50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Six

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the sixth 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, the fourth one here, and the fifth one here.

What are you reading?

Hiya, just checking in! Will sort out my list later

Yay! Thanks for new thread. Off for an early night with the History Thieves :)

Thanks, South.

Cote - glad I was right about the Lovecraft. Am somewhat concerned that people imagined me exactly like Moaning Myrtle! We need pics for everybody else now. :)

Marking my place!

Thanks south

24. The Intercom Conspiracy by Eric Ambler

This was an interesting spy story, albeit quite slow. Two chiefs of intelligence organisations in two countries decide to financially benefit from their amassed knowledge in retirement.

I've read a few of Ambler's spy books to know that I like his stuff but none match The Mask Of Demetrios, which I think was his best.

And bringing my list over:

1. The North Water by Ian McGuire
2. The Snowden Files: Inside Story Of The World's Most Wanted Man by Luke Harding
3. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
4. The Cambridge Companion to Handel by Donald Burrows
5. Revelation by C. J. Sansom (Shardlake #4)
6. The Mask Of Dimitrios by Eric Ambler
7. The Ladybird Book Of Mid-Life Crisis
8. The Schirmer Inheritance by Eric Ambler
9. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgkin Burnett

10. Mindplayers by Pat Cadigan 11. The Dark Net by Jamie Bartlett 12. Wolf Of The Plains by Conn Iggulden 13. The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth 14. The Odessa Files by Frederick Forsyth 15. Heartstone by C. J. Sansom 16. Night School by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #21) 17. Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith 18. The Worthing Chronicle by Scott Orson Card 19. Genius and Discovery: Five Historical Miniatures by Stefan Zweig 20. The Fixer by Joseph Finder 21. Raising Boys by Step Biddulph 22. Papillon by Henri Charrière 23. Le Clavier: Techniques, Factures, Interprétations by Cahier de la Société de Musique Ancienne de Nice

Came to update and it's a new thread!

20 Silk Roads A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan
So interesting and absorbing. History as told from the perspective of the Chinese, Persian and Roman empires rather than the Western narrative. Fascinating but long and left me behind in the challenge!
19 To Capture What We Cannot Keep by Beatrice Colin
Loved this. Totally engaging story about two affluent Glaswegians and their chaperone visiting Paris at the time the Eiffel Tower was built. I do love Beatrice Colin; such a great story teller.
18 Wild by Cheryl Strayed
This was an audio book. Really enjoyable story of how a young woman copes with a long trek on the Pacific Crest Trail. Quite thought provoking and very well told. Didn't know it was a film so might seek it out.
17 Scotland the Bold by Gerry Hassan
Interesting analysis of the Scottish political landscape over recent years.

16 Absolute Pandemonium by Brian Blessed
Audiobook - rollicking is the word. Narrated by the author so no chance of falling asleep while listening. Enjoyable - and enlightening. Who knew about Brian Blessed and Katharine Hepburn??
15 Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guest House by Suraya Sadeed Heartbreaking and inspiring story of an affluent middle aged American who raises funds to support women in Afghanistan.

14 Ready Player One by Ernest Kline.
Really don't enjoy science fiction but read it following recommendations from this thread. Enjoyed it, and looking forward to the film. Gripping story.

Now reading a business book Reinventing Organisations by Frederick Laloux and listening to Tony Robinson's autobiography "No Cunning Plan".

Thanks! My list so far:

1.Frog Music by Emma Donaghue

1. After the Crash Michel Bussi

3.Work Like Any Other Virginia Reeves

1. The Kept Woman Karin Slaughter
2. American Gods Neil Gaiman
3. Everyone Brave Is Forgiven Chris Cleave
4. Detour from Normal Ken Dickson
5. The Comfort of Strangers Ian McEwan
6. Our Endless Numbered Days Claire Fuller

