Challenge: 50 Books discussion
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Connie F's 2017 book challenge
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95.
Swing Time **Still making my way through the Man Booker longlist. This was my first Zadie Smith novel and from what I hear, it's not her best. It was just an o.k. read for me. I read a couple other reviews that summed up how I felt about this novel, which is "she should write less and say more." I enjoyed Smith's prose and character development, but this book could have been a good 150-200 pages shorter and still acheived the same story. I would have enjoyed a more fleshed out story between Tracy and our narrator, I think it could have gone a little deeper and to me was the more interesting aspect of this novel. The character Aimee, reminded me of Madonna (which I'm pretty sure is intentional). At times the novel was a little confusing, as the writing switches between the narrators past and near present. The chapters aren't labelled and at times we'd go from the narrator in high school to her in her 30s and without labeling the chapters it would take a minute to realize the story switched times. I will probably try to pick up another of Smith's novels in the future - probably "On Beauty" or "White Teeth." If I hadn't been listening to this on audio book - it would have taken me much longer to finish. The narrator - Pippa Bennett-Warner was very good.
96.
[book:4 3 2 1|*** 1/2I like Paul Auster's story telling. This is a bit of a beast of book at 866 pages. Essentially - 4 3 2 1 is the 4 possible lives of Archie Ferguson. As usual I listened to the audio book as well as read the physical book. The author narrated this and I thought he did a pretty good job. The pacing of this book is pretty good. There were some sections of "word vomit" where the author just lists things, which I don't like in books, especially when you have a book this long - I don't think it adds to the story it just takes up 1/2 page. I really liked the premise of this book - but I thought the way the book was put together didn't work (at least not for me). Essentially there is a prologue which gives you a little background of Ferguson's parents. Then it is broken into 7 parts with 4 chapters in each part to represent each life. So part 1 is Ferguson's life from birth to age 6 or 7. Part 2 is his life through the rest of elementary school, then Part 3 is around middle school, Part 4 is high school etc. I found it hard to follow each story line this way. I had a hard time keeping each storyline straight and found myself having to go back and look at the previous part to see which life we were following. Finally about 1/2 way through the book I sat down and listed the significant details of each life. I think it would have been better to do each life all the way through or have released each life as a novella. I like books that make me think and push me a little - but I don't like when I can't keep the story straight. I did have to listen to this on audio since I started it on Monday - maybe reading the physical book would have been a little easier in keeping the storylines straight, I'm not sure. Again - Paul Auster's writing is good and although I didn't particularly like Ferguson, I didn't dislike him either and I did want to continue with the book to see what happens. I will definitely pick up another Paul Auster book. I see why this book was picked for the Man Booker Prize because it does go a bit outside the box - but the structure of the novel didn't work for me.
97.
Home Fire ***The writing is good. Some consider this to be a timely novel, and it probably is, I just didn't really connect with any of the characters. It's a relatively short novel, 260pp, I started it on Sunday and finished it today. I've never read Antigone and will need to check that out this month so I can see what the references were in this book - as it is a modern retelling of Antigone. Again, it was good, just not great.
98. Days Without End
****I've been waivering between 3.5 & 4 stars and I've decided to round it up to 4. This is a novel, longlisted for the Man Booker prize. I mostly listened to the audiobook and think that the narrator, Aiden Kelly, did a fantastic job. I've looked over some other reviews and some of the complaints were with the conversational style of writing being hard to follow or get into - which taking into consideration that back in the 1850s/60s most people, especially immigrants, were usually uneducated - the manner of speaking in this novel is probably pretty accurate. I personally really enjoy narration like this (ie. I loved "As I Lay Dying" by Faulkner). Since I mostly listened to the audiobook - the writing style flowed because of the narrator. I highly recommend the audiobook for this reason - if you feel that this type of narration will trouble you. The second complaint was with the lack of plot. I personally don't mind books that just tell the story of characters with little plot. I can tell most of the reviewers were NEVER in the military - where "hurry up and wait" is a daily activity. Very true to life in real wars - these military men fought battles and back then - they then walked to the next battle. That's what the military and wars are like. 95% boredom and 5% $hit your pants terror. But what I really loved about this book was the makeshift/unconventional family created by Thomas & John. Thomas McNulty meets John Cole when they are young teens, they are starving and they decide to try to go through their lives together, eventually joining the army. I liked the way the author made the love story between Thomas and John very understated, probably keeping it historically accurate. Mostly, I loved the way they felt about Winona. They brought this young Indian girl into their lives and raised her as their own daughter. The author does a great job conveying not only the love Thomas and John have for each other, but the love they have for Winona.
