50 Book Challenge Part Five

I've read quite a lot of those Heyers but can't remember which is which, as it's so long ago. Definitely read 'These Old Shades', 'Frederica' and 'Sylvester'.

100% Tanaqui the main protagonist is DI Nick Dixon. The first couple are terribly short and really just introduce the character. I have really enjoyed them.

These days I tend to prefer the GH books with smaller age / power differentials and/or older heroines - so False Colours, Black Sheep, Frederica, Cotillion, Sophy. (The exceptions being These Old Shades & Devils Cub, both of which are deeply dubious on ethical grounds, but so funny I can't knock them off the favourites list.)

I have just finished The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett.
A very enjoyable read. Sabine is the widow and assistant of the famous magician, Parsifal. Who was gay and had a lover Phan who died of Aids. After Parsifal's death, she discovers his estranged family from Nebraska and gets to know them, all the time discovering more about Parsifal's past/childhood - none of which she was aware of.

I agree with Sadik- worth a read if you are a fan but not nearly as good as Sophy! Our library and Overdrive have a few- I like These Old Shades, Fridays Child, Arabella, The Masquaraders, False Colours, Sylvester (must stop!); and Venetia gets a lot of love although it isn't one of my picks.

Would you describe the Damien Boyd books as detective stories Passme? If so I might give them a try!

Bit of an aside but does anyone here listen to BBC radio 6 Music's Paperback Writer? There have been a few authors on recently which would be worth listening to I think.

22. Dead Level - Damien Boyd

Really enjoyed this one. The books are getting longer as well - first one was under 200 pages and this was 350 so a bit more substantial.

Set during the flooding of the south west and an election campaign, this story adds the twist of pharmaceutical companies misleading the public to the usual murder followed by procedural drama. I am really pleased I came across this author and took a chance with buying the whole lot for 99p each. I have enjoyed every book and it feels good to be at the very start of a series rather than discovering one many books down the line. Already started the last one but was delighted to discover a seventh to be released in October.

38 Prisonomics by Vicky Pryce

For anyone who doesn't remember the sorry tale, the author is an economist and ex-wife of an ex-MP who ended up in prison after taking what should have been his points on her driving license, then revealing this in a very messy divorce case.

The book is a bit of a mish-mash of an account of her time in prison (a few days in Holloway then a couple of months in an open prison) and a general discussion of the problems with the current treatment of women offenders.

The obvious comparison is Piper Kernan in Orange is the New Black, sadly this is in no way as well written, but it was interesting to see the differences between the US experience and the UK.

Thanks. Won't bother!

You could have Cotillion for a pound more . . .

An Inconvenient Marriage isn't dreadful, but there's a massive age gap between the hero/heroine which makes it a bit problematic for me.

Regency Buck is just kind of painful - the 'hero' is unpleasant and the heroine annoying IMO.

I wouldn't say they're two of her best myself.

Georgette Heyer's An Inconvenient Marriage and Regency Buck are cheapish on Kindle. Do I want to read them?

45. Love All - Elizabeth Jane Howard . Very much in the style of the Cazalets, despite seeing set in the 1960's. Shamelessly upper middle class, although everyone is living quite lonely and unfulfilled lives. Having read Elizabeth Jane Howard's autobiography there are a lot of parallels to be found here. Much of the book concerns the hunt for happiness and what people 'settle for'. As usual I found her characters irresistible although there were some who seemed quite pointless and could have been edited out without any damage to the plot. There was a bizarre change of narration style intermittently towards the end, from the first third person to the first and then back again. Not really sure what that was about , as again it didn't add anything in my opinion.
Some laugh out loud funny moments; my favourite being when the bosom of a middle age drunken woman , escaped her evening dress and was hastily crammed back before it hit the soup! Beware the book is full of 'feelings'

27. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

I think a lot of people have read this one so no need for me to rehash the plot. Very good read, I thought, particularly with the relatively light touch on the issues of the characters (domestic abuse, possible autism, poverty and housing conditions).

28. The Pursuit of Happiness by Ruth Whippman

British journalist moves to America with her husband and child and finds herself interested in the apparent national obsession with finding happiness, so investigates various elements of the happiness industry, community, social media, parenting, positive psychology, etc before deciding most of it is bollocks and actually makes people unhappier. Sort of in the Oliver Burkeman style, and quite enjoyable.

19. How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen by Joanna Faber & Julia King

Subtitled "A Survival Guide to Life With Children Ages 2-7"

Full of tips and strategies to improve communication with small children and (hopefully) make it easier to resolve conflicts, get them to cooperate, and so on.

I've been finding some of the techniques recommended useful and effective when trying them out on my older DC (my oldest is 5). I'd recommend this to other parents of small children.

37 No Way But Gentlenesse by Richard Hines

Autobiography by Barry Hines' (of Kes fame) brother, about his experiences of failing the 11+ and going to secondary modern school, how he became fascinated with kestrels and how that turned into the inspiration for Kes.

