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50 Book Challenge 2018 Part Two

992 replies

southeastdweller · 13/01/2018 23:25

Welcome to the second thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2018, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, it’s not too late to join, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

The first thread of the year is here.

What are you reading?

OP posts:
Londoner11 · 14/01/2018 11:05

Still reading my first Book of the year- North and South by Elizabeth Gaskill. Am 55% through.

ClashCityRocker · 14/01/2018 10:57

Well, after staying up all night reading, book 5: Good Me, Bad me by Ali Land

Another one that was on offer on the kindle.

I raced through this - it's well paced and interesting, although you do have to suspend disbelief at times.

This is told from the point of view of Milly, a fifteen year old girl who has recently shopped her serial killer mother and relates her struggle to come to terms with who she is, whilst settling in to her Foster home.

It's quite surreal at times, and the court case wasn't handled particularly well, with all the focus seemingly on the last victim when eight bodies had already been found buried in her mother's cellar.

As odd as it sounds, her mothers crimes are very much in the background and not really detailed at length - whilst the author should be applauded for avoiding deliberate shock tactics over what is a shocking situation, it is difficult to figure what motivated her mother, which adds to the unbelievability factor. In some ways, it's quite a clever device as the narrator comes across as quite unreliable.

The twist at the end was a bit predictable.

Overall, a decent albeit unsettling read, and for only a quid on the kindle.

JustTrying15 · 14/01/2018 10:51

Just finished book 7, The Hospital by Barbara O'Hare which is a true story of her time spent at Aston Hall. It was an excellent book.

CramptonHodnet · 14/01/2018 10:38

Bringing over my very short list:-

  1. Father Christmas and Me by Matt Haig
  2. The Durrells of Corfu by Michael Haag
3.The Secret Life of Cows by Rosamund Young
  1. The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes. It did have some good bits and the plot wasn't all bad, but it just didn't work for me. I think writers trying to recreate period detail don't always get it right. Some of It seemed out of time, for example a nursery nurse, a servant, being friends with the eldest daughter of a Lord? Seems improbable to me. Overfamiliarity would have been frowned upon, or even been grounds for dismissal surely.

Anyway, apart from that, I didn't like the use of the real Mitford family in the story. Having read several of Nancy Mitford's novels and a biography of the sisters in the past, I thought it didn't work. And, also, apparently, the murder case was a real unsolved crime, solved in this tale.

ladymelbourne1926 · 14/01/2018 10:38

Thanks for the new thread. I finished my fifth book of the year last night
The Betrayal by Kate Furnivall,
I have to say I'm usually a big fan of hers but this one I was disappointed with. The plot felt laboured and I foresaw the big 'twist' almost immediately, so the big reveal was a non event. Romy s life was interesting and her life and relationship detailed but the rest was just meh. It felt like she started with great idea but then only did half the research for it.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 14/01/2018 10:37

Marking place!

Matilda, put Mount! down and go and read Rivals first! (Preferably all of them in order starting with Riders but please don’t start with the last one - it is dire in comparison and will ruin your enjoyment of JC!)

JustTrying15 · 14/01/2018 10:23

Thanks for new thread.

I am pleased I joined this as it has made me read more. I record all the books I read on Facebook but only managed 41 last year. Joining this group has made me see gaps in my day where I could read, sitting in the car, waiting on the kettle boiling etc. I used to scroll aimlessly through FB but now I read.

Anyhow, my list so far....

(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

beachygirl · 14/01/2018 10:18

First 3 of the year:
Do No Harm - Henry March
North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell
The Choice - Samantha King

Matilda2013 · 14/01/2018 10:11

Bringing my list over and thanks for the new thread!

  1. Sisters and Lies - Bernice Barrington
  2. Her Husband’s Secret - Janice Frost

Currently reading 3. Mount! - Jilly Cooper which seems to be taking me forever as my first Jilly Cooper and not really going anywhere considering we’ve covered over two years in the first third...

