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

[CardiffUniversityNetballTeam]

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.

[CardiffUniversityNetballTeam]

Morning all!

This thread is getting fascinating, so many authors I recognise - and so many I don't, I'll have to start making some notes.

Pantha - about one in ten of the Massive Stack is non fiction. I love a Lindsey Davis too. I'm reading all the Falcos in order, I finished Last Act In Palmyra just before Christmas.

Anyway I digress. To my 50 books. One down, forty nine to go.

1. President Down - by Terence Strong

It was quite good. Although very predictable. I saw the big twist looming on the horizon about 100 pages before it actually happened!

Next is The Brightest Star In The Sky by Marian Keyes. This is my first foray into chick-lit in a good few years. I'm a bit dubious but it comes highly recommended by my MIL so I'll give it a go.

[ilovecolinfirth]

cardifuniversitynetballteam hope you enjoy Marian Keyes. Although I'd class her as chick-lit, I think it's much more than that. Her books are well written, she doesn't shy away from difficult topics, and at times her writing can be quite dark. However, at the same time, her books are very easy to pick up. Love her novels.

[WednesdayNext]

I really enjoyed The Brightest Star in the Sky and I'm not a big chic lit reader. It's a good book!

[BabeRuthless]

Finished Sharp Objects. One of the most disturbing books I've ever read, couldn't get it out of my head the next day. Raided the library this morning which is ridiculous as I've got loads of unread books at home. I promised myself I wouldn't buy anymore books till payday though, so that's my justification. Got some spare time before I pick ds up so starting Small Hours by Susie Boyt.

[PurpleStorm]

Can I join in too? I have an enormous number of books in my to read pile.

So far this year, the only books I've managed to finish reading are DS's board books, and I'm guessing that they don't really count.

[SuperScribbler]

So I finished 100 Year Old Man and ended up loving it. For the first quarter it didn't click for me, but then I got into the rhythm of the humour and started to have laugh out loud moments. Fantastic and not what I was expecting.

Now started Hothouse Flowers by Lucinda Riley. It's supposed to be similar to Kate Morton, but on the evidence of the first 70 pages it's a poor imitation. Will keep going and hope it improves.

[tumbletumble]

Finished my first book yesterday - Louise Candlish, The Day You Saved My Life. It was okay but not as good as her book Since I Don't Have You, which I found really moving.

100 Year Old Man next for me!

[NicknameTaken]

Babe, I loved Sharp Objects. I read it over a year ago and it's still stuck with me, compared to a lot of plot-driven books that I can barely remember the next week. A great read.

For anyone who like The Observations, I just finished Jane Harris' second novel, Gillespie and I. I found it slightly heavy going and could predict the ending, but she does create vivid characters and setting. Not a bad book, but not a must read either.

Lindsay Davis fans - have you tried the Ruso series by R S Downie? Similar, but (mostly) set in second century Britain, so you have all the fun of the culture clash between natives and Romans. I'm reading Ruso and the River of Darkness, the fourth book in the series.

[LittleMissSnowShine]

Babe/ Nickname - Also loved Sharp Objects...and her other two books as well!!

I go through phases where I read a whole lot and then a month will go by when I don't read much at all so I can't see me getting through 50 books in a year...maybe 40 though!

[houseelfdobby]

Count me in too. I usually get through about 30 books a year (24 for bookclubs plus some extras) so 50 will be a challenge.

So far, I have read The Afterparty by Leo Benedictus. It is post-post-modern. There was a bit much boring sleb gazing and being impressed by drugs for my liking but it had a v interesting self referential structure and became a bit of a page turner towards the end.

I am also reading Reggie Perrin atm. I have read it before and found it very funny when I was younger. Now I am middle aged, I find it quite bleak and sobering.

Casual Vacancy next (been sitting by my bed) then you lot have made me want to read Sharp Objects - thanks.

i have no excuse not to read more as I am not working and have no small children any longer.

Does anyone else feel guilty though if they read during the day? Not sure why that is as I do all sorts of other dossy things (like waste time on MN) without a second thought...

[HopeForTheBest]

I am in too. I spend too much time faffing when I could just read a good book for half an hour and then at least know where the time'd got to.

