fact that it's all about books. And, well, Charing Cross Road is better.

And a big BOO HISS to all of you dissing children's books. Just because a book is written for children doesn't mean it can't also be wise, funny, well-written and interesting.

I'm still rereading Pride and Prejudice.

Pippi Uzunçorap

Is that Pippi Longstocking, Cote?

I HATE Pollyanna! So freaking cheerful - I'd strangle the little git with her own plaits.

Got the numbers wrong - that was 18 and 19.

Cote - Yes, Measuring the World alluded to all of the things you mention, but still (imvho) did it in a completely humourless, faux-whimsical and essentially bloody DULL manner. I thought it made Humboldt (who I've read a lot about and been v interested in) both dull and ridiculous, and the other one (Mr Sums whose name I've forgotten already) dull, ridiculous and unpleasant.

Book 17
The North Water
I liked this, but was disappointed with the ending. Whales, snow, shipwrecks etc are all right up my street, although I found the character of Drax rather too carton-villain and I thought the ending was first a bit silly and then a bit of an anti-climax. Glad I read it but not sure I’d rush out to buy another of his.

Book 18
Berlin: Portrait of a City - Taschen
This is mostly photographs, with limited text but I'm counting it because I 'read' the photographs as carefully as I would a non-fiction book, and then researched anything I didn't know about already, so actually did a fair bit of reading-around. It's beautiful - I loved it.

LadyMachet - I liked the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - bit whimsical and silly in parts, if you like your war stories grim and gritty, not for you. Consider a little bit light read.

5.The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain. This was a poignant read with interesting characters and an engaging story. My favourite sections were those from Gustav's childhood but I liked the scenes which involved the character of Lottie too. All the female characters were interesting. There were some really moving sections about Gustav, and the effects of his childhood experiences.

Next I have committed to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society as it has been sitting on my to-read shelf for a number of years. Judging by the mixed reviews on Goodreads though, I'm not sure if I'll make it to the end!

11. The North Water, Ian McGuire. This was brilliant. Set in the latter half of the 19th century as the whaling industry is coming to an end, the story focuses mainly on two crew members of a whaling ship setting out for the Arctic circle. They represent the two sides of human nature - the violent, instinctive animal side, and the evolved man of modern society. It was definitely grim and gritty, not something to pick up when you want a light, happy read, but beautifully written and well worthy of its place in the Booker longlist. Recommended.

14. Palestine by Joe Sacco.
This is a famous graphic novel by Maltese journalist Joe Sacco published in 1996. He spent two months with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip detailing their stories under occupation by the (often brutal, nervous) Israeli soldiers. Not much hope for a peace process there, on either side. A disquieting read about human facets of this side of the Palestinian/Israeli struggle.

He has also written a graphic novel about Bosnia which I would like to read at some point.

Next I wanted something more light-hearted and so am one-third of the way through Steelheart, another Brendon Sanderson fantasy series. It's a spin-off of The Way of Kings. It's alright but not particularly grabbing me.

Sounds like DD might enjoy it, thanks Sadik

Satsuki - Ladies Of Grace Adieu is already on my Wish List. I'm waiting for its price to drop

22. D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton

Part of the alphabet series featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone. I enjoy these, although they're hardly great literature, and the early ones are a bit dated now ( she started the series in the 80s). In this book, Kinsey is asked to deliver something by an ex convict who then turns up dead in suspicious circumstances, which she then investigates.

Good tip Invisiblekitten thanks!

11. The Skeleton Cupboard Tanya Byron. Fictionalised account of her experiences training as a clinical psychologist based on the various patients she met. I found this fascinating and appreciated how honest she was about her faults and mistakes. Another one I saw recommended on this thread so thanks!

Cote it's actually quite hard to summarise - which I think is one of it's main virtues given how many copycat YA fantasy series there are.

It's set in a small US town (presumably on the East Coast) which hosts a super-posh private boys' school with the sort of hostility between locals & pupils you might imagine. A group of teenagers end up brought together (including the town psychic's daughter, a trailer park boy who is funding his own way through the posh school by working multiple jobs, and others) and interacting with various supernatural events. There's no big 'good vs evil' quest, and although the book cover makes a big deal of a prophesy involving the daughter kissing her true love, there's also minimal romance.

*It's

Sorry, forgot to add its short stories.

Have you Norrell fans read The Ladies of Grace Adieu by the same author? Set in same world, some same characters, apparently. (Didn't finish JS&MN myself)

Biblio, thanks for the recommendation for another Joanne Russ. That one looks very interesting and I'll pop it on my list.

Cote, I also had a flutter when I saw Raven King! Would love there to be another book set in that world.

Cinnamon - the Shetland series are good, the first was set in the midwinter when it doesn't really get light, it was one of those books that managed to make the environment part of the story. Remember mentioning it on a discussion about enjoying books more in the correct season, so I'd start it soon before the weather improves!

You got me at YA, Sadik What is the series about? DD might be interested, as you say.

Cote, I definitely wouldn't recommend you The Raven King - but your daughter might like the series!

EmGee Barter books is one of my happy places! Heading off for a few days in Wooler today ( once I have finished packing, dropped off last night's sleepover guests, shouted at teenagers , sorted Pets etc etc)

I like the sound of the Ann Cleeves series, thanks Invisiblekitten, will add to the kindle wishlist!

10. The Dark Net by Jamie Bartlett. Mentioned several times already on this thread, this is a fascinating read. It is well researched and very well balanced between different viewpoints. I found the chapter on pro-ana (and other forms of self harm) websites particularly interesting (I have a 9yo DD so I'm hoping not to find this relevant in the next few years ).