50 Book Challenge 2016 Part Five

[southeastdweller]

Thread five 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.

The first thread of 2016 is here, second thread here, third thread here and fourth thread here.

How're you getting on so far?

67 The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

Classic 50s sci-fi - a period piece now, really, but still a good read. (Our local bookshop has been having lots of the Gollancz SF Masterworks series on their cheap shelf, so I've been picking up any that I haven't read or fancy re-reading.)

35. The City & The City by China Mieville

Well, this was disappointing. "Weird lit" about two cities co-existing in different realities (dimensions?) on the same area - it should have been perfect for me. But wasn't.

It started out quite well, the idea was original, and the author can clearly write, but it just rambled on for hundreds of pages about how they just all saw everyone and everything in the other city but had to "unsee" them all consciously lest they be in "breach" and get hauled off by "Breach" to some other dimension, never to be seen again. 400 pages of blabla and none of this is explained. It just muddles along for about 300 pages and then what little story there is gets explained (yawn) in a hurried way. The End.

I know that this book has its devoted fans and I'm prepared to accept that this might be another "jazz" subject (I just don't understand how jazz is music, when all instruments play unrelated tunes in different rhythms. Or why anyone would want to listen to it), but dull books that make no sense are just not my thing. I honestly can't forgive the author for having made no real attempt at explaining any of the crucial questions:

• How did these cities diverge?

• What came before them? (The culture that left the artefacts in archeological sites)

• What are the special powers attributed to these artefacts? (Alluded to but never really spelled out)

• What does it mean that there are two alternate realities/dimensions/cities when (1) they all see each other clear as day, (2) they can physically cross over whenever they want, (3) they have to "unsee" in time not to get run over by cars in the other world, (4) they can only tell who is in which city from their clothes, and (5) even viruses cross over all the time.

• Why the hell is it not "allowed" (by Breach) to see the other side, let alone visit? What seems to be the problem with seeing them, since they are all visible?

• Who are Breach? Don't they have a life? Why the hell do they care so much if people in one city see those in the other city? Do their nappies get in a twist when viruses cross, too?

I'm not recommending this but YMMV.

Can anyone tell me what the problem is with Kindle book prices?

I'm looking at several newish books and their Kindle copy prices are significantly higher than their paperback prices. For example, Morning Star (Red Rising #3) is £9.99 on the Kindle but can be bought in paperback for £7.99. Why?

I know Cote, a new release I want to buy is 9.99 on Kindle and £9.20 paperback.

Just supply and demand I guess? If people are willing to pay more for kindle than paperback, they'll charge more.

cote sorry you've been caught up in this turmoil. I hope things settle down soon, but what that means I have no idea. The world is upside down at the moment, but perhaps it always has been.

Your "might be another "jazz" subject" made me roar

I have to say I thought about you yesterday - I am struggling with Hotel du Lac and on the back of the Ann Patchett I started to feel I need to read something written by a male author I think I went toe to toe with you on it not mattering but I'm starting to feel a distinct surfeit of feeeeellliiiiings and have a hankering for a book where something happens and afraid to say none of the books I have lined up at the moment that fit the bill are written by women. Oops.

I think ebooks are subject to a high VAT rate which might explain it. I would happily pay £10 for a hard or paperback version of a much loved book but would never send more than £5 on an electronic version.

Those are my thoughts exactly re: ebooks vs real books grifone. I guess the generally high prices of some are subsidised by the regular 99p offers and sales, which also have the effect of making you more used to reading electronically and therefore more amenable to paying more for an ebook you really want.

72. The Vet's Daughter, Barbara Comyns

I liked this less than the previous two books by the same author. Same artless narration of a difficult domestic atmosphere, but with fantastic elements creeping in.

The thing I hate about ebooks (apart from high prices) is that I can't share them with people. Part of the joy of reading for me is discovering a fantastic book and lending it out to people. I've ended up buying a PB copy of some books originally purchased as ebooks for that reason!

