50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Two

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the second 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, it's not too late to join, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

The previous thread is here.

How're you getting on so far?

I've read Names for the Sea, Best. I thought I'd love it (good author / Iceland fascinating), and even bought it new - but here's my review:

"I was disappointed with this, it started well, but I felt that overall it was very superficial, with too much 'look at the funny way Icelandic people do things' without any exploration of why things might be that way. I also felt that the author didn't appear to have a very broad perspective on British life outside a south eastern middle class academic bubble; plenty of the things she sees as foreign didn't seem that surprising at all to me."

" Handel cost a bundle on the Kindle "

Now you're just teasing me

Thank you all so much for the feedback re: Secret Life of Bees. From the descriptions given I think it's the kind of book I would have loved when I was a twentysomething but now it just is not floating my boat. I don't stop early with many books but this one definitely needs to be retired!

In a slightly different genre , the other audiobook I have to listen to is Catastrope 1914: Europe Goes to War by Max Hastings. This should take most of 2017 to finish . I'm enjoying it so far but it's very early days.

Just finished book 2 The Road Home by Rose Tremain. Now o to God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson. So far I prefer God in ruins

If This is a Man - such an amazing book, harrowing and inspiring.

NW - I hated it so much, i can't believe I actually finished it. I hated every character and every plot line. My book club agreed. I thought On Beauty was ok but a bit pretentious. There's not much warmth or joy in Zadie's books for me, and I need a little of those to keep me interested.

@cote

Hi everyone! I'm in my 6th book (I think- could be more) this year. I can't remember all the titles and most if not all have been borrowed from Kindle Unlimited. I can't check on my phone for the titles as it's a bit knackered from water damage and won't let me press the right tab. I'll have to do it tomorrow when I get my laptop out.
I've not RTFT but just wanted to drop in and say I was here.
About to start another KU called "Don't look at me in that tone of voice" by Alex Cotton.

Just finished book 2 The Road Home by Rose Tremain. Now o to God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson. So far I prefer God in ruins

1. Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary

Just. Don't.

The Dark Net next. I'm afraid all my lofty reading is still waiting for my brain to reemerge from mush.

Best

I've read the book you linked to - I loved Night Waking so much a couple of years ago that I've been looking out for her books ever since. I really enjoyed Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland and Bodies of Light but wasn't such a fan of Cold Earth (unsatisfying ending).

Her books are all quite different from each other but with a definite feminist flavour.

Honestly Songbird, you may not have enjoyed Night Waking but IMO Sarah Moss is in a completely different league to Keyes/Binchy etc. Try another of hers and see what you think!

And she certainly doesn't write about contemporary women and their mundane lives. For example, Cold Earth is set on an archeological dig and Bodies of Light is set in the 19th century about a girl training to be one of the first female doctors.

Sorry will get over my Sarah Moss rant now!

LadyDep you might prefer another book by Sue Monk Kidd called The Invention of Wings (inspired by the historical character Sarah Grimké - fought for the abolition of slavery in US). I read it recently and thought it was a good read, much better than the bees book. I didn't even know who Sarah Grimké was before reading it so was inspired to read up about her after finishing the book.

I'd agree with Keith on Ian McEwen, also Julian Barnes, Martin Amis - although haven't read anything by him since chucking Money across the room a good few years back. And from the States, you could argue Philip Roth, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Franzen, definitely Douglas Copeland all write about everyday life to some extent.

Wilting I loved Peter Hamilton's Night Dawn Trilogy but haven't read any of the Commonwealth stuff I don't think. He's one of those writers whose books rarely come down on Kindle.

Tara

Oh I know she's not Binchy league at all, she's in the other category. Literary contemporary. But I went and looked at what I wrote at the time and it was basically "oh dear God woman, get a life, you first world probs bore"

I now feel vindicated at abandoning NW and am thinking of knocking the Secret Life of Bees off my TBR shelf.
I used to love Maeve Binchy when I was 20ish. Along with Edna O'Brien. In fact the Edna O'Brien books have remained on my bookshelves after many a ruthless cull. It was so long ago I can't remember much about them and I don't re-read but feel a nostalgic affection for them.
In the spirit of Irish writing my book club did Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell last year. Much less fluffy than Binchy and I plan to read more of her books.

I loved Secret Life of Bees and it is on my TBRA list. I have bought someone else's Skin on audible daily deal, do I not bother?!

3. Repressed -Elisabeth Naughten - another don't bother. Annoyed with myself for even starting this and I don't know why I did.

4. Our Endless Numbered Days- Claire Fuller - Now this is more like it! I go this on the Audible Daily Deal and it was one of those books that I was always desperate to listen to. The narration was perfect and what made it for me, the plot was fascinating and believable and the story-telling beautiful. I didn't guess what happened at the end as the story was told so well I never felt the need to question it! But it all made perfect sense. A beautiful book.

Still reading The Sister, it's alright.

1. The Autumn Queen - Elizabeth Chadwick

Read this really quickly, it's big but not exactly difficult. I've really enjoyed this series, I do think an awful lot of research goes into books like this. I enjoyed the characters and the relationships Eleanor had with all of them. Have downloaded Station 11, but also have a couple of library books to read.

Edna O'Brien is great Wex , I hope she survives a few more culls

I go both the Hamiltons I have read on offer stokey but they were both first in a sequence, so I guess it was a question of sucking the punter in! I'll probably shell out for the next ones, at least they are not £17.94!!!

weebarra I am enjoying them too and yes, I agree not a difficult read

"I loved Peter Hamilton's Night Dawn Trilogy"

Assuming Google is correct in telling me that is the new name of The Reality Dysfunction books:

They started out alright and I quite liked a lot of his ideas (sentient living habitats, the mental bond between the pilot and his ship etc) but I was bitterly disappointed by how it all became a the-dead-come-back-to torture-the-living zombie story. Hundreds and hundreds of pages on how the zombies torture the living, scaping them yada yada. It's been >10 years since I read them but I'm still upset that I spent the time to read them all and it never became anything other than a zombie story (if memory serves well).

Have checked amazon and looks like a 3000 page zombie story alright cote

Not generally keen on zombie stories but the collapse of civilisation is a theme I do enjoy.... hmmm

1. Night Shift - Charlaine Harris

Third in a urban fantasy series by the author of the True Blood series. Its about a group of supernatural neighbours that have to save their town from a demon. This isn't my favourite of her series, but its better then the first 2 in this series. Good characters and dialogue, bit of a silly plot, but I don't mind that in this type of book.

I have nothing to say about anything - just wanting to show that I've kept up with the thread (just) and am still alive. Have slowed down because I'm reading four non-fiction books simultaneously. I need a novel!

The most I've ever spent on a Kindle book was a tenner on 'Faust's Metropolis' but I did get 1168 pages for my tenner and it turned out (after a slow start) to be one of my very favourite books of last year.

Rather randomly has anyone read *The Secret History" by Donna Tartt? Lots of people have recommended it but I been trying on and off for about 18 months to read it and just can't get on with it.