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.

Bertram I think it would be fine. There are a couple of references to sex but nothing explicit. Another good one that he might like is Bill Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything.

Ok...I have finally got round to starting Dark Fire Just read first few chapters in the bath...enjoying it so far

58. One Shot by Lee Child. This is the one they based the movie on- which would have been great if they hadn't used Tom Cruise as Reacher.

Cote, I am trying The Fixer by Finder, but not smitten so far- do you reckon I need to find a Heller one?

Thanks Grifone. I'll probably get them both

41. It starts with the egg by Rebecca Fett; read for personal reasons, found it v helpful, would recommend to anyone ttc and having issues. Though I got such a fright from the BPA/phthalate chapter I threw out all my plastic boxes

42. Walden on Wheels by Ken llgunas; this was very enjoyable, it's about a student in the US who graduates with a pile of debt and decides to do everything he can to pay it off asap. It can be a bit arrogant and holier than thou (working at home depot is apparently more soul destroying than cleaning loos in alaska) but in fairness to the guy, he walks the talk, pulls himself out by avoiding the "safe" conventional choices and also, manages to go back and do a (fairly impractical) post grad without incurring any more debt. He does put himself through the wringer a bit necessarily and you wonder is he a tad obsessed with his goal. Plus, you'd like to point out we literally can't all live in the pristine wilderness and wouldn't even want to . But a good read, I will look for some more of his stuff.

43. Afterparty by Daryl Gregory; I really enjoyed this too. It's kind of a mediation on where human belief in God comes from wrapped up in action packed sci fi. An accident of brain chemistry or literally revelation? Does it matter if it's "real" so long as YOU believe it's real? What would the world be like if everyone had their own God? The book concerns a drug which causes takers to see and believe in God and God's love. Not one God though, but God in a guise they expect and understand. It's set somewhat in the future, but grounded on events we recognise. The world building is imaginative, engaging and immersive (printable drugs, minature bison, talking angels, afghan granny mafiosos). I really loved this, the story sounds bonkers and it is a bit, but it is so well done and the philosophizing added a lot of interest and depth to the read. Plenty to say without being at all didactic or dull (Americanah I'm looking at you!). I really recommend

Ages since I've posted. I've enjoyed the ongoing debate about •Never Let me Go•, in my typical fence sitting fashion I really like the writing and story but was very annoyed by the characters' acceptance of their fate. It's a frustrating book because it could have been amazing, it's almost like Ishiguro was a bit lazy with it.

My latest reads are:

38. The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson - an interesting and readable, but rather unsatisfying look at psychopathy. Quite amusing in parts and very scary in others, it is more focused on Ronson's personal anecdotes than on the science or psychology of psychopaths.

39. The Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin, no.19 in his Rebus-the-Scottish-detective books. If you like Rebus you will like this, although I have preferred some of his other ones.

40. The Tent, the Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy - audiobook. Light, funny stories about the author's disastrous family holidays in Wales and France in the 1970s. Bodily emissions feature heavily, even so I did laugh out loud on several occasions.

Time for some serious literary fiction - I've started •Mount!•

I have just come across this thread.Please may I join in? I know that I'm unfashionably late, but......

wilting - I enjoyed Afterparty, too

Welcome to the thread, Clarence.

We're going to need a list of the books you have read so far this year

Books 55, 56 & 57: Jodi Taylor's No Time Like the Past, What Could Possibly go Wrong & Lies, Damned Lies & History. Usual high jinks fluff which I read when having difficulty sleeping.

58: Elizabeth Strouts's My Name is Lucy Barton which I very unexpectedly loved. I hadn't liked her Pulitzer Prize winner and this is all about nuances and things unsaid Briefly mother & daughter spend 5 days & nights together after years apart and daughter remembers her poverty-striken and abusive childhood. It's way more complex than that and the writing is gorgeous. Everything is understated and yet so clear ... A rare 4/5 and it only missed the 5/5 as it was so short and I wanted more!

Oh & welcome Clarence, looking forward to hearing about those reads you can remember!

Phoenix, I'm really looking forward to your view on Mothers Who Can't Love. I've read The Emotionally Absent Mother and am looking for something for my brother (yes, I know yours is targetted at daughters, but he's a softie and is heavily involved in caring for my father and that is causing issues with our mother so could well be useful).

I also loved the Yalom you read. He had a big following at my counselling course and I wish I'd read him earlier before I scared myself silly at the responsibility

Thanks grifone. Maybe later on.

Welcome clarence, just jump in!

