50 Book Challenge 2018 Part Five

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fifth 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, the second one here, the third one here and the fourth one here.

How're you getting on so far?

24. Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
Country house location - check
Bevvy of beautiful but damaged toffs - check
Corpse - check
Gathering of all suspects for Poirot's big reveal - check

Standard Christie fare, except we already have a conviction for this one, and Poirot's been called in by the daughter of the (now deceased) convicted woman. A smaller than usual cast allows for better character development than in some Christies.

Piggy Case Histories is the first Jackson Brodie book. When Will There Be Good News? is the third. I love the Brodie books!

Ah, OK. Ages since I have read them!

Good review, BadB.

The Kindle monthly sale is DREADFUL. Grrrr.

30 - The Vigin Suicides
Been meaning to read this for ages and ages. I loved it. Really couldn’t put it down.

Remus was coming on to say exactly the same about the Kindle sale. Very heavily football influenced obviously for the World Cup.

It doesn't make sense to have so many books on one topic in the sale. Surely they'd make more sales with a wider range of options?

LastQueen - I really like The Virgin Suicides. Hos other books haven't come close to it imho.

I agree Remus. I would be looking to books to escape the football, not read about it.

There are some really great books about football, though : and if it encourages men and boys to read more, that's a good thing? Playing devil's advocate. Never read on a Kindle so have no idea what the books are...

Days without end - Sebastian Barry which I absolutely loved and recommend to everyone

How to stop time - Matt Haig which was quite interesting but not as great as I'd expected. Liked its descriptions of old England though.

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine - Gail Honeyman - Absolutely loved this and have recommended it to everyone. It's so different and surprising, and I couldn't wait to pick it up each night.

Run Mummy Run - Leanne Davies and Lucy Waterlow. I love running but also love good books and while this was about running, it was not a good book. It felt to me like 'how can we make money out of our successful Facebook page?' and had nothing of use to me. Sloppy.

How to be a Victorian - Ruth Goodman. Bought this on a recommendation on this page and am loving it. So interesting and concisely written so you zip along. More a book to dip in and out of, rather than read in one go, but highly recommended.

Reservoir 13 - Jon McGregor. Had high hopes but got so bored I gave up. Felt like it had been hurriedly written and suffered lack plot and characterisation. I hate giving up on books but life is too short.

These Dividing Walls - Fran Cooper . A slightly obvious story with a (boring) political axe to grind. Was hoping to enjoy the Parisian setting but the book was unsophisticated sort of chick lit set in Paris. Very disappointing.

The Identicals - Elin Hilderbrand. Fun, light but really enjoyable story of twins sisters in Nantucket. Great holiday read.

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood. Different, interesting story of women in servitude. Frighteningly easy to see how it could happen.

The Last Mrs Parrish - Liv Constantine. Another gripping story, well written and well told. Really enjoyed it. Story of one woman wanting to steal a rich man from her friend, set in America. Recommended.

The Wife Between Us - Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Another gripping one in the style of the above, ie women fighting over rich husband. On a roll with these rich American women books - fun insight into another world!

Sadik thank you that's brilliant, haven't come across this before and really look forward to reading it. Ann Leckie goes on the wish-list, which at present rate of growth will take over the world.

27 The Europeans by Henry James – This short, early work set in New England in the 1840s, dramatizes the clash between two cultures. Eugenia and her brother Felix arrive from Europe to descend on the Wentworths - their American uncle and his family. Eugenia is in the throes of divorce and assessing how best to restore her fortunes while bohemian, good-natured Felix seeks to make his way painting wealthy Americans. The flamboyance of the Europeans is a stark contrast to their serious, near-puritanical relatives. However, Felix makes a dazzling impression on young cousin Gertrude.
The action centres on a small group of characters on a narrow stage. Overall this seemed like a rehearsal for James’s later work, which shares similar themes of cultural difference and dislocation – perhaps why James calls it a sketch not a novel? It’s beautifully, subtly written and quite an upbeat piece for James, but I didn’t find it a particularly interesting work, it doesn’t have the richness or complexity of the novels that came later - such as Washington Square. Also have to confess although it’s not one of James’s difficult works – very straightforward writing – put it down to read other things several times before finishing it.

Dottie, thank you for that article and the Hattie McDaniel book recommendation. Added it to my list. Fascinating.

Piggy no doubt there are many great football books and yes to getting males to read, but not sure we need so many in the Kindle Monthly deals.
88. The Year Of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion. This came highly recommended. It is the account of the year after the sudden death of the author's husband. A year which also saw her daughter become seriously ill twice. It is a reflection on grief and mourning. To be honest I struggled with it. The author and her husband had a very privileged life and the way she continually weaved this into the story jarred with the underlying tone. But also I don't think I read this at the right time. I suspect if you were recently bereaved then they would be so much to take from this. I just felt like I was gawping at other people's misfortune. I felt this way about H is for Hawk and Plot 29 too. All read on recommendation. You would think I would learn.

Coincidentally, I've just finished When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson (#27). This is the third in the Jackson Brodie series and while I enjoyed her usual witty writing and pretty good characterisation, I felt the author tied herself up in knots with the convoluted plot. The book is also about 100 pages too long.

I don't think having a load of books about football in the Kindle monthly sale will do anything to encourage boys/men to read, if they don't already. If they are not readers, they'll be unlikely to have Kindles/be looking at the Kindle monthly sale.

And The was book 80 not 88! Shouldn't think anyone cares but me though!

Where does one see the monthly sale?

Go to Kindle books and there's a link to the deals on the left.

Thanks remus , just had a look. Didn't seem to be that many football books on there but perhaps I'm missing something.
They did have Tin Man for 99p though which is on my tbr pile so I may purchase!

Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd is in the sale and some others here have recommended that in the past.

Some of those football autobiographies are 10 years old - whoever hasn’t already read Robbie Fowler’s life story isn’t going to dig it out now. My dh is heavily into football but doesn’t extensively read about it. In fact I mentioned it to him and he went “oh” unenthusiastically, as he’s still working through a couple he got for Christmas! He prefers espionage to “I had to get my head straight for the World Cup. It was going to be the biggest match ever. But my ankle was twinging. Would I make it? I rang me mam and she was amazing. She said I needed to get my head straight” etc etc

Anyway got Brazzaville Beach cheers

piggy there was a LOT of football books on there, the monthly deals are several pages long.

One of my favourite books ever is Fever Pitch and Gazza's autobiography is very interesting : You'll Win Nothing With Kids is also fab. But yes the Kindle list is a bit shit.

67 according to my DS who has counted them for me after moaning he was bored!

Fever Pitch is a novel about football which I enjoyed very much too (I’m a big football fan) likewise The Damned United by David Peace - these are all mainly non fic from a quick glance - ghostwritten biogs are often a bit shit imo and there seemed a lot of them.