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?

I am in. Am spending a long time in hospital and need lots to keep me busy :)

I'm in!

Starting with "Letters from `Westerbork" (Etty Hillesum)

After that, planning on "And the Mountains Echoed" (Khaled Hosseini). I LOVED 'A Thousand SPelendidn Suns" and "The Kite Runner", so hope this will be equally thought-provoking and touching.

I'm in, don't know if I'll manage 50 but I'll certainly aim for it. I've lots of books TBR on my kindle so aim to read those first.

Currently reading The Power by Naomi Alderman.

I read Clarissa, around 15 years ago. I was thinking of revisiting it last year since I can get the whole thing on Kindle now. I very much like the idea of following the timeline, but it's not the kind of thing I would ever stick to! Will be interested to see how you get on though.

I am reading The thinking woman's guide to real magic by Emily Croy Barker, I like it so far it's pretty addictive!

Papercaper

Child 44 is excellent - but the film is naff, Total disappointment, so if you enjoy the book (and I'm sure you will), don't be tempted to buy the DVD as it is a waste of money.

If anyone has comments on either of my choices, I'd love to hear them (no spoilers please, though )

Happy - I'd vote And the Mountains Echoed one of the worst books I've ever read all the way through! Hopefully you'll enjoy it more than I did!

I'm in! Having totalled up last year to 28 books I'm hoping i can get to 50 this year and have updated my Goodreads challenge to reflect this. I looked at majority of my reading list and found that i read more female authors so perhaps i'll try reading some more by male authors.

Currently reading C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton which I'm about a third of the way through, so far am enjoying it as an easy to read crime thriller.

invisiblekittenattack that's my plan. If I can spare the time for telly I can swap it for reading. I guess with tv you can switch off and don't have to concentrate where with reading you do and I get frustrated easily when I haven't done it for a while and end up clock watching. But starting as I mean to go on. Got time travelling with a hamster as a joke present for my birthday last year which is a teens book so starting with that to ease me in gently while k build up my concentration span

Currently reading The Tenderness of Wolves by Steffens Penney Great so far.

Clarissa on the Timeline is a great suggestion.

I'm in! Not sure I'll get to 50 though but will give it a go. Just about to start Bob Dylan chronicles vol 1.

Happy New Year!

Museum, what a meaningful way to honour your father.

Satsuki, I will keep your encouragement on Middlemarch in mind. I read the Prologue last night and will read Chapter 1 tonight.

Sadik, my first read will be Lovelace and Babbage as well. I bought it last May and have been waiting for a suitable time to start it.

Hello again everyone. Having spent today crashed on the sofa, I've finished no 2, which is really my first full book of the year.

1. The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (mostly) true story of the first computer, by Sydney Padua.

I know we're only on January 1st, but I reckon this is going to be one of my highlights of the year, and I will definitely be re-reading it.

It's rather hard to describe - it's a graphic novel - but with as many footnotes as there are drawings (and footnotes to the footnotes) which contain the 'real' history. Funny, informative, insane . . . hard to say, but if you have the slightest interest in computing, mathematics, comics, Victorian women, Boolean logic, George Eliot, economic modelling, or Isambard Kingdom Brunel I'd recommend it. I think you'd have to read it as a real book though, I can't imagine it working well on Kindle (and I suspect the hardback would be even nicer than the paperback).

X-post Vanderley - I think you're in for a treat :)

And Chillie, I think that reading Clarissa on its narrative timeline is a great approach. One reason I'm reading one chapter of Middlemarch per night is to recognize that the novel was serialized, and such novels present certain challenges to me as a reader if I attempt to read them in the same manner as I'd read a non-serialized work.

Joining in after a spot of lurking on last year's thread. Completed 20 books last year, more than previous years as I started using Audible last summer and excited to aim for a higher total in 2017 which will be a mix of audiobooks and actual reading. Halfway through Little Women at the moment and loving it.

Oh dear Remus - I hope it isn't as disappointing for me as for you! I won't waste my life on it if it seems to be rubbish.

Harvestmoon Thedernessof Wolves is Wonderful!

Vanderley Don't give up on Middlemarch - it is wonderful (but very long!)

*Tenderness of, not Thedernessof

I'm in! No idea how many books I read last year but looking forward to trying to keep track. I do read a lot, but tend to focus on one author and read all their stuff! I'm currently reading a lot of the Dandy Gilver detective series by Catriona McPherson, set in 1920's Perthshire. Easy reading and a bit of social history.
I've also got His bloody project by George Macrae Burnet to read too.

Okkitokkiunga

I think I might wait for the film . . .

Starting the year with The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.

This is on my list as well, Handsome. Looking forward to it. (Also Cloud Atlas)

Delurking from last year to join. I'm really looking forward to see if I can read the full 50 as I stopped and started so much last year; 3 books one week and then none for a month.

I've just started When God was a rabbit by Sarah Windman. Only at 18% so far but enjoying it immensely.

I wrote a long reply and my tablet ate it... Suffice as to say I'm in instead of lurking this year

Due to various reasons I've had a very lazy/trying to keep quiet day today and started and finished 2 books, Northern lights and The power

I got Thousand Autumns for Christmas and have His Bloody Project from the library, just started Essex Serpent so on the same page as a few others...though obviously missing a trick on Lovelace and Babbage. I found Ada Lovelace's biography turgid last year and gave up on it, so will keep an eye out for this.

Middlemarch develops slowly and then gets very good. I try and give books I find slow to get into 100 pages in honour of it unless they do something to really piss me off before that

I'm in after lurking on last year's thread. Have just started The Dust that Falls from Dreams by Louis de Berniers. Didn't like Captain Correlli but have loved his other books.