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?

1. The Martian by Andy Weir. Mark Watney has been stranded after a mission to Mars so this is a bit like a Robinson Crusoe meets the red planet. I loved this book and was gripped from the beginning. I woukd highly recommend it.

1. Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent. This story is about a successful author who beats his wife into a coma. It delves into his past and try to help us understand why he became the man he is. It is a good read but I felt it was weak in parts and could have explored the main character in more depth.

1. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. I am a huge TP fan and currently working my way through his unabridged audio books with Audible. This is one of his children's books and is the story if Tiffany Aching -a young witch and her adventures with the mac mac feegle (little blue pictsies who live drinking and fighting). I adore this book as does my 11 year old dd.

Next up is The Dinner by Herman Koch and Christmas at Thornton by Lynn Marie Hulsman which are book club reads thst I have to finish by next Thursday I am also listening to TP Thief of Time.

1. After me comes the Flood by Sarah Perry. Starts very good, surreal. In a heatwave a lonely man sets out to visit his brother. His car breaks down and he stumbles upon a house in the country where he gets welcomed as if he were an expected guest. There is a strange group of people living in the house and he gets pulled into living up to their expectations of him.

One the one hand it feels like the start of some gothic ghost story, but then it kind of falls flat in a more conventional story which does not really work. Shame.

1. Very Short Introduction Islam by Malise Ruthven. For uni, short but crammed full of information. Good introduction, post 9-11 but pre-IS.

1. May We Be Forgiven by A M Homes

Bought on a whim after it showed up on my amazon suggestions list, this is my first book I've read by the author.

The premise is, as a result of an incident for which the main character is partially responsible, his sister in law is killed and his brother is sectioned. He moves into his brothers family home and assumes guardianship of his niece and nephew.

The main character is an under-achieving Nixon scholar and the first half of the book is pure black comedy; there isn't a great deal of plot, more a lurch from one incident to another, including forays into online dating, random sex, a local murder and the problems of looking after a pre-teen girl and teenage boy whilst attempting to pacify his incarcerated brother.

It is quite surreal in places, which I enjoyed. Most of the characters are very much caricatures at first glance - the bored housewife, the toxic inlaws, the self-medicating, cynical teenagers - however, as the book progresses they reveal hidden depths.

It starts off very cynical, however it moves into a story of redemption, and there are some surprisingly tender moments amidst the anarchy. I enjoyed this one, although I do think that there was some pretty lazy stereotyping of ethnic minorities. I'm not sure if this was deliberate or not, though.

Calfon I read The Dinner recently. It wasn't bad, but I found it quite forgettable. I know other people have loved it though.

I did not love The Dinner either, but read it for my book club and it was a great book club read and moral dilemma to discuss I thought.

1. A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre

This was brilliant. I only had vague recollections of the double agent Kim Philby and the Cambridge spy ring, so found this book full of suspense and read it as I would a spy novel. It is the incredible story of a Soviet spy who has quickly risen through the ranks of British intelligence service, heading the UK's intelligence efforts against the Soviets at one point. Multiple clues provided by defectors pointing the finger at him were fought off by his friends in MI5 and MI6, and unbelievably, he went on passing vital intelligence to Soviets for decades while near-completely invalidating US/UK's intelligence operations.

Ben Macintyre tells this fascinating story in a masterful way, high on suspense and with an eye for detail, conveying to the reader the inner worlds of not only Philby himself but also of the major players of the time.

Highly recommended.

1. The Wild Places by Robert MacFarlane

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book - I'm not normally a big fan of nature books or TV programmes - more my husband's area of interest. In fact I had bought this book for him to read, but was intrigued by it and started reading it. Then I was gripped and didn't want to put it down!

It has made me think a lot about how we live our lives - often too busy to notice the world around us - always in the car rushing from place to place with no time just to sit and look, listen and absorb what we see. But when we do have time, it is always a pleasure - for example noticing a hawk hovering over a field.

The book begins with MacFarlane having a particular idea about what wild places should be - vast open spaces, snow-covered mountains, moorlands, unpopulated islands etc. Gradually his ideas are modified through conversations and trips with various friends and he comes to see that wild places can be found anywhere - in towns, cities and many small spaces - a buddleia growing out of a wall, moss growing in a pavement crack, observing animals, birds in flight. All things, in fact, that produce a sense of awe and wonder at our world.

I found it a fascinating book, both on a level of personal discovery, realising the true nature of what is a wild place, and in opening the readers' minds to what exists within our own island(s). It has made me want to get out and discover more about my own part of the country.

Finished The Killer Next Door the other day and was quite disappointed with it. The first half was good and had me gripped but the second half seemed to waffle on, I found I didn't actually care about any of the characters and the reveal of the killer was flat. Stupid unbelievable ending too.

Onto book #3 Life After Life by Kate Atkinson...enjoying it so far

1. Stoner - John Williams

The American modern classic that was originally published in 1965 and reissued recently to great acclaim about the life of a professor from childhood to old age. I found the subject matter and plot deeply depressing and not especially moving, and the writing mostly great but florid now and then. No intentions of ever reading this very sad book.