I'm unexpectedly enjoying Olive Kitteridge (which I keep having problems spelling for some reason)at the moment which I guess is the one you didn't like! Might have to read Lucy Barton and compare notes.

Sorry that last bit was to joyless

Joyless I'm ploughing through Mothers Who Can't Love right now and finding it really hits me in the chest with the similarities to my own childhood. However, it is somewhat geared for daughters and there is a lot of mention of daughters etc. She talks at the start about how it's a follow up to her book called (I think) Toxic Parents which wasn't specifically aimed at daughters. I wonder if that would be a good fit for your brother? TBH I think he could still get a lot from this one as well, it's well written and I'm finding it helpful, although painful.

What do you mean by "wish I'd read him earlier before I scared myself silly at the responsibility"?
I returned my new Yalom book from Audible because the narrator was annoying (as usual) but I'm going to get a paper copy because I did like the book, Momma and the Meaning of Life: Tales of Psychotherapy. He's quite a funny writer

Hi Clarence.

Looking Absolutely love A View From the Bridge - one of those plays that hits you right in the belly, however many times you read/see it.

Wilting, have you read We Are All Completely Fine and Harrison Squared? H2 is young adult, but also the sequel/prequel to the novella WAACF, which is very well done and well worth a read- have a vague idea you can download it on a PDF for free too.

48 Good Work, Secret Seven

49 Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout I really enjoyed this. A book of short stories set in the small town of Crosby, Maine, that all intersect in some way with the life of Olive. It was about love, loss, relationships and ageing, but treated in such a frank way, that it was not cloying at all and I was charmed by it. I'd like to say Olive is a well- rounded character, but her edges are intact and I felt enormous sympathy for her as her tale progressed, though she is not designed to be likeable. Good writing, but not self-consciously so; Strout stays out of the way of her story. A sadness certainly permeates it, but it never quite crossed fully into bleak, which I was glad of.

Wilting, sorry, meant to add also by Daryl Gregory!

Olive Kitteredge was quite good on the TV if anyone has read it but not watched it.

Will have a look tanaqui

Thanks for the welcome. Anyway, these
are the ones that I've read that I can remember so far. Here goes :

1. Rivers Of London - Ben Aaronovitch
2. Moon Over Soho - Ben Aaronovitch
3. Whispers Underground - Ben Aaronovitch
4. Broken Homes. - Ben Aaronvitch
5. Foxglove Summer - Ben Aaronovitch
6. Dolly:A Ghost Story - Susan Hill
7. The Scold's Bridle - Minette Walters
8. While My Eyes Were Closed - Linda Green
9. Never Let Me Go - Kazio Ishuguro
10. Just What Kind Of Mother Are You - Paula Daly
11. The Mistake I Made - Paula Daly
12. Love,Nina. - Nina Stibbe
13. Catch Your Death - Mark Edwards / Louise Voss
14. Killing Cupid - Mark Edwards / Louise Voss
15. Bird Box - Josh Malerman
16. Behind Closed Doors - B A Paris
17. The Sisters - Claire Douglas
18. The Magpies - Mark Edwards
19. The Catch - Tom Bale
20. Black Rabbit Hall - Eve Chase
21. The Loving Husband - Christobel Kent
22. Daisy In Chains - Sharon Bolton
23. The Girl Who Lied - Sue Fortin
24. The Letter - Kathryn Hughes Ah, not even halfway yet....but on my pending list is : Tell No Tales - Eva Dolan Fates And Furies - Lauren Groff Between You And Me - Lisa Hall

Lots of Stephen King books are on sale in Amazon's Kindle store. I just got On Writing for £1.99

Clarence - What did you think of Never Let Me Go? It's a bit of a marmite book on this thread. Did you see the recent convo on it?

Thanks cote had On Writing on my list for ages at £7 odd but had stopped checking!

Satsuki, having read and so enjoyed Lucy Barton, I've been thinking I might re-visit Olive Kitteridge. I read it originally because I wanted to see how the structure worked (from the perspective of writing) and maybe that took away from the pleasure of reading. I do remember one or two of the chapters really getting me (emotionally speaking).

Phoenix, thanks so much for the review of your progress so far and the point to the book on Toxic Parents. I'll look both out. Painful? Oh yes indeed, I remember reading a poem on the inside fly of mine, ending up in tears and not being able to start the book till another day. It's not easy reading, that's for sure.

Lastly, thanks Cote for the On Writing alert. For non-fiction, I normally buy real books as I like to highlight and mark-up (ie. deface) them but this is too good to pass up. I can always get a second-hand copy later.