50 Book Challenge 2015 Part 1

[Southeastdweller]

Thread one of the 50 Book Challenge.

The idea is to read 50 books (or more!) in 2015.

Who's in for this year?

Ok. I need to stop now.
I have so many unread books on my shelves, nook and kindle but I've just bought 3 more.
The Martian
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Never let me go.

I have a serious problem! (And not enough time dammit!)

book 7: Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
NYC 1974 based on fact that Phillipe Petit tight rope walked between the Twin Towers. But the "story" (fiction bit) is about the lives of 8 people that somehow over lap and intertwine. Half way through the 2nd person's story and finding it all a bit grim and sad. So far it is depicting the dark under belly that was NYC, the drugs, the gangs, the pimps etc. Well written and one lovely review said "trust an Irishman to write the best book ever about New York", so I will keep going.....but very much doubt there will be any happy ever afters in it :(

antimatter - I regularly borrow audiobooks and ebooks from our library (Dorset). We have Overdrive here, which is quite easy to use. I always check there first to see if they have a book before I buy it. I really want to read Alan Cumming's Not My Father's Son. Was so tempted to buy it at £1.99, but I know the library has a ebook copy, so will do that instead.

Likewise, the library has Hilary Mantel's short story collection.

Always worth checking there first :)

I can't decide whether to also buy The Bone Clocks. Can any who has read it please offer their opinion? I've enjoyed the previous books I've read by David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas, Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet and Black Swan Green) but The Bone Clocks is long at 600 pages and the plot sounds a bit odd. Is it as good as his others? Very subjective I know but would like some opinions!

Am feeling a bit jealous of all the kindle and ebook people :( I did try one and hated it....but the joy of "cheap books" has me rethinking it now!

lammy I was the same a few years ago. I got a kindle but didn't like it at all so I sold it. Then 2 years ago I got a nook glowlight and completely fell in love with it. I now also have a kindle paperwhite as well as the nook and I can honestly say I wouldn't be without either.
I still read paper books so it really is the best of both worlds!

Antimater
I totally agree I made a New Years resolution to only buy a book if it's not available in my library.
I am listening to my first audio book from library!

Bookworm thanks for that I ll look into audible!

FGS - I need to step away from this thread!
I just purchased;
Us and The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
The Childrens Act by Ian McEwan
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

AND at full price - the next Merrily Watkins Book - The Remains of an Alter by Phil Rickman

I have failed my only New Year Resolution which was to read all my unread books on kindle (usually recommends from here) and my shelf(ves) of unread real books I have picked up in charity shops because "I like the look of them"

On a positive note Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is going down well but rather slowly...

There's 6 books on my wishlist that are now £1.99. Not including the 2 I bought earlier. I really want to buy them all.

Am now 300 pages into, 'Longbourn' and my opinion hasn't changed. Might as well finish it now though, I guess. It is So Very Dull. Like being hit repeatedly with a blunt shovel.

Hmm.. Remus Longbourn is on my kindle in my "to read " collection -not sure I will be in any hurry to get on to it now!

Sonnet I also used to buy too many books that I couldn't keep up with re reading. So I told myself in the new year that if I felt compelled to buy a book I would give to the charity shop a book I've either read or unread 'in exchange' - maybe that would work for you? It's really helped me think twice on my purchases.

We have the Overdrive service at our library, for audio and ebooks, and I do check on there regularly for suitable books. From what I can gather you can search the library stock of participating libraries throughout the UK, I've not tried to borrow anything from out of county yet though so I don't really know how it works. I also haven't worked out yet how to sync my overdrive app with my kindle (technophobe ) so I can only read the ebooks on my phone, which is a bit annoying.

New thread here

1. Throne of Jade - Naomi Novik. I picked this up in a booksale and only scanned the cover quickly. I thought it was about a Naval captain/battle and some dragoons, in Napoleonic times. A few pages in, I realised I had misread the cover. Dragons. Battle dragons in Napoleonic times.

This is the second book in a series, and it would likely have been helpful to have read the first. My gut feel is that this is more aimed at a young adult readership rather than connoisseurs of the fantasy genre. The plot has many twists and turns (and much double-crossing and attempted assassination) as Capt. Lawrence is on a mission to return 'his' dragon, Temeraire to China.

There are some complicated strands in the plot, which blends folklore, myth and history - but essentially, it's a love story between a straight man and a straight dragon, whose bonds go deeper than their experiences in the Royal Aerial Corps.

Thanks antimatter for the suggestion about library ebooks - I've checked out my local library website and they offer ebooks through something called overdrive.

There's few interesting looking books on there. It's not clear how long they give you to read them though.

ShadowSpiral - library books (paper/audio/e-bbok) are for 3 weeks for us

Sorry - ignore that last post by me as I hadn't included the year in the title. Part two thread here

I know paper books can be borrowed for 3 weeks from our library but i don't know if ebooks will be the same.

Hi Shadow if they're using the overdrive service it's 3 weeks then they drop off your bookshelf, so you don't need to worry about returning them.

Also they don't count towards your limits as paper books would which is a bonus.

I've searched through the help section this morning to work out how to sync the app on my phone with my kindle. Bit confused as I can't seem to find kindle books as a format option on the advanced search (although it refers to kindle books as an option in the help bit!). I think I may ask in the library itself next time I'm in my local branch.

#4-Brass Ring by Diane Chamberlaine
#5-A fox under my jacket by Harriet Graham.This was a book I read as a child and have been trying to find it for years,and, after a thread in 'chat' about mysteries being solved,i asked if anyone knew it and they did! Got it off ebay, and finished it today-it made me cry!! Brought back my childhood though!
Starting 'Flowers in the Attic' tonight-read it years ago, and want to read it again!

1. The Fry Chronicles - Stephen Fry. The next 'chapter' of his autobiography, covering his time at university and his meeting with Hugh Laurie/their rise to popularity.

Some parts made me cringe - there are quite a few paragraphs of self-loathing and self-analysis which resonate for anyone who has ever had a depressive attitude. I really feel he has bared his soul here. That said, I do like SF. If you're not a fan, then you probably won't like him any more having read this.

Number 8 is lined up!
The Undertaking by Audrey Magee
has anyone read this?
about a German soldier in WW2 who marries a woman in Berlin he never met so he can get some leave.
I loved Alone in Berlin so hoping this might be good too

Damn - I've left my copy of The Stepford Wives at work! May get on with another book tonight so as not to lose any reading time this weekend.

This thread is now closed - new thread here