50 Book Challenge 2015 Part 2

[Southeastdweller]

Thread two of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

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

Previous thread here

Checking in on the new thread. Currently reading An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris. Not read any of his books before, but enjoying it so far and learning about the Dreyfus affair which I know very little about.

Curtain Call really appeals to me, so glad it's had some good reviews on here.

bookwormbeagle
re: downloading Kindle books - I am not sure if you can read them on Kindle (unless library says so)
Kindle has certain format of the book it accepts (you can email it to yourself, each Kindle has it's own email address)

I haven't tried to download library books on my Kindle yet, they may be readable on a tablet.

Can you see what format those books are on your phone?
i.e. what is the full title including a dot and few letters after that dot which are describing format of the file.

11. Wild, by Cheryl Strayed. Non-fiction account of walking long-distance trail by young woman grieving her mother/the hash she'd been making of her life. Her account of her mother's death was genuinely affecting. Of course the whole thing is bit self-dramatising, but overall very readable.

Book 6 - There's Something I've Been Dying To Tell You, Lynda Bellingham. A very poignant read of her illness and how the family dealt with it.

Signing in on the new thread :)

12. The Reboot with Joe - Juice Diet by Joe Cross 3/5

There's a lot to like about this book. First of all, the author - he's enthusiastic, knowledgeable about his subject, encouraging and very positive. He's been there, been overweight and found a solution both to losing weight and encouraging good health through juicing and eating fresh fruit and vegetables.

I have been juicing on and off for about 15 years so understand and appreciate the health benefits. And, as a longstanding vegetarian (for more than half my life now) I like his approach to healthy eating.

However, the reason why I have only given the book 3 stars is because, having read it, I'm not entirely convinced that this is the right approach to losing weight. It clearly worked for Joe Cross and it will work for many others, but I don't wholly agree with the consumption of juices purely to lose weight. My approach has always been to include juices in a daily diet for long term health, complementary to eating a sensible healthy diet. It seems a bit too quick fix to me and is not sustainable for any lengthy period. As he says in the book, he did a 60 day "Reboot" which he doesn't recommend for anyone without medical advice. By all means include lots of the advice in this book, which is nutritional, but I am wary of juice-only diets which I think have the potential to cause digestive discomfort, and can be severely lacking in fibre.

However, I have taken some very useful hints and tips from the book and some great new ideas for juices and other recipes, which is now joining my collection of healthy eating and cookery books.

12. The Children Act - Ian Mcewan. I hated this. I thought it was a pretty vile, exploitative book. I really don't know why I bother reading him.

13. The Last Anniversary - Liane Moriarty. I liked this, Set on an island near Sydney, 70 years after two sisters find an abandoned baby, one of them unexpectedly leaves her house to the ex girlfriend of a family member. Repercussions etc with an unexpected twist at the end.

Stokey - yes to Agatha Christie as a comfort read. Also get as easy to read in another language if you're not very advanced.

1. Ghost train to the Eastern Star by Paul Theroux.

He retraces his journey taken in Great Railway Bazaar 33 years earlier, to Turkey, south east Asia, Russia. Really interesting commentary on the many changes and the history if the various countries.

YY to Christie for comfort, but only Poirot. I detest Miss Marple.

Hi all, just caught up on all the posts over the last few days. It's a fast moving thread this year!

1. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin. Classic sci fi set on the planet Gethen, which has a harsher climate than earth and its people are neither man nor woman, except in their fertile period once a month when they may become either man or a

... either man or woman. Thus anyone can get pregnant and give birth.

I enjoyed this. It has certainly stood the test of time - hard to believe it was written in 1968.

Book number 4 is The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter. About a girl whose parents die and she and her siblings are sent to live with their horrid uncle. Well written but grim and the ending was abrupt - it just came to a stop. Lots of garden of eden symbolism and controlling puppets/real people stuff.

10. Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

Book nine in The Hollows series. Rachel Morgan, a witch, has been shunned for using black magic and has three days to get across the US to the annual witches' conference to clear her name. Accompanied by her housemates and business partners Ivy, the living vampire, and Jenks, the pixy, along with dubious businessman, politician, and elf Trent, the road trip is far from peaceful. Elvish assassins attempt to kill Trent and an ancient day-walking, soul-eating demon is freed to wreak havoc after centuries of imprisonment.

