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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:
Galaxymum · 07/02/2013 11:47

I read The Fast Diet by Dr Michael Mosley yesterday so totted up no. 7 whilst I'm in the middle of the excellent Gone Girl.

This thread is too tempting though - I keep adding to my To Read pile! It'll never go down which was not the aim at the start!

NicknameTaken · 07/02/2013 09:36

Ha, Perks, that's the danger of a thread like this! I got in in my local library, so it might be worth trying there if you don't want to spend more money on books. If it helps, it was fairly interesting (depending on how much you already know about Victoria's family - I don't think there are any startling new insights) but I wouldn't classify it as a must-read.

mydadsdaughter · 06/02/2013 23:52

Have finished Queen Camilla, a friend lent me it and although it took a while to get into it I enjoyed in the end, also just finished first series of unfortunate events which I was reading to my little boy which was fab!

PerksOfBeingNorthern · 06/02/2013 17:43
  1. Elizabeth Janet Henderson - Laura's Big Break
  2. Sheila O'Flanagan - My Favourite Goodbye

Have started Charlotte Bronte - The professor but struggling slightly so may have to leave and come back. Have Sunne In Splendour to read and quite fancy The Last Princess Nickname is reading

secretscwirrels · 06/02/2013 16:25

No 6 was a Robert Parker. I've just discovered him and so will be dipping in all year.
Total fail was the 100 year old man. I thought the style was so childish I wondered whether it was meant to be a children's book?
I give a book 3 chapters maximum. I read for pleasure not for work so it has to entertain me.
Just starting the Expats by Chris Pavone.

NicknameTaken · 06/02/2013 15:45

Reading The Last Princess, non-fic about Queen Victoria's youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice. Not a life to envy.

Original poster
CardiffUniversityNetballTeam · 06/02/2013 09:29

Cote - Born To Run sounds fascinating. Although I must be strong and not buy any new books.

I stayed up late last night and finished book 5. It was Sanctus by Simon Toyne. It was a really gripping book about religious conspiracy. I really liked the fact that the author hasn't pretended any of it is based in fact and that he made the whole thing up! Probably for the best as part of it is really quite shocking. I was disappointed at the ending though. I hadn't realised it is the first of a trilogy, this book just runs straight into the next one, so none of the loose ends are tied off. And I don't have the second book.

Book 6 is Brute Force by Andy McNab - which should have been book 5 but I left it at work and started Sanctus instead.

OP posts:
CoteDAzur · 06/02/2013 07:45

I finished Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. An incredibly entertaining and curiously informative book about the author's trip to Mexican canyons, to meet and run with the Tarahumara tribe, whose people seem to have the secret of extreme endurance. He puts together a very convincing case of how we are running animals (rather than walking animals like pigs and chimps, for example), drawing on evidence from human anatomy and anthropology. Fascinating book! And I am now completely convinced that we are all "born to run" and can't wait to chuck my super-padded Nike trainers in favor of some minimalist running shoes Smile

On to Poet by Michael Connelly...

NotGeoffVader · 05/02/2013 22:19

Still on Caitlin Moran - some bits of it are making me spit drink out laughing.... definitely a recommend, even though I'm not yet finished.

SuperScribbler · 05/02/2013 21:56

Barking took ages to get going and was all rather convaluted. Not bad, but not one of Tom Holt's best.

Book 16: The Sunne in Splendour (what else Smile ).

MrsMaryCooper · 05/02/2013 19:49

And No 14 is Nice Weekend for a Murder - Max Allan Collins. I don't think it's going to stretch me, but it is trotting along nicely so far.

MegBusset · 05/02/2013 19:34

Finished no.6, it was a bit longer than the others but still pleased that I managed to read a 450-page book in just over a week!

  1. Edge Of The Orison - Iain Sinclair
  2. The Year 1000 - Robert Lacey
  3. The Clay Machine Gun - Victor Pelevin
  4. V For Vendetta - Alan Moore & David Lloyd
  5. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
  6. Peter Ackroyd - A History Of England Vol 1: Foundation

Would highly recommend the Ackroyd book for history fans. Funnily enough I reached the chapter on Richard III yesterday!

No.7 will be John Christopher's The Death Of Grass, v short so shouldn't take long.

MrsMaryCooper · 05/02/2013 18:17

No 13 was Capital by John Lancaster. Well written but it didn't really grip me.

minsmum · 05/02/2013 17:09

I didn't know that he does seem to be quite a fan of her Charlie Fox books though.

Galaxymum · 05/02/2013 16:43

Lee Child and Zoe Sharp are good friends and used to live near each other in the Lake District. I listened to a tslk by her a couple of years ago - feisty and very imaginative! She takes her research very seriously.

minsmum · 05/02/2013 16:25

Don't know where my post went but book 8 was cranford which was very sweet.
Book 9 is Killer Instinct by zoe sharp which I am enjoying. It comes with a recommendation from Lee Childs.

tumbletumble · 05/02/2013 07:36

Stayed up late last night to finish book no.4 - The Child Who, a real page turner. Knackered today!

Next book is A Prayer For Owen Meany. I may be some time.

Allalonenow · 04/02/2013 23:39

greenhill ~ pleased you got the bargain price, and also passed it on, hope you enjoy the book. I think Penman will enjoy a huge surge in sales following today's news.

thejoblot · 04/02/2013 22:44

Walked past a charity shop & spotted "The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng this morning .... so on the advice of this thread it's now in my "to read" pile Grin

moonshine · 04/02/2013 22:40

Cross with myself for wasting lots of reading time these past few weeks (as well as being a slowish reader) so have just finished:

No 3 11.22.63 Stephen King 9/10

Really enjoyed this book - I haven't read King for years and have been put off by all the dismissive reviews of most of his recent ones but thought it was pretty thought-provoking and just a darn good story.

It's inspired me to read more King but am starting with the non-fiction Danse Macabre after having watched Woman in Black last night (although thought it was pretty cliched, even if it did have some good 'jump in your seat' moments)

Lots of books on this thread I need to explore as well.....

NotGeoffVader · 04/02/2013 20:58

Rather enjoyed No 8 - 'The Painter's Apprentice', which continues the story from 'The Apothecary's Daughter'. A fair bit of history in there with a romantic theme running through. Although I wonder why bosoms must always heave and pulses flutter (last two books I've read).

Just starting No. 9 'How to be a woman' - Caitlin Moran and have no's 9 & 10 lined up.

  1. Point of Origin - Patricia Cornwell
10 When will there be good news? - Kate Atkinson

(hopefully by then DH will have finished 'I can make you hate' and I can make that no.11)

BTW, whenever I get a new discworld novel, I read ALL the others again first.

WednesdayNext · 04/02/2013 20:55

French Children Don't Throw Food was 5.99 on kindle. I'm about 3 chapters in and really enjoying it so far.

greenhill · 04/02/2013 20:25

Allalonenow thanks for the tip, I've just bought it for 74p and recommended it on the Richard III thread too.

Can I join?
1 Why Men Lie - Linden Macintyre. Third part of a trilogy, Canadian novel.
2 Fourplay - Jane Moore. Wife discovers husband has an affair, then rebuilds her life.
3 Back Story - David Mitchell. Memoirs of comedian and panel show host.
4 My Lover's Lover - Maggie O'Farrell. Gothic psychological drama.
5 The Corn Maiden - Joyce Carol Oates. Novella and short stories.

HopeForTheBest · 04/02/2013 20:12

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TheLateMrPamuk · 04/02/2013 20:03

Hello :). Finished book 5 today I absolutely loved it. The Personal History Of Rachel Dupree. Such a good read.