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?

I don't mind starting the thread, Cote but wondered if you would like to as you've already read it and can answer any questions if any of us get stuck on anything/need motivation etc?

Another one here for the JS thread. Will have a look for it next time I'm near the Oxfam bookshop, but got a few to finish first so won't be starting it for a while. Excited though

I've read atonement and enduring love of his too.
Quite enjoyed enduring love, and dissecting it with my aunt, and loved atonement, so was really disappointed with this drivel!!!

Read two chapters of js&mn so am in for the thread too!

1. The Sacred River - Wendy Wallace.

Three related women travel to Egypt. One is hiding a secret, one is a figure of ridicule, the other is near death. The journey changes them, and their world views forever.

I found this really hard to put down. Engrossing, challenging and with many subtle twists.

OK, here is the JS & Mr N thread. I'm looking forward to the discussion.

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

I haven't reread these since the final book came out, so I'm rereading the series now before I go to the Harry Potter studio tour. I loved getting back into the world, and I can't wait until DS is old enough for me to read these to him! It definitely reads like a debut novel, but it holds so many good memories for me.

Can I join?

I have read a few so far so it might take a few posts to write them up.
Number 1 was Ancilliary Justice by Anne Leckie. I'd not heard of it, it was a Christmas present, but it was a surprisingly good sci-fi book. It's told from the perspective of a space ship's AI, which actually worked well once I'd got into it. The ship controls hundreds of cyborg soldiers and so the story is narrated through whichever one of them happens to be at the action. At first this is slightly confusing but once I'd got used to the style it worked well. Perhaps like an Iain M. Banks I thought.

Next up: Michael Faber's The Book of Strange New Things, and Dan Jones' The Plantagenets

#4 What Laura saw. Dreadful. A write-a-crime-novel-by-numbers book. 5/10.

Next is Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty.

Number 4: Man at the Helm. Utter shite skim read the last bit. Cannot believe the reviews on amazon saying its laugh out loud funny. It barely raised a smile from me.

1. Child 44 - as I said before, I did really enjoy this book, however the last couple of pages were disappointing. Without wanting to give too much away it was just to set up the trilogy and tie it all up nicely. However I would still recommend it highly.

Starting on a book I picked up in the charity shop tonight - The Lighted Rooms by Richard Mason.

1. Testament of Youth - Vera Brittain - memoir of an intellectual who lived through the First World War, stepping away from her hard won place at Oxford to nurse soldiers. I found it very emotional the way in which the sheer scale of the carnage was dealt with (including the effect of the loss of soldiers on those who weren't actively engaged with fighting) despite the author's unsentimental style. I'm glad I read it, though I have to confess to skim reading some of the poetry excerpts and I didn't really engage with all the political/League of Nations stuff which came after the end of the war.

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

A bit late to the party on this one, but spied if on the library bookshelf and thought I'd give it a go. Wasn't disappointed as, apart from the last few chapters, was gripped throughout. Will be interesting to see how the film compares.

Also reading (audible version so listening really ) The Help. Wonderful narrators bring this book alive, I particularly like Miss Skeeter. This book is set in Mississippi, America in 1963 at the time of racial unrest, when to hire black house staff was the norm and the inequality between the races was staggering. A slow paced book that is perfect to listen to whilst cooking the dinner so it's taking me a while to get thru it!

Also got Dracula on the back burner and IQ84 lined up to read next.

Ps I'm also interested in joining the read along for JS & N, although at 1000+ pages I'd better get a wriggle on!

1. Herman Hesse - The Glass Bead Game

This book contains some beautiful ideas, but it was a struggle.

The main problem for me was that not a single female character is introduced for over 300 pages, and when she is, she's not even given a name.

Recommended for fans of spiritualism, meditation, philosophy, philology, and academia.

Not recommended for fans of story, plot, three dimensional characters, suspense, resolution, or female perspectives.

SandraWood, your summing up made me

Sandra - Do you need to see a female character in every book you read?

I absolutely adored, 'The Glass Bead Game' as an 18 year old, and again on a re-read aged about 22. Haven't read it since and suspect I'd have a lot less patience for it now. I really enjoyed, 'Steppenwolf' too.

