25 (ish) books in 2018 anyone?

[Homemadehopeful]

I know there is the 50 books thread but that is totally unrealistic for me so wondered whether anyone wants a slower paced thread with a hopefully more achievable target?

I read 22 books last year and have set myself a target of 25 for this year.

I've started with The Handmaid's Tale, nearly finished and really enjoyed it.

After reading the thread in Chat about inappropriate books we read too young and how were we allowed to read them, I downloaded Marianne Dreams to my Kindle and I'm reading it now.

This is book 9 for me, I finished A Simple Favour by Darcey Bell yesterday. I'm not overly impressed, I didn't like the characters and I think she was going for a Gone Girl kind of book.

Marianne Dreams is a children's book that I think I would have loved if I'd read it at the right age. I'm enjoying it now but I wish I'd read it when I was about ten or eleven, the same age as the girl in the book.

I've downloaded a couple of John Steinbeck books today too, but I think my next book will be the new Jane Harper book Force of Nature.

Finished no 9, Not My Father's Son, in less than 24h. Highly affecting.

Just finished number 9 My Name Is Lucy Barton. Been hoping to read it for a while and recently found it in a charity shop for 99p and finished it in one sitting today.
It was a really interesting read, making you question the nature of family relationships, particularly those of children and their parents even with imperfect upbringings.
I found the ending a little abrupt but it was a good read and I would recommend to anyone, particularly for a short quick read.

Just finished book 4 - broken homes - the 4th Peter Grant book. Really enjoyed it. I'd really recommend this series to anyone who likes a bit of fantasy/magic.

Nearly I had to start life after life 3 times before I managed to finish it and now it's one of my favourite books.

Strawberry thanks for the advice, I will read Life after Life first then. Will get it reserved at the library

Book 3 finally finished, am being sooooo slow...

The Woman in the Window- really enjoyed, good pace, good suspense.

Have finished When will there be good news, which I really enjoyed. Since then, I've read Small Wars by Sadie Jones, about an army family in Cyprus. Not my usual thing but it was extremely well written and an engaging book.
Been ill with a cold so treated myself to The Break by Narion Keyes. I'm not going to pretend it is award winning prose, but it was well paced and significantly less formulaic than done of her more recent novels. A return to form, and just the right thing for reading when you're ill in bed.
I'm now reading Belgravia by Julian Fellowes, who of course also wrote Downton Abbey. If you liked Downton, you'll enjoy this book.

I’ve just finished book 1
It was The Power and I didn’t really enjoy it. Thank goodness it’s out of the way (book group book)

I’ve downloaded some free books from Prime Reading which I thought looked good -
The Cloud by Ray Hammond which is sci fi and Silent Victim by Caroline Mitchell which is s thriller.
I’ve started The Cloud and I’m really enjoying it.

I just got book 10 out of the library, it's The Break by Marian Keyes and is HUGE but so far very moreish so I should get it read in 3 weeks (suspect I can't renew it!).

I'm scuttling on to this thread from the 50 books challenge which is proving too erm, challenging. I can't keep up with the thread or even find my last post. 25 books seems much more doable and leisurely .
So far this year

1. The Human Stain. Philip Roth
2. Days Without End. Sebastian Barry
3. A Girl is a half formed thing. Eimer McBride
4. Hot Milk. Deborah Levy
5. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Gail Honeyman
6. The Rosie Project. Graeme Simsion
7. Midwinter Break Bernard MacLaverty

Have you read anything else by Elizabeth Strout books tomhazard? I'd recommend Olive Kitteridge as one of her best .

Just finished book 7.
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery.
I loved it. It was a recommendation from someone on here so thank you to whoever it was. I loved The Anne series and the Emily of New Moon series as a teenager (in fact, my eldest DD is called Emily in tribute!). But as a teen, it never occurred to me to see what else she'd written, and as an adult, I never gave her any thought beyond the treasured memories. So I was really surprised to hear she'd written other things and got this one. Loved it loved it.

On to book 8. The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild. It's for my book group so at least I haven't had to buy it. I'm not holding out hope - it keeps cropping up on the thread about the worst book you read in 2017. We'll see.

