50 Book Challenge Part Five

Morrissey's autobiography was diabolical

Very harsh, Remus. The book was inconsistent and often funny, like Morrissey himself. I thought the section on his childhood was well written and engaging. The rest needed a spot of editing and was less interesting (e.g. repetitive descriptions of post Smiths' gigs and the love of his fans). It sounded like the court case should not have been won by Joyce - but Morrissey did rattle on at length about it and I didn't like his criticism of Marr's lack of mettle.

31. Mysteries of the Runes by Michael Howard

A short run through the history and meaning of the runes in relation to the Norse myths and gods, their use in divination, the seasonal cycle of the festivals, and evidence from archaeology. It's less than 200 pages so there's very little detail but as a summary it's not bad.

32. Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell

The last in Cornwell's Arthurian trilogy covers the battle of Mount Badon, the years of peace that followed as Arthur withdrew and allowed Mordred to rule in Dumnonia. But the intrigues of Mordred, the malevolence of Nimue, and the ever present threat of the Saxons are a gathering storm which eventually breaks over Arthur, Galahad, and loyal warlord Derfel. Fantastic finale.

Looks like the laptop and kindle ban is being introduced soon on flights to the USA. I suspect it will then go to all flights and kill off a fair chunk of the kindle and other e readers industry.

Ah Satsuki I'd missed your review, probably lucky as I do think you're spot on & would quite possibly have given up too, although I hate an unfinished book. FWIW I preferred the second half and thought it much improved after the war, when it became more like a family saga I guess than a war novel.

So 29. The Dust that Falls From Dreams - Louis de Bernieres. This is a fairly conventional novel starting of in an Edwardian golden age where three families with 5 boys & 4 girls live side by side in Eltham and have a coronation party. The action then jumps forward to the First World War and the inevitable fallout. This was the bit I got bogged down by, I don't think de Bernieres does anything particularly new and exciting with the swathes of material available and some of the descriptions of the handling of various types of bombers were enough to send me to sleep. The main heroine Rosie McCosh is pious and self-pitying, all men seem to fall for her but nothing in her personality seems to merit this utter devotion. Still I found myself being more drawn in to the characters in the second half - we get less of Rosie - and how they come to terms with post-war Britain. As a whole, it's a bit Downtown, not his best.

Remus - "It’s completely irreverent, completely ridiculous, completely hilarious and gloriously, stupidly over the top. There’s a section of pretty horrible racism... if you don’t want the (very silly) plot spoiled..."

And so you are recommending it, then?

44. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore a very thoroughly researched nonfiction account of the Radium Girls and their brave fight for justice. These young woman worked for US companies during WWI and beyond, painting luminous numbers on clock dials and instrument panels using radium paint, which they were told was harmless, even that it would "put roses in your cheeks" as they shaped their fine brushes to a point with their lips. Over time the women gradually began to suffer from devastating, previously unheard of illnesses as a result of their radium poisoning but the companies maintained the paint was completely safe. The lies told and betrayal by their employers are unbelievable, and the courage shown by the women in the face of this was awe inspiring. The writing was a little clunky in places (not sure that's the right word!) but I happily overlooked that, and found it a very interesting, compelling and moving read that I learned a great deal from.

Might return the Marr. I'm not a huge Smiths fan and I have lots of other stuff waiting tbr.

Satsuki - will be v interested to see what you think of Decline. It was his first novel, published when he was just 25 - I wish I'd been half as clever at that age (or now!).

I decided against Johnny Marr. Love The Smiths but I was always on TeamMoz not TeamJohnny and Morrissey's autobiography was diabolical, even though I was actually interested in what he might have to say in a way I'm not particularly re Marr (until I started reading it, anyway!).

Finding The Pursuit of Love increasingly annoying now, I'm afraid, although occasional lines still making me titter.

Maybe see how you get on first

stokey good luck with it - did you see my review a few pages back

I've read Endless Night and seen a rather dodgy 70s film of it Remus. There'a also a Doors song that I always get stuck in my head when I think of it. My general rule of thumb is late Christie is on the wain, particularly if there's no Poirot involved. I like Evelyn Waugh too, prefer his earlier stuff to Brideshead, which is a bit overly symbolic.

28. The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a million pounds - John Higgs. I really enjoyed this, but it may not be to everyone's taste. It goes through conspiracy theories, Dadaism, the Illuminati and Discordianism and what KLF were trying to achieve - or if they even knew. It's a bit airy but an interetsing read.

I'm now on to Louis De Berniere's latest about the first world war. Think it's quite hard to write a war book these days without it come across as cliched.