It took me a long time to get into this one, and I nearly gave up on it half way through, but in the end I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure if the book improved or I was just more in the mood when I read the second half. It's a gentle little book, but has plenty to say if taken slowly. (Particularly regarding the merits or otherwise of educational selection at age 11!)

55. The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King

Collection of short stories, all with the usual macabre twists you would expect from King. Enjoyed it.

56. Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas

Psychological thriller - twenty or so years ago a young woman went missing. Now, her remains have been found and her best friend is drawn back to their home town. The story is told partly in present day and partly in flashback and I struggled on occasion to work out who was talking and to whom. The ending used a plot device I personally don't like so probably not one I would recommend. Shame as I liked her first book, The Sisters.

Just read it Tanaqui - thank you! You're right - that's the sort of story he does very well.

I have downloaded some Sheridan Le Fanu to try as my next background short story collection. I've never read any, but Harriet Vane likes him enough to spend most of Gaudy Night researching him, so he's probably worth reading. And he's out of copyright, so no great loss if I hate him.

I absolutely love Skulduggery Pleasant and I'm counting down to June 1st. Mortal Coil is my least favourite of the lot though, I can't pinpoint anything really bad about it, it just pales in comparison to the others. Death Bringer (number 6) is the best IMHO. It's also the best one to watch other people read because it has a big twist in it which surprises nearly everyone Hope to see your review at some point Grifone

18. Universal Harvester - John Darnielle

Darnielle's second novel (I read and raved about his debut, Wolf In White Van, last year) - an eerie story beginning with a video store clerk in a small Iowa town finding strange footage cut into videos, and leading down unexpected and unsettling paths.

Darnielle is a fantastic writer and reminds me of Stephen King (particularly in his obvious affection for small town America) - Remus and other King fans, I would love to know what you think of it. Not cheap on Kindle though - I got it from the library.

I feel the same about Pompeii Grifone. I pick it up every now and then but it never engages me the way I'd hoped it would.

Books 49 and 50 The Vault and No Man's Nightingale. The very last of Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford books. I will miss him, he's far and away my favourite detective. Lovely man.

Going to have a re- read of some Rendell books and see if I can find any I haven't read.

Here we go with books 22 -28.

22. Brilliance

23. A Better World and

24. Written in Fire by Marcus Sakey. This was a cracking trilogy and I had to read one directly after the other. These books are set in the future where a small percentage of children are born and demonstrate some extraordinary abilities that set them apart from their peers. As time goes by the gap between these ‘Brilliants’ and the rest of the population grows. The Brilliants can outthink and outsmart every else so are treated with a growing sense of unease and fear. The government, fearful of the Brilliants, implement a number of measures to try and control them but the results are catastrophic, resulting in terrorist attacks and growing social unrest. Nick Cooper is a Brilliant and a government agent sworn to protect the general population against terror but as he begins to realise that there are forces at play that are determined to completely destroy everything to achieve their own political ends. Ultimately these books were about the impact of change on society and how fear, anxiety and extremism are often the response as people try to maintain the status quo.

25. The Goblin Emperor - Kathering Addison. Maia’s father is the Elf Emperor and when he and Maia’s three brothers are killed in a airship accident, he finds that he is the legal heir to the empire. As a half goblin, he has lived his life in impoverished exile and he struggles with life in the court. This is a sweet enjoyable fantasy with great world building.

26. His Bloody Project – Graeme Macrae Burnet. This has been much reviewed on here this year so I won't go into detail but suffice it to say that I loved every single word.

27. All I Know Now: Wonderings and Reflections on Growing Up – Carrie Hope Fletcher. Listened to this as an audiobook on the school run with my teenager. Highly recommend to any teenager - or parent of a teenager.

28. Mortal Coil: Skullduggery Pleasant – Derek Landy. Fifth book in the Skullduggery Pleasant series. I read this with DS and again Valkryie, Skullduggery and the rest of the crew are battling with the forces of evil. In this instalment Remnants (evil spirits) are taking over the bodies of people and causing all sorts of havoc, distress and death. The good guys fight the good fight but in the end there are some who survive but the losses are significant. Good fun.

I have been reading Mary Beard's Pompeii for what seems like forever! It should tick all my boxes but I but I just can't seem to get into it.

Book 43
The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey
Another Inspector Grant novel. I didn’t like it much, I’m afraid. I still like Grant but I don’t think I like Tey!

I read the sample of Bratt Farrar, which I thought was fine, but not sure I was hooked enough to spend a fiver on it!

Thanks for the Kindle sale information Murine I've bought both The Godfather and The God of Small Things, and my 'to read' list is getting quite long now

Thanks Keith, I'll keep an eye out for it.

Bibliomania, have you read In This House of Brede?

I really enjoyed it. Fictional account of a middle aged woman who becomes a nun in a closed order.