50 Book Challenge 2018 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 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, the fourth one here, the fifth one here, and the sixth one here.

I’m feeling rather downcast at how quickly my reading has dropped off a cliff since the holidays have finished, but I have few good things collected from the library this week Things I don’t want to Know by Deborah Levy Prisoners of Geography. I’ve also got Crazy Rich Asians on the Kindle for fun; hoping more fun than I found The Nest

Prisoners of Geography is really excellent Satsuki, I think (?) everyone who has read it on here has liked it?

I thought Crazy Rich Asians was great fun - no pretensions to be anything but entertainment.

Long overdue post...
27. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Listened to this on Audible, not my normal cup of tea but interesting. I liked the premise and the way the plot began, but wasn't entirely won over by the ending. It was, perhaps deliberately, a bit of an uncomfortable listen at times - very insistent, for want of a better word. Given the way that 'ear shells' and their effects on the population are described, listening through my headphones made me feel like I was stumbling into the future the author predicted!
28. Longbourn by Jo Baker
The story of the servants in the Bennet household, as they live through the events of Pride and Prejudice. A maid dreams of a different future, as a new footman arrives with a mysterious past. Having read P & P earlier in the year, I loved this novel for the references to the characters, setting and plot that Austen creates and as a stand alone story itself. It paints a very vivid picture of what life was like for a servant, describing chores and responsibilities that are never mentioned in novels about life 'upstairs'. I think this will stay with me.
29. The Mitford Girls by Mary S. Lovell
Biography of the Mitford sisters, long but interesting. The author opens the book by saying that people of a certain age all knew who the Mitfords were. I'm a bit younger than that 'certain age' and found there was a lot of background that was mentioned that I didn't know much about - it felt like it was assumed that the reader would be familiar with Nancy's writing, for example, and I realised how vague I was about early 20th century politics (my failing, not the author's). They certainly lived fascinating lives, and the effects of their choices on those around them (especially their parents) struck me as interesting too.
30. A Life Without Limits by Chrissie Wellington & Michael Aylwin
Autobiography of an Ironman Triathlon world champion. A friend recommended this. It was quite a typical sports autobiography, interesting in places but with more detail on specific performances and injuries than I really needed. I couldn't relate to Chrissie at the start, we are very different characters, but her passion for international development shone through and I found the sections around mindset and sports psychology most insightful.
31. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Previously recommended on here and I thought this was amazing. It has a reputation as 'the Black Lives Matter book', and it is that and more. I thought it was very well written - the author can say a lot in just a couple of lines of dialogue - and that the wider themes about teenage life, identity, belonging and the ways in which individuals can be vulnerable to the influence of gang life were handled well.
32. Looking for Captain Poldark by Rowan Coleman
The Hate U Give was always going to be tough to follow, so I didn't even try! This was an 80 page 'Quick Read' that I picked up in the library and I won't be rushing to read any of the author's full length novels.
33. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Canadian classic. I SO enjoyed reading this! Characters I could picture vividly in a beautifully portrayed setting. I am smiling just thinking about it, a book that made me feel good :)

Now dipping in and out of The Road to Little Dribbling (paperback) and Daunderlust (Audible). Planning to put both on hold to listen to Lethal White when it is released this week, have enjoyed the audiobooks of the previous Cormoran Strike books but 22 1/2 hours for the new one seems LONG! Have deliberately not read the reviews in the Sunday papers, want to make my own mind up on this one.

Satsuki
V good point re anemia. My iron levels were v v low in the past, and I haven't taken supplements for at least a year, so they could well have dipped again. Will start inhaling Feroglobin again and see if it helps.

41. Transcription - Kate Atkinson. The writer's tenth novel, mainly set in London during WWII, and here a network of English spies attempt to learn information from British Fascist sympathisers. A young woman called Juliet transcribes these conversations and is later recruited as a spy. A decade afterwards, events and people from 1940 come back to haunt Juliet. Overall I liked it because of the humour and some exciting scenes but the pacing is a bit all over the pace and the main character isn't fleshed out enough. A few more scenes of tension would have helped enormously, too. I went to a talk the author did this week which was great so it feels even more sad to report that the book she's promoting is one of her weakest. Still, I was delighted to hear the exclusive news that her next book is the fifth in the Jackson Brodie series and is out next autumn!

sadik yes I think it was your short and sweet review that made me go for Crazy Rich Asians. I’ve not read much non-fic this year so thought Prisoners looked a good bet, thank you.

clueless [grin]@headphones

remus yes I was the same and gradually found myself back to square one. I try and take the spatone sachets with juice regularly now to keep it at bay.

south good review, still sounds worth a read though disappointing it doesn’t sound as if it lives up to its promise.

I was reading about Michael Palin’s new Book Erebus - one for polar exploration/history fans maybe? Not book related but he has also done a programme on Ch 5 later in the week where he goes into North Korea, I know there were a couple of popular “inside NK” books on here.

I do like Kate Atkinson but the storyline of Transcription doesn’t really appeal to me, and I’ve seen mixed reviews so I might wait until it’s out in paperback unless I can get it from the library. I’m excited about a new Jackson Brodie though!

clueless I'm going to be staying off this thread until I've finished Lethal White
Hopefully will be arriving tomorrow.
I know opinions are mixed on them but I've really enjoyed them so far, the second being the weakest imo.

Finished Lullaby. Zoomed through it very quickly and enjoyed reading it in French. (The writer was 'interviewed' on MN for book of the month).

