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.

Yes, I couldn't bring myself to mention that, but yes equally tiresome. She mentions John Updike at one point so I felt she was self-consciously winking at a detailed realist perspective, but from a feminine point of view. I think a soft focus on the details in some areas is welcome, however

Haven't read Prep, won't hurry to, but haven't written her off entirely, found AW diverting enough.

Thanks for that, Sadik! One thing I already appreciate about Designing Your Life is that it doesn't expect you to know what you want to do. Almost everything else says to focus on your passions, but I don't think anyone is going to pay me to sit around reading whatever I feel like or playing with animals.

I'm also reading Numero Zero, Umberto Eco's last novel. It's only a short one so should be done in the next couple of days.

Another couple to update, after all the earlier re-writing of Austin books comment earlier, I deciding to read one of the originals I'd never got round to:

48. Persuasion - Jane Austin - Middle daughter of a widowed barron, who's massively outspending his income decides to move to Bath and rent out the family seat. Said middle DD is mid-to-late 20s and has lost her "bloom" - eldest still with bloom but is a cow and taken on 'lady of house' role. Youngest is also a cow but married to a local wealthy bloke. Middle DD was encouraged to turn down a dashing navy Captain's proposal 7 years before, he comes back into her life, complete with fortune, but bugger, she's only gone and lost her bloom. Much angst before a happy ending. Actually very good, because Austin was an excellent writer.

49. Morning Star - Pierce Brown - well, it's taken me ages to read this, because I haven't been abel to just read a page or two between playing with the DCs, I've felt the need to give this my attention. Oh it's good! Am very happy with the way it's ended, it felt 'realistic' that there would have to be some political compromises.

I am now rather sad i've finished it. What the hell will I read next?!

Obviously I'm not doing the 50 count, as I only started this month BUT I think this is book 7

The Girl On The Train

Which I know many of you have read but I'm still loathe to post a spoiler.

It's....

Well it's a bit shite isn't it? It's less well written than Gone Girl and none of the 3 female POVs were in any way sympathetic and I thought a bit of a miserable portrayal of women.

I had a couple of questions about the culprit. Anyone happy for a PM?

"none of the 3 female POVs were in any way sympathetic"

I don't know if this is a valid criticism. Do female POVs in books have to be sympathetic?

I didn't think Girl On The Train was well-written, but neither was Gone Girl. They were both a bit of fun - "mystery lite", as it were. Both too obviously written for a female audience for my writing, but I didn't think one was significantly worse than the other.

Maybe start a thread with your questions, and those of us who have read it can join. Make sure to write SPOILERS in the title

Dinosaurs - Start The Three-Body problem! That trilogy is incredible. It's not a light read like Red Rising, though.

Perhaps I haven't explained well.

All 3 POVS were unsympathetic. They just happened to also be female. Like the reason wasn't BECAUSE they were women and SHOULD be or anything. eg the lead character of Alys, Always is VILE but really enjoyed that , also Her and Vanity Fair

That's a me thing, I think. I have to LIKE someone or if I don't like SOMEONE I have to like SOMETHING about it. Like Alys, Always is basically a female Talented Mr. Ripley.

I don't do well with books with antagonists as leads or were I can't stand the characters.

I will start a spoiler fred. Thanks.

It was a bit of a miserable portrayal of women though, in that they were all kind of ruled by and in thrall to men.

Loved your summary of Persuasion Dinosaurs .

Me too! "Bugger, she's only gone and lost her bloom"

@ bugger, she's only gone and lost her bloom.

I only managed a chapter of Gone Girl, just couldn't do it. I don't mind unsympathetic characters but it's a bit of a trend to have an unlikeable woman protagonist and call her a girl in the title at the moment so I presume some are going to be worse than others - I am looking forward to Girl in Traffic, Girl in Line at the Post Office and Girl, Just Here Where You Left Her. In literary fiction we're just waiting for Girl Who Is Not All There.