10. The Lewis Man Peter May 11. The Testament of Mary Colm Toibin 12. Deceived Wisdom David Bradley 13. Silent Child Sarah A. Denzil 14. This Thing of Darkness Harry Thompson 15. The Detectives Daughter Lesley Thomson 16. Burning Bright Tracy Chevalier 17. One Little Mistake Emma Curtis 18. Lie With Me Sabine Durrant 19. Golden Hill Francis Spufford 20. Them Jon Ronson 21. Raven Black Ann Cleeves 22. The Tidal Zone Sarah Moss 23. Bodies of Water V.H.Leslie 24. Do No Harm Henry Marsh 25. White Nights Ann Cleeves 26.Nora Webster Colm Toibin 27. The Men Who Stare At Goats Jon Ronson 28. Kill Someone Luke Smitherd 29. The Lie Helen Dunmore 30. Red Bones Ann Cleeves 31. The Psychopath Test Jon Ronson 32. The Power Naomi Alderman 33. Night Waking Sarah Moss 34. The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared Jonas Jonasson 35. Remember Me This Way Sabine Durrant 36. The Good People Hannah Kent 37. Island of Wings Karin Altenburg 38. Good Me, Bad Me Ali Land 39. The Crow Trap Ann Cleeves 40. The Siege Helen Dunmore 41. The Dark Circle Linda Grant 42. Capital John Lanchester 43. Commonwealth Ann Patchett 44. The Radium Girls Kate Moore 45. Dead Certain Adam Mitzner 46. The Return Hisham Matar 47. Apple Tree Yard Louise Doughty 48. Burial Rites Hannah Kent 49. First Love Gwendoline Riley 50. The Woman In Cabin 10 Ruth Ware 51. Stay With Me Ayobami Adebayo

I've got two on the go at the moment: Black Water by Louise Doughty and I'm Travelling Alone by Samuel Bjork, I like both so far.

Marking place

Morning all, just marking my place!

Marking place

Hi all! I'm currently on books 26/27 (reading two at once) - Gaston Rebuffat's Mont Blanc - The 100 Best Routes and Hilary Mantel's Eight Months On Ghazzah Street which is both timely (based on her experience of living in Saudi Arabia) and very good (but then I'm a total Mantel fangirl - I know many on here feel differently!)

It's been ages since I checked into this thread.

Since I last posted, I have read a crappy Rosie Thomas book, failed to get into and thus abandoned Jill Dawson's The Great Lover then hit the jackpot with these two:

30. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie which I loved. It's been reviewed before on here with mixed opinions. I would recommend.

31. Infidel, my life by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. What a fantastic book this is! Raised in Somalia by a strict Muslim family and extended clan, Ayaan Hirsi Ali survived civil war, female circumsion, brutal beatings, an adolescence as a devout believer, the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, life in four countries under dictatorship. She finally escapes a forced marriage and seeks asylum in Holland. She studies at a Dutch university and experiences an intellectual awakening which leads ultimately to the rejection of her faith and belief in God. She becomes a politician fighting for the rights of Muslim woman and the reform of Islam. Constantly under threat from Islamic reactionaries, she refuses to be silenced. This book emphasises that religious tolerance should not come at the cost of basic human rights.

Absolutely fascinating. I will be ordering her second book The Caged Virgin.

Bringing over my list with updates:

1. Even Dogs in the Wild - Ian Rankin
2. Cheer up Love - Susan Calman
3. The Noise of Time - Julian Barnes
4. I'll Have What She's Having - Rebecca Harrington
5. Leap In - Alexandra Hemingsley
6. The Goldfish Boy - Lisa Thompson
7. Wishful Drinking - Carrie Fisher
8. The Liar's Chair - Rebecca Whitney
9. Shockaholic - Carrie Fisher

10. Chavs: The Demonisation of the Working Class - Owen Jones 11. Letter from New York - Helene Hanff 12. Jonathan Unleashed - Meg Rosoff 13. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson 14. Adventures of a Terribly Greedy Girl: A Memoir of Food, Family, Film & Fashion - Kay Plunkett-Hogg 15. Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool - Peter Turner 16. A Month in the Country - JL Carr 17. Let's Make Lots of Money: Secrets of a Rich, Fat, Gay, Lucky Bastard - Tom Watkins 18. Keeping On Keeping On - Alan Bennett 19. A Survival Guide for Life - Bear Grylls 20. The Pier Falls - Mark Haddon 21. The Indian in the Cupboard - Lynne Reid Banks 22. The Princess Diarist - Carrie Fisher 23. Into the Water - Paula Hawkins 24. A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara 25. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman

Just about to start The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying by Marie Kondo.

