50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Four

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fourth 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, the second one here, and the third thread here.

What are you reading?

Oh dear, I have Brooklyn on my tbr list...

Glad you got the Kindle charging cable sorted.

Happy Easter, everyone. I'm very jealous of all of you who get extra reading time at Easter. We're away with the one-year-old, and holidays ain't what they used to be. Really only get to read when he's asleep
...

It's ok chessie not everyone who liked it is deranged It's a quiet, thoughtful, look at being a fish out of water and how people are affected by places. It is also quite short and you read so quickly you will not even notice it

cheerful I've had very little reading time too, and also having spectacle problems which is driving me crazy. I've had a disappointing patch and want to read something good.

Thoroughly enjoying The Grand Sophy so far!

Oh good!! Are you in the enviable position of having lots of unread Heyers left to you?!

39. The Keeper of Lost Things read it in a day. Really struggling to see how this got so many 5 stars reviews on Goodreads. Found it full of cliches and never grabbed me. Predictable and boring. Can't bring myself to deliver a proper review. Hate telling people not to read a book but Passme I wouldn't bother. Only up side was it took hardly anytime to read.

Mind if I join you? Always nice to chat with other readers, see what everyone is reading and get some recommendations.

So far in 2017 I've read the following:

1. The Year of Living Danishly - Helen Russell
2. The Spring of Kasper Meier - Ben Fergusson
3. The Supremes at Earl's All You Can Eat - Edward Kelsey Moore
4. Dark Corners - Ruth Rendell Book Group Read
5. Solitude Creek - Jeffrey Deaver
6. The Promise - Robert Crais
7. I'm Travelling Alone - Samuel Bjork
8. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
9. Butchers Hill - Laura Lippman

10. Private Investigations - Quentin Jardine 11. The Miniatuarist - Jessie Burton Book Group Read 12. The Steel Kiss - Jeffrey Deaver 13. Finders Keepers - Stephen King 14. Quarter Past Two on a Wednesday Afternoon - Linda Newbery 15. The Last Good Kiss - James Crumley 16. The Muse - Jessie Burton 17. Brooklyn - Colm Toibin 18. Big Little Lies - Lianne Moriarty 19. Queen of the Tearling - Erika Johansen 20. Invasion of the Tearling - Erika Johansen

I'm currently reading My Name is Lucy Barton, which I thought I would enjoy a lot more than I am, as so many people have recommended it to me. It's only short though, so I don't feel too robbed of my reading time

My next start will be Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi for book group. Has anyone read this? Any good?

Welcome AConvival. I didn't like My Name is Lucy Barton much either.

17. Let's Make Lots of Money: Secrets of a Rich, Fat, Gay, Lucky Bastard - Tom Watkins. Memoir from the man who managed some bands from yesteryear, including Bros and East 17. A little better than what I expected, there's some nicely written observations on people he's managed (he's very good on the Pet Shop Boys) and it kept me turning the pages quickly.

18. Keeping On Keeping On - Alan Bennett. His third collection of writing, half selected diary entries from 2005 - 2015, the rest two obscure plays, film diaries, essays, and play prefaces. Wonderful writing here for the most part but I could have done without the many descriptions of church architecture and I didn't like the plays at the end. But it's a terrific book, his voice and writing clear, witty, intelligent and his voice, in this collection, angrier than ever - I found myself agreeing with all of his controversial views that he put across so eloquently. This is the only outstanding book I've read so far this year, I just adore this man and it's a worthy follow-up to Untold Stories. Writing Home is also brilliant.

25. The Maid's Version by Daniel Woodrell. This is a about a community in the Ozark region of Missouri, where an explosion at a local dance hall killed 40+ people in early 1900s. The cause of the explosion never fully elucidated and this story is narrated by the grandson of a maid working for a local wealthy family who claims to know what happened on the night of the explosion. I like Woodrell's style - the subject matter may sound like the stuff of thriller but he writes with very sparse prose, the style is a foil to the subject. It's a short book and that serves it well too - if it was longer I would have expected more from the pace and the plot.

