50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Seven

[southeastdweller]

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

What are you reading?

Just read the sample - don't think it's for me.

Welcome Temporarily

The North Water is definitely worth a read.

I wouldn't read a book like A Little Life if its author paid me.

I'm about halfway through The Bone Clocks and really enjoying it :) Once I've finished I will do a search to find out why others hated it.

Cote, what do you mean by "a book like A Little Life"?

thank you for all the suggestions! Will work my way through this book club choice and then start something more interesting.

Alongside the Kindle recs, does anyone have any cheapy suggestions from the Audible sale?

I've just bought a version of Dr Faustus for £2.91 (not perfect, but from what I've listened to so far worth the money just for Mephistopheles' 'why this is hell' speech). Considering Donne & Kipling anthologies as well (£3 each) - both sound to be well read from the samples.

Sorry - missing comma in 'Why, this is hell . . .' (though I suppose he is also explaining why this is hell )

"Cote, what do you mean by "a book like A Little Life"?"

A book I've seen described many times as bleak, gloomy, like a misery memoir, about suffering and abuse. Readers getting depressed & crying.

Not for me.

It doesn't sound your type of thing Cote! Invisible, if funds are short do you have Overdrive, the library app? It's pretty good - I use it on my phone- though there are limited stocks and sometimes long waits (though I guess that varies from county to county).

26)The Soul of Discretion by Susan Hill. Another Serrailler book, better than the first one I read, but ultimately these aren't doing it for me- the territory is too familiar, and the characters don't come alive for me.

Overdrive is a great app, although as Tanaqui says, what's available is limited compared to what's available in physical form from my library.

I'm quite lucky with libraries, my local library only charges 40p to reserve a book, and there's a convenient library branch on the way to the DC's school.

Incidentally, the library had A Little Life prominently displayed on the shelves the last time I was in. But I left it there. It sounds a bit too miserable to be good holiday reading from what I've read about it on these threads.

Keith, yes, I think Once We Were Sisters is worth the read. It's interesting about how she felt so powerless as a young woman, both in her own marriage and regarding her sister's marriage.

82) French Revolutions, Tim Moore Not sure why I bothered - all his cycling books are the same. This one retraces the route of the Tour de France, with the usual comic gibbering.

The last time I borrowed a book was in 1980s. You are lucky to have such a good library near you.

I love my city's library system. Free reservations and they text when it has been delivered to your local library. Helping me cut down on buying books and try out Stephen King without it costing a fortune!

Libraries are amazing. Love mine. Although I probably spend as much in library fines as I save in book-buying ...

£1.30 for reservations in my county! Often cheaper to get on kindle. Free for kids. Our ereader and audiobook app BorrowBox is very good though.

Library reservations are free here, and you can renew online so I rarely end up with a fine. I love my library, which is a short stroll from my office. Saves me a vast fortune.

Free here too and the entire catalogue is online so you can browse and order things to be delivered to your local branch. The fines are steep though.

It's wonderful. I could never have imagined it as a small child when we were allowed two books only.

I've had a quick look back at this year's list so far, and out of the 52 books I've finished reading, 34 have been library books.

So it's definitely saving me money on books
Plus my library sends out automatic e-mails reminding me to return books or renew books online a few days before the books are due back. Helps cut down on fines!

Book 78
All Things Bright and Beautiful - James Herriot

A Mary Poppins of a book: practically perfect in every way. Last read this about 30 years ago, and it hasn’t changed a bit. Just lovely.

I read them all again last year Remus. I agree

Just coming back here for a minute to tells y'all to quickly go & buy Daemon. It's a techno thriller, based on a similar premise to Ready Player One but darker, more realistic, and more of a thriller. Frigging awesome!

Best - read a couple last year too. Am buying them as they appear cheap on Kindle!

We recently moved to a smaller place and I decided to get all my books from our library in future, unless it was something really special and deserved a space on the shelf of fame!

I use the library catalogue on line and can reserve books for free which will be brought in to my local library from any other library in the county. Fines can be steep though, and there is a great selection of audio books.

Something about having a book for a limited time makes me get on and read more as well!

Currently I am reading Watching the English (Kate Fox) courtesy of my local branch

I need to get back into using the library, although in school holidays I tend to spend all my time in there reading to the dcs (and various others), and don't get to browse. (I also need the lightness of the kindle compared to normal books if I'm taking it out and about with kids!)

Think I'll pop in the library the dcs first day back and collect a pile/give them a reservations list from here...

Sadik
Faustus is great fun.