50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Six

I do notice that sort of thing and I do care. I am aware that the author is a woman.

"Lots of men wittering on. Waited in vain for a female character to be introduced."

I don't care about or even notice that sort of thing at all Who cares?

The author is a woman. Were you upset because you thought she was a sexist man?

museumofham you won't regret it. And ditto NG.

DNF. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke OK I give up. Went back and read the sodding footnotes and felt no less bored and annoyed for it. Lots of men wittering on. Waited in vain for a female character to be introduced. When a woman was finally allowed to 'speak' it was in the form of a letter, which served to show (or 'shew', grrr, either write the whole thing in olde spellynge or don't; don't spring random oh so whimsical shews on me) up her poor spelling and general silliness. It was shortly after that I decided to give up. I wanted to like it, I really did. Strangely enough, the cover endorsement is from Neil Gaiman, another author that I feel I should like but often just works me up into a whimsy with underlying misogyny induced rage.

18. Conclave by Robert Harris

Vatican shenanigans surrounding the election of a new Pope. This was good, the ending was frivolous, but I saw it coming a way off so it didn't throw me. It was all well researched, nicely written and quietly intriguing and I raced through the last few chapters. Surprisingly pacy really considering the subject matter. I would read more from him definitely; an easy read in a safe pair of hands - enjoyable enough.

I've bought The Night Watch and Affinity - have read the other Sarah Waters already. I might have read The Night Watch a long time ago, but I'm not very sure.

I'm a fan of JS & MN and also currently reading (and loving) The Essex Serpent.

JS&MN spectacularly dull. Have tried and failed several times with it and cba to try again.

16. Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller.

Ingrid writes her husband letters about their marriage and hides them in his books. Then she disappears. Twelve years later her youngest daughter returns to the family home in Dorset after her famous author Dad had an accident.

I loved this book. It's alternating chapters of the mum's letters and the present day about her youngest daughter. I love an epistolary novel but I found both voices interesting. It was a lovely read and also a page turner as I neared the end trying to answer the mystery.

JS and MN is much better as a paper book than on Kindle because of the footnotes and the nature of the reading. I really enjoyed it, but haven't reread it.

Recently I've read:
Keeping On Keeping On: Alan Bennett - well, very Alan Bennett. Could have been substantially edited for my taste.
Call for the dead: John Le Carré. I always enjoy a good Smiley book and it was interesting to see the relationship with Anne first introduced. Not one of the finer Smiley books but still good.
The Eustace Diamonds (audiobook): I really liked this one. Lizzie Eustace is marvellously amoral and there was more plot than usual. On to Phineas Redux.

I read the footnotes and beyond the appearance of Strange, and, no

cheddar I loved Essex Serpent and love the sound of your gothic reread.

Tabby, not Kitten, sorry.

"Don't tell me I have to read the footnotes as well. I mean, I noticed there were some, but couldn't be arsed clicking on them."

Noooo That's where most of the story is!

No wonder you couldn't get into the book.

I'm with Cote and Kitten. JS&MN is one of my favourite books ever (though it also took me a couple of goes to get into it). And yes, you do have to read the footnotes, they're genius!
In my opinion, it improves massively once Jonathan Strange appears.

Compostoleana - I didn't hate Animal (the Sara Pascoe book, isn't it?) but I wouldn't recommend it either. I loaned the book from the library after listening to Sara Pascoe on Adam Buxton's podcast- she was funny and engaging but her book just felt a bit ranty.

Tried to read On the Road a few years back and gave up. It's nice to hear others also don't rate it.

I've planning to read JS and MN on holiday. I loved the TV adaptation but wanted the memory to fade somewhat before I read the book. Interested to see which camp I'll fall into!

I quite liked JS and Mr N. It's a long long time since I read it, though - might have another bash. I liked The Ladies of Grace Adieu as well. I've started The Essex Serpent and it's inspiring me to do a big Victorian gothic re-read - Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Carmilla, that thing Bram Stoker wrote about white wyrms that I've forgotten the name of, the Hound of the Baskervilles...I spent the whole drive home yesterday thinking of more I could re-read! I could probably shoe-horn in The Moonstone on the basis of the plotline about the Brahmin priests and the boy with the pool of ink.

Don't tell me I have to read the footnotes as well. I mean, I noticed there were some, but couldn't be arsed clicking on them. I'm not starting again.

Don't know if it's part of the monthly deals but all Sarah Waters books are on at £2.99 at the moment. I've had a few on my wish list for ever and they have never dropped in price before so I've snapped them up. Uninspired by the rest of the monthly deals.

I've tried with JS and MN several times but so dull and I can't get on with the wittery tone. It just all seemed too irredeemably daft to me and I couldn't get absorbed in it. I really wanted to though, hence more than one attempt.

JS & Mr N can be a bit marmite but I loved it, especially the Raven King and have read it 3 times.

Have just read The Vinyl Detective by Andrew Catrmel, a good light murder mystery with a likeable protagonist. Thought the name was vaguely familiar and he turns out to have collaborated with Ben Aaronovitch.

Invisible interested to here your views on Holding. I bought this on a whim and was fully expecting it to be a bit crap. Will let you know!

I loved JS & Mr N - great story, fantastic worldbuilding, solid, literary, witty prose that is properly funny in places. My favourite character was the Raven King who appeared mostly in the background information provided in the footnotes.

I read this book slowly, savoured the story & prose, soaked & wallowed in the atmosphere, and properly grieved when it ended. Then waited a few years to forget it a bit so that I could reread it with pleasure. It was just as pleasurable the 2nd time.

I don't even like fantasy in general and magic stories in particular. Never felt the need to read Harry Potter or that book about the Ring.

To each their own and all that but you don't know what you missed

I've been a bit in the reading doldrums, too. I'm about halfway through The Summer Tree, Guy Gavriel Kay, but it's annoying me a lot. I see the author was employed by Christopher Tolkien to help pull together JRR's works - that is NOT licence to blatantly plagiarise Tolkien and have a king of dwarves who must look in the Crystal Lake surrounded by mountains called things like Silvertine. Furthermore, I'm 43% in and so far none of the characters are grabbing me. It is so 80s - they're all called Kevin, Dave and Jennifer, and the girls have been left in the castle while the boys go off for a spot of rape and pillage. It reminds me a lot of Stephen Donaldson as well (what was that book about falling through mirrors? It was a lot better than this!), and also, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure where they go back to medieval times and rescue some babes. The women in this book are about as deep as the babes in Bill and Ted.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell was one I abandoned a few years ago and never felt the need to go back to it. Don't bother. Life is too short for books that don't interest you.

Has anyone got any recommendations from July's Kindle deals? I can't see anything worth reading.

I tried to read Zen etc when I was much younger, and couldn't manage it even then, when I was desperate to be cool and had a much higher beatnik bullshit threshold.

34. Lifeless by Mark Billingham Well written police procedural featuring maverick London cop Tom Thorne, this time investigating murders in the homeless community that seem to be linked to soldiers who served together in the first Gulf war. I got pretty involved in this, thought I'd worked out who dunnit, but was completely wrong, which meant the reveal genuinely lived up to the description of 'thriller'. My dad had three of this series on his kindle, and I've now read all three. I would definitely pick up more of these.

I have now read the first chapter of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell twice and hated it both times. Started it a couple of weeks ago and put it aside, then when I picked it up again couldn't remember anything about it other than I hated it, so had to start again. Jeez, it's dull and annoying.