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

My 46 to 50:

46. Go set a watchman by Harper Lee
    I've written about this on another thread. In short, I can see why the publishers rejected this one and made her go and write a new one. It's very clunky and the plot creaks along and there are long passages of dialogue that are dull and rather unconvincing. I mean, it wasn't terrible and I enjoyed bits of it, but let's all be grateful that she went away and wrote TKAM.

47. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
    Have been meaning to read this for years. I like Kingsolver and this seems to be everyone's favourite. It's about a deeply unlikeable self-righteous authoritarian Christian missionary who takes his wife and four daughters to the Congo in about 1960. It's told in turns by the five female characters (though not the dad). I enjoyed it immensely right up to the point, about 3/4 of the way through where the family leave the village and get on with the rest of their lives. After that, it was just somehow less believable and less interesting.

48. Absolute Beginners by Colin McInnes
    I read this because Andy Miller raves about it in The Year of Reading Dangerously. It's the story of a young photographer in London in the 1950s. I guess it's famous because it captures the zeitgeist. I didn't like it much - the plot doesn't go anywhere. I really couldn't see what the fuss was about - I suspect it was very much of its time.

49. This is not about me by Janice Galloway
    This is the first volume of memoirs by Galloway. I don't know why I chose it; I haven't read any of her other books. It's actually very good - an extraordinary story of growing up with a single mum and an aggressive, violent sister in Scotland in the 1960s. She's an amazing writer too, and the book is full of vivid detail. I did find it a little slow in places but I'd like to read the second volume too.

50. Purity by Jonathan Franzen
    Have looked forward to this one all year - bought it as soon as it came out. It's more than 500 pages long, so quite a demanding read. It's hard to summarise but essentially the main character, Purity, known as Pip, has been brought up by a single mum (again) and has no idea who her real father was. She ends up going to Bolivia to work with a character called Andreas Wolf, an East German, Julian-Assnage type person who runs The Sunlight Project, which leaks important documents. Again the story is told from the perspective of various people - Pip, Wolf himself, an investigative journalist in Denver called Tom. All their stories are interwoven. Bits of it are fascinating and yet other bits are just dull. Although the stories are linked together they somehow didn't make a satisfying whole. By the last 150 pages or so I was just wishing it would end. But it's had some great reviews so best if you judge for yourself.

Dinosaurs roar - so glad you like Enchanted April
Really sorry to hear about your migraines : one if the worst things I hate about headaches is not being able to read

Thank you for the nice messages - being ill and not able to read is rubbish!

96. The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer. Already reviewed by others on here. I didn't dislike it, but didn't absolutely love it either. He did, however, some valid points about the treatment of mental illness and care in the community.

97. Summertime by Vanessa Lafaye. I really enjoyed this. It's set in 1935 in the Florida Keys. It will definitely appeal to anyone who has enjoyed The Help, but I think this is much much better. It is set in a small community in the days immediately before, during and after, the worst hurricane ever to hit mainland America. The story is fictional, but the hurricane really happened, completely devastating the area, destroying buildings and killing people as it swept through.

98. Paddington - The Story of the Movie by Jeanne Willis. Bedtime story for DS, which we both really enjoyed.

99. Wake by Anna Hope. By coincidence I chose two novels this week which had some important points to make about the treatment of the veterans of WW1 by their respective governments - in Summertime it was the American government denying them a war pension, in Wake the British government's perceived lack of care - washing their hands of those who failed to die for their country, leaving them to fend for themselves. I didn't love Wake as much as I'd thought I would. I didn't like the fractured storylines of Ada, Evelyn and Hettie - I felt I didn't really get to know enough about their characters and some storylines weren't fully tied up.

