50 Book Challenge 2015 Part 1

[Southeastdweller]

Thread one of the 50 Book Challenge.

The idea is to read 50 books (or more!) in 2015.

Who's in for this year?

Hi SylvDP and DuchessofMalfi.Have added you as friends on Goodreads if that's ok.

1. The Woman in the Picture, Katharine McMahon

Historical fiction about a female lawyer in the 1920s. Thought it was plot-heavy and rather predictable. The main character is torn between her former lover who she hasn't seen for two years (no real explanation of why the relationship ended) but is still in love with, and a proposal from her reliable, sensible boss, plus cases of domestic violence and murder in the working classes and upper class sexual shenanigans, plus dealing with the fact that her mother turns out to be illegitimate and granny was a theatrical feminist rabble-rouser. Lots of rather stereotypical characters, and the 'twist' in the murder plot was signposted a mile off. Now on to The Luminaries, and hoping for better things.

Best - Mountains of the Mind is a fantastic read - brilliant writing about every possible aspect of mountains. One of my favourites of last year. Into the Silence is on my TBR too.

Aghhhh - I haven't even read one yet! I'm mostly going to be doing non-fiction this year again, I think, and I'm much slower on that. Will hopefully finish book one in the next couple of days. So far it's v good.

hooker how did you do it? I've been looking but can't figure it out

I'm in too! Never seem to get chance to read for pleasure these days so good excuse Starting with Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey.

Ok, Sylv. I think I've added you but Duchess I can't. It keeps saying that I need to answer a question?

I'm searchable by my username I'm happy to be added by anyone.

Iron if you click on the Friends icon at the top,then on the right it says 'find friends from.Under that there's a search bar where you can type users names once you know them,and that will bring them up and you can add them.

Have added you Iron. My username is hooker29.

1. Howard's End is on the Landing - Susan Hill

I enjoyed this. It was a nice, easy read. However, at times it got a bit autobiographyish. But there was enough about books in it to keep me happy, and I now desperately want to read some Virginia Woolf after reading about the authors love of her. It's made me really want to read my own books!

Great and thank you hooker

Does anyone know now to add friends on Good Reads using the app?

I'm also still on book number one - a thick self-help book . Looking forward to some light reading immediately afterwards.

froglet - I couldn't read My Name Is Red at all. If you would like to give Orhan Pamuk another try, my personal favourite among his books is Black Book. He also has a new book out called A Strangeness In My Head (my translation - don't know what the English translation will be called) which is apparently very good, too.

The Luminaries is amazing. Very well written and masterfully constructed. If you get what the astrology references at the beginning of each chapter are about, let me know, because those passed way over my head.

Book 1: Do No Harm; Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery by Henry Marsh.
Really good read, liked it very much. It's a non-fiction book, written by neuro surgeon Marsh who is at the end of his career. He seems to be making a balance of what he has done in his long career. Some good and sometimes did catastrophically bad, meaning destroying someone's life. Talent? Luck more likely, good and bad. He gives a what I consider to be honest insight in the difficulties of dealing with patients, decisions and institutions like NHS and hospital management. But I'm not a health professional so what do i know?
Anyway, I did have family members who died of strokes and aneurysms and it was interesting to read about that and reinforced my 'I do not want to know' approach about my own head.
Recommended, he has a nice writing style. Not the most subtle of men and a wry sense of humor.

Only for today, The Luminaries is £1.19 on the Kindle! Fantastic book and a steal at this price. Don't miss it.

I used to read between 6-8 books a month but last year only read 28 in total, I just lost the will. I'm in, 4-5 books a month should be steady away.

I'm currently reading Heresy by SJ Parris, I've read all the Shardlake and Shakespeare books which are similar but I'm new to this series.

Ooh, v excited about The Luminaries bargain on Kindle. Currently reading hardbook from library which is the size of a brick. Thanks for the heads-up Cote. I'm about 40 pages in and no, I have no idea about the astrological stuff either, but enjoying the style.

Might try another Pamuk at some point this year as I know he's highly rated by lots of people and the books always sound good in reviews. I just nearly lost the will to live reading MNIR.

hooker, Sylv and Iron - have added you all as friends on Goodreads.

I set a question on my profile on there, which asks "why do you want to be my friend?" because I got spammed a bit by people trying to flog their books and that filters most of them out :). The answer can be anything - eg "It's me from MN" or wherever :o

Thanks Cote, will be reading The Luminaries once I've finished with His Dark Materials.

Very pleased I now have friends on GoodReads as well!

Molly - I'm reading Do No Harm at the moment. Fascinating stuff. I got bit lost with the depth into which he goes with the medical terms sometimes but all in all it is engrossing. The chapter on aneurysm was gripping, my heart was pounding by the end :o

Just finished my second book of the year- the dark road by Ma Jian. It follows a husband and wife on the run from family planning officials in China (with the one child policy) a relentless read, not for the faint hearted but I really enjoyed it.
Next for me is a non fiction- flappers: six women of a dangerous generation.

pete I couldn't do it on the app so I've been using the full browser version.

Is anyone else ridiculously excited to have friends on goodreads?

I must get out a bit more

iron, duchess, sylv and hooker - have added you all as Goodreads friends - hope that's OK. Excited too!