DwangelaForever · 14/01/2018 10:10

Bringing my post here ..

Just finished book number 3 in a day! I've currently read

  1. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
  2. Bring me Back by BA Paris
  3. The Last Laugh by Tracey Bloom (read in one day)

Books 2 and 3 aren't out yet but they are must reads when they do come out! I know BA Paris has got a lot of hype in the past. I read behind closed doors and it disturbed me so I didn't read her second but I really enjoyed Bring Me Back!

Also has anyone ever read the DCI Ryan mysteries or the series by Joy Ellis? I have kindle unlimited and I see they're quite popular with loads of books in series and dying for a new series so I may as well put my kindle unlimited subscription to good use!

HoundOfTheBasketballs · 14/01/2018 09:48

Morning! Here you all are!

2/50 - How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

I really liked this. I realised after I'd bought it that the author had written one of my favourite books I read last year, The Radleys, so I was looked forward to this.
It's the story of Tom, who looks 40 but is actually 450 years old. Each alternate chapter flashes back to earlier in his life across the centuries whilst in the other chapters he struggles with his age and conscience in present day London. Whilst in parts it is witty and amusing, it's also quite thought provoking. It made me think about ageing, the passage of time and how we love and lose people. Very good.

likeazebra · 14/01/2018 09:42

Warning I may be reading some rubbish I apologise in advance. Trying not to spend this month so I'm currently going through my kindle and downloading all the books I haven't read, there is some rubbish that I probably got free or 99p when I first got my kindle years ago! I will give them ago though.

nowanearlyNicemum · 14/01/2018 09:42

1. Birdcage Walk - Helen Dunmore
2. Wonder - RJ Palacio

3. Why Mummy Drinks by Gill Sims
Having read several posts from this author's blog I felt like some of the material was very similar which is akin to that feeling of having seen all the best bits of a film from the trailers.
I thank her heartily for a certain passage which had me literally crying with laughter - it's been a while since I've laughed like that when reading. Found several other parts really irritating though.
Overall a quick, light-hearted read.

Currently reading The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon. Struggling to get into it as I keep getting very confused by who is who.

TheTurnOfTheScrew · 14/01/2018 09:38

Morning all from the slow readers' club. Bringing my list over:

  1. The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale
  2. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

I have some horrible virus at the moment. Nothing serious, but it's sapping my energy so even less reading happening than usual. I am halfway through What A Carve Up! by Jonathan Coe, which is fine, but nowhere near as warm or funny as The Rotters Club, which I love.

cheminotte · 14/01/2018 09:22

Currently reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to ds1. I’m also reading ahead so I know if there are any scary bits coming and if he’s allowed to carry on reading in his reading time. So I’ll have read it twice by the time we’ve finished!
Need to start a new book for me, like PPs I like to vary the genres, having recently read a romance and an autobiography I need something different so will look on my bookshelf.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 14/01/2018 09:20

5 The Last Hours by Minette Walters

A change of direction for the crime writer, this is set at the outbreak of the Black Death in the 1300's and focuses on one demesne in Dorset and how the Lady of the Manor manages to keep all the serfs safe. I got this as I went to our local literacy festival where Minette Walters spoke about it, she loves locally to me, I know all of the villages she mentions in the book so it has some connection. Hearing her speak about the book, the amount of research she put in and her knowledge was very interesting. It's a good book, quick to read, keeps you engaged, it debates how most thought the Black Death was punishment by god but others, including Lady Anne, determined that keeping clean, personally and your surroundings helped curb the spread of any disease. There will be a second one to fin out what happened in the end.

