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

Lovely to hear that, Atticus!

Littlebooktroll - Part of the furniture and jumping the queue are good Mary Wesley novels.

Atticus - huge congratulations!

Oooooooo a BABY!

Congrats and enjoy Atticus :)

Congratulations Atticus!

Huge congratulations Atticus! That is awesome x

Ooh, I got so carried away by new baby excitement that I forgot to post about my book!
51. L’Assommoir – Emile Zola

This roughly translates into The Drinking Den, although sometimes it’s known as The Gin Palace. I do like reading Zola but the last one I read, Germinal, was so tragic it’s taken me years to get up the courage to read one again. However, this novel gives you the origins of Nana, one of his greatest characters, so I wanted to read about her origins. It’s set in working class 19th century Paris and follows the life of Gerviase, a young woman who, at the start of the novel is deserted by Lantier, her lover and the father of her two children. I don’t want to spoil the plot, but being Zola, it’s not all big fun time.

Congratulations to Atticus

Thank you for your lovely congratulations messages! So kind of you! DS2 is currently asleep so I'm limping my way through the end of 'The Versions of Us' trying not to fall asleep (the book is good, I've just been up most of the night. Ah, the joys...)

15. I finally finished the 4th Game of Thrones book. I enjoyed it but I am slightly running out of steam with them so I think I will give GOT a break for a bit.

I am now reading Red Rising, I am not as thrilled with it as I'd hoped, I need to go back and look at other people's comments but I think I'll finish it first.

Congratulations Atticus!

I so wish I'd been cuddling a newborn, instead of reading my latest book.

Book 76: 'Monsieur Lecoq' by Emile Gaboriau. This is a 19th century French detective novel, and, sadly, I can't recommend it. It was very long and silly, and any initial promise was over-ridden by the deeply unsatisfying ending.

Book 75: 'On the Edge' - a collection of excerpts from books by climbers. I can't find it online to link to, but if anybody is interested, I'll go upstairs later and find the ISBN. This was interesting, but I'd read most of the contents before in the original texts. It would be better for somebody who is just getting interested and is looking for inspiration on what complete texts to read.

Oh congrats Atticus :)

I'm reading very slowly this year and don't even have a baby as an excuse. Think I'll be aiming at 40 not 50!

64. The King's Speech by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi.

This is a biography of the life of Lionel Logue, the speech therapist who helped cure King George VI's stammer. He, in fact, worked with him from the 1920's right through to the end of WW2.

There was quite a bit of padding of the story, with lots of WW2 history, but it was a very interesting book.

Still reading Stoner by John Williams, which is beautifully written but just so sad.

45. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

This Miss Marple novel is interesting for not having our heroine appear until very late in the story. It's told in the first person by Jerry Burton, who has moved with his sister to the sleepy village of Lymstock to recuperate after a flying accident. Shortly after their arrival they discover that someone is at work with a poison pen - anonymous letters are being sent all round the village causing upset on every side. The suicide of one recipient brings the police out in force to find the guilty party, but when they don't seem to be getting anywhere the vicar's wife calls in Miss Marple to get to the bottom of things.

Big congratulations to Atticus! That is wonderful news and glad all is well with you and new baby boy

Finished 35: The free book I got from Mumsnet: The Girls from Corona Del Mer: Very much enjoyed it, a story about two girls growing up and their relationship. I felt one girl was in awe of the other one and when her life begins to fall apart it is almost like her friend is glad. Complex and clever and I give it the thumbs up

Congratulations Atticus. DS2 sounds gorgeous. Finding it hard to remember that stage. My tiny newborn of 17 years ago is now a huge 6'5" and sitting next to me on the sofa watching Game Of Thrones. Where does the time go?

40 to 42, Vera Stanhope 3, 4 and 5 - Ann Cleeves. Loving these though no 5, The Glass House has gone off the boil a bit.

Having difficulty concentrating at the moment, DH hasn't been well and I'm seeing a surgeon tomorrow about a relatively minor but tricky op which could be potentially life changing (for the better) if he decides to go ahead. I've been waiting a few years for this so fingers crossed.

