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50 Book Challenge 2015 Part 2

999 replies

Southeastdweller · 05/02/2015 06:48

Thread two of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

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

Previous thread here

OP posts:
Original poster
Southeastdweller · 22/02/2015 08:12
  1. The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

This was a bog-standard thriller, not deserving of all the hype, about an alcoholic young woman who fantasises about a couple she sees on her daily commute from her train window - her ex-husband and his new wife who she resents also live on this road. It was at times very exciting to read but the prose mostly basic, the three narrators too similar in voices, and I felt there was so much more with the characters motivations and backstories she could have explored.

Now on The Illuminations.

OP posts:
bookwormbeagle · 22/02/2015 08:21

Finished book 8, Rumours by Freya North. A typical FN book, very easy to read and enjoyable in its way. The main character, art historian turned estate agent, is tasked with selling the local stately pile for the Fortescue family. Amid protests from the sitting tenants and local villagers Stella Hutton manages to win everyone round, and bag a new boyfriend too. Not bad just a bit predictable.

On to book 9 Watching the Night by Peter Robinson. A police procedural following the case of DCI Alan Banks.

BsshBosh · 22/02/2015 08:30

Loving the recommendations on this thread. Will reserve The Illuminations and Anne Tyler's new book from the library.

ClashCityRocker · 22/02/2015 09:04
  1. Ghost Story - Peter Straub

A group of old-ish men meet to tell ghost stories on a regular basis, however unexplainable things start to happen in their home town.

A little slow to get going, but really damn scary in some place. The first book that's given me the heebie jeebies in a while. The characters are both interesting and believable and, the ending is pretty good, which is often a weakness in horror movies.

Not a game changer, but a really good story. Would recommend.

Currently reading I Am Pilgrim and Duma Key

ClashCityRocker · 22/02/2015 09:07

Erm, by movies, I mean books, obviously.

Don't know where that came from, I don't even say movies IRL!

hackmum · 22/02/2015 09:45

Have finished the Anne Tyler - really loved it. What a great writer. It's one of those books that doesn't go where you're expecting it to - full of surprises.

Cherrypi · 22/02/2015 10:04
  1. The man in the rubber mask - Robert Llewellyn.

The autobiography of the actor who played Kryten on Red Dwarf.

This was a really interesting read. It was focused on his Red Dwarf work. Robert is a fluent and entertaining writer. This was an updated version of an earlier work and there were a couple of repeated stories in the book. Needed a check through by an editor. I did enjoy it though. Great for nighttime breastfeeding reading.

Pinkglow · 22/02/2015 10:05

The God Kitchens Wife by Amy Tan

An American-Chinese woman learns of her mother’s hard life and tragedy in China.

First half of this book is quite good. The descriptions of family life and the arranged marriages were really interesting as were the journeys across China. Unfortunately the second part began to descend into melodrama and family saga. Plus the author used a variation of the sentence ‘If only I knew how much worse was to come…’ about four or five times which I hate.

Overall meh.

Started The Snow Child yesterday and am really enjoying that and racing through it.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 22/02/2015 10:25

Book 26 - 'Ready Player One' by Ernest Cline
This was fun; I enjoyed it. I particularly liked the film references, and the first person narration worked well because the central character was quite endearing. I thought it was padded out a bit too much in the beginning and at times in the middle, but the final quarter was really exciting. There were some echoes of Dave Eggers', 'The Circle' in the vision of a world where almost everybody is living more in virtual reality than they are in the real world, but overall this was a much more fun rendition of it.

Cote - I think you might have succeeded in recommending a book that I enjoyed! Game over. Grin

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 22/02/2015 12:04

Meant to say though, that I thought it was very YA in tone, style and content AND it was a love story. Sticks tongue out (again) at Cote and her YA aversion. Not that I'd accuse you of double standards or anything (well, not to your face). Grin

Schoolchauffeur · 22/02/2015 12:16

So just starting Book 6 which is the autobiography of Jane Hawking ( inspired by going to see the recent film) and loving it- really well written.

First five this year are:

  1. Tea Shop on the Corner- Milly Johnson. A light read which I enjoyed but it's not going to win the Booker!
  2. Behind the Scenes at the Museum- Kate Atkinson. Girl recounts her life story . Written from quirky angle. Really enjoyed this one.
  3. Arthur and George- Julian Barnes. My favourite so far this year which is based on true events in the life of Arthur Conan Doyle. Very unusual story although it was 500 pages so slowing down my progress
  4. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton - already lots of comments on this so suffice to say I loved this book, possibly because I've lived in Holland for a year or so and seen the dolls house in museum in Amsterdam
  5. The Boom of You- Claire Kendall. Woman being stalked by colleague whilst also on jury service in a rape trial. It was quite a page turned, but I was irritated by the central character and not sure about the effectiveness of switching between first and third person narrative.
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 22/02/2015 12:21

Love, 'Arthur and George.' Superb book.