99.
Behind Her Eyes ****1/24.5 stars! This book is a strong 4.5 star read for me. It's a strong plot driven mystery and the author did a really good job of keeping me guessing through the whole book (even when I didn't realize it). About 3/4 of the way through it got a little predictable with one of the main characters deciding to take actions into her own hands when you know she should just go to the police. Up to that point I was really enjoying the book and thinking solid 4 star read. At that point I was thinking this just dropped to a 3 star book. But the ending. I figured out the one part of the ending but the last chapter totally threw me for a loop - I had no clue and it shot my rating to 4.5 stars. Solid, enjoyable read. Again - the predictability of the one character a little more than 1/2 way through - but it really had to happen for the story to work
100.
Final Girls ***I guess I would call this book a mystery - it's not a horror book like I thought it would be. It's fairly well-written and there were 2 very good twists in the book that I didn't see coming at all. Unfortunately, I just didn't care about any of the characters. It was entertaining, but a little slow - however it was mysterious and kept me guessing most of the way through. I'd still recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, entertaining read.
101.
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness **This book was not for me. It started out good with a story about Anjum - born a hermaphrodite in India whose story was relatively interesting but then the story veered off into people and politics that I just couldn't follow and really didn't care about. I finished it only because I had gotten about 1/2 way through the book and I don't like to not finish something I start. I may try the author's first novel "The God of Small Things" which won the Man Booker in 1997 and I've heard is nothing like this novel.
102.
Frankenstein **Although I liked the themes this book explores, the writing is not for me, which is why I'm so hesitant to read classics. Some of the themes that are explored in this book are relevant today - nature vs. nurture and how as a society can we drive people who are different but looking for love and acceptance to lash out in violence when they are shunned.
103.
You ***1/2(I didn't want to round up because I don't feel this is as good as most of the 4 star books I've read). This was a creepy book. Single point of view with one narrator (Joe) and you are in his mind for the whole book. So it's mostly this internal monologue that Joe has going on - which was clever at first - but got a little tiresome after awhile. The girl (Beck) Joe was stalking/obsessed over was not a likeable character so I didn't have a lot of sympathy for her. There is some interaction Joe has with other characters but very little to no other character development. This is a creepy book - probably the creepiest part about it is how normal Joe is with others, he always says the right thing etc., but his thoughts are downright scary. I recommend this book if you're looking for a fast-paced quick thriller.
104.
The Sentinel ***When I was a kid this movie scared the bejeezus out of me! The book was good, but didn't have the same effect and it may be that, even though I haven't seen this movie in 30 years, I still remembered the plot. Still a good book if you're looking for a spooky Halloween read.
105.
Fierce Kingdom ****Fierce Kingdom is a fast-paced, plot driven novel. Joan is at the zoo with her son Lincoln and right before leaving they see something that terrifies her so they have to run back into the zoo and hide. The fact that she has a 4 year old who is becoming his own person and she cannot control what he does is what makes this novel scary. Joan & Lincoln can be a little annoying and their relationship a little sacchariney, but overall I found this book enjoyable.
106.
The Leisure Seeker ****This book was chosen for one of my book clubs. I always enjoy books about people from Michigan or that take place here - so I was pleasantly surprised to see the couple (Ella & John) are from not only Detroit - but Madison Heights! Anyway, I don't read many books about older people at the end of their lives and this was a nice little story about Ella & John revisiting the same vacation they took back in 1966 - driving from Michigan to California to go to Disney Land. They drive there taking the long way along Route 66. There were a couple LOL moments in this book. Not much plot but a nice character driven novel exploring themes of Alzheimers, Cancer and end of life decisions.
107.
The Exorcist ****The movie stuck pretty close to the book. It's been a few years since I've seen the movie but I don't recall much in the book that wasn't in the movie. Parts of the book were pretty creepy, but I do think that this is one of those rare times that the movie was just as good or maybe even a little better than the book just because the visual of the what happens to Regan while she's possessed was scarier seeing it in the movie than reading it in the book. However, still a solid 4* read for the plot and story as a whole. I also listened to the audiobook and I liked the narration by the author.
