50 Book Challenge 2015 Part 3

[Southeastdweller]

Thread three of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2015, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. It's still not too late to join, any type of book counts, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

First thread of the year here, and second thread here.

tumbletumble I'm sorry to blow the theory. I read both Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre as a teen and found the idea of girls mooning over Heathcliff and Mr Rochester completely inexplicable. Never felt the need to re-visit. Same with Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess. Put me right off reading classics.

Bssh I enjoyed A Suitable Boy so much that its one of few novels I've retained a copy of for re-reading purposes. Loving the sound of your other two reads (and added).

Remus I really like a thriller but never got into Len Deighton, although its been a few decades since I last tried.

Still on book 22 - not sure what to make of it tbh.

17 The Wine of Angels Phil Rickman. I read this on previous recommends here, a bit hard going in places and a bit 'woo' for me but overall enjoyable, although a bit of editing wouldn't go amiss. I'll probably carry on with the Merrily Watkins series

no 37

still alice

Think everyone on this thread has read it by now

Can't wait to see the film

WordFactory I was disappointed by, 'Dark Matter' after it was so hyped on here. I liked the setting up, the packing for the trip etc (am a bit of an Arctic/Antarctic obsessive) but as a ghost story I found it rather underwhelming and the 'twist' just felt a bit tired and shoe-horned in for shock rather than to add to the story at all. I just felt a bit cheated at the end tbh.

Cote no, never seen the film, but will look out for it. It would be interesting to compare the two - I understand the film has got quite a cult following, and I would've thought it would be a difficult book to translate in to a film.

Currently re-reading 'the rules of attraction' by Brett Easton Ellis, mainly because summer seems to have arrived here in Yorkshire and this was a favourite summer holiday read a few years back.

Unfortunately, the holiday also involved lots of cider - and every time I read it I get a craving for cider

I really haven't read many of the 'girly' classics (for want of a better word) at all. I might try some, but after a few misfires this year I'm getting a bit wary of books I feel I 'ought' to have read.

remus I know what you mean.

I think the setting and characterisation was excellent, and as I say, to manage to keep the storytelling tight, given the plot and structure didn't exactly lend themselves to it, is the mark of a very good writer.

But, and it's a big but, I guess, it didn't scare me. Or even unsettle, really.

29. Midwinter of The Spirit - Phil Rickman. Second in the Merrily Watkins series.
30. Girl On A Train. Reviewed often enough here, not my cup of tea. 31 Stardust - Neil Gaiman. Fairy tale for grown ups. Not for me.
31. The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty. Enjoyed this a lot. I really like her books.

Book 50
'Strange Bodies' by Marcel Theroux

I enjoyed this, and it was like nothing I've ever read before. The blurb said it was a thriller, and it sort of was, but it was also a journey inside the human mind and raised questions about what makes an individual.

A woman is visited by somebody who says he's her ex-boyfriend. She believes him but is a bit freaked out - she'd read that her ex had been killed in a horrible accident. What follows is the story of how both of those things are true - he is her ex, and he died in an accident. The story takes us to Russia (less successfully than the rest of it tbh) via a wonderfully diverting section about Samuel Johnson, into Bethlehem (Bedlam) hospital and around the streets of London.

I recommend this strange but thought-provoking read. It's the second Marcel Theroux I've read now, and I'd definitely like to read more.

Glad people are enjoying Merrily Watkins - best, I saw your reassuring comment to me after you read the first one and meant to say thank! I find it strangely nerveracking to recommend books.

I have three hours on a train tomorrow so looking forward to a lovely long read...

30. Shamans by Ronald Hutton

An examination of the Shamanic traditions among the peoples of Siberia, including looking at the sources of information about them (not many, all Russian - either Tsarist or Soviet and all trying to stamp it out), the similarities and differences across the vast expanse of country they cover, and a brief look at neopaganism and the influences on its development. Extremely interesting reading.

16. A Hat Full of Sky

17. Wintersmith

18. I Shall Wear Midnight - all by Terry Pratchett. All on audio, narrated by Stephen Briggs. These three are books 2, 3 and 4 in the Tiffany Aching set. Tiffany is a young witch and these books follow her at ages 11, 13 and 15. In a Hat Full of Sky she battles the Hiver who cannot be seen but takes over your mind. She defeats him by accepting him and realises that he is not intentionally bad but just doesn't understand humans and trys to hide in them to get away from world because he sense and feels everything. In Wintersmith, Tiffany jumps into the dark morris (the dance to move from summer to winter) kisses the winter and he falls in love with her. He covers the landscape with Tiffany shaped snowflakes and with the help of Granny Weatherwas, Miss Treason and the Nac Mac Feegle she manages to overcome the impact of her actions and get the narrative back on track by bring Summer back into the story. In I Shall Wear Midnight Tiffany is 15 and has to deal with an evil that is taking over the land and turning people against witches. This evil is in the shape of the Cunning Man and Tiffany eventually defeats him by luring him into a fire and burning him. This is a wonderful story and along with Wintersmith are two of the best Pratchetts.

19. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - reviewed loads of times already. Didn't really care for any of the characters and didn't really care what happened to them.

I am still reading The Goldfinch and have also started Snow White Must Die so hope to be back soon to add those to my list.

