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

13. The One Plus One, Jojo Moyes 5/5 couldn't put it down and it's the first book since me before you that's given me a real lump in my throat

12. Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty. A great page turner - couldn't wait to find out what happened.

1. The Cuckoo's Calling - J. K. Rowling

Surprisingly good, with interesting & well-drawn characters. The ending is a bit disappointing, imho, but I enjoyed it overall. I will definitely be reading the sequel.

Now on to Bad Science.

Anne - I don't possess a phone or an i-pod/pad thing. There are lots and lots of books in the house but I have read them all, except for dp's John Updikes and a couple of Cormac McCarthey's (sp?) which hold no appeal to me at all.

I'm re-reading some YA (Philip Reeves) to prevent me from from going bonkers, and will hit the library/bookshop over the weekend.

I am so very fussy that I can't just have random piles of potentials. I did have a Judith Flanders but I've put it down in disgust, due to factual inaccuracies about Wilkie Collins!

25. Lolita, by Nabokov- can't believe I hadn't read this before. Creepy and sinister. Definitely need a palate-cleanser next.

Well at least you have something. My kindle has lots of free classics on it that I can read if I get stuck but I do have two shelves of unread books anyway -I am not that fussy or discerning in my reading though really.

BoF - Lolita is my top 5 of best books ever. Wonderful book. :)

Book 31 - an A level study guide. Frustratingly useless. :(

You'll be reading the phone book next

Get a Kindle and never have to worry about running out of books again!

11. 500 Must-take journeys - D Brown

I've been reading some of this each evening for ages (and looking at the pictures) Lots of inspiration for trips and holidays!

12. Penguin Great Journeys No.3 - The Customs of the Kingdoms of India - Marco Polo.

I love reading books about classic explorers so really enjoyed this.

2 months in and 12 books read. Feeling quite good about that. DS was born early last year and I hardly read any books when I was at home on maternity leave, crap magazines was about all I could manage for months.

Remus- I read it on your recommendation, among others, from a recent all-time favourites thread .

Reading book 10: Submarine - Joe Dunthorne. I am loving this! It is so funny!

Really glad you enjoyed it, BoF.

Cote - a Kindle wouldn't make me any less fussy though!

Book 32 - a re-read: Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve.

1. The White Queen - I enjoyed this, perhaps not as much as the Tudor series but I think I'll keep going with the series.

A few shorter easier books first though. Have just started Apple Tree Yard.

I'm in the middle of Big Brother by Lionel Shriver, which was 99p recently, and I got The Crow Road for that price too, so that will probably be next.

I love The Crow Road BOF - there's also a DVD version which I think captures the characters pretty well. Brilliant value at 99p.

Ooh, I'll have a look. Thanks

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - JK Rowling

Read to DS1 at bedtime over a few weeks. I read it when it came out and didn't rate it that much but having read it to a seven-year-old I can see what a great children's book it is.

Still on book 5 of the Dark Tower!

Book 1 - the Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber
Book 2 - The Blackhouse - Peter May
Book 3 - The Universe Versus Alex Woods.
Book 4 - Mad About the Boy
Book 5 - My Life - David Jason
Book 6 - Paper Towns - John Green
Book 7 - We Are Water - Wally Lamb
Book 8 - American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis
Book 9 - What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty
Book 10 - The Personal History of Rachel Dupree - AnnWeisgarber
Book 11 - The Garden of Evening Mists - Tan Twan Eng.
Book 12 - The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith
Book 13 - Greyhound of a Girl - Roddy Doyle
Book 14 - Gangsta Granny - David Walliams
Book 15 - The Rosie Project
Book 16 - 12 Years a Slave
Book 17 - Doctor Sleep - Stephen King
Book 18 - Life After Life - Kate Atkinson
Book 19 - The Impossible Dead - Ian Rankin
Book 20 - Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone.
Book 21 - The House We Grew Up In
Book 22 - The First Casualty - Ben Elton

A 3 star read for me. Ben Elton can certainly write but I'm not sure that a war or a detective novel is where his talent really lies. I was reminded of Archer as I ploughed through this. A lot of clichéd detail and a lot of saying what you think a character should be saying according to dialogue 101. More than one unlikely outcome too and rather a lot of blood and gore which in itself doesn't bother me but would have liked some of that self same grit in other parts of the novel. Most disappointing for me was the turnaround of the main female character. Absolutely unnecessary.

24. Essie Fox "The Somnambulist" I thought this was quite good, although I guessed one of the major plot twists quite early on.

19. Miranda Hart - Is it Just Me? Liked it as imagining Miranda's voice but found style hard to get into.
20. Linwood Barclay - Never Look Away Bought a couple of his books when he was author of the day on Amazon, will have to look out for me as enjoyed both.
21. Kate Lord Brown - The Perfume Garden Based around Spanish Civil War, likable but not memorable.
22. CJ Box - The Highway Had potential, didn't live up to it IMO.
23. Kate Forsyth - Bitter Greens Story of three women based around fairytale of Rapunzel -one who wrote a version of the story, 'Rapunzel' herself and the witch. Very engaging.
24. Diane Chamberlain - The Courage Tree
25. Joan Jonker - The Girl From Number 22

I need to be more selective as I spend so long choosing what to read, then rush through it looking to the next book!

I love The Crow Road BOF - there's also a DVD version which I think captures the characters pretty well. Brilliant value at 99p.

To rephrase:

I love The Crow Road. Brilliant value at 99p. There's also a DVD version which I think captures the characters pretty well.

Apologies .. my syntax is sadly lacking. DVD is £6.50. Still a great watch but not quite such a good bargain as I led you to believe

1. Outlaw by Angus Donald

A surprisingly good re-telling of the story of Robin Hood from the perspective of Alan Dale. I really enjoyed this and it turns out it's the start of a series of books so I have popped the next one on my Amazon wish list! I am getting really behind though, I only managed two books in the whole of February, need to pick up the pace for March.

13. Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves. The second Vera Stanhope book and another satisfying Whodunnit. I do like her books. I read all of the Shetland series last year, looking forward to seeing the YV Series next week.

16. Nonsense by Christopher Reid. A book of poetry, which I liked very much 5/5.