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.

30 – The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year – Sue Townsend
When Eva Beaver’s gifted 17 year old twins leave for university she takes to her bed to think and refuses to leave it. The book blurb says “I laughed until I cried” Daily Mail and “Glorious, laugh-out-loud” Sunday Times; I just did not find it very funny.

31 – Empty Cradles – Margaret Humphreys
In 1986 Margaret Humphreys, a Nottingham social worker, investigated a woman’s claim that aged four she had been put on a boat to Australia by the British Government. Margaret found that up to 150,000 children had been deported from children’s homes in Britain and shipped to distant parts of the empire. Most of the children were told that their parents were dead and parents were told that their children had been adopted. Margaret set up the Child Migrants Trust, which tries to reunite the migrants with their families.

David Mitchell's masterpiece Cloud Atlas is £1.99 on the Kindle. If you haven't read it already, don't miss it

Thanks Cote, I haven't but enjoyed The Bone Clocks. Off to download now.

34. Pies and Prejudice by Stuart Maconie.

As I mentioned up thread, This is a travelogue about the North of England written in 2006. It's a bit like Bill Bryson but with added left wing politics and Morrisey worshipping. Lots about the demonisation of the working class and the North south divide. As a Welsh woman from a working class background I identified with a huge amount of it although I did think it ran out of steam a bit towards the end. Really good though. Lots of musical references too especially from the 80s.

35. From Doon With Death - Ruth Rendell. I've been a huge fan of hers for about 30 years and saddened to hear of her death. I've read this half a dozen times but it's still good. Written over 50 years ago, it is the first of the Inspector Wexford books and her first book. He'll always be my favourite detective (not least because George Baker looked like my Dad). I'm intending to re read more Rendell and Vine books, I'm hoping to find some I haven't read already.

I have just finished Dorothy Koomson "the flavours of love".

Didn't see the twist, as such, coming. Struggling for my next read.

I read anything if its good

28. Blindsight by Peter Watts

I had read this book before but didn't remember much of it (and frankly think I may have skimmed through most of it) so thought I would re-read it before I attempt the sequel. It is a widely-acclaimed "hard sci-fi" that is about first contact, transhumanism, and especially the nature and use of consciousness. A bit "out there" for some, no doubt, but very interesting.

38. Ariel Sylvia Plath

Its taken me awhile to read this famous collection of poems as I found the best thing to do was to read one or two a week and then think about them. I have also had to read some analysis and notes on most of the poems because I found I wasnt able to grasp their meanings or understand all the references due to their complexity and my lack of brainpower. They really are very moving, confusing and sad, but its hard not to read them in the context of Plaths life.

39. The Paying Guests Sarah Waters

I nearly gave up on this halfway through as I felt I just didnt care about the characters but then it suddenly, massively kicked off and became quite a different novel altogether. I was quite literally unable to put it down, which I think was the experience of a previous poster somewhere upthread. I am extremely tired this morning as a result! I would recommend this

Sorry about the symbols. I am on a rogue PC at work.

20. Marcus Sedgwick - A Love Like Blood

In 1944, Charles Jackson, an army doctor is in Paris a few days after it's liberated. He sees a man drinking the blood of a murdered woman, but he gets frightened and flees without doing anything about it. He returns to Paris a few years later, and sees the man again, eating in a restaurant with a young woman. This time, Charles decides to follow him, and this decision leads to an all-consuming and ultimately destructive obsession with the mysterious man.

I had mixed feelings about this. It was interesting and held my attention, but I wasn't sure if I liked it. The ending in particular was a bit disturbing, but made perfect sense within the framework that had been built up. I didn't find Charles to be the most likable of characters - largely because I found it hard to identify with his obsessive nature - but there wouldn't have been a story without that character trait.

51. The Mitford Girls - the biography of an extraordinary family by Mary S Lovell

I've always had a fascination for the Mitfords - stemming from having read Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love, and Love in a Cold Climate when I was teenager, and knowing that she had used her own family and friends as the basis for her characters.

This is, however, the first biography of the family that I have read and I found it thoroughly engrossing. It has been very well researched, and was written whilst two of the sisters, Diana and Deborah, were still alive. The author appears to have known the family quite well and had met most of the sisters over the past thirty years or so, so I would assume that it is factually accurate and that she had access to family records.

Very interesting, and informative - I learned so much about the sisters. Their feuds, mostly caused by their vastly differing political beliefs, lasted right into old age, and never really healed.

They all led fascinating lives, some more controversial than others (I don't think I will ever really understand what Unity thought she was doing), but the one who seems to shine through as the most strong-minded and principalled, was Jessica (maybe the author's favourite sister?).

Next up - Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (started this morning, like it so far), and an audiobook - Lolita (read by Jeremy Irons). I managed two hours of it this morning, and am shuddering slightly. That's enough of the thoughts of a paeodophile for today. Best taken in small doses over the week, I think.

ok, have been lazy and haven't done my numbers in a while so here is the update:-

19 Barbarians at the Gate by Bryan Burrough & John Helyar (review upthread)

20 The Martian by Andy Weir (thoughts upthread)

21 H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald; This was excellent, I really enjoyed it. Rarely have I read such vivid writing, both of the hawk and her grief. Unerringly descriptive of time, place, emotion and landscape. Wonderful read. A real highlight of the year.