Ellisisland · 14/01/2018 09:18

scribblygum I read that book about the Lizzie’s borden murders last year and felt the same. Very claustrophobic.

seething1234 · 14/01/2018 09:11

I found my people!! Hi all. I'm hoping to read 24 books this year. I used to be a massive reader but went crazy into podcasts last year. I'm finding it hard to concentrate (babies, sleep depravation etc.), so I try to go for light reads so far here is my list:-

  1. Oh My God What A Complete Aishling - very funny, set in Ireland. We all know an Aishling!
  1. Eleanor Oliphant is Completly Fine - I'm on a book club Facebook group page and everyone was going on about it. Loved it.
  1. The Mother's of Lovely Lane (Nadine Dorries) - I love Dorries' books. Very easy to read.
  1. The Fourth Monkey - currently reading this. Typical thriller. I guessed who the bad guy was pretty early on. Used to love these books now I'm over them.

I abandoned a book 2/3 in called Conversations with Friends (Sally Rooney). It was rubbish.

likeazebra · 14/01/2018 09:05

Finished book 3 last night.

  1. Totlandia Book 8 by Josie Brown
  1. Just what kind of mother are you? By Paula Daly
  1. No-one ever has sex on Christmas Day by Tracy Bloom. I initially found this book at bit slow and not as funny as the others in the series however by 3/4 of the way through it had me not wanting to put it down.
southeastdweller · 14/01/2018 08:59

I'm currently reading Diary of an Ordinary Schoolgirl by Margaret Forster, which so far I'm really enjoying and making me wish I could live in the '50's!

OP posts:
ClashCityRocker · 14/01/2018 08:54

Just bringing my list over:

  1. The Essex Serpent
  2. North and South
  3. QI Book of The Dead

4. The Keeper of Lost Things

Its an easy read - following the death of her employer, Laura inherits his house, and is tasked with tracing the owners of various lost items that her employer had picked up over the years.

It's rather twee and schmaltzy and sickeningly sentimental in places, which is a shame because some of the subplots are interesting and could do with a bit more 'grit'.

It's not a terrible book by any means and I can see why some people would like it. The author goes a bit ott with symbolism and serendipity, you sometimes get the feeling that the book has been written with GCSE analysis in mind, and attempts at humour fall short.

I don't think I'd actively seek out anything by the same author, but wouldn't necessarily avoid it.

Currently reading Good me, bad me - after a poor night's sleep I'm around 70% of the way through. Enjoying it.

ShakeItOff2000 · 14/01/2018 08:53

Thanks for the new thread South.

4. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.

Now this is a story, told with passion and feeling. Okonkwo is an Ibo warrior and clan chief in West Africa and this is not only the story of his life but also of that time and place. Excellent.

5. In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin.

Set in Pakistan, each chapter is a short story loosely linked to one other. Evocative descriptions, I was transported to the countryside of Pakistan, to live with the characters from all walks of life. The central theme in most of them is love but also loss and the general job of living and getting by. I’m not the biggest fan of short stories but I thought these were engaging. Perhaps too patriarchal in view point, I still enjoyed this book.

Piggywaspushed · 14/01/2018 08:49

I'm here: trying to finish Middlemarch today ... might be a touch ambitious...

Toomuchsplother · 14/01/2018 08:30

Alias and diamantegal I am half heartedly doing the pop sugar challenge. A quick question- I have joined the group on Good Reads but can't for the life of me work out how to post on the forums from my phone!

Toomuchsplother · 14/01/2018 08:25

Good Morning and thanks for the new thread South .
Bringing my list across, highlights in bold.

1. Golden Hill- Francis Spufford

  1. How to measure a cow - Margaret Forster
3. A History of Britain in 21 Women- Jenni Murray 4. Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi
  1. The reader on the 6.27 - Jean- Paul Didierlaurent
  2. Fire and Fury - Inside the Trump White House - Michael Wolff
7. Sugar Money - Jane Harris 8. Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë
  1. The Book of Eleanor - Pamela Kaufman
10. The Victoria Letters - The Heart and Mind of a Young Queen - Helen Rappaport 11. A place called Winter - Patrick Gale