50 Book Challenge 2016 Part Six

[southeastdweller]

Thread six 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, fourth thread here and fifth thread here.

Just got The Fireman for 99p. I don't like JH much, but need more books for my commute, so this ought to fit the bill. They need to not be too complex!

Satsuki, I'm with you. 😄

38. Raymie Nightingale, by Kate DiCamillo. Charming and sweet, I suppose. Raymie enters the Little Miss Central Florida Tire 1975 contest in order to lure her father, who ran off with a dental hygienist, home. She meets two other contestants who've entered the contest to fix their own issues; friendship ensues.

Quick question: do rereads count?

They certainly do!

Great!

Yes, I reread Persuasion and Pride and. Prejudice earlier this year, and found different things in them this time around despite already having read them both numerous times. I still consider them meaningful reads in terms of time and energy spent.

Book 99
His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Booker Shortlisted. Really, really enjoyed this. It’s the story of a murder in the Scottish Highlands in the nineteenth century, done through a collection of documents, the bulk of which is a memoir by the killer. It’s very much my sort of thing, reminiscent of Victorian accounts of crimes, as well as Victorian medical journals. The only disappointing thing was the rather abrupt ending, but overall I thought it was excellent.

That's good to hear. I've just ordered His Bloody Project on the strength of Agent Provocateur's recommendation on another thread. I like Victorian stuff, Scottish stuff and crime so was already hopeful

46. Hotel Du Lac Anita Brookner elaborately written nonsense. Forced myself to finally finish it as it was so short, but found v boring.

Rivers of London by Ben Aaranovitch is 99p on Kindle Daily Deal today, worth a try at that price.

His Bloody Project sounds good, will look out for it.

58. Worth Dying For by Lee Child. One of the better ones and I had remembered it quite well but still enjoyed rereading.

47. Sovereign by CJ Sansom another enjoyable Tudor detective story. Took me a while this one amongst reading other things, need a Shardlake break!

I have reserved His Bloody Project at the library though might be some weeks before I get it - a lot of reservations. Also Julian Barnes' new one, The Noise of Time.

76. An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth – Chris Hadfield
I surprised myself by really enjoying this book. It’s so fascinating to find out about what it’s actually like to desire to become an astronaut (despite there not even being a Canadian space program), to apply, to train and, against enormous odds to finally succeed and become an astronaut. It really is interesting to discover what it’s like to be on the International Space Station, live in zero gravity and brave the numerous dangers of re-entry. Respect.

77. Housekeeping – Marilyn Robinson
Her debut novel, written in the early 1980s but set in an earlier time, about two sisters left to be looked after by a series of different women in their grandmother’s house. The prose here is not straightforward and I had to re-read some passages a number of times to grasp the meaning. This is sad and melancholy book but I’m glad to have finally read it.

94. Growing Older with Jane Austen, Maggie Lane

This was okay, a book exploring Jane Austen's portrayal of the older characters in her books. It's predictable enough, without the insights of John Mullan/Paula Byrne's recent books about her. A soothing canter through familiar territory.

12. Stop the Fight! by Michelle Brody. Continuing my current glut of self help and non fiction as I am desperate to get them all out the way so I can go and immerse myself in a nice escapist novel. One I started in the spring and then abandoned with a few chapters to go. A nice, approachable self help about how to stop fighting like cat and dog with your partner. Didn't help me, but I think we were a bit part the point of self help books . Nevertheless it will stay on my bookshelf as I quote liked it and could see myself re-reading in the future if needed. Chapters cover the various different fights couples tend to have over and over again like the sex fight, the parenting differences fight, the difficult relatives fight etc. There are loads of illustrations of stick figures which made me smile especially as said stick figures made it up after a huge barney and showed how things ought to have gone. The book is funny, doesn't talk down to you and is written by a couples therapist who really knows her stuff. Recommended if you keep bickering endlessly with your spouse.

