50 Book Challenge 2017 Part One

[southeastdweller]

Welcome to the first thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2017, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

Who's in for this year?

Thanks Becausewecan. I've now added My sister lives on to my wishlist.

This is why I love these threads so much. I've read so many great books that I wouldn't have heard of otherwise.

The Life Project was one of my highlights last year too - do read it MuseumofHam. (Though I remember someone else on the 2016 threads didn't think much of it.)

Glad to see more love for Lovelace and Babbage, Vanderley

Just started A Closed And Common Orbit, the sequel to Small Angry Planet. I wasn't that enamoured of the latter, but am hoping that proper publishing with a real editor will have resulted in a sharper book - DD (who's book it is) assures me yes, so giving it a go.

This thread moves so fast I can't keep up!

Finished

1. Dead Girl Walking by Chris Brookmyre

Bought because it was a 99p kindle deal and because I had read and enjoyed some of his other books many years ago. This feels like his writing has grown up. There is less slapstick humour and more thriller to the plot but he has retained his easy to read manner. I like thrillers that question without the need for gore and violence and this delivered. I would recommend and I have already downloaded his next book.

Another lurker here, going to try for 52 this year, managed 49 last year but an awful lot of easier to read fiction. I have a huge collection on my kindle so my aim is to not buy any new ones until I've read at least 25 of them! My firsts are to finish - Marie Kondo's - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying, and Gretchen Rubin - Happier at Home. I sense a theme. Both interesting, unsure about Kondo so far but we'll see. Have also started the challenge on my good reads account to to help keep track! As well as keeping a collection of read books on my kindle :) bring on the books!

@stitches I need to be more ruthless. That is my resolution; If I find myself refreshing social media rather than reading my book, it's going back on the shelf.

I think you probably need to give HHhH 50 pages or so to get a proper taste for it. If you hate it after 50 pages, stop!

Currently reading and enjoying both Fatherland and Stasi Child so my obsession with Germany doesn't seem to have abated yet!

Oh and Shardlake rocks - everybody should read these novels. Cote and I actually agree on them, so you should all celebrate this momentous event by reading and liking them too!

Sweet lord how quick does this thread move?!?!!! I'll never read 50 books AND keep up with this

I love Shardlake too - really hoping for another very soon!

Can I join you, I keep meaning to read more but end up watching rubbish on tv!!

I won't make 50 as I'm currently studying so going to aim for 25. I am aiming to finish game of thrones got 40% through before and read some of the pile I bought in various charity shops and downloaded cheap on my kindle!!

I tend to read mostly sci-fi and fantasy. Sometimes crime or thriller.

Book 1 of the year otherworld secrets by kelley armstrong. I've read the rest of the series and loved them so quite excited to read this collection of short stories and revisit some of my favourite characters

I have just spent ages on goodreads adding books I've read and enjoyed - much better way to keep track of where I am in a series than an old address book!! Will set my target once I've added the books I've read from my kindle.

Don't worry Ecky, it's like the gym, it'll be much quieter by February

Someone else recommended Shardlake to me, will have to check it out.

Just finished my first book, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece - easy read, made me bawl my eyes out at the end. It was touching and captured a lot without any easy endings. First book of the year!

I'm reading Lionel Shriver next, "Big Brother". As a fattie, I am interested in this one - I think it's a semi-autobiographical one about her obese brother.

I'd love to join you too please. I've just started The Goldfinch and am loving it so I guess that's my first of 50.

I got a beautiful biography of Angela Carter for Xmas and can't wait to get into that, I just adore her - I'd better get a move on though...it's really looong!!

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

This was unexpectedly delightful. It is beautifully written, in gorgeously evocative language which brings to life the natural world in all its loveliness and ugliness. Cora Seaborne, a young widow, and her eccentric son, move to the Essex coast. The locals are in the grip of a superstition concerning 'sightings' of a legendary Serpent, to which they begin to attribute any misfortune that befalls the village. Cora, a reader of Darwin, and keen fossil collector, is intrigued and excited by the possibility of discovery it provides. Meanwhile, William Ransome, the local vicar, is perturbed by the resurgence of these irrational beliefs and fears amongst his congregation. The novel explores the intersection of faith, myth, and reason in a Victorian society that was embracing new ideas, whilst still under the spell of the old. I found the characters appealing and really enjoyed the interplay of ideas, and the creeping sense of unease and intrigue which seemed to permeate the whole story. As well as medicine, religion, and the natural sciences, it also had something to say about the nature of platonic love, early feminism, and social justice. It is well worth a read (especially at 99p on the Kindle).

Just finished my first for 2017, it was The Little House by Phillipa Gregory.
Quite an unsettling read and I feel lighter for having finished it but I enjoyed it.

There are so many books suggested here I'll never keep up! ...but at least I won't run out of ideas.

I was going to say ecky it will slow down, everybody's just mustard-keen to start the New Year and excited about their new books but meg summed it up

I am ekeing out my Shardlakes as they have been my go-to light reads when I'm not sure what to read next.

Read the Judges Wife by Ann O'Laughlin. It appears on Good Reads as Monsoon Tears. Was on a 4 star but then it completely threw me and made it a 5 star.

Satsuki - So glad you liked The Essex Serpent. I've been ridiculously busy today but, even so, my brain keeps wanting to return to the novel, and mull over it some more. It's one that I will definitely re-read.

And yes re these threads - it'll probably slow down a bit!

Just bought The Essex Serpent - thanks for the recommendation Remus and Satsuki

Enjoy the Alan Bennett Therearenoghostshere, it's absolutely lovely.

Yes remus - I thinking about it when I went to sleep last night and now I've finished it I've been thinking about getting a paper copy, especially as the cover is so beautiful too. I am from approximately that part of the world and her descriptions made me positively homesick for that landscape.

Yes to wanting a 'real' copy as it is so very beautiful.

"Shardlake rocks - everybody should read these novels. Cote and I actually agree on them, so you should all celebrate this momentous event by reading and liking them too!"

Agreed wholeheartedly.

Satsuki - I'm eking out my Shardlakes, too!

I am so very jealous of people who still have lots of Shardlakes to read. I live in hope that we'll get another one this year!