50 Book Challenge 2018 Part Two

Finally copying over my list.

1.) Gossip From the Forest, Sara Maitland
2.) Ritual, Adam Nevill
3.) The Penny Heart, Martine Bailey
4.) Norse Mythology, Neil Gaiman

5.) The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim Library Volume 1: Histories

This is the first in a 3-volume set collecting together all the in-game books found in the RPG game Skyrim (Why, yes, I am a massive geek -- why do you ask? ). In all seriousness it's a fun read, and it's fascinating to delve a little deeper into the lore of the world. I particularly enjoyed the Decumus Scotti books and the Wolf Queen history.

6.) The Fishermen, Chigozie Obioma -- When their father takes a job in a distant city, four brothers start to fish at a nearby river with a bad reputation. There, they run into a local madman, who predicts that the eldest boy will be killed by one of his brothers, resulting in tragedy.

I started this one last year, but put it down a third of the way in and didn't pick it up again. I enjoyed it, although I think you'd need to know a little bit about the history of Nigeria to get the most out of it. I think there was a lot I missed.

Currently reading The History of the English Puppet Show, which for a book originally written in the 50s about puppets contains rather more talk about sex and phalluses than I'd expected .

Available biogs, that should say. Really struggling with the new keyboard in the latest IOS update!

I’m really keen to read a good biography of L. M. Alcott, as she had such an interesting weird background, but I’ve read very mixed reviews of the available blogs. Anyone have any recommendations?

BestisWest I read How Hard Can it Be last year and felt the same. Really frustrating about the cliches. The only redeeming feature I did really like was that she had female friendships in the book. I realized when I was reading it how so few modern female characters make good solid female friends in novels.

5, How hard can it be - Alison Pearson Follow up to I don’t know how she does it. Should have called it I don’t know why I did this to myself

Every cliche imaginable about menopause/mid life crises in men/ stroppy teenagers etc. One of those books where the heroine is too broke to fix household things but can afford a Harley street gynaecologist.

There were some nicely written bits - she writes quite sensitively about old age and Alzheimer’s but on the whole it gave me the rage.

I should have known better. I’m not a fan of Pearson and only read it because I quite liked the David Cassidy book.

Cheerful have never heard of those two LM Alcott books. Have added to my list.

sonnet your book club sounds amazing. Can I join? I am actually a member of two. I am supposed to be going to the other tonight. This one is pretty much the same, lovely people, lovely snacks, minimal book chatter! Will report in!

Oh, Rose's two main suiters are a master-class in how to behave well or badly towards a woman though, which sadly still felt very topical today. And I liked the nuance portrayal of the family - even the nice ones aren't all saints, which was a pleasant surprise.

I really liked The Home-Maker too, Tepischore.

I should have known you lot would all be LM Alcott fans. I thought no one would have a clue what I was on about! Okay:

1. Rose in Bloom LM ALcott

I long for book pontification Sonnet oh and strict 20 minute catch up but do you have the fancy crisps?
I do take your point Spother about being master of both my book and snack domains and doing away with the club altogether.

6. Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell - not sure why I had this book. I think it was a charity shop purchase last Autumn. Set in Ozark Hills of Southern Missouri, this is the story of feisty teenager, Ree Dolly, who undertakes the daunting task of tracking down her feckless father before he breaks the terms of his bail and loses the family home. A powerful, bleak novel that was a great read!

I'm not jumping on the bandwagon as I started this before I caught up with this thread..... Book 7 - This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson - Only 25 pages in but enjoying it so far. I may have to put it aside next week to fit my Book Group book in though

Talking of Book Groups - mine is fab! - we are very strict and have a 20 min catch up and then its all about the book! I have ploughed my way through some dire choices though but the flip side of the coin is I've read and enjoyed books i would never have picked up . One member did leave as she thought we "pontificated" about the book too long.....it was the wrong group for her!

Scribbly have similar conversations here. I too enjoy the wine and nibbles but not sure I enjoy them enough to keep reading stuff no one else can be bothered with. Especially when I could be a home reading stuff I want to read and eating crisps and drinking wine.

Toomuchsplother and Terpsichore every month I come home after bookclub and climb into bed, DH rolls over and whispers ”Are you very angry right now?”
Obviously there is a repeating pattern of me coming home and ranting in bed about the inability of my fellow bookclubbers to even attempt to finish the damned books that are chosen. I too wonder frequently whether to give it up.
I quite enjoy the wine and fancy crisps though.

Missed one off my list.

(1) Witch is When Life Got Complicated by Adele Abbott
(2) Witch is Where It All Began by Adele Abbott
(3) Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller
(4) Die Last by Tony Parsons
(5) Restaurant Babylon by Imogen Edwards Jones
(6) The Sugar Men by Ray Kingfisher
(7) The Hospital by Barbara O'Hare
(8) Fade Out by Rachel Caine
(9) Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim

(1) Witch is When Life Got Complicated by Adele Abbott
(2) Witch is Where It All Began by Adele Abbott
(3) Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller
(4) Die Last by Tony Parsons
(5) Restaurant Babylon by Imogen Edwards Jones
(6) The Sugar Men by Ray Kingfisher
(7) Fade Out by Rachel Caine
(8) Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim

Today was a snow day for my son so I have spent the morning quite happily reading on the sofa whilst he is snuggled up with his quilt and tablet.

