50 Book Challenge 2017 Part Eight

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the eighth and final 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 and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read. To anyone who hasn't posted, feel free to de-lurk and share with us what you've read this year.

The first thread of the year is here, the second one here, the third thread here, the fourth one here, the fifth one here, the sixth one here, and the seventh one here.

How have you got on so far this year?

It has got 672 pages. I hated every damn word of all 672 pages.

Giggling at “unbridled crapola” and “Simon Windbag Montefiore”. I remember you starting that Stalin book, remus, can’t believe you actually finished it!

It was so very long ago, Satsuki. I had no grey hairs or wrinkles on page one and now look like this:

Don't sugarcoat it Remus! Will definitely avoid (although Simon sebag Montefiore is an excellent name!).

51. Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban. This caught my eye when mentioned upthread, and when I borrowed it I was slightly surprised I hadn't come across it before- I read a lot of dystopian fiction in the eighties and I have lived in Canterbury. I thought the language and the using of old myths was very clever, although I felt it would have been slightly more realistic to set it only a few hundred years after the disaster, as I don't think any language would be recognisable after 2 millennia (particularly not the a20!). I did wish it was one book about the future and one about a mystical England- I didn't find the "I just knew/ I listened/it came to me" bits as interesting as the Eusa story and possible ways of retelling a nuclear disaster. Glad I read it though, so thank you!

I meant to add that it didn't surprise me that Hogan was American- barms for bombs does not sound at all Kentish to me (though possibly there was more of a rural burr in the 70s, and less estuary), though he got it right with innit and lots of t sounds instead of d.

And normally 672 pages is the work of a lunch hour for you, so it must have been a struggle. I’m pleased you put me off when it was on daily deal all those months ago.

Hi, 50 Bookers!

I've also been reading along but not contributing, mainly as a result of a very stressful autumn. I've also started and then put aside several books because I simply didn't have the bandwidth for certain subject matter, even though I really want to read the books. So, my update is probably much fluffier than I'd like, but them's the breaks:

41. The Dead Husband Project, by Sarah Meehan Sirk: a collection of short disturbing, provocative short stories that I'm still pondering.

42. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen: YA novel about how a teenager rebuilds her life after her brother causes a devastating accident.

43. The Sweetness of the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley: the first book in the Flavia de Luce mystery series, featuring a sharp, young scientist and her eccentric family, with a presumed dead mother, distant father, and two trying elder sisters. I liked it, but I can see Flavia's wearing a bit thin on me.

44. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan: a historical novel centred on the Brooklyn waterfront and Naval Yards during the 1930s and WWII. Egan did much research for the book, whose protagonist is a young woman who becomes the first female diver at the Naval Yard. An excellent book that touches on many aspects of life during that time: organized crime, glam night clubs, women's prospects, absconding men, class, ships, and shipping. Highly recommended.

45. The Break by Marian Keyes: reviewed on here; enjoyable and warm.

46. Jazz by Toni Morrison: the story of a murder in 1926 Harlem and the ripple effects it has on those closest to the event. Like jazz itself, the book ebbs and flows and swells from past to present and person to person.

47. The Power by Naomi Alderman: also much reviewed here; I liked it very much though found parts a bit predictable.

48. Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty: a year in the life of Melbournian triplets. A decent diversion.

49. The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn: a middle age, hipstery couple decide to open up their marriage for 6 months to relieve some of the tension and boredom of midlife, particularly given the challenges they face with their son. Overall enjoyable, but it could have trimmed several of the secondary characters and their subplots.

50. Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood: Elaine Risley, an accomplished artist now living in Vancouver, returns to her hometown of Toronto for a retrospective of her work. Her return raises ghosts from the past, particularly that of Cordelia, the girl who was her chief tormentor for a year of her childhood and "best friend" later on, though Elaine does not always treat her well. This novel is often described as a study of girl-on-girl bullying (and shifting power dynamics), and it is. But it's also a fascinating social history of women's lives (particulary in Toronto) in the middle of the 20th century. Highly recommended.

If those are your fluffy books I am awed Vanderley

Sadik, I've omitted the copious amount of fan fiction that I've also been reading. Maybe that's it.

Any good recommendations welcomed Vanderly . . .

Lovely to see old friends on here again. :)

116: Mystery in White - J Jefferson Farjeon
One of the British Library Crime Classics series. This was perfect for the weather, as it focuses on a group of people snowed in at a strange house, whose owners / servants appear to have disappeared. This was okay but not great. I liked the characters, setting and ‘feel’ but unfortunately some dodgy supernatural stuff got a bit in the way and didn’t really work. Neither the best nor worst book I’ve read lately (damns with faint praise).

How do you feel about pie-baking ice hockey players and webcomics, Sadik? (Seriously).

Remus . Your latest book sounds like it could be set here, where this week's weather has gifted us with snow and -20 temps.

I've just made a thread of book highlights for this year. It'd be interesting to see what everyone's outstanding reads were for this year (they don't have to have been published this year):

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/what_were_reading/3113115-The-best-books-you-read-in-2017

Minus 20?!
We've had snow and about -6. It's all looking pretty horrible now, although we were lucky enough to have a very pretty couple of days of it.

Any more recs for seasonal cosy reads?

Yep, a few days at -20 (with the wind chill; the base temp is around -13). I feel very, very lucky that I have a warm, cosy home with plenty of books. It's supposed to warm up over the weekend.

I often go in for big reads or rereads during the frigid months. Donna Tartt isn't cosy, but is so good for winter. I'll have to think a bit.

"How do you feel about pie-baking ice hockey players and webcomics"
Sounds interesting - link???

Hi vista vanderley and emgee good to see you back - not that I’ve been here

Yes that does make sense about Gaiman Tanaqui. I had a root around and found a short story collection I downloaded ages ago so I’m going to give him a go again.

It started snowing the day I began Into Thin Air - I’m nearly done and think I’ll go onto A Christmas Carol after to warm up!

Very envious of all this snow. We had a few measly flakes which didn’t stick.

We didn’t have a huge amount - fits and starts. A lot overnight which all melted throughout the morning.

The web comic is Check, Please! It's published on tumblr: omgcheckplease.tumblr.com/episodes

And here: checkpleasecomic.com

The comic also has extras; of special note is Hockey Shit with Ransom and Holster.

The comic is a delight that all should read. I'm happy to pm AO3 links to those so inclined.

The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst wasn't my recommendation, EmGee, though it does sound like the kind of thing I'd enjoy! I did rave about the Siege though I think!

I'm about a third of the way into The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy which I'm loving, however I remembered I have book group on Monday so I've had to stop to read The Keeper of Lost Things in time, I'm resenting this somewhat but I'm determined to read at least half of it.

Our snow is lovely and clean right now, but don't be too envious; it'll be filthy soon enough.

Satsuki, I was glad to read that you're on the mend.

Thank you for the link Vanderley I forsee some happy reading :)

This makes me so happy, Sadik. I love Check, Please and hope you enjoy it, too. (BTW, Rainbow Rowell is also a fan; she tweeted that she was at first hockey game and only had a clue because of Check, Please. )