54. The Little Stranger - Sarah Waters

In post-war Warwickshire, a doctor calls into Hundreds Hall, a home where soon after his first visit, apparently supernatural events occur. This is a very divisive book, if the reviews on here and Amazon are anything to go by and I really liked it. The story is generally gripping, the period detail impeccable and the characterisations and creepy scenes always believable. I also loved the ambiguity of some of the characters motives. But at times her writing is too dense and meandering and if I were her editor I would have cut 50 or so pages of description (the book has 499 pages). I'm feeling a bit relieved I've finished it.

47. Ghostwritten - David Mitchell

I really enjoyed this book. Its 9 stories jump all over the place (and time) and connections between them are rather feeble, but Mitchell is such a gifted writer that they are a joy to read, even as standalone short stories. It's hard to believe that this was the author's 1st published book. It's not Cloud Atlas, but it's still head and shoulders above most books published in the past 20 years.

No 75
Girl in the red coat by Kate Hamer

I'm not really sure how I felt about this, the subject matter is so horrifying to think about, every mothers nightmare , but I was gripped and had to read it until the end . I was very relieved it had a religious aspect to it instead of a child abuse story line and a happy ending
But I got bored about two thirds in

Esio

"It's hard to believe that this was the author's 1st published book."

That was my reaction too. I almost didn't read it because I thought it wouldn't be much good - but it was astonishingly accomplished. Very unusual for a first-time novelist to be able to handle that kind of structure and that range of characters. I then went and sought out reviews for it to see what people thought at the time and was very annoyed to find one pernickety, point-missing one (in the Guardian, I think).

" Very unusual for a first-time novelist to be able to handle that kind of structure and that range of characters"

... and such different 'voices' for every character! David Mitchell is truly a brilliant writer. Especially the last couple of stories are mesmerising. The one where the radio talk show host is talking with artificial intelligence about whether it is ethical to ignore laws and stop protecting "visitors" for the well-being of the "zoo" is fantastic.

It seems like an age since I last posted but her are my updates.

36. In The Woods ?? Tana French. This is murder mystery set in Dublin. The story begins with the disappearance of three kids in a wood near their estate. One of kids is found in the woods but cannot remember anything. Fast forward 20 years and in the same estate a little girl is found murdered and her body left close to where the kids disappeared all those years ago. I did enjoy this. I liked the character development and the plot. I felt a little let down at the end as not everything was resolved but perhaps the author might develop a novel around the original story in the future. I would definitely read more from this author.

37. Lost in a Good Book ?? Jasper Fforde. This is the second book in the Thursday Next series and carries on from the events of The Eyre Affair. In this book Thursday continues to get on the wrong side of Goliath Corporation and they eradicate her husband when he was two with the help of the Chronoguard and will only bring him back if she returns the wicked Jack Schitt (who Thursday trapped in a Poe book in the Eyre Affair). In this book we are also introduced to the Jurisfiction (characters from fiction books who can jump from a book of fiction into the real world. Thursday becomes an apprentice to Miss Havisham from Great Expectations. This book is bonkers and I really look forward to the next one in the series.

38. Almond ?? David Skellig. This is one of my daughter??s and I have been meaning to read it for ages. So glad I did. It is a beautiful story which is very moving and handles some very sensitive and delicate issues very well. I loved it.

39. Thud ?? Terry Pratchett. There are rumblings of trouble between the dwarves and the trolls in Ankh-Morpork. A dwarf is found murdered and a famous painting goes missing. Sam Vimes and the watch set about solving the crime while Sam has to get home every day by 6pm to read ??Where??s My Cow?? to baby Sam.

40. Snuff ?? Robert Rankin. This was nuts. It spanned the 50??s through to the beginning of this century and told the story of the Doveston as narrated by his best buddy who somehow always ended up paying the price for Doveston??s crimes and capers. A lot of the references are dated and as a child of the 70s and 80s I got them but it was laugh out loud funny in parts. Really enjoyed this. This was my first Rankin but will definitely read more.

