50 Book Challenge Part Five

[southeastdweller]

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

What are you reading?

• Alright = All right !

Thankyou, I know very little of Chris McCandless and am intrigued now, despite it sounding a disappointing read. I think I may have had him and Timothy Treadwell confused in my tired mind

52 Not In The Flesh
53. End In Tears
54. The Babes in The Wood

All by Ruth Rendell, Lovely, lovely Inspector Wexford.

Oh cote great summing up of Into the Wild. I enjoyed your second paragraph very much, so funny.

21. The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Dystopia. Poor young women with special abilities (auguries) are auctioned off to become surrogates for the ruling class, whose women are unable to have children. This follows a surrogate called Violet, who is purchased as the surrogate for one of the most important royal houses. Luckily for Violet, there's plans afoot to undermine the surrogate system, which may give her a chance of escape.

I had some serious issues accepting the central premise of this. The initial explanation of the reason for the surrogacy system made very little sense to me. The explanation of the auguries was also flawed (caused by a genetic quirk that only affects girls, and only girls from the lowest social caste at that, and isn't tested for until puberty, despite the importance of the surrogates to the ruling class). Violet also seems to have a surprising deal of freedom under the circumstances - enough to manage an extremely reckless affair.

First in a trilogy. I don't think I'm going to bother reading the rest of the trilogy.

Re Into the Wild : I've not read it, but I know that when the book first came out, McCandless was criticized for what many considered to be foolish decisions. His sisters have since given interviews detailing the awful emotional and physical abuse they suffered as children, which led to his life and death in Alaska. Romanticism didn't drive him, sadly.

Romanticism is exactly how Into The Wild portrays his ill-prepared stay into Alaskan wilderness "to live off the land", though.

I try, Satsuki

61. Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo

American police procedural. What drew me to it was the setting within an Amish community. It was ok. I don't think I would rush to read more (I found out after reading it that this was the 5th in a series featuring the same detective) but might pick one up from the library sometime.

62. Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

Louise starts an affair with a married man, David, and also separately makes friends with David's wife, Adele. David appears very controlling of Adele. The story is told alternately from Louise's and Adele's POVs. I did like this, but I can see that some people would find the ending really irritating - you do need to suspend disbelief.

18. The Worthing Chronicle by Scott Orson Card

This is a SF book from the author of Ender's Gamr, often cited as one of the best SF books ever written. (I liked it but not that much, tbh)

As in Ender's Game, the book is partly about a young boy and its narration style is quite "young" and unsophisticated. There are some interesting ideas that are explored but I would call it YA. I'm thinking DD might like it, actually.

I bought Sovereign (Shardlake 3) £1.29 on Kindle this morning despite buying the book last month. Couldn't get into it in book form so going to give it another go in kindle format when I get fed up of Wexford

Sovereign does take a while to get going, but is worth it for some terrifying, bum on the edge of the seat and white knuckles stuff later on, imvho.

Book 48
Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh
Glorious. I absolutely adored this and it’s definitely one of my stand puts of the year, so far. It’s completely irreverent, completely ridiculous, completely hilarious and gloriously, stupidly over the top. There’s a section of pretty horrible racism, but you sort of need to look beyond it and see how Waugh is actually making points about the uncivilised white upper-classes far more than he is about race. The introduction to the novel in the version I read (which as always, should have been an out-tro not an intro, and should definitely not be read before if you don’t want the (very silly) plot spoiled was also excellent, and considered the racism thing v sensitively, I thought. Highly recommended.

I'm now reading The Pursuit of Love, which is also hilarious. HOW have I never read this before? I think in my head I'd got it all tied up with Cold Comfort Farm, which didn't do a great deal for me.

21. Mont Blanc To Everest - Gaston Rebuffat

A treat to myself having won an Amazon voucher by filling in an MN survey :) long out of print, it's a collection of stunning, mostly b/w plates of mountains with annotations from the famous climber, and a couple of essays on mountains. He's a joy to read if you're a mountain geek like me, plus this has that wonderful old-book smell and feel.

