50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Six

"cote you're on the last Shardlake! Hell's teeth - I thought you were ekeing."

God's death! I was indeed veeery slowly reading them one by one over many months. This one has been in my Kindle for so long that I had forgotten that it was there!

"You'll be stuck with Tears at the Cupcake Cafe on the beach next year."

Doubt it, as I wouldn't touch a book by that name for love or money

I'm on the beach for another 5 weeks so would love some recommendations, as well.

Ok here are the pictures!!

Best Attached are a couple of screen shots of my DH purchases on our joint Kindle account!! He actually did an English Lit degree but says now he just reads for escape!
Satsuki what a pain about the glasses !

Oh gosh, that sounds miserable re the glasses

Sorry Satsuki, not Sadik

Sadik and that's just a small selection. Just as well I didn't marry him for his literary tastes. Though to be fair his favourites are books about the Mafia and scurrilous Hollywood biographies .

Your dh obviously shops at the Manly Men's Bookshop for Men looking at that stack best

cote you're on the last Shardlake! Hell's teeth - I thought you were ekeing. You'll be stuck with Tears at the Cupcake Cafe on the beach next year. I am very sensibly going to be on 5 for my holiday this year and not reading 6 until he looks like writing another.

remus conclave is not historical and very rarely thrilling if that helps Also did you ever get round to reading any Robertson Davies? I could post you the Cornish Trilogy if you haven't been able to get hold of him, see what you think. I'd like it back at some point as would probably like to reread - was only a youngster first go round - but in no hurry.

I have got the wrong prescription in my glasses currently thanks to awful chain opticians so am miserable and barely reading anything in the evenings which is the only time I get. However have begun Rush-Oh slowly and I'm enjoying so far.

That's you sorted, Best

Cote, just looked at DH's books and lo and behold,

Thanks Keith, I've downloaded a sample of The Interestings.

BTW, Hot Milk is in the kindle Daily Deal today, 99p

Best, I am currently reading The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer , which you might enjoy as a good sunlounger doorstop. It opens with a group of teenagers at an artsy summer camp in upstate New York in the 70s, then follows them as they grow up, pair off, become either successful or disillusioned etc.

I'm about 2/3 of the way through and finding it a bit meandering (she hops about a bit in time and it's a bit slow) but she's a good witty writer, the characters are great and I love their interaction with the social changes from the 70s into the 80s. It's about 500 pages long.

25. Bringing in the Sheaves - Rev Richard Coles. A huge name dropper and an easy read. Quite a lot of religious references in his second autobiography, must admit to skip-reading through these a little...
26. Capital by John Lancaster. Loved reading this, reminded me of some of Jonathan Coe's books. Great range of characters all interlinked by living on the same street and receiving strange postcards and DVD's through the post. 27 Cider with Roadies by Stuart Maconie. Description of Stuart Maconie's early live loving pop music and his career as a NME journalist, made me re-live a lot of the music I used to listen to.

I am indeed on the beach & reading Shardlake #6

(Somebody please say that it's not the end of the series)

Cote, good call, I do have Shardlake 3 waiting on Kindle, just have to wait for my mum to finish with it (and she reads a page a day).

Shantaram sounds good but will have to come down in price a bit.

I might raid DH's pile of books to see if there's any Jack Reacher in amongst the Bernard Cornwall and Robert Ludlum.

Currently reading Jane Eyre for the umpteenth time but by gawd, it's hard going.

77. The Romanovs 1613 - 1918 easily the longest read of the year. Made longer by the fact I was forever flipping back and forth to consult family trees and 'cast lists' to work out who everyone was. Don't think I can honestly say I took half of it in but it was fascinating. Russia is certainly a country like no other and the past still looms large.
Certainly need a much, much lighter read next.

I'm a teacher - we learned all those in training.

OK, maybe not Remus , just thought of your interest in WW2 history, and it's always useful to know how to perform, for example, a thumb hold or Japanese strangle hold on the enemy (quaint 1940's line drawings included).

Best - I tend to think of Jack Reacher books as beach reads so you might like to disregard my suggestions but how about I Am Pilgrim, Shantaram, and Shardlake books?

50. Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik

Temeraire has been removed from military service and sent to the breeding grounds, whilst his captain Will Laurence has been sentenced to hang for treason. But the needs of the nation become desperate as Napoleon's forces invade southern England and seek to occupy London. The tide of invasion needs to be turned, and Temeraire is going to war.

That's lovely Cheerful - thank you for posting the link :)

Ham!!! I'm now wondering what on earth makes you think I'd like it?! I'm strangely flattered, but also rather disconcerted!

PS For the Dorothy Sayers fans on here - I know there are a couple - your next read should absolutely be this. Lord Peter/Sherlock Holmes crossover fan fiction written by Sayers in the 50s for the BBC. Very short, absurdly sweet.

mayhap.livejournal.com/147571.html

35. The Girl Who Fell From The Sky by Simon Mawer - About the recruitment and mission of a woman in the Special Operations Executive dropped into France during WW2.

I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. I think I had expectations too high of it because I enjoyed The Fall so much by the same author. I would read more of his, but this wasn't anywhere near as gripping or interesting.

It also had the dreaded 'book club' questions in the back. I hate these. Especially when the book is nothing more than average fiction with no profound message, literary merit or cultural importance. If a book is worth talking about, then people will talk. They shouldn't need to be prompted.

I like nothing more than someone I know and respect enthusiastically demanding that I have to read a book. Which brings me to my next read Not So Quiet by Helen Zenna Smith, suggested after I raved about All Quiet to friends. This one is the Great War from the perspective of a woman who served on the front line as an ambulance driver. It's been dancing on the coffee table since it arrived demanding my attention.

43. You Will Know Me - Megan Abbott

Another update with a very quick read. YA easy read book about Devon, a promising gymnast, who is the centre of her parents, her coach's and her teams dreams for olympics. When a car crash effects their lives will they hold it together?

This was a very easy read. The ending bothered me as I wanted some sort of justice.