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?

Finally getting round to updating my list.

1. Dadland by Keggie Carew. This was an audio book borrowed from the library. It's her account of growing up with a father who was a member of the SOE in WW2. At the time of writing, he was in failing health, with dementia making life very difficult for the family. She had all his papers, and accounts of what he did during the war and retells it, interspersed with tales of her own childhood, her mother's struggles with mental illness, and coping with a stepmother unwilling to share her father's time. It does go on a bit and I got bogged down in the fine detail of his undercover war work in Burma, but it will definitely appeal to anyone with an interest in WW2 history.

1. Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon. This is a very honest account of her struggles with mental illness in many forms throughout her childhood and up to present day. She is incredibly brave for laying bare her illness like this and, whilst it made for difficult reading at times, I can only applaud her for encouraging openness.

1. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. This is another hard going book. He was a neurosurgeon, about to complete his qualifications when he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He had never smoked, and was initially in denial. His marriage nearly ended over the diagnosis, but didn't. It's no spoiler to say that he has since died; the book was completed by his wife. It is a thoughtful meditation on what is important in life; what really matters and why you should still go ahead. He and his wife were keen to start a family even after the diagnosis.

10. The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild. A quick read, unsustainable read. I needed something lighter in tone after the previous three. Set in the art world of London, written by someone who knows a lot about it. It was entertaining, an amusing satire on what goes on behind the scenes, with dealers, collectors, auctioneers, Russian Oligarchs, a Rap artist, and even a Nazi or two. I don't think the romance side of it was absolutely necessary. It would have made a much tighter novel without that, but it was still entertaining.

11. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. An enjoyable tale of coming of age in 1960s South Carolina. Lily, the protagonist, is a teenager who grew up with a violent abusive father, believing she was possible for her mother's death. She gets unwittingly caught up in the violence surrounding the civil rights movement when Rosaleen, the woman employed to look after her, is arrested when she attempts to register to vote. The novel details their lives after that point. I really enjoyed it. It would appeal to anyone who liked To Kill a Mockingbird, or The Help. Strong, independent women unafraid to stand up for their rights, in the face of threats and racial prejudice.

Meg I'm not convinced that anything could be as cringe-making as the Moz's autobiography. I thought the first ten pages or so were brilliant and then it went rapidly downhill. I absolutely hated it and only finished it because both a friend and dd2 had lapped it all up and loved it. I'm a huge fan of The Smiths and can forgive Morrissey a lot, but not even I could forgive him that self indulgent, self pitying, self aggrandising pile of arrogant tosserness.

Stupid autocorrect. An unputdownable read NOT unsustainable. And "responsible" for her mother's death....

I am going to remember unsustainable read for when I next can't be bothered to finish one, ThereAreNoGhosts

I also have Hamilton tickets.

SQUEALS.

This is so exciting! Irl no one has heard of it so it's been a pretty muted response

A very late response back to Cote on ava lavender. The wings weren't functioning wings - they were seen by Ava as a burden when she wanted to live a normal life. Her family kept her hidden away to protect her, partly because of the treatment they had suffered from the community. The few people who did see them were fascinated by how beautiful the wings appeared. I know the book sounds utter trash but it was written well and I engaged with the characters.

My list so far:

1. The Essex Serpent Sarah Perry, previously mentioned
2. Murder 101 Faye Kellerman - I've read all the books in this series and like them in general. I liked the change of setting here from LA to upstate New York, and the first half of the story, but felt it got a bit muddled towards the end.
3. Eat Nourish Glow Amelia Freer. I bought a few books in the Kindle New Year New Me sale to inspire me for the new year, this was one, I liked it, not too hectoring, advising on eating to feel well first and foremost rather than weight loss. 'Packets and promises' has stuck in my head!
4. Lying in Wait Liz Nugent. I was glued to this, a real page turner, and a clever ending that I didn't guess! I'm Irish though and I'm wondering if it would work as well for someone not Irish? It's set in the early 80s and reminds me of crime stories read in the Sunday World as a child (when I wasn't supposed to be reading it!)
5. Rather Be The Devil. Ian Rankin. Another one where I have read and like the whole series. This was a good instalment, and as usual made me want to go and visit Edinburgh!
6. The Year of Living Danishly Helen Russell. I enjoyed the author's own experiences but got a bit weary of the consulting of experts and quoting of statistics, like others have said, a bit magazine-ey.

I'm currently reading Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz, I will keep reading but am not totally enthralled yet.

Satsuki - "Feel free to jump up and down too cote "

It wasn't a jumping up and down kind of concert

It wasn't a jumping up and down kind of concert

I sometimes wish we could return to more historical audience etiquette for classical concerts, especially in the proper music salons, where performers and audience got to have proper conversations about the repertoire. Jump up and down if you get excited and thrilled. Tell the performers in no uncertain terms if they are rubbish. Maybe not to the level of rioting in the Rite of Spring premiere though.

Looks like a lovely setting for a Baroque concert!

cote it looks lovely. To be fair if I jump up and down at the actual show I'm likely to plummet from the grand circle to a chorus of tuts, so I'm getting it out of the way beforehand.

19 Lord of The Flies -William Golding - well, where to start? This was my O Level Eng Lit Novel ( yes I'm old enough to have done O levels) and I grew pretty tired of it by the time we'd finished and decided I'd never read it again. Inspired by the comments above I thought I'd give it another bash.

It was bloody brilliant!