108.
The Snowman ***1.2Solid 3 1/2 stars. Fast paced murder mystery with a couple twists that keep you guessing most of the way through the book.
109.
The Children Act ***1/2This was my first foray into the writing of Ian McEwan and I will definitely read more of his novels. The Children Act has a 60 year old protagonist who is a Judge in a London Family Court - presiding over cases of families and children. She has to make decisions that will affect families all while dealing with troubles in her own marriage. I found it refreshing to read a story about a strong, career minded older woman. I enjoyed Ian McEwan's writing style. I listed to the audio book for a good portion of this book and the narrator, Lindsay Duncan did a really good job in bringing this novel to life.
110.
The Girl in 6E *** 1/2This is a very fast-paced book with short chapters. The Girl in 6E is a girl who has homicidal fantasies and to protect the unknowing public from her - she has locked herself in Apartment 6E for the last three years- never coming out. She supports herself as a Cam girl and makes quite a bit of money doing it. Part of the story is quite predictable, but all-in-all I enjoyed the ride this book took me on. It does have some very explicit sex scenes so if that makes you squirm be prepared.
111. The Call ***3/43.75 stars. I put this book on hold after hearing someone on YouTube talk about it but had no idea what it was about. It is a fast-paced, dystopian YA novel set in Ireland some time in the future. 1000s of year ago the Irish sent the Fairies to the Grey Land and now the Fairies seek revenge by "calling" children in their adolescence to the Grey Land and they must try to survive their time there. In 3 minutes they return to where they were when the were "called" either dead or alive. I also listened to this on audio and the narrator, Amy Shiels, was a delight to listen to. Her accent sounded a little more Scottish than Irish - but it was wonderful all the same. If you are looking for a fast paced, easy read and you like dystopian stories, in the vein of The Hunger Games, you may like this book.
113.
Uncommon Type: Some Stories *** 3/4Yes, you read this right - Tom Hanks published a book of short stories. I highly recommend the audio book which was narrated by the author and I think his narration brought a lot to these stories. The 1st story has a group of 4 friends that you will see in 2-3 more stories in the book. I think the first story was the strongest and my favorite - but I do recommend this book.
114.
Johnny Got His Gun ****I think this is a book everyone should read. This book should make people think twice about sending our men and women into war. It is the most difficult, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching novel I've ever read. It is written in stream-of-consciousness style, and you follow the protagonist, Joe, as he slowly regains consciousness after having been in a bunker in WWI that was hit by a bomb. As he slowly regains his consciousness he begins to realize the extent of his injuries which are the most horrible that you can imagine.
115.
The Shadow of the Wind ****Thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in this story. I liked how the author told the story mostly through Daniel's perspective, but the addition of Nuria's story was really interesting as well. The author really took his time and developed these characters and the story line. My major complaint with most long books is that they could have been a little shorter - and this book is no exception. It did begin to lose a little something toward the end. The author does lie to you at one point by telling you something that will happen and it really doesn't which annoyed me a little. However, I enjoyed the rich story and character development in this novel.
This is one of my favorites. Not sure I understood it all, but, as you say, I enjoyed being IN it.
116.
How to Breathe Underwater ****I really enjoyed this collection of short stories by Julie Orringer. Even though they are short stories - there was a good amount of character development. The author didn't shy away from writing dark stories, especially about kids. I also liked that most of the stories took place in Michigan. The author explored some dark actions by children in a couple different stories which were a little uncomfortable. She also explored illness of a parent and the effects on the whole family but especially the kids. I enjoyed this collection and recommend it.
117.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI *****Exceptional look into a part of our history that our government still refuses to recognize - the regulated racism against Native Americans. This book is split into 3 sections. The first is the overall story of the mysterious deaths of several Osage Indians. The Osage were forced onto a reservation in Oklahoma, which the government thought was worthless land - only to find out there was oil there. The Osage tribal members therefore became very rich. In the 1920s, members of 1 family in particular were being murdered. The second part of the book is when the Bureau of Investigation (n/k/a the Federal Bureau of Investigation) became involved and their investigation into these murders. The 3rd part of the book is the author's continued investigation into the matter which uncovered many more murders of Osage Indians during that time. The audiobook is narrated by Ann Marie Lee, Will Patton and Danny Campbell - each narrating 1 part of the book. I really enjoyed Will Patton's narration I thought he did a great job.
