50 Book Challenge 2014 Part 4

[Southeastdweller]

Thread four of the 50 Book Challenge.

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

Here are the previous threads...

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

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/adult_fiction/2000991-50-Book-Challenge-2014-Part-2?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/adult_fiction/2094773-50-Book-Challenge-2014-Part-3?msgid=49151537#49151537

Cote, the Michel Faber is called The Book of Strange New Things. I am waiting for the price to drop for Kindle (as usual). It looks really interesting.

Cote - me too re: Hilary M. I absolutely hate her writing style.

101. Jasper Fforde "The Eye of Zoltar". My least favourite of his so far. It got better towards the end

I've just finished Meg Wolowitz's The Interestings. I ended up enjoying it; it's very character-driven, but I suppose the weakness is that the characters often aren't especially likeable. I did get sucked in enough to care though, but it took me a while.

BOF - I'm halfway through The Interestings. It definitely took me quite a while to get sucked in too, but I am enjoying it more now.

Book 34 finished, started it on holiday and have been really slack since I got back...Light, the last in the Gone series of 6. Really enjoyed them.

35 is All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. Has anyone read this, what did you think? Part of the Border Trilogy.

Lamb, I have read it, and the next one too and vowed never to read anymore again as they are just too sad and desolate. I still feel upset when I think about them. Part of me wants to read The Road but I just won't do it.

Book 116 - "Sovereign" - the 3rd Shardlake and another re-read. I think the stuff in York drags on for too long but the ending is very scary and very exciting. I'm really enjoying re-reading them one after the other.

Haven't been on for ages to update. Have been continuing my crime spree.

47 - Mortal Causes -Ian rankin (Rebus 6)
48 - Let it Bleed-Ian Rankin (Rebus 7)

and then the Vera Stanhope books by Ann Cleeves

49 - The Crow Trap
50 - Telling Tales
51 - Silent Voices
52 - The Glass Room
53 - Harbour Street

Book 90 The Epsitle to the Ephesians by Larry Kreitzer

Felt like a change after the Phil Rickman binge! This is in the Epworth Commentaries series. Mum bought it for me ages ago because Kreitzer was my New Testament tutor and I've only just got round to reading it. Easy read, good, clear exegesis, although it helps to have a Bible to hand as well since it doesn't include the full text. I also like the way he occasionally brings in references to modern pop culture and politics but not in a heavy-handed, OTT sort of way.

Oh crikey whippet. Feel like I am committed now. Will buy some tissues. It will be appropriate reading next week in the compulsory fun atmosphere of Butlins.....

My dad and my sister recommended them....weirdos...

98. The Small Hand by Susan Hill. Not in the least bit scary, just slightly chilling which means I can sleep tonight :o

Next up Nora Webster by Colm Toibin.

48. The Portable Door - Tom Holt. This puts working in an office into a whole new perspective. I enjoyed the undercurrent of apathy that Paul Carpenter had about everything for the majority of the plot. If you like fantasy, and don't want a challenging read, this is worth a look. It was entertaining and engaging, although didn't have as many 'in jokes' and nods to other works that I'm used to (I read a lot of Terry Pratchett!)

102. Haruki Murakami "Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and his Years of Pilgrimage" Just brilliant. I already know I will want to read this again, which doesn't often happen to me with books

I want to read that too, Wednesday. Loved Norwegian Wood, and want to explore the rest of his novels.

"Norwegian Wood" is the only other of his I have read. I think "Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki" is better, but loved both. I will definitely be reading his others

All Murakami is great. I think the best are

Norwegian wood
Wind up bird chronicle
Hard boiled wonderland
Kafka on the shore
Dance dance dance

Is 1Q84 any good? I'm tempted by the audio book - it's 45 hours long, so it would be quite a commitment. I love a long book to get involved in, but have seen it has had variable reviews.

105. Willful behaviour, Donna Leon

106. The Plot: A Biography of my Father's English Acre, Madeleine Bunting (non-fiction about a place in north Yorkshire and about her father. I found this quite a slow read - there were things I liked, particularly about why certain places have an emotional resonance for us, but I wasn't quite so gripped about the agricultural aspects).

107. Death at La Fenice, Donna Leone.

I'm currently reading About Face, also by Donna Leone. I've just decided to take up mental residence in Venice for a while.

I'm also slooowly working my way through the diaries of Virginia Woolf. I quite fancy a biography of her now - anyone with any recommendations? The only thing I've read is Mrs Woolf and the Servants.

59. Bounce by Matthew Syed

Fascinating look at how champions are made and the 'talent myth'. Really interesting, especially the Hungarian chess players. Got a little bored in the end but overall good.

I'm thrilled to have reached the 50 mark with still almost ten weeks of the year left (all-time high over a year was 38) but disappointed the book was mediocre/borderline bad - The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, by Hilary Mantel. A very dull and forgettable collection of short stories that wouldn't have been published if the author wasn't famous. I'm glad I didn't buy this book.

My copy of the new David Nicholls novel still isn't ready to collect from the library so next up is the last Lynda Bellingham book.

I really enjoyed 1Q84. But I read it when it first came out (2012? 2013?) so can't remember much of it now. Which might actually be quite revealing in that, though enjoyed at the time, it didn't leave a lasting impression (unlike his other novels). Then again it's on my re-read list.

Wednesday I'd try Wind Up a Bird Chronicle next. My favourite Murakami novel.

I'll look out for that one Bssh, thanks.

Nice nn Tsukuru :) I'll certainly be adding all those to my list! I'm looking forward to reading more Murakami