50 Book Challenge 2014

[juneybean]

Hopefully nobody minds me starting this thread.

The idea is to read 50 books in 2014 (or more as many people have achieved this year!)

Please also check out our group on Goodreads if you're stuck for ideas of what books to read!

www.goodreads.com/group/show/59438-the-book-vipers

Hi Remus. Yes, I agree, Year of Wonders is a pretty good book.

Having taken kids to Eyam on school trips - well worth a visit for anyone who is in the area - I felt that her portrayal of the dreadful spread of the plague was even more vivid. I didn't think the twist in the book was necessary tbh as it was an absorbing story without that.

Definitely worth a read.

Yes, I enjoyed year of wonders too. I love the premises of her novels. Similar to patchett and tremain, she thinks up very interesting things to explore.

1. Ratburger by David Walliams. Bedtime story for DD. Not bad, but not his best.

Book 1 - the Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber
Book 2 - The Blackhouse - Peter May
Book 3 - The Universe Versus Alex Woods.
Book 4 - Mad About the Boy
Book 5 - My Life - David Jason

A lovely warm, easy read. It's never easy to gauge how honest an autobiography is but it was nice to read some of the anecdotes in this. I had heard that Nicholas lyndhurst is a bit of an arse in real life but DJ seemed to like him well enough. Back to The Luminaries for a bit now :)

Hello all! Just joining this thread as I've been challenged by my DSis.

She's decided that simply reading 50 books is not enough, so I've been challenged to review and blog 50 books over the course of 2014.

I'm not sure if I'll manage it, but I'm always up for challenge.

It's great to see what other people have been reading, and to get some ideas to add to the library list. My home town is not that far from Eyam and I was brought up on their story, so I'll see whether the local library has that in stock.

Another new joiner here! Just finished first book of the year yesterday - Philip Pullman's Northern Lights. Been meaning to read it for ages (DD beat me to it last year) and wasn't disappointed. I was completely engrossed in the world he creates. Will definitely read the other two, but as I've already got several books on the go think I'd better finish those first. And I'd also like to read Apple Tree Yard and join in the discussion.

Finding this thread has inspired some mid-January resolutions:

1. read more books
2. finish the ones I start
3. read and return all the books borrowed from friends

I suspect my 'to-read' list is going to be even longer by Dec 31st...

5. Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Very enjoyable, and very much a template for the detective fiction that followed. Interesting as a Victorian woman writing about women, too.

4 The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
3 The Rosie Project

Both very enjoyable.

Watching with interest as The Circle has been picked for our next book club read.

4: Arthur Ransome We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea (favourite children's book).
5: Hilary Boyd When You Walked Back Into My Life (slushy and lightweight, but I enjoyed it.)

Oh, I love Lady Audley's secret! Did you hear the radio adaptation?

Talking of Victorian detective fiction I'm currently re-reading The Woman in White - huge fun.

Ooh, another fan, ThoughtFox. Didn't hear it on radio. I'd never heard of it till I read Lucy Worsley's book A Very British Murder (and caught some of the tv series). LW gives away the secret, but I suppose you can hardly ask for spoiler alerts for a book that came out 150 years ago - and it becomes obvious fairly on in the story anyway.

#3 Ghost - Robert Harris

Really good read. He does suspense and terror very well.

You lot have inspired me to buy Life After Life (£1.99 today on kindle) and the first Cazalet Chronicle (.95p today on kindle)!

Now just need to get off Mumsnet and go do some more reading

The Circle was really good, and also a quick read. I think it is a good choice for a book club as the points he raises seem so extreme yet believable.

Was noticing today that EVERYONE around me seems glued to their phones, at all times. Was at a seminar this afternoon, and normally you'd make small talk with the people next to you during the break, but the phones came out immediately. The Circle takes this to extremes.

Hope you enjoy it, I'd recommend it! The ending gave me the heebie jeebies!

'The Circle' sounds very interesting indeed...

Struggling with 'I Laughed, I Cried'. Really can't engage with the stand-up world but will persevere a bit longer. I only started it today.

Bibliomania - frankly, I think that Lady Audley was quite right to Do What She Did. What on earth else was she supposed to do when her husband had buggered off to Australia without a word and leaving her penniless with a sick dad and a kid?

Started 4th book.
The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly.
A Micky Hallem story.

I love Connellys books and have read almost all of them, still trying to find some of the early ones, the only problem is i read them too quickly

1. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. A good read.

Book 10 - Outstanding Teaching: Engaging Learners
Nothing ground-breaking but not a bad read; one of the better educational ones I've read lately.

I'm so behind!
Book 1: The Partner - John Grisham
Listened on Audible and it was ok, enjoyable but average. 3/5

Book 2 - the universe versus Alex woods. I liked this book, very original. Had really believable, rounded characters. I wasn't expecting the book to go where it did.

Now onto book 3 - 12 years a slave.

Book 2 - Husband's Secret.

1. Redemption. - Jussi Adler- Olsen

Absolutely brilliant, couldn't put it down and devoured it in a day and a half. Its the third book in the department Q series, can't wait for the next one in february. 10/10

Finished 4. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters, going to start Apple Tree Yard tomorrow, looking forward to it.