41. Skullduggery Pleasant ?? Derek Landy. Stephanie and Skulduggery Pleasant (skeleton detective) set out to find who killed Stephanie??s uncle and prevent the end of the world as planned by the villain Nefarious Serpine. The main characters in this are great and I love books that have strong female characters. Add a bit of magic and mystery and it is a winner. I listened to this in the car with the kids. It was a reread for me but it was first time for them. The narration by Rupert Degas was fantastic and overall it has sparked an interest in the rest of the books in the series for the kids so I am happy.

42. A Morbid Taste for Bones ?? Ellis Peters. This is first of the Brother Cadfael stories. It is set in the 12th century. Brother Cadfael must travel to Wales with his brothers to bring back the bones of a local welsh saint to their monastery in Shrewsbury. One of the locals is opposed to the removal of the body of the saint and is later found murdered. Brother Cadfael solves the mystery. Enjoyable.

43. The Haunting of Highdown Hall ?? Shani Struthers. Not my kind of book at all but I downloaded it after seeing it recommended somewhere. It is a supernatural kind of chick lit and other than being a light read did not have a lot to recommend it.

44 & 45. The Assassins?? Apprentice and Royal Assassin- Robin Hobb. These are books one and two of the Farseer Trilogy. In the first book we are introduced to FitzChivalry the illegitimate son of Chivalry who was Farseer King in waiting. When it became know that he had had an illegitimate son he stepped down from the throne and his brother Verity became king in waiting. They had a younger brother Regal who had his eye on the prize. King Shrewd is FitzChivalry??s grandfather and FC starts to train to become the King??s assassin. In the meantime the Six Duchies are being raided by the Red Ships who taken prisoners and then ??forge ?? them before returning them to the Duchies. The forges ones then steal, kill etc as the forging seems to have removed their essence and core. Book two develops the story but in this one Verity gets married and then goes on a mission to find the Elderlings who he hope can help them in their battle against the invaders. With Verity gone from court Regal plots to kill the king and the queen in waiting who is pregnant. Verity is missing presumed dead so Regal assumes the throne, kills FitzChivalry (or so he thinks) and deserts Buckeep and moves the court inland. In the meantime the coastal kingdoms are being destroyed. . Fantasy and magic ?? I love these.

I am on the third book which progresses the Farseer story. On audio I am listening to The Shepherd??s Crown by Terry Pratchett and Playing with Fire (Skulduggery No 2). I hope to hit my 50 by the end of the month.

Not sure why some of my punctuation and spaces has converted to ?? but apologies it it makes for difficult reading.

Agggh 'have' not has' - add bad grammar to my list of apologies!

Calfon - 'Skellig' is a work of beauty and wonder - I absolutely love it. 'Heaven Eyes' and 'The Fire Eaters' by David Almond are well worth a read too, but I hate to say he's lost his touch in more recent works, imho.

Oh yes another huge fan of Skellig here

Not been on the thread for a week and thoroughly enjoyed catching up.
Hackmum I loved The Poisonwood Bible but totally agree that the book lost its "grip" on me when they all left the village and went their separate ways.

Had a slow reading week due to work commitments and demands on my time such as getting my dreamy DD ready for Uni!

Book 50 - Broken Harbour by Tara French: (Listened to on Audible). My first Tara French novel. Did expect more of a page turner if I am honest. I did think it was an excellent portrait of post-Celtic Tiger Ireland and the effect of the recession on an average family, living in a home that they will never own, in a ghost estate that will never be completed.

Still reading Meadowland, almost finished and have started a re-read of To Kill A Mockingbird.

now going to investigate some recommended up thread

I've got the Poisonwood Bible sitting on my shelf. Someone gave it to me and I've never felt in the right mood for it. I shall have to give it a try.

At the moment I'm reading Waterland by Graham Swift which is very good so far.

I like Jasper Fforde's books because they're so inventive. Sometimes I think he has too many plot ideas though and it's hard to keep up.

