Anyone up for a X books in 2016 challenge.

[TheoriginalLEM]

i can't say I'll read 50. or even 25 but i will read some.

They might not be literary masterpieces in fact they might be a bit shit.

Just be nice to have a thread where we don't have to impress with the number or quality of the books we are reading. Just say what they are and if we are enjoying them.

I'll start.

The winter children - can't remember the author. Begins with L. Ok so far. bit chic litty. advertised on mnet. Not sure if it will end up being a ghost story or not.

I really don't like not having my phone by my bed, but have hidden 90% of MN topics and removed the FB app in order to cut the time I spend on it. Also turned off email alerts and just check occasionally now.

Am trying to read for enjoyment, to get something of the childish passion I had as a bookish girl back. So not aiming for 50, though may get there, who knows. Helps that am just starting work next week so have had extra time for a headstart.

Have so far read The Paying Guest, riveting and gave me several sleepless nights as HAD to rush to the end, too compelling! I love Waters' vivid, delicate descriptions of scenes and characters, so evocative. Can almost picture what she describes. She writes beautifully.

Also devoured read the Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, not that is was so gripping, but I was drawn by the novel idea that Harry just wandered off quite so far on a whim, with no forethought, planning, kit or anything. And ended up walking some 600 miles! It was deeply moving in its latter part, quite unexpectedly, I thought. Overall very enjoyable. Am wavering now between a so-so Jo Moyes and Dickens' autobio- enjoyed the first few chapters, lots of historical scene-setting, now more on his books and enjoying it less as not a huge fan of his work

I loved Harold Fry too. I think it got mixed reviews. I had mixed feelings about his pilgrimage though. His poor wife! I would have not dealt with that well i don;t think, but im quite an insecure person.

Never ready any jo-jo moyes, doesn't she write mis-lit?

Am struggling a bit with The Hobbit but am going to persevere as the last book i read was a bit trashy and i want to improve my reading a little bit, but i do like a good page turner.

Yes, felt for his wife too but he was painted as the more sympathetic character until later in the book, wasn't he?

First Moyes I've tried, so not sure. It's about a journalist -and her somewhat self-indulgent seeming life, initially, quite superficial- but seems to be warming up into something quite different going back a few decades. This is following research she's been doing through the archives at work. So will see how it goes. Not enjoyed the first part much.

I finally finished The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. It wasn't scary but as it is about a girl living with a foster family in war torn Germany it is sad.
I am glad I read the book as the idea of having Death as a narrator was really interesting. Some of the pictures painted by the author were amazing and will stay with me.
I don't think I can do it justice as I was reading it during a year when I
very little time to reading. I only managed a small amount a week for much of the time and any good book deserves better. I can't tell whether a bit in the middle went slowly or it was just my reading!

Great on to the next. Just finishing JRR Tolkien's Letters to Father Christmas. Then inspired by the 50 book challenge I will read these books already in the house - The Lady in the Van, Ready Player One and An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth.

Apparently the 50 book thread calms down after January, like the gym, so it may get more manageable in terms of keeping up

The Hobbit is warming up too, I am quite surprised im enjoying it - i don't think i'm quite ready for the lord of the rings though.

Chilly, the book theif sounds too sad for me i think.

Moving, by the end of the book i found him a little self indulgent. He could have just got on a train!

Moving - will look out for The Paying Guest. Gripping is what I need to stay awake.
Theoriginal - amazing they got 3 films from the Hobbit. DD tells me they used lots of stuff from appendices and footnotes and wrote in extra female characters.
I enjoyed LoRings when I was young but wouldn't have stamina or commitment now

How is everyone getting on? The other thread is whizzing along, im still on page 102!

I've nearly finished Winter Solstice, which is wearing a bit thin, it's gone on too long and it STILL isn't Christmas Day, but I have ventured into non-fiction this week with Sali Hughes Beauty Companion .

Hello mumslife. I feel like this is a reading rehab thread. It's what I need anyway.
I've still reading two Christmas books I bought to read in December. I'm reading The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder to DS. It's helpfully split into short chapters, one for each day of,advent. I think we are on December 7th.

Hah, we have that too, untouched! Though to be fair, we are just finishing off another Christmas book.. Time just ran away with us, so busy over Christmas and dc on bloody iPads, as was I so less time than I'd thought.

Yes I don't know what I was thinking. December is always stupidly busy for us and it's hard enough to get the committed reading done the rest of the year!

We may leave the Christmas Mystery until next year and start on Half Bad instead

chilly I read half bad before Christmas and I really enjoyed it. I have the sequel on my wishlist. I'm just waiting for it to go down in price .

Well it turns out DD has loaned Half Bad to a boy in school who she does regular book swaps with. She assures me he's reliable and we'll get it back.

In the meantime DD is reading the Book Thief and DS and I have picked up Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. To his great joy he can read it quite well.

mumslife - if you like village life type books i can recommend agatha raisin series. very funny but you get thst warm feeling :)

theoriginal I far preferred LOTR to The Hobbit. If you can get through the hobbit then you'll love LOTR!

I've finally started book 2. The memory Closet. It's nothing particularly high-brow but after finishing wolf hall I wanted something easy and quick.

It seems good so far but I'm only a couple of chapters in.

MyIron I had wolf hall in my hand in a book shop yesterday. Do you think it would defeat someone in reading rehab or it it worth the commitment?

Currently ready Us by David Nicholls. Enjoyed his Starter for ten which was not too heavyweight and nostalgic. Two of my close friends are also reading Us at the same time by coincidence. It's about being middle aged and what happens in marriage when the kids are starting to leave. Lots of resonances for the three of us that we will get together over a glass of wine to discuss

chilly, I loved it. In my experience, books that have won the Man Booker Prize can be a bit of a hard read. This wasn't in the slightest. I'm looking forward to reading it sequel, bring up the bodies.

I'm fascinated by the Plantagenet and Tudor time periods anyway and this had so much detail. It was a wonderful read but definitely not one to turn your brain off to!
I think I'm a little bit in love with Thomas Cromwell now

Hello, a slower-paced book thread - exactly what I need!

I finished I Capture the Castle in the second week of January (having originally starting it over a year ago, but my father died too and like a previous poster said, my concentration went to pot).

I am now a few chapters into The Road to Little Dribbling. Not really engaging me so far. I loved Bill Bryson books and used to devour them, so hopefully it will improve for me.

Not sure what my next read will be. I have so many unread books at home so really should go for one of those. Maybe The Remains of the Day.

Welcome Lookdown. Yes we are going at a steady snail's pace here. The 50 books thread is great for suggestions but like you I should read some books in the house.

I enjoyed Bryson's A Walk in the Woods when I was on holiday last year. Haven't tried little dribbling though. I look forward to hearing whether it warms up for you.

This fell off my active list. I "got through" the hobit, enjoyed it but the end was disappointing, it just seemed to stop.

Just finished "Raven Black" by Ann Cleaves. Was ok, but couldn't really empathise with any of the characters so im not sure if i'll read any more. I liked the Vera series because i liked vera but they do seem a bit formulaic, as did this one from the "shetland" series.

So, im three/four (because i started one before the ny) books in now. Any suggestions?

I finished The Road to Little Dribbling. I found it mildly amusing at times, but not as engaging as Bryson's earlier books. He seemed to be going through the motions and basically doing the trip around Britain because his publisher had told him to (which he pretty much admitted to in the prologue).