Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

50 Book Challenge in 2013. Who's with me?

991 replies

CardiffUniversityNetballTeam · 05/01/2013 16:58

Tidying up after Christmas it has come to my attention that I have nearly 100(!!) paperbacks in stacks down the side of my bed waiting to be read. BlushBlush
I am going to challenge myself to try and read at least 50 of them this year. That's nearly one a week so I am going to have to really apply myself and stop faffing around and doing other things when I could be enjoying a good book.
I wondered if anyone else would like to join me? We can post what we are reading and then post when we have finished each book and what's next.
I know I would love to hear what others are reading and enjoying (or not enjoying) so I can go out and buy more books in a few months time!
My first book of the year is President Down by Terence Strong about spies and terrorists which my dad lent me about a year ago! I'm only about 20 pages in, but so far so good.

OP posts:
MrsMaryCooper · 31/03/2013 12:01

Finished 27 Gently with the Ladies. All the smoking! True to its time but mindboggling.

Now on 28th Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn and I'm really enjoying it so far, its much better written than I expected.

DuchessofMalfi · 31/03/2013 08:17

Eggbasket - have you read A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness? I read it last year and thought it was very good.

tumbletumble · 31/03/2013 08:11

Finished book 11 last night - Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway. I'm not normally a fan of fantasy / sci fi, but I enjoyed this mainly due to the cast of interesting, memorable characters. Some strong female characters in particular.

EggBasket · 30/03/2013 23:10
  1. From Hell - Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell
  2. Room - Emma Donoghue
  3. Omon Ra - Victor Pelevin
  4. The Knife Of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness
  5. The Ask And The Answer - Patrick Ness
  6. Monsters Of Men - Patrick Ness

A weak ending to the Ness trilogy which I got a bit bogged down with.

WednesdayNext · 30/03/2013 10:55

Still on book 16 here. I'm about half way through Game of Thrones book 3.

Cardiff I recently read The Lifeboat. It was really good. I'd highly recommend it.

mumslife · 30/03/2013 09:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

minsmum · 29/03/2013 23:49

22 murder on the Flying Scotsman Carola Dunn.I have loved these sweet little murder mysteries set in the 1920's.

Allalonenow · 29/03/2013 23:11

Go to the Amazon Kindle pages and download the free Kindle app, you will find a huge number of free books there.

shrinkingnora · 29/03/2013 22:32

Ok, I've just been given an iPad. I've downloaded iBooks but can't find a single free book that I want to read. Are there any decent free books or am I looking in the wrong place? Or should I resign myself to paying for them?

MrsCosmopilite · 29/03/2013 21:18

Finally finished 'Roughing It'. However, I posted about it so long ago I can't remember what no. book it was. #16 I think.

I've just got a stack of books out of the library, and have one from the MN book giveaway last week, and one I bought in the charity shop today. Taking a night off to let my brain wind down from gold prospecting, silver mining, and tours of Hawaii (see above), and then getting stuck into The Agincourt Bride.

greengirlie · 29/03/2013 21:04

ooh, ooh, ooh, can i join? cant promise that i will read much highbrow stuff but i am a book worm :D not sure how many i read last year but would have been around the 50 mark give or take. I am one of these people that breaks into a sweat if i haven't got a book lined up when I'm nearing the end of the current read!
hey can i join the cardiff group too... links?
Cheers me dears [bugrin]

shrinkingnora · 29/03/2013 21:03

The Ninth Life of Louis Drax was excellent, really interesting and original. Thoroughly recommend this one. Love Liz Jensen anyway but I think this is her best.

minsmum · 29/03/2013 20:57

21 Requiem for a Mezzo by Carola Dunn. I bought the first 4 in the series in a kindle sale ages ago am currently reading the 4th. Really enjoying them but I have just checked and there are 20 I am not supposed to be buying books

InLoveWithDavidTennant · 29/03/2013 20:37

finished book 11 this morning. lisa jackson - left to die. really liked it but after i had finished it i spent the next few hours being really pissed off. it doesnt have an ending. my poor dh... he had to put up with hours of me moaning about it... until i looked up the author and realised there was a part 2 Blush so now i have to wait to see it in a charity shop or get desperate and buy it from ebay

book 12 is sophie kinsella - mini shopaholic. have been looking forward to this one for a while now. am nearly half way through already Grin

minsmum · 29/03/2013 10:34

20 The Winter Garden Mystery Carola Dunn

linkainka · 29/03/2013 07:15

Book 1 Mhairi McFarlane. 'You had me at Hello'. A warm, enchanting but down to earth story about people and relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

gailforce1 · 28/03/2013 17:41

Nickname I have the Tim Moore book on my "to read list". I have not read any of his books before and not many travelogues either but saw it mentioned somewhere and on the list it went!

NicknameTaken · 28/03/2013 10:53

Finished book 32, Amateurs in Eden, Joanna Hodgkin. Really, really enjoyed it.

Currently on 33, Tim Moore, You are Awful, But I Like You Anyway: Travels through Unloved Britain. His travelogues are all a bit samey, but I do find them fairly amusing.

minsmum · 28/03/2013 10:25

19 Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn

minsmum · 27/03/2013 20:29

18 Dark Winter by David Mark got me back into reading again when I was faltering a bit. Gripping unputdownable crime thriller.

AnonymousBird · 27/03/2013 17:37
  1. Memoirs of a Geisha - surprised me, I really enjoyed it.
  2. After the Fall - a great read, gripping, I felt it, but a tad predictable.

Now on to one of:

  1. The boy in the striped pyjamas
  2. The Grass is singing... Or
  3. My Cousin Rachel....
DuchessofMalfi · 27/03/2013 17:00

Definitely you should read The Lifeboat, Cardiff :o It's very very good.

Original poster
CardiffUniversityNetballTeam · 27/03/2013 15:21

I know Tumble, we can do it!!

I can't believe some of us are up in the forties already though. I can see some people reaching 150 books at this rate.
I love this thread though, if only for the inspirations. I really want to read The Lifeboat. I was tempted by it in Waterstones a week or so ago, now I know some of you ladies like it I'm definitely going to get it. Smile

OP posts:
DuchessofMalfi · 27/03/2013 14:11

And Book 30, an audio book - The End of the Affair by Graham Greene.

tumbletumble · 27/03/2013 13:47

Don't say you're getting behind Cardiff, I'm on book 11 too and I'm pleased with that. We're still nearly on track for 50 by the end of the year!

Am enjoying Angelmaker btw.