50 Book Challenge 2015 Part Five

[southeastdweller]

Thread five 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, third thread here, and fourth thread here.

Happy reading

I am contemplating Kindle Unlimited - do any of you use it?, Is it worth it?

Book 128 'A German Requiem' by Philip Kerr
The third in the Bernie Gunther series, this one set just after the end World War and featuring a group of Nazis who may or may not be dead! It was okay - not his best.

No 86

Tamar Cohen The Broken

This book is so so good and the domestic detail surrounding the two couple make it totally believable and the oh my god twist at the end makes it thrilling and makes you want to read on
The reader is a reluctant spectator during the breakdown of one marriage, seeing the terrible effects of this on another married couple, the children of each family, and extended family. It is hard to keep reading, as the reader can see the oncoming disasters, and keeps on hoping that they will be avoided. It is easy to see how people can become entangled in things outside their control, just by trying to do the right thing.

Haven't tried it sonnet, seems expensive to me?

50. Pandora's Star by Peter Hamilton; loved this, fantastic story telling. Humanity has spread out across the galaxy through the use of wormholes. We are a much more civilised lot. However there are signs that all is not well. A huge scarring on one remote planet, an abandoned starship and missing alien. Rumours of conspiracy. A disappearing star, a pitiless detective bred to her role and brave space travellers! Honestly, it's a great tale whether you are into sci fi or not. Will have to purchase the sequel the minute it comes down a bit in price if I can hold out!

51. unseen academicals by terry pratchett. Not bad, they never are really! Still the witches will always be my favourites. The characters here go round in circles a bit, but I thought he really caught the weird spirit of football. Its uneven though, definitely not one of his best.

sonnet A friend who's on the Kindle Unlimited free trial told me that the range of books on offer is quite limited. Hope you love A God in Ruins, btw.

Thank you - yes, looking into it more the books are very limited.
I am hoping to love "A God in Ruins" as I did "Life After Life"

I am interested in "The Broken" so added to my Books I may be interested in list... Thank you !

52. Neurotribes: the Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman, about the history of diagnosis and treatment of autism. I found this interesting and readable, but not quite as good as I expected. However, I don't have a child with autism - I can believe that, if I did, I would be raving about it.

Hope you enjoy it Sonnet !
I'm about to start another of hers someone else's wedding

shakeitoff you're the first person I've seen who's read the Locke Lamora books! I've done the first two but they're so huge I can't bring myself to read the next one.

You can sign up for a trial Sonnet. I did in order to read a couple of books, then cancelled as I found the choice limited.

82. How I lost You - Jenny Blackhurst. Woman is convicted for the murder of her baby only to find 4 years later on release from prison that he may be alive. Full of holes and unbelievable plot.

100. • All My Puny Sorrows - Miriam Toews

I actually quite liked this novel about two sisters, one of whom is desperate to help the other out of her dark depression and control her suicidal tendencies. It sounds grim but it really is quite a good read as the (fictional) sisters are from a Canadian Mennonite community, which adds a lot to this rather emotional novel.

101. A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness A YA book that my DD has been reading and reviewing for school. I read it in a day and thought it was excellent. The narrator Conor is having a bad time, his mother is ill and he is bullied at school. One night a monster comes calling at his window and the story unfolds.

Well, I have achieved my 100 books in a year target and it's been really fun. My DP asked if I was going to stop now. No chance! How can I when there are so many book recommendations on this thread

Last one was 138, not 128.

Books 139, 140 and 141 - three children's mystery books from the charity shop. Have been ill and this was all I was fit for!

Hope you're feeling better now, Remus?

Its been far too long and I almost lost my joy of reading, but thank goodness it came back. Nothing major, just ran my tank too low and needed a couple of weeks leave, at home, alone to top it back up. Would usually read but ended up watching DVDs.

Duchess I am so very sorry to hear you lost your father and Remus I do hope that you're on the road to full recovery. Hello to new joiners, in particular Gerty and I do hope you'll get much joy from your reads with us

56. Villa Diana by Alan Moorehead - series of essays about Italy during post-war period. Quite interesting.
57. Enchanged April by Elizabeth von Armin - sweet, undemanding, but naive and a bit overly sunshiny for me.
58. I am Malala by Malala Yousafrazi - book club read which was just plain bloody irritating.
59. Fall of Hyperior - Dan Simmons - not as good as the first one, but oh did I enjoy it after the previous reads
60. Banker by Dick Francis - a re-read of an old comfort read. Both sets of grandparents and my father very involved in horse racing, so a world I'm at home in.

I, too, am on a self-imposed ban to buy no more this year, what with my overflowing shelves and kindle. Professional books escape, so that feeds the need ...

Thanks, Duchess and Joyless. I have been awake enough today to be bored, so hopefully that is a good sign.

What children's mysteries did you read Remus? I have shelves full of my childhood books and have a real yearning at the moment to reading some again.
Hope you are on the mend. You too JF

I know what you mean pterobore ! I read the first two books years ago but then my husband bought the third one and I thought I'd give it a whirl. It was good fun, although not a short read by any means..

I'm also not buying any books for a while as I've 25 unread books on my shelf and on my Kindle so really need to make in-roads with them soon. I need to be more strict with my one-in, one-out rule from next year, which brings me onto...

Book 68 - Stuffocation - James Wallman

Non-fiction book about focusing less on things and more about experiences, it was fairly inspiring I suppose, but I felt he dwelt too much on trends and capitalism and underestimated the emotional side of hoarding and shopping. In the spirit of the book, I'll be donating this copy to a charity shop on Saturday

Taking a break from A Little Life to read The Cuckoo's Calling - very enjoyable so far and loving the characterisation of Strike.

Managed to finish The Cadaver Game by Kate Ellis last night, despite it being duller than a very dull thing on a foggy night.

Now onto The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker, the sequel to The Hellbound Heart.

Sonnet - will DM you, so that Cote can't mock us!

Book 142 - 'Every Man for Himself' by Beryl Bainbridge
I'd been looking forward to this, having enjoyed her Captain Scott one. Sadly, it was nowhere near as good. It wasn't awful, but it just didn't really seem to achieve anything and I thought a lot of time was wasted on mundane stuff, whilst other stuff attempted to attain significance and commentary on humanity/class/gender relationships etc but didn't really get anywhere. Disappointing.

Bugrit, by a weird coincidence I've just finished The Marriage Hearse by Kate Ellis and I totally agree with you. It has all the ingredients I like - the mixture of crime fiction with archaeology that Elly Griffiths does so much better - but none of it came alive at all.

That was book 115, by the way.

Remus