Remus you've never read The Pursuit of Love? I can't believe it. All those times you've longed for something lovely to read and you had that waiting for you! If only I'd known. Plus, you've got Love in a Cold Climate to follow. Not so keen on the Alfred one.

Best - I read Love in a Cold Climate years ago, and didn't like it. Maybe I just caught it on an off day?

Meg - the mountain book sounds wonderful.

Just realised I called 'Decline' a 'stand put' instead of a 'stand out'. Is it Friday yet?

Remus , Best. I have never read either the Pursuit of love or Love in a Cold Climate Have read lots about the Mitfords though- in fact in the middle of Take Six Girls , a recent Kindle daily deal.

I think of the two as one long story, same characters etc so they are inextricable in my mind. My copy has both in the same book so I've never read one without the other. I can understand why you'd be irritated by LIACC if you hadn't read The pursuit of Love first.

Oh, I love The Pursuit of Love. She says, predictably. The Alfred one is nowhere near as good, agreed.

19. Genius and Discovery: Five Historical Miniatures by Stefan Zweig

I enjoyed this short but sweet and well-written book about five important instances in human history and the exceptional individuals who made them happen. One was Handel and the story was him writing Messiah at a low point in his life - surprisingly, I thought this was the weaker story in the book (perhaps it's not if you haven't already read entire books on the life of the man).

My favorite stories were the first, about the discovery of Pacific Ocean, and the last one about telegraph lines making instant communication between America and Europe possible.

I now see that the author was born in 1881 The writing style has stood the test of time far better than some other oldies I can mention (cough Neville Shute cough).

The hardcover edition is very beautiful and makes a great gift, if anyone is interested

I'm late joining but I'm in!
So far this year I've read.

1. The best thing that never happened to me - Laura trait and Jimmy rice
2. A year of being single - Fiona collins
3. Single woman seeks revenge - Tracy bloom
4. No-one ever has sex on a Tuesday -Tracy Bloom. (Hilarious by the way)
5. No-one ever has sex in the suburbs - Tracy Bloom Felt like I'd had to much chick lit after them and moved onto some good thrillers with a twist which is my favourite type of book to read.
6. No turning back - Tracy Buchanan
7. My husband's wife - Jane Corry
8. Behind closed doors - B A Paris. (Highly recommended this I thought it was brilliant)
9. Between you and me - Lisa hall

Not sure what to read next year am currently browsing the Kindle store lol

I'm even more pissed off I missed Decline and Fall after your review remus. Going to look for it in the library.

sovereign does go on very slowly but the ending is very good. revelation a bit better paced all the way through.

Just bought Johnny Marr's Set The Boy Free on Kindle daily deal. Anyone read it?

I am struggling with book 29 The Gathering by Anne Enright. The blurb on the back suggests the book is right up my street but I don't like it much. I can't out put my finger on why exactly; I think it's just the WAY it's written. Some chapters seem more readable than others. I'm more than half way through and being a nosy sort, will soldier on to get to the bitter end.

Inspired to get hold of some Nancy Mitford. Have read quite a lot about the sisters (Wait for me! and The Sisters) but never one of her own books.

I am usually a big fan of Agatha Christie but I found Endless Night a big disappointment. The twist at the end also irritated me somewhat but that might have been because I had recently finished a book with exactly the same twist.

32 - Birdcage Walk - Helen Dunmore - Set in Bristol at the outbreak of The French Revolution. Lizzie has a radical feminist writer for a mother but is now married to John a property developer who believes that Lizzie's independent spirit should be quashed. As events unfold across the channel John's plans of building a magnificent terrace are increasingly threatened and tensions build in the marriage. This book had so much potential as the author captured the sense of time and place and the uncertainty excellently but unfortunately the actual plot was a bit disappointing.

*33 Dear Amy - Margot Lewis the agony aunt for the local paper receives a letter purporting to be from a woman who was kidnapped two decades previously. In her day Job Margot is a school teacher and when one of her pupils goes missing she starts to question if both cases are linked. I would say this was a passable thriller and not quite as gripping as others I have read. Having looked at the reviews on Goodreads I must be one of the few people who didn't work out the twist in advance.

Currently reading A Year of Marvellous Way - Sarah Winman