50 Book Challenge 2015 Part 4

[southeastdweller]

Thread four 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 can count, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

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

Happy reading

Rosehip - I'm sorry to hear about the implosion of your marriage. You must be going through a stressful time. I hope it all calms down soon and leaves you happier & more content

Rosehip :-( hope you're okay
I loved Us too

No 67
Claire Douglas Sisters
Slightly scary , though not as scary as promoted, look at two separate twin sisters with major issues
Read it in a day as was gripped & didn't predict the twist

35. A Better World by Marcus Sakey
    Second book in The Brilliance Trilogy. Still loving the characters, plot rollicks along, v.enjoyable.

36. Wonder by RL Palacio
    Young adult fiction. Found this on a bookshelf at the library, remembered it was on my Amazon wish list and took it. Lovely book. About a young boy with facial disfigurement who starts middle school. Told from the boy's POV, his sister and various friends. A bit sentimental at the end for me but the message and the story are inspiring. Wish I had read it when I was young and will definitely give it to DS when they are older.

Catching up with my list (been away on holiday)

82. The Life and Loves of a He Devil by Graham Norton. I approach memoirs of people I like with lots of caution, in case I find out something I don't like about them, but I needn't have worried about this one. There are no nasty shocks, just lots of interesting stuff, some laughs (his dogs are utterly bonkers), and some sad bits too. I loved it.

83. Mr Mac and Me by Esther Freud. Have added review to the MN Reviews section. Thoroughly enjoyed this - well written, superb story.

84. The Bolds by Julian Clary - bedtime story for DS. We loved it - entertaining, funny, great story. Couldn't wait for bedtime to read the next chapter :)

Currently reading 85 - How To Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran, which I'm enjoying very much - funny, and quite rude. And also, 86 - Mr Gum and the Power Crystals by Andy Stanton - the next in the Mr Gum series (DS's bedtime story - very funny).

Rosehip - so sorry to hear about your split, hope it all works out for the best.

My older dc's enjoyed Wonder, I found it a bit predictable but a pleasant enough read.

I've just bought my ds Maggot Moon which has been on his y7/8 reading list but he's not v keen. I think I might read it myself first once I finish the 3 books I'm currently reading!

I'm currently loving reading The Secret History. The writing is spectacularly good - hard to believe she'd never written a book before this one.

85. How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran. Surprised at how much I enjoyed this. It's utterly filthy, rude and very funny. Just what I needed. No idea what I want to read next. Off to browse the bookshelves ....

Thanks for that, Duchess about the Graham Norton book - I'd been wondering about it so will add it to my ever-increasing tbr pile. I enjoyed reading his other memoir so it'll be interesting to compare the two.

I'm going to have to read his first memoir now, southeast

Books 44 & 45: The Hundred Year Old Man who climbed out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson & Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman. The first is rather quirky with a central character to whom "things" happen and who meets extraordinary people in history which I read as a bit of a running joke; the second is a series of witticisms and clever jokes in this story of the end of the world being nigh and the Son of Darkness ending up with the wrong (normal) family due to a cock up at birth by the satanic nuns. Both easy light and funny(ish) reads, but I've read better.

My reading has been seriously interrupted by the bloke & parents being ill or wounded - and therefore underfoot - which is making me a tad grumpy, especially as I am heading into my annual challenge to read the Booker shortlist before the winner is announced.

Rosehip hope the implosion fades fast and you are back to being able to enjoy reading soon Thank you to whoever alerted me to Mr Penumbra's bookshop being a kindle 99p special - most gratefully snapped up!

Holiday reading:

89. A Lot to Ask: the Life of Barbara Pym, by Hazel Holt. BP is my favourite author, so I enjoyed this - you can see how she mined her life for material. A different world - the almost pleasurable pangs of unrequited love, and the consolation of small pleasures.

90. The Invisible Woman, by Helen Walmsley-Johnson. A polemic about the limited employment opportunities and financial constraints facing many women in their 50s and 60s. Not all that well-written, and when she goes beyond her own experience, it falls into look-what-I-googled territory. But her description of her own experience (she took redundancy and found it impossible to get back into the job market - a not-uncommon experience) is thought-provoking. Adds a new perspective to the everyday sexism discussion. She has something worth saying.

91. The Last Englishman: the Life of J L Carr, by Byron Rogers. A slightly eccentric biography of a somewhat eccentric man. I absolutely adored A Month in the Country when I came across it last year - best book I'd read in years. Enjoyed this.

92. The Mangle Street Murders, by MRC Kasasian. Enjoying this series - a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes with sparkling dialogue and a sense of fun. You're not allowed to forget the real tragedy of the Victorian poor in the background.

It’s been a while since I updated due to being on holiday in rural France with a very weak internet connection. I couldn’t even load Mumsnet!
I am just catching up on all the entries from everyone and enjoying finding out what I have missed. I didn’t get much reading done on holiday unfortunately but have read the following:

67. Therese Desqueyroux – Francois Mauriac
    A powerful story about what an unhappy marriage can drive a woman to do. Set in rural France but with a surprising ending, I really enjoyed this.

68. Swimming Home – Deborah Levy
    I did purposely have a French theme going on for my holiday. This Booker nominated novel is full of uncomfortable and unlikeable wealthy British characters on holiday in Provence. The whole book is full of suppressed tension and the writing style borders on the infuriating. Most reviews of this either give one star, though a few give five, but I rather liked it. A book with horrible characters that I liked?! Most reviewers describe it as pretentious but I couldn’t put it down.

69. A Buzz in the Meadow – Dave Goulson
    The entomologist Dave Goulson buys a house and meadow in (ahem) rural France and then talks in detail about the lives of the many insects that inhabit it. I really enjoyed this and bored on to my family for hours on the importance of insects. There is some sobering reading at the end about the use of pesticides. I must read A Sting in the Tale now as he is really a bee specialist.

