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?

Yes for all of you from me too. DH lost his mother a couple of weeks ago and though they weren't close and she had Alzheimer's, it's had an impact. I thank God mine are relatively well and try and spend as much time as I can with them.

Sorry for all of your losses

My parents are 'elderly' but healthy and active and I rely on them so much still. I really try to appreciate this time, it is golden and fleeting to have all those you love around you.

So sorry to hear that, Best. My parents were very young when I was born so I haven't experienced this yet - and in fact neither have they. My grandparents are in their late 70s but relatively well, touch wood! DH's parents are mid-60s and keep mentioning things they're leaving us in their wills. "That clock, that'll be yours." DH just laughs and tells them they'll live another 30 years yet.

Condolences , hope reading is providing some much needed solace.

23. 7 Days by the South African John Grisham, v atmospheric, taut. Ending spun out a little and predictable ex- alcoholic, troubled cop. Aren't they all? But highly readable and set the SA scene vividly.

24. Shadow of the Workhouse already well reviewed on here. An excellent read- vividly portrays the reality of East end life until the 1950s and what a loss it wasxwhen 'slum' areas were decimated and communities split up and disbursed out to Essex, Herts, far and wide.
    Highly recommend.

Condolences to everyone who is grieving . I lost someone I was very close to a couple of years ago (aunt) and there will always be a hole in my life where she should be. Like Satsuki, I am trying to spend as much time with my parents as possible and appreciate the time we have now.

My list:

1. My brilliant friend by Elena Ferrante.
2. SPQR by Mary Beard
3. Perfume by Patrick Suskind
4. Expecting better by Emily Oster
5. The life changing magic of tidying by Marie Kondo.
6. Friends of the dusk by Phil Rickman
7. A god in ruins by Kate Atkinson
8. Playing with fire by Tess Gerritsen
9. Wreckage by Emily Bleeker

10. True grit by Charles Portis. 11. Paper cuts by Colin Bateman. 12. The baby-making bible by Emma Cannon

13. The skeleton closet by Tanya Byron.

This has been reviewed previously up thread. Rather than a collection of case studies alone, she explores her own reactions to the cases (composites of patients she encountered during training for privacy/anonymity reasons) and her own motivations for pursuing a career as a clinical psychologist. I really enjoyed this book and Byron comes across as compassionate and self-aware. I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in psychology.

14. At the edge of the orchard by Tracy Chevalier. This book is set in 1800s America and follows the fortunes of the Goodenough family. Initially, the story follows James Goodenough and his wife Sadie, who travel from Connecticut to Ohio with their 10 children to stake a claim in the swamp lands. James comes from a family of apple farmers, and is passionate about apples, especially his beloved golden pippin. His marriage to Sadie is unhappy, and they argue constantly about whether to grow more apples for cider or for eating. Sadie's story is told in the first person, and James' in the second person. The story then later moves to their youngest son Robert who has gone west-what made him leave?

I enjoyed this, and Chevalier has a way of setting the scene beautifully. I haven't read either Remarkable creatures (though that reminds me it has been on my kindle for ages) or Girl with a pearl earring, which are her most critically acclaimed works. I have read some of the others, including The last runaway, which I felt was superior to this.

27 Cursed by Benedict Jacka
The second Alex Verus book. Pretty run of the mill urban fantasy, but very competently done if you like that sort of thing (which I do). I'll definitely carry on with the series.

Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones.

42. Career Game by Louise Mensch (Bagshawe)

I wanted something lighthearted after the boring history book previously. This definitely fitted that bill. I do enjoy Mensch's books even though they're all essentially the same plot! They're easy to read, a bit glamourous and don't need me to think to much. This was a sequel to her first novel, Career Girls, and it was nice to see where the characters had ended up.

I feel very far behind! But made a conscious effort to catch up this week. So far I have read:

1. A man called ove

Got this after seeing it recommended a lot here and really enjoyed it.

1. Smart girl by Rachel hollis

Third book in a trilogy. Enjoyed it as it required little effort and it was good to see where the characters ended up. Bit predictable though.

1. Ruby Flynn by nadine dorries

Set in Ireland 1947 around a young orphan girl. I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and loved the authors description of Ireland. However, I hated the ending of this book and how ruby ended up. The ending felt really rushed.

1. Ballymara road by nadine dorries

Apart from hating the end of ruby Flynn, I really enjoyed the authors style of writing. Ballymara road is the last book in the four streets trilogy set in both Liverpool and Ireland.

1. Persuasion by Jane Austen

It took me a while to get in to this and I had to concentrate to makes sense of some of the style of language (thank goodness for kindle dictionary).

Next book I think will be vanity fair. My kindle reading list is now massive thanks to all these recommendations but it is breaking me out of my comfort zone.

Paco, speaking of being outside your comfort zone, I've just noticed that nearly half the books I've read this year have been non-fiction - this is v unusual for me. Many of them are recommendations from this thread, and it has definitely been good for me to challenge myself in this way (I generally find fiction easier to read).

Thanks everyone!

17. The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

I think a few people on these threads have said they found the first in this series, The Invisible Library, to have a great concept but clunky writing, and I definitely agree with that. I decided to give this sequel a go in the hope that the writing might improve, because I really do love the idea of the Library. I think it was less clunky here, but the storyline, about Irene rescuing her kidnapped apprentice and hostilities between dragons and fae, didn't really grab me and I started losing interest about half way through so it felt like a bit of a slog to get through.

