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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 · 15/04/2013 09:52

Book 14 - River of Destiny by Barbara Erskine. 1st by this author and I was completely hooked. Great time linked story.

Book 15 - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Excellent. Fascinating history of Guernsey during the war.

Book 16 - After The Fall by Charity Norman - 3rd good read from my holiday. Not like I expected. Very good family drama.

Book 17 - now reading The Light Years, the 1st of the Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Just a note - I bought this on kindle but the translation is very poor. The paragraphs merge and no gap between the sections and changes in main character. So I had to buy the paperback to continue.

shrinkingnora · 15/04/2013 11:53

  1. The hundred year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared - liked it but it felt like a bit of a slog to get to the end. The thinking man's Forest Gump?

  2. Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich - caved and bought the ebook of this. Same as all the others but I like all the others so that's ok! Have also read a couple more ebooks but can't remember them off the top of my head.

juneybean · 15/04/2013 13:05
  1. Atonement by Ian McEwan
thejoblot · 15/04/2013 13:13

help... been distracted by the gardening, so far behind everyone else! Blush

mumslife · 15/04/2013 13:49

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juneybean · 16/04/2013 18:36
  1. About a Boy by Nick Hornby
mixedmamameansbusiness · 17/04/2013 11:20

Galaxymum I downloaded the guernsey etc. I pick it up every time I go into a bookshop so caved in.

Juneybean I absolutely love About a Boy. I quite like Nick Hornby, but let some friends borrow them and then list touch . I might have to get About a Boy again though. It is also one of the few books that I liked the film of too, they both made me cry.

gailforce1 · 18/04/2013 08:42

Book 15. This isn't the sort of thing that happens to someone like you by Jon McGregor. Really enjoyed the webchat on Tuesday 16th which also covered some of his other books and I went on to read Even the Dogs as book 16.
17. My Life as a Fake by Peter Carey
18. Learn Love in a Week by Andrew Clover. Light, easy read but would not recommend.
Now starting the new Kate Atkinson, been looking forward to this for ages!

Jdub · 18/04/2013 10:22

I have been so inspired by seeing what everyone is reading, it has inspired me really trying to find the time to read more! So 'Thank you'! I am certain I won't be able to get the grand total of 50, but I am determined to give it a fair old shot! So far this year then:-

  1. When God was a Rabbit - Sarah Winman - Really enjoyed
  2. Highland Fling - Katie Fforde - good fun and a quick read
  3. My Animals and other Family - Clare Balding - LOVED - really like her style
  4. How it all Began - Penelope Lively - really likeable characters
  5. The Perfect Proposal - Katie Fforde - quite fluffy, but enjoyable!
  6. Road to Paradise - Paullina Simons - Just about to start...
Jdub · 18/04/2013 10:42

oops - forgot to add

  1. The Lighthouse - Alison Moore - what a lonely chap the main character is.
Therefore, my number 7 is Road to Paradise...
WednesdayNext · 18/04/2013 10:59

17 was my friend's manuscript- a young adult fantasy, which I couldn't put down, so now 18 is George R R Martin "A Feast For Crows".

mumslife · 18/04/2013 12:50

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PurpleStorm · 18/04/2013 21:01

Finished book 30: Julianna Baggott - Pure. Set in post nuclear war USA - survivors are 'fused' to objects except for the lucky few Pure ones protected in a dome. It was okay, but I won't be rushing out to buy the next one in this trilogy.

and book 31: John Harding - Florence and Giles. A reworking of The Turn of The Screw told from the little girl's (Florence) point of view. Good.

tumbletumble · 19/04/2013 07:52

No. 14 was my first non-fiction book, The Jigsaw Man by Paul Britton, who is a forensic psychologist involved in several high profile murder cases such as Jamie Bulger, Rachel Nickell and Fred and Rosemary West. Fascinating stuff.

Original poster
CardiffUniversityNetballTeam · 19/04/2013 14:07

Just checking in to say I have finally finished book 11, Heartstone by CJ Sansom. At 700 pages it took me a while to break the back of it, but the last four or five chapters were un-put-down-able!

Book 12 will be The Doomsday Key by James Rollins, from a series about a group of spies-cum-archaeologists called "Sigma Force." Grin

OP posts:
NicknameTaken · 19/04/2013 15:53
  1. The Herring-Seller's Apprentice, L. C. Tyler
  2. The Herring in the Library, L.C.Tyler.

I am now officially bored with this series (humorous crime capers).

  1. The Celtic Revolution, Simon Young. Not nearly as original and enjoyable as his book AD500.

  2. Voyager, Diana Gabaldon. The third enormous tome in the series. I'm going to take a break from the series for a while. I don't think I'm enjoying it quite as much as the lady authoress.

  3. Skios, Michael Frayn. Amusing to see how he keeps all his plates spinning. Clever but a bit pointless.

DuchessofMalfi · 19/04/2013 18:18

Finished book 31 - an audio version of My Cousin Rachel by Daphne DuMaurier. A "re-read" for me. Really enjoyable. Now I want to re-visit all her books that I've read before. I'd forgotten how good a novelist she was.

minsmum · 20/04/2013 14:01

Finished book 26 Bitter Water by Gordon Ferris. I notice that his first book Hanging shed is free on the kindle at the moment. I bought it for the full price and thoroughly enjoyed it

Southeastdweller · 23/04/2013 16:51

Feeling very Blush I've only managed six books so far. I need to quit with my iPhone addiction!

Book six was Gone Girl. Pacey and well observed but a bit overwritten in parts and I didn't like a single character. One to donate to the charity shop, I think.

Feeling inspired reading the latest posts on this thread so I hope to read about five over the next six weeks or so. It's nice knowing some of my favourite authors (Zadie Smith, Mark Haddon and Rupert Everett) have their latest books out in paperback now or very soon (I don't bother with hardbacks but quite tempted about the new Kate Atkinson).

DuchessofMalfi · 23/04/2013 18:40

Book 32 - The Clothes They Stood Up In by Alan Bennett. This was another audio book but as it's only 2.5 hours long, I'm not sure it qualifies for a whole number :o

mumslife · 23/04/2013 20:57

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MegBusset · 25/04/2013 08:25

Finished Anathem - a cracking read which didn't take as long as I thought!

  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
  8. Anathem - Neal Stephenson

Got a few shorter books on my shelf to read next, will decide what to start with later!

DuchessofMalfi · 25/04/2013 10:58

Book 33, finished last night - The Innocents by Francesca Segal. A great read :)

CoteDAzur · 25/04/2013 13:48

Meg - You are the only other person I know who has read Anathem Smile

It was Neal Stephenson's most challenging book to date, I thought, and it gave me a headache at times (in a good way) but it is a great book. And he is a genius.

CoteDAzur · 25/04/2013 13:49

If you know of any other books like Anathem, please let me know.

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