50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Eight

Well, actually I have no idea whose review made "Everyone Brave" appeal to me, as Remus's review on thread 7 is fairly lukewarm! I did really enjoy it though - I was expecting Pat Barker, and I got more Mary Wesley; but I had almost stopped reading WW2 fiction as it had all become a bit samey, and to me this felt a bit different - I found the Malta sections particularly interesting.

The Good people is next but one on my to read pile.

46. Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave. A review upthread made me order this from the library (I will check when I can do a search in the computer, on phone now!), and I am so glad I did, a ww2 set novel that felt fresh, and although I wasn't sure at first, I grew to really enjoy the writing style.

Another vote for Burial Rites and The Good People by Hannah Kent. I always recommend the audio book for Burial Rites as the narrator speaks all the Icelandic names so beautifully. My mother and aunt, both in their 70s, decided to go on an Australian outback road trip a few years ago and listened to Burial Rites for part the drive. They usually bicker incessantly (why they thought days and days spent together stuck in a car would be fun I have no idea) but the story is so captivating they couldn't wait to get back on the road to listen to it. They didn't have an argument for the whole time it was playing.
Audible needs an additional star catagory just for that imo.

39. Everybody Hurts Joanna Nadin Anthony McGowan More YA. Sophia is a posh girl with a brain tumour and a vinyl collection in the thousands. Matthew is a postman's son who nothing exciting ever happens to. Until the day they fall in love at first sight/kiss in a hospital canteen. I didn't love this, but I did like it. It's sort of John Green but about actual, lairy, messed-up Leeds teenagers, and without most of his bullshit. I liked Matt a lot. (Sophia does read a bit like she's auditioning for a John Green novel.) I liked that his working-class parents are just nice and ordinary and a bit awkward, rather than completely dysfunctional, which is far too rare in YA. I also liked that Sophia's brain tumour is inoperable but benign, so rather than dying tragically, she's just getting on with the important stuff in life like friends and boyfriends while also dealing with all the arse of a chronic medical condition - medication and seizures and side-effects, which again, was refreshing. (McGowan writes Matt's chapters and Nadin Sophia's.)

Hi magi my first year on this thread and I’ve enjoyed all the recommendations too. I’m not going to make 50 books however, maybe half that number!
22. His Bloody Project. Late to the party on this much reviewed novel, but really enjoyed it. Big concept, skilfully executed. Did start to find my mind wandering a little during The ‘was he or wasn’t he’ insane discussions, and would really have liked to have heard Jetta’s side of the story. I had a very strong feeling about what was going on there but I’ve read other reviewers who disagree with me.

I bought this as a paperback book for my other half for Christmas but really missed my Kindle/Kindle app and ended up downloading it for the convenience of having it on my phone and backlit on my iPad. Think I’m definitely a Kindle convert

We’ll hold you to that magimedi

I loved The Good People. Hannah Kent is such a good writer.

Just popping out from my 'lurk-hole' to say how very much I've enjoyed all these threads & and some of the recommendations.

I will try to join in next year - promise!

I bought the Good People by Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites which I really enjoyed.

102. Winter - Ali Smith

Set (very loosely) during the three days of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Art (Arthur) (interesting choice of protagonist's name Ali) travels to Cornwall to visit his elderly mother Sophia. He has promised to bring with him his girlfriend Charlotte, who he breaks up acrimoniously with at the start of the book, so instead hires Lux, a girl he meets at a bus stop, to act as pretend Charlotte. Sophia's rebellious planet saving, Greenham Common protesting, left wing, anti Daily Mail sister Iris joins them.
As this is an Ali Smith novel the time-line jumps forwards and backwards so you never are quite sure from one paragraph to the next if you are in the now, or the past or the future, and who's now or past or future you are in.
There is so much more though. As in Autumn, Smith focuses on another British female artist, this time Barbara Hepworth (to a lesser extent though). There are also lists, and thoughts about Shakespeare, migrants, (more) Brexit, Trump, bird watching, blogging, twitter, infuriating banking systems...

I have read three Ali Smith novels this year, (How To Be Both and Autumn) and I read The Accidental last year. I'm feeling now that I have a better grasp on how to read an Ali Smith novel: Do not anticipate much of a plot or character development, fix yourself in the mindset that you are reading prose poetry in the format of a series of related radio 4 afternoon plays with additional art/political/historical musings, relinquish all desires for speech marks. Then it's a wonderful wonderful experience.

The craft with which she writes. It's hairs on the back of your arms, tingly skull skin good. The way she can write to convey tenderness, even with just one sentence. Bloody hell it's good.

So ,SO happy that there are cross-over characters between Autumn and Winter, all getting a bit David Mitchell meta, but I only realised this right at the end, so now I want to go back and read Autumn again.

