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.

I'd like to post more about what's wrong with it really but I don't know what would be considered spoiler and what wouldn't.

Thanks for the link Every

I've never read Heart of Darkness, but I read and loved 1984 and Anna Karenina as a teen. I can well believe that I missed some significant aspects due to not being mature enough, but I feel that what I did get out of them made it a worth while experience.

Phoenix maybe I'm just a bit of a wuss, am feeling in need of something a little more uplifting at the moment, and was disappointed that the title and blurb didn't match up to the content, but... no, actually, it was really grim.

Book 110
Lady Catherine's Necklace by Joan Aiken
This was as bad as Mansfield Revisited was good. And if that wasn’t enough, I realised fairly soon into it that I’d read it before years ago. Disappointing on all counts.

I haven't read Emma since A Level. I've tried, but just can't.

Heart of Darkness makes Watching Apocolypse Now more interesting.

I loved Joan Aiken's short stories as a child- particularly the series when weird things only happen on a Monday- "yes, but today is tuesday" is the only title I remember but must have a reread. Is her adult stuff worth a go?

I have lost count so will have to do a search but on my phone at the moment.

62ish?) The End of All Things by John Scalzi. I picked this up in the library as I have enjoyed Scalzi's blog- he wrote quite a well known thing about life as a straight white man being like playing a video game on its easiest setting, it's a good analogy for teenage boys - and didn't realise it is the most recent in a series, but it seemed to stand in its own okay (though I have read a lot of science fiction so that might help). Good, traditional sci-fi- political space opera if you like, nice range of narrators, no romance, I really enjoyed it.

47. Maggie Smith: a Biography - Michael Coveney. Average biography of the legendary actress, with too much theatre analysis and unnecessary plot details of the plays and films she's appeared in.

49. The Stranger in My Home by Adele Parks. Alison Mitchell is living a nice, comfortable life with her husband and teenage daughter, when suddenly her world is shattered on discovering that, due to an error at the hospital 15 years ago, her daughter is not actually her biological daughter. The premise seems unrealistic (I'm sure my babies were given wrist tags and couldn't have been accidentally swapped without someone realising!), but I enjoyed this - it's good fun, much better than the other chick lit books I've read this year, and I wanted something light after Sapiens.

Well, you do get the occasional cases of accidental baby swaps in the news, so it's not a totally unheard of scenario.

DS1 was taken off to neonatal minutes after birth, without me or DH, before any tags were put on him.
It wouldn't have been possible for him to be accidentally mixed up with another poorly newborn though, given the bashed about appearance he was born with (rather a rough run up to birth for DS1, unfortunately). Not without me noticing and querying the difference at any rate.

Fair enough, but this mix up happened a few hours after the birth, and it was a straightforward birth so no reason why the baby couldn't be tagged immediately.

Sounds like you had a difficult birth experience Stitches

My babies had actual alarms put on them! But I could see in a total emergency they might overlook it. Plus dd's tag kept falling off.

Me neither Best (though leaving cert here rather than a level) that study just killed it for me. I find Emma squirmingly awful. She doesn't deserve mr knightly iyam.

48. My Grape Year by Laura Bradbury; this was on offer the other day and had tons of positive reviews. Don't be fooled like me though, it's rubbish. 17yo Canadian goes on exchange to France. Settles in remarkably easily. It's not too bad until she falls in love too. Dull beyond word, I hated it.

If I'd realised it was about a 17yo I wouldn't have bought it tbh. My fault really,

Anyone recommend a good travel memoir to me?

I liked Annie Hawes books about Italy Wilting although it's a few years since I read them.

103. Cold Earth, Ann Cleeves
I like the Shetland setting, but the crime part was very formulaic.

wilting, my favourite travel book is Taras Grescoe, The End of Elsewhere. It takes a critical look at the travel industry, and it more closely resembles travel as I've experienced it than most of the more rapturous stuff out there.

Agree it's more unlikely that a baby mix up would happen following a straightforward, uneventful birth.

Tara things around DS1's birth were a lot more eventful than I would have liked, yes, but he's grown into a healthy energetic 5 yr old, so it's all a pretty distant memory now.

151. The Narrow Bed by Sophie Hannah

I know Hannah is a bit of a marmite author but I always enjoy her books. Some of them are a bit far-fetched I admit, but I still enjoy reading them. I also like the recurring police characters. This one had a very thought-provoking reason for the murders. Can't say any more without giving it away! Not the best of hers but still a good read.

I find Sophie Hannah books quite compulsive, Chessie, but I though the reason for the murders in this book was the least credible motivation ever.

wilting - a real oldie (1930s), but The Road to Oxiania is my favourite travel book ever. I also really like Peter Hessler's books about living / travelling in China, but I remember someone on here reviewing them, and think it might have been you?

The End of Elsewhere looks really interesting, biblio, will add it to my list :)

Some good ones there, have read some Annie Hawes before I think, have popped others on watch

I seem to have fallen into some sort of deep well where I've had little time to read and what I've been reading has been torture. I got about 150 pages into another Booker contender and just had to give up, not only on it but the rest of the contenders. It has been torture this year ... So, to recover, I've turned to lightweight books and comfort reads.

Book 61: Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings - Jodi Taylor. Short-story romp of St Mary's time travelling nonsense.

Book 62: Hot Money - Dick Francis
Book 63: To the Hilt - Dick Francis

The latter were re-reads and most satisfyingly indeed have stirred me up for reading once more. I seem to have gathered a whole heap more recommendations for my TBR list ... which is most welcome. If I mention Booker readathons ever again, smack me senseless banish me from the thread!

I do love a Dick Francis Joyless. Have tried but cannot get into St Mary's though- I don't find it engaging, or funny enough to compensate.

64ish) Hallowe'en by Agatha Christie A reread inspired by those upthread, but alerted to the teenagers I noticed that at one point my edition seems to mix them up (the ESP sceptic becomes the enthusiast in 2 lines!). One day I will read the Poirots in order, I think it would be fun to see all the references.

Book 111
Midnight is a Place by Joan Aiken
The final one of my Aiken splurge. I remember enjoying this when I was a child, but couldn’t remember much about it other than the horrible press, which gave me nightmares, and some vague idea about a fire. Really enjoyed this. It’s a fantastically evocative portrayal of a nightmare-esque mill town – wish they still made books like this!