50 Book Challenge 2015 Part Six

[southeastdweller]

Thread six of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2015, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

First thread of the year here, second thread here, third thread here, fourth thread here and fifth thread here.

How did you get on this year?

[Quogwinkle]

130. Sovereign by C J Sansom. The third in the Shardlake series. Really enjoyed this one.

[tumbletumble]

Place marking on new thread

[BestIsWest]

Thanks SouthEast. Marking my place.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Hello. Thanks, South.

I'll probably manage two more before the end of this year, and hope for fewer disappointments next year.

[BestIsWest]

I need to finish Rebecca and one more to make it to 100. The pressure's on.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Just checked back to last year's final thread, and have read more this year. I'm going to be desperate for recommendations again by January 1st. :)

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

Checking in. No book count for this year - looking forward to counting properly next year!

[Quogwinkle]

I think I will probably manage one more book before the end of the year. Wondering what to read, though - I enjoyed the Shardlake, and am tempted just to press on with the next one. Thanks to Southeast for pulling all these threads together :)

[Shortandsweet20]

Oh I look forwards to joining in next year!!

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Yes to the next Shardlake!

[CoteDAzur]

Are we on the 6th thread of the year?

I'm about to finish An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth. 'Tis brill. Review will follow.

[Quogwinkle]

Shardlake it is then :)

[ladydepp]

Thanks for new thread South!

51. Looking for Alaska by John Green - a YA book about angsty American teenagers dealing with a tragic event. Very well written with some interesting and original characters. I would have loved it when I was 16 but now in my forties I find it a bit tiresome, I think this one has put the nail in the coffin of YA for me, I've realised it's just not my genre. I feel like I've read it all many times before. Grownup books from now on!

[Sonnet]

Book 86 - The tales of Max Carrados - Ernest Bramah
This was a free book from Audible and whilst short was a very enjoyable listen. Similar to Sherlock Holmes and superbly narrated by Stephen Fry! i listened to it last night whilst making mince pies, chocolate log and cooking a festive Ham

Still reading A Secret History and frustrated I am too busy at the moment to get much reading in

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Book 154 'Wonder' by RJ Palacio
A YA book that I'd read a lot of god things about. It was okay. I didn't love it - too long, too American and very, very cheesy. I don't recommend it but it kept me quiet for a couple of hours.

[Marrou]

Ooh! I would love to do this in 2016, it's a fab idea. Will you be carrying on?

[CoteDAzur]

Of course, Marrou

[southeastdweller]

Marrou look out for a new thread next Friday morning.

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

Burn For Me, by Ilona Andrews. New series, in an America where magic rules and Primes are the highest class of Magic user. Our heroine is just a girl next door except it's blatantly obvious that she's a Prime but doesn't know it. It's not the most original! I like Ilona Andrews' urban fantasy and I think this series has potential, but so far it's not her best.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Welcome, Marrou.

[FiveShelties]

I would love to join for 2016 as well please - I have gathered enough recommendations on the thread this year to last for the next two years. Have a lovely Christmas everyone and thank you for making my WishList so very very long.

[0191gypsy08]

Hi please could I join for 2016, really need to get back into my reading :)

[MegBusset]

36. The Colour Of Magic - Terry Pratchett
    
    Thought it was about time I gave the Discworld series a revisit (last read 20-odd years ago). Looking forward to the next few books.
    
    So I totally failed to get anywhere near 50 books this year - I put it down to working too much, being tired and picking a few too many long books! Must try harder next year!

[CoteDAzur]

60. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth - Chris Hadfield
    
    This was brilliant! I would recommend this to everyone and I'm actually a bit sad that I read it at the end of the year, so it will just get lost on this little thread before we jump on to the 2016 one.
    
    I didn't expect much more from it than some space anecdotes, but this book turned out to have very valuable insights about life in general, being prepared for anything, "working the problem", family, determination, and pushing down one's ego to help others shine.
    
    It is also sort of an autobiography, in the same vein as Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, where he tells the reader about his life and himself as a person through various facets of his passion for running.
    
    Hadfield is Canadian and wanted to be an astronaut since he was a child. But astronauts were just Americans at the time. Instead of giving up on his (then impossible) dream, he decided to be as prepared as he possibly could be in case one day it became possible for Canadians to go to space. So he went to university to be an engineer and then trained to be a fighter jet pilot. Then when it looked like the Shuttle was going to be decommissioned, he went to Russia to be NASA Director of Operations in Star City, learned to speak fluent Russian, and became fully qualified to pilot the Soyuz (which took the place of the Shuttle and now ferries astronauts & cosmonauts between Earth and ISS).
    
    Single-minded, determined, and obviously very successful, but also incredibly modest, Hadfield shares his experience from training and succeeding among (and with) the top 0.1% of the most intelligent and highly trained people on Earth (and above it). I don't do books where author gives life lessons to readers, but this one actually taught me. A lot.
    
    If anyone is interested,

[Quogwinkle]

Happy Christmas to everyone on the 50 Book Challenge .

Welcome to the newbies - gypsy and Marrou.

The 12 Days of Kindle Christmas Sale has now started, with some good books this time. I've just bought Watership Down (confession - I've never read it ) and The Farm by Tom Rob Smith.

New books are being added to the sale on a daily basis until 9th January. Happy reading.