50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Four

20. The Power - Naomi Alderman
Much reviewed already. I loved it although it was very bleak in places.

Not sure what to move onto next...will browse the thread for inspiration.

31 The Envoy by Edward Wilson

1950s set spy thriller, following Kit Fournier, supposed-senior-diplomat in the US London embassy, but actually CIA bureau chief. Not fantastic - the story was pretty slow and the writing a bit clunky in the first few chapters. I liked it overall, though - made a change to have a more senior, more office-bound spook in the main role, the plot was pretty good once it got going, and the Suffolk setting of much of the book was atmospheric. I'll definitely try at least one more book by the author.

(Which means I haven't got to catch up on the thread either. May try and do that in our balcony jacuzzi tonight.)

In case anyone was wondering how four year olds, holidays, long(ish) flights and reading combine.

On a five hour flight, I read exactly three and a half pages.

Experiment concluded.

I mostly just lurk on this thread as I can't keep up but just wanted to agree that George Orwell is The Man (although tea gives me the shits).

19. The Grand Babylon Hotel Arnold Bennet - apparently Bennet wrote this 'for a lark'. American Billionaire buys most exclusive hotel in Edwardian London because they wouldn't serve him the steak and bottle of ale he wanted. Murder, mayhem and general hijinks ensue. This started out utterly silly but enjoyably so, but descended into utter nonsense - the plot got really convoluted and the wit disappeared.

stilllovingmysleep isn't that a bit dishonest to read the book then return for a refund?? Or have I misunderstood what you said?

Since being on holiday I have managed to read a few books:

19. The end of your life book club by Will Schwalbe. I enjoyed this 'memoir'. The author's mother, an interesting woman by all accounts (Director of Admissions for Radcliffe and Harvard and later on in her life, she helped to found the Woman's Committee for Refugee Women and Children) discovers she has pancreatic cancer. A life-long reader, she and her son trade books and discuss them during her chemotherapy sessions. It's an enjoyable read not only because we learn about Mary-Anne's life, but also due to the discussions they have based on their book club choices. It is written in a very chatty, informal style.

20. When breath becomes air by Paul Kalinithi. This has already been mentioned on these threads. I read it straight after 'The end of your life book club' which wasn't perhaps the best of ideas due to the subject matter. The epilogue (written by his wife) is particularly moving.

21. The Lie by Helen Dunmore. As recommended on here. Found it in a charity shop for a couple of quid! Enjoyed this.

22. The Girls by Emma Cline. Meh. Unpleasant people and characters. Wouldn't recommend not because of the unpleasant people, it's just not very good!

8. The Vows of Silence by Susan Hill
Another Simon Serailler middle-class whodunnit. As ever, the killer on the loose is only half the story, with family life in Lafferton providing the real drama and sadness. A nice, quick, easy read.

9. A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin
Our anti-hero is a young poor, college student who woos a mining heiress, all the time being more interested in her fortune. When she falls pregnant, he worries that she will be disinherited, and trap him into providing for her. He persuades her to take some pills to get rid of the baby. When the pills don't work, he plans how to get rid of both the baby AND his girlfriend, and move on to another heiress.

Really likes this. Levin keeps us guessing as to the identity of our psychopathic protagonist, which makes for some excellent plot twists. The suspense is maintained well throughout.

I only discovered Levin last year, reading Rosemary's Baby and The Boys From Brazil. This one isn't quite as good as those two, but then not much is.

13. The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly

A group of journalists are invited on a press tour of a new zoo in China. When they arrive, it's revealed that the zoo's inhabitants are real dragons that the Chinese found and have been breeding for their super new zoo, which has lots of safety precautions to stop the dragons getting out of hand. Of course, it's not long before the dragons stage a revolt, and most of the book is full of our protagonists trying desperately not to be eaten alive by dragons and survive subsequent cover up attempts by the zoo's management.

There's an interview with the author at the end of the book where he's careful to point out that his book is different to Jurassic Park because his is about a press tour rather than experts assessing difficulties with a dinosaur park, and also mainly because his zoo is set in China. I'm not convinced that that these points outweigh the similarity in the basic premise. Neither is the publisher, given the "Jurassic Park with Dragons" quote on the cover of the book.

It's action packed and fun to read, if somewhat gory in places.

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

17. Dead Man's Prayer - Jackie Baldwin

I am a fan of books set in places which I know so a crime novel set in my home area really appealed to me. The first in what I think the author plans as a series, of books following the cases of DI Frank Farrell a Priest come detective.