Rather neatly finished my 50th book on the last thread. Opening this one with a re-read of Thank Heaven Fasting by E M Delafield. It's a comedy, but a bleak one - set in the early twentieth century, when girls are raised to marry, but oh, the horrors of social failure if you don't "take" on the marriage market. Sounds frivolous, but there is a real sense of anger at lives constrained and destinies thwarted.

Moving my list
1.My name is Lucy Barton
2.Plainsong
3.Summer Queen
4.The winter Crown
5.The autumn throne
6.The Heart Goes Last

1. Twelve years a slave

8.My Husbands wife

1. The bolter

10.Winter ghosts 11. The Essex Serpent 12. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 13. Everyone Brave is forgiven 14.His bloody project 15.Forgotten voices of the First World War 16. Love letters of the Great War 17. The trouble with goats and sheep 18. Victoria: A life 19.The tales of Beedle the Bard 20.Dear Amy 21.Crown of blood 22. food of love 23.Elizabeth and Mary 24. Last Train to Memphis 25. The silkworm 26. Apple Tree Yard 27. Young and Damned and Fair 28. the Missing 29. Three sisters Three Queens 30. Where my heart used to beat 31. First of the Tudors 32. Do no harm - Henry Marsh 33. Dark Fire 34. Dissolution 35. Sovereign 36. Revelation 37. Heartstone 38. Lamentation 39. The Keeper of Lost Things 40. The Lesser Bohemians 41. The cuckoos calling 42. The Ashes of London 43. The child in time 44. The private lives of the Tudors 45. The Hare with the Amber Eyes 46. Love all 47. Just Henry 48. Daughters of the Grail 49. The Northern Clemency 50. The light years. 51. Her perfect life 52. Take Six Girls 53. The Silent child 54. Georgiana - Duchess of Devonshire 55. The Love Letters of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn 56. Anne Boleyn: The Kings Obsession 57. The Crow Trap - Ann cleeves 58. Telling Tales - Ann Cleeves 59. Hidden depths

It seems to have lost the bold highlights but I can't be faffed to add them now.

Thanks for the new thread, South.

My list - highlights in bold, lowlights in italics, followed by my latest read.

1. The Story of a New Name (Book 2 of Neopolitan Novels) by Elena Ferrante.
2. Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter.

1. Beauty by Robin McKinley.
2. Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall.

5. The Last Policeman: A Novel (The Last Policeman Book I) by Ben H.Winters. 6. Red Rising by Pierce Brown.

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote.
2. Any Human Heart by William Boyd.
3. The Pure in Heart (Simon Serailler Book 2) by Susan Hill.

10. Joyland by Stephen King. 11. Jerusalem:The Biography by Simon Sebag Montefiore. 12. How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to making Friends with your Mind by Pema Chödrön. 13. Lord of the Flies by William Golding. 14. Palestine by Joe Sacco. 15. Steelheart (Reckoners Book 1) by Brendon Sanderson. 16. The Girls by Emma Cline. 17. The Hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris. 18. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. 19. Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world by Mark Williams and Danny Penman. 20. The Hanging Tree (Peter Grant series, Book 6) by Ben Aaronovitch. 21. Stasiland by Anna Funder. 22. Indemnity Only (VI Warshawski Book 1) by Sara Paretsky. 23. The Vegetarian by Han Kang. 24. The Wild Ways (Book 2 in the Enchantment Emporium series) by Tanya Huff. 25. The Magician by Raymond E Feist. (Audiobook) 26. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. 27. Roseanna (A Martin Beck novel) by Sjöwall and Wahlöö. 28. The Sellout by Paul Beatty. 29. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Book 1 of The Inheritance Trilogy) by NK Jemisin. 30. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. 31. Mr Kiss and Tell (Veronica Mars Mystery) by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham. 32. Animal: The Autobiography of a Female Body by Sara Pascoe. 33. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson.

33. The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson.

A lyrical thoughtful memoir of and by Maggie Nelson reflecting on life, her relationship with Harry Dodge, sex, pregnancy interspersing her thoughts with poetry and influential references.

Currently listening to Commonwealth by Ann Patchett and about the start reading Playing to the Gallery Grayson Perry.

