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50 Book Challenge 2016 Part One

999 replies

southeastdweller · 01/01/2016 08:45

Thread one of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2016, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

Who's in for this year?

OP posts:
CoteDAzur · 03/01/2016 15:03

I was a massive Philip K Dick fan and read nearly all of his books (which is a lot). I have to say that Man In The High Castle is not in my personal top 5 of his books. It's OK and must have meant something political at the time it was published but lacks the vision and brainhurt of his later works such as Martian Time-Slip and A Scanner Darkly, imho. I'd be interested to hear what you think about it.

KurriKurri · 03/01/2016 15:11

Can I join please? I'm starting with Our Man in Havana - which is my book club read for January - I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Greene so will see how I get on. The next will be The Railway Man which has been sitting in my 'to read' pile for a couple of months.

Does the challenge include non fiction and biography ?

CoteDAzur · 03/01/2016 15:18

Yes, of course. Non-fic, bios, everything is welcome Smile

SatsukiKusakabe · 03/01/2016 15:18

Our Man in Havana is funny, hope you enjoy it kurrikurri Smile

CoteDAzur · 03/01/2016 15:27

Can someone reassure me that Black Swan Green is up to David Mitchell's usual standards? I'm at 37% and struggling a bit because of the dominance of the whole rough boyhood theme. Does it get better?

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 03/01/2016 15:28

Cote - it is a very ordinary book indeed. I finished it, and didn't completely hate it, but it didn't excite/interest me much either.

tigerdog · 03/01/2016 15:36

I would also like to join please - I have no idea how many books I read in a year but I think 50 is manageable. So far I am easing myself in with some easy reading - first book of the year was The Tribute Bride by Theresa Tomlinson. Next up are Christmas presents: Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan and The Minaturist. Will be scouring the thread for interesting suggestions, and also checking through my bookshelves to see what I haven't read yet!

CoteDAzur · 03/01/2016 15:40

Remus - Dors something happen at some point, at least? Anything?

itonlygetsbetter · 03/01/2016 15:47

I would like to join. So far I have read Flip It - Michael Heppell. I am also reading Achieve Anything In Just One Year - Jason Harvey - reading this one day at a time. Fiction I am reading King Soloman's Carpet - Barbara Vine

RhuBarbarella · 03/01/2016 15:47

Black Swan Green, I'm afraid to say, was utterly unimpressive.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 03/01/2016 15:49

Sorry, Cote, but I can't remember anything at all about it. There might have been a pond - other than that, my brain has rejected it. Hang on - will see if I can find my review of it...

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 03/01/2016 15:53

Here: "Really enjoyed 'Black Swan Green' by the way. V superficial and nothing much happens but nicely written, funny and some good dialogue."

Not very helpful at all! I'd say stop, Cote. Is it about a teenager? Basically a sort of YA, Adrian Mole, Willy Russell 'Wrong Boy' type thing? I honestly can't remember, but if it was, you'll hate it.

CoteDAzur · 03/01/2016 15:58

Yes, the narrator is a teenage boy. Why would David Mitchell do this to me? WHY?

I think I'll persevere because it's D Mitchell and his writing is just sublime but I can't stand the whole teenageyness of it all.

starlight36 · 03/01/2016 16:03

I'd love to join in. I checked in a few times last year looking for reading inspiration. My first read of 2016 is one from my Christmas stash

1: A Dance to the Music of Time: Spring by Anthony Powell. Quite an epic for my first read! I'm enjoying it so far. It reminds me of 'Brideshead Revisited'.

wiltingfast · 03/01/2016 16:07

Really disliked black swan green too cote. Straight forward coming of age stuff iirc... Probably would have liked it more if I hadn't read cloud atlas first...

MegBusset · 03/01/2016 16:07

Ah, I loved Black Swan Green - my favourite Mitchell book in fact. Much more subtle and less try-hard than Cloud Atlas but still with a dark undercurrent. I loved all the suburban stuff but then it all rang (far too) true from personal experience.

Quogwinkle · 03/01/2016 16:18

I enjoyed Black Swan Green too. Was my first of his I read. Perhaps it should always be the first Mitchell novel you read before moving on to his more sophisticated stuff? It is good, though, and worth reading if only to spot some early appearances of characters from other Mitchell novels like Hugo Lamb from The Bone Clocks.

JeepersMcoy · 03/01/2016 16:22

I have decided I am never going to be able to keep up with all the posts in this thread!

Finished Ada's Algorithm. It was really good though some of the maths stuff was beyond my rather basic maths knowledge. However, it wasn't too heavy going and managed to convey the essential elements of why she was important without you needing to really get the detail.

I recently read remarkable creatures and thought about it often while reading this book as they both shared a theme of women who stepped outside of their expected role and were ignored and patronised by a hugely patriarchal society. Their achievements not truly recognised even now simply because they happened to be born the wrong sex.

I have 'We are all completely beside ourselves' by Karen Joy Fowler as my next book.

SatsukiKusakabe · 03/01/2016 16:22

Grin @ there might have been a pond

LibrariesGaveUsP0wer · 03/01/2016 16:25

A bit late to the party, but I've been told I don't have to actually expect to do 50 and you'll all be kind Smile. My goal is probably 24 - 2 a month or so.

Not sure where to start!

CoteDAzur · 03/01/2016 16:25

Yeah "there might have been a pond" was not very encouraging Grin

bigbadbarry · 03/01/2016 16:27

All I can remember about Black swan green was that there was a pond, too! It must have been quite significant.

ForeverLivingMyArse · 03/01/2016 16:30

Hello! I'd like to join in if that's ok! Over read less and less over the last couple of years and want to establish my good habits again!

I started the last Hunger Games on the 31st. Don't judge!

bantamgirl · 03/01/2016 16:32

I cheated and started another book before finishing the one I was reading last. I downloaded Bernie Nolan's autobiography and read it over the space of yesterday evening and this morning. 2 down, 50 to go.

LookingForMe · 03/01/2016 16:41

Sonnet - I have a few of the Booker long list on my Kindle waiting to read. Great to hear that you enjoyed the Sahota as am looking forward to that one the most.

Satsuki - I am jealous that you are reading The Moonstone for the first time. I'm sure you'll love it!

Remus - I'm a Wilkie geek, I'm afraid. I may even have suggested to DH, in a mad pregnant moment, that we use Wilkie as a middle name for DS. Ten years on, I'm glad he vetoed it!

Natasha Am planning to watch it undisturbed too. DD (6) will be asleep and DS (9) will be too, whether he likes it or not (no school tomorrow). I'm planning to leave DH to watch the darts downstairs and take myself off to watch it upstairs in peace and quiet! How far have you got in your reading? I'm at 34% and hoping that the first episode won't do any flash-forward stuff which I haven't got to....