I always enjoy Kim Harrison's novels. They're complete hockum of course, but entertaining reads, pretty well written, and while Rachel seems both a magnet for disaster and ridiculously ruled by her hormones, most of the time I can't help but like her.

1. Document and Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade - Neil Taylor

A detailed history of the indie label. I used to work in the music business and either worked with or knew of many of the people featured in this book; I'm not sure all the details of phone calls/meetings/committees/industry politics would be so interesting to general readers.

Marking Place as I am still plodding through The Lighted Rooms which is my #4

8# Bring Up the Bodies Hilary Mantel

This was a really good read, especially in the second half as the plot to remove Anne Boleyn really began to pick up pace. Mantel does a great job of adding a layer of emotional realism, an everydayness to her reimagining of events, exploring the possible personal and political motivations behind historical cause and effect in a way that is compelling.

Mantel's interpretation of Cromwell's character in Wolf Hall was so well-drawn, so likeable, that there is a slight disconnect now we come to reality of his machinations in BUTB, for me anyway.

The last scenes of the book have played on my mind quite a bit since finishing it. The barbarism of the times, the manoeuvring of women's reputations and lives for political gain, the repercussions for society.

I'm not sure what to read next. I would like something without beheadings this time. Probably the Wild Places by Robert Macfarlane. I've also just picked up The Testament of Mary from the library which looks like a short but potentially harrowing read. I need something on the go on the Kindle too, so might crack on with The Bone Clocks.

1. The Diary of a Nobody - George and Weedon Grosssmith, a freebie on the kindle recommended on a thread about diaries. I thought it sounded like my sound of book and I really enjoyed it, short and sweet. A snapshot of daily Victorian suburban life with well drawn characters. The diarist Charles Pooter is exasperating but likeable, very humorous. Recommended.

I have that on Kindle whitewineandchocolate, looking forward to getting to it

I tried reading, 'Diary of a Nobody' on Kindle last year, and just didn't get on with it. Should I try again?

I loved the Diary of a Nobody. Its years since I've read it. Its a gentle social comedy.

The Diary of a Nobody - I remember laughing a lot.

BookwormBeagle I agee, The World VS Alex Wood is a fabulous book!

And Fingersmith is a cracker too....hope you enjoy it... Her Little Stranger one is the only one I couldn't read as is frightened the hell out of me!

I am soon starting book 8....The Undertaking about a WW2 soldier who marries a girl he never met in Berlin so he can get some leave and a break from the war....anyone read this yet?

I loved all the Alan Bradley Flavia De Luce books and a friend is lending me number 7 soon ....she got the American version as the English one is not out yet! Am super excited! As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust...set in Canada where Bradley lives

Another fan of Diary of a Nobody here, although it's years since I read it.

5 - Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain. I enjoyed the first part and felt obliged to read the war details. But I found the lengthy details on the VAD's days a bit repetitive. I was most interested in the relationships with the men at the front.
6 - Girl on the Train - I loved this easy but captivating read. I read it in two sittings and loved the twists. Very fast paced and I liked the increasing depth. I really enjoyed this.
7 I am now reading The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters and enjoying this very much.

12. The Creation of Anne Boleyn, Susan Bordo. The first half is a fairly rapid run through what's known of her life, while the second part look at how she's been understood at different times through the eyes of each current generation. I enjoy this kind of thing, so I liked the book. You could pick holes in it - she criticizes others for speculation and projection, but does it herself. She really puts the boot into Phillipa Gregory and Starkey, which is fun.

I've just started Wolf Hall, and it's a bit easier now that the TV has given me a mental image of the characters. As soot says, it's hard to reconcile his sympathetic portrayal in Wolf Hall with what some pretty vile actions in real life. The Bordo book says that Anne and TC disagreed because she wanted the wealth from the destruction the monasteries to go to charity, while he was happy for individuals to profit. It's a bit of a challenge to get your head round such different portrayals.

cheminotte, I have a weird love/hate relationship with Paul Theroux's travel writing. I find his writing compelling but the way he portrays himself is deliciously annoying. I liked that book.

Book 7- 'The Prophecy' by Peter James

It's a thriller. I thought it was well written and interesting. Worth a read.

Book 8- 'Three Amazing things about you' by Jane Mansell

Not great really! Chick lit so therefore quite predictable. I like chick lit and it was a nice quick read but just too predictable.

I am so behind on my reading.

Now to pick book 9.