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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:
thejoblot · 22/02/2013 12:59

Just finished book 9: A Second Wind by Philippe Pozzo di Borgo. Thought provoking and had me softly weeping in places. Not seen the film "The Intouchables" based on this story and know it will be different but hopefully just as enjoyable (when/if I ever get round to watching it)

tumbletumble · 22/02/2013 14:04

Finally finished book 5, A Prayer For Owen Meany. I can't say I loved it, but it is thought provoking. It's been sitting on my bedside table for ages so I am pleased with myself for reading it.

Am going to read a couple of short books now to catch up a bit!

gailforce1 · 22/02/2013 15:58

Nickname yes I would recommend The Fishing Fleet if you are interested in how women lived their lives. If you were an unmarried woman with few prospects of finding a husband in England you had little choice but to make the journey to India and this continued till the late 1930's. Will be interested to hear what you think!

NicknameTaken · 22/02/2013 16:36

Okay, will add to the (long) list!

PurpleStorm · 22/02/2013 19:50

Finished book 10, Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice

WednesdayNext · 22/02/2013 23:17

Phew! Just finished book 13: A Game Of Thrones. Book 14 will be the next in the series: A Clash Of Kings. Then I might have to have a break and read something less heavy and addictive.

MrsMaryCooper · 23/02/2013 10:10

Now on No21 The Visitor - Lee Child I'm not a huge fan of Jack Reacher but we'll see how it goes.

I enjoyed Hidden Depths by Ann Cleeves and I may branch out into her non series books once I have finished the Lee Child.

FakePlasticLobsters · 23/02/2013 10:15

I'm doing the 75 book challenge on Library Thing, but this list includes short stories as well as books.

  1. Colony by FG Cottam (Kindle novel) ***
  1. Safe House by Chris Ewan (Kindle novel) ** 1/2
  1. Spooky Nook by Robert Swartwood (Kindle short story) * 1/2
  1. A Sincere Warning About The Entity In Your House by Jason Arnopp (Kindle short story) **
  1. Bright Young Things by Scarlet Thomas (Kindle novel) * 1/2
  1. The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan **
  1. Stranded by Emily Barr *
  1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn **
  1. Alys, Always by Harriet Lane ***

  1. Sweet Valley: Ten Years On by Francine Pascal (borrowed book) no stars, was awful.

  2. A Good Father by Noah Hawley

  3. A Beginners Goodbye by Anne Tyler *

  4. How To Be A Good Wife by Emma Chapman (Kindle novel) ***

  5. The Phone by Michael Robertson Jr (Kindle short story) *

  6. The Other Room by James Everington (Kindle short story) *

  7. Home Time by James Everington (Kindle short story) *

  8. Some Stories for Escapists 1: The Werewolves by James Everington (Kindle short story) *

  9. First Time Buyers by James Everington (Kindle short story) *

  10. In The Tall Grass by Stephen King and Joe Hill (Kindle short story) ***

  11. UR by Stephen King (Kindle short story) *

  12. A Face In The Crowd by Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan (Kindle short story) *

  13. The Playdate by Louise Millar **

  14. Mile 81 by Stephen King (Kindle short story)

  15. The Cabin by Matt Shaw (Kindle Book) *

  16. Trouble in Mudbug by Jana Deleon (Kindle book)*

  17. Mischief in Mudbug by Jana Deleon (Kindle book)*

  18. Showdown in Mudbug by Jana Deleon (Kindle book)*

  19. Disappear by Iain Edward Henn (Kindle book)*

FakePlasticLobsters · 23/02/2013 10:16

The *'s were my LT star ratings, but MN has cut some of them off.

HopeForTheBest · 23/02/2013 11:19

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This has been withdrawn by MNHQ on request of its author.

FakePlasticLobsters · 23/02/2013 11:59

Library Thing is lovely, and you can sort your books in various different ways and if you want to, you can tag them to help create a tag cloud which helps others to sort and find them too.

They do have groups and a talk section that can look a bit of a mess when you choose to view everything at once, but you can sort it to just show groups you have joined or posts you have starred and that makes it easier to view.

You can start an account for free so it's worth joining up and having a look at it, but it did take me a while to get the hang of it and settle in, as it was the first site of that kind I had used.

AnonymousBird · 23/02/2013 13:11

Just finished number 10. Harold Fry. I'm a little torn - loved it in points, but was a bit frustrated by it in others. Suspect I was supposed to be! Now can't decide what to read next......

