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

:) I suspect I've read Ballet Shoes nearer seventy times. And you know what? I'm not at all embarrassed about it. Petrova is my favourite Fossil!

And v glad I'm not the only one reading Enid Blyton!

1. Royal Assassin, Robin Hobb

Busy week so haven't done much reading but am now halfway through '12 Years a Slave' and enjoying it, if that's the right word . Hit my first tears-inducing bit tonight - I definitely won't be going to see the film!

Probably the Rosie Project next and then planning to have a crack at Swann's Way - the first of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past volumes.

Feel slightly ashamed to say I've just finished number 3, when everyone else is on six, seven eight and nine! Never mind, just finished The School at the Chalet, Elinor Brent Dyer. Very light and nostalgic. I still wish I'd gone to a school where we had kaffee und kuchen every afternoon...

Remus - I'm sure you have, but have you read The Painted Garden, another Streatfield book in which the Fossils pop up as adults? I remember as a child becoming aware of its existence in the back advertising pages of another book, and then persuading my mum to order it for me from a local bookshop since nowhere had it in stock...and I was so excited when it arrived, it felt like magic. I remember that so vividly for some reason. And the book didn't disappoint, it's great!

PS, I find it very hard to pick, but on the balance of things Pauline is my favourite Fossil.

Onto book 7 - A Storm of Swords Vol. 1. I'm hoping to finish both books before getting Game of Thrones Season 3 on Blu-Ray when it comes out on 17th February. So that's approximately 1300 pages.

Having said that I've got 20% through in 1 day so that's a very good sign.

1. The Secret Intensity of Everyday Life by William Nicholson. I really enjoyed this.

Another Noel Streatfield fan here

1. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Don't know how to describe this book without giving anything away. Not what I expected. Quite strange, subtle and more gentle focusing on the human relationships given the subject matter. I did like it and will more than likely try his more famous book at some point, The Remains of the Day.

Next one is Charlotte Sometimes. A kids book but one of my favourites growing up and reminded of it by the thread in chat about books to reread as a adult.

So January is almost over and I've finished book 4, which I'm happy with as last year I only read 17 books. Feeling happier now I'm spending less time looking at screens and reading.

Book 4 was 'Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?' by Jeanette Winterson. Utterly dazzling prose and a generally very powerful book; honestly this is one of the best memoir's I've ever read.

Now on 'Running Like a Girl' by Alexandra Heminsley.

12. Stephanie Meyer "Breaking Dawn"
13. Alan Sugar "The CV"

10. Charlotte Sometimes, Penelope Farmer. Bit of nostalgia for me.

As I've a lot of studying to do over the next month or so this will put me ahead as I probably won't get much chance to read. Now to tend to poor dd who I've plonked in front of cartoons and largely ignored most of the morning :)

1. The Goldfinch. Really enjoyed this book, but did find it hard going at times - mainly the last 10% where the character starts analysing why he finds "normal life" so difficult, and what is happiness anyway? I thought the description of how is life basically fell apart and headed down a different track when his mother died was really good and I really liked a lot of the characters in in such as Boris and Hobie. I didn't like the main character much, rather weak, and made poor choices but after what he went through I guess you can't blame him!

3 is going to be the Never List

halfaglass - I am also behind! But book 1 was Ken Folletts's Fall of Giants which was HUGE and Goldfinch was 771 pages too!!

Finished (10) Drink by Ann Dowsett Johnston. Faults: repetitive, self-regarding, and I'm starting to get quite irritated with those bloody pen portraits you always find in North American journalism: "Bibliomania sat at her desk. Sighing, the petite brunette/stocky redhead/stylish 40-year-old/clean-shaven equestrian prepared herself for another long session of belly-aching". On the plus side, it was very readable and she makes some interesting points.

half, I still hanker after kaffee and kuchen as well. Why don't you try one of these ones with the nuts and honey and whipped cream?

Finished (10) Drink by Ann Dowsett Johnston. Faults: repetitive, self-regarding, and I'm starting to get quite irritated with those bloody pen portraits you always find in North American journalism: "Bibliomania sat at her desk. Sighing, the petite brunette/stocky redhead/stylish 40-year-old/clean-shaven equestrian prepared herself for another long session of belly-aching". On the plus side, it was very readable and she makes some interesting points.

half, I still hanker after kaffee and kuchen as well. Why don't you try one of these ones with the nuts and honey and whipped cream?

Oops, sorry for double-post.

1. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

1. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway.

Book 16 Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie
Book 17 The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes by Jennifer Crusie
Book 18 Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie
Book 19 What the Lady Wants by Jennifer Crusie

Another blitz on a particular author. I like her books they are like a 1930's screwball comedy

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
Book 6 - Paper Towns - John Green
Book 7 - We Are Water - Wally Lamb
Book 8 - American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis
Book 9 - What Alice Forgot - Liane Moriarty
Book 10 - The Personal History of Rachel Dupree - Ann
Weisgarber

A lovely book. Sparse prose describes the hardships and history of an African American woman who finds herself a ranch wife in the American Badlands at the beginning of the 20th century. I found it bleak, sad and enlightening if at times simplistic.

Biblio, mumslife, glad it's not just me. I dug out an old thread yesterday discussing all things chalet school. Can't link as I'm on phone, but most entertaining! Some people really know their stuff! I must see if I.can track down any of my old copies but I fear they're long gone.
In the meantime, I need another book. Got a few waiting but not sure what I fancy next. Choices are John le Carre A Delicate matter or a book by Simon Garfield on the history of the letter. Hmm, decisions, decisions.