I did review it upthread but for those that liked Enchanted April I recently read The Caravanners by the same author. This was good although it doesn't have the happy ever after quality of Enchanted April.

There is a film version of Waterland with Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack as the older couple and Lena Headey as the young version of the wife. It was one of the best films I saw as a teenager. It's never been on television as far as i now but now that you've reminded me of it I must see if I can get it on DVD.

as far as I know. I think the k key on my keyboard has a crumb under it.

Book 119 - 'The Bunker Diaries' by Kevin Broks
This is a YA book, by a writer I've read and enjoyed before. Sadly, I did not enjoy this. I thought it was an interesting idea - a young homeless boy is drugged and accosted by a man who he believes to be blind and tries to help. He wakes up underground, in a corridor of six rooms with a dining table and kitchen with six of everything. As time goes by, the six bedrooms are filled by new arrivals, who are sent down in a lift, drugged. An interesting idea, as we wonder what will happen to the six and as they attempt to come to terms with what's happened to them, and work out what their kidnapper wants/is up to.

Unfortunately though, this just seemed relentlessly and unnecessarily grim, violent and depressing. Brooks allows us to care about these characters, and then essentially treats them as lab rats. I have no issues with him choosing to have a perpetrator who does that, but I expect a bit more compassion from a writer, especially one who is writing for children. I think there has to be at least a hope of success for some characters, and Brooks denies us/them that. It made me cross - I thought it was gratuitous and that things were done for shock value, rather than for the sake of a good story.

Having Googled it since (hadn't heard anything about it before I picked it up in the library), I see that it has caused some controversy in critical circles.

I don't think it is 'unsuitable' for children/teens, who will mostly have come across far worse on the news and in films, but I did feel that it was cheating them and toying with them a bit - just like it's doing to the characters. It reminded my of Melvin Burgess, another writer for YA who I feel pushes the boundaries for the sake of pushing them and getting column inches, rather than to meet the needs/interests of readers.

Sorry about the rant!

Having a disappointing book week. Just abandoned Rick Stein's autobiography Under a Mackerel Sky - disappointingly dull. Just confirmed to me why I don't really like autobiographies that much.

Disappointing week here too. Read the stupid Bunker one and have given up on three others. And I have nothing in my to read pile and everything on my Kindle is crap. Arghhhhh.

74. So You've Been Publicy Shamed by Jon Ronson

Very interesting read. Jon Ronson talks to various people who have suffered modern day shaming, whether an pop-pyschology writer who is revealed to have made up elements of his books, a woman who tweeted a joke and found herself at the centre of a twitter storm which cost her a job, or a woman who shared took goofy photos with her friend and found one being shared globally and bringing the wrath of the web down on her. Ronson discusses the impact of this public shaming on their lives and how it continues to affect them when the hordes have moved on.

Remus, that's a very good review of the The Bunker Diaries. I certainly won't be in a rush to read it.

I would like to read the Jon Ronson book though but I have a huge backlog. I was just pondering buying the Booker shortlist from The Book People but I did it last year and still haven't read them yet! My eyes are bigger than my stomach when it comes to books (if that makes sense, which it doesn't really). Also, although I did enjoy the Anne Tyler novel, I really don't see why it's on the Booker shortlist?! Does anyone else feel the same?

whippet woman - I have a massive backlog too, I seem to like reading about books more than actually reading books at the moment! I think it's because none of the books I'm reading at the moment are really gripping me. I did manage a novella:

no. 35 - Bones on Ice by Kathy Reichs - my guilty pleasure author. Main character is a forensic investigator. This one is a short novel about a body that has been brought down from Mount Everest. A quick, easy, very enjoyable read if you like this sort of crime novel. Reichs is much less gruesome than Patricia Cornwell, and actually has a sense of humour.

ladydepp, yes, that's it, I am spending loads of time reading about books, contemplating which books I should read, when I should or could read them etc. and sometimes I am reading about books that are about people reading books