50 Book Challenge Part Five

I was quite looking forward to Ada's Algorithm

Please may I join? I've been lurking for a while now and think I've got the gist of how things work.

My list so far

1. Golden Hill by Francis Spufford
2. The Sellout by Paul Beatty
3. Armada by Ernest Cline
4. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
5. The Light Between Oceans by M. L Stedman
6. Y: The Last madn, Vol.1: Unmanned by Brian K Vaughan
7. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
8. Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
9. To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

44. Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal Winner of the 2017 Wellcome Book Award. Translated from the French novel . Occurs during a 24 hour period and follows a 19 year old surfer Simon Limbeau who is killed in a car cash and what occurs to him, and specifically his heart during the process of him being admitted to ITU and then his parents decision to donate his organs. The book finishes with his heart being transplanted into a donor. Had high hopes for this book but was rather disappointed when I finished it. For such a highly emotive subject matter it is horribly overwritten in parts, too many random side characters which get incredibly detailed backstories for a few pages and then disappear from the book altogether and (personal bug bear) endless paragraphs with minimal punctuation. Not sure if the translation worked perfectly either. Definitely had moments where I thought "I'm really not sure if medical staff would use that particular word of phrase in this context." Was expecting to be deeply moved but actually felt hugely relieved when it was all over.

I didn't enjoy (or finish) Ada's Algorithm despite being interested in the subject; it wasn't very well written I didn't think.

1. A Brief History of Seven Killings
2. Doubts and Loves: What is left of Christianity by Richard Holloway
3. The Essex Serpent
4. The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. Madonna in a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
7. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
8. The Seventh Scroll by Wilbur Smith
9. Ada's Algorithm by James Essinger

I didn't enjoy Ada's Algorithm as much as I expected. I found it dragged quite a lot and barely mentioned any of Ada's work. It spent so much time saying how exceptional she was and describing her genius, trailing her "exceptionally productive year" of 1843, so I was quite underwhelmed when her work was skimmed over in favour of details of her ancestry and social life. I know that she was greatly restrained by her circumstances and didn't actually have the opportunity to produce much, but the author's thesis against her portrayal as an assistant or adviser to other more productive scientists and mathematicians seemed rather disproved by the correspondence he presented. I would much rather have read a biography of Mary Somerville I think. A big disappointment.

Gut Symmetries on the other hand was excellent. I have barely read any of Jeanette Winterson's books. I read Oranges are Not the Only Fruit many years ago and felt a bit neutral about it, so will try to reread it now. I just loved Winterson's prose. I don't care that it didn't make a lot of sense for the first third. It was beautiful and it came together well in the end. I especially enjoyed the passages on what it is to be born working class and suddenly find yourself moving in a different world, and also her passages about immigration and New York's identity.

Now reading Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor.

"not inspired because of his abs, because of the discussion I mean."

We believe you, whippet

27. Obsession - Amanda Robson

This was a 99p kindle pre-order. About a woman who asks her husband who he would love if he didn't have her. When he mentions her best friend a whole chain of events is kicked off.

I didn't particularly enjoy reading this or get excited about it not even as the book kept going. And I didn't like any of the characters and found some of it highly unrealistic. Wouldn't recommend.

21 - The Story of a New Name - Elena Ferrante

I read My Brilliant Friend a couple of weeks ago and found it completely addictive, so much so that I am rationing the next 3 books so I don't gallop through all of them in a week. Like nothing else I have ever read, in a good way. Her writing is so honest and raw that at times I actually have to put the book down as I'm cringing for the characters. I am about half way through and so far this is even more gripping than the first book. Gripping and horrible at times, but completely unputdownable. Loving it!

I see what you mean Whippet

39 The Midnight Swimmer by Edward Wilson

Patchy spy thriller set in the lead up to and during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I thought his main character, Catesby, was very well drawn (the main thing that kept me reading), and I liked the concept of a 'spy thriller' where the reader knows perfectly well what the end result will be, but the characters don't. I thought the author caught the real fear of nuclear war well. Unfortunately there were too many parts where he wore his research much too heavily, and a good ending was spoiled by a pointless epilogue.

