2020 50 Book Challenge

[samtalkstyle]

31. Pacific Vortex! - Clive Cussler

Not bad. I've found that I enjoy Cussler's earlier and more concise novels better than the longer ones that came later.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

39.Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino

A baleful debased descent into the intertwined lives of three Japanese women and the personal corruption that engulfs them from their teenage years to their forties.

Powerful, disturbing and culturally challenging in its portrayal of Japanese gender and power relations. Not something I would read again in ten years time.

I previously read OUT, her novel translated into English 16 years ago. Highly recommended it.

 

[Fueco]

58. Against All Enemies, by Tom Clancy

Operation Catch Up On Tom Clancy Novels continues... This one is a filler of a story in the series. There's plenty of action, but none of the main characters Tom Clancy was known for.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

40. A Darkness More Than Night by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch LA Noir at its entertaining best.

 

[samtalkstyle]

32. The Naked CEO - Alex Malley

A friend sent me home with this and said I should read it.
It was naff. Generic self-help platitudes.
And the author got thrown out of his CEO role for misappropriating company funds to promote this very book.
That much was entertaining...

 

[samtalkstyle]

33. Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowell - Tom Bower

This was an interesting read, albeit perhaps too detailed to keep me thoroughly interested throughout. It was one of those pick up, put down, pick up a week later kind of books.

 

[Fueco]

59. Rise Of The Warrior Cop: The Militarization Of America’s Police Forces, by Radley Balko

A look at the history of police in America, especially with regard to their increased acquisitions of military weaponry and use of violent tactics while raiding homes and enforcing minor laws.

This book is fascinating, and should be required reading for anyone pondering a career in politics or law enforcement.

 

[Fueco]

60. Locked On, by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney

I feel like Clancy's book got more and more repetitive over the years. Anyway, I'm still aiming to catch up on these books at some point... This one is more conflict with the bad guys.

 

[samtalkstyle]

34. Blue Moon - Lee Child

Bought a bunch of these from a thrift store after rediscovering the series. First one of the haul down.
Not a bad read, but this one was probably the low point of the ones I've read so far.

 

[samtalkstyle]

35. The Epic of Gilgamesh

First read this a few years back, and it felt like high time that I gave it a re-read. I really enjoy reading this.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

35. The Epic of Gilgamesh

First read this a few years back, and it felt like high time that I gave it a re-read. I really enjoy reading this.

Have you read Hero With A Thousand Faces?

 

[samtalkstyle]

Have you read Hero With A Thousand Faces?

Nope, had never heard of it. Had a quick google and it looks interesting. Will get my hands on a copy

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

Nope, had never heard of it. Had a quick google and it looks interesting. Will get my hands on a copy

It had a profound impact on film writing and production ages ago. The Star Wars saga and the third Mad Max film are particular examples of the Hero’s Story.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

41. The Proteus Operation by Jame P Hogan.

Sci Fi, quantum mechanics, the multiverse, time travel and history collide with an interesting cast of historical characters a to provide an momentary distraction. Complex multilayered escapist fiction, nothing more nothing less

 

[LonerMatt]

Spoiler: List

1. The Tangled Land
2. The Test
3. Grace of Kings
4. Wall of Storms
5. Where there was Still Love
6. The Secret Commonwealth
7. Children of Ruins
8. Hunger
9. Legacy of Ash
10. When we were Vikings
11. The Yellow Notebook
12. A Couple of Things Before the End
13. Agency
14. Sword of Fire
15. How to Fix the Future
16. The Topeka School
17. Beijing Payback
18. The Lucky Country
19. A horse walks into a bar
20. The Hidden Girl and Other Stories
21. The Secret Scripture
22. Stone Sky Gold Mountain
23. The Return
24. The Lost Decade
25. Shop Class as Soulcraft
26. Makers
27. Between the World and Me
28. How to do nothing
29. Amusing Ourselves to Death
30. The Bear
31. Eden
32. The Medium is the Massage

31. Eden

A really weird thriller that's about a group of extreme adventurers racing through each of the world's left alone zones. But without humanity, nature has changed! Sort of like alien mixed with day of the triffids. A bit long but very good first 1/2.

32. The Medium is the Massage

A classic, just felt like a re-read, the design is amazing and the writing is fantastic. Well deserving of its heavyweight status. Manages to say so much with so few words.