70. Our Souls at Night – Kent Haruf
    A very simple, short, low-key but strangely moving story about a widow and a widower defying convention in small-town Colarado. I will definintely read more books by this author, who sadly died in 2014.

I like the sound of A Buzz in the Meadow, whippet. Have you read Meadowland by John Lewis Stempel?I'm reading it at the moment and really enjoying it.

Been away, so haven't done much reading. Hope all are okay?

Book 105 is, 'The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow' by Catherine Woodfine, and I really enjoyed it. It's a children's book and it won't win any literary prizes, but it's a good old-fashioned mystery story, a bit reminiscent of Pullman's Sally Lockhart series although not as sophisticated. I believe it's the first in a series, and I'd definitely read the next one.

Duchess, I haven't read Meadowland but it sounds exactly like my sort of thing so I am off to research it right now

I really enjoyed A Buzz in the Meadow but I have heard A Sting in the Tale is better.

Hope you're ok, Rosehip

37. The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir. This is a biography (as opposed to historical fiction) and is well-researched and interesting. I liked the way the author painted a vivid picture of all six women, not just the more famous ones.

Not sure what to read next. I tend to read non-fiction much more slowly than fiction, and I've read two long non-fiction books recently (the above and Thinking, Fast and Slow). It may be time for something snappy and escapist!

Does everyone on here know about changing passwords etc? I had a look at the list of hacked accounts posted in Chat earlier this morning and saw two regulars from this thread listed who have had their MN accounts hacked. I am not on the list but am still very worried about the security.

Does everyone on here know about changing passwords etc? I had a look at the list of hacked accounts posted in Chat earlier this morning and saw two regulars from this thread listed who have had their MN accounts hacked. I am not on the list but am still very worried about the security.

Does everyone on here know about changing passwords etc? I had a look at the list of hacked accounts posted in Chat earlier this morning and saw two regulars from this thread listed who have had their MN accounts hacked. I am not on the list but am still very worried about the security.

Does everyone on here know about changing passwords etc? I had a look at the list of hacked accounts posted in Chat earlier this morning and saw two regulars from this thread listed who have had their MN accounts hacked. I am not on the list but am still very worried about the security.

Apologies for the multiple posts - silly phone

Duchess - MNHQ voided all passwords yesterday and everyone had to reset their passwords to login yesterday & today.

You must have changed your MN password yesterday or today. Now, it's important to make sure that you're not using that email/password combination for any other website (Ebay, Gmail, Amazon, etc). Also, check that you don't have any personal info in your MN page (address, postal code etc) or in your PMs.

I'm on MN so little I didn't even know about the hacking of the site until yesterday. It must have all started whilst I was on holiday. Fortunately I don't have any personal details on here, no photos or anything else personal which could be of interest to the hackers. Passwords are all different for wherever I go but it is worrying the level of breach that has occurred. Am following the updates on Site Stuff. Had no idea this sort of thing went on.

Yes, agree it's very worrying. Duchess I haven't seen the list, can you tell me if I am on it??

Hi All – Not sure if anyone remembers me? I recognise a few on here. I have not been around for a while. I was on last years thread and then got as far as Thread 2 this year. For some reason real life intervened and I stopped updating and kept meaning to….. My father then passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly in mid-May and life stopped for a while. I have always been reading though. I have missed this thread so thought it about time I caught up with you all. My inventory for 2015 is below and, whilst it is accurate up to Book 16 , the remainder is just what I can remember or is on my kindle. The good news is that whilst doing this inventory I have realised that I have a book I forgot to read in the Merrily Watkins series: To dream of the Dead (Book 10) Merrily Watkins – Phil Rickman

Tonight I plan to catch up with both missed threads and without a doubt my “to read” list will increase dramatically!

Book 1 - Tintagel Rising by Ardyth Hughes.
Book 2 – Love Nina by (book club)
book 3 White Knights by Ann Cleeves
Book 4 The Lamp of the Wicked by Phil Rickman.
Book 5 Prayer of the Night Shepherd by Phil Rickman
Book 6 The Smile of a Ghost by Phil Rickman
Book 7 The Sober Revolution
Book 8: Black Dog by Stephen Booth
Book 9 "The Miniaturalist by Jessie Burton. (book club)
Book 10:Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
Book 11: The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle by Kirsty Wark (book Club choice)
Book 12: The remains of an altar by Phil Rickman
Book 13 - The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
Book 14: The Little House by Philippa Gregory
Book 15 Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
16: the moonstone by Wilkie Collins (book club choice)
No particular order – just when I remember them:
17 The Storyteller – Jodie Picoult
18 The Childrens Act (Book Club – my choice!)
19 Elizabeth is Missing (Book Club)
20 The Night Watch – Sarah Walters
21 Behind The Scenes at the Meuseumn
22 Life After Life (A re-read for Book Club)
23 The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins
24 Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie
25 The Fabric of Sin – Merrily Watkins– Phil Rickman
26 The Remains of An Alter – merrily Watkins– Phil Rickman
27 The Secrets of Pain – Merrily Watkins – Phil Rickman
28 The Magus of Hay - Merrily Watkins – Phil Rickman
29 The Rise of Darkness – Susan Hill
30 The Vows of Silence – Susan Hill
31 Night after night – Phil Rickman
32 The Ice Twins – S. K Tremayne
33 Norah Webster – Colm Toibin
34 Us – David Nichols
35 The Bone Clocks – David Mitchell
36 Red Riding 1974 – David Peace
37 The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
38 The House of Susan Lulham – Phil Rickman
39 Just One Dammed Thing After Another – Jodi Taylor