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?

Keith - you can recommend me a book on biscuits too if you like

Oliver Twix (starring the Artful Jammy Dodger)
The Viscount of Monte Cristo
Hobnob's Choice

I'm not very good at this, am I?

The Fellowship of the Coconut Ring

7. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote.
Whimsical, sometimes sad, tale of a young woman and life in 1940's NYC. A good read.

8. Any Human Heart by William Boyd. (Audiobook)
This is the story of the life of one Logan Mountstewart told from a first person perspective through his diaries. The narrator was great, perfect for the story. There were parts I liked and parts I just wanted skip - it's a long book. We did find out what he had for breakfast so I wonder if this counts as one of the male counterparts of Zadie Smith we have been talking about. Overall okay, but definitely not rushing off to read any others of his.

I'm with Best on The Secret History (verdict - okay). Preferred The Goldfinch but not enough that I would ever re-read it. I'm not sure her writing is for me.

Bring Up the Bourbons

I'm still here; still nothing to report except slow moving non-fiction. Still needing a novel. Still waiting for The North Water to come down in price.

In terms of pointless shagging in novels, Pat Barker wins. She makes me furious and I will never read another of hers. I actually think there is something rather wrong with her. Lights touchpaper and steps back...

The Son was ruined for me by all the pointless shagging (love that we're bolding it as a discussion topic) - towards the end it got to the point that every time two people were having a conversation, or in the same room even, you knew it would lead to pointless shagging. The nadir being an old lady getting a completely unexpected lap dance from a young lady.

"Coconut Ring"

You don't want to know what I just read that as.

Remus - You still haven't read Measuring The World, have you?

"Re: 'unlikeable characters'. I don't want a character to be my BFF... But characters do have to appeal in some way. Whether they are complex and intriguing, genuine, fantastically evil etc

Again, that's not the same as likeable vs unlikeable.

What you are talking about is interesting.

But I think that is what people are saying they mean by "unlikeable" in this context - it is shorthand for not finding them interesting, or enjoyable on any level. They don't like the characters as they function in the book, not that they don't like them as people they might meet and have a beer with

imagines having a beer with Mrs Norris

"cote The characters is On The Beach pissed you off enough that you ceased to be interested in a story with stakes as high as the end of the world "

Rather, On The Beach pissed me off because the stakes are (supposedly) as high as the end of the world but those morons are still going about their boring lives without a thought for what they should do to survive more than a few months. Some of them have small children FFS. At the very least, those idiots should be getting on the submarine, going to the South Pole which is farther away from the toxic cloud. Something. Anything.

Instead, they sit around talking about whether to start fishing season a bit early this year - as if there will be a next year, ffs! One guy's wife is concerned about his career (although they are all going to die soon) and encourages him to go away on an assignment, which would mean he wouldn't be with his wife & baby when certain death comes. What?

Laughable story of how people would NOT behave when faced with annihilation. A truly pathetic excuse for a sci-fi book.

An example:

They are talking about a couple and this woman says "I hope they get married and have children". When told how unlikely that is with, you know, certain death by September, she replies:

"Oh dear, I keep forgetting"

You what?!?!

I just wished those idiots would hurry up and die.

I have The Road To Little Dribbling by Bill bryson sitting abandoned. I just thought it was exceptionally dull. 34. % through this one and have never even attempted to revisit. Weird as I normally like Bryson.

Crisps - Me too! It is one of those books that once I'd but it down, I couldn't pick it up again, and yet I've LOVED every other book by him I've read.

Bryson used to be chancellor of my old "alma mater" - I never met him personally, but I have been reliably assured (by more than one person) that although he is a very entertaining writer, he is as tedious as hell in conversation - beyond boring. I so hope it isn't true. (Another illusion shattered. . . )

On The Beach

Is this the Neville Shute book, Cote? I read it when I was about 15 and really enjoyed it, but not sure if I would feel the same about it now. "A Town Like Alice" however, is timeless.

Little Dribbling a big disappointment and I say that as a big fan of BB.

Cote - I haven't, but not sure I want to spend a fiver on it!

Never thought my statement about the 'unlikeable' characters in The Goldfinch would garner such a reaction. I suppose that personally, I do need to like, or care about, or root for, one or some or all of the characters in a story, especially a very long one, to want to finish the book. I felt the same way about A Little Life.
There was a time I would see a book through to the end no matter what but not anymore.

Have you read A Town Like Alice recently happyflappy? I read it for the first time last year and quite enjoyed it, but timeless... I wouldn't say so!

It had some ridiculous bits in the beginning with a woman just fairly flippantly dealing with the deaths of her children, with a these things happen attitude, and handing the last one over to another woman with a "you may as well have him, dearie". At least one instance of racism I recall that was shocking even with the usual "of its time" disclaimer. And the leading lady ending up inexplicably bruised all over after her first sexual encounter with the leading man, and apologising to him after for making him wait...!

I would try another (perhaps not Pn the Beach ) but it did strike me as quite dated.

Little Dribbling improved on second reading. You have to get through it the first time though.

Gave Dribbling away in disgust, so a second read is v unlikely.

I love Alice.

LOL that doesn't sound very 'timeless' Satsuki. Not that I would ever be tempted to read another book by Neville Shute after the dull crapola that was On The Beach.

Never in the history of literature has a group of such morons gathered in an apocalyptic world and... waited to die.

Remus - You do want to spend a fiver on it. You just don't know it yet

I do have a lovely little book on biscuits called A Nice Cup Of Tea and A Sit Down. Gives the definitive opinion on pink wafers IIRC.

Checking in, though not made much progress from last thread.

Still reading 5. How to be both which I'm enjoying, and listening to 6. Toast by Nigel Slater which I'm not enjoying so much.

Thinking about likeable / unlikeable characters - I don't need to like, or relate to, a character in order to want to know what happens to the character, or to enjoy the story.

But I do need to find the characters interesting, and believable.

If they're boring, or if they behave in ways that make no sense to me, then that tends to result in me ceasing to care much about what happens to the character or me getting irritated with the story.

I'll get the free sample, Cote, and keep you posted!

Your wrath over On the Beach always makes me smile. I felt much more infuriated by The Death of Grass personally.