50 Book Challenge 2016 Part Four

[southeastdweller]

Thread four 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, second thread here and third thread here.

How're you getting on so far?

Sadik I definitely recommend Deathless if you're enjoying the Fairyland books and are interested in something in a similar style but darker and denser.

29. This House is Haunted by John Boyne.

A very creepy ghost story about a Victorian woman who becomes a governess to two children living in unusual circumstances in a house that, I don't think I'll be giving any spoilers by revealing this, turns out to be haunted. It's an easy to read page turner with some very frightening moments and a likeable narrator.

I will do Tenar.

45 The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making by Cat Valente
I'd describe this as a fairytale, written somewhat in the style of the Wizard of Oz crossed with the Thursday Next books. I'd guess it's aimed mainly at book loving older pre-teens/young teens, though there are plenty of jokes aimed at adult readers.

I found the start slightly too-clever-for-its-own-good, but once it got going I enjoyed it a lot, and it had a really good ending. I listened to it as an audiobook, read by the author (who reads very well) - I'm not sure I'd have liked it so much had I read it.

59. Seven Scamps, Elinor M Brent-Dyer. Having a bit of a La Rochelle fest! This is the 4th book in the series, featuring the Willoughby clan. Another enjoyable 1920s romp.

60. The Martian, Andy Weir. I loved this! It was much cheerier than I expected, given the subject matter, and it much much more interesting. I had expected much doom and gloom and philosophy about knowing you would die a remote and lonely death, so the hope throughout the book was a very welcome surprise. I got a bit bogged down by the calculations towards the end and did start to skim the maths a bit. But I really loved it and I imagine it makes a great film.

Oooh, I shall try Villette, Grendel. I love Jane Eyre.

Grendel Thanks for the tip - I'd never heard of that title! Need to work my way through various GCSE English reading lists first, but I will bear it in mind!

Book 50
The Ghosts of Berlin by Brian Ladd

Absolutely loved this examination of some of Berlin’s most iconic areas and buildings and how these have changed/not changed over Berlin’s turbulent history. It’s a book about architecture but also about what buildings and their architecture and the urban landscape more generally can be used to represent and how those representations can become something deserving to be honoured or desiring to be forgotten over time. I’m not explaining this terribly well, but it was brilliant!

I really didn't get on with Villette at all - quite like Jane Eyre, but Shirley is very much my favourite of CB's novels.

The Berlin book sounds fascinating, Remus.

It is, Sadik. Unfortunately the Kindle price now seems to be ridiculously high.

Have finished 1984. Really not sure what to make of it, I understand it wasn't intended as a novel with fully-developed characters, but I am just not sure how convincing I found it.

Pretty sure I finished Lewis Carroll's Alice through the Looking-Glass in January, so that does count. Brings me up to four books this year!

Long Way To Small Angry Planet is now £1.99 on Kindle. Still not sure if I fancy it.

Ha Satsuki I was just coming on here to say the same thing - I've bought it.

I seem to remember not enjoying 1984 half as much as Animal Farm - it just didn't seem as well structured a novel. But I haven't read it for at least 25 years so am due a reread.

This afternoon I have purchased Villette, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland and two Patricia Briggs books that I didn't know were out, one of which cost £8.99. Can you tell it's payday? My intention was to leave them all sitting nicely on my Kindle until my holiday in a month's time, but I have already cracked and begun Fire Burned.

I've never read 1984. Maybe I should put that on my Kindle for holiday reading!

61. Janie of La Rochelle, Elinor M Brent-Dyer. EBD's attempt at a love story - not too dusty, but it reads like a pale copy of Anne's House of Dreams. This is the point in the series when she just starts marrying off all her characters to each other, which gets a bit silly, and they all have 19 bridesmaids consisting of all their very best friends.

It was a bright cold day in April, a good time to read 1984

I've bought the angry planet because I'm easily influenced.

Me too withe the Angry Planet! I think it looks quite good.

But were the clocks striking 13, Satsuki?

I found 1984 very powerful, especially the lines (can't find exact quote) about a mother putting her arms around her child to protect him from the bullets, and of course it's useless, but it's not meaningless.

I confess I haven't yet read Shirley, but I am very keen to! Perhaps I'll like it even more than Villette.

Much happiness for everyone who bought Angry Planet! If you know/liked the show Firefly, or Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch trilogy, you'll probably like this too.

I finished 46. Ruby by Cynthia Bond the other day. It's incredibly dark - set in East Texas, full of Satanism and child rape and murder - but written with the kind of sensitivity to place and relationships that reminded me of Garcia Marquez. Also on the Baileys Prize shortlist. It's not bad at all, but it really is hard to read; all of the horror of A Little Life, but condensed into 300 pages instead of spread out over 600+. I'd recommend caution and self-care if you do read it.