Based in Dumfries and Galloway this has the opportunity to slip beyond the city grit that many detective novels have but I felt it suffered for an author who was too keen to shoe horn in local references at the expense of actually setting a proper scene. I am not sure if anyone not from the area would have much of a sense of where the story was set. This is a shame as I think it has a great deal to offer.

The actual plot was interesting and unique if a little daft towards the end. I enjoyed this and at 99p on the kindle I would recommend it to fans of British crime novels as well as look out for the second book.

21. Black Plumes - Margery Allingham - was recommended on here. It's a between wars murder mystery. Very gentle and puzzling but not too taxing. Quite nice. Might read some more of hers.

Agree entirely re Anatomy of a Soldier - I don't think there was enough 'plot' to sustain it for an entire novel. Clever idea though.

8 Anatomy of a Soldier by Harry Parker. Each chapter of this book is told from the perspective of an item of kit belonging to soldier Tom Barnes, for example his helmet, bandage and kit bag. Harry treads on an IED in the first chapter and the book is about his road to recovery. The novel, I read elsewhere, is based on Harry Parker's own experiences as a soldier.

Initially I found the narrative device intriguing: some of the accounts were gripping, others more mundane. The structure and plot was eventually a bit repetitive, although including the stories of locals and insurgents gave the book a more rounded plot. Overall an interesting read but I think it would have benefitted from being a bit shorter.

Next on my list is The Last Of Us by Rob Ewing.

I like Orwell best when he's telling me a story or taking me through the insides of a prison, or a prep school, or boys' magazines.

When he's telling me when to put the milk in, he can do one.

ontop yes, I'll use that title when referencing it in future, it will save confusion all round.

I'm amused by the idea there are now possibly many people typing that line into Google to check

Didn't he also subtitle The Sun Also Rises, in a letter to Scott Fitzgerald, Like Your Cock If You Have One? I went through a brief Hemingway phase in my late teens when I was going through a phase of almost everything so was quite into all the macho 'glory' of the Fiesta. Haven't read any Hemingway for years, though.

15. everything I never told you Celeste Ng - the aftermath of the apparent suicide of a teenage girl on her family. Although not the best book in the world, it was quite engrossing, and did make me think about the pressure to achieve academic success on the youth of today

16. American Gods Neil Gaiman - the Gods of Yesteryear are in modern day America and facing pressure from contemporary "gods" of social media and light entertainment. Some cringeworthy sex scenes aside, I really enjoyed this.

17. Hearts of Stone Simon Scarrow - a grandmother recounts the experiences of herself and two friends during the German occupation of a Greek island, with an archeological sub plot thrown in. There were parts of this that were brilliant, such as the claustrophobic rendition of the torpedo attack on a submarine. Others were full of cliche.

18. The Nest Cynthia d'aprix sweeney - the tussles of four siblings over the monies in their trust fund. What drivel! The first sentence is 125 words long and the writing style improves not one jot.

vanderley ha I did wonder briefly after I'd written it whether I should have put the other title, but was ultimately too lazy I'm so familiar with it (had to write about it once and have a couple of copies) I forget which it goes by most often. Yy to Moveable Feast. I like reading about food and drink, and it is one of the things H does very well. I like some of his short stories too. Presumably the cat would have been sober, so maybe not such a poor decision

Los of Orwell essays well worth a read. I particularly enjoyed the Decline of the English Murder one.

Oh, The Sun Also Rises! Yes, I've read it (and other Hemingway) more than once. Twas a lot of imbibing in that book. Booze, and also cheese. A Moveable Feast, his memoir about living in Paris while he was writing the book is very similar in some ways. Fun fact: he claims he and his first wife would occasionally leave their infant son with the cat as his babysitter!

Hi, bedelia! I'm looking forward to your review of Exit West. I saw the author speak and would like to read the book myself.

welcome bedelia!

Welcome bedelia. I quite want to read the Amor Towles so glad you liked it.

May I join in?

So far this year I've read:

1. The Couple Next Door - Shari Lapena
2. I see You - Claire Mackintosh
3. In a Dark Dark Wood - Ruth Ware
4. Good Me Bad Me - Ali Land
5. The Red Notebook - Antoine Laurain
6. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street - Natasha Pulley
7. The House at the end of Hope Street - Menna van Praag
8. The President's Hat - Antoine Laurain
9. The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery

So far, Gentleman in Moscow is my favourite read. Utter bliss! (Other highlights are in bold).

Currently reading Exit West, as recommended earlier on this thread (I think). I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying it so far.

Satsuki

43. The Ends of the Earth by Robert Goddard

This was the third in a trilogy. James 'Max' Maxted is investigating the death of his civil servant father in 1919 Japan. It's all about busting a spy ring. Sadly not up to previous Goddard standard.