I've set myself a goal to read 1000 books

[Ricekrispiebun]

I decided on this goal because the past few years have been difficult due to both long term illness and losing my best friend and partner within 2 years of each other. Books always bring me a lot of joy and it's great to get totally lost in some stories.

Anyway I came up with this idea because it gives me something to focus on. For each book I read I might save £2 and perhaps at the end keep some money and donate some to charity. Anyone do anything similar or even recommend any particular fave books to inspire me?

Oops forgot to add that I don't have a time limit in which to do this, it's something I will do at my own pace really

That sounds so lovely. What genres are you into or are you hoping to push your comfort zone, or both?

I asked for every guests favourite book for a wedding present and am still ploughing through them, loads of stuff I'd never have thought to read!

Great idea! I am trying to read more this year.
Recently I enjoyed The Midnight Library. I am currently reading Hamnet which is brilliant. I also just finished Worst Idea Ever by Jane Fallon which was a fun, easy read.
Authors I love are Dan Rhodes, Graeme Greene, Gérard Woodward, Margaret Atwood, Maya Angelou.
All time favourite is probably The Bell Jar.
Books recommended to me have been A Little Life, Girl Woman Other and American Dirt.
Books I have ready to read next on my pile - The Binding, The Humans.
Following for more ideas!

@YesitsBess I nearly always stick to thrillers but I'm trying to go outside of my comfort zone and read more classics and non fiction and self help type books too.

Ooh that's an amazing wedding gift and such a creative idea

Also got The Murder of Harriet Monckton and Mrs England on my to read pile.

Emma Donahue is great.

@Devo1818 I loved The Midnight Library too, Jane Fallon's books are always great, Adele Parks are very similar, have you read any of hers? I've heard American dirt is meant to be very good and it has a great cover

Try the Rivers of London series, incredibly well-written and funny, but also quite gripping.

I'm reading It ends with us at the moment and am loving it.
Last week I read Three sisters and the week before I read Dear Mrs Bird.
Highly recommend all of these.
Good luck with your challenge and sorry for your losses

I haven't tried Adele Parks and will - thank you.

You have almost certainly read it but just thought of The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy

It's old school but I love The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth and The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum.

I love this idea. I really want to get back to reading again. Streaming is my curse 😳

I recommend Girl, Woman, Other as well. The Bluest Eye is tough, but I've never forgotten it.

I asked for every guests favourite book for a wedding present and am still ploughing through them, loads of stuff I'd never have thought to read!

I love this idea so much!

I would recommend The Choice by Edith Eger, a powerful and inspiring book that has stayed with me long after I read it.

And I just read Wonder by AJ Palaci and thought it was very moving and thought provoking

@grapewine

I love this idea. I really want to get back to reading again. Streaming is my curse 😳

I recommend Girl, Woman, Other as well. The Bluest Eye is tough, but I've never forgotten it.

The Bluest Eye! Perfect description of an amazing book.

I'm keeping track of all mine on The Story Graph. I've added a couple of challenges for myself too.
Recently I've loved:
The Midnight Library, although I see you did too
The House In The Cerulean Sea
The Left-Handed Librarians of London

I've just started Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor - I'm hoping I'll like it as it's a series!

@forcedfun it was fantastic, we had a bookcase at the reception and asked everyone to write a note in the book about why they love it. I no longer have the husband but am still enjoying the books

Yesterday I started reading Betty by Tiffany McDaniel. I haven’t finished it yet but it’s one of those books that as soon as you start reading you know will be good. It just hooked me straight away,

I read the Richard and Judy book club books , there are usually 6 every couple of months , not always the sorts of books I would choose but that's a good thing as it has opened me up to reading and loving different authors , I also try to add in a couple of modern classics (or classic) every month too
I've joined book groups in the past but whilst I've enjoyed new book suggestions I've also found that dissecting a book was too much like being in school English lit

I read old children's books for pleasure. These ones may be a bit expensive to get hold of, but I'd recommend:

Malcolm Saville: Mystery At Witchend, Stranger at Snowfell, The Secret of the Villa Rosa
Monica Edwards: The White Riders, Storm Ahead, Fire at the Punchbowl
Violet Needham: The House of the Paladin, The Black Riders, The Crown of Violet
Antonia Forest: The Player's Boy, The Players and the Rebels, The Marlows and the Traitors
Gwendoline Courtney: A Coronet for Cathie, At School with the Stanhopes
Geoffrey Trease: No Boats on Bannermere, Cue for Treason
Pamela Brown: Swish of the Curtain
Enid Blyton: Sea of Adventure, The Rub a Dub mystery
Diane Wynne Jones: The Ogre Upstairs, The Pinhoe Egg
Elizabeth Goudge: The Little White Horse, Smokey House, Linnets and Valerians,
Dark is Rising series
Narnia Series
Alex Rider Series
The Roman Mysteries

Some are quite old fashioned and I've tried to give examples from different series if they have them.

What joys you have ahead.

Recs, if you're interested...

Jane Gardam. She's a wonderful and underrated writer.

I like Sarah Dunant's historical novels, they're full of event and atmosphere.

Brother of the More Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido

And Olivia Manning's Balkan Trilogy and Levant Trilogy.

@MargaretThursday

I read old children's books for pleasure. These ones may be a bit expensive to get hold of, but I'd recommend:

Malcolm Saville: Mystery At Witchend, Stranger at Snowfell, The Secret of the Villa Rosa
Monica Edwards: The White Riders, Storm Ahead, Fire at the Punchbowl
Violet Needham: The House of the Paladin, The Black Riders, The Crown of Violet
Antonia Forest: The Player's Boy, The Players and the Rebels, The Marlows and the Traitors
Gwendoline Courtney: A Coronet for Cathie, At School with the Stanhopes
Geoffrey Trease: No Boats on Bannermere, Cue for Treason
Pamela Brown: Swish of the Curtain
Enid Blyton: Sea of Adventure, The Rub a Dub mystery
Diane Wynne Jones: The Ogre Upstairs, The Pinhoe Egg
Elizabeth Goudge: The Little White Horse, Smokey House, Linnets and Valerians,
Dark is Rising series
Narnia Series
Alex Rider Series
The Roman Mysteries

Some are quite old fashioned and I've tried to give examples from different series if they have them.

Can we be best pals Margaret?! That's very similar to my bookcase and I only know one other person that has read even one or two of those!

Lorna Hill?

OP this is a great idea! Do you have the Goodreads app? It’s great, you can set yourself a reading challenge, log all your reads, write reviews, add books to your “want to read” list as you hear about them etc.

Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible is also fantastic in my opinion.

So many amazing recommendations thanks so much everyone, I have taken note of them all and added them to my to be read list @Allsorts1 i just joined goodreads a few weeks back and love it, though my 'want to read' list gets longer by the day

I'm doing 150 books in a year I did 138 last year. I love-

Shari lapena
Richard osman
Mark edwards
Lisa jewel
Adele parks
Ruth ware
Harriet Tyce
Sophie Kinsella
Jill Mansell
Claire Douglas
Louise Candlish
Heidi perks
Lucy foley
Jane fallon
Alex Dahl
Lianne morriaty