50 Book Challenge 2018 Part Two

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the second thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2018, 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.

What are you reading?

6. Munich by Robert Harris
Read in 4 days, I haven’t read a book this quickly in ages.
Follows two minor civil servants, one working for Chamberlain and one for Hitler in September 1938 in the days leading up to the Munich agreement. Fast moving and exciting.

Next: a biography of Eleanor Marx.

Satsuki - Isn't This Thing Of Darkness brilliant? To answer your question: You can't follow it with anything, except maybe Cloud Atlas. Similar themes, equally brilliant writing style.

Meanwhile, I'm reading and really enjoying Sharp Objects, the 1st book of a woman author. What is happening to me???

ahem mama check my user name . It should make sense to you after your latest book!

Just wanted to say thank you to the posters who recommended Georgette Heyer! I found The Grand Sophy in a charity shop and am loving it!

cote are you feeling quite well? I’ve already read Cloud Atlas unfortunately, though I did enjoy Darkness more overall I think.

Satsuki excellent review. Sadly you may never top it. Your reading life may be all downhill from here. It was my first completed book in 2017, and I haven't read anything better since.

Ooh, that was a brilliant review, Satsuki. #addstolist

I liked The Wasp Factory a lot, but I was seventeen when I read it, and suspect I wouldn't like it as much now.

I read The Wasp Factory for the first time a few years ago when I decided to work my way through all Iain Banks' novels after his death.

I already loved Crow Road and Espedair Street, however DH had warned me that I'd find The Wasp Factory really disturbing so I'd avoided it until then. I thought it was great; very original.

OK, it's very dark ( and I didn't like the maggots at all ) but also excellent, and IB has an great turn of phrase and very dry sense of humour. One telephone conversation between Frank and his brother still has me laughing out loud.

I agree with lastqueen that it might indeed be a Scottish thing.

Superb review Satsuki. Confession: I've had a copy of TTOD lying on my shelves for at least 5 years, unread....will it finally become one of this year's 50? We shall see

I’m reading The Wasp Factory right now! Will review soon.

Book 11 This Thing Of Darkness- by Harry Thompson

Nothing to add to SatsukiKusakabe brilliant review above except to say I agree with it all. Amazing book.

So pleased people love Into Thin Air. Maybe it’s time I re-read it. Definitely the best “peril on a mountain” book I’ve ever read.

1. On Writing by Stephen King

A quick and easy read. I found this fascinating though it still left lots of my questions about how SK writes unanswered. (Though perhaps a clue to his often somewhat dodgy endings to his books in his assertion that he never sets out the plot before he starts, which would make sense of Under the Dome at least). And I am unconvinced it would work as a guide for aspiring writers beyond a few fairly simple and obvious guidelines. But it was - of course, because it is what he does brilliantly - a great read with anecdotes and observations about his life and career that made me glad to have read it and reminded me to go and track down some of the titles on my unread SK list.

I've slowed down so much and am struggling to find time to read. Too many children, too little sleep and nothing as gripping as This Thing of Darkness to keep me going.

1. Edgelands - Paul Farley and Michael Symmons Roberts

This was an interesting book, written by the two poets above, though not a poetry book itself; part nature writing, part psychogeography and a whole lot of other things. It talks about the land around the edges of our towns and cities where people go but don't live and has chapters on things such as power stations, canals, waste tips, shipping containers, pallets, hotels etc. Interesting and unusual homage to the places on our periphery.

whippet “too many children, too little sleep” right there with you. My four year old has been ill and the 6 year old has chosen to go through a bout of night terrors at the same time, it’s crazy-making. I’ve got the sample of Edgelands as I like that sort of thing.

11. In Search of Mary Shelley, Fiona Sampson
Biography of the author. I enjoyed it, but she doesn't bring much new material to the table. I've read Young Romantics by Daisy Hays and Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon, and this feels a bit superfluous. And she's mean about Mary Shelley's step-sister, for whom I have a sneaking sympathy (being the third wheel at an elopement must be fairly horrendous, and Byron was horrible to her).

The Doll Funeral - Kate Hamer

It was ok 3.5 / 5 ... a bit " out there " ... led a few unanswered questions I felt. ... don't want to give spoilers but felt it didn't cover everything that happened in the book ... Very different to her previous book " Girl in the Red Coat "
Touches slightly upon mental illness or was that the whole point of the book and I missed it.. like I said left more questions than answers.

So many interesting sounding books above- will definitely look for TTOD.

12. Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh. Murder set in NZ this time, satisfactorily solves by Alleyn- I didn’t really engage with the characters in this and wouldn’t recommend unless you are going for the full set.

That was a cracking review by the way Satsuki! It's such a great book.
I am trying to persuade DH to read it but he refuses fool

Holding by Graham Norton

My book club's current choice.

Ireland. A very fat policeman investigates the discovery of a body on a farm. Middle aged women with secrets, regrets and unfulfilled lives are interviewed. A thoroughly gratuitous rape is shoehorned in and the mystery is finally solved.
Quite the most boring book I have read in quite some time. So boring in fact that despite finishing it only last night I just had to get up to find the damned thing to remind myself what it was called. Norton has some skill for writing, it’s not utter shite, but there was really so very little plot, character development or interesting nuanced writing that I rather wonder why he bothered (oh wait, £££ maybe?).
Am getting heartily fed up of authors using sexual assault only as some sort of excitement/tension generator in their stories. It’s so lazy, and often completely unnecessary.

Next up Robinson Crusoe.

5. The Reproductive System by John Sladek

1960’s science fiction. A toy manufacturer decides to go into military research after their dolls stop selling. They succeed in creating self replicating machines, and the whole thing soon spins out of control.

A short book that’s aiming at being humorous. It didn’t really work for me though. Too much suspension of disbelief required. And the ending felt unconvincing.

14. All She Wants by Jonathan Harvey

I really liked this. Not sure if you can describe something as chick lit if it’s written by a man, but if it is it’s a good example. The writing style is light and funny, and I liked the heroine. The story follows Jodie through various relationships and her going to drama school and subsequently becoming a soap actress. It’s not great literature but light and fun and I was keen to get to the end to find out what happened.

I have read very little due to moving house at the weekend. I have just spent the best part of 2 hours catching up on this thread and noted down 5 books reviewed here that I want to read! Payday required first, though.

11. Rose in Bloom, LM Alcott. Came across this while unpacking and have been reading it in snatches in between highly stressful RL fuckery going on. I am torn - I do like the portrayal of Charlie and the characterisation of Mac, who is by far and away my favourite person in the series, but does Rose have to be such a prig all the time? Why is LM Alcott so down on parties and frivolity? What precisely is wrong with going out and dancing til dawn? The teetotaller bits I can understand - there was a huge teetotal movement in America at the time leading up to Prohibition - but I don't see why Rose shouldn't dance the German at parties. I also snurked slightly when she says her life is harder than Phebe's because Phebe can work and has a talent but poor poor Rose is all rich and pretty and beloved and no one believes her when she wants to be a philanthropist.

Random musing inspired by Chessie's question - is chick lit light literature aimed at women, or is it light literature written by women? I always assumed the former, although now I can't think of an example written by a man.

7. Breadline Britain by Stewart lansley and Joanna Mack. This is very academic and a lot like the stuff I'd have read for my sociology degree so it might be a bit to dry compared to normal non-fiction but this was incredible, I pretty much read it in a sitting. Stark and unsettling but important and well read. Really enjoyed.