50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Three

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the third 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 first thread of the year is here and the second one here.

I really liked Half of a Yellow Sun, but like a couple of other people thought The God of Small Things not that great - a little overwrought.

Was it you who recommended the Vegetarian last year Satsuki? I loved that, so if that was you we do have some reading preferences in common.
How strange to both go from Tolstoy to Sedaris! Weird wave!

I liked Half of a Yellow Sun but it's v depressing. I didn't get on with The God of Small Things and didn't finish it.

Oh, I liked The God of Small Things.
(I realise I say that a lot on this thread. Sorry.)

I do think David Walliams writes undereditted shit though.

I did read The Vegetarian, but thought it was only ok. Thought it had the feel of an overstretched short story, but liked some things about it.

Weird wave back

Funny thing - I've never read any Sedaris but downloaded Exploring Diabetes with Owls just over a week ago as I wanted something funny. Ironically diabetes not seeming such a laugh this week It popped up on husband's Kindle as we share an account, he thought it was some sort of new age health book and his diagnosis had made me go a bit woo

I'm still plodding along with Half of a Yellow Sun

I abandoned it when I tried to read it Fortuna

I found it turgid.

Agree with both of your sentiments Muddler

It's a while since I read it, but I seem to remember being a big fan of The God of Small Things.

Hmm, I've never tried reading David Sedaris though I've always enjoyed him when he crops up on This American Life.

Cote yes, DH bought me a David Walliams book
It wasn't one I'd suggested to him.

I would expect a typical 7 year old to enjoy it much more than I did.

My brother bought me a David Williams book last year for Christmas. I have no idea what possessed him. It was something about a dentist I think. There are so many books I would love to read that I confess it is the only gift which gets me irritated is a wasted book opportunity.

I don't understand why you read it, though. Surely it was clear from the cover (not to mention the myriad cartoon pictures inside) that it is a book for small children? If my DH bought it for me (not that he ever would buy me that or any other book - too well trained for that) I would just use it as a projectile

Oh god stitches , someone gave ds that book, it actually makes me heave! He and dd seem to really enjoy it. I had to just refuse point blank to read it out loud during lunch the other day. Yuck. Roald Dahl he is NOT.

7yo and 5yo btw

My brain wasn't able to cope with anything complicated today - DC conspiring with each other to take turns keeping me up all night - and I thought it might do as a bit of light reading. I was mistaken.

I'd have done better picking up a Roald Dahl book. We were given a box set of those for the DC to grow into.

I think he does fancy himself as a Roald Dahl in the making. I read the copy I was given as well. I wondered if there was something I was missing in the gift - was there a real purpose behind it? No, my brother just thought that I would enjoy a badly written kids book.

Interesting the David Walliams chat. Agree about the toilet humour but have to say my youngest son, who is a VERY reluctant reader devours them. Anything to get him to read is fine by me.
23.Elizabeth and Mary: cousins, Rivals, Queens by Jane Dunn. A 500 page plus which was punctuated by my reading of other lighter stuff. I enjoyed it and found it readable. The earlier chapters where the author was trying to run the early lives of the Queens in parallel was at times confusing and often repetitive. Once their lives came together and became more entwined the book picked up pace, was easier to read and was generally more successful.
Oh and by the way the dog is homeweak and wobbly but still with us!

Have left it a bit long and will have to think a bit about the previous books before reviewing.

16. Tooth and Claw Jo Walton Essentially a Victorian romance with dragons. The book begins with the death of the dragon Bon Agornin, the patriarch of his family, and follows his children after his death. Dragons need to eat each other to grow, and it's normal for dragons to consume their parents' bodies as part of their inheritance - but when Bon Agornin dies his son in law takes more than his fair share, angering the Agornin siblings and triggering a family dispute. It's well written, funny, and the world building is well thought out in terms of dragon biology and society. I can't judge how like Trollope it is as I've never read any, but that was the inspiration.

This thread is wreaking havoc on my Goodreads 'To-Read' shelf

26. The Last Kiss Goodbye by Tasmina Perry

One of those books where someone in the present investigates a story from the past, this time based around a photo. I usually really like that type of book, but this one was just OK. It didn't help that I found the 'modern' heroine a bit annoying.

Finally got the last Three Body Problem book from the library - only for dd to swipe it and take it to her dad's

In the meantime, have just bought Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher for 99p on Kindle daily deal which looks like an entertaining quick read.

Tooth and Claw Jo Walton

Oh Fuckit!

That is what I was going to call my book that I have been writing for the past 37 years.

*dragons, not dragoons, but now that the idea is in my head . . .

Happy

29 Foresics- The Anatomy of Crime -Val McDermid - Excellent if a bit gruesome look at the different disciplines of Forensic Science with a chapter on each. Details the development of each and how they were used to solve some famous crimes. Really interesting.

Forensics