50 Book Challenge 2016 Part Two

[southeastdweller]

Thread two 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, it's not too late to join, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

Previous 2016 thread here

Finally finished my first book of the year - Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens, its about 1000 pages in the style of Dickens so hence why its taken a while.

First 500 pages were quite good and at times very witty and funny but then the last 500 were a slog and I sensed Dickens getting more and more bored with it.

Number 2 was Howards End by E.M.Forrester - nicely written but the characters seemed quite hard to pinpoint in my mind while reading. I preferred the film.

Middlemarch is my quiet read in the background, I reading about a chapter a day which is a lovely way to read it with all the characters and their lives.

Oh in didn't know Patrick Ness had done anything last year, thanks Vanderly.

I haven't heard of Uglies, I'll have a look, thanks Sadik!

Quog- I downloaded that Wilkie Collins audiobook also, looking foward to it, glad it was good.

Re pp, YA request, i recently 'read' My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece
narrated superbly by David Tennant, while it's certainly not a light subject matter, it has a light, sensitive touch and is very engaging.

1. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

2. The meaning of everything; the story of the OED by Simon Winchester;

3. An astronauts guide to the universe by Chris Hadfield and

4. The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro;

Wow, not sure what to say about this, completely insane, immersion into the surreal mental landscape of the narrator, Stephen Ryder. Mr Ryder is a world renowned pianist. Probably. He has a family he has forgotten in the city. Maybe. He is actually here to deliver a very important speech to the town which appears to be in some sort of existential crisis and incredibly interested in obscure (to me) modern classical music. Or not.

The atmosphere of tension and unfulfilled tasks, duty, love, work, performance is so intense, as to make the book almost unbearable at times. Yet your mind is constantly dragged back to it and you pick it up again. Everyone is unbearably, formally polite, yet terribly anxious and demanding. I found I would read about 5% intensively, then rest, then read maybe 2% before putting it down again. It was exhausting. It was fantastic. It was head wrecking. There is no logical narrative. The "hero" is constantly distracted from his purpose, which constantly changes. It's like being in a dream where you have semi control but you can't quite make the dream go the way you want.

Ultimately my own interpretation (and there are lots of opinions on this book), is that Mr Ryder has suffered some kind of breakdown or trauma. I think some of the characters are actually manifestations of himself at different stages of his life and represent his own efforts to work out his own issues with his parents. The interaction with Sophie and Boris in particular is heart breaking at times, and an incredible depiction of a deeply distressed family unit.

You are entirely in the mind of Stephen so you are as at sea, as he is.

I'd really recommend it, but it is not for the fainthearted.

Best thing I've read in years.

Have moved onto The Good Fairies of New York which I am enjoying, thank you Remus!

wilting - That sounds like a book I would love. Or not

I love an unreliable narrator, especially due to mental illness. Can't stand is-it-a-dream sort of navel-gazing nonsense, though. Do you think I would like it? What is "obscure modern classical music" ?

This review sounds promising: Literary critic James Wood said that the novel had "invented its own category of badness"

I am recently reading The Harry Potter and its fantastic.. I recommend it as a mom. :)

Hah, it's music I've never heard of but sounds terribly highbrow and difficult!

Definitely not a naval gazing "how am I feeling now" type of book, Ryder is hideously lacking in any self awareness or insight . At times he seems omniscient, at others, willfully terribly blind. People who initially seemed benevolent, turn sinister etc.

It's very disorientating really. Time and place are totally elastic.

I thought it was a great read. You should definitely try it. I might have another go at Umbrella myself

Oh and it's not told as a dream. It's told using a true dream structure (as opposed to one simply having some plot type purpose or symbolism). I think to ensure you experience his reality as he does.

Its def not a race. I'm just enjoying reading again, really, and this thread has helped me to be conscious of that and to remember to read because I love it .

I'm trying not to get into that thing of starting one book immediately after finishing another, because I like to have at least a night in between books to let them settle in my mind and to think about them for a bit.

Some books (The Marlon James one I mentioned above, for example) affect me so much that I can't read anything else for a couple of days afterwards as I am still so absorbed in the world of that book, iyswim.

I'm also getting better at abandoning books I'm just not enjoying. Life is too short.

And ooh ... that Kazuo Ishiguro book sounds...interesting .

I've only ever read Never Let Me Go and found it brilliant, disturbing fucking weird I wouldn't say I 'liked' it...but it stayed with me for a long time. It was so...creepy and strange. He is a brilliant writer.

Oh, wilting, thank you for a wonderful blast from my reading past. I read The Unconsoled many years ago, but it had slipped out of mind until I read your description. Yes to all of that, utterly brilliant and unlike almost everything else. I once started creating a kind of virtual reality world mapping the territory of the book (anyone who has read it will realise why you could never have a physical map, at least not a static one); I might have to re-read now, appetite has been whetted!

12. Mystery in White by J Jefferson Farjeon

Not nearly as good as I had been hoping it would be. I think there was a reason it had been out of print (.... and perhaps it should have remained so). It hasn't worn well over time, not in the same way that, say, Agatha Christie's novels have. It was really quite dull and stilted.

Odd coincidence. We watched the Hunger Games part 2 on Friday night and I could barely remember the book, but then realised I'd read books 2 and 3 while in labour and hospital with dd2, who was a little bit early so we were kept in for a few days. I think I was in shock to be honest as hadn't even had time to pack a bag or buy any nappies when my waters broke, was just in hospital alone with my kindle for company as dh had to look after dd1.

