50 Book Challenge 2016 Part One

[southeastdweller]

Thread one of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2016, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

Who's in for this year?

Oh and daphne I really enjoyed john dies st the end it is total nonsense but v enjoyable

Re cookbooks, it's up to the reader, but personally I would only count them if there's a lot of text, as with the ones by Nigella Lawson and Nigel Slater.

Finished book three today, on audible.

Warriors of the Storm - Bernard Cornwell Most recent novel in the Lords of the North series. All of the plot is themed around what the men will do for their women, even if not tactically sound. Good historical detail, glad there are no horned helmets!

I wouldn't count cookbooks. I often read them pretty much from cover to cover, but I think they are the same as reading a newspaper or magazine, and we wouldn't count those.

I really enjoyed the first 70% or so of John Dies at the End but thought the rest of it was pretty terrible, and that put me off reading the follow-up.

Maybe we could have a separate thread for cookbooks. Anyone fancy starting one?

Tenar, the second half of Dance With Dragons is much better - the story actually moves on! I thought A Feast of Crows and the first half of Dance with Dragons rather lost their way but then it does pick up again at the end. Have you watched the TV series? Think they do it better because they skip all the boring bits! I just wish GRRM would get on with the 6th book. I suppose if it was going to be released in time to beat the TV series we would know it by now - it starts again in April.

I've finished the Phillip Reeve Mortal Engines quartet.

(Mortal Engines, Predator's Gold, Infernal Devices, A Darkling Plain.)

DS (adult) & I were discussing ageing of characters in books & he reckons that the ageing Tom & Hester in this series was done really well. I'd agree with that but I really think I was too old to enjoy them fully. I'd have loved them at 11! They lacked a depth of characterisation for me.

I kept on thinking of Pullman's Dark Materials when I was reading and now see that Pullman published that series about 5 years prior to Reeve.

I'd love to chat about cookbooks but agree that a separate thread would be better. Much easier to refer back to if in its own space.

I really rate the 'Mortal Engines' series - Hester is such an interesting character and I love the way the series follows Tom and Hester's relationship through. Love Shrike too.

Sasilasi - it will be interesting to see what you think of Station Eleven, let's just say there were rather mixed feelings about it on last year's thread

Sorry I keep hitting Post on the IPad before I'm ready!

I am currently reading Game of Thrones 4 A Feast of Crows, which I am really enjoying but I think I will need a break before the next one.

I am also reading Golden Son, and it's remarkable how many similarities there are between the 2 books. Both have many powerful and power hungry families (one of which has a lion as its symbol), there are twins who figure quite prominently, there is lots of sword fighting, and there are many other similarities I won't reveal as they might be spoilers.

Managed my first book! The Desperate Diary of a Countryside Housewife by Daisy Waugh.

Not high brow, but it made me smile in recognition in parts and it got me off the starting blocks.

Now reading A spool of Blue Thread

tooextra, I think there was a press release last week or the one before, saying that the next Game of thrones book would not now be released before the next tv season, despite plans to do so. End of the year, now, I seem to remember.
I've just finished my third, The talented Mr Ripley, which I thought was terrific (deliberate use of period terminology!). I had seen the film, but some time ago, and the suspense was slightly spoilt by the fact that I was reading it as the first in a compilation book containing all four Ripley novels, but I still enjoyed it. A real period atmosphere.
I'm now torn whether to read the next one - ordinarily I would have a break between but this book of four is due back at the library.

Book 3 The Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir Alison Weir never fails and this book is no exception. It is a fictional account of the life of lady Jane grey. Despite knowing the grizley ending Weir takes the reader with her as she meticulously weaves historical fact with a strong narrative. There are times when you almost believe tha the outcome will somehow be different. If you love historical novels you will love this book.

Book 4 jean Rhys Wide Sargasso Sea

1. Overcoming Chronic Fatigue by Mary Burgess and Trudie Chalder. Not terribly helpful, not really going much beyond common sense. Nothing that I had not already thought about. A bit disappointed.

