50 Book Challenge 2017 Part One

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the first thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2017, 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.

Who's in for this year?

I have totted up last year and read 188 books in total.

Finally got hold of The Goblin Emperor and would thoroughly recommend it, a lovely uplifting fantasy (getting a bit sick of grimdark etc) and also The Hanging Tree.

1. Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra

11 years ago, 16 yr old Rebecca vanished. Now, a young woman who has a striking resemblance to Rebecca is arrested for shoplifting, and in order to avoid trouble with the police, claims to be the missing Rebecca. At first the imposter intends to run off at the first opportunity, but instead, she decides to stay put and goes "home" to Rebecca's family.

The book shifts between Rebecca, in the run up to her disappearance, and the imposter, as she settles further into her pretence of being Rebecca. It's clearly a pretence that won't work in the long run - you know it's only a matter of time before someone gets suspicious about "Rebecca's" ignorance of things she should know, or why she doesn't sound quite right, or why she's so reluctant to provide a DNA sample - but the imposter's too busy playing happy families to make much effort at moving on.
Until she starts getting threatening text messages, spots a van following her, and begins to wonder just what did really happen to Rebecca? And as things start to get more dangerous for the imposter, the truth behind Rebecca's disappearance 11 years before is slowly revealed, all building into a fairly tense finale.
Overall pretty readable without being too demanding.

I have finished

1. Remember Me by Derek Hansen which I enjoyed but it is definitely not a patch on his Lunch with series, but still a good read.

Now starting Shatter by Michael Robotham, a series about his character Joe O'Loughlin. I think this is Book 3 in the series and somehow I am managing to read them out of order - have already read Book 5.

Passmethecrisps Which Kate Atkinson books have you especially enjoyed? I read Life after Life and A God in Ruins and was wondering which of hers to read next.

I absolutely adored all four of the Jackson Brodie series phoenix. Similarly loved Behind the Scenes at the Museum. Like, absolutely adored it.

I struggled an it with Life after Life actually and actually only knew I was enjoying it more than half way through. Which given how big it is was quick a while.

I have been given A God in Ruins but wanted a wee break before starting it seeing as I struggled so much with Life after Life

I liked Behind the Scenes at the Museum best of Kate Atkinson I've not read her detective ones, they don't appeal for some reason.

I think she is a very good writer, especially when she gets stuck into historical stuff - less fond when she gets to the modern day - but her blitz and air war descriptions are terrific.

Has anybody read The Best of Our Spies ? Picked it up cheap on the Kindle, hoping it's good!

TabbyM WOW how do you manage that? What is your reading schedule so to speak? Or are you an extremely speedy reader as well? I want to get to this level lol

Am very fast and spend a lot of time on public transport!

How do you read 188? Is there some skimming and what's the, ahem, quality of all of them? .

crisps

I loved Life After Life and absolutely hated God In Ruins

Loved the Jackson Brodie's too.

Is there a correct order to read the Kate Atkinson books in? Or even just the best to start with if there's not a reading order as such.
I've not read any before, but with so many people raving about them I'm going to have a look.

2. We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Really enjoyed this, although Merricat's childishness and Constance's near constant patience did get slightly annoying.
Still, it's the sort of book that you keep thinking about after and leaves a few loose ends so you can exercise your grey matter a bit wondering...
Reminded me a bit of Iain Banks's The Wasp Factory.
8/10.

Joining in. I have half way through The Moonstone, Wilkie Collins which has been on the TBR pile for too many years...

God in Ruins is a spin off from Life After Life so you might want to read the latter first for the family history etc but it does stand alone. God in Ruins was ok, some really good bits, some less so.

I'm not over keen on some of her choices but her prose is enjoyable to read so overlook it!

Black

The Jackson Brodie ones (played by Jason Isaacs on telly swoon) go :

Case Histories
One Good Turn
When Will There Be Good News?
Started Early Took My Dog

Life After Life and A God In Ruins are "linked" but can both stand alone, A God In Ruins is only technically a sequel in that it came after Life and shares some characters

Love wilkie tormentil hope to read some more of his this year. Really liked The Moonstone.

Thanks ! I think I'll give life after life a go. Dc goes back to school tomorrow so I'll be popping to the library.

This thread moves fast!
I also have Life After Life on my to read pile. Started Early Took my Dog was one of my favourite books but for some reason I never went back to Kate Atkinson.

1. A Hero of Our Time - Mikhail Lermontov

This was so much fun and the first of many classics this year, fingers crossed. Pechorin is a true anti-hero and with seduction, abduction, adultery and even a duel, what's not to like?

Now on to Brideshead Revisited.

Simon Sebag de whatshisname is a historian and wrote the book about Stalin that I was reading (and cursing) for most of 2016. I hate it but am still toiling on with it, and am not too far from the end now. I will finish it, although probably not until nearer the end of 2017 than the beginning!

Simon Sebag de whatshisname

I really enjoyed Life After Life and also hated A God in Ruins, was so cross at the end. I think I'll start with Behind The Scenes At The Museum in terms of reading more by her. Thanks. Duly added to the teetering Amazon saved for later basket.
I dunno if the Jackson Brodie ones would be up my street though. Hmm.

I tried a Jackson Brodie but the first one (within a few pages) had a crime involving a child the so I got a refund. I know my limitations

I'm not a fan of modern crime/detective novels anyway.

I love Kate Atkinson, especially Behind the scenes at the museum. I read Case Histories without really realising what it was about as at that point would normally never read anything crime/detective based (ha, seems to be most of what I read these days), and absolutely adored it. All those saying the Jackson books would probably not be their thing, it's definitely worth a try.

Finished 2. Our Endless Numbered Days - it was good. Saw the 'twist' coming a mile off but a good read, disturbing and sad but quite hopeful in the end.

Tabby, I really enjoyed The Goblin Emperor- have you read the Doctrine of Labyrinths series?

I did a bit of a Kate Atkinson thing last year, but somehow although I enjoyed them I never wanted to read them all.

2. (which was 2 short stories so doesn't really count!) James Penneys New Identity/A Man WLks into a Bar by Lee Child. Jack Reacher snippets, only worth reading if you are a fan. (Which I am!).