118.
Her Body and Other Parties **There was a lot of hoopla about this collection - nominated for a National Book Award this year and most of the reviews I've seen have been stellar - but as you can tell from my star rating - I was underwhelmed. I will say that I'm not a huge fan of short story collections. The first story turned me off with several of her descriptions of sex like the description of a bride having sex before walking down the aisle and thinking about whether she was the only bride to walk down the aisle of that church with "semen dripping down" her legs. I don't think that just because an author writes something to be shocking or uncomfortable that it makes them a good writer. I don't have a problem with stories that make me uncomfortable - I just finished Julie Orringer's "How to Breathe Underwater" and felt the stories were really compelling - even though many made me uncomfortable. Also, Machado is the type of author who doesn't want to give you the whole story (ala- Faulkner) - you have to really think about what she is writing to figure out her meaning and I am not one who likes to work that hard when I read (I work hard enough all day at work!) Although that may just be me and this collection just went right over my head. I would like to see a novel from her before I make a final opinion about her writing to see where she can go with character and plot development.
119.
The Collector ****This is a book about a man, Ferdinand, who becomes obsessed with a young woman, Miranda, and stalks her. The first part of the book is told completely in his perspective while the 2nd part is from Miranda's perspective. Similar to the book You by Caroline Kepnes, The Collector has a female victim who's not very likable - but you do get to hear her side of the story. The final part of this book was quite disturbing. I enjoy books (or movies/t.v. shows) that bend the line between good/bad, right/wrong and show you a perspective that isn't always typical. I did find this book an interesting read and wanted to continue reading to find out what happened.
120.
Sing, Unburied, Sing *****Winner of the National Book Award - I understand what the judges see in Jesmyn Ward and this book. This book is about a family - Pop, his daughter Leoni, her son JoJo and daughter Kayla and her mother Mam. Leoni is a bit of an unlikeable character. I absolutely loved the relationships between JoJo & Kayla and Pop. This story addresses a lot of relevant topics like racism, drug abuse, child abuse, and poor parenting. Jesmyn Ward's writing at times is lyrical and atmospheric. There is a touch of magical realism in this book. I also listened to the audiobook and the narrators Rutina Wesley (you may know her from True Blood, she played Tara), Kelvin Harrison, Jr. and Chris Chalk were all really good. Especially the narrator who read JoJo.
121.
The Martian ****Really entertaining sci/fi. If you liked the movie - you'll enjoy the book. It's a fast-paced story with good character development. It does get a little tedious near the end when things just keep going wrong - but there were several parts of this story that are in the book that didn't make it into the movie. As usual, I also listened to the audio book, the narrator, R.C. Bray, was really good. Highly enjoyed this book/audiobook.
122,
Ill Will ***1/2I like Dan Chaon's writing. This book has 3 unreliable narrator's who weave the story together. There are two mysteries - a murder in the past and a string of murders happening in the the 2000s. The ending was not very satisfying and left too many open questions.
123.
The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family ****The Long Road Home is the story of the beginning of the insurgency in Iraq in 2004 that was started by Moqtada Al-Sadr and his followers in Sadr City, Iraq. The First Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood was deployed to Sadr City in April 2004 on a "peace keeping" mission only to find themselves caught in a surprise attack on their 4th day in country. One platoon is pinned down and used as bait to get more U.S. troops out to save them. This is a well-written narrative of this incident. As with a lot of books about military missions - there is a lot of story to tell - that's just the way it is. There are a lot of aspects of military missions from command posts to the troops in the field - and you need to hear it all in order to get a greater understanding of what happened. Raddatz does a good job giving insight and backstory into the main people in this incident - especially those who don't make it home. She also includes stories of many wives back home and how they coped with the deployment. National Geographic Channel turned this book in to a 7 part series which is airing now. The final episode is set to air next Tuesday (12/19/17). Although Hollywood took some "creative license" in making the t.v. show - it basically follows the book. I think the book and t.v. show are good companions for this story.
124.
