50 Book Challenge Part Five

Sadik - I detested the St Mary's book. Honestly, I thought it was abominable and really couldn't understand why it gets so much love on here.

The City and the City I'm finding weird but okay, but am only twenty or so pages in.

Meg - I adore The Woman in White. I do hope it picks up for you - have you met the Count yet? He's wonderful!

Book 45
Murder in Stained Glass – Margaret Armstrong
Similar to a ‘Golden Age’ crime novel but this time written by a New Yorker and set in America. The solver of the mystery is an old lady, but she’s far less irritating than Miss Marple! I’d guessed a few of the twists, and it did all get a bit ridiculous at the end, but I rather enjoyed this.

I'm also battling through The Woman In White, but finding it rather hard going...

19. Why I Write - George Orwell

A short but perfectly formed collection of four essays. The Lion And The Unicorn I found particularly fascinating, as a kind of state-of-the-nation survey of wartime Britain ; so much has changed since then with the collapse of the British Empire, the Cold War, the end of a rigidly defined class system, that it could almost be seen as a period piece, but it's still incredibly insightful and of course the writing is just perfect.

Congratulations Monty

Yes, yes EmGee! In the past I would always have a break between books as I couldn't go straight from one novel to another. Now I'm trying to read more I tend to deliberately select a different genre and if I have an audiobook on the go at the same time as a 'real' book, one will often be non-fiction and one will be fiction.

Best oh dear Pompeii is not looking promising after all. I think I will give up all thoughts of it for the moment and come back to it at some other point in the future. I wonder if the audiobook is more engaging!

MaxmillianNero i agree regarding Mortal Coil - so far it is my least favourtie but I am looking forward to the rest. DS is hooked as well and we read together so there is huge pleasure in that too - it has become our thing! I love the dedications in his books - Derek Landy cracks me up. I met him at a signing with the small ones a few years ago and he was an absolute delight. Have you read the Demon Road trilogy? My teenager loves them and has put them on my reading list for this year.

I was disappointed by The Goldfinch, as I loved The Secret History and quite liked the second one. I really enjoyed the beginning of the novel - the childhood New York experiences - but began to lose interest in the Las Vegas section. And I agree with Satsuki that the plot gets rather silly and convoluted.

Can't check what number this is on my phone, but have just finished Spies by Michael Frayn, which is my son's GCSE set text and which he encouraged me to read so that I could agree with him that it was terrible. Actually, I thought it was OK - a classic coming-of-age story mixed with a detective plot. I can see why it's a set text as it's full of ishoos.

Well, on The Goldfinch - she can write brilliantly, but she didn't for large swathes of it. Most of the middle was mind-numbingly dull and the ending all got a bit silly so I can see why a lot of people couldn't get past that tbh. It didn't have as much depth as you might expect for 700 pages.

25. The Escape - C L Taylor

Another library book. Started and finished on a lovely bank holiday.

Jo is asked to by a stranger to give her a lift. But everything is not as it seems as the stranger knows her name, husband, her daughter and where she lives and is threatening it all. Aware of the danger and with everyone turning against her Jo knows there's only one way to keep her daughter safe - To run.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and it kept me reading all day. Perfect way to spend a bank holiday.

Congratulations Monty. I remember DD enjoying The Snow Spider when she was 9 or 10 - I think it's definitely a book for quite young children, rather than one like Dark Materials that crosses over well for adult readers.

I liked The City and The City a lot, Remus. (That's probably a bad sign . . . )

Just bought the first St Mary's book for 99p on the back of the thread about them. Will have to wait though until I've finished my previous Kindle bargain (a Mercedes Lackey trilogy - got my titles mixed up so sadly not the one I thought I was buying but readable enough). Also got a cold war set spy thriller on the go in real-book form which is alarmingly timely with all the stuff happening atm out there.

I dunno...I loved the beginning but it went downhill for me when he met Boris and I did get bored. Perked up again towards the end.

