50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Eight

56. Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. This was one of the best books I have read this year, a gripping, harrowing, well written novel based on Antigone, and I would highly recommend. Thank you for recommending it!

69. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers The follow up to A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet this picks up on two characters' stories from that book. I loved it for the same reasons - it is a warm and emotionally intelligent book, with themes of love, friendship and kindness throughout. Overall I preferred the first book, but this was a lovely cosy read for this time of year.

Will probably squeeze one more book into 2017!

108 Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Ventakesh

Absolutely fascinating book following the author's many years of 'applied sociology research' (aka spending time hanging out with) gang members and other residents of the Robert Taylor housing project in Chicago. It's as much about the author as it is about the people he's spending time with - who over the years become friends - and I really like that. He's very honest about his initial naivety, the times he messes up and does the wrong thing, and the fact that his view of the situation is always partial and affected by his own upbringing and preconceptions. (Very much the opposite of books like Beyond the Beautiful Forevers where the author recounts events as if she were an invisible all seeing presence.) Great to end the year on a real highlight.

This thread can be very bad for your to-read list Smiled - I think I need a year's holiday now to make a serious dent in mine

Ooo was fancying some new books then stumbled across this thread for the first time

125. Madame Zero - Sarah Hall Short but quite brilliantly book of short stories. Beautifully written and left me wanting more. Short stories are not usually my thing at all. This was a book club read and looking forward to hearing what others think.

@highlandcoo I know what you mean! I got the three main characters down eventually (though there were lots of ‘he’s’ that took some unpicking which he was being referred to, much like Wolf Hall) but the endless parade of other characters got too much to keep track of. I think what stalled me for the first 60-70% of the book was constantly going back to check who was who, which was the convention and which the assembly etc. In the end I just let all that wash over me and powered through regardless!

Today was an official duvet day in this house, during which I read another book for a goodreads challenge prompt:
59. We Were on a Break Lindsey Kelk - standard chick lit really, though not badly written if that’s your thing. Wouldn’t have chosen it but it was a quick easy fill for the prompt and the characters were pretty likeable.

55. A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles. I thought this was much better than the first one in the series, and have downloaded the third already! A m/m romance (almost a Heyer slash fanfic), with a bit of historical back plot, and she almost pulls off a Heyeresque plot at the end. A good read if slash is your thing.

Well, that's what my m-i-l said on the Christmas card ... Really hope it's true as the hardback Winter is beautiful.

107 I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong

An exploration of how bacteria and other microbes interact with animals, insects and plants, and how they have contributed to shaping the history of life on our planet.

Very interesting read, although I found it a little over-long - it would have been a much tighter read with a bit more editing. Still, it was well worth the time, and I'd recommend (especially as it's currently only 99p on Kindle).

Compost well done for getting to the end of A Place of Greater Safety - I couldn't! Just couldn't differentiate in my mind between the three main characters during the first quarter or so of the book so kept going back and re-reading until I eventually jacked it in.

I'd really enjoyed Wolf Hall and BUTB and am fascinated by France so very disappointed.

52. The Animators by Karla Rae Whitaker: Sharon Kisses and Mel Vaught are indie animators who have just released their first feature film based on Mel's tumultuous childhood with her mother and who have won a prestigious arts fellowship. The book follows them on the next two-three years of their personal and professional lives and how they navigate some quite rocky terrain.

I very much appreciate Whitaker's focus on working female artists and their creative process. If that's the sort of thing you like, I'd recommend this book.

Autumn is being reprinted? Oops owe husband an apology for not getting a copy then.

185. Mr Dickens And His Carol by Samantha Silva

I loved this! It’s the story of Dickens writing A Christmas Carol. It’s written in a similar style to Dickens, it’s sentimental and probably not historically accurate in the slightest, but lovely to read at this time of year. If you read it as a tale that just happens to feature a real person it’s fine, but if you like books that feature real people to be historically accurate then stay away from this!

186. Murder Under The Christmas Tree by various

Collection of short stories. Mostly good but one or two I didn’t enjoy so much. Mainly classic crime authors (Margery Allingham, Arthur Conan Doyle) with a couple of modern authors (Val McDermid, Ian Rankin). Cover says it includes a story by Agatha Christie but it doesn’t!

Happy Christmas everyone! Very jealous of you all indulging in Christmas break reading binges. Christmas with a two-year-old is ... Not so much like that. Although it is lovely not having to work.
Respectable book haul this year:
Autumn Ali Smith
Winter Ali Smith both in hardback from the in-laws, who have excellent taste (though Autumn was reprinting so I'll have to wait to get that one, but reviews from this thread are making me keen to read).
The Invisible Child/The Fir Tree Tove Janssen (which if i have any chance of making 50 will definitely be read nextish)
Murder for Christmas Frances Duncan
Outsiders: Five Women Writers Who Changed the World Lyndall Gordon
Currently reading A Surfeit of Lamphreys, as Remus's post upthread reminded me I've never read any Marsh and have been meaning to for ages. It is glorious.

Morning all.

Well the Christmas break/ sheer determination on my part meant I finally finished 56. A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel. I’m not sure if enjoyed is the right word, but I was definitely more engaged in the last third of the book. I’m a Mantel fan, and there was some breathtaking writing in this book, but the constant switches of point of view got really waring- moving between individual characters’ POV to an omniscient narrator again, going from addressing the reader directly to more standard third person stuff. Plus just too many characters, I know she’s dealing with actual historical events but i just felt she was trying to do, and cover, too much.