What a bloody brilliantly book.

here it is MegBusset
I got excited and thought there were 2017 books in the sale at first, it's probably a good job for my bank account that there isn't.

54. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Hurari.

Listened to this on Audible. It was an entertaining and thought provoking read, many of the topics of which I seem to be annoying people with dropping into conversations irl. The book covers history from the beginning of Homo Sapiens through hunter gatherer times, the Agricultural and Industrial revolutions to the present day of consumerism, capitalism, the rise of the individual and the new Global Empire. There are provocative arguments about economics, modern culture and the communities we live in today.

It’s not just about history, he discusses religion (briefly) and ethics including the treatment of animals; our indifference to modern farming methods and the extinction of animal species. There is a discussion of happiness; is it important to be happy?

The book ends on a meditation of the future; the impending biological revolution where, perhaps, cyborgs will be the norm. Are we cyborgs already with our ever-present phones and machinery? With the mapping of the genome is it just a matter of time till we find a way to live forever? Or create a new SuperMan/race? Only time will tell..

55. Swing Time by Zadie Smith.

I liked the first half and then found the second half so dull that I struggled to finish it. Disappointing.

Thanks Murine, I've been wanting to read Outcasts of Time, so very satisfying to snap it up for 99p!

Murine, can you link to the Black Friday deals? Can't find them easily on Amazon...

50. Greenwitch - Susan Cooper

Third in the Dark Is Rising series, and very enjoyable, weaving local myths and legends into a lyrical children's fantasy tale.

95 Romancing the Werewolf by Gail Carriger

Novella by GC set in the same world as her Parasol Protectorate books. Biffy has now become Alpha of the Woolsey pack and has to assert his authority, Professor Lyall returns from overseas, romance ensues. Charming but slight - definitely one for fans.

There's some good stuff in the kindle Black Friday sale, including The Good People by Hannah Kent.
I picked up Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor, The Outcasts of Time by Ian Mortimer and Lion by Saroo Brierley.

38. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Thank you, wouldn't have picked this up in the library if I hadn't seen so many positive reviews on here. Very thought-provoking, at times just desperate. Interesting to read this around Remembrance Sunday. My mum has also been looking into my Grandpa's experience in the army during WWII, and although this concerns WWI, I couldn't help but think of him while reading this.

Years since I read Wise Children, but I used to love it. Interestingly my mum hated it - her grandmothers were both involved in that part of the theatre world at different times (one was a Tiller girl, the other a dresser) and she said it was just too far from reality. I don't think the argument that it was meant to be magical realism worked for her

Cedar - Wise Children is one of my favourite books. Glorious!

Amazon have three months free kindle unlimited at the moment! Means I can clear some more off my wish list without spending more money

Ha, Keith, I haven't read a Just William book in a quarter-century or so, so I'm impressed at my own retention of the family details.

Welcome London.

118. How not to die : discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease by Michael Greger
Another attempt at improving my diet. Okay, skimmed a bit but I like the overall message. He doesn't spend much time telling you what not to eat, but enthuses at length at the delights of eating fruit and veg and beans. Not really new, but he is persuasive. I've been trying it out this week, and it's a lot easier to go from trying to suppress my longing for coffee cake to thinking about how I can get more berries and nuts into today's intake.

119. The weekend wives by Christina Hopkinson
Decent chicklit. She specialises in pondering whether this marriage thing is all it's cracked up to be.

61. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
    This was reviewed a lot upthread. I enjoyed it, I thought it was well written. Not too sure about how a couple of the plot lines were resolved but overall it was good one of the better books I have read this year.

62. Wise Children by Angela Carter
    Dora is one of identical twins who were once dance girls in the music hall and theatre. She reminisces about their lives together. The story is a farce and I found it very funny. Dora is so well written she has such a strong 'voice'. There are a number of larger than life characters in it and the main scenes are so well described. The only other Angela Carter that I've read is the Magic Toyshop and while that was quite grim this is joyous.

157. Great British Bus Journeys: Travel Through Unfamous Places by David McKie

Does as it says on the tin - the author travels by bus through some British villages. I liked reading about areas I was unfamiliar with, but I would have liked a bit more about some areas I did know to see if I agreed with him!

158. Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Until the last year or so I had never read any Christie. I have now read three and I am struggling to see what all the fuss is about. This was the best of those I’ve read but still wasn’t great. She does come up with some good ideas, and they are easy and quick to read. However, this was full of rascist stereotypes - I know this is a product of its time but still makes for uncomfortable reading. Poirot states as absolute fact something he’s deduced from one tiny clue, instead of just thinking of it as a likely conclusion and looking for more evidence as any decent detective would. The ending was a cop out as well. Sorry but I’ve given her three chances, no more!

Now reading Howards End, never read it or seen the film but I’m going to watch the tv adaptation but wanted to read the book first. About halfway through and quite enjoying it but hoping something happens soon!