Yy boldlygoing - I got the first Shardlake on Kindle, then bought a copy for my dad, he lent it to my brother, I ended up buying the lot in paperback so we could pass them around, when I'd have preferred them on Kindle.

I think you can share kindle books by linking kindles to the same account. Not quite sure how that actually works though!

There is vat on ebooks and not in paper books.

Cote, I love your description of jazz. I am so not moved by jazz, much to dh's disgust.

Chilli, I liked Temeraire, but I found the sequels got repetitive, so recommend spacing them out!

Laughing at the description of jazz, aka cacophony in our house. DH hates it with a passion (and I'm not keen either). He's a member of a semi-professional choir whose repertoire leans towards Brahms, Beethoven and other such lovely music.

DM's kindle is linked to my account so I can share books with her. The only problem is that she has a tendency to want to read books that I am in the middle of so they mysteriously disappear from my kindle.

OMG Cote! The Turkish situation sounds increasingly dark and worrying. Hope you and yours are able to keep safe.

But your description of jazz ... no, just no! OK, there is some jazz which is incomprehensible, but no more than there are examples in other genres of music. I simply lurve jazz, but do accept that it is a subject with many a divide, so probably a good metaphor after all.

Thanks all for the kind wishes over my back and I am sending healing vibes to whomever it was who was suffering too. May you recover fully and quickly!

Still part reading books but am cracking through The Janissary Tree atm and believe I will be adding to the love liking.

My dh's kindle is linked to my amazon account because he's too lazy to choose his own reading material and we don't have a problem with having a book downloaded to more than one device at the same time. They are both registered to my account.

I think I'm going to have to re read The City and the City because I missed all that stuff about different dimensions. I thought they were supposed to be two cities actually occupying the same physical space but all the citizens had to pretend they weren't.
I really liked it, so it will be interesting reading it again and paying more attention to the setting and the concept.

Cote I hope things get better in Turkey and you and your loved ones stay safe.

Joyless I hope your back problems are improving and you can lie down again.

I agree Tenar, I read it as they were actually occupying the same space, but had to pretend they weren't.

Thank you all for your sympathies re our summer holiday in the middle of a coup d'état and your overwhelming support re jazz music

Some people find my boss intimidating. I tell them that when you get to know him, the only thing that's actually wrong with him is that he loves jazz

My kindle account is linked to 3 other devices - DH's and DS's tablets, and my phone. Books can be on multiple devices at the same time. If DH and I are reading the same book, it gives little spy messages when you open it up, so you can see what location they're at and when they last read it.

41. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell Loved this. I listened on audible, and, despite it being over 24 hours long, I didn't want it to end. A massive ambitious work, covering themes of mortality, immortality, and much more, it jumps forward in segments from the 1980's to a chilling near future, made all the more poignant by recent events. I sobbed intermittently through the last 2 hours. The narrators and settings change, but the constant throughout its the likeable character of Holly Sykes, who starts as a naive runaway teenager, and ends as a wise, kind and strong old woman. Really, it's too big to summarize in my usual breezy paragraph, but I recommend.

Wondering if we have the same boss Ham. He's not Glaswegian is he?

47 House of Cards - Michael Dobbs

I've been riveted by all the political goings on over the last few weeks so asked for some recommendations on here. This one didn't disappoint although it was quite light reading. Enjoyable stuff.

20- Becoming Unbecoming- Una

A graphic memoir charting the author's time as a teenager in West Yorkshire at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper. It examines the failure of the West Yorkshire police force and the general sexist assumptions which formed a backdrop at that time. She also charts the abuse she suffered as a teenager. The illustrations are beautiful and haunting and the snippets taken from newspapers are just unbelievable. The value judgements placed on women based on their supposed 'morals' is just shocking. It is harrowing in places and made me realise just how far we still have to go in tackling attitudes around sexual assault and violence. People who liked Persepolis would probably find this worth reading too.

Red Rising and Golden Son are currently v cheap on Kindle. Sadly, the third one is still extortionate.