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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:
DuchessofMalfi · 01/04/2013 13:17

Now starting book 30, My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding and Book 31, an audio book - Nella Last's War, which is good so far.

shrinkingnora · 01/04/2013 18:14
  1. Capable of murder. Precisely as shit as it sounds. No redeeming features whatsoever. Awful. Luckily it was an ebook and didn't waste ink.
  2. Blood, Sweat and Tea by Tom Reynolds. This is from the blog of a London paramedic and was really interesting. not always very well written but entertaining and eye opening.

Duchess - I said exactly the same up thread about French Children Don't Throw Food. I had got totally the wrong idea about it and thought it would be more instructional and less autobiographical if you see what I mean!

Galaxymum · 01/04/2013 18:41

Book 13 was Restless by William Boyd. I really enjoyed this - my first by this author, and I was hooked from the start. I sat up to finish it last night.

Now on Book 14 - River of Destiny by Barbara Erskine. Another new author for me. Ghost story and seems intriguing.

linkainka · 02/04/2013 07:16

Book 2 Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Actually quite enjoyed it and have now bought the second part. X

shrinkingnora · 02/04/2013 10:05
  1. The Raising - really good thriller about US college sororities. Enjoyed it to the point that I had very little sleep last night!
AnonymousBird · 02/04/2013 18:21

Finished 14, the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. Short but great.

Started 15 - The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing. Intriguing and shocking re life in Rhodesia.

MrsMaryCooper · 02/04/2013 20:05

Finished Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Trying to decide what to do next.

juneybean · 02/04/2013 20:36
  1. French Children Don't Throw Food by Pamela Druckerman

Interesting read :)

CoteDAzur · 02/04/2013 22:43
  1. Silk - Alessandro Baricco

Childish and somewhat meaningless novella. Each character struggling to be the least credible and a plot that is teetering on the brink of non-existence. Thankfull, it was short.

shrinkingnora · 03/04/2013 11:42

I am currently reading number 47 - The Life of Pi. Saw the film and really liked it and can't quite believe I hadn't got round to reading it yet. Enjoying it very much so far. Have number 48 lined up but can't remember what I downloaded...

Reading on the iPad is awful, though. Doesn't hurt my eyes or anything but it is somehow really unsatisfying and feels like I haven't really read anything. Definitely won't be buying a Kindle now (have been trying to decide for ages). I would use ebooks for emergencies or when travelling but the feeling is akin to the difference between eating a biscuit and eating a Weightwatchers biscuit. Back to dear old paperbacks for me.

NicknameTaken · 03/04/2013 12:14

gail, let me know how you get on with the Tim Moore! I'm not sure if I would wholeheartedly recommend it. It's interesting if you like that sort of thing (which I do).

nora, that's really interesting about physical copies v electronic copies. I do prefer physical books, but I'm wondering if I haven't given a fair go to the electronic version.

Had a couple of days away over Easter and read quite a lot:

  1. Dragonfly in Amber, Diana Gabaldon
  2. Why be happy when you could be normal? Jeanette Winterson
  3. Bleakly Hall, Elaine di Rollo
  4. Night Waking, Sarah Moss
shrinkingnora · 03/04/2013 13:01

It makes me feel as though what I am doing isn't real. It's the same feeling I get when I spend too much time working on the computer and not enough actually participating in real life. Partly to do with the physical sensation of holding a paperback (am also reading The Good Women of China which has a beautiful, textured matt cover) and partly to do with not being able to lose myself properly in an ebook. I dislike not feeling how many pages I've read and having no sense of progress through the book. I also like to flick back to check things and it is much harder with the iPad - although it is quick I have no feeling of reference as to when events in the books happened eg a third of the way through. And I sometimes think ooh, just a couple of pages until the end of the chapter, I'll finish that then go to sleep and I just don't get that feeling with an ebook. And I miss the colour of a real book. Very odd. I think it just boils down to feeling less physically involved with reading as an experience and I am addicted to the sensation!

