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?

Never mind, nothing to see here, keep walking, wrong program

I don't think she is actually involved in the day to day of scripts for The Catch though

Really like the sound of the Tanya Byron, so thanks for that one!

I took Cote's advice and downloaded a sample of HHhH. It seems like quite a bad translation to me?... sadly I don't speak French or I would be interested to know what it is like in the original.

HappyFlapper and other Molesworth fans, you might like this which I think is rather lovely.

Just finished When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman. I really enjoyed it. It was a nice wee heart warmer but I think it finished a bit scattily and shouldn't have left as many loose ends.

Does anyone have Kindle unlimited or any insight as to if it's worth 8 quid a month?

I have a question for Barbara Kingsolver fans - do I want to pay £3.09 for The Lacuna ? I loved the Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer.

If anyone is looking for any recs from the current crop of Amazon offers (as if you haven't all got enough to read already), I thoroughly recommend The Fallow Season of Hugo Hunter by Craig Lancaster - lovely character driven slice of small town America.

CantStand - I'll be v interested to read your review.

Can't tell you what my tattoo is, as it will totally out me, but I will if you're interested enough to DM me!

I'm up for this year's challenge. Only managed 26 books in 2016. I slowed down dramatically in September and really want to do 50 in 2017.

Currently reading Gone Without A Trace by MN'er Mary Torjussen, having seen it recommended here. I'm also another that enjoyed The Skeleton Key by Tanya Byron last year.

Songbird

Omigod what was I thinking!

I mean Jason. Isweartogod - JASON! I meant JASON Isaacs!!!

Oh god - he's so beautiful and now I have even less than a 0.0000004% chance with him if we ever meet . . .

He is so lovely, and the origin story of why Kermode and Mayo say Hello every week is lovely too.

I have finished books 2 and 3 today!

1. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

Rather a coincidence considering the discussions upthread! I read this a few years ago, and have been listening to it on audiobook for the last few weeks. I am an Atkinson lover (except Emotionally Weird, which I couldn't get on with for some reason). Anyway, this is the first of the Jackson Brodie books. I love Atkinson's writing style as well as the character of Brodie (agree Jason Isaacs is very good as him in the TV series). I like that this one interweaves several different crimes and I think it's done very cleverly. Going to move on to One Good Turn for my next audiobook now. Also have A God In Ruins in my to-read list at some point soon.

1. How To Be A Tudor by Ruth Goodman

One of my Christmas presents. This explains what it was like to live as a real Tudor, covering the sort of bed you would have slept in, how you would have washed, eaten, worked, spent leisure time etc. I found it (mostly) fascinating and easy to read - there were just one or two places where my attention waned slightly where she goes into long descriptions of how to bake Tudor bread or brew ale, but generally I really enjoyed it. Good if you want to read more about the Tudor period but not about the royals! I also have her book How To Be A Victorian and I'm tempted to read that one next to get a proper idea of how things had changed. Will decide when I get upstairs and look through my to-read pile!

Meant to add that I also have Needful Things in my to-read pile, I have been looking forward to it but not sure after Remus's comments! I haven't read much King yet so maybe I'll like it as someone fairly new to him.

"I'm also another that enjoyed The Skeleton Key by Tanya Byron last year."

Do you mean The Skeleton Cupboard? The Skeleton Key was a (very scary) movie.

Chessie - Noooo. It will put you off King forever. It's drivel!

Oops! You're right Cote. I meant The Skeleton Cupboard. Haven't even seen the movie, so no idea why that came to mind! 😊

I think The Shining and The Stand are my 2 favourite Stephen King novels out of the ones of his I've read. I've not read all of them.

I read Needful Things years ago - it hasn't stuck in my memory very well, but it's certainly not the worst Stephen King novel I've ever read.

Yes, my favourite ever book is The Shining and The Stand is a bit of an epic!

Chessie I have How to be a Tudor in my to read pile too after reading the thread about it on here. Looking forward to it.

Finished D is for Deadbeat Sue Grafton. 4th book in the alphabet series following the work of Kinsey Millone. A man comes to her office asking her to deliver a cheque but ends up skipping out on paying her, in chasing her money she ends up deeper into a situation than she felt possible. This one didn't suffer the issues the others did about the ending feeling rushed and in fact i found the conclusion the most satisfying out of all the ones i've left. A good series if you like crime thrillers.

Either going to read E is for Evidence or A Year of Living Danishly. The latter is a book club read so should probably do it first.

eitak22 I listened to Year of Living Danishly as an audiobook in the autumn and enjoyed it.
Finished my first book of the year, Little Women, loved it. It was a great book for over New Year - it felt cosy, lovely to read about characters who so want to be good people, all about family, and perfect to read when I was off work and so living a bit removed from reality!
I'd like to read the sequel(s), but will probably have a change of genre first and look forward to returning to the March sisters.

3. The Dark Net - Jamie Bartlett
As the title suggest, an exploration of the 'hidden' web also known as the dark net. This was an interesting read, covering the sometimes murky world of the dark net. It was very well researched and the real-life people he interviewed were interesting if sometimes tragic. He explored the technology of the Internet as a force for unleashing our darker impulses with chapters covering internet trolls, pornography, drugs and pro-ana and self-harm forums.

I found the early chapters on the history of trolling, bitcoins and the development of 'alternative' marketplaces really interesting. It was quite depressing reading about the trolls - some of it was really quite nasty.

Overall, it was a good read but the final chapter felt the weakest to me. It veered off into what the potential good and bad was in future technologies and I didn't find it as interesting as the others. Worth a read though and I think it's currently reduced on kindle monthly deals.

I wasn't blown away by Stephen King's Needful Things either when I read it in my teens - I remember enjoying It and The Green Mile. I've currently got 11.22.63 on my reading pile - it's massive! May have to wait until I'm a bit ahead of myself so I can take my time with it.

Book 2 The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. Enjoyable read about the Queen discovering reading.

The year of living danishly reminds me of The year of reading dangerously: how fifty great books saved my life by Andy Miller.

Anyone read? Reminds me of this thread. I listened to it on audible and it was really entertaining and put a lot of classics on my radar. I love reading about reading!! Any other similar books like this?

Book 2
Fatherland by Robert Harris
Second book of the year and the second great read of 2017. This is an alternative history novel, in which Germany have won the 2nd World War. The story is a typical detective thriller, with a ‘good’ German police detective forced to wear the uniform of a corrupt system. It’s really well imagined and meticulously researched, and increasingly terrifying. Excellent stuff.

Cant Try The Child That Books Built and/or How to be a Heroine

Ooh thank you have added them to my list! Look right up my street.

Thanks for the review of Dark Net, Boldly - it's one I've looked at a few times, and you've encouraged me to put it on my to read list.

3 A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. Sequel to Long Way To A Small Angry Planet, much read on here last year (though in practice it's really a stand-alone novel with some common characters). Follows the stories of Sidra, a ship AI who has - not really by her own choice - ended up downloaded into an (illegal) humanoid body, and Jane 23, a clone human produced as a factory slave.

I really liked this novel. I found Small Angry Planet too episodic and baggy, but I felt that with this second book the author had really upped her game. It's still a light entertaining read, and definitely 'soft' sci-fi but with enough behind it to leave you thinking about the characters and the nature of artificial vs 'real' intelligence. Will definitely re-read in the future.