My list. Standouts in bold (too few, alas) and shockers as indicated:

1: The Essex Serpent – Sarah Perry
2: Fatherland Robert Harris
3: Stasi Child – David Young
4: Golden Hill – Francis Spufford
5: American Gods – Neil Gaiman - stupidly overlong
6: The House by the Lake – Thomas Harding
7: 84 Charing Cross Road – Helene Hanff
8: The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street – Helene Hanff
9: Magpie Murders – Anthony Horowitz - ridiculus ending which made my blood boil
10: Warm Bodies – Isaac Marion
11: Ashes of London – Andrew Taylor
12: Left for Dead – Beck Weathers - I did not like this man
13: The Burning World – Isaac Marion
14: Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science By Richard Holmes
15: Ghosts of Everest: The Search for Mallory and Irvine – Jochen Hemmleb
16: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth – Chris Hadfield
17: Measuring the World – Daniel Kehlmann - silly book about a silly man doing sums and another silly man measuring some mountains
18: The North Water - Ian McGuire
19: Berlin: Portrait of a City - Taschen
20: It Stephen King
21: On her Majesty’s Secret Service – Ian Fleming
22: White Boots – Noel Streatfeild
23: A Place Called Winter – Patrick Gale
24: The Painted Dragon – Katherine Woodfine
25: Black Plumes – Margory Allingham
26: The Nine Tailors – Dorothy L Sayers
27: Plague 99 – Jean Ure
28: Black Out – John Lawton
29: The Companion Guide to Berlin – Brian Ladd
30: Sex and Punishment: Four Thousand Years of Judging Desire - Eric Berkowitz
31: The Seven Dials Mystery – Agatha Christie
32: One – Sarah Crossan
33: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
34: The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole
35: Friday’s Child – Georgette Heyer
36: The Grand Sophy – Georgette Heyer
37: The Descent of Man – Grayson Perry
38: South Riding – Winifred Holtby
39 Madonna in a Fur Coat - soooooooooooooooooooooo boring
40 Our Endless Numbered Days Claire Fuller
41: The Man in the Queue – Josephine Tey
42: Grey Mask – Patricia Wentworth
43: The Singing Sands – Josephine Tey
44: The Cornish Coast Murder – John Bude
45: Murder in Stained Glass – Margaret Armstrong
46: The City and the City China Miéville
47: Agatha Christie – Endless Night
48 Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh
49: The Pursuit of Love – Nancy Mitford
50: A Christmas Party – Georgette Heyer
51 The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café – Alexander McCall Smith
52: The Three – Sarah Lotz
53: Persuasion – Austen
54: Prussian Blue – Philip Kerr

I can spell 'ridiculous' really. And the Horrowitz book really, really was very, very ridiculous.

48 The History Thieves: Secrets, Lies and the Shaping of a Modern Nation by Ian Cobain

A history of the British secret state since the start of the 19th century, taking in the passing of the Official Secrets Act in 1889, the destruction of vast numbers of documents and hiding of vast numbers of more as Britain withdrew from Empire, wartime secrecy (including wars that were never admitted to), the dirty war in Northern Ireland through to Edward Snowden, RIPA, secret terrorism courts et al.

This should have been right up my street, but to be honest I wasn't overly wowed by it. It didn't seem to me that there was a great deal in the book that hadn't already been covered fairly extensively in the papers, or that I hadn't read about elsewhere in other books. (I guess a hazard of writing about the State's secrets is that too many of them are secret . . .)

In particular I was disappointed that the author argues that Britain is notably more secretive than other nations, but then doesn't actually offer any evidence for or against this view. I think it's also a shame that (at least in the modern era) he doesn't differentiate between governments - so we shift in a discussion of legislation brought forwards from the Blair era into the Coalition government without any comment (I figured out which laws came where only by the date of references in the footnotes).

I much preferred The New Spymasters which I read last year, which had less of a political agenda, and more information new to me.

Still working my way through Adults in the Room on audio - finally got to the interesting bits where Syriza have got into government

Thanks for the shiny new thread.

My list so far
1. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet - David Mitchell
2. Mothering Sunday - Graham Swift

1. Under the Skin - Michel Faber
2. Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
3. The Muse - Jessie Burton
4. Swing Time - Zadie Smith
5. The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith
6. A Question of Identity - Susan Hill
7. The Vows of Silence - Susan Hill

10. A Kiss Before Dying - Ira Levin 11. The Shadows in the Street - Susan Hill 12. The Gate of Angels - Penelope Fitzgerald 13.The Spy Who Came In From The Cold - John Le Carre 14 The Book of Daniel - E.L. Doctorow 15. Different Class - Joanne Harris 16. The Gustav Sonata - Rose Remain 17. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch 18. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

Currently reading Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave. I think a few people on here really liked this, but it's yet to really grab me. Although to be fair The Handmaid's Tale really got under my skin, so I think it might be one of those books that's just so good it ends up ruining your next couple of reads, IYSWIM.

urrgh - too much "really" in that last post.

