Lemon_sherbert's 50 book challenge!

lemon_sherbert

Good Behaviour by Molly Keane

This is a rather sad novel, written about the St. Charles family, a wealthy Anglo-Irish family circa 1920s, primarily the daughter, Miss Aroon. She is out of place in her world, and much of the tragedy of the book comes from her naivety. Very skillfully written. (Though I was fairly annoyed, as this second hand book literally fell apart as I read it.)

4/5

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The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

I picked this up after having enjoyed Middlesex so much. This is his first novel and doesn't have the same charm. It's a very different sort of novel, about five sisters, who we know from the first page are doomed to kill themselves. What's done well is the development of the sense of unease in modern culture, the emptiness that came with a consumer culture, and the emergence of youth culture as part of the extended childhood and a growing generational divide. It was a fairly depressing novel, to tell the truth. There is an inevitable sense of tragedy.

4/5

lemon_sherbert

The Secret Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller

This book tells us the story of Pippa Lee, beginning as she moves to a retirement village with her much older husband and then moving back to see her troubled childhood and youth. This was enjoyable enough to read, nicely paced, but not very different in any way that might make it stand out in any way.

3/5

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The Famished Road by Ben Okri

This won the Booker prize in 1991 (I think), and is the story of Azaro. Azaro is a spirit child, born to die quickly and return to the spirit world, but for his mother, who has given birth to him five times, he stays. But he is torn between the two worlds, seeing both at the same time, and his spirit companions want him back. It's also a story of an African nation, the destruction of the old ways and the corrupting influence of the remnants of colonialism.

That said, I really enjoyed the first third of the book. Then I quickly got sick of the spirit visions. Boy wanders into forest, boy sees spirits. Okay, now repeat about twenty times. In the end I was just glad to finish it.

3/5

lemon_sherbert

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

This book did not particularly appeal to me. It is the story of an Indian family's experiences, particularly those of fraternal twins Estha and Rahel. It is a story of loss, of forbidden love, the rigidity of traditional caste systems. It just wasn't for me really, couldn't get into it.

2/5

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling

Just a reread, as I haven't been feeling well and I can't really get into anything heavy. Funny how much sadder these books are when you read them as an adult.

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling

Again, another reread, until I get back into reading form again.

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

This is probably my favourite of the Harry Potter books. The books certainly don't suffer after a lot of rereading.

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So in the fuss of returning to college and being snowed under with work, I completely forgot about my online log, but as I keep a log in a notebook too, I can fill in the gaps.

70. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling

71. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling

72. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling

73. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

Naturally I love the Harry Potter books, they formed a part of my childhood and so I tend to reread them whenever I get tired of reading for a while.

74. Regeneration by Pat Barker

This is the fictionalised story of the meeting that took place between the famous psychiatrist Dr Rivers and noted war poet Siegfried Sassoon in a military psychiatric hospital during World War One. It's a powerful story of the impact of war on a soldier's mind, the morality of war, the relationships formed by common experience. Very touching and at times very harrowing, particularly the depiction of the Electro-shock treatment. At the same time, I found it a little difficult to get into at first. (3/5)

75. The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

I'm a hug fan of Robin Hobb, and with this book she returns to the universe of the Liveship Trader Trilogy, some of my favourite books of all time. This was a promising beginning to a trilogy, if not as good as some of her previous books. (4/5)

76. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

I picked this up as Sanderson will be continuing the Wheel of Time series after Robert Jordan's death, and I wanted to see if his style was up to it. I have to say, I was blown away by this. As a debut fantasy novel, it was complex, free from cliche and very compelling. As the inhabitants of Elantris, city of the gods, have succoumbed to a debilitating disease, three central characters seek to save the kingdom of Arelon, and in doing so themselves; Raoden, the prince of Arelon who contracts the Elantrian disease and is condemned for dead, Sarene, his bride to be who is widowed before she has married and Hrathen, a priest who arrives to convert Arelon. (5/5)

77. World Without End by Ken Follett

This is a sequel to Follett's epic medieval tale in The Pillars of the Earth, which tells the story of interweaving lives in the town of Knightsbridge. There are some truly gruesome characters in this, a very romantic love story, and ultimately a remarkable story of difficult times. Very enjoyable indeed. (4.5/5)

78. Generation A by Douglas Coupland

Coupland's latest work has received a lot of hype and advertising, but I'm not sure Generation A quite hits the mark. It's set in the not too distant future, in a reality where bees have disappeared, and with them all crops that require pollination and much of the hope of humanity. Then six individuals are brought together when each of them are inexplicably stung. It's along a similar vein to Girlfriend in a Coma, but that I think was a more successful storytelling. It's good, but it could be better. (3/5)

lemon_sherbert

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

This book takes the form of an extended letter from a dying father to his young son, detailing his life as a preacher in the American midwest, exploring themes of faith, love and loss. Absolutely beautiful prose and such sensitivity to the emotion of everyday.