Agreed, Southeast. How anyone can call The Goldfinch "pretentious drivel" and say they were "bored, bored, bored" is beyond me

24. Good Kings Bad Kings by Susan Nussbaum Read this because the reading challenge I'm doing over at goodreads has a prompt for a book with a main character with a disability. I wanted in that case to read something by a disabled author, and some googling led me to this. In some ways a tough read as some incredibly sad, rage making, unfair and heartbreaking things happen, but in others an easy read as it zips along at quite a pace, is well written and has enough humour and just enough hope in there. I started it a week ago, put it down for most of the week as thought it was going to be too depressing and with a more American/YA tone to it than I was in the mood for. Picked it up again today and zipped right through almost in one sitting. Definitely one I'd recommend.

Understandable, Remus

No idea what number I'm on now; possibly book 27:

The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain. Reviewed (and recommended) on here so I will be brief. Haven't had much joy with Tremain - read one of her books years ago and was underwhelmed) but I enjoyed this. Reminds me a bit of Ann Tyler, Ann Patchett type books. Well written, convincing, you care about the characters etc etc. It made me rather nostalgic for Switzerland and I could almost smell the fresh Swiss air :) I wouldn't say it has been one of my favourite books so far BUT I suspect it's because I started it as soon as I put down the previous book (Patchett's 'The Magician's Assistant').

I think I need to have a couple of days off and read some non-fiction e.g. Andrew Marr's History of the World or finish Sapiens instead of leaping from one good book to another, and give myself more time to digest what I've read. Does anyone else find this?

I'll save your review until after I've read it, Cote.

I just bought The Worthington Chronicles by Scott Orson Card (who wrote Ender's Game) for 99p in the Monthly Kindle deals. I had never heard of it before but the premise sounds interesting.

Remus - re The City & The City, I can't say I enjoyed it. I thought it was very disappointing, actually.

Hi all.
Finished a couple of books in the past week...
Quiet by Susan Cain - Non-fiction, an exploration of introversion and extroversion, "the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking". Accessible psychology, this made me think about myself and friends/family and how we react differently in different situations. It was an interesting read as a parent and teacher too, and I'll look out for the follow-up Quiet Power which I think focuses on children and young people.
A History of Britain in 21 Women by Jenni Murray - Listened to this on Audible and really enjoyed it. The selection is entirely subjective, with a feminist slant, with each woman's life story and achievements summarised in their own chapter. I confess, my knowledge of the featured individuals was poor and in many cases non-existent, so the format was a really good introduction to lots of aspects of British history.
I had previously been listening to The Butcher's Hook by Janet Ellis, got about 4 chapters/an hour and a half into it and found I wasn't looking forward to returning to it. Plot and characters seem grim so far. Has anyone read it? Is it worth persevering? I very rarely abandon a book.
Currently reading A Month in the Country which I spied in the library after reading about it on here.

Ooh congratulations, Monty! I clearly had not read the thread before posting

Ada's Algorithm: How Lord Byron's Daughter Ada Lovelace Launched the Digital Age through the Poetry of Numbers is 99p

Ooh and hi Indigo, and congratulations Monty ....sorry, I posted before reading the latest posts!

Monty - "Cote - Nice to see MN appreciating your Cloud Atlas analysis!"

Ha, "incredible analysis", they say Finally MNHQ appreciates me

I've also been shopping in the Kindle sale today; I get quite excited when a new sale starts each month! I chose The Woman In Cabin Ten, We Are Not Ourselves and The Emperor of All Maladies.

I just finished no 41, The Dark Circle by Linda Grant. I enjoyed this historical fiction set mainly in the 1950s. It follows East London teenaged twins, Miriam and Lenny, who upon being diagnosed with tuberculosis are sent for treatment at a sanatorium in Kent as some of the first NHS patients.
An interesting insight into the era and TB's treatment prior to antibiotics widespread use for the usually fatal disease.

I'm also halfway through Capital by John Lanchester, I like this. I'll be starting Commonwealth by Ann Patchett later too: it's due back at the library on Wednesday and while I've no chance of finishing it by then I can at least try to minimise my late fees!