Hi cromwell44 - 25 is more realistic isn't it! I also started on the 50 books!

I read olive a couple of years ago and enjoyed it but can't really remember it now so may re-read!

babty I’ve read it and didn’t think it was that bad.

Finished book 11 The Breakdown. Didn't love it to be honest. The ending was a little predictable. I need a quick read next as Eleanor Olliphant will be available from library download on the 8th. Not sure what I will start into to plug the gap...

I just finished 10: After You'd Gone Maggie O'Farrell. I'm a bit obsessed with her books at the moment so they make up a fair proportion of my list so far! This was absolutely lovely, beautifully written and beautiful story. I loved the ending and I haven't said that about a book for ages!

can i join please

so far this year i have read
nothing is forever june tate
for the love of a soldier june tate
workhouse porridge lynne freeman
the woolwoorth girls elaine everett
the lavender house hiliary boyd
heartaches and christmas cakes amy miller
a shilling for a wife emma hornby
letter to louis alison white
girls of mulberry lane rosieclark
from sand and ash amy harman
bourbon creams and tattered dreams Mary gibson
custard tarts and broken hearts mary gibson
gunner girls and fighter boys mary gibson

I'm about to start the first book in the Neapolitan novels trilogy My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. I hope I can pick up books 2 & 3 in a charity shop over th next few weeks and it will remove the 'what to read next' dilemma for a bit.
Any one got any thoughts on the series?

Well I finished Middlesex and picked up the Bill Bryson book, Notes From A Small Island that was recommend to me by my other half. Anyone else read this? Is it meant to be funny because although I find the British countryside references, Old English customs and history interesting I wouldn't say it is hugely amusing.

For records, my read list so far is:

1. Howard’s End - E. M. Forster
2. Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
3. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

Half way through the third book and already thinking about the next possible book read, it’s either going to be Suitable Boy, which has already been discussed here in detail. Wind In The Willows, haha, really, and could share this one with my daughter, or Shantaram - reviews from anyone who’s read that one would be useful?

My copy of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine came available early from the library and I finished it in 2 sittings. I couldn't put it down! I loved the main character and I both laughed and cried throughout. I was a bit sad that the book came to an end.

I've started book 13, a kindle freebie, Baby Dear.

Finished Call The Midwife book three last night, so that's 9 now. I'll be starting Of Mice & Men tonight. It's not a long book so shouldn't take ages.

Hi all, so glad to see lots of posts, have been away hence the lack of checking in.

I finished the Hilary Rodham Clinton book while I was away (off the top of my head think that was book 6) I did enjoy it and found it really interesting but if I'm totally honest the second half was a bit of a slog as it was quite long and usually with a fiction book the plot picks up pace towards the end and gets me to the finishing line, whereas I felt that this got a bit bogged down in the mechanics of the Electoral College, state by state election details. Nonetheless I did enjoy it overall and am glad I read it as it was interesting.

Started The Break on the plane home yesterday. It's lovely to read something totally different. Am about a third of the way through so no spoilers please from those that have read it. Finding it very enjoyable so far, with some parts which have made me literally laugh out loud

I finished The Break and really enjoyed it too!

I'm now reading Moonglow by Michael Chabon which is the third of three library books (but not on reserve by anyone else I don't think) so best read that before anything else.

Just popping in to recommend Still You by Jojo Moyes for all Marian Keyes fans. I just finished it in three days- completely unputdownable.

After finding God in ruins last week in the charity shop I found life after life today - I'm finding so many of my want to read books in the charity shops at the moment, love it!

1. Queen Camilla - Sue Townsend, amusing story of the royal family living in an exclusion zone (rundown estate) and ensuing political machinations.
2. Cat out of Hell - Lynn Truss - comedic horror story about a librarian, a talking cat (that sounds like Vincent Price) and the devil - several laugh at loud moments.
3. Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer, quite harrowing recounting of the 1996 Everest disaster when too many climbers tried to summit on one day.
4. The Lunar Cats - Lynn Truss - follow up to no 6 on my list, more ETC's (Evil Talking Cats), long sea voyages and a south seas idol. Very amusing I hope the author writes more.