NicknameTaken · 03/04/2013 14:31

That definitely strikes a chord with me!

Sparkley84 · 03/04/2013 15:09

I have a Kindle and have a love-hate relationship with it! I love knowing I can take all my books with me everywhere, I love that I can read hands free in my lunch hour at work and I love the light on my cover so I can read in bed when its dark.

But recently I've found that actual paperbacks are cheaper so I've been buying them again. I forgot how much I love the feel of a book! I like to flick back to check things and I like to be able to see how far through I am. I also like looking at the covers - I know that sounds weird but often on the kindle I forget the name of the book and author as you never see it!

Sparkley84 · 03/04/2013 15:16

Finished 8

Capital by John Lanchester. Rating 6/10

WednesdayNext · 03/04/2013 19:54

Still on book 16 here. Kindle says I am 62% of the way through. I'm really enjoying it, but it feels like a slow read.

I'm debating making the next book something other than Game of Thrones, but I'm not convinced that will happen!

NicknameTaken · 04/04/2013 12:08
  1. Frederica in Fashion, M.C.Beaton
shrinkingnora · 04/04/2013 20:55

  1. The life of pi - finished. Good and it was nice to see how true the film was to the book.

  2. The Good Women of China - have put it down somewhere upstairs and temporarily mislaid it so I have moved on to 49. The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed out of the Window.

MrsMaryCooper · 05/04/2013 09:31

Finished 29 Fat Chance - Dr Robert Lustig all about the effects of sugar on our diets and bodies. Not an easy read but very informative.

MrsCosmopilite · 05/04/2013 14:03

Finished #17 The Agincourt Bride. Very enjoyable! I got quite wrapped up in the characters, and am eagerly awaiting her next novel, which is out this Autumn.

Now about 1/3 way through #18 'Tea Rose'. Full of twists and turns, very absorbing. My only criticism is the same as I had with another of Jennifer Donelley's books. She is an American author, writing about events in England. However, she uses American expressions like 'gotten, sidewalk, Fall' which are incongruous with the rest of the prose.

PerksOfBeingNorthern · 06/04/2013 12:33

Got through a few over Easter Grin
22) Scarlett Thomas - Bright Young Things
23) Gerry McCullough - Belfast Girls
24) Anna Sewell - Black Beauty
25) Nicole Yeager - Picture Imperfect
26) Anne Stormont - Change Of Life
Love my kindle and not having bag weighed down with books anytime I go anywhere because they're all in one place! Sometimes get urge for real book and real pages to turn so next book will be one of the paperbacks gathering dust on my shelf!

gailforce1 · 07/04/2013 10:59

Read two by Jon McGregor as one is the MN bookclub book and, as it was a collection of short stories, thought I would try one of his others.
15. This isn't the sort of thing that happens to someone like you
16. Even the dogs
Although well written both are rather bleak so have decided next read is going to be something lighter and have started Learn Love in a Week. Fitting the bill so far!
Anyone else here reading TITSOTTHTSLY for MN chat with the author on 16th April? Not many comments on the book club thread so far.

MegBusset · 07/04/2013 21:57
  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
  7. Imperium - Ryszard Kapuscinski

Imperium was an absolutely brilliant collection of reportage, would highly recommend and am going to track down his other books. Next on my list is Anathem, by Neal Stephenson - at 900+ pages it's going to slow me down a little!

MrsMaryCooper · 08/04/2013 07:10
  1. A Deeper Sleep - Dana Stebenow have finished . I enjoyed it but it is No15 in a series so I wonder if she may be running out of steam a bit so I am going to read No1 A Cold Day for Murder as my book 31
tumbletumble · 08/04/2013 08:48

Just finished no.11 - A Year Of Doing Good by Judith O'Reilly. A bit disappointing - I thought Wife in the North was hilarious, this one was okay but a bit dull.

Book 12 will be Gone Girl.