1. The Light Years Elizabeth Jane Howard
2. Marking Time Elizabeth Jane Howard
3. Peter's Room Antonia Forest
4. Run Away Home Antonia Forest
5. The Thursday Kidnapping Antonia Forest
6. Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
7. Cheerful Weather for the Wedding Julia Strachey
8. Good Evening, Mrs Craven Mollie Panter-Downes
9. Unpublished manuscript

10. An Episode of Sparrows Rumer Godden 11. Confusion Elizabeth Jane Howard 12. Private, Keep Out! Gwen Grant 13. Hillbilly Elegy JD Vance 14. Nurture Shock Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman 15. Grass in Piccadilly Noel Streatfeild 16. Fell Jenn Ashworth 17. The Hate U Give Angie Thomas 18. Beasts and Super Beasts Saki 19. Nobody Told Me Hollie McNish 20. The Girl Who Saved Christmas Matt Haig 21. Casting Off Elizabeth Jane Howard

Still stuck in a bit of a reading doldrums - DNF two of the mouldering books on my TBR shelf. Now reading The Guggenheim Mystery by Robin Stevens based on characters by Siobhan Dowd (it's a sequel to The London Eye Mystery.) And tomorrow is my seven hours on trains without small person day (oh, what has my life descended to that this is something I now LOOK FORWARD TO) so will hopefully get that finished tomorrow.

Transferring my list and marking my place:-

1. The Kingsmakers Daughter - Phillipa Gregory

2. Girl with a Dragon Tattoo - Steig Larsson

1. How to Be Both - Ali Smith
2. The Observations - Joanne Harris
3. The White Princess - Phillipa Gregory
4. The Heart Goes Last - Margaret Atwood
5. Frazzled - Ruby Wax

8. I Let You Go - Claire Mackintosh

1. The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair

10. Our Endless Numbered Days - Claire Fuller 11. Now read A Boy Made of Blocks - Keith Stuart 12 The Tea Planters Wife - Dinah Jefferies 13 - We Were Liars - E Lockhart 14 - Go Set a Watchman - Harper Lee 15 - Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Cafe - Milly Johnson 16 - Belgravia by Julian Fellowes 17 - The Mother by Yvette Edwards 18 - The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - Maggie O'Farrell 19 - The Black Water LIllies - Michael Bussi 20 - 1984 - George Orwell 21 - Her - Harriet Lane 22 - The Essex Serpent - Sarah Perry 23 - Everybody Brave is Forgiven - Chris Cleave 27 - The Hand That First Held Mine - Maggie O'Farrell 28 - Rush Oh - Shirley Barrett 29 - I See You - Claire Mackintosh 30 - Me Before You - Jo Jo Moyes 31 - Words In her Hands - Guinevere Glasford 32 - Birdcage Walk - Helen Dunmore 33 - Dear Amy - Margot Lewis 34 - A Year of Marvellous Way - Sarah Winman 35 - My Name is Lucy Barton - Elizabeth Strout 36 - The Trouble With Goats and Sheep - Joanna Cannon 37 - The Summer Before the War - Helen Simonson 38 - Behind Closed Doors - B A Paris 39 - My Cousin Rachel - Daphne Du Maurier 40 - Wrong Place - Michelle Davies 41 - The Distance Between Us - Maggie O'Farrell

42 Swimming Lessons - Claire Fuller - I had been looking forward to reading this after reading My Endless Numbered Days earlier in the year and it did not disappoint with the same understated and elegant prose.

43 Conclave - Robert Harris - Reviewed multiple times already on this thread and I agree with the other posters in that it was fascinating to read about the inner workings of the Catholic Church but the ending was very disappointing.

44 Truly Madly Guilty - Liane Moriarty - Three couples attend a barbecue where something shocking happens. How they all deal with this event has very different effects on their families, relationships and lives. After watching Big Little Lies I had high expectations for this book but I found it very middle of the road. Not bad but nothing exceptional.