50 Book Challenge 2013 -The Sequel!

[CardiffUniversityNetballTeam]

Morning all,

As the old thread here is nearly full, I have created a shiny new one for your delight and delectation.

Sign in and update your progress here!

I'm Cardiff and I've nearly finished book 16, so I'm very behind as to be in track we should be approaching 25 by now. Where is everyone else up to?

22. Long Time Coming by Robert Goddard. A mystery set in England, Ireland and Belgium written by one of my favourite authors.

47 Sheer Folly - Carola Dunn

Finished book 38 "The Good Father" by Noah Hawley. I loved it. It was brilliant.

Still deciding on 39. It'll be one of these:

• "The Falling Sky" by Pippa Goldschmidt
• "The earth hums in B flat" by Mari Strachan
• "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
• "Big Brother" by Lionel Shriver

Any suggestions?

48 Anthem for a Doomed Youth - Carola Dunn

33. Wonder
34. The Age of Innocence
35. Reconstructing Amelia

33. Delirium - Lauren Oliver

I should have known better than read (1) a YA book, (2) written by a woman (3) who is much younger than me.

Now on to Anna Karenina for our book club...

40. Armour wherein he trusted - very poetic, slightly moralistic, but beautifully written story of courtly love. I didn't enjoy it as much as 'Precious Bane', but it hasn't put me off Mary Webb.

41. The Queen's sorrow. This was one of those books that I thought was a bit vague at the end. Interesting to hear about how the Spanish were reviled but also regaled during the reign of 'Bloody' Mary - and the lengths taken to keep her subjects "under control". However, several points were unconcluded which left me feeling a bit disappointed.

42. The Traitor's Wife - Kathleen Kent. This is her second novel but is actually the backstory to her first. Enjoyable historical fiction built from her own family history and factual events.

42. Friends in High Places - Donna Leon. Unusually Brunetti cracks and shows genuine anger.

43. Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger. Would have been much better without the dreadful ending.

Jealous of Anna Karenina for book club Cote.

Our group has rules, one of which is no books over 400 pages, although we broke it once for Kim.

Well, most of us have Kindles so page numbers don't mean much to my book club

We don't usually read the classics but we don't read chick-lit crap either. It's a good mix.

44. Rush of Blood - Mark Billingham. Excellent thriller.

Book 39 was "The Falling Sky" by Pippa Goldschmidt. I really enjoyed it, although there were some predictable plotlines, and the conclusion of one of the plotlines was a bit disappointing.

Started book 40: Alice Hoffman "Angel's Landing". Alice Hoffman is a firm favourite of mine, and this one is great so far!

Is it 'The Golden Age' Circassian? I have that to read too, it's the follow up.
I liked it, didn't love it. Don't know a lot about the Bangladesh War Of Independence but it was more character/emotive led than details. Am saving the sequel for a while because I found the ending hard going!
Have just been on holiday and managed only managed to read one book It was
66. Ken Follett - Eye Of The Needle

Yes that's the one. I don't know too much about it either, my DH is British Bangladeshi so I was a bit interested. Have yet to read either. I will probably know more than him at the end.

I am struggling with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and other stories of the jazz age. I had to read Button for book club but I can't really add it to my total if I don't finish the book. I think I am coming to the conclusion that F. Scott Fitzgerald is just not my bag.

I've been on a WW2 history binge:

57. The Secrets Of Bletchley Park
58. Five Days That Shocked The World
59. Stalingrad, by Anthony Beevor
60. Berlin, ditto

And back to fiction

61. Until You're Mine, by Samantha Hayes- just brilliant psycholical thriller, thoroughly recommend it

62. Nearest Thing To Crazy, by Elizabeth Forbes- again, rollicking good read. In the tradition of classics like The Yellow Wallpaper, it examines female 'madness' and gaslighting.

63. Just What Kind Of Mother Are You- in the middle of this, and

64. What Matters In Jane Austen- interesting look at her work, suggested on the current Austen thread.

72 - The Shadow of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Really good. Page turningly excellent

And 73 - I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron. An interesting and amusing collection of articles. Some ate so true and very funny.

Are not ate obviously

Book 40 finished. Not Hoffman's best IMO, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Well worth a read.

Book 41 is a kindle freebie. Jodi Taylor "Just One Damn Thing After Another". Not entirely sure what it's about, I've just read a few pages but they've made me

23. Safe As Houses by Simone Van Der Vlugt

A Dutch thriller about a woman and her child whose home is invaded by an escaped murderer. Good but quite chilling.

24. Wish You Were Here by Mike Gayle

Something light and fluffy. Almost chick-lit.

I am ashamed to say these were both library books I still have 98 paperbacks in a heap down the side of my bed.

Next up is World Without End by Ken Follett. This is over 1200 pages (gulp) so I will see you all in October

74 - Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K Jerome. A re-read, and just as witty and entertaining as ever.

51. Why we get fat and what to do about it - Gary Taubes Very interesting.
52. Death of a Cad - MC Beaton

49. Gone West - Carola Dunn That's the last of the series so far and I have thoroughly enjoyed them. Not sure what to read for number 50, although I have a couple on the go at the moment. Some non fiction that I have been dipping in and out of.

40. Is that a fish in your ear? David Bellos. Non-fiction about translation. Got quite bogged down in this for a long time.

41. The Lewis Man, Peter May

42. The House at Sea's End, Elly Griffiths.
    Two crime stories with quite a lot in common - dark doings in remote spots decades ago. Preferred the Elly Griffiths, as I like her characters more.

Currently on (43) Mutton, by India Knight. I find her a bit annoying but still amusing, so enjoying this one.

I started Dominion, by CJ Sansom, but got mired in all the exposition, so am taking a break from it. Next up is a recent non-fiction book, Under Another Sky by Charlotte Higgins, which I'm really looking forward to.