62. A Million Years in a Day: A Curious History of Everyday life from the Stone Age to the Phone Age – Greg Jenner. Similar in style to Bill Bryson, this is an interesting little history/social history of all the little things we do from the moment we wake up until we drop off at night. A bit of fun and easy reading with a few facts that might prove useful in a table quiz.

63. Grimm Tales for Young and Old – Phillip Pullman, originally written by Jacob and Wilheim Grimm. Bedtime read with DS of fifty of Phillip Pullman’s favourite Grimm tales. These stories are classics but beautifully retold in this volume. Good one to share with the kids.

How old is your ds, grifone? Would a five year old enjoy them read to him?

Just reached the first weepy bit of the final Dark Tower book. Anybody got a tissue? Sob. :(

48. Vanished (Nick Heller #1) by Joseph Finder

I really enjoyed this. Nick Heller is ex-military, now private security. He is sort of a smarter Jack Reacher who understands modern technology and can think/write in longer sentences Definitely recommended to Reacher fans.

I might now go & read some more books by this author.

84. Kraken by China Mieville

I don't quite know what I made of this one, but I don't think I liked it much. A giant squid is stolen from the Natural History Museum and curator Billy Harrow finds himself plunged into an unknown London, where competing cults and magically distorted criminals exist and do battle. Someone thinks that the squid is a god, and that it can be used to bring about the end of the world. Very surreal in places, which is part of what I didn't like about it although I usually quite enjoy fantasy, magic and the paranormal in novels. The City & The City was a much better novel, so I was rather disappointed with this one.

He is 10 Satsuki. I think 5 might be a bit young as some are rather dark. I think 7/8 would be just about right.

Just an update:
8) House of Shadows - Nicola Cornick. I loved this A time slip novel set in the 1600's, 1800's and present day. Holly begins to search for her brother when he goes missing whilst researching their family tree. An antique mirror, a pearl and a personal diary of a 19th century courtesan are all clues to his whereabouts. I loved all three stories equally and the plot was gripping, couldn't put it down. Perfect if you enjoy novels by Kate Morton, Pamela Hartshorne and Barbara Erkskine, would definitely recommend.

Grifone would A Million Years in a Day be suitable for a nearly 10 year old boy who adores history? Or is it a bit too adult? He's pretty mature in his reading if that helps.

43. The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester.

Seminal science fiction recommended by a friend. The story follows Gully Foyle who escapes after 170 days alone in deep space after his ship is destroyed as part of an ongoing war. This is his story of revenge and redemption. Some skilful writing; parts of the story echo in many of today's TV series, films and books and not as dated as you would think for having been written in 1956. I'm enjoying reading more classics- this year I have read six so far- The Three Musketeers, The Things I carried, Cannery Rd, The Wasp Factory, Do Androids Dream of Sheep?. All satisfying reads raising interesting themes and ideas.

53. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling - Have been keeping up with my one-a-month re-reads of the whole series before going to see The Cursed Child next year. Hoping I manage to keep it going now that I'm about to hit the longer books. Enjoyed this one.

54. The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer by Kate Summerscale - This has been reviewed several times before. I quite liked it and, although I can see why some people didn't like the fact that it's not a whodunit as we know the answer right from the start, I thought the interest picked up in reading about the trial and what happened to him afterwards. It wasn't as good as The Suspicions of Mr Whicher but an interesting read all the same.

55. The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman - Read for book group. It's set in Western Australia in the 1920s and is about a lighthouse keeper, Tom, and his wife, Izzy. A boat containing a baby and a dead man washes up near the lighthouse. They know they should report it but Izzy persuades Tom to wait. I enjoyed this, although that's the probably the wrong word, as a lot of the subject matter isn't light-hearted.

56. A View From the Bridge by Arthur Miller - Re-read for work. I love this play. It tells the story of Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman working in Brooklyn in the 1950s, his niece, Catherine, and his wife Beatrice. Beatrice's cousins arrive from Italy as illegal immigrants and, despite Eddie's disapproval, Catherine is quickly attracted to the youngest, Rodolpho. I always forget that the play was actually written at the time it's set - it seems to be quite a modern commentary on 50s attitudes.