I won't bother seeking out more of the Catesby books specifically, but I'd probably pick one up if I saw it in the library or cheap on Kindle.

Satsuki, his abs were pretty inspirational if I'm being honest

Oooh time for me to join in!

So far this year I've read:

1. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - Rachel Joyce
2. While my eyes were closed - Linda Green
3. The girl you left behind - Jojo Moyes
4. Denton's Little Death Date - Lance Rubin
5. Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi
6. Purple Cow - Seth Godin
7. Me before you - Jojo Moyes
8. The secret - Rhonda Byrne
9. The subtle art of not giving a f*ck - Mark Manson

www.goodreads.com/louiserogers

Thanks for your thorough research on China Mieville whippet. It's the kind of biographical detail I feel really adds to the discussion

I just googled China Mieville as I don't know anything about him. He has some pretty impressive abs in his picture! I have The City and the City on my kindle and keep meaning to read it. I am inspired now - not inspired because of his abs, because of the discussion I mean.

Read:
42: Rush Oh - Shirley Barrett
This has been reviewed already so just to add that I found this rather sweet and readable. It's hard not to like the 19 year old narrator Mary, who describes one whaling season, that of the year 1908. It's quite a light read but is actually based on a real family of Australian whalers which I didn't realise until I read the notes at the end - although she admits she's taken a number of liberties with the family. However, the descriptions of whaling made me feel extremely sad. They were quite heartbreaking.

It would have been far better if it were actually talking about two parallel universes (in reality, not as a metaphor) as in Fringe.

But these "two" cities are actually the same place, with everyone perfectly capable of seeing each other, getting out of each other's way, trying not to get run over by each other's car, etc.

The discussion of The City and the City makes me think of Fringe, which is one of my favourite TV series ever. So will try this book.

cote's version of The Cuty And The City sounds rather more Debbie Does Dallas!

Love the sound of Ordinary Grace, too.

BestisWest I think William Styron is a great author, perhaps try something else by him first to see if you like his writing before approaching Sophie's choice?

Sophie's Choice - I've always avoided the book because I found the film so devastating but you've made m e want to read it now Still.

Ladydepp yes Sophie's Choice was certainly gruelling to read because mainly of the Auschwitz material...but at the same time, it included so much humour, the characters were so vividly drawn, and it included evenyessome hope, that I wouldn't want people not to approach it because of the unbearable nature of some of it...it's a greatly worthwhile reading experience I think.

In addition to Sophie's choice as a book, I also watched the movie last night on DVD. I think I had watched it years ago (maybe when I was a child? really don't remember) but watching it now as an adult & a mother was in some ways close to unbearable. More so than the book I think. But what a performance by Meryl Streep!

20. The Girl Who Saved Christmas Matt Haig
There are elves with names like Dimple who live in gingerbread houses and get paid in chocolate money. There are evil workhouse owners, and plucky young chimney sweeps, and if you only hope hard enough, ANYTHING can happen!
I hated this quite a lot for the first two thirds. It picked up in the last third once Father Christmas actually started doing something, but Matt Haig's relentless Hallmark Calender approach to life was still a bit much.
Only read it because it was a present.

The Exorcist
I read it when I was about 15, pretty sure I thought it was good at the time but I cant say I remember it, worth a go

25. Right ho, Jeeves - PG Wodehouse - just needed a bit of light relief.

Sophie's Choice - I read this many many years ago, I found it absolutely gruelling and that was way before I had children. I really don't think I could handle reading it again..

Ruby in the Smoke was so good, I just loved the characters and of course the setting. I will be saving it for my dd to read soon.

EmGee ordinary grace sounds very good I'll add it to my to read list

I knew you would enjoy Cryptonomicon, slightly Well, of course, the reader has to read (and not skip) the cryptography discussions in the book. What would be the point of reading such a book if one doesn't enjoy reading about math / cryptography?

I haven't reviewed Cryptonomicon on here, by the way, because I read it over a decade ago. It might be due a reread, actually.

The Exorcist is 99p today on the Kindle. Is it any good?

Ooh, I've actually just spotted it's only 99p on kindle right now so I've splashed out rather than borrow it from the library!