First off, I thought the descriptive writing was lovely, gorgeous descriptions of the lush paradise of the island and lagoon. The World War II/ rise of Hitler allegory of the book is well known but it was also easy to see similarities to today's political situation with the rise of Trump and the ignoring of reason and expertise.

Is this book still taught in schools? If not, it bloody well should be.

My reading has slowed down as I'm back to studying but I've finished another couple of books.

6. A stolen life by Jaycee Dugard. An account of her 18 years of her captor. Not normally my cup of tea but it was on the Kindle daily deals so I thought I would give it a try. It was written quite quickly after her release and I found the story of her discovery and the how psychologists helped her adjust to her new life really interesting. The early chapters are difficult to read; the simplistic childlike view of what was happening to her seemed to make it worse.

7. The revenant by Michael Punke. So, so far removed from my normal reading material but encouraged by mentions on here and a good Kindle price I thought I would give it a go. I loved it. It's real 'Boys Own' stuff, tales of derring-do and survival and vengeance. I know almost nothing about the US during this period and have no idea of its historical accuracy but I found it fascinating and will read more. I read it in one sitting and finished in the early hours of this morning. Slightly disappointed by the ending but otherwise very good. And apparently it has been made into a film but a few minutes research shows that the film plot is very different to the book.

And my late night means I can't count properly; they are actually 7 and 8!

And captivity not captor!

I might need a snooze...

Oh God no Rite of Spring riot for me, thank you! The setting was an old church - lovely, indeed

1 The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
2 Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller
3 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (audible)
4 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
5 Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
6 Still Life by Louise Penny (audible)
7 A Country Road, A Tree by Jo Baker
8 The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
9 Nightwoods by Charles Frazier
10 The North Water by Ian McGuire

11 Before the Fall by Noah Hawley. This was recommended more than a few times on a podcast that I listen to which is usually pretty reliable. I really did not like this. There were stereotyped characters, awful dialogue and a predictable twist. It's the story of the passengers on board a private jet that crashes with only 2 survivors. Each chapter is the back story of a passenger up until the time of the crash and the cause of the crash is thus revealed. I can't recommend.

However, have started Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter and I am loving it so far. And I You Go by Clare Mackintosh on audible.

1. Deathstalker - Simon R Green

I have read a lot of his books but this is the first sci fi. I use sci fi to mean involving spaceships in alternate realities, rather than just alternate realities! Liked the characters, you can tell that this is the first of a series because he does go to some lengths to explain the world. The kindle copy had been very badly proofread - I was dying to get my red pen out. It's the story of a universe run by a not very nice Empress and the "Families" and the story of the scion of one of these families who is outlawed for an unknown reason. He assembles a motley crew to find a long lost weapon to defeat the empire.

1. Revelation by C. J. Sansom (Shardlake #4)

This time, hunchback lawyer Matthew Shardlake is after a serial killer ("Se7en" in Tudor times ). I love this series - smart, instrospective, full of little insights into the the lives men, women, and children in those cruel times.

Cinnamon glad it wasn't just me who was a bit narrowed eyes at Helen Russell constantly needing to consult the latest expert in whateverthefuck. I am reading her next book, Leap Year currently and it's more of the same TBH. Even more experts and less personal details.

Am also still reading A Place Called Winter which is good although there have been upsetting scenes in the most recent chapter I wasn't expecting. I won't give away spoilers but it's left me a bit

I still teach Lord of the Flies.

Glad to hear it Remus.

Stokey, I've read the Way of Kings and the second one in the series as well. I liked it, no love though. I'm not sure if I've just gone off this brand of fantasy. I found it moderately diverting but not outstanding.

Lovely to hear, Happy Flappy, books are a great escapism. Although I have always loved books, this thread gave me a new appetite for reading and so many great recommendations. Life-changing.

11. Jerusalem: The Biography by Simon Sabah Montefiore.
Audiobook and library book.
I co-read this book through the (slightly abbreviated) audiobook and full length hardback library book. Fascinating account of the history of Jerusalem and the surrounding region from the Herodian times to present day.

I've never been a history buff (science is my path with a secular upbringing and a fairly good grasp of general knowledge) so I found this informative, giving me added detail. Complex issues, emotive, breadth of religious mix, despots, intransigence, war/terrorism/insurgency on all sides and all through the ages.

Being the product of a secular/atheist up-bringing, this reminds me of the depth of religious feeling, faith and religious fervour. Through I'm not meaning that all in a negative way. To the modern day and a reminder to me that "New Yorkers , Londoners and Parisians feel they live in an atheistic world in which organised religion, and it's believers, are at best gently mocked, yet the numbers of fundamentalist millenarian Abrahamic believers - Christian, Jewish and Muslim - are increasing."

And I'll finish quoting the author; although I think this applies world-wide particularly in light of a certain POTUS.
"Here, more than anywhere else on earth, we crave, we hope and we search for any drop of the elixir of tolerance, sharing and generosity to act as the antidote to the arsenic of prejudice, exclusivity and possessiveness."

Enjoying reading all the comments for Lord of the Flies and All Quiet on the Western Front ;two books I have on my TBR pile that am looking forward to reading!

Ooh, now I couldn't choose between Lord of The Flies and All Quiet. Both fantastic books. Everyone should read them both, immediately.

The world would be a better place.

I've always credited The Grapes Of Wrath with being the book which shaped my political conscience but I'm realising now what an impact Lord of The Flies must have had on me as a teenager even though I've moaned about it for years.

The price of "Life", Keith Richards' autobiography is halved to £2.99 on the Kindle