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. Quiet by Susan Cain. Non-fiction about introverts in an extroverted world. Easy to read, not too much jargon.

1. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. Huge book, and hugely complicated. Set in New Zealand during the gold rush of the 1860s, a mystery to do with murder, fraud, blackmail etc. Has lots of sensational/supernatural elements, illegitimacy, drug use, long-lost family members etc etc. There's a whole astrological and mathematical thing going on which is no doubt very clever but went completely over my head. Having said all that, I loved the book - the writing is brilliant, it feels authentic and the descriptions of the setting and landscape are fantastic. Not a light read but a really enjoyable one.

Another Robert Macfarlane fan here! Got the Wild Places on Kindle, must get round to reading it.

1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

This thriller has been billed as the new Gone Girl and in my opinion it's better. The story is told by 3 female narrators. The main character Rachel is a divorced alcoholic really struggling with her life. She travels on the same train every day and makes up stories about a "perfect couple" who lives in one of the houses she passes on her daily commute. Then one day she sees something which will involve her in this couples life...... A real page turner of a book. My children have been totally neglected while I was reading this book.....

1. The Secret Place by Tana French

A boy's body is found in the grounds of an exclusive all girls boarding school in Dublin, but the investigation fizzles out without the killer being caught. Then, a year later, on the notice board where pupils can anonymously post their secrets, a photo of the boy appears with the subtitle "I know who killed him" A bit of a disappointment, if only because my expectations were so high. Every book in this series has been better than the one that came before it, and this one, while still a good read just didn't hit the highs of the previous 2 entries for me. The "supernatural" element seemed a bit superfluous, and the teenage dialogue was downright awful in places. Still though, as always with this author a brilliantly plotted murder mystery and worth a read with slightly lower expectations than I had!

froglet - That astrological part of The Luminaries went over my head, too. I was hoping you or another recent reader could tell me about it. I loved the book nevertheless, of course.

Cote, this article from the Guardian explains it a bit
www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/04/john-mullan-book-club-luminaries-eleanor-catton
I was reassured that John Mullan says the plot is so complex that no one could possibly remember it all. I gave up worrying about it and just enjoyed the writing.

Book number 7 was medicinal - a very easy re-read of a children's book, in the bath. I needed something to just switch off and relax, if that's any excuse. Also it is a v clever book, so I have no shame in admitting it!
'Bad Beginning' the first in, 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' by Lemony Snicket.

I watched the film again over Christmas, which is sublime. If anybody has children aged around 9-11, who like quirky books, and enjoy a whole series about the same characters, then I heartily recommend these.

1. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. This has been hanging around on my kindle for absolutely ages, and I decided to take the bull by the horns and actually read it :o. I borrowed an audio version from the library this time, for a first reading of it and treated the kindle version as a dip in and out of. I'm planning a second reading later in the year (probably sooner rather than later). Found I quite liked it, and it wasn't anywhere near as hard to read as I'd thought it would be :)

Next up - half way through Academy Street by Mary Costello, which I'm enjoying very much so far. Quite similar in theme to Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, so if you liked that then you would probably like this too.

1. The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath

Well-observed and beautifully written.

1. The Miniturist Jesse Burton, loved the atmosphere and the depth of all characters- read end secretly in work today I was so gripped. Think it may be set up for a sequel ... Left me with questions.

little I've reserved that book from the library after reading your review and skim-reading ones from the Guardian and Observer. I suspect this book will become very popular on MN this year.

1. Revenge of Angels - Wendy Steele. This is the second in Wendy's 'Lilith' trilogy. I got into this far quicker than I did with the first book. Wendy writes convincingly about 'real' magic, and altered perceptions, and the characters have really developed since the first book. There were a few minor points in the plot that I was unsure of/uncomfortable with, but some of the 'journeying' Angel takes was beautifully written, and quite emotional, and this outweighs those niggles. If you like strong female characters, and alternative beliefs, give it a go.

Well so far I have read one!! Although it was really good... Elizabeth is Missing

1. Daughter by Jane Shemilt, about a woman whose 15 year old daughter goes missing. The plot is a little far fetched in places, but it's certainly a page turner.

Ooh tumble I'm reading The Daughter at the minute. Enjoyable thus far, but early days yet.

1. Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore. Biography of the early years of Stalin's life up until the revolution. Very interesting read, prompting me to contemplate what you need for a successful revolution (luck, tenacity, the right people and people willing to die for 'the cause' for starters) and to what extent his early experiences made Stalin behave as he did once in power. 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power currupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.' Lord Acton 1887.

Now I am reading 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North' by Richard Flanagan. (#5).

This year I have read The girl on the train which I loved and Riley Rd also loved. Now reading Alice and the fly which I think is my favourite so far.

Will be interested to see what you think of The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Shake. It's on my reading soon list :)

thelittlebooktroll I'll have to add Girl on the Train to my to-read list. Looks good.

I'm reading Us by David Nichols now. So far, an easy, non-taxing read. Middle-aged-dad lit, I suppose.

1. Bill Bryson, - neither here nor there. A re-read. Funny and sweet but also sad. 25 years since this book was written and interesting to see how parts of Europe have changed. Yugoslavia was on the verge of war in 1990 and communism was just about over in Europe.

at middle aged dad lit BsshBosh

joining in slightly late but have just finished my first bool of the year..

1 ) Elizabeth is Missing ... Brilliant Page turner .. sad in parts ... funny in parts ... spose it is guess able but this doesnt really let the book down.

3# The Secret History. Late to the party on this one, have the Goldfinch waiting on the Kindle, but wanted to read this first.

Really good read - was simultaneously desperate to get to the end and not wanting it to finish. Can see why it is popular.

Another university novel, had a lot of things in it that I like, lots of references to myth and literature, ancient and modern, and a plot whose twists and turns hinged on the relationships and interactions of the main characters. It evokes brilliantly the often claustrophobic nature of campus life, and the friendships and occurrences are familiar, yet rendered startlingly strange at the same time. There were also nods here to classic crime literature, the story concerns itself with why as much as who, what, where, when (not unlike Columbo!), told in a style plundered (deliberately, I'm sure) from The Great Gatsby, and not unlike a grown-up Lord of the Flies. You can't really warm to the people in it, but I don't think it matters, or indeed is the point.

I have some quibbles with it, but largely they didn't distract from a book I was constantly itching to find an extra five minutes for. It is probably too dark and emotionally uninvolving, for me, to become a real favourite, but I can imagine wanting to reread it in the future, as it is so rich in allusion.

Not quite sure how to follow it up. Going to read Murakami's slight The Strange Library, a Christmas present, next, before embarking on another big one.

Book 7 - Another quick bathtime quickie re-read. :) 'Waiting for Godot' by Samuel Beckett

What can I say? It's sublime. I can't claim that I understand every single word of it, but I adore it. It's funny, but also very, very sad. It's quirky and silly and slapstick but also beautifully poignant and poetic. Some of the lines just make me stop and read them over and over again, because they are so gorgeous/bleak.

The secret history is my favourite book. I have the Goldfinch on my to read list and for some reason I am dreading it