Best I read Set The Boy Free and sorry to say I was very disappointed by it - the early childhood stuff was OK but it was very thin on detail about the Smiths years and then descended into a fairly dull list of all the famous people he's jammed with. You might enjoy it more though!

A couple to add:

30. Olive Kitteridge: Elizabeth Stout. Interesting structure, enjoyed it overall, a little underwhelming in its final effect.
31. Winter in Madrid: C J Sansom. A very boring book. It should have been exciting (spies! war! Franco! betrayal! savage dogs!) but the writing is very dull and the characters beyond tedious and the plot strained to implausibility. 'Flat' is the best word for it. I had bought it on Kindle a few years ago, started it and stopped a few chapters in. People on here keep mentioning the Shardlake books so I thought I'd pick it up again. Are the Shardlake ones very different?

EmCee, I didn't get on with The Gathering either. Read it a couple of years back - if I remember correctly (which I rarely do) it felt a bit over-written to me.

I am usually a big fan of Agatha Christie but I found Endless Night a big disappointment. The twist at the end also irritated me somewhat but that might have been because I had recently finished a book with exactly the same twist.

32 - Birdcage Walk - Helen Dunmore - Set in Bristol at the outbreak of The French Revolution. Lizzie has a radical feminist writer for a mother but is now married to John a property developer who believes that Lizzie's independent spirit should be quashed. As events unfold across the channel John's plans of building a magnificent terrace are increasingly threatened and tensions build in the marriage. This book had so much potential as the author captured the sense of time and place and the uncertainty excellently but unfortunately the actual plot was a bit disappointing.

*33 Dear Amy - Margot Lewis the agony aunt for the local paper receives a letter purporting to be from a woman who was kidnapped two decades previously. In her day Job Margot is a school teacher and when one of her pupils goes missing she starts to question if both cases are linked. I would say this was a passable thriller and not quite as gripping as others I have read. Having looked at the reviews on Goodreads I must be one of the few people who didn't work out the twist in advance.

Currently reading A Year of Marvellous Way - Sarah Winman

I am struggling with book 29 The Gathering by Anne Enright. The blurb on the back suggests the book is right up my street but I don't like it much. I can't out put my finger on why exactly; I think it's just the WAY it's written. Some chapters seem more readable than others. I'm more than half way through and being a nosy sort, will soldier on to get to the bitter end.

Inspired to get hold of some Nancy Mitford. Have read quite a lot about the sisters (Wait for me! and The Sisters) but never one of her own books.

Just bought Johnny Marr's Set The Boy Free on Kindle daily deal. Anyone read it?

I'm even more pissed off I missed Decline and Fall after your review remus. Going to look for it in the library.

sovereign does go on very slowly but the ending is very good. revelation a bit better paced all the way through.

I'm late joining but I'm in!
So far this year I've read.

1. The best thing that never happened to me - Laura trait and Jimmy rice
2. A year of being single - Fiona collins
3. Single woman seeks revenge - Tracy bloom
4. No-one ever has sex on a Tuesday -Tracy Bloom. (Hilarious by the way)
5. No-one ever has sex in the suburbs - Tracy Bloom Felt like I'd had to much chick lit after them and moved onto some good thrillers with a twist which is my favourite type of book to read.
6. No turning back - Tracy Buchanan
7. My husband's wife - Jane Corry
8. Behind closed doors - B A Paris. (Highly recommended this I thought it was brilliant)
9. Between you and me - Lisa hall

Not sure what to read next year am currently browsing the Kindle store lol

19. Genius and Discovery: Five Historical Miniatures by Stefan Zweig

I enjoyed this short but sweet and well-written book about five important instances in human history and the exceptional individuals who made them happen. One was Handel and the story was him writing Messiah at a low point in his life - surprisingly, I thought this was the weaker story in the book (perhaps it's not if you haven't already read entire books on the life of the man).

My favorite stories were the first, about the discovery of Pacific Ocean, and the last one about telegraph lines making instant communication between America and Europe possible.

I now see that the author was born in 1881 The writing style has stood the test of time far better than some other oldies I can mention (cough Neville Shute cough).

The hardcover edition is very beautiful and makes a great gift, if anyone is interested

Oh, I love The Pursuit of Love. She says, predictably. The Alfred one is nowhere near as good, agreed.

I think of the two as one long story, same characters etc so they are inextricable in my mind. My copy has both in the same book so I've never read one without the other. I can understand why you'd be irritated by LIACC if you hadn't read The pursuit of Love first.

Remus , Best. I have never read either the Pursuit of love or Love in a Cold Climate Have read lots about the Mitfords though- in fact in the middle of Take Six Girls , a recent Kindle daily deal.

Just realised I called 'Decline' a 'stand put' instead of a 'stand out'. Is it Friday yet?