Good luck for tomorrow, Best. Hope all goes well for you

Good luck today, Best.

Michel Faber's book Under The Skin is £1.09 on the Kindle today. Having seen the excruciatingly awful film starring Scarlett Johansson, I'm not rushing to read it, but those of you who have enjoyed his previous books might be interested.

Congratulations to you Atticus on the new arrival, enjoy those lovely newborn snuggles!

On to book 27: The Children Act by Ian McEwan. Didn't really enjoy this book, although it got off to a good start. The story follows a court case where a 17 yo leukaemia sufferer is refusing a potentially life saving blood transfusion, due to his religious beliefs.

Started book 28: My Cousin Rachel by Daphne DuMaurier. Loving this, although only a 1/3 the way through. My first book by the author, although Rebecca has been on my tbr pile for a while now. May try that one next.

Atticus congratulations!
Best good luck with the surgeon tomorrow

Will update books later ...

Book 31: Tigers in Red Weather - Liza Klaussmann. Story of two cousins brought up in Massachutes around the time of JFK, RFK and Teddy Kennedy and their lives following their respective marriages. The characters are unlikeable and the same tale is told from varying perspectives without us gaining anything new or fresh. I think it tries too hard to be cool, possibly even a bit shocking, but is actually just plain dull.

Book 32: The Hare with Amber Eyes - Edmund de Waal: I was utterly engaged with the story of this cosmopolitan family - de Waal's own. The first half of the book is about Charles, youngest son of uber rich Russian emigree bankers, who collects art in Impressionist Paris. He also had a passion for all things Japanese and acquires a collection of 264 netsuke - tiny japanese carvings - around which this family tale is spun. Charles's family are also Jewish and experience the growing anti-semitism in France during the period of the Dreyfus affair. Our author follows the netsuke to Vienna where Charles's nephew has to run the family business unexpectedly. WWII catches up with the family and they lose everthing - except the netsuke which a maid hides. The author's grandmother Elisabeth returns to Vienna and is given the hidden netsuke. Elisabeth is quite an extraordinary woman for her time, having persuaded her father to allow her to study, to attend University, she qualifies in law, moves abroad yet returns to Vienna to get her parents out during Nazi occupation. We don't get nearly enough about her in the book, nor do we get enough about the author's great-uncle Iggie and Iggie's Japanese partner - Jiro. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book - despite expecting it to be about Japan and history of netsuke. The author has a really good voice and his use of language almost caused me to purr from time-to-time.

No 54

Another Young Adult novel 7 Days by Eve Ainsworth

Chapters are narrated by Jess who is badly bullied & the main protagonist Kez who a bit obviously in my mind has issues at home

A very quick read but increasingly gripping as Jess ends up dating Kez's boyfriend
Slightly terrifying for me as I've got a child about to start secondary school !

Sorry not dating befriending - he sticks up for Jess which makes Kez even more mad !

Congrats Atticus !

36. Fatherland - Robert Harris. A re-read from 20 or mr years ago, and I didn't enjoy it as much as last time. Readable though.

37. Doctoring The Data - Dr Malcolm McKendrick. Extremely interesting and eye-opening book about medical/pharmaceutical practices of selling and prescribing us all meds that we either don't need or that don't work. Such as statins. (And I work for the NHS!) Read it please.

38. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry. Just when you think things can't get any worse, they do. What a downer of a book, but very well written. Glad I read it.

39. Direct Red - Gabriel Weston. A true account of a trainee-surgeon's life, and some of the cases she has to deal with. Sad, happy, sometimes shocking, but a good read.

40. Odysseus and the Wooden Horse of Troy - Martin Waddell. I read this to my son twice (half an hour each time) so thought I'd include it as I have just given up half-way through Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb.

41. I am David - Anne Holm. Another re-read from childhood, this time going back as far as junior school. I think I got more out of it this time, as I could see everything from an adult's point of view.

Thank you all . The surgeon said yes to the surgery so just waiting for a date now.

I've started the 6th Vera book too.

bookworm you must read Rebecca, it's one of my all time favourites. The film was on on Saturday and that was great too.