So I went off and reread the Mockingjay book, only to come on here and find you lot talking about books you'd read in late stages of pregnancy, early babyhood.

Anyway I'm sure anyone who was going to read the books would have done so by now, but for me the third is pretty weak. Katniss reaches an annoying level of self-absorption and deserves a good shaking and the main action happens off screen while we just get to see lots of poncing about for camera shoots.

Remus, sorry for delayed reply, not been online over the weekend. You may not love Conn Iggulden but I'd say he's worth giving a go, partcularly as you're always struggling for new writers. Have you read others of the genre such as Bernard Cornwell and if so, what did you think? I was almost put off by reading a Cornwell for book club as I found that whilst the historical stuff was absolutely spot on, it was utterly turgid because his characterisation was absolutely awful. Iggulden is better with people ... and in Wolf of the Plain the only two female roles have something about them rather than being arm candy (not critical I realise, but just one less thing to irritate).

Thanks for the heads up re reading fatigue. To be fair, I work FT I read a ton at work. During the past week, I've even spent my free time following the news coverage and backstories of something work-related (sorry about being vague but don't want to out myself). So not much time for anything else.

Middlemarch is a stunning novel.

OhPudding - I also have the thing of needing some time between some more 'thought provoking' books - The House On the Strand was the last to do that to me! I can go back to back, but only if it's books full of action that don't make me think that much...

BTW - has anyone seen anything worth a read on the Kindle's monthly deals for Feb? Had a quick look at the 200 list and nothing grabbed me, just wondered if there's anything that doesn't look inspiring but is good read.

I read Sarah Hrdy's Mother Nature in the weeks before having DD2. Few books have had that kind of impact on me - it's on infanticide, foundling homes and child rearing in primitive societies. She argues that mothers may abort, abandon, or even kill offspring they do not have the resources to rear. If you are sick and tired of sugar-coated mothering books and want to read something whip-smart and provocative, I'd definitely recommend this. It's been six years and I still think about it.

Wilting Glad you're enjoying the fairies!

Joyless - I think I'll pick it up next time I'm in the library. My dad is usually pretty reliable with his recommendations and, having read most of the Genghis Khan book that Cote recommended last year (but I couldn't count in my total as I got bored near the end and didn't ever finish it!) I now know some of the history too.

Dinosaurs The only thing that grabbed me from the Feb deals was The Exclusives because it was recommended on here. Can't remember who said it though - apologies if it was you!

I finished 8. Disclaimer by Renee Knight yesterday. Read for book group this month. I'd read mixed reviews and have mixed feelings about it but, overall, I enjoyed it. I thought it was interesting in terms of different narrative perspectives and, in that way, reminded me a bit of Notes on A Scandal by Zoe Heller - although it's nowhere near that calibre. It also had echoes of Heroes by Robert Cormier, where the question is whether a character who does something really bad is automatically completely evil, even if they also do good things (and vice versa). So themes-wise, I enjoyed it. The writing in places was a bit of a let-down, which was a shame. In some places, she stated the obvious when it really wasn't necessary, tried too hard to drop hints, and there was one really irritating extended metaphor which went on for half a page and just annoyed me!

Am now reading The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George as second book group read - expecting light and fluffy. Have taken a break from War and Peace to get book group reading done, but will hopefully get back to it and finish in the next week or two.

2&3 Wine of angels and Midwinter of the Spirit by Phil rickman. Not sure about these yet. I think the series has potential. The main character is a bit wet and the narrative in the first book didn't hang together that well. Ice decided to give the next two a go and see what, if any, character development there is. Also gave The Snowgarden and This book could save your Life on the go at the moment hoping to finish those soon. Need to up my read rate to get through 50!

Sadiq, I am reading them on Overdrive too, and I think the last 2 are also missing- I'm not in Wales though.

My name is from the Spellcoats, and that power of 3, 8 days of Luke and Howls Miving Castle are my favourites, depending on the mood I'm in!

remus, i didn't get on with the good fairies (years ago), but I quite liked lux the poet, have you read that?

Current favourite YA author is Sarah Rees Brennan, would definitely recommend if you are ok with urban fantasy.

Book 5: Strictly Between Us - Jane Fallon This was a freebie through MN. Thought it was going to be normal chic lit but a little darker. Found it an easy read so good for holiday reading.

Dinosaurs - I had a look through the kindle monthly deals earlier today and the only thing that I could see worth having was The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. I borrowed it from the library a couple of years ago, but bought it this morning as DH said he wanted to read it. It's entertaining, well worth a read. Nothing else really appealed.

Hi everyone. I started doing this this year and am up to book 6. Am about to finish the martian - am 85% through can't wait to see what happens.

Wanted to share with some people who mentioned audio books and audible. Maybe it has already been me turned but the kindle fire (and the old 1st & possible 2nd generation) ones with keyboards have the text to speech function. I much prefer this over a regular audio book because you can flick between reading and listening. Unlike an audio book where you can only listen. So I listen to my book in the car ( the kindle connects to my car speakers with Bluetooth ) so I can listen when driving and then I get in and continue reading. It also is much cheaper than audio books and most kindle books have the text to speech enabled.

Anyway this has meant I no longer have to endure appalling german radio and am able to double my book consumption.