Challenge: 50 Books discussion
Finish Line 2018
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Mae's 2018 challenge
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3) Sleeping in the Ground by Peter Robinson. Set in Yorkshire Dales area, north of Leeds. This was #24 of the series. I really am a fan of DCI Banks, so there you go! 4) Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck, excellent story about a German man that retires from being a professor, and he comes into contact with many African refugees and they have much in common. "Dreamlike, almost incantatory prose" well that is what Vogue said.
5) Magician's Land by Lev Grossman. Magic! (and I can't really follow the story but this is a CD and magical! so I stuck with it.
7) Marshall's Law by Ben Sanders. Embarrassed to have read this "shoot 'em up, bang bang" The author can write but the main emotion appears to be fear follow by car chases or getting roused and thrown in the back of someone's car, SVU, etc. Tiresome, and one dimensional. I like to pick up books at the library, randomly, and once I started this one, I thought I'd give it a chance...bad idea.
8) The Seagull by Ann Cleeves, the latest book by the author of t.v. show Vera, I like the show better, I have to say.
9) Beau Death by Peter Lovessey DI Inspector Peter Diamond latest in the series. Like the setting, it is all pretty tame, and Diamond and crew end up being kind of "cute". This is the first and last I'll read of this author, okay, and the strongest point...BATH!
10) Set the Boy Free by Johnny Marr CD read by the author, really easy to listen to, told in a way that could be too "name filled" but ends up being interested and made me super interested in the clothes of the day, as well as Mr. Marr's skill as a guitarist, and ...well just an interesting character. Like the musical history part also.
11) Final Stop, Algiers by Mishka Ben-David, really super read, in terms of the author's ability to write. His character is on the Isreali side of the conflicts, and it is a spy thriller written by a male author with a strong female character (thank you for that!).12) My Sister's Bones by Nuala Ellword Excellent lead character (the working journalist), and her sister is also very well portrayed (the alcoholic sister). I'd give it five stars up to page 300 and then the plummet into an implausible story line warrants windmilling the book. I'd recommend that if someone reads this book, to stop at page 300. Fan fiction might lend a helping hand and correct the very discouraging final 100 pages.
13) Master and Commander (Aubrey & Maturin #1)
by Patrick O'Brian, Simon Vance. Excellent historical adventure. Simon Vance offers a wonderful reading of this nautical tale.
14) Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty. Read it because it was turned into a British T.V. show with Emily Watson, which I've not yet seen. Interesting way of telling a tale.
I am up to 27 Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.
I counted Little Dorrit as more than one...it took me so long to carefully read!30. Let Me Lie by Claire MacIntosh. This started out very well then unraveled. It was a fantasy of the author with too many characters. She can write but maybe she is better suited to writing treatments for films? I really liked the premise, just sorry it did not pan out for me.
31. Nobody Move by Dennis Johnson. Reader Bill Paxton. Would be better titled CARNAGE. The reader was good.
32. A Spy’s guide to Thinking by John Braddock (short one)
33. Fear by Bob Woodward. I’m very afraid, I can tell you that (and the low just keeps getting lower).
34. Every Day is Extra by John Kerry. Wonderful, and was able to attend a talk given by him, on this book tour promotion, wonderful speaker. His life is so very different from my own, and he is someone I admire, so great book!
35. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. I'm not sure what I think, but I do find the main character engaging!
36. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. Audio. The reader was excellent. The book itself was disappointing. It just seemed unlikely that someone filled with so much Ambivalence would survive, and the ending was stupid, not clever. It passed the time, and I wanted to see where the author went with it, and I'm just surprised how blah some books can be...and people buy them. It wasn't so bad that I dump the chicklit meets thriller, but I'll be more carefule. 37. Killing it by Asia Mcclare. Yes, back in it..., this time chicklit meets spy thriller.
I missed a bunch, and posting them now:15) Juliette Naked by Nick Hornsby, CD, three readers, really funny about this guy that quite singing/song writing/performing in 1986, and the internet has developed a bold, tenacious fan following. The three voices are the guy, himself, a prof that devotes himself to teaching analysis of T.V., and runs a website on the musician, and his girlfriend, who actually has more to stay on the subject (that the professor). Book starts out in SF area and goes into berkeley hills on Edith Street funny. Hilarious when the guy goes into Juliette's House to have a pee. This warrants the little man falling out of his chair! Hahaha and ha!
16. The Shadow District by Arnuld Indrisson -I get what he was trying to do with pulling up a three generations of crime to cover up rapes and murders but misses the mark and though writing good ... does not support the complex plot, could of done it but didn't pull it off.
17. A Long Way From Home by Peter Carey
18. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote read by Michael C. Hall.
20. Bullfighting Stories by Roddy Doyle, Lorcan Cranitch (Narrator)
Wry Wit has it! Excellent Narrator
21) The Sea by John Bansomething
22) The Proof of Guilt by Charles Todd
23) W...
A BUNCH OF NEW YORKERS AND ATLANTIC SO UP TO 25 26) Cast Iron Peter May
26) Cast Iron by Peter May (this was a really stupid book-last of Enzo McLeod...
28,29.30 Flora Thompson Lark Rise Move to Candelford, and Candleford Green.
29) Proof of Guilt by Charles Todd ready by Simon Treble (yay!) have yet to read Move to Candleford Green, and slowly making my way through Little Dorritt on CD 8/25! WoW
to me
29) Girl with the Kaliescope eyes, really terrible! no plot and lots of "I'm so smart and entrenched in Vogue like celebrity fan fare." Nice title though, and the premise was good if it had not been done before, the whole finding JD Salinger thing.
29 Little Dorritt on CD 8/25! WoW
sorry out of sequence:
38. Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz read by Nathaniel Parker. Cute. 14 year old becomes MI6 spy
39. Patriot by Alex Bell, Stupid boy shit
Dang that election! It really interfered with my reading!
2. A Dark and Twisted Tide (Lacey Flint #4) by Sharon J. Bolton . Continuing to strike out, the author can write. I'm not the intended audience, just not interesting, and too creepy for me.