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 have actually credited myself +1 book so, to set the record straight, the next is:

12. The Book of You - Claire Kendal 7.5/10

Thought I'd get in on the hype early and it was pretty good but I just couldn't warm to the stalked protagonist

13. Assassin's Apprentice - Robin Hobb 6.5/10

Had seen such good reviews for this first part of a trilogy that I had high expectations/hope but it just couldn't keep my attention, apart from certain sections, so I will not bother with the rest of it.

Time for a non-fiction for me and back to WW2....

25. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson

Recommended at Book Group as I loved Life After Life. I really really enjoyed this. Fantastic characters, poignant, funny, heart-warming, great sense of place. One line in particular sent shivers down my spine. Wonderful

Never read any Joanne Harris so, on my Uncle's recommendation giving Chocolat a go.

I liked, 'Behind the Scenes' - the only one of hers I've actually found any good. Haven't read, 'Life After Life' because I decided after the stupid dog one that I was never reading another one of hers.

19. The Casual Vacancy, by J.K Rowling.

Took me two weeks to finish but very glad I did, simply the most enjoyable novel I've read for years - what a rollercoaster of a story with many surprises and relatable characters and situations. I did think there was the odd verbose passage and the characters of Krystal and Teri were stereotypically written but overall I loved this book and the story and characters she wrote justify the near 600 pages (longest ever book I've read). I feel like I'm going to 'miss' the characters.

Halfway through the Suspicions of Mr Whicher which I am enjoying but it is bloody slow reading. It's taken me two weeks so far.

18. The Sky's Dark Labyrinth - Stuart Clarke

This was an interesting historical fiction book about Kepler and Galileo, their lives and respective struggles to publish their findings that the Earth is not at the centre of the universe (or even the solar system) and that it orbits the sun. I dare any of you to read this book and not be disgusted by the way the Church has held back humanity's advancement for centuries

It is a bit slow in the beginning and frankly not as well-written as were some of the other science/math historical books I have recently read (Measuring The World, in particular), but it was still good. I will go on to read its two sequels soon, one about Newton & Halley and the other about Einstein & Hubble.

24 - The Speckled People, Hugo Hamilton
25 - The Borrower, Rebecca Makkai (petered out a bit on me, finished not being quite sure what the point was)
26 - Sad Desk Salad, Jessica Grose (light read, enjoyable, though I was a bit disturbed at the supposedly "good" boyfriend who was far too controlling for my liking. Bangs on a bit on the ethics of invasive celebrity type journalism. Engaging book overall.)
27 - The Thoughful Dresser, Linda Grant (interesting read on why clothes are important, so there!)

and now starting

28 - Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami

Remus which is the stupid dog one?

I really enjoyed Life After Life and found it similar to BTSATM

Cote you have sold that to me. Adding to wish list

It wasn't the best historical fiction I've read, to be fair, but still interesting.

If you are interested in this sort of thing, I would strongly recommend Measuring The World. There is also the fantastic biography of Paul Dirac, mathematician who "discovered" antimatter long before it was possible to test for it, called "The Strangest Man".

Great I will look into those.

Cote I have those 3 books (possibly from a recommendation from you on another thread when they were on offer!) - no doubt at least one of them will fuel my anti-religious atheist views.

Sunshine - stupid dog one was, "I Started Early Took My Dog." Terrible.

25. Stay Close , Harlan Coben

This was an American thriller/detective novel that DP got me for my birthday - not a genre I'm really into so this is a book I'd never have picked for myself. It was OK I guess, but I didn't really like the writing style. I also guessed the killer and their motive halfway through - which doesn't happen very often with me!

On a more positive note: woohoo, I'm halfway!

moonshine - Yes, that would be me

49. Philippa Gregory "The Red Queen "
50. Ian Rankin "Strip Jack"

Both pretty solid, enjoyable reads. I found the narrator of The Red Queen really irritating though

Thanks Remus

Wednesday I really enjoyed The Red Queen despite the reviews

Two nice easy reads to add to my list:

22. The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
23. The Baby Diaries by Sam Binnie

I quite enjoyed both of these.

I've just added The Tenant of Wildfell Hall to my kindle. This thread is great for ideas

Also Measuring the World. Must stop now!

40. Merivel by Rose Tremain. This is the sequel to Restoration. Listened to on audiobook, and thoroughly enjoyed being immersed yet again in the 17th century world of Sir Robert Merivel. Fabulous novel. 5/5

41. The Marrying of Chani Kaufmann. Despite the pink chick-lit type cover, this is not chick-lit. It was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013. It is an easy and thoroughly engaging novel set in the Orthodox Jewish community of North London. I really enjoyed it, but am glad there was a glossary at the end to explain some of the words that I didn't understand. 4/5

Oh and meant to add, now pressing on with The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (half way). And after that will be And The Mountains Echoed (my first Khaled Hosseini) :)

Book 34 The English Monster by Lloyd Shepherd

Bit of an oddity. A young man seeking his fortune at sea in the reign of Elizabeth I is cursed with immortality while in Florida. His story interweaves with the investigation into the Ratcliffe Highway murders of 1811. It wasn't as engaging as I would have lived to be honest. It's an okay read but nothing special.

Duchess - start with, 'The Kite Runner' rather than the Mountains one - he gets worse and worse imvho.