Allalonenow · 23/02/2013 18:08

Just noticed that "Measuring the World" by Daniel Kehlmann is the Kindle Daily Deal today, a snip at 99 pence. I really enjoyed this clever and amusing book. It's about Humboldt and Gauss viewed through family relationships, it's not a science textbook at all.

mumslife · 23/02/2013 18:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Allalonenow · 23/02/2013 22:38

Book 9 ~ "The Black Arrow" by Robert Louis Stevenson, chose this as I've always enjoyed "Treasure Island" but was quite disappointed. Although it follows the Romance genre pattern with a quest etc, the characters are thin, and the plot is not based on any real Wars of the Roses action, but is entirely fictitious, set in 1460 when Richard would have been just a small child.
Not a patch on "Ivanhoe" !

minsmum · 24/02/2013 10:32

Just finished The Hanging Shed and starting book 15 If this is a Man later today

shrinkingnora · 24/02/2013 10:53

Finished number 16 - french children don't throw food. it wasn't at all how i expected. much more of a memoir than a parenting manual. Not sure why i thought it would be but anyway, really enjoyed most of it. I am having a bit of a dilemma about rereads. Do i count them? Or do I try to read 50 new books this year?

PerksOfBeingNorthern · 24/02/2013 10:54

Had a few days off and added
12) Kjelden Cundiff - The Cold November Son
13) Lilian Darcy - Cafe Du Jour
14) Nora Roberts - Chasing Fire

Am Angry I missed War Crimes for the Home at 99p!

Original poster
CardiffUniversityNetballTeam · 24/02/2013 13:04

I have finished Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell. It is quite possibly one of the oddest books I have ever read, but strangely compelling nonetheless.

Book 8 will be Assegai by Wilbur Smith.

Nora- I don't see why you can't include re-reads, although I haven't re-read any books in years, except Riders by Jilly Cooper, which I re-read annually! Blush

OP posts:
hoppityhoppity · 24/02/2013 17:01

I have realised there is no way I am going to reach 50, but I am hoping to reach 30. I have really struggled so far. I started with Dog Days by Ana Marie Cox (now Guardian US journo) which I thought would be a real page turner, but really wasn't and would have abandoned except I really struggle with that so I finally finished it but it took most of January! I then had to read The Sun Also Rises for book group and have struggled with that too. Am only half way through but am goingt o persevere. I actually think my problem with it is I haven't read it in big enough chunks. Yesterday I bought The Silver Linings Playbook and I loved it, highly recommend. I read it straight through, some sims in style with Curious Incident. Going to see the film to see how they compare. So am at 2.5...I have so many books I want to read sitting on my shelves so am hopeful I can raise my game!

DuchessofMalfi · 24/02/2013 17:45

I certainly think it helps having a kindle, and a kindle app on my phone so that, when I'm out, I've always got a book handy and can read a few pages.

Also audio books are good for the times when you're doing other things like housework, cooking, driving etc. They still count towards your total. I've started getting free audio books from the library downloaded onto my i-pod :)

shrinkingnora · 24/02/2013 19:47

OK then -
17. The third time he left me - Sarah Harris
18. C - John Diamond

I reread all the time because I read quickly and also I like to influence my moods with books. Yes, they are my drug...

WednesdayNext · 24/02/2013 19:50

Having the kindle app definitely helps. I've been known to read a bit on it whilst standing in shop queues.

I'm definitely going to need something lighter after this 2nd GoT book. Any suggestions for a nice light read?

SuperScribbler · 24/02/2013 22:19

The Disappearance of Edwin Drood was not good.

Book 21: was Tambourlaine Must Die by Louise Welsh. More of a novella and was ok.

Book 22: 19th Wife, which has been on my bookshelves for some time so thought it was time to give it a go.

NicknameTaken · 26/02/2013 11:22

I've just rediscovered a regency romance series I loved in my teens - the Six Sisters books (Minerva, The Taming of Annabelle, Daphne, Diana the Huntress, Deirdre and Desire, Frederica in Fashion). When I first read them, they were by Marion Chesney, but they have been re-issued under her other pen-name, M C Beaton. I haven't got on with M C Beaton's Agatha Raisin books, but I'm enjoying her old Marion Chesney ones. Back in the days when I'd never even kissed a boy, these reassured me that I might rather like the experience....