Rugbylovingmum · 22/02/2015 12:25

I'm not sure I am going to make 50 books this year. I'm spending so many of my evenings marking I only seem to read during the hols, and even then I have to wait for the kids to go to bed. This half term I have read

  1. The Rosie Project - I enjoyed this. It was a nice light read after all the textbooks and assignments, fun and with enough going on to keep me interested. It's not a book to read for an insight into Aspergers (I believe the author has said that Don doesn't have aspergers but that's not very clear in the book) but, if you are looking for a quirky holiday read, I would recommend this.
  1. The Cuckoo's Calling - I wasn't sure about this book but in the end I'm glad I picked it up. An enjoyable detective story with engaging characters and a good plot. Slightly too long and a bit too much swearing but I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

I'm currently reading The Humans and I have downloaded The Miniaturist from audible ready for the commute to work. Hopefully it won't take me until Easter to finish them! I'm so looking forward to starting my summer holidays. I am teaching all exam classes this year so I'll finish up before my eldest breaks up at school and I'll have two days to myself each week to work through my to-read pile.

BsshBosh · 22/02/2015 14:02
  1. Little Lies, Liane Moriarty Young, single mum Jane arrives in an idyllic coastal town and is immediately befriended by feisty Madeline and beautiful Celeste - two seemingly perfect women with perfect lives but both harbouring secrets of their own. When all their children start school for the first time, a playground rift escalates out of control with other parents becoming embroiled. A harmless rift to begin with... that horrifically ends in a death.

A well-plotted page-turner with excellent characterisation. No literary sensation, but a very good, quick read.

Need to read something meatier, more literary now so have started on David Gilbert's & Sons.

DuchessofMalfi · 22/02/2015 14:17

I like Arthur and George too - read it a few years ago. Think it's been turned into a drama series for tv this year. Will be interested to see whether that's any good.

Iamblossom · 22/02/2015 14:41

Book 8 - Elizabeth is Missing. Quite a good story, but I really wouldn't recommend it if you have a loved one with dementia. Sad. I can't say I particularly enjoyed knowing what it might have been like to be inside my mother's head in the years before her death last year.

Next is Flowers for Algernon.

frogletsmum · 22/02/2015 16:09

Two finished today, 8 - Jerusalem, Simon Sebag Montefiore and 9 - Coronation Everest, Jan Morris. Both excellent. 'Jerusalem' is vast - an exhaustive history of the city from the earliest mention in 5000 BC to present day. It's taken a month to read and I know I won't be able to remember most of it, but even so I've learned a lot about the background and traditions and, of course, the roots of the conflict over the city. Hard going but worth it.

In contrast, Coronation Everest is a charming, easy to read account of the first successful climb of the mountain, by the Times correspondent who was part of the expedition and successfully got the news (in code) back to London just in time for the Queen's coronation in 1952. As Morris says in a new introduction, things were different then, and some of the writing and attitudes reflect that. Nevertheless, there's a real sense of the excitement and romance of the expedition - and sadness at the end, when Morris reflects on the commercialisation of mountaineering since then. Highly recommended.

Loved 'Arthur & George' too. Will look out for the tv adaptation.

Deep breath. Starting Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell now.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 22/02/2015 16:31

Glad that people have enjoyed, 'Coronation Everest.' I picked it up at random in a charity shop and was charmed by it. I urge people to read, 'Into the Silence' too, if they are interested in Everest and haven't done so already.

In other news, I keep picking JS&MN up and putting it straight back down again.

FunMitFlags · 22/02/2015 16:32

Getting behind schedule! Need to read more books ASAP.

Just finished no 6 Hunger Games. Really not my cup of tea and I had to force myself to finish it! Only reason I carried on was because of this thread.

BestIsWest · 22/02/2015 16:42

Into the Silence was great but took me ages, a monster of a book! So many details. Heartbreaking in parts.

Still plodding on with The Casual Vacancy. It isn't as bad as I thought first time round when I couldn't get past chapter 1. It is so cliched though. Or is that deliberate? I have to finish before next Sunday.

Ranulph Fiennes is waiting for me on Kindle, along with The Miniaturist and a Liane Moriarty book. I rather like her.

After that I have made a brave decision (for me) to try some Sci-fi and some fantasy, both genres that I have never got on with. Will be looking for some recommendations( may start a separate thread).

This thread is very good at getting me out of my reading rut.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 22/02/2015 16:43

I really like, 'Brave New World' and, 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' as easy read introductions to sci-fi.

BestIsWest · 22/02/2015 16:49

Thanks Remus. I'll put them on the list. It will depend on what the library has in. If I can go with a list and browse a few first pages that will be great.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 22/02/2015 16:49

Oh and, 'Fahrenheit 451.'

BestIsWest · 22/02/2015 16:53

Ah yes, both DCs keep telling me to read that. I know DD has it on her Kindle if I can prise it out of her paws.

ShadowSpiral · 22/02/2015 17:06
  1. Undead by Kirsty McKay.

A YA zombie tale. A school party is on it's way home from a ski trip in Scotland. The bus stops at the services and everyone gets off except lonely new girl Bobby and bad boy Smitty. And then our two squabbling heroes realise that all their schoolmates have somehow turned into zombies and are heading their way...

It's pretty lightweight as you might expect of a YA novel, but it's a fun read.