Yellow Crocus was one that had been on my Kindle for a while and I am so glad I finally read it. It is a wonderful book with a well thought out ending. It gives a glimpse into slavery and how some white people just didn't agree with it and tried in their own small ways to stop it.

The blurb is....
Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. Thus begins an intense relationship that will shape both of their lives for decades to come. Though Lisbeth leads a life of privilege, she finds nothing but loneliness in the company of her overwhelmed mother and her distant, slave-owning father. As she grows older, Mattie becomes more like family to Lisbeth than her own kin and the girl’s visits to the slaves’ quarters—and their lively and loving community—bring them closer together than ever. But can two women in such disparate circumstances form a bond like theirs without consequence? This deeply moving tale of unlikely love traces the journey of these very different women as each searches for freedom and dignity.

toomuch and scribbly - same here re book groups. Dh and I also take bets beforehand on how long we can keep the focus on the actual book before things drift into local gossip. Sometimes not very long at all

Had a good but disappointing mooch round the hospital charity book shop while DH was having treatment today, came away with 6 books in the Montabalno series for £2 and The Art of Fielding, which I did read when it first came out but fancy a re-read.

Scribblygum thank the Lord I am not the only one. I know life is busy and finding time to read is hard but why join a book group if you aren't going to read?! Last night we talked max 10 mins about the book. Don't get me wrong they are all lovely people but I joined to talk about books. Wondering if I should knock it on the head.

whippetwoman I read Inside The Wave last year and like you found it a mixed bag. I really didn’t ‘get’ the title poem either. The last two stanzas are so beautiful but all that comes before about Odysseus made me most
What does that poem mean?

Toomuchsplother this is the bane of my (bookclub) life - people not bothering to read the book. I have wasted money and hours of my life ploughing through pages of utter, utter shite (Judy Finnegan's Eloise being a standout low) only to turn up and find that the majority have either not bothered to read it at all or are only half way through. Makes me inwardly seethe.

Ellisisland, I was expected to watch my DS play Saturday morning football, so I read on the side of the pitch completely ignoring the game surrounded by keen parents shouting things like 'go on, tackle him' etc.

7. Aaron’s Rod – D.H Lawrence
Unless your idea of fun is trawling through 300+ pages of misogynistic musings on the notion of masculinity (from a character that decides to abandon his wife and three children) I would advise you very strongly not to read this. This is the second worst novel I have ever read, the first being The Plumed Serpent, also by D. H Lawrence. Yet Sons and Lovers, The Rainbow etc are amongst my favourite novels. Why D. H Lawrence, why?? Aaron’s Rod made me so cross I felt cheated that D. H Lawrence was dead and I couldn’t harangue him. I was not impressed by Aaron OR his rod.

14. Housekeeping- Marilynne Robinson. This was the first of her books I have read but will definitely read more. A short but very intense book about 2 orphaned teenage girls being brought up by their eccentric aunt after the death of their mother and grandmother. Set in a remote North American town which is dominated by the mountains, lake and railroad. It is one of those books where not a lot happens but the strength of character more than makes up for it. Her writing is incredible if quite dark in places.

Must read This thing of darkness, however really need to get my too read pile down.

On a separate note, went to book club last night and only two of us had read the book or even part of the book!! Think I might be turning into a Grumpy Old Woman but this really winds me up. Sorry rant over -off to iron!

Well my book buying ban lasted two weeks... I blame having a day off work and no kids...

This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson - glad it has just been recommended on here as well!
In the days of rain - Rebecca Stott
Mrs Osmond - John Banville
Larchfield - Polly Clark

Am currently reading Howard's End is on the Landing by Susan Hill, as have had it on my bookshelf for ages and not read it. The irony.

Am powering through books at the moment, mainly due to DS taking up football practice, so hours spent sitting in cars waiting for him to finish. Kids do have their uses.

Oh it is! And now I have just found out he died! 12 years ago mind, but still feel suddenly sad.

,rushes off to buy book even though tbr pile is out of control and Middlemarch still not finished.

Is this the same Harry Thompson who wrote When Penguins Stopped Play about a cricket team in the (I think( Antarctic? read it years ago : very funny.

Thank you Cote I have added it to my tbr list.

I'm nearly through January without buying a book only reading what is already on my kindle, I went through my cloud and moved everything onto my kindle that I have bought but not read and have 43 books on there now. I could almost finish the challenge without buying a book however there are so many recommendations on this list that I now want to read I might alternate months of being allowed to buy and then must read from my kindle.