50 Book Challenge 2014 Part 2

[juneybean]

Thread 2 of the 50 book challenge. Here is the previous thread...

The idea is to read 50 books in 2014 (or more!)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/adult_fiction/1951735-50-Book-Challenge-2014

I loved Harvest.

* Spoiler in post *

Best - what did you think of the ending? I thought the writing excellent, but perhaps some parts of the story disappointed me. The ending, in particular, didn't sit quite right, for me.

I realise that what is implied here is that you can leave one village and resettle, but progress will always catch up and you will have to move again and again. But the violent death of Earle, the map maker and the fires seemed a little too much.

Some elements of the novel reminded me of Brian Friel's play, Translations. The conflict between the inhabitants of the village and their oppressors.

1. Longbourn

2. You had me at hello

3. Love, Nina

4. Getting over Mr Right

5. The Husband's Secret

6. The Donor

7. Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore

8. The Rosie Project

9. Black Venus

10. The Emergence of Judy Taylor

11. Sir Gawain and Green Knight

12. Can Anybody help me? By Sinead Crowley.

13. Alex by Pierre LeMaitre.

14. Romps, Tots and Boffins: the strange language of news

15. The Examined Life: how we lose and find ourselves

16. The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer.
    I've never read Heyer and she's beloved by so many women that I thought I should. I enjoyed this but I found the constant stream of Regency slang/ sayings pulling me out of the story rather than into it. The slang felt really overdone and a way of showing off her research and knowledge of the period. I suspect Heyer is one of those authors people fall in love with as young girls/teens and I'm just too old.

17. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins &

18. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
    I've been in a reading slump for the last 2 weeks. I kept picking up books, reading 20 pages & then ignoring them for days. The Hunger Games has pulled me out of the slump - pretty much everything I've done for the last couple of days this book & its sequels have been beside me. Compelling, full of action and a wonderful heroine, I can understand why these books have been such a phenomenon. Currently reading Mockingjay.

Book 21: Mindfulness - a practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams and Danny Penman.

Very interesting and thought provoking. Mindfulness has become quite a big thing in recent years, and this book describes an eight-week course of developing a mindfulness practice which can help in one's day to day life. I haven't started on the course itself, just read through the whole book, but it's the sort of thing I would like to make time to try.

30. Helen Fielding - Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
31. Helen Bryan - War Brides
32. Heather Gudenkauf - The Weight of Silence

10. The Prestige - Christopher Priest

Fascinating story of two rival magicians at around the year 1900 that starts out fairly 'normal' but ends up going into some strange places. I really liked this book although the ending was not great imho.

It is slightly different than the film by the same name, directed by Christopher Nolan who made Memento and Inception, starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and David Bowie as Nikola Tesla (yes, really!). The film is brilliant and the changes to the story have mostly enhanced the plot rather than cripple it, as often happens when books are adapted for the big screen.

24. Tracker. - Shannon Mayer
    The sixth book in the Rylee Adamson series. I love this series. It's urban fantasy about Rylee , a tracker, and her band of friends, who include a couple of witches, werewolves, vampires, trolls, shamans, etc. In this book they are trying to save the world from the fate that awaits if the crazy Child Empress takes over the vampires. Loads of action and magical situations.

25. Bloodmagic - Helen Harper
    Book 2 of the bloodfire series. Mack is hiding from the Pack who think she's a shapeshifter gone rogue. She ends up getting involved with mages and the Fae who all want to know who and what she is but that information could be very dangerous for everyone. Further complications arise when she realises that there's a huge attraction between her and the leader of the Pack, and she is the only person who can heal the disease that is decimating the shifters. I loved it, it's just my sort of book.

17. Cold Earth by Sarah Moss, about an archaeological dig in Greenland, told from the point of view of several of the participants. I really love Sarah Moss's writing style, but there were a few too many unanswered questions at the end!

11. Jill by Phillip Larkin for book group. Ok, bit dull. Not sure what next.

26. Bloodrage - Helen Harper Book 3 of the Bloodfire series. Started this at lunchtime, finished it at 8pm. In this book Mack is in an academy of magic trying to learn how to control her developing magic. Trouble follows her and she gets involved with vampires, shifters, mages and a wraith. And in her spare time she manages to learn more about what she is and what her abilities truly are, as well as saving the life of her friend.

Cardiff - I started reading The Genesis Secret on your recommendation. It's fine so far (15%).