57. The Misletoe Murders and other Stories P.D. James - an easy and entertaining read in the few hours I was awake before everyone else on Christmas Day!

58. The Railway Children E Nesbit - I’d never read it, and it fitted a prompt in the popsugar/goodreads challenge I’ve been doing all year but have no chance of finishing thanks to book number 56 above

Thanks Southeast.

123. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit - True account of Judith Kerr's escape from Nazi Germany as a child. Being told from a child's perspective there is a sense of wonder and adventure so the story is uplifting and hopeful. Will read the two follow up books at some point.
124. Swimming Lessons - Claire Fuller, read our Our Endless Numbered Days and was underwhelmed. This one felt more readable but the themes are very much the same. Daughter with bohemian parents, lack of understanding about true nature of parental relationships, disappearance, regrets, wanted, unwanted and undiscovered pregnancies. Would love to know how much of Fullers own experiences go into her books. Seems to a strong preoccupation with adored but ultimately flawed father figures.

First foray to spend my voucher haul and came back with
Madame Zero - Sarah Hall - book club read for January. Short stories are not usually my thing but I did enjoy Haweswater so will reserve judgement.
*How to measure a cow - Margaret Forster
Home Going - Yaa Gyasi
A History of Britain in 21 woman - Jenni Murray
Vinegar Girl - Ann Tyler *
Was disappointed that Burial Rites was out of stock but lots to be be getting on with.

Out of interest can anyone find our previous threads ? The links at the beginning of this one take you to 2016 threads and searching only brings up thread number 1.

Happy Christmas all

Like Sonnet, I haven't been around much this year but plan to get involved again next week, and be more organised about keeping track of my reading in 2018.

I already go to a book group in my local independent book shop and have just started another with friends, so that will dictate some of my book choices next year.

At the moment I'm trying to finish Golden Hill by Francis Spufford and not quite sure why I'm finding it such hard going. I need to polish it off soon in order to read A Room with a View and North Water for my two book groups on 9 and 10 January.

sigh Picked up Stef Penney's Under a Pole Star for 1.99 for the Kindle version. And while I was at it, I've been reading over the threads for this year and seen nothing but raving for This Thing of Darkness so picked that up for 2.80 and well. And now I really am, absolutely 100% done buying books. For a bit.

Also hoping to finish Red Seas Under Red Skies so I can start with a blank slate in the new year. Just over a quarter into it.

Well I seem to have reached 50 books by the skin of my teeth:

45. The Disappearance of Adele Bedeau by GM Burnet - same author as His Bloody Project. This is a quirky mystery that takes place in a small French town, I liked it but not nearly as much as HBP.

46.The Nowhere Man - Orphan X 2 - A cheap audio book and a completely unbelievable thriller about a Jason Bourne type assasin, but entertaining all the same. Junk food for the ears.

47. The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman - number 2 of the Sally Lockhart books. Entertaining YA Victorian mystery.

48. Rather be the Devil by Ian Rankin - another Rebus, I love these books. Rankin is a really good writer, he keeps the plot fairly ticking along and the dialogue is great. This one combines a cold case murder with a current case assault on a gangster. Great characters.

49. Black Widow - a Jack Parlabane thriller by Christopher Brookmyre - another cheap audio book, another thriller. I seem to have trouble concentrating on audio books unless something extremely dramatic happens every five minutes. This is a pretty good thriller about a woman being put on trial for the murder of her new husband. There was WAY too much background for me, but it was wrapped up pretty neatly.

50. Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson - I loved this, the perfect book for this time of year and for finishing the 50 book challenge. 12 rather magical stories combined with 12 recipes and the background to them. A gorgeous illustrated hardcover. Highly recommended for next year.

I am now reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine which I am really enjoying - but since I have a perfect 50 for this year I will save the last page for January 1st . Particularly since I am only 8 percent into the Alexander Hamilton biog!

I think I only received one book for Christmas , The Book of Dust. Looking forward to it!

Just xcame on here to say "Hello" and "Happy Christmas".
I've not been on this thread in 2017 except for a brief time prior to going on holiday....
I am planning to join you all again in 2018.

I got a £30 book voucher which I'm looking forward to spending

I got "Small Island" off a Book Group friend and have "He Said She Said" to read by the 9th for Book Group....

Looking forward to catchinmg up with you all again
Happy New Year!

A 'busting truncheon'?!!! What an appalling thought!

I've received a couple of Mary Beard books for Christmas so will be immersing myself in ancient Rome fairly soon. I also got a copy of Alan Bennett's latest diaries.

I think it's been a while since I've updated.
65. The Dubliners by James Joyce
Short stories about the lives of people living in Dublin. The difficulty I have with short stories is I'd always like more of some of them!

66. The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett
    An American tycoon's daughter is refused her off-menu dinner order at a top London hotel so he buys the hotel. There is a mystery going on there, though, involving theft and murder. Thoroughly enjoyable if unlikely in places.

67. Several Perceptions by Angela Carter
    Main message of this seems to be that depression and unhappiness can be solved by a good party and lots of sex. Well written.

68. Death of a Village by M C Beaton
    Unlikely plot but a good murder story.

69 Passenger to Frankfurt by Agatha Christie
This had a ridiculous plot and I ended up skim reading to the end. Not one of her best but it has a brilliant description of a cigar smoking civil servant whose secretary has to come and brush off his cigar dust.

70. The Card by Arnold Bennett Very enjoyable read about the rise of a young man in the Potteries. Very funny.