Wonderful 4.5/5

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This was a lovely little novel, quite a quick read. Set in the aftermath of world war two, an author in search of a new idea for a novel finds her way to the Channel Island of Guernsey. The book is written in letters, mostly from Juliet Ashton, the protagonist, and her new friends in Guernsey and her childhood friends, Sidney and Sophie. It was uplifting, and very enjoyable.

4/5

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The Piano Teacher by Janice YK Lee

This novel examines the lives of two women in Hong Kong, before and after World War Two and the man who connects them. Claire and Trudy are different in many ways, yet as their stories progress, their similarities become more and more apparent. The book explores themes of nationality, war, the limits a person can be pushed to, the nature of love.

To be honest, I think it was a little overhyped and definitely didn't live up to the comparison made to Atonement on the cover. It was good enough, but I couldn't really connect with the main characters.

So it's a 3/5

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The Elegance of the hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Words cannot describe how much I disliked this book, so I won't even attempt it.

0/5

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Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

I picked up this year's Booker Prize winner a couple of weeks ago and launched right into it. It's a fictionalised version of Thomas Cromwell's life, son of a blacksmith who rose to become one of Henry VIII's chief advisors. I really enjoyed it at the beginning but found myself tiring of it. What didn't help is that I know a fair bit about the historical period already, so the story wasn't as dramatic as it might be for those who are unfamiliar with the time. That said, it was full of brilliant historic details and was compellingly told.

A 3/5

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Daniel Deronda by George Eliot

Middlemarch is one of my all time favourite books, I've read a few other books by Eliot as well, and had been meaning for a time to read this. I have to say I was a little disappointed. It's a dual narrative, telling the intertwining stories of Gwendolen Harleth and Daniel Deronda. I was completely gripped at the beginning, but as the story progressed and became preoccupied with questions of religion I lost interest. The ending was a little too predictable.

3/5

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The Gathering Storm by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

The next tome in the Wheel of Time series finally arrived, after Jordan died, Sanderson was chosen by his widow and editor to carry on the series. There are definite changes in style, but the story flows very nicely. The Plot - some serious spoilers here, you've been warned:

The breaking and reunification of Tar Valon was really well told, I loved the way Egwene developed in this book, it was believable, a logical continuation of the journey she has made and made her much more interesting. Severe lack of Perrin and Elayne in this book, but the rest of the characters all got a fair look in. A return of sorts to the style of the earlier (better) books. The last quarter of the book was excellent, Rand's story was really gaining momentum and we got a good preview of what's to come in the Last Battle.

My favourite bits; Verin was black in order to study the black! Lews Therin and Rand merging, I've been waiting for this since his memories resurfaced. Elaida's kidnapping - she's had it coming for ages. How do you beat someone smarter than you at a game? Sit down and pretend to play, then punch them in the face!

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Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

Mm, this disappointed me, I have to say. I had loved her previous book, The Time Traveler's Wife, but this didn't live up to that. It was very predictable, and the ending very unsatisfying.

2/5

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The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

The last of the millennium trilogy, I saved this for a while, not wanting to finish the series. In retrospect, a silly decision, as I found it difficult to remember who all the characters were!

An excellent finish to the saga, fairly true to character conclusions, I really liked how Salander developed in this book.

Not quite as good as number two, I think, but still fairly exciting and a very good read. The legal details were a bit off, which irritated me a little, but you can't have everything!

4/5

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Life Before Man by Margaret Atwood

It took me a good while to get into a book this time round, I kept picking something up and putting it down, not being helped that I'm reading 3 law books at the moment for college as well. But anyway, eventually got into this story of two unhappy couples who get wrapped up in eachother's lives. I found it a depressing kind of book, and the sadness sort of creeps into you. Lesjia (can't remember how to spell, sorry), is a constant outsider, seemingly unable to be happy, or unwilling. Elizabeth I came to despise as manipulative, heartless. Nate is a tragic ineffectual sort, who cannot seem to get his life together.