Book 1 - Carrion Comfort by Dan Sims
Book 2 - A Perfect Proposal by Katie Fforde
Book 3 - Loot, Inside the World of Stolen Art by Thomas McShane;
Book 4 - Wool by Hugh Howie
Book 5 - A Feast For Crows by George RR Martin - Game of Thrones
Book 6 - A Dance with Dragons, Part 1 and predictably
Book 7 - A Dance with Dragons, Part 2
Book 8 - The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes.
Book 9 - The Rosie Project.
Book 10 - Road to Rouen, Ben Hatch
Book 11 - Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
Book 12 - The Light Years, Elizabeth Jane Howard
Book 13 - Marking Time, Elizabeth Jane Howard
Book 14 - The State We're In, Adele Parkes
Book 15 - Confusion, Elizabeth Jane Howard
Book 16 - The Last Letter from your Lover, Jojo Moyes
Book 17 - Casting Off, Elizabeth Jane Howard

and now

Book 18 - HHhH, Laurent Binet which is excellent, a book which details an account of the assassination of Reyhard Heydrich, a Nazi leader in the Second World War, arguably a key facilitator of the Holocaust. It is very originally written being not just a dry retelling of factual event in history but an account of the author's engagement with the process of research and writing. This is so far the best thing I've read all year although of course the Cazalet Chronicles are excellent too!

22. Children of the Revolution - Peter May - book number whatever in the Banks detective series and it shows; nothing really distinguished it from its predecessors

23. A Commonplace Killing - Sian Busby - police procedural set in postwar London; quite interesting characters

24. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald - tried to read this many moons ago but abandoned it; I can't work out why as I really enjoyed it this time round - even been inspired to watch the film!

23. It Felt Like A Kiss. - Sarra Manning 7/10
24. Consequences. - Alathea Romig 10/10
25. Truth. - Alathea Romig 9/10

27. The Ancient Paths, Graham Robb
28. Books, Charlie Hill (satire - badly-written fiction kills people! Managed to be heavy-handed and lightweight at the same time. Not particularly recommended)
29. The Boy with the Topknot, Sathnam Sanghera. Absolutely loved this - very grateful for recommendation upthread. Funny and touching.

Currently on (30) Girl Least Likely to, Liz Jones. Another recommendation upthread, and very enjoyable too. Some pretty good jokes. God love her, a person's level of happiness/misery really is determined by personality rather than life experience.

24. Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon - audiobook.

Really enjoyed this Victorian novel. Wonderful characters, and great storytelling. I thought I'd guessed the secret, but had only partially. Lots of scandal, madness, bigamy, murder and much more. Rollocking good read :)

Book 43 - another book about Amsterdam.

Nice to see that people still read, 'Jill.' Poor Larkin never did manage to work out his feelings re women properly!

Book 22 Cross and Burn by Val McDermid

I always enjoy McDermid's novels, and can whip through them in no time - I only started this one yesterday. This is in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series, following on from the aftermath of The Retribution. Unlike Rankin's Rebus series, I think it does help to have read the rest of the series with McDermid. The character development goes on throughout and the stories follow on from one another so you do need to have the back story.

Duchess, you are right? I wasn't 100 per cent convinced by the ending either. I think it was the writing I loved so much. It was so beautiful. It's the book I've enjoyed most this year.

23. Frankie and Stankie - Barbara Trapido. Didn't enjoy this at all.

24. N-W - Zadie Smith. Disappointed by this too. I liked On Beauty a lot but this doesn't even attempt to come anywhere near the standard of that.

33. Babycakes - Armistead Maupin

32. Suzanne Collins "The Hunger Games"
33. Suzanne Collins "Catching Fire"
34. Suzanne Collins "Mockingjay"

LOVED this trilogy.

Now reading the first Rebus novel.

32. Suzanne Collins "The Hunger Games"
33. Suzanne Collins "Catching Fire"
34. Suzanne Collins "Mockingjay"

LOVED this trilogy.

Now reading the first Rebus novel.

My counting seems to have gone awry so I will try again.

31. Revalation Space - Alastair Reynolds
    Very good sci-fi with good strong female characters.

32. Further Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin
    I love these books, the characters feel like old friends.

33. Moon Over Soho - Ben Aaronovitch
    I am loving this series, imagine a cross between Jasper Fforde and Mark Billingham. I do love a police procedural.

34. Baby cakes - Armistead Maupin
    Just as good as the others.

The Boy with the Topknot, Sathnam Sanghera. Absolutely loved this - very grateful for recommendation upthread. Funny and touching.

biblio I'm really pleased you enjoyed this