Satsuki hadn't picked up on the timeliness of my reading 1984, well spotted

Finally finished a book:

16. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro - I've read two of his books before, loved Remains of the Day but found Never Let me Go a bit frustrating. I loved this book though, so different to the others. It's the story of an elderly couple on a quest to find their long lost son, but the story takes place over a thousand years ago in an ancient Britain and takes in elements of fantasy and fable. The atmosphere is mystical, and I guess the main theme is the importance or unimportance of our memories, shared or otherwise. It's beautifully written and one could spend hours trying to analyse all the nuances, but it is also a lovely story. Recommended.

TooExtra - I loved the Martian, I skimmed a lot of the detailed sciencey bits too, but the story was very exciting. I finally downloaded the film but I'm saving it to watch with my older dc's.

I'm still ploughing through Pillars of the Earth, and getting a bit bored of a spy book by Len Deighton - Berlin Game.

1984 is one of my favourite ever books, but too disturbing to read too often! There is a stage version coming to London again too, I wonder if anyone has seen it and would recommend it?

It's a while since I've managed to update on this thread. Although I have been reading lots.

17 Going to sea in a sieve by Danny Baker First of book of his memoirs. Entertaining although the structure does jump around a bit.

18 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson Written in the 1930s (I think) this is like watching a film from that period. Miss Pettigrew goes for an interview to get a job as a nanny. She's desperate. Thanks to misunderstandings rather than going for an interview she finds herself going out for the day/evening with her glamorous potential employer and friends. Well written, charming. Has a fairy tale ending. A cheery read.

19 The Peacock Spring by Rumer Godden. Two daughters are called away from their English boarding schools to go and live with their father in India. The older daughter realises that this is to provide a cover for the father's relationship with their new tutor. There is various fall outs from this. Lots about different attitudes, social classes, etc within the new India of the 1950s. Well written. Recommend this.

20 Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple Book about the disintegration of a marriage - you know this from the start. Very well written, sad and I didn't quite like the ending. You do get a clear understanding of the motives of all the characters.

21 Hogfather by Terry Pratchett Re read. Still enjoyed it.
22 Sniff by Terry Pratchett Again, another re read. One of the later books. Again enjoyed it.
23 The Quarry by Iain Banks Didn't like this one as much as I wanted to. Written through the eyes of the young adult son of a middle aged dying man who invites his old uni friends back for one last time. The main problem I had with it was that I didn't actually like any of the friends at all and couldn't have cared less about their problems. Not his best.
24 Mary Swann by Carol Shields Mary Swann was a rural Canadian poet who is becoming famous some 20 years after her death as she is championed by academics. A gentle satire on academia this is very well written although I didn't like the structure of the last section. But overall enjoyed and recommend it.
25 Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett Another re read. I'd forgotten how funny this one is. The University Wizards are instructed to put together a football team and come up with new rules that will see football taken out of the streets and into a stadium.
26 England by Graham Swift Short stories about life in England today. Liked some more than others but overall enjoyed it.
27 The Pumpkin Eater by Penelope Mortimer Another one about the disintegration of a marriage which is very well written and is apparently based on her life married to writer John Mortimer.
28 Death of a Charming Man by M C Beaton. Murder in the Scottish highlands. A really light read.

So that is a couple of month's reading summarised!

Ooh Cedar I've not met someone else who's read The Pumpkin Eater since I read it last fall. It's good, isn't it? Quite disturbing. Reminded me a good deal of The Yellow Wallpaper, actually, too.

22. Gut by Giulia Enders. An enthusiastic journey through the digestive system. A good read.

23. The dust that falls from dreams by Louis de Bernieres. This book begins at the turn of the 20th century and follows the story of the McCosh family and their fortunes as war breaks out. I am a LdB fan and wanted to like this more than I did-some of the war scenes were really powerful. I found it somehow a bit self satisfied and I didn't really warm to the characters.

24. The book of night women by Marlon James. I read this after it was recommended on here (I think by Satsuki? Sorry if it wasn't you!). Lilith is a slave girl on a plantation in Jamaica and this follows her from birth. I thought this was really well written and compelling. However, the violence is really difficult to read at times. It is a damning indictment of the brutality of the slave trade.

25. Hild by Nicola Griffith. I confess to reading this as it was mentioned on a previous thread and I was intrigued-the deal was sealed when I saw it was endorsed by Neal Stephenson. It follows the life of Hild, later Saint Hilda, who is niece to King Edwin and becomes his seer. I loved the descriptions of the countryside and way of life-it is set in around 600AD so I'm not sure how much of it is based in fact. I really enjoyed it.

And I should have also said welcome to the thread, Puffinity

I think I may have highlighted night women when it was 99p, elle but I haven't read it yet myself as I was a bit put off by the potential violence, which you've confirmed

I'd like to read the de Bernieres, shame you found it a disappointment. I had suspected he had lost it a bit (creatively).I'm a fan too, but haven't enjoyed much from him for a while now.

I did like firefly grendelsmother, so that's encouraging!

I've hardly had any time to read this week so only managing a chapter here and there of W&P but it's nice knowing it's there. Hoping to get stuck back into it over the weekend.