50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Six

Congratulations passmethecrisps

Congratulations, passme!

Faintly abashed by all the linguistic talents of posters here and how little effort I make with other languages.

Remus, I was disappointed by Howard's End is on the Landing too - I love books about books, but she kept going on what a prodigy she was, entering literary circles as a mere whippersnapper, and it left me a bit grumpy. (The best ever book about books is Anne Fadiman's Ex Libris).

Congrats on your sleep thief, Passme! They do interfere with reading, but they're worth it. Mostly.

congratulations Passmethecrisps

Congratulations Passme!

Congratulations PassMe

Passme Congratulations

Pop Sadik that would drive me nuts too.

Nothing new to add here as still continuing my self imposed exile in the world of Inspector Wexford. Just catching up with what the rest of you are reading.

Congratulations Passme

Congratulations Passmethecrisps!

Gosh I have missed lots and lots.

I took delivery of a little sleep thief last week so needless to say my reading has been a touch slower of late.

I have, however, finished the crow trap by Anne Cleaves and enjoyed it very much.

I am now reading Hurrah for Gin as it seems appropriate to my life right now.

38. I See You by Clare Mackintosh

Psychological thriller. Zoe Walker is confused when she sees her photo in the classified section of a London newspaper. The next day, the advert shows a photo of a different woman, and another the next day. And then one of the women pictured is murdered, and Zoe starts to get very worried.

A good read, although I was a bit unconvinced by the ending.

27. Les Règles de l'Interprétation Musicale à l'Époque Baroque (XIIe-XVIIIe s.) générales à tous les instruments by Jean-Claude Veilhan (1979)

Yes, that is the name of the book. And yes, I read it because I'm mad

This is only fascinating if you like playing Baroque music, I suppose, so I won't bore you to tears with a long review It's a 100-page treatise on the rhythms of various Baroque dances (Allemande, Aria, Chaconne, Courante, Gavotte, Gigue, Menuet, etc), how to play the ornamentation (trills etc), and most interestingly, all the myriad ways in which we are meant to play Baroque pieces NOT as they are written in the sheet music

In all, very satisfying and encyclopaedic. I will have to track down an English version, if I possibly can.

It is TooExtra - its the second in the Dark Artifices trilogy after Lady Midnight.

Sadik, is that a new Shadowhunter book?

RMC123 that's one of the few of hers I've read after a recommendation on here, I thought it was excellent.

54 Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare, listened to on audio.

Second in a trilogy, but no. 11 of the Shadowhunter books, so one for fans only. Unfeasibly attractive part-angelic teenagers battle evil on all sides whilst pausing now and then for emotionally traumatic doomed love affairs. I enjoyed it immensely

Only downside, James Marsters (aka Spike)'s narration was a bit ropey - some very dodgy accents, and painfully awful rendition of any Welsh words that came up. (Particular lowlights were 'Nudd' to rhyme with 'nude', and what I'm pretty sure was meant to be the 'Gate of Llŷr' as the 'Gate of Lear'.)

Murine chose The Siege. Well it chose me really as it was on offer on Kindle!!

I haven't yet read The Lesser Bohemians, RMC123, I'll keep an eye out for it coming up on kindle offers. Which Helen Dunmore book did you choose? I hope you enjoy it!

Murine - have you read The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride?
Again the prose didn't make for easy reading but it was worth persevering with.
Have just downloaded a Helen Dunmore. Will be interested to see what it's like.

88. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Gripping and disturbing, but I found the open ended ending frustrating - I wanted to know what happened to Offred!

I loved James Herriot's books, and was very tempted by the kindle offer but remembered I have paperbacks of them squirrelled away at my parent's house!

My most recent reads:
57. A Girl Is A Half Formed Thing by Eimear McBride A difficult read in both its subject matter and the way it is written: a stream of consciousness with fractured, disordered sentences that reflects how vulnerable and damaged the narrator is.
The narrator is raised by her pious mother after her father walks out, and is abused by a family member at 13. The book focuses on the complex relationship with her brother who suffers from brain cancer and is a bleak, sad read with palpable anger, at times I had to make myself continue.
58. Birdcage Walk by Helen Dunmore I have only recently discovered Helen Dunmore and thoroughly enjoyed my third of her novels. Set in Bristol in 1792, this engrossing, well researched historical fiction follows Lizzie Fawkes who has married Diner, a frankly creepy and controlling property developer.
The French Revolution impacts the characters lives including devastating Diner's business constructing terraces above the Clifton Gorge.
The book has a very poignant theme exploring the marks we leave behind us on the world when we are gone, and how these fade, in my humble opinion Helen Dunmore's will certainly be enduring.

Yy to all creatures. Love it. Like tea and crumpets in book form.

Turnofthescrew I would definitely recommend All Creatures Great and Small. I read them all when I was on Maternity leave with my first. Comfort reading for me.