26 The Mountain's Story by Lori Lansens. This is about an 18 yr old boy who goes hiking on a mountain in California that he knows very well. He meets 3 women who are inexperienced hikers and as they look like they are very likely to get dangerously lost looking for an off-trail beauty spot, he agrees to act as their guide. The story takes place over the next 4 days. It's a quick read, good pace and I liked the tempered voice of the narrator.

27 I'll Take You There by Wally Lamb. I really did not like this at all. It's about a 60 year old man looking back at his life in the form of a movie, with a ghost guide at his side. I don't have a lot to say about it really. I haven't liked the last few books by W Lamb and unless the next one gets amazing reviews, I'm going to pass.

Currently reading The Wangs Vs the World by Jade Chang, Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift, and listening to Dark Places by Gillian Flynn.
I was being so good this year so far, abstaining from buying any books but I caved this week and bought Lincoln on the Bardo by George Saunders and Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.

Convivial - I was really disappointed by My Name is Lucy Barton. It may be because I listened to it on audible. Maybe I would have liked it better if I read it. I found the dialogue stilted. I had loved Olive Kitteridge by the same author - if you haven't read that I think it's worth a try. And Homegoing sounds fantastic, I haven't seen or heard anything but positive reviews of it.

Ah thanks RMC. I will leave it at the bottom of my pile.

Ooh spinning I want Lincoln in the Bardo, but was a bit steep for me at the moment, look forward to seeing what you think.

spinningheart - Whilst I'm not blown away by Lucy Barton I do think Strout is a good storyteller, so was intending to still give Olive Kitteridge a whirl - so glad to hear that you enjoyed it.

Lincoln on the Bardo is also on my TBR, so look forward to hearing your thoughts.

I quite liked Olive Kitteridge but not been tempted by her others

Southeast you have very eloquently expresses what I liked and disliked about the Alan Bennett. He is wonderful.

Expressed not expresses

Happy Easter everyone! I've just caught up on a whole week of this thread as come the Easter holidays we've had all kinds of viruses, doctors appointments and antibiotics going on in the Whippet household. Absolutely typical. There has quite literally been blood and tears here. Not mine luckily

It's taken me an hour just to read what I've missed here so will update my books in a bit but I cheered myself up with purchasing Lincoln in the Bardo yesterday as I just couldn't wait!

33 Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh

The story of how the mathematician Andrew Wiles finally proved Fermat's Last Theorem after 350 years. This was absolutely fascinating, definitely a highlight. As much as anything, it's a book about how mathematical proofs work and the way in which a new proof is built up using previous breakthroughs. There's also lots of history in the book - I'd heard of Sophie Germain primes, for example (here on MN!) but didn't know anything about her life.

I'd absolutely recommend this, and it's not necessary to know any maths to read and enjoy it (I've got A level maths but it was a very, very long time ago ) I'll definitely look for other books by the same author.

Book 36
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
This was a silly, light, extremely predictable romp. I enjoyed it.

Grayson Perry's The Descent of Man is 99p on Kindle today. If it's anywhere near as good as Playing to the Gallery it will be well worth a read.

Anyone who hasn't read it, The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu is also 99p on kindle today.

The Man in the High Castle is also 99p, but it's crap!

I read the sample of The Three Body Problem but didn't think it was for me.

Just bought the Grayson Perry, thanks for the rec Remus, looks interesting.

26. The Fall by Simon Mawer - details the intertwined lives of two generations of friends, moving between modern day and wartime Britain, set against the backdrop of climbing/mountaineering.

I could not put this down, it was a real page turner. I don't think the climbing setting and subsequently the jargon involved was too intrusive or offputting. I thought the ending was fairly inevitable, but really enjoyed meandering through the story to get there. The jumping around between time frames and the different relationships kept it interesting. Not so much about a climbing accident as I initially thought.... I really am naive.

Ooh, thanks for the Grayson Perry tip off Remus. Will get that later.