50 Book Challenge 2016 Part Three

[southeastdweller]

Thread three 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.

First thread of 2016 is here and second thread here.

How're you getting on so far?

I just looked up the wikipedia page on Finnish swearing, and I will be adopting "may the goblin take it" whenever I next have call to abuse an inanimate object (this happens daily)

Those weren't my words, btw. I copy/pasted someone's Amazon review.

I got HHhH. Thanks for the heads up.

What the hell. I got Mother Tongue, too.

I averaged over 60 books in the last three years and still the list of unread books on my Kindle gets longer all the time because of you lot

It is, isn't it Remus? Pratchett was a genius.

Ooooh - I really hope that you like HHhH. I honestly think (hope!) you will.

10. A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson - many of you have read this, but for those who haven't it's the companion book to Life after Life. This is the story of Teddy Todd, WW2 bomber pilot. The story revolves around his war experiences but also flicks back and forth to his marriage, fatherhood, grandfatherhood and childhood. I am a massive fan of Kate Atkinson so I really enjoyed this book, but I'd give it 4 stars rather than 5.

I have now moved on to a book that's been taking up lots of space in my tbr pile. It was a gift from my brother many years ago and he recently asked if I enjoyed it, so I thought I better finally read it. The only problem is that it's 900 pages long! It's Wally Lamb's I Know This Much is True and it's about identical twins, one of whom is a paranoid schizophrenic. So far it's ok, but feels like more of a chore than a pleasure. I will definitely be reading other much shorter books at the same time!

Now off to read the rest of the thread....

Since finding and reading these threads I have got so many books on my to read list, but not spending much time reading......

17. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

This was a fantastic read. Utterly gripping and compelling and well worth a read. But it is definitely not a cheerful read.

The book starts in the near future, in 2054. Time travel has been invented, and historians are using it to study the past. Kivrin is planning on going back to 1320 - but something goes wrong, and she ends up in 1348. Right in the path of the Black Death. The book switches between 2054, where a serious and mysterious viral outbreak that's threatening to turn into a lethal pandemic appears, and 1348, where things start off fairly mundane, and then get more and more tense and grim as Kivrin realises when exactly she is, and the Black Death makes an appearance.

(The pandemic around 1348 was the first time the Black Death had hit Europe, with devastating impact. It's estimated that around half of the population of England died from the Black Death in 1348-1349)

37. Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.

I'm on the fence with this one. It's about a group of mums at a school. Someone gets murdered(not a spoiler, you know this within a few pages) and the rest of the book is the build up to the murder interspersed with people giving statements to police after the event.

It was well written and I did want to keep reading to find out who was murdered and why. However I didn't particularly like any of the characters, there were the usual school playground cliches, plus the characters kept saying/thinking "oh, calamity!" whenever anything went wrong which I just found really irritating!!

"Oh calamity"

24. How to be Both by Ali Smith

Very well known, but to summarise briefly, this consists of two interlinked halves, the story of a Renaissence painter, Francesco del Cossa, and a 21stC teenager, George. Some copies have Francesco first, others George.

As I mentioned upthread, this was from a 'book tombola' at the local library, where you take a ticket and get a surprise loan. It's definitely not a book I would have chosen, I generally hate modern 'literary' fiction. Looking at Amazon reviews, it's evidently a marmite book, with equal no.s of 1 and 5

But . . . I absolutely loved it. I had Francesco's story first, and I fell in love with the character & the voice. I'm not sure if I would have persevered with George had she come first, though I did really enjoy her story once I got into it.

One of those books where I can't decide whether to rush out and find other books she's written, or avoid them because I'm bound to be disappointed . . .

21. All in the Mind by Alastair Campbell, unexpectedly good with great characterisation of the central protagonist, a psychiatrist, and his patients/family. Wryly recognised a few of the techniques he mentions - the raisins, the gravestone, the gratitude etc etc. Not the most literary writer ever but certainly makes a difficult subject highly readable.

Am struggling with my 2nd Liane Moriarty book, (Last Anniversary) picking up from pposter.. It is very samey and the screechy narration is annoying me. Maybe she's a read one read them all kind of writer? Or repeat on the beach once a year, maybe. Think I want something more challenging or literary though probably too tired atm.

Grifone, A Short History of Nearly Everything is ace! Shame about the narration. I read it in school in lessons, when I was meant to be doing something else and absolutely loved it. He's got that non-patronising way of explaining things down pat.

Terry Pratchett is, of course, always great. Going Postal is one of the most poignant, though, I think. All those unread letters, and their combined potential energy...makes me want to cry thinking about it, actually.

I'm sure I used to read faster than this - must be old age setting in.

Just finished The Good Fairies of New York. Not really my thing but defiinitely light relief after W&P.

Just started The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up after hearing so much about it on here and elsewhere. I'm not convinced my lifelong slobby habits will be changed by it. But you never know.

I've also started Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart which is a re-read. I'm not a huge MS fan but I like this one - despite the very 60s attitudes - mainly because of the Lipizzaners. I used to watch White Horses during every school holiday and have loved Lipizzaners ever since. One day, I will visit the Spanish Riding School in Vienna but, in the meantime, I'll have to make do with reading about it.

Just finished The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins and thoroughly enjoyed it. Took a while to get into the style of narration and read slower than normal to understand what was going on. Normally I have an idea about the ending of a book but I was clueless with this one which was a nice change.

Thanks for recommending it.

I'm just about to start The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson -with a hot chocolate and croissant--

Ah nuts, strikethrough fail

Which narrator was it for The Moonstone ? Love the book, would like a good listen.

Spanish riding school a dream of mine, too, Natasha

Glad to read your review of How to Be Both sadik, I have it on my pile and was nervous but I'm hopeful I'll find it interesting at least. I read The Accidental by Smith a few years ago, it was all right, a much more straightforward read iirc though.

Natasha - I remember Airs Above the Ground - I also read it as a teen when I was crazy about Lipizaners :) Maybe I'll find it and read again as a blast from the past!

movingonmymind It was Betteridge, I struggled with at first. Miss Clack I found hard to read as her was just so ... annoying.

Thanks, Moosey.

13- Life after Life by Kate Atkinson. Lots of you have read this, I did enjoy it although I felt it flagged a bit in the middle. Someone said it was a weaker version of The Children's Book, and it definitely reminded me of that, although as I had major issues with The Children's Book, I actually preferred this. I hadn't read any Atkinson since Behind The Scenes at the Museum, and in the strength of this I might try her others.

Anyone who enjoyed Mother Tongue might also like Stephen Pinker's The Language Instinct.

Me too for the Spanish Riding School and the Lipizzaners! I have also read Airs Above the Ground and loved it for the horses. My PIL went on holiday to Slovenia and in the guide book it said they would be near the farm where the Lipizzaners are born. I got all excited and asked if they would be going to it and they were just like 'what?'. Fools!

I have to read Vanity Fair by Friday, and then The Hound of the Baskervilles by Wednesday, for 2 separate book clubs. I had no idea VF was such a big book! I am enjoying it, though.

Airs Above the Ground sounds wonderful! I'm fascinated by the Spanish Riding School.

Iv'e got a thousand books on my to-read list, but I'm going to have to fit that one in too.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar I love the Sherlock stories but have to admit I find Hound of Baskervilles one of the weakest ones. Good luck with Vanity Fair!