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?

Hmm, well I think I might be a little late for the 50 book challenge for 2017, but at least I'm here in plenty of time to start the 2018 challenge. I've read very little published fiction this year -- my attention span's been all over the place. I've been reading and writing a lot of fanfiction, but I've been noticing a knock-on effect in the quality of my writing, so it's time to start getting back into the published stuff and reading for pleasure.

No clue how many books I've read this year (hey, I've written 300k and played a shit-ton of Skyrim, so it's not like I've been totally unproductive), but the last two I read were:

1.) Assassin's Apprentice, Robin Hobb -- A reread. The first in the Farseer Trilogy, in which a royal bastard is trained in the arts of assassination and magic to become a tool for the king. This starts with Fitz as a boy, and tells much of the story of his early life. Wonderful and beautifully written.

2.) Stallo, Stefan Spjut A boy disappears from an isolated cabin in the 1970s and his mother claims he was abducted by a giant. In the present day, a cryptozoologist captures an image on film that she believes could be a troll, and soon after another boy goes missing. I was a bit disappointed by this. It was billed as a horror novel, but it wasn't really horror at all more a thriller with some supernatural elements. I really liked elements of it -- the matter-of-fact way the trolls were presented, and the cult had such creepy potential, but it was about a third too long. The first person segments from the cryptozoologist's mother's POV seemed completely unnecessary until the end and could have been done away with entirely. Too many characters, too much filler. I enjoyed it, but I was starting to skim a bit by the end.

Currently reading the first George Smiley novel, Call for the Dead, and enjoying it quite a bit.

Looking forward to 2018 now, tbh. I've been contemplating making a list of all the books in the house waiting to be read, but I'm not sure there's enough paper in the world to make that list.

Remus that's good to hear. Have asked for book tokens for Xmas so it's going on my list. My heart sank when I glanced at the inside cover reviews of The Good People as saw The Times had described it as "somewhere between ...The Loney and The Wonder."
I was indifferent to The Wonder but positively loathed The Loney. If I was Hannah Kent I would be suing for defamation!

I gave up on The Wonder (dull) and hated The Loney (stupid). Burial Rites is far, far better.

Remus I have serious book envy at that Scott book. I adore those old photos.

105. Miss Read - A Village Christmas and A Christmas Mouse. Got a soft spot for Miss Read and her observations on minutiae ev3n if the tales are a bit moralistic.

106. The Mystery at Styles -Agatha Christie. In which Poirot is introduced and we ponder how realistic a fake beard made of wool can be. Love it,

104 A Fashionable Indulgence by KJ Charles

Life has been a bit hectic lately, so wanted some easy reading. This hit the spot perfectly - a Regency romance with enough plot and depth to keep me nicely engaged. Bit slow to get going, but after the first 20% or so roughly 2nd tier Heyer, (but with gay sex and radical politics).

Sorry, The Mysterious Affair At Styles. Rushing.

87. Death by Gaslight by Michael Kurland

Second in a Sherlock Holmes series which is centred on the activities of Professor Moriarty, with Holmes making only occasional appearances. Holmes is called in to solve a series of murders of aristocratic men - all four initial found in locked rooms with their throats slit. Police and Holmes remain puzzled and the body count rises. Meanwhile, Moriarty is paying little attention until he is hired by the collective representatives of the criminal underworld, who are finding their activities curtailed by the heavy-handed approach of the police in trying to find the killer. Moriarty and Holmes find themselves in an uneasy alliance as the hunt goes on. Good book, quite amusing, I'd recommend this series.

Best
They are beautiful pictures, aren't they? I think I've read the book before, but couldn't resist owning it. A pull out map too! #swoon

76. Someone to Love by Mary Balogh

Regency romance. Predictable, but still an enjoyable light read.

51. Artemis by Andy Weir

What a disappointment - this is Ramada after Ready Player One, all over again. If you thought The Martian was juvenile (Remus!) don't even go near this one. I guess this is YA but I would just call it crap, personally.

It is about a teenage girl who lives in the first city on the moon. A bit of a rebel, with a limited vocabulary, she gets into a mess, discovers a conspiracy, fucks it all up, then redeems herself (not really). It's all a bit twee and clearly written over a single weekend and with film rights in mind.

Tempted by Shogun on Kindle deal of the day. Anyone read?

I haven’t best but did get it last time it was on a deal. It looks good.

119 Singing in the Shrouds by Ngaio Marsh
An old fashioned whodunit set on a ship. I enjoyed this. A minor gripe is that three central characters had surnames beginning with M, and I kept getting confused between them, but that's probably more the fault of my brain than the writer, so I'll forgive her.

I have, best, but years ago (when I was a teenager). Can't remember much about it but think I enjoyed it. I think I was expecting it to be a bit more based on the actual British historical samurai, which it really isn't. (It's a historical romp). But there's lots of good stuff about cultural misunderstandings (one of his servants kills himself over a minor misunderstanding, and they're all horrified that he hasn't had a bath in literally months etc).

12 days of Kindle has begun...would recommend The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John Le Carre and also Golden Hill is worth a punt for 99p, pretty good read, despite flaws.

Can’t see anything else I fancy - Rules of Civility is there but was a little bored by Gentleman in Moscow so don’t know.

There are some Vonneguts too - not a huge fan but I seem to remember Sirens of Titan from teen-hood so might reread.

I haven't read The Good People yet but really enjoyed Burial Rites (though it made me cry on a flight from Reykjavik).

Thanks for the heads-up on 12 days of kindle (flexes credit card).

So far I have bought

Night Waking
Everyday Sexism
Vindolanda (Adrian Goldsworthy) - visited the camp there this summer for the first time so quite fancy a historical novel with this setting
Swimming Lessons (Claire Fuller - author of Our Endless Numbered Days)
The Ashes of London

And the Economist quiz book for my geeky DS :)

There's nothing at all I fancy. Would definitely recommend The Spy who Came in from the Cold. Golden Hill is (imho) flawed, but lots of good stuff in it. The Forensics book by Val whatshername is there too, and an interesting read.

105 A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles

Sequel to 104 above - not quite as fluffy (set around the events of the Cato St affair), but a good read. If nothing else it's hard not to warm to a trash romance novel in which the characters quote William Blake at each other when arguing.

Can someone post a link to the 12 days of Kindle? Drawing a blank... thanks

Does this work for you?

Fab thank you Satsuki

I have bought a compilation of Christmas detectiv3cstories and Thi Mitford Murders. Still dithering over Shogun.

179. The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaardner

This was lovely - a boy buys an advent calendar and within it is pieces of paper telling the story of Elisabet and what happens when she chases a lamb.

180. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

Ok it’s not Christmassy but it is set in winter and there is snow! A fondly remembered book from my childhood.

181. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend

Listened to this on audio - have read it several times and still find it funny although obviously dated now.

182. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Another festive re-read!

I would totally recommend Arnold Schwarzenegger's autobiography Total Recall for 99p on the Kindle.