I suppose it certainly invoked an emotional response in me, but I didn't really enjoy the thing. A lot of weird dinosaur bits too, that didn't quite work,

2/5

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We are all made of glue by Marina Lewycka

This was a lovely novel, I ploughed through it, really enjoyable. At first it seems very ordinary, story of a woman separating from her husband, who befriends an elderly neighbour. But it opens itself up and reveals stories of loss and revenge, greed and forgiveness. I really enjoyed the political elements, but I won't reveal them, as they're integral to the plot. It's a book full of hope, which was just what I needed.

4/5

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The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

I picked this up after it was short-listed for the booker prize. It is set after WWII, in a crumbling country house, with the three surviving members of a wealthy family. Dr Faraday enters their lives and becomes a witness to their troubles. It is described as a ghost story on the book jacket, and while that's not completely accurate, it is certainly a very creepy book, with a pervasive sense of tragedy throughout.

Gripping 4/5

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Angler: The Shadow Presidency of Dick Cheney by Barton Gellman

This book, written by a journalist, is an exploration of Dick Cheney's role in the Bush presidency. It's written thematically, rather than chronologically. A really interesting read, particularly if you're interested in the methods by which Cheney assumed more power than any other vice-president in US history.

Highly recommended 4/5

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A History of the World in Ten and a Half Chapters by Julian Barnes

This is a collection of tenuously linked stories throughout human history. Common themes and motifs run through the stories. To be honest, I just didn't click with this book. I pretty much just wanted to finish it most of the way through.

1/5

The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne

Again, this wasn't very enjoyable. I read it in one sitting, constantly hoping that something interesting would happen. The novel is written from the perspective of Georgy, a youth from rural Russia who takes a bullet for the tsar's cousin and is transported into a new life in the Winter Palace, at the same time, we hear of his life sixty years later in England.

I don't like Boyne's style, the writing always seems very unremarkable, but I had hoped, as in The Boy with the Striped Pyjamas, the plot would compensate for that. It didn't. The story was very predictable.

The Anastasia plot was terribly clichéd, and one of my pet peeves

It was however, marginally better than A History of the World.

1.5/5

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Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

I know it's a children's book but I'm in that sort of humour. I really enjoyed this, the story of a twelve year old adopted by an elderly brother and sister. Good old fashioned fun, and heart-warming too.

4/5

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Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

I really like Hornby's style for a quick, humourous read, and this didn't disappoint. It begins with Annie, in an unhappy relationship with a musician obsessed boyfriend, and when Annie begins communicating with the musician in question, there are some fairly odd turns of event.

Anyway, it's certainly not Shakespeare, but it's funny and light-hearted. 3.5/5

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Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

This was a re-read, I don't really know why, I never really enjoyed it the first time round, and it wasn't different the second time. The central character is terribly rigid and preaching the whole way through the novel. It is one of the most boring romances I have read.

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Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler

Charlotte, planning on running away from her husband, is kidnapped by a bank robber, who only manages to steal 200 dollars. As they go on the run, we hear Charlotte's story from her unhappy childhood, her marriage to a preacher. As with all of Tyler's books, the families are unhappy, yet happy, the characters complex and terribly real to life.

4/5

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The Wild Things by Dave Eggers

This was a birthday gift, strange book. It's the novelisation of the film based on the children's book Where the Wild things are. It's about a little boy, Max, who runs away from home after a fight with his mother and sister and travels to a tropical world full of monsters. And to be honest, that's about it. While nicely written - I'm a fan of Eggers' style, not much happens when he's staying with the monsters. I think it could have been better plotted.

2/5

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From the republic of Conscience - Stories Inspired by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

This is a collection of short stories written by an Irish-based author, collected according to the Articles of the Declaration. Each story is accompanied by a piece of illustration by an Irish artist. The book is opened by a poem by Seamus Heaney - From the Republic of Conscience.

The book is a bit of a mixed bag to be honest. Some of the stories are excellent, Anne Enright, Frank McCourt and Roddy Doyle stand out from memory. On the other hand, there are a number of rubbish stories, three are essentially short essays on not being able to think of anything to write.

3/5

lemon_sherbert

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

The Final Empire is the first of a trilogy based on a reversal of a traditional fantasy tale, where the Dark Lord won the battle, and for 1000 years the known world has suffered under his rule. It was an excellent read, and I couldn't sleep until I finished it. The characters are complex, their motivations suspect, no characters are all good or bad. It was an interesting new system of magic too.

5/5

EDIT: Oh, and as that's 100, I think I'll end the reading log here, it was only intended to get to 50 anyway!