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

Cote - I'm not a big Sci fi reader - just the occasional dystopian novel so can't offer any comparisons. I didn't think it women's fiction but you might disagree . Try a sample and see what you think. I'd be interested to see what you think of it if you do decide to read it . It also doesn't read like YA fiction either.

27. The Duchess of Nowhere - Lawrie Graham - story of Victoria Melita one of Queen Victoria's granddaughters and her life in Russia at the beginning of the 20th Century told in the usual Lawrie Graham style. I enjoyed this book and found it as interesting as her other historical novels. I had this as an audiobook which added to the atmosphere.

28. Cuckoo Calling - Robert Galbraith - had put this off a bit as I'm not wildly keen on her style of writing. I know many on here hav praised it but I really found it very run of the mill and have decided not to read any more of her books. Her style makes me think she has been on a creative writing course and is writing in a technically good style rather than from the heart. Consequently I wasn't really interested in the characters or the story.

Two good kindle daily deals today - Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick. I read it a few years ago. It's a shocking and very honest portrayal of life in North Korea. If you haven't read it, do. You won't regret it.

The other good one is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. On my reading pile. DH says it's very good.

oh I haven't got round to posting my list on this thread yet! here it is (bold very good, italic very crap/disappointment):

1. The White Queen – Philippa Gregory
2. A murder is announced – Agatha Christie 3. Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel
3. The uncommon reader – Alan Bennett 5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
4. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austin
5. Death of a Gossip – M.C. Beaton
6. The Lady of the Rivers – Philippa Gregory 9. Arthur and George – Julian Barnes 10. A Crooked House – Agatha Christie
7. Bring up the Bodies – Hilary Mantel 12. Death of an Outsider – M.C. Beaton
8. The Silkworm – Robert Galbraith/ J. K Rowling
9. The Perfect Murder – Peter James 15. The Night Watch – Sarah Waters
10. A Life Like Other People’s – Alan Bennett
11. Appointment with Death – Agatha Christie 18. We have Always Lived in the Castle – Shirley Jackson
12. Charm – Sarah Pitborough
13. the Gatecrasher – Sophie Kinsella
14. The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins
15. Georgiana Darcy’s Diary – Anna Elliot 23. Raven Black – Ann Cleeves 24. Where Angels Fear to Tread – E. M. Forster 25. White Nights – Ann Cleeves
16. Lady Susan – Jane Austin
17. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas – Agatha Christie 28. The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern 29. Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel
18. The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion

The most recent ones:
31. Death at the Manor – Celina Grace - bit shit, she wants to be a new Agatha Christie, but doesnt have the talent, did the very standard thing of someone writing now based in the 20s to have the 'twist' being that some charaters are gay, then all other characters (including the police) being deeply shocked at such a thing. This is becoming rather cliched now - in fact, every time I read something written recently but based in the past, I'm now looking out for the gay characters - who obviously will be the murderers.

32. The Red Queen – Philippa Gregory - Philippa Gregory really doesn't like her main character here! Good for getting the Lancaster point of view, although as much as Gregory makes many of the main characters unlikable, their view that the Yorks have no right to the throne does make sense.

33. The Ipcress File – Len Deighton - a classic spy story, but I found a lot of it hard to engage with, Deighton's writing style is a bit 'flowery' and in many cases, he's trying so hard to be clever he just sounds smug. The last third of the book is very good though, when he stops trying so hard and focusses on the story. I'm still not 100% certain exactly what happened in parts and think I should go watch the 60's film!

going to have a read through as feel the need for some more books to add to my 'to read' list.

Dutchess - I've read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - it is very good, hope you enjoy it!

Duchess - I might read Station Eleven when I park myself on the beach in three weeks I just have this impression that it might be a "women's fiction" book because several friends who don't ever read sci-fi have been talking about how "touching" and "wonderful" it is prejudiced? moi?

I was just going to post to ask if anyone had read and would recommend Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society so very pleased to see my question has already been answered and the answer is yes!
I would also recommend Nothing to Envy - I read it earlier this year and it is a very honest and powerful description of life in North Korea and very readable too (I'm not usually a huge fan of non-fiction)

Definitely agree about Nothing to Envy - a really eye-opening read.

Cote - it's going to be on the lighter side of the sort of books you normally read but it's a rattling good story. Not sure about touching but it is interesting, and appealed to my need for a dystopian novel Would agree definitely one for the beach.