I want to read the Three-Body Problem, now a couple of you have reviewed all three in the series, but have to wait until they're all cheap again so have wish listed. I'm starting the Red Rising series next I think - will I be annoyed that I've only got the first 2?

at the 'Girl' books, Satsuki. Reminds me of Girl, Interrupted, which is an excellent book, though - might look it out to re-read.

97 Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate: a users guide to an Aspergers Life, by Cynthia Kim. Given to me to read by dd, interesting and well written.

Impressed by whoever it was upthread that said they'd only abandoned 3 books this year. I could make an entire list out of my abandoned books . . . (actually, maybe that would make an interesting thread, too - the books that people have tried and given up on).

I enjoyed The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl. I liked the use of alcohol to create an unreliable narrator in the former (a surprisingly under-used gimmick), and the backdrop of journalism as a disappearing career option/general economic decline in the latter. Thinking about it, I tend to judge crime fiction/thrillers on their background settings rather than the central plot. It might have helped that I have low expectations of word-of-mouth successes.

Currently on Tana French, The Trespasser. Her books could do with a bit of trimming, but true to form, I'm pulled in by the Dublin setting.

I guess it was the success of the Dragon Tattoo series that did it. I agree it's what you most focus on - for me a lot of the time it's writing style, but also I don't tend to be that keen on thrillers for my light/genre reads anyway.

I haven't abandoned many this year - been lucky with my choices for the most part, and managed to finish a couple I thought I'd abandon. I think maybe 3/4? Versions of Us, Flight Behaviour, Ada Lovelace bio. I've started a few others that I will come back to.

I haven't abandoned any books this year, I hate giving up on a book. I realise this is just because I am obstinate though!

I enjoyed Gone Girl and thought it was better than Girl on a Train, but possibly only because I read Gone Girl first.

Abandoned quite a few this year, not necessarily because they were all bad, just because I wasn't in the mood. It might be partly down to how you get your books - because I nearly always get them from the library, I don't feel I have to squeeze out a return on my outlay.

Nobody came to my Spoiler fred

I have grown resentful about "Girl" books most of the "Girls" in question are over 30, you would not get Men referred to as Boys in the same context unless they actually were under 18.

Can someone explain the three body problem brief synopsis, first I've heard of them?

Don't worry songbird it's half term and not everyone has abandoned their children to Studio Ghibli so they can read and mumsnet, someone might come on later (in my defence, they've had a very busy week and we're all ill)

Biblio - I definitely fall into the 'not in the mood right now' camp with books. Library books just go back and I might well get them out another time, and I've a good selection of part-read books on my shelves waiting for the right moment (includes The Epigenetics Revolution, much loved on here).

Anyway, after a quiet volunteering shift this morning, can add to my completed list: 98 Factory Girls: Voices from the heart of modern China, by Leslie T Chang (who I discovered part way through is married to Peter Hessler, author of River Town & other books about China I've enjoyed a lot).

The author is Chinese-American, and has lived for many years in China working as a journalist. I wasn't entirely convinced about this one to start with. Although her research was clearly extremely thorough and she's spent a huge amount of time getting to know young immigrant workers (the 'factory girls') I found it interesting but not gripping in style and a bit disjointed, more like a series of articles.

It really picked up about 1/3 to 1/2 way through, when she starts to write more about her own family history, and weaves their stories of emigration into her writing about the young women that she has become friends with. Overall a good read, and even handed in looking at the good and bad sides to leaving home for factory work in the city.

Sorry Songbird, I can't comment intelligently as I can't remember that much detail. I tend not to focus on the intricacies of the plot so don't always notice gaping plot holes.

Satsuki, at least Studio Ghibli is a classy kind of abandonment.

Biblio...

I don't mind, comment unintelligently

Hey, I've got a rep to maintain around these parts.

[looks moody and intellectual]

Genuinely can't remember anything other than the vaguest outline!

Fair play, I don't think I'll remember much of it in a years time. Lightweight.