50 Book Challenge 2016 Part Seven

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the final thread 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, please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read, and to anyone who hasn't posted, feel free to de-lurk and share with us what you've read so far this year.

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

I'm very disappointed with the 12 Days of Kindle sale. At a quick glance, I couldn't find a single book in there that I would read if they paid me

Anybody found anything worthy of a read?

Anyone got a link?

Can't find it. Got an email with some shitty 'best reads' of 2016 but that's not it, is it?

I don't think they want to pay for the kind of review they'd get from you, cote

The link's here

Hmm I'm not tempted by anything either. Probably for the best given the number of unread books on my kindle!

Thanks southeast

That's not great. Oh well, eleven more days to go...

I bought American Gods - have read it before and enjoyed. It's definitely worth 99p; Gaiman at his least annoying (haven't liked his recent stuff at all).

The Loney is 99p too. I hated it but dp loved it (he is clearly insane).

Oooh - It is 99p too!

Perfume is £1.99. I really enjoyed it.

Are the Kindle sales generally good? Not being in possession of one (or the app), I've never looked, but should keep it in mind for gift add ons.

48. Not The Killing Type by Lorna Barrett. One of the Booktown cozy mystery series. Mystery book store owner Tricia Miles discovers, after a local Chamber of Commerce meeting, that a candidate for the group's presidency has been murdered. Tricia investigates the murder while dealing with the run up to US Thanksgiving, running her shop, and making decisions of a personal, romantic nature.

This book is a perfectly pleasant,
typical cozy mystery: entertaining without being taxing. The narration was rather sizeist in places, which I could have done without. It's part of a series, though I didn't feel lost reading it without having read any of the previous books.

89. Rosie Thomas - White daft mountaineering romance, doctor joins a party climbing Everest with disastrous results. Don't bother and read Jon Krakauer instead.

90 and 91 Love in a Cold Climate/The pursuit of love reread

Still reading and loving Alan Bennett's latest diaries. The man is a national treasure.

I have bought American Gods in the hope it is better than that stupid Stardust book of his.

American Gods is OK but not brilliant imo (Stone Junction by Jim Dodge has a similar vibe but much better). I too was thoroughly underwhelmed by the sale. Is it a whole lot of new titles tomorrow?

72. Hot Milk by Deborah Levy - The third I've read from this year's Booker shortlist. I really enjoyed this. It tells the story of 25 year old Sofia and her mother, Rose, who, for some unknown reason, can't use her legs. (This whole concept reminded me of Arthur Miller's Broken Glass.) They go to Spain for the summer so that Rose can have treatment with an expensive private consultant. The book focuses on Sofia's relationship with her mother, but there are questions about broader relationships and identity as well. I liked the parallels with Greek mythology and tragedy too.

Oh and I was disappointed in the Kindle sale too. Bah.

I was bored by American Gods...

American Gods is definitely better than Stardust (which is rubbish). I liked Anansi Boys best though.

Still hoping someone can recommend me some Dickens :)

Sorry, meg, missed your request at the end there. I would recommend A Tale of Two Cities, my favourite of his.

I also enjoyed David Copperfield, it has quite a lot of Dickens silliness but I remember some parts of it quite vividly so think it is worth a read, especially as a an early "coming of age" style novel.

Heartstone (Shardlake #5) is £1.29 on the Kindle

The Snowden Files: The Inside Story of the World's Most Wanted Man The Snowden Files: The Inside Story of the World's Most Wanted Man is £1.09 on the Kindle

Not much of a Dickens fan but I did like Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities starts well.

61. Song Of Kali by Dan Simmons

I don't know how I dared pick up another Dan Simmons book so soon after the complete and utter fiasco that was The Fifth Heart, but it was a Kindle special and so I got it cheapo. And I'm very glad I did, because this was great!

It is a classic horror story halfway between Rosemary's Baby and Stephen King's earlier books - perfectly maintained tension throughout, suspense and supernatural in good balance. I stayed up until 2 AM in order to finish it. The prose is good, the imagery even better.

I totally recommend this book. And it's £2.49 on the Kindle

Sorry Meg; I did mean to reply. You named my three favourite Dickens' novels, Our Mutual Friend being my number one choice .. you have good taste clearly

Out of the rest, I think I'd go for David Copperfield. I reread The Old Curiosity Shop recently and didn't enjoy it hugely. And Hard Times is interestingly different but if you like classic Dickens it doesn't really fit the bill.