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

1. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton - loved
2. Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller - liked a lot although ended too quickly
3. Wave: Life and Memories after the Tsunami by Sonali Deraniyagala - heartbreaking
4. The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson - wonderful, funny and clever as well as upsetting
5. To the River: A Journey Beneath the Surface by Olivia Lang - this made me want to copy her journey
6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (second reading) - adore this book, it's truly wonderful
7. Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James - no just no
8. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer - really enjoyed
9. Stoner: A Novel by John Williams - beautiful and moving

10. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - fab 11. Irene by Pierre Lemaitre - amazing author. Loved even though I knew the ending in advance as had read the sequel first. Don't read if squeamish though 12. The White Princess by Philippa Gregory - very much enjoyed 13. Mrs Hemingway by Naomi Wood - was quite good 14. Capital by John Lanchester - enjoyed but a bit predictable 15. Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks - fan-bloody-tastic 16. Daphne du Maurier and her Sisters by Jane Dunn - OK 17. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent - loved and cried buckets 18. Persuasion by Jane Austen - enjoyed although I prefer others 19. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky - did not enjoy at all 20. Books by Charlie Hill - very funny 21. Queen Bees and Wannabees by Rosalind Wiseman - essential reading for all parents 22. The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson - wonderful, funny and engaging

Now reading Far from the Madding Crowd.

Second Robert Galbraith is due out 19th June. I save books I want to buy in my amazon wishlist and watch for the price coming down. This includes pre-orders. There are books coming out this year as well by:

Ben Aaronovitz - new Rivers of London
Philippa Gregory - new Cousins War

Remus I HATED The Three Muskateers with a passion. I read it in about 3 days flat as it was a Book Group pick and couldn't wait to get it over and done with.

ChillieJeanie something truly shocking happens in Broken Homes which I did not expect at all and made me read the book again straight away to see if I could spot it coming.

Gah spelling!

Skin - I loved Alex, thought it was absolutely fantastic. I really want to read Irene but the author is doing an event locally soon so I have to wait until then to buy my book. I'm so glad to hear that reading Alex before Irene doesn't spoil the latter. I wish it knew why the publishers decided to publish out of order, it seems bizarre.

Cheboludo completely agree. It was wonderful and so unexpected. I thought Irene might be a bit spoilt but it really wasn't. Am keeping an eye out for more books by PL as I think he is just marvellous.

Skinny - I will persevere a bit with it, but if I'm still bored by 70 or so pages in, I'll give up. Life is too short etc.

Just received the new Khaled Hosseini through MN, so will give that a go soon too. I loved, "The Kite Runner" and absolutely hated, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" so will approach it with an open mind!

I was the only one in my Book Group who absoliutely hated it tbh so you might enjoy.

Loved TKR too but haven't read ATSS. May not bother. Have got such a lot on my kindle and in my wish list that I'm quite happy not to add anything people haven't enjoyed.

38. On The Beach by Nevil Shute. This was an audiobook, finished today. I found it quite moving, but can see that it is "of its time" and quite dated. Lots of keeping a stiff upper lip going on, and "keep calm and carry on" - that phrase I loathe, but which seems quite appropriate here.

I did get quite cross when Peter's wife refused to accept his advice to give the cyanide to the baby and take it herself if he wasn't there. She didn't seem to understand that his suggestion was an act of kindness in the face of the ravages of radiation sickness.

All in all worth a read for its historical value, clearly written at a time when nuclear war was a genuine threat.

skinmysunshine It was a surprise, wasn't it? Thinking back I can't come up with any hints that one was coming, but was a biggie.

Just completed book 25: The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves - an enjoyable light read.

Now to see what delights my book group come up with for book 26!

ChillieJeanie a huge surprise. I was properly shocked and disappointed

Sonnet I'm on the second in the Discovery of Witches trilogy and the romance is grating a little. I don't think it's as bad in the second book, but I am only half way through.

mumslife I adored The Secret Life of Bees, and I've just added the other one you recommended to my 'to-read' list.

Struggling a bit with The Casual Vacancy, which I started last week. Finished part 1 up to 200 pages and 400 pages to go - she's certainly taking her time telling the story which drags at times, but overall I'm enjoying it. Lots of characters to keep track of, some of whom are very similar. Allowing myself to next weekend to finish it.

Keen to start on the new ones by Lynn Barber and Edward St Aubyn, both short so should be back on track by the end of the month.

Southeast I really enjoyed The Casual Vacancy

Book 26- Love in the time of Cholera was the one chosen by our book club. Thrilled because it has been sitting in my to read like an age!

WednesdayNext a shame to hear the romance continues...a great theme and story line for a book otherwise ??

I enjoyed the casual vacancy too. I would imagine though that it is a book you have to read consistently. If I had read it over a protracted period I would have felt it dragged a little and keeping track of the characters would have been more difficult

I'd agree with you there Sonnet. I read A Casual Vacancy over three days, lying on the sofa ill with a heavy cold. It was the perfect novel to keep my brain occupied whilst unable to do anything else :o

31. Destination Unknown - Agatha Christie. A re-read of one of my favourite Christie stories. A thriller rather than her usual murder mysteries.

32. Postern of Fate. The last novel written by Agatha Christie and truly appalling! I only read it as I am unwell and just wanted to read words on a page. One to avoid.

33. The Murder Bag - Tony Parsons. This was a Mumsnet freebie that I read in a day (thanks to the illness but also because this was a really absorbing read.) Very similar to Billingham and La Plante featuring a maverick cop on the trail of a serial killer. Recommended.

mum2jakie I love AC. Destination Unknown is a good one. My faves are things like Nemesis and And Then There Were None.

skinmysunshine I love those ones too. I can't re-read most of her murder mysteries though as I have read them so many times and can remember 'whodunnit'! There are a few that I haven't read yet.

There are some I haven't read yet but I do like rereading.

Has anybody read, 'The Plague'? I'm nearly finished but I can't say it's enthralled me much. A good idea, rather boringly written so far.

Yes Sonnet and Duchess it feels like it needs to be a short read but due to lack of time it takes me a good week to read a 300-odd page book and this is a 600 page door-stopper...but overall I'm enjoying it and it's made me laugh out loud a few times already.