50 Book Challenge in 2013. Who's with me?

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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.
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.

21. The BFG - Roald Dahl
22. Alone In Berlin - Hans Fallada
23. The People Of The Abyss - Jack London
24. London Under - Peter Ackroyd
25. The Talisman - Stephen King & Peter Straub

I was obsessed with The Talisman between the ages of 12-15 and this was my first reread in 20 years... delighted to say that it has stood the test of time and I still loved it :)

Ooh look I'm halfway, and a month in hand!

Well done megbusset!

I've just finished 14, True Blue by David Baldacci. About a renegade ex-cop, framed for a murder she didn't commit, fighting to defeat the baddies and clear her name. Very easy to read.

Next is Winter in Madrid by CJ Sansom, which I am really looking forward to.

29 . How It All Began - Penelope Lively. About how something that happens to one person can then impact and change the course of so many other peoples lives. Gripping and very well written.

17. Saving Agnes - Rachel Cusk. Winner of the Whitbread First Novel Award 1993. Full of mid-twenties angst, it captured the zeitgeist of that era. A regular re-read.

18. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

18. Small Man In A Book - Rob Brydon. His autobiography stops as he starts to get recognition and awards. Considering how much detail he puts in about his childhood, he is reticent about his own children / wives, I admired him for not using them as his material.

Book 41 - The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, for the Goodreads book club I'm on. Interesting and intriguing novel.

Next up, currently reading The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick.

25 Close My Eyes by Sophie MacKenzie - a good thriller with some interesting twists but I was a bit disappointed I'd guessed the ending.

26 My Animals and Other Family by Clare Balding - very witty and poignant memoir. Great read. Love her even more!

Next up is The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn

21. The BFG - Roald Dahl
22. Alone In Berlin - Hans Fallada
23. The People Of The Abyss - Jack London
24. London Under - Peter Ackroyd
25. The Talisman - Stephen King & Peter Straub
26. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom. An undemanding but not unenjoyable read, lent by a friend, filled a train journey to London nicely.

21. The BFG - Roald Dahl
22. Alone In Berlin - Hans Fallada
23. The People Of The Abyss - Jack London
24. London Under - Peter Ackroyd
25. The Talisman - Stephen King & Peter Straub
26. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
27. The Firework-Maker's Daughter - Philip Pullman (bedtime reading for DS1)

19. May I Have Your Attention, Please? - James Corden. I have mixed feelings about this autobiography, I didn't know anything about him other than the 'Gavin and Stacey' part and should possibly have left it that way.

20. My Life In My Hands - Alison Lapper. Absolutely fascinating, her indomitable spirit shines through onto every page.

22. Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence

I am often underwhelmed by books I think I should be wowed by, but I loved this. The prose is stunning and whilst I found it hard to like anyone I did sympathise with all if them. This is up there as a favourite now.

20. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. Brilliant.

We are nearly at 1,000 posts. Are we going to repeat the thread title?

35. Debbie Macomber - 16 Lighthouse Road
36. Debbie Macomber - 204 Rosewood Lane
37. Gordon Ferris - The Hanging Shed
38. Hazel Gaynor - The Girl Who Came Home

Just downloaded The Light Between Oceans so happy to see some good reviews from Duchess and Galaxy!

Finished book 19 "A Dance with Dragons Part 1" and started book 20, which is "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. Looking forward to seeing what I make of it following all the reviews on here.

I'm finding lots more books I want to read on here. I really have to work on getting through my existing stash of books first though.

Book 30 Born to Darkness- Suzanne Brockmann. She is my guilty pleasure. I love her Navy seal/ Trouble shooter series and this was the first novel in her new series. Loved it

Ooh, am very behind now. Had to take a break from reading as I got bogged down with college work.

So, I finished #24 The Somnambulist. It was well-written, and entertaining, but I think the problem with having set myself this book challenge is that it means that you tend to come across the same plot devices in quick succession. Therefore for me, it was quite predictable. That said, it was enjoyable and I'd read more by the same author.

#25 was The Etymologicon. I really enjoyed it! As I am a bit of a word geek/reasonably useless information collector, it was just up my street. (I've just reserved The Horologicon).

#26, which I'm on right now is Moranthology - Caitlin Moran. It's a collection of newpaper column articles, musings and other writings. I like her style!

#27 (pending) is The Sunne in Splendour. I did actually read the first 250 pages, but someone else has reserved it, so I had to take it back. I left a post-it note on the page I was on, with a note asking the next reader to please leave it!

Book 42 - The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. Boring, boring, boring. Just awful. Hated it.

Book 43 - The Color Purple by Alice Walker. A re-read. Back on track with a book I love.

Currently reading This is How it Ends by Kathleen MacMahon. Not bad so far.

23. History: a very short introduction by John Arnold. I needed to read it for uni, it was short, sweet, to the point, written by a historian who teaches at my university and someone I had supped wine with. I enjoyed it.

24. Currently reading 'Poirot's early cases' by Agatha Christie, short stories, guilty pleasure.

25. Currently also reading, 'Working class cultures in Britain 1890-1960' by Joanna Bourke. Straightforward and she was my lecturer this year and will be the coming year so I sort of read it imaging her saying it, only one chapter in and enjoying it.