Just started The Power by Naomi Alderman which is looking interesting and I'm not usually a fan of dystopian novels...

I do like a Jackson Brodie story so that is good news SouthEast

Just noticed there’s a new Simon Serrailleur book out next month. I thought Susan Hill had said no more.

I have ordered Lethal White for tomorrow too but accidentally sent it to DM’s Kindle. Wonder if I will be able to get it back on mine before she notices. Can you read a book on two Kindles at the same time? Both linked to the same account.

mamapants I'm planning to stay off the thread too, I know others will be much quicker to finish Lethal White than I will be. Totally agree about the series so far, I preferred books 1 and 3 to number 2.
Happy reading!

Goodreads somehow had me down reading a book twice at the same time so messed up the numbering on my reading challenge! This is book 155.

155. The Summer Of Impossible Things by Rowan Coleman

Timeslip novel - Luna discovers she can travel back to 1977 where she meets her mother, and realises she has to prevent a nasty incident from occurring. I do like timeslip novels so I enjoyed this although it’s not the best I’ve ever read. As with all timeslip novels there’s lots of plot holes if you think about it too much, and the ending felt rather rushed.

Best yes you can read on two devices at a the same time. I often do this flirting between my phone and my Kindle.
Interesting about the Susan Hill. I enjoyed the Simon S series. Waiting for my birthday in October, asking for book tokens and then splurging on all the new books I want as a half term treat. The thought is getting me through a tough start to the term.
119. Hagseed - Margaret Atwood Retelling of the Tempest set in a Canadian prison. I usually love Atwood but this took me an age to read and I never really connected with it. Think it might have been 'wrong book at the wrong time syndrome'
120. Forces of nature - Jane Harper Follow up to The Dry . Readable but,as others have said, not as good as her first book.

Yes best as long as you don’t use “furthest page read” to find your spot as it might tell you what the other person is on instead, that’s the only thing otherwise you can download to two devices, my dh and I do it all the time, same account.

I must admit to having read a book on Kindle and phone too so why I thought you couldn’t I don’t know.
Have downloaded it now.

DNF'd Snap as the writing was a bit poor so I've started Lethal White which I'm really enjoying so far. It's 647 pages so I think I might be some time reading it!

Just picked up my copy of Lethal White she does like a big fourth book . Still reading Little Fires Everywhere though

Just thought I'd pipe up and say I hate the Cormoran Strike books! Hated the TV programme even more! Sorry!

Interesting that you thought Snap was poorly written , given its Booker longlisting southeast!

I am reading Dark Water : all very atmospheric but nothing has happened160 pages in, although all the prolepsis keeps promising it will! But it is well written.

Interesting that you thought Snap was poorly written , given its Booker longlisting southeast!

Indeed...it makes me wonder if one of the judges (Val McDermid) knows Belinda Bauer personally because it's nowhere near Booker standard.

Well... personally... I don't think McDermid is that good a writer...

lots of posts to catch up on - will read the thread properly in a minute.
Am reading slowly at the moment due to a combination of work pressures, and there actually being a few things on telly that I'm watching for the first time in months.
Anyway, my latest is
42. Fatherland by Robert Harris Set in a 1960s Berlin where the Germans were the victors in WWII. Xavier March is a disaffected SS detective investigating the untimely end of several Nazi Party bigwigs. He draws links between their deaths, leading him to uncover horrific truths about the regime he works for.

This was gripping, and felt well-researched and planned in terms of interweaving the pre- and peri-war Nazi party reality to Harris's alternate future. However, it's not just about the creating of a new world - the detective story is in itself strong and interesting without the alternate future spin on things.

Life is pretty tough at the moment and I’m not sleeping well, so am at least getting through books fast. And trying to find genuinely diverting and entertaining books to distract me. With some success.

97 How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
This was terrific. Johanna reinvents herself as Dolly, a hard drinking bitchy music journalist, to escape her life of poverty in the Midlands. I wasn't sure whether I'd enjoy this, but it was really tender and insightful as well as being extremely rude and funny. Perhaps even funnier if you lived through the 90s indie wave like I did, but nonetheless I'll be giving it to the DDs as soon as they are old enough (maybe 15?).

98 The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn
A better than average thriller though a little slow in places. As is always the way - I will never learn - it didn't live up to its hype though I did think the way the narrator's mental health issues were handled and integral to the plot were well done.

99 The Course of Love by Alain De Botton
If I'd read this at any other time I suspect it might have left me slightly lukewarm, but right now it was just one of those "right books at the right time" reads. Kirsten and Rabih meet and fall in love. As the narrator says, most stories end there but this carries on through their mostly uneventful marriage tracing the impact of rows, children, affairs, therapy (no spoilers, honestly - it's all there up front). And the story is interspersed with the narrator's (De Botton's voice very clearly) thoughts on love and marriage, the failure of the Romantic ideal and the need for understanding and compassion if you plan to spend your life with someone. Without going in to too many details this was timely, and just what I needed. Am buying copies today for a couple of friends who I think will appreciate it.

Meanwhile, my ongoing battle with One Hundred Years of Solitude continues. I read a study guide, embraced it for what it is and have abandoned any attempt to keep track of plot or characters, and am just going with the narrative. Which isn't at all how I usually read so I'm telling myself it is good for me and I only have another 100 pages to go. Maybe a case of “great book, wrong frame of mind”. I’m not yet prepared to write it off but it is such a slog. If it wasn’t on my list of “12 books I should read in 2018 to widen my reading horizons” I would have stopped.