The girl on the train - Paula Hawkins

Really disliked this. Reviewed up thread several times, so won't summarise other than to say I found all of the characters very unlikeable, the story preposterous, the two page chapters irritating and the ending obvious from about halfway. Wish I hadn't believed the hype and waited three months for a copy from the library!

station eleven is a bit lighter than your average 'end of world' book, and here's a lot of focus on the relations of people before the flu that wipes out most of the people.

It's also interesting that a lot of the action is based 20 years later, so not the immediate "society breaking down" and survival - people are farming and coping with the new reality now so it's not quite so scary.

There are very touching bits (there's a bit that's really just a line regarding the bodies of a family they have found and it really upset me)

Cote, Station Eleven is not sci fi.

The portion on the breakdown of society is nothing as good as Stephen King's The Stand for example. There's really little or no exploration of that or where it came from etc.

It really focuses on life afterwards and the memories/nostalgia of an interlinked group of characters.

It's dystopia lite... actually not sure I'd call it a dystopian novel. Bit of a "return to nature" vibe about it.

Actually i feel I must have missed something about this book because it seems really popular and I thought it was only average. Perhaps my expectations were just out of kilter.

Book 27 The Tortoise and the Hare by Elizabeth Jenkins. Written and set in the 1950s. It follows Imogen who is married to an older, successful barrister. He strikes up a friendship with a neighbour who is also older and less attractive than Imogen. She rather complacently thinks she has nothing to worry about but it gradually dawns on her that not only does this woman like her husband but he might very possibly like her back. Well written, I enjoyed this one.

Duchess thanks for the tip re: 'Nothing to Envy' - I have bought it and am really looking forward to it - it sounds fascinating.

Tumble SO glad you liked 'The Hours', I remember the film being excellent too, though I haven't seen it for years (I searched for it on Netflix recently and strangely they don't have it. Shame).

I'm currently reading two books 'Swimming to Antarcitca' by Lynne Cox and 'So you've been Publicly Shamed' by Jon Ronson (the latter mainly in the early hours on my kindle whilst feeding DS2). Both are excellent. Full reviews in due course...

Wilting - I think I might be ready to face a darker dystopian novel - never read any Stephen King. Is The Stand a good place to start?

I'd quite like a few recommendations for dystopian novels - nothing too heavy (don't have a good track record for reading complex sci-fi :o) but something a bit "meatier".

wilting - What would you call a post-apocalyptic story that takes place in the future? Is sci-fi called something else these days?

"It's also interesting that a lot of the action is based 20 years later, so not the immediate "society breaking down" and survival - people are farming and coping with the new reality"

Classic post-apocalyptic.

"dystopian novels - nothing too heavy (don't have a good track record for reading complex sci-fi grin) but something a bit "meatier""

Meaty but not heavy? Can you elaborate?

Something like Red Rising maybe. I can't remember if you read it recently or not.

35. One Of Us - Michael Marshall Smith

This started out pretty well, and then got shot down with breathtaking silliness (Aliens? God showing up as "one of us"? Come on ) into something resembling that truly awful piece of garbage called John Dies In The End. I skim-read the last 5%. Not recommending it.

I'm now on to Mr Mercedes by Stephen King. It is going down very well indeed as a palate cleanser.

Yep Cote - post-apocalyptic, it's not scary, it's not really focussed on the period of intense 'survival' but more the 'grind' of a new normal. It was more about the characters than lots of action, and how much harder life is.

Right, what I meant is, if Station Eleven is lightweight dystopian or post apocalyptic or whatever you call it, what would delve more deeply into that world without making my non scientific brain hurt too much? Didn't read Red Rising, so that's one for the list.

thelittlebooktroll - I thought Jumping the Queue was rather good

Just two more to add - I seem to be getting behind.

We need to talk about Alan (Alan Partridge) read this because someone on here read it earlier in the year. Found this very funny and if you like that humour you would like this I think

The Betrayal by Helen Dunmore - the sequel to The Seige, really enjoyed this as the atmosphere was so tense throughout and it was really well researched. For some reason though it took me ages to read, perhaps because of the atmosphere.

Thanks everyone for the Nothing to Envy recommendation, I'd already spotted it and downloaded. Also agree the Guernsey book is good, so they do still occasionally have good kindle daily deals!!

Another fan of The Hours here - read it three times. Atticus, second hand copies of the DVD of the superb film are selling for 25p at some branches of CEX, if that helps.