27. The Night Watch - Sarah Waters

This is about the lives of four Londoners in the 1940's, told backwards from 1947 - 1941, set against the backdrop of WW2. This book was wonderfully atmospheric, emotionally engaging, occasionally deeply moving, and generally well-paced, though I felt the characterisation was lacking with a couple of the characters. But it's still a very enjoyable read and highly recommended.

I picked up a second hand copy of The Night Watch a while ago. I think I might bump it up the list to read sooner now, seeing your review, southeast

Book 39 The Rules of Attraction by Brett Easton Ellis

Follows the lives of a group of privileged American college students. The author does a great job of portraying apathy and nihilistic hedonism amongst the characters. A fantastic book.

Reading Ballard's Empire of The Sun next.

Book 16 Lamentation by CJ Samson. The latest in this series. Not my favourite of them and I didn't really believe in the final plot development but still a good read.

Book 17 Slaves of Solitude by Patrick Hamilton. Written in about 1947 it is set in 1943 and focuses on Enid Roach a woman in her 30s who lives in a boarding house and commutes into London each day. It's a book about loneliness and the subtle bullying that could go on in such a place. It has some great characters in it but can be quite bleak. The war is very much in the background - people are plodding through life. One of the other boarders is a man who dominates conversation at meal times and if he doesn't talk then they all eat in silence. Apparently Hamilton lived in boarding houses like this so it's based on experience. Would recommend it. The edition I have has an introduction from Doris Lessing saying how Hamilton was seen as a contemporary Dickens - his books showed people like Lessing who was living in Africa, what life was like in London through fiction. But he fell out of favour over time until his books were republished a few years ago.

I loved Jane Eyre when I read it as a teenager and Far from the Madding Crowd although Bathsheba is quite a passive character towards the end. We studied Romeo and Juliet at school and - even in a girls school - we couldn't see what the fuss was all about. They both needed to get a grip and get over themselves.

#16 Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald

Think this was recommended by a previous poster- thank you.

I found the book an absolute joy whilst reading it, but found the ending a bit abrupt and I'm not quite sure what happened! Characters were wonderful.I lived on Battersea Reach (on land and much more recently than the book setting!) so it was particularly lovely to revisit the area.

Not sure what to read next. I'm going to Arran in a few weeks so downloaded Kirsty Wark's book which is set there. However, when buying, I noticed that one of my favourite actresses Siobhan Redmond was reading the Audible version so I added that. No way will I be able to listen to an audiobook with DH so might do that one next.

Has anyone been a World Book Night distributer today? The chap who organises the book club I go to had The Martian by Andy Weir to give out, so a couple of us met at the pub to pick up a copy then he was generally offering them to people sitting and having a drink. It has been quite a pleasant evening.

I also picked up the latest Jack Reacher, which has just come out in paperback, on my way home, but am currently part way through The Ionian Mission by Patrick O'Brian, so the two new ones will have to wait a bit.

12. The Wizards And The Warriors - Hugh Cook

Book one of a ten-part fantasy series that I read when they were published back in the 1980s; now sadly out of print. All set in the same world but they're individual stories that don't cross over hugely until the final book iirc. Packed with ideas, memorable characters and places, and much funnier than Game of Thrones!

clash I remember reading The Rules of Attraction. I was quite a bit very much younger then so it brings back good memories for me too.

OllyB I read Offshore last year and I really enjoyed it. It has stayed with me.

34. H is for Hawk - Helen Macdonald

I really enjoyed this and found the way she weaved the story of T. H White's life and his experiences of falconry into her own story of falconry and why it was important for both of them. She certainly exposes her feelings and vulnerabilities in this book and I sympathised with her and felt for her. It didn't drag for me at all. I really would recommend this, though there is a thread on this book and some people really like it and others definitely do not. But I did!

OllyB - I'm so glad you enjoyed 'Offshore'. I always feel I'm putting myself on the line a bit when I recommend a book so I'm pleased it was a success (I agree about the ending though...).

I'm just nearing the end of 'The L-Shaped Room' by Lynne Reid Banks. Blimey what a book. I'll review it properly when I've completed it but wanted to give anyone searching for recommendations a heads up that this one's a corker (despite some of the uncomfortably dated attitudes it at times portrays...)

Cedar, love the sound of the Hamilton book, will look out for it.

Book 51
'The Leavenworth Case' by Anna Green
One of the earliest detective stories, by an American woman. It's exactly my sort of thing, and I really enjoyed it. It's a very typical example of the genre - a rich man's house, rich man found dead, a number of possible suspects, various trails of clues, a potential love interest etc etc. If you like Conan Doyle, then I recommend it.

Book 17 - Red Dragon by Thomas Harris.

This is the pre cursor to The Silence of the Lambs by the same author, and introduces Hannibal Lecter.

It's a pretty darn good psychological thriller and short to boot (only 4.5 hours as an audio book). My copy was read by the author and he has a very fine southern drawl .

However, this is just a warm up really for TSOTL, with Harris cutting his teeth. The serial killer is a trial run for Buffalo Bill, Lecter is a very minor character and no Clarice Starling, who IMVHO was what made TSOTL not a good book, but a great book. That sort of character is just genius.