50 Book Challenge 2021 Part Two

7 The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall
Thank you so much @Sadik for recommending this - I really enjoyed it!

Also agree that Under the Dome is not great. Not looking forward to reaching that one in my Stephen King read through

stitches, it is a truth universally acknowledged that the ending of Under The Dome is - even by King’s standards - a truly terrible ending. It’s almost as if at the very last minute, and it really is the final few pages - he just thought “yikes, need to explain this now” and made some nonsense up.
So you didn’t miss much by not making it to the end

@snowspider if you did want to try a Stephen King book then Different Seasons, which includes The Body which Stand By Me is based on, as well as the story that The Shawshank Redemption is based on, is a pretty good one to pick.

I generally don’t like spin offs, taking characters that someone else created and deciding to continue the story without their permission doesn’t really sit right with me. I really resented Wide Sargasso Sea when I first read as it prompted a radical rethink of Jane Eyre, which was one of my favourite books, but I have come to like it as a stand alone book, rather than considering it as part of the Jane Eyre universe.

I find Lost In Austen really comforting, silly but comforting.

Eine
I like Matt Smith a lot.

The Other Bennet Sister has managed to make Collins into quite a sympathetic character. It's just a pity it's all so bloody boring.

I did think Matt Smith smashed it as Collins but the rest of the film dire. You are supposed to fancy Darcy and I fancied Collins, which is not supposed to happen

I do love Clueless .

I still maintain that Clueless and Pride and Prejudice with Zombies are the only Austen spin-offs that are any good (the book not the film of the latter - the film was terrible).

The writing in Longbourn was diabolical.

Wide Sargasso Sea made me furious. It took the only interesting thing in Jane Eyre (Rochester) and bastardised it to make a point. It's about as subtle as a whack with a spade around the ear.

Somebody choose a Bainbridge so I can have something to turn to, as soon as I finish this drivel.

I also like Wide Sargasso Sea !

Having said that, I do enjoy well written fanfic, so have no issue with spin-offs in general. I didn't like Longbourn particularly, but not because of it being JA based, I just didn't find the writing very inspiring.

I DNF'd Wide Sargasso Sea - but I hadn't formed an opinion by that stage as I just couldn't going. In the end I lent it to someone and never got it back, so, jury still out.

I’m up for a Beryl Bainbridge read along too. Thought I wasn’t keen on her but realised I’ve been conflating her with Margaret Drabble.

IIRC Remus hated that too, Janina

1. You exist too much by Zaina Arafat

1. Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

@snowspider I’ve read a lot of Stephen King’s books, and liked them as a general rule, but I did not like Under the Dome at all.
I can’t remember how much of it I struggled through, but I didn’t finish it, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Ah I love the ladies detective agency as easy reading. Used to buy them cheap at uni and they were easy to read and switch off with so maybe Thursday Murder Club should join my TBR pile.

Crossed posts with Sadik. 😂😂

Sweet Jesus and all his little pixies. As if The Other Bennet Sister wasn't bad enough already, she's now brought fucking Wordsworth into it as well. Burning isn't good enough. I'm going to need a full on apocalypse to cleanse me of this.

I enjoyed The Other Bennet Sister and was irritated by the Stasiland author

Good to hear it's going well so far Athos, I really enjoyed the 2007 BBC adaptation so I'm hoping remembering that will help to keep the main characters differentiated. I'm expecting to employ a bit of speed/skim reading for the War parts.

@DesdamonasHandkerchief

I've just started War and Peace (also the Briggs translation) and it's great so far. I've just finished volume one, part one, so 9% in apparently. I'm trying not to get too hooked up with being absolutely certain I know who everyone is though, because I may end up being a bit too exacting about it

It's like you're not even trying to fight, snow. [Sulks]

I've just been back and caught up on the thread. I am another who has never read any Stephen King. I used to manage charity shops and have a copy of Under the Dome that came in and was recommended by a volunteer so I bought it, but I never got round to reading it and may have been culled unread, should I look to see if I still have it? One of my favourite films is Stand By Me but have never read the story. His On Writing appeals.

Also on my never read list are Ann Tyler and Never Let Me Go and Station Eleven thus avoiding some of the debates