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.

I've just finished The Snow Child. I enjoyed it but it was rather sad in places.

That was my 3rd book of 2013. I'm now reading Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews. Back to witches, vampires and werewolves, they're less likely to make me cry.

I'd like to join please. I used to read a lot but since DD arrived I don't seem able to find the time. I aim to read 50 books that aren't all mindless rubbish (plus a fair few that are!) this year. So far this year I've read 'the one hundred year old man...' And am now starting 'Sacred Heart' by Sarah Dunnant.

I'd love to join too please - I was just short of my 50 book target on goodreads last year and have set the same one again for 2013. I just need to stop spending so much time lurking on mumsnet!

I've read one book so far, the first Jack Reacher, and am now working through Les Miserables which is brilliant but taking a while to get through...

Yes, I'm in. So far I have read

High Rising - Angela Thirkell
Wild Strawberries - Angela Thirkell
ManHattan in Reverse - Peter Hamilton
Dominion - DJ Samson

And I'm currently reading

The Woodcutter - Kate Danley

I'm in - I like a bit of focus to my reading! There are some great suggestions on this thread.

So far this year:

1. The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year - Sue Townsend
2. The Casual Vacancy - J K Rowling (worst writing of accents EVER - Krystal seemed to be simultaneously northern and west country. And possibly Punjabi)
3. The Sisters Brothers - Patrick deWitt

Next in line is The Wreck at Sharpnose Point by Jeremy Seal and Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. And The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz when DH has finished it.

I'm in too-but I wouldn't set myself a number to read, as long as I'm reading something I enjoy that's fine. Wolf Hall was extraordinary, as is Bring Up The Bodies. I found myself a bit traumatized at the end by the very vivid description of Anne's execution. I couldn't stop myself thinking about it.
So far this year I've read 'The Twilight Gate' by Jeanette Winterson- a novel about the Pendle Witches from a particular character's persepctive. It is quite fascinating and made me think about how much medicinal knowledge was lost. because men murdered most of the herbalists and wise women. Quite a short book if you're pressed for time.
At the moment I'm reading 'When God Was A Rabbit' -very funny and poignant and resonates with anyone who can remember the 70's.

Oh yes- I also read 'The Woman Who Went To Bed For A Year' over Christmas-Sue Townsend never dissapoints.

I'm hoping this thread makes me read new stuff rather than comfort reading old favourites.

I also really liked the Sue Townsend and enjoyed When God was a Rabbit just before Christmas!

Forgot one - 4. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit - Judith Kerr. Can't believe I hadn't read this before. DD (9) got it for Christmas and insisted I read it after her.

Finished book three 'memoirs of an imaginary friend' by Matthew Green. Quite enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend it.

I'm now onto book 3, bit of a short one this it was free on Amazon, Henry VIII's Wives: History In An Hour by Julie Wheeler, just finished Siege by Simon Kernick 47 to go.

Not sure I can do 50, but am up for 25. I tend to read in spurts, 4 or 5 books in a few weeks and then nothing for a month....

So far this year I've read

The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling , which I enjoyed
Harold Fry , ditto
About to start Street Cat Named Bob

And will order a few suggested here....

i'm in, it'll be a challenge but im up for it so far have read
A Street Cat Named Bob and am currently reading JK Rowlings The Casual Vacancy so only 48.5 to go !

1. Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed - Michelle Morgan 8/10

I came upon an unusual Marilyn drama on one of the Sky channels last week and it piqued my interest so, on a whim, downloaded this onto my Kindle. Very enjoyable and not too dense/involved and speculative.

I've now started 11.22.63 by Stephen King which I reckon's going to take me ages to read but am already pretty hooked after 15 pages. Haven't read s King book for years.....

Good idea: not sure if I'll be able to do it as I'm on a PGCE, but will hopefully get some good suggestions at least from here.

Dee thanks got the 100 years ... On Kindle for 20p

Not dee! Eeeee

Signing in.
I did start keeping a list after a thread on here a few years ago. I normally read about 40ish but last year it was down to 35, largely due to me starting a lot and not finishing. I only count them if I finish and I often forget to count non fiction.
I am on 3rd this year so far.
1.Rough Weather by Robert Parker. Light American PI fiction. New to me he's written squillions so I'll try some more.
2.Secret Apocalypse by James Harden. I didn't know when I started it was aimed at young adult (good job or I would have avoided it). Fun.

1. Good Luck and Bad Temper by Ken McCoy.

Ok, I think I finished my first book this year.

###1### Great Wine Made Simple by Andrea Immer Robinson.

Don't laugh - I occasionally read high-brow fiction too .
And what is surprising, I learned during the circa four nights spent reading this volume more than I have in 20+ years of drinking...
It explains in very simple terms how to taste and evaluate wine and then helps you to better understand how you can find what you like and also predict from reading the wine label what it will taste like.

I must be a really prosaic person, but I find reading non-fiction really quick and effortless, almost like breathing. Many novels play games with the reader (you have to figure out who is who - often the point of view shifts from chapter to chapter and paragraph to paragraph - and also whether you are interested in the main characters). I also have a hard time warming up many novels - it's often an uphill climb for the first 50-odd pages.

My favorites are great travel books that either take me to places I wouldn't be able to go myself or help me understand places that I visit / live in.

There are some good 20p books on kindle at the moment! I've also downloaded The Expats by Chris Pavone - it's a spy novel with a female main character.

Still have to decide on what book to start next. May see if I can wrestle the kindle away from DH for a few days!

Just finished my first book for the year

1. In Pursuit of Love

Now to re-start Whispers Under Ground. I read three chapters last year and now can't remember any of it.

Can I join please?

Starting book 4. "The Expats" by Chris Pavone

Just finished No. 3 Separate Lives, really good relationship drama with a couple of twists. Now moving onto Alys, Always.

Just finished Ruso and the River of Darkness. I like setting (Britain in 2nd century AD) and the characters (especially the hero's "native" wife) more than the plot (something to do with forging coins).

Having read a couple of fiction books, I now feel the urge for non-fiction as a kind of palate-cleanser, so I'm reading The Emperor of Maladies, about cancer. It sounds grim, but it's not - it's written with clarity, compassion and authority. It's like crime fiction, with mutating cells as the master criminal needing to be tracked down.