Next up - Disclaimer by Renee Knight

I really need to get on and read Cryptonomicon, it's been on my bookshelf for about four years but every time I open it I look at the reams of footnotes and feel a bit weak.

It's exactly the sort of book I should love, but I just can't summon up the energy for some reason.

Somebody motivate me - pleease.

Am currently reading an alternative no. four, Ray Bradbury's, something Wicked This Way Comes (I was reading another but have temporarily abandoned it, will no doubt come back to it later).

I read this many years ago as a teenager and bought it a couple of years ago to re-read but never got round to it, spied it today and was just in the mood for it, I'd forgotten how phenomenally good his writing is, only a few chapters in but I'm hooked. I think I'll get much more out of it on a re-read given it's a coming of age tale and I was but a feckless youth myself the first time I read it.

Got halfway through Graham Norton's autobiography and have given up with boredom. Wanted something easy to read on the iPad, not what I'd usually read and don't think I'll bother with celebrity memoirs again.

Quite amusing bits, some interesting anecdotes, but not especially funny and just not my cup of tea. Just like having a really long one-sided chat with someone. This might not be Graham's fault, perhaps to be expected from the genre

That's a shame, Satsuki - I really enjoyed the Graham Norton. I could hear his voice in my head reading it :o. I'm not normally a fan of autobiographies (and tend to avoid biographies) in case I discover something about the writer that makes me not like them any more. It's a fine line between wanting to know more about them and really not wanting to but Graham Norton just makes me laugh.

David Mitchell's autobiography, Back Story bored me, and did alter my opinion of him a little.

I did think Graham came across well, and enjoyed what I read, I just lost a bit of interest. I think I get so little reading time that I was thinking of what else I could be reading. I'm happiest with fiction I think, I find a little autobiog goes a long way for me.

Muskey so glad you enjoyed Innocent Traitor, and I know what you mean about almost believing the outcome could have been different.

Book 2 for me was Frog Music by Emma Donoghue. I enjoyed this although was slow to start off with. My next is All the light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr, not sure about this one, due to the subject matter involved but I want to read a wider range so I'll give it a go. I'm also reading Nigel Slaters A Year Of Good Eating but don't think I can count this!

Thank you grey for the recommendation. I have avoided Alison weirs novels mostly because I read a historical novel by Phillipa Gregory and I absolutely loathed it. Maybe I just picked a bad un. I really loved the innocent traitor it really was very well written.

Finished No.2 The Poisonwood Bible today. A book of two halves really, with the first completely gripping (found myself wishing her to LTB so many times!) and the second quite drawn out.

I loved Adah, Rachel and the mothers account in the first half. I found Rachel's narrative really likeable initially. Her turns of phrase were fantastic, but I lost my love for her in the second half.

I think if it hand ended at the big decision (don't want to spoil) I would have wondered desparately how it all panned out. Knowing all the events after that point didn't really add to my experience and I did find it a bit slow-going after that.

On to No.3 Cannery Row Nice and short

I quite like celeb autobiographies, haven't read David Mitchell or Graham Norton but I really enjoyed:
Viv Albertine
Michael J Fox
Frank Skinner

Not so keen on: Dawn French, Stephen Fry, Rob Lowe
In between: Rupert Everett, Clare Balding

2. The Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

Listened to this one on Audible - for some reason I find fiction really hard to listen to so historical and autobiographical stuff works better for me.

The book focuses on Edward VI, Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I during the period that at least two of them were still alive - so Edward's accession on the death of Henry VIII in 1547 until the death of Mary and accession of Elizabeth in 1558, but no detail on the reign of Elizabeth (covered in other books by the same author). It concentrates on their relationships with each other, which were often warmer than you would think but were ultimately strained by religious differences. I found it really engaging but my one complaint about some historical audiobooks is that it can be really unclear when they start quoting from an original document, particularly when it's mid-sentence.