Grief Cottage *****I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Part coming of age novel and part ghost story. It's a touching story with some quirky characters (my favorite) as an 11 year old boy comes to terms with his grief and his new life with an elderly Aunt he never met. The novel deals with not only grief but also family, loyalty, mental health with respect to how children deal with harsh situations and situations of sexual abuse, and how family can some times be people we aren't related to. There was a little blip in this book, about 50 pages before the end that I thought was a little weird and wondered if I should mark my rating down to 4.75 but the author got past that blip (and acually - I was listening to the audio book during that part and it may have just been the narration), but the story recovered and I loved the ending. So keeping it 5*s!
126.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius **What to say about this book? I read it because it is a book club pick for our Jan. meeting. At first, the long-winded streams of consciousness were somewhat amusing and I thought I liked this author. However, after pages and pages of word vomit, those passages just became annoying. There are also a couple parts of this book I found a bit problematic i.e. remarks that made me uncomfortable and may be considered racist. At one point the author is talking about jokes he and his little brother make, wherein he remarks that his little brother understands that these types of jokes should only be between them, yet he included them in this book. Go figure. Dave Eggers can write (which is why it gets a 2 instead of a 1), and I did find his story of taking care of his younger brother after the death of their parents compelling, however, he comes off a little self-absorbed and unlikeable. The interview with the MTV casting exec for casting for the Real World San Francisco was frankly cringe worthy. If this book had been edited properly and cut down by 100-150 pages - it might have been a really good book. I mostly listened to the audio book and I will say that the narrator, Dion Graham, was fantastic! Probably the only reason I could finish it.
127.
We Are the Ants ***This is a compelling YA character driven novel. It's a pretty easy read, like typical YA books. The author addresses some pretty deep themes like teen suicide, homosexual relationships between boys, an interracial relationship, single parenthood, the end of the world. At times it got a little too deep on the "themes." The chapters that describe how the world can end I felt took away from the overall story. All in all, I enjoyed this book and recommend it if you are looking for a quick read.
128.
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry ****Although Fredrik Backman is one of my new favorite authors - this wasn't my favorite of his books - however it was still a VERY good book. As with his other books, he has a cast of quirky supporting characters. This book moves pretty fast. This is the book you meet Britt Marie in first. Although I read Britt Marie Was Here before I read this book and it was fine - I didn't lose anything reading that way. I think Backman writes older people better than he writes kids. The main character is 7 going on 8 and there are times she says or does things that no 7 almost 8 year old would do or say. Also the book is smattered with fairy tales that Elsa's grandmother made up and I'm not a huge fairy tale person. As usual, Backman's character development is very good and this was a cute story.
129.
Artemis *** 1/2Solid 3.5 stars. If you want a continuation of The Martian this isn't it. Weir does write smart-ass men better than smart-ass women - but I still found this book entertaining and enjoyable. I mostly listened to the audiobook which is an Audible exclusive - Rosario Dawson narrates and she does a great job. I was surprised how well her accents were! Artemis is a colony on the moon & Jazz is a minor criminal who finds herself in the middle of a much larger, high stakes game to take over Artemis. The book is pretty fast-paced plot-driven read. One of the things I liked about The Martian was Weir's infusion of science with entertaining novel - which he uses here. Whether what he says in the book is correct - I have no idea - but it works. No dumbing down of his readers - which I like!
130.
Elmet ****Elmet was shortlisted this year for the Man Booker. It's a character driven novel about a small family living on the outskirts of society in Elmet in rural England. This book is told through the eyes of the son, Daniel. There are 6 parts that are set in current day that are separate from the regular chapters. The chapters is the near-past story of Daniel, his sister Cathy and their father. Mozely takes you through a year in the life of this family and touches on themes of economic situations of poor people, the privileges of rich people and people who live on the outskirts of society. I will definitely be looking for more books from Fiona Mozley. I also listened to this on audio & the narrator, Garreth Bennett Ryan, did a really good job.
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Elmet (other topics)Artemis (other topics)
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry (other topics)
We Are the Ants (other topics)
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (other topics)
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This book is well written, but I thought it was a story about mixed race couples struggles in the 90s - and in a way that is what it is about - but not in any significant or meaningful way. The protagonist, Maria, is not very likable - in fact, she's downright weird and creepy. She's engaged to Jalil and she is having second thoughts so she fixates on The Poet. The situations she gets into and the things she does are just creepy. This book was disappointing, and not exactly what I was expecting.