I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas, so used the opportunity to pick up lots of v. cheap books from amazon. Now just have to read them, along with the paperbacks that are waiting on my bookshelves.

So far:

The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell (paperback) - wonderful but so, so, SO very sad that it still upsets me when I think about it

Am currently reading The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes, on the Kindle. Am glad it only cost me 3.99 as am not enjoying it at all so far.

Am off to investigate Goodreads - I think I actually joined once but then never did any more.

[NicknameTaken]

LittleMiss, on the strength of that, I've just added Gillian McFlynn's other two books to my library list. Hope you enjoy Sharp Objects, houseelf.

I feel a bit guilty about my leisure reading in general, because I'm also meant to be studying, and I could always be reading something more relevant to that. But maybe the guilt is wrapped up in the pleasure...

[Snapespeare]

late to this, am avid reader and compulsive book buyer - got a £20 voucher for amazon for xmas and '12-days-of-kindled' it so i have 34 books on my ipad to get through....but still bought 4 books in tesco last night as they were 2-for £7.

currently reading 'Dominion on the ipad for commuting. really enjoying it - also, whispers underground which i picked up in the red cross shop as my bedtime book. finidng it a bit dull, but want to finish it so i can start on my tesco stash. I have a waist high pile of books next to my bookshelf that must be tackled and must t ry to not buy any more books

[NicknameTaken]

Whispers underground isn't the best in the series - although I do like the narrator. Have you read the previous books in the series, Snapespeare? It helps to have a grasp of the back-story.

[WheelybodsDH]

I'm up for the challenge, as I love to read, I tend to read a lot of horror, thriller and scifi. Almost finished Dodger by Terry Pratchett

[Snapespeare]

I read the first one and enjoyed it, nickname somehow missed the 2nd one and have arrived at the third. I do like that there are references to hogwarts as being fictional - that appeals to my sense of humour, but i'm finding it a bit ploddy - which is just as well as it is the book at bedtime choice at the moment and anything gripping would keep me awake (!)

[Kelly281]

I've shamefully become addicted to the True Blood books series by Charlaine Harris, so have been reading them non stop for the past few days! It's not great literature, but I find the books really enjoyable. I'm onto book 5 of the year, 45 to go!

1. Debbie Macomber - Touched by Angels
   
2. Charlaine Harris - Dead Until Dark
   
3. Charlaine Harris - Living Dead in Dallas
   
4. Charlaine Harris - Club Dead
   
5. Charlaine Harris - Dead to the World
   
   My Goodread's Profile

[TheSandstoneCat]

Yay - just finished "The Glass Painter's Daughter" so that's 3 down, 47 to go :)

[BabeRuthless]

On the subject of Gillian Flynn I read Gone Girl first & that's how I came to hear of her. Definitely going to have to get hold of Dark Places. There's something about her writing which really grabs me.

[NicknameTaken]

snapespeare, yes, I found whispers a bit ploddy as well. It just seemed to lack the invention of the other two, and I missed the hero's parents. I preferred book 2 (Moon Over Soho). One small thing I like about the series - as the hero is mixed race, so he mentions whether characters are white rather than having that as the default assumption.

[mackemmam]

I'm in, not sure I'll manage 50 books! Currently reading The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney which is a reading group book. I'm enjoying it so far so will try The Tenderness of Wolves which is in my huge pile of books to read. Also reading The Casual Vacancy but finding it hard going.

[Snapespeare]

yes nickname i liked that as well, race isn't used overtly or 'shoulder-chipped', but it's occasionally refred to with regard to racism outwith the met ( I think one of the american characters asked a question regarding race) but it's not seen as a big deal to have a mixed race copper with weirdo supernatural powers.... becasue we're Londonners and we take this in our stride... :)

[velcro]

I'm in. I've got about 150 books to read split between paper & kindle and that's if I can stop buying books that is. I've read so far this year
Rivers of London & Moon over soho both by Ben Aaronovitch
Satre's sink by Mark Crick
The Children's hospital by Chris Adrian
The Girl who fell beneath Fairyland by Catheynne Valente
And currently reading Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch

Satre's sink was ok & the children's hospital was good but disappointing ending. Really enjoyed the others