22 *Operation Mincemeat" by Ben MacIntyre; Had my eye on this for a while after a documentary on tv, v easy read, reads like a boys own adventure. Not a book if you want a sense of the experience of war (v stiff upper lip in that regard) but an amazing story nonetheless of a deception on the Axis forces which frankly, should not have worked but did, and as a result greatly assisted the Allied invasion of Sicily. Very good read. Just right after the emotional focus and drama of H is for Hawk!

Now reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Bit journalistic so far and not warming to the boy who walked off into the wild but interesting read so far anyway.

A friend has lent me The Narrow Road to the Deep North which I do want to read but but but, is it terribly draining? I usually avoid books that are too harrowing, I'm a wuss I know!

omg I forgot one!

23 The Humans by Matt Haig; nice, gentle read. A bit overly sentimental for me I was a bit at the 97 bullet points of advice on how to be human. Not much story to it really, characters are all a bit flat somehow. It's ok. They'll probably make a movie. I say wait for the movie ;)

35. The Blue Afternoon by William Boyd
36. Awful Auntie by David Walliams
37. Question of Identity by Susan Hill

Hi all, I haven't posted on here for a while as I have just found out I'm pregnant plus I been back in the UK for a month so found it hard to concentrate on reading!! I haven't got much further on in Game of Thrones, and whilst I have been enjoying it I may put it on hold and read something a bit lighter (and smaller)....

28: Mark Gartside's debut What Will Survive....loved this book, made me nostalgic for the 80's :) the story is about a single Dad and switches between his life when he was a teenager in the 80's under Thatcher and present day when he is a single father to a teenage son. Well written and very enjoyable....must google him now and see if he has published anymore books, this one is about 3 years old

29. Sophia Kinsella The Undomisticated Goddess - well I wanted something light and fluffy and by god did this deliver! Utterly ridiculous story about a big shot city lawyer who walks out on her job and goes to the country and becomes a housekeeper. The best bit was the very hunky gardener she has a fling with but I couldn't help thinking that this was unrealistic because if it was me the gardener would be an 80 year old toothless wonder LOL

Congratulations, tessie

36. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

16-year-old American lad Jacob used to believe his Grandad's tall tales, complete with pictures, about the extraordinary children he used to know when he lived at a children's home on a remote island off Wales. But as he grew up he grew out of the stories. Until his Grandad was killed in a horrific manner in the woods near his home. The nightmares and stories of what he saw near his Grandad's body lead his parents to send him to a psychiatrist. Eventually he decides he wants to go and find the children's home, so accompanied by his father he makes the trip to Wales, where he discovers his Grandad's tales may not have been so far-fetched after all.

This is a pretty good tale, and it's illustrated with curious old photos which Riggs has incorporated neatly into the story. I like the effect, it gives an otherwise quite peculiar tale an air of reality somehow, even when it talks about an invisible boy and a girl who can float through the air.

I haven't been here for a while I am still mostly reading quick reads

21 Marked - Sarah Fine an interesting plot well written I quite enjoyed this
22 Sea Swept - Nora Roberts an easy read following her usual formula
23 The Masterful Mr Montague - Stephanie Laurens recency romantic crime
24 The Art of Unpacking Your Life - Shireen Jilla a freebie from mumsnet a group of friends go on safari to celebrate a special birthday. Really enjoyed this. I would recommend it.
25 Loving Rose - Stephanie Laurens as above
26 Kingmaker- Winter Pilgrims - Toby Clements set during the wars of the roses. It is quite bloody and follows a group of archers through various battles. Not enough history for me
27 A Morbid Taste for Bones- Ellis Peters The very first Caedfael mystery, very enjoyable
28 The Lie- Nora Roberts . A mystery enjoyed it
29 The Collector - Nora Roberts Another easy mystery.

I have been told after many blood tests that my current inability to concentrate may have a medical basis so assuming that is so my next read is going to be

Cesar Vallejo' s Season in Hell by Eduardo Gonzalez Viana

I will let you know how it goes

Book 19 The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid.

A very classy bit of crime confection.

The story of a Croatian general told from several points of view. Lots of great characterisation, humour and not too much gore (something VD is often criticised for).

Still dragging my arse through The Bone Clocks...

Books 57 - 60
Four children's books; all re-reads; all old; all books of which Cote would not approve! No point reviewing as they were for comfort reading only, and nobody would be interested in them.

Book 61 is taking ages - 'Phantom Fortune' by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
It is long (444 pages) and, like 'Lady Audley's Secret' all rather self-indulgent. Am quite enjoying it, but can't say I'm desperate to be leaping into bed to read more of it each night!

Virtual handhold, minsmum - I'm about to undergo the next round of tests next week and am off for an MRI scan this week to find out what's going on with my back. Getting a bit fed up with being poked and prodded about by doctors.

I didn't know one of my favourite actors was the narrator for the audiobook of Lolita so thanks for pointing that out, Duchess. I loved the book and may listen to it later this year.

Hope they find out what it is for you Duchess. At least when you know they can start treating you. I will be thinking of you