1. Easy Excel 2010

Clearly laid-out and written...and horrifically dull.

1. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim - David Sedaris

Another book of funny and sad stories from the American humourist's life, this was decent but not as entertaining as his most recent book.

Now on the second memoir from Anjelica Huston and another thrilling book on another Microsoft application (Word).

1. The Murderer's Daughters by S.J.Meyer.

It was ok-bit disappointed by the ending as I thought it would finish with a big climax, but just sort of petered out. Now reading The Vicious Vet (Agatha Raisin) by M.C. Beaton. Love Agatha books, so shouldn't be too much of a chore....

• R.S.Meyer

southeastdweller completely agree with your assessment of Stoner.

Love the Woman in White, probably due a reread but I have a couple of unread Wilkie Collins on my Kindle that I'm looking forward to for the moment.

duchessofmalfi that has made me want to read The Wild Places

1. Burial of Ghosts - Ann Cleeves - author of the Shetland and Vera books this is a standalone novel. The narrator Lizzie investigates a murder herself, I found the plot a little slow, not a real page turner.

Re-read, not read, I meant to say!

I'm also adding The Wild Places to my tbr pile

Dp has just read and loved, 'Stoner.' I might give it a go.

5.5 (as it is really too short to qualify as a whole book) - Holloway by Robert MacFarlane.

A short and sweet companion piece to The Wild Places. In this, Robert MacFarlane revisits the Holloway at Chideock in West Dorset which he visited originally several years earlier with his friend Roger Deakin, who died inbetween the writing of these two books. It is a gentle and poetic tribute both to Deakin and to the poet Edward Thomas.

Southeast and Soot - you won't regret it - it's a lovely book. He writes so beautifully. I'm putting my name down for his other books at the library :)

1. A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness first in a trilogy.

Echoes of Harry potter (although main character is a female adult) orphan, parents killed in mysterious circumstances, she doesn't know she has super witch powers - and falls in love with a vampire (strict no no in the world of creatures - witches, vampires and daemons, who walk amongst us). It dragged a bit at times, but I have the next two already on the kindle so will persevere, but next up is A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch, an amateur detective in London in the 19th century.

I'm on my own for the next 10-12 days so hopefully I'll get lots of reading done!

1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

Have been reading as bedtime story since New Year. Really well written and funny. Especially loved the Oompa Loompa songs, including why not to watch TV.

1. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

A true crime book about the murders of 4 members of a family. I enjoyed this. It was very well researched, and a good read. But I'm not entirely sure why it's considered a modern classic. I would recommend it though.

Great to see so much love for Robert Macfarlane on this thread. I don't know anyone who's heard of him IRL! I'm going to see him at a literary festival in March, can't wait.

Anyway...

1. Around The World In Eighty Days - Jules Verne

Highly enjoyable classic "ripping yarn" following the unflappable Victorian gentleman Phileas Fogg as he tries to win a bet by traveling around the globe in 80 days, with his faithful servant Passepartout and lots of adventures along the way. It's free on kindle so no excuse not to read it!

Book Six - 'Prester John' by John Buchan
This is very much of its period (1910) and is horribly racist in places. It's essentially an exciting boys' adventure story, about a young man in Africa and his role in overthrowing a native uprising. I had to willingly suspend my disbelief a fair few times, as well as my disgust at the racism, but this was an enjoyable story overall.

Book 3 The Sunrisr by Victoria Hislop
Didn't enjoy this at all. Unsympathetic characters and the end of the story is told in the first pages so there is no sense of ploy really. The love /betrayal storyline involved two such unlikeable people that I wasn't bothered by how it ended.

Been quite disappointed with all three books I have read so far this year. Need to get a good one soon to get some enthusiasm for reading again! Going to steal some ideas from this thread

3. Risky Business by Amy Andrews; I'm sorry, total rubbish romance, what can I say, I needed a break. Not the worst I've ever read though

4. Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon; This is about identities between parents and children and coping with children with a very different identity to your own be it gay, schizophrenia, severe disability, dwarfism, children born of rape etc. I found it a very interesting read full of interviews with parents and children who have coped/are coping with very challenging experiences and provocative in how it challenges what "norms" are/should be and whether we have the right to "fix" people. It was overlong I think, but on the whole I'd recommend it to anyone interested in children. We tend to think they will be an extension of ourselves but really every day we are forced to face that not only are they completely separate but sometimes completely unknowable.

Have downloaded Wilkie Collins' "No Name" thanks to reviews above! Am currently reading the first Rivers of London book and enjoying so thanks for all the good reviews of that also!

Book 4: The House of Silk- Anthony Horowitz

A new Sherlock Holmes series by the creator of Alex Rider and Foyle's War. Thoroughly enjoyed it, great plot ( I didn't guess the ending) and loyal to Arthur Conan Doyle's originals. Will be asking for the next one, Moriarty, for my birthday.

ClashCityRocker and thelittlebooktroll I am not really enjoying The Dinner but will try and plough through it!

I saw a few mention Flowers for Algernon earlier in this thread - it is one of my favourtie books.