I feel really behind, haven't even finished #10.
Do we need a separate thread for slow readers and serial non-finishers?

1 it's not really about the numbers!

2 it's a long game to December, there's plenty of time!

3 think I'm only on c 10 myself.

to All going through tough times. I dread the day it starts happening here. Hope the book chat is s distraction .

Frustrated keep posting! No one minds how many or few you're on!

Frustrated I only did 36 last year and nobody seemed to mind :) this year I'm only doing so well because I've read lots of very short books

I only did 20 total last year, so you could take a few months break! I am so pleased to have got there already, but having a lull now. I am just aiming to keep reading steadily through the year and not get put off by tiredness and other distractions.

It is just nice to read everyone's reviews and recommendations anyway even when I'm on a slow patch myself.

1. Jilliane Hoffman - retribution
2. Jane Fallon - Strictly between us
3. Blue Monday - Nicci French
4. Room - Emma Donoghue
5. The Silent Sister - Diane Chamberlain
6. Disclaimer - Renee Knight
7. Unsticky - Sara manning1. Jilliane Hoffman - retribution
8. Jane Fallon - Strictly between us
9. Blue Monday - Nicci French
10. Room - Emma Donoghue
11. The Silent Sister - Diane Chamberlain

6. Disclaimer - Renee Knight - I was more impressed with this than I expected to be and have now started lending it to people

1. Unsticky - Sara manning
2. The Widow - Fiona Barton
3. The Teacher - Katerina Diamond
4. The Widow - Fiona Barton - I was slightly disappointed in this was expecting a bit more given the hype! Glad I didn't pay full price.

9. The Teacher - Katerina Diamond
This was a 99p kindle buy that I have recently started.

Oh I don't know what happened there

13. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick.
    Well known sci-fi and a Christmas present from my brother. What makes us human? Intelligence, empathy, caring, pain, suffering? I've been meaning to read this for a while and I'm glad I did even if it is a rather depressing future with destruction of Earth and where the lines between robot and human become increasingly blurred.

14. Restoration by Rose Tremain.
    Historical novel with an involving and interesting character study of Merivel, a doctor during King Charles III reign who rises in the King's favour with all the ridiculous riches and trappings that come with it but falls from grace and loses all. Life goes on, as Merivel finds out, just the same and he attempts to find meaning once more. Merivel was well drawn and I thought the scenery engagingly described; I suppose my slight problem was I thought the other characters a little one dimensional in comparison. Still, overall, a very good read.

I must admit to getting caught up with the number game too! Particularly at the end of last year when I thought I might struggle to reach fifty. Trying not to care so much this year..

18. Brad Magnarella - X-Generation 1: You Don't Know Me

A kindle freebie. Set in 1980's Florida, follows a pair of teenagers discovering that they have superpowers. Entertaining but lightweight.

Thanks to everyone for their good wishes. And for Five, Quogwinkle, Best and anyone else who is grieving.

And ElleSarcasmo, good luck. I hope all goes well for you.

I finished Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont. Biblio, you were quite right - it was bleak. It's made me think about the day to day reality of getting older and how lonely old age can be. These are not comfortable thoughts. But this is a beautifully written novel and well worth the read.

Frustrated I've only just finished my sixth book and I'm not too downhearted (yet!). As wilting says, there's a while to go.

I'm not sure what I'm going to start next. Possibly something extremely frivolous...

Matilda I'm interested to hear what you think about The Teacher. I was going to buy it but was put off by some of the reviews saying it was very graphic.

tumble I loved H Is for Hawk when I read it too-- for all of those on this thread who have lost their parents. It's honestly one of the best, most beautiful explorations of grieving a parent's loss I've ever read; I would recommend it for all of you.

Finished 26. A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit over the weekend. It's a bit like The Lonely City meets Annie Dillard's mysticism and anecdotalism. I'd probably have liked it more if I hadn't just finished The Lonely City, in fact. Solnit writes very evocatively (I was particularly impressed by a section about the white people who were kidnapped by Native Americans in the early years of North American settlement; many of them stayed with their captors, married into their families, spoke their languages and had children by them.) But she does a curious dance between telling you bits about her life and being vague on the details. It means she retains all of the control in the writer/reader relationship, in a fairly overt sort of way, which I wasn't pleased by. Also less meticulously researched than The Lonely City, which may be more to some people's tastes, though not to mine .

Disappointed to hear The Masked City is no improvement Tennar. there are definitely the bones of a good idea in there, frustrating.

19. Capital - John Lanchester. This is set at the time of the financial crisis, 2008, and follows the lives of various people living on a street in Clapham (south London). House prices have rocketed and as a result they all own £1mn+ properties. The characters are a little stereotypical: the rich banker, Polish builder, African footballer, Asian corner shop owner, a Banksy style artist and an old lady who has lived in the street for ever. I felt like there was potential for a stronger story, either more satirical or a greater social commentary. Still it was a decent if not gripping read, and mirrors what is happening in my part of London these days.

14. The People's Songs: The Story of Modern Britain in 50 Records by Stuart Maconie - someone on this thread read this last year, really enjoyed this one it was a gentle walk through of British social history via 50 songs

BadSpella, that sounds great. I love Stuart M on the radio but have never got round to reading any of his books. It's on my list now!