Sandra I also liked your summing up. I am intrigued. I read a Hesse novel last year called The Prodigy which I enjoyed but it doesn't sound anything like The Glass Bead Game.

Intrigued as well by the Hesse novel. I did read a few of his but must have missed this one. Read them when I was young and loved them.

Finished Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms by Gerard Russell. Loved it. A travelogue by a former diplomate/consul in various parts of the Middle East. He is interested in these small religious groups that are being threatened by war, Islamists and modernity.. Groups like the Yazidi, Druze, Copts and Samaritans. He shines a light on the divers religious groups, not in a dry academic style but more like a traveller with a passionate interest. It is just out and I thought it was a great addition to all the news reports on the situation now, with IS and Iraq at war and in chaos.

5. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronvitch; enjoyed this very much, a good light read, the contrast between magic and mundane police work being very entertaining for me. Thought the main character was very engaging and I'd certainly recommend it and will probably read more.

6. Countdown City by Ben H Winters; #2 of The Last Policeman trilogy, read it first by mistake, anyhoo, didn't notice or spoil my enjoyment in any way. It's a pretty good read, essentially, the world as we know it is about to end due to a pending asteroid hit. The book is set about 3m prior to the end and centres around a policeman who appears surprisingly impervious to the gradually unfolding chaos and who remains focused on the job at hand, ie finding a woman's missing husband. There are hints that there is a larger conspiracy at play which is what is keeping me reading really as I'm not really that big on crime books. A good short read, reading the first one now which I am also enjoying.

Might join ye all on the JS thread though the thought of a 1000 pages on magic is bit offputting....

Book 11 - 'The Guilty River' - yet another Wilkie Collins!

I didn't like this one. I feel horribly let down by my idol. :)

Number 2 was The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. It's had masses of hype and good reviews, but I was underwhelmed. Set in 17th century Amsterdam, a young girl meets her new husband and his household. The husband is distant and mostly absent and presents her with a miniature copy of the house for her to fill with objects, while his sister runs the real house. There are themes of female power/powerlessness amongst others. On the whole I felt it was an opportunity missed, the characters felt lightly drawn and in some cases frankly unbelievable, and the whole plot around the miniaturist herself peters out.

Number 3 : Michael Faber's The Book of Strange New Things. Set in the future, a missionary is sent into space to a new planet where the native species have requested that they be taught the word of God. He struggles with the separation from his wife as well as how to communicate with the alien species. It's a slow burner, some lovely writing, but probably not for someone who prefers a more plot driven read. It was thought provoking on questions of language, how we understand one another, how we use translation and what we lose in doing so. Enjoyed, although on the whole I prefer David Mitchell. I have One Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet waiting, which I'm looking forward to.

CoteDAzur I wouldn't say I "need" a female character, but The Glass Bead Game is set in a future society of intellectual elites, and right from the start it's taken for granted that women are not part of this society, as they would simply act as a distraction.

There are some who will argue that this is the whole "point" of the book - that it's a sustained critique of such lofty academic ideas. Whilst that's interesting in theory, in practice it's not at all fun to trudge through over 500 syrupy pages describing what essentially amounts to a futuristic no girls club.

It's not the absence of women per se that bothers me, rather it's that which exists in their place.

6# The Housekeeper and the Professor, Yoko Ogawa

A young woman, a single parent, takes on the role of housekeeper for a retired professor of mathematics whose short term memory lasts only 80 minutes. Despite this, she and her son form a friendship with him, and they each have a positive impact on each other's lives. A sweet little book, but lacking something for me. Ultimately it didn't go deeply enough into the characters, and, though it was an intriguing read at first I didn't fall in love with it. Some interesting stuff about maths, but wasn't dazzled.

2 - A Man Called Ove

I know others have done reviews on this book too so won't go into story etc. I love love loved this book! Really identified with Ove as a character. I've never read a book that has had me giggling and crying in the same minute, I found it simultaneously broke my heart and gave me hope for people in general :) it was a lovely read ... although I finished it at work today and had to try really hard not to cry my eyes out - just because! I don't think I would have picked this book up were it not for the recommendations on here so thank you.

Not sure what I'll read next - I have a few on my bookshelf so will put the kindle down and pick one of those up I think