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Original poster

25 (ish) books in 2018 anyone?

598 replies

Homemadehopeful · 08/01/2018 22:41

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.

OP posts:
Nearlyadoctor · 06/03/2018 19:58

Cake well done, a good find. I am actually enjoying God in ruins even though I gave up with Life after Life.
My reading pace has started to slow down though - it always does once the nights start to draw out a bit

StripySocksAndDocs · 06/03/2018 20:04

I think you should all slow down.😬

I'm only on book 2. Having taken 9,000 weeks to read A Suitable Boy (book 1), it straddled two years!!

Might have to get a few Ladybird books just to bump up my numbers!! 😁

StripySocksAndDocs · 06/03/2018 20:06

Hmmm smilies have gone weird. Didn't look like that when I put them in. For the record the first one is an angry telling off face, because you are all so rude as to have read more than me. Smile

CakeBeTheFoodOfLove · 06/03/2018 20:28

Ladybird books! Grin

EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic · 07/03/2018 17:56

Stripy don’t worry too much, I’ve only read 3 Smile

If you’re going to try a Ladybird book I can recommend The Mum. The DC bought it for me last year.

CakeBeTheFoodOfLove · 08/03/2018 08:00

I've started the book thief, really not getting into it so far. Dislike the writing style, it tells so cold and alien. Perhaps that is the point!

CakeBeTheFoodOfLove · 08/03/2018 08:01

Feels, not tells

StripySocksAndDocs · 08/03/2018 21:20

Not read that one yet CakeBeTheFoodOfLove.

I've just started my third book: Career of Evil. Woo hoo me!!

Nearlyadoctor · 09/03/2018 06:42

Cake stick with it - it does take some getting to used to having a narrator so to speak, has to be in my all time top 10.

Stripy - I'm sure you've probably just watched it, but all of the Strike series ( so far ) are available at the moment on I player. Fourth book Lethal White due out later this year, another one to buy!! Grin

Tinkhasflown · 09/03/2018 22:18

I'm half way through Baby Dear and it is total crap (imo). I don't know if I will last until the end! Thankfully it was free, I would hate to have paid for it.

Brox · 10/03/2018 00:04

I think is an endearing read once finished - stick with it. The movie is worth watching too (after the book of course).

Brox · 10/03/2018 00:09

Above comment to CakeBeTheFoodLove, re: Book Thief.

StripySocksAndDocs how long? Regretting buying it on that comment. How long did it take some of you others please? Is it slow going to warm up?

StripySocksAndDocs · 10/03/2018 00:16

Brox for suitable boy? 9 weeks really. But I'm not a quick reader. Plus I didn't love it, so didn't go to it much. So much of it felt (to me) just there to make it a massive book (having read a few comments about the author I'm more suspect).

Original poster
Homemadehopeful · 10/03/2018 08:34

Finished book 7 last night, the Break. I have never read a Marian Keyes book before but I really enjoyed it. I thought parts of it were a tad unrealistic but it kept me coming back to it with characters I felt were believable. My DH is Irish and we have three nieces a similar age (slightly older) to the three daughters and they are all very passionate about Ireland repealing the 8th so that part of the storyline is very relevant in Ireland right now.

No idea what I am going to read now, my tbr pile is uncharacteristically very small atm! Need to take DS to the library today so will have a browse whilst there and will have a read back through some threads on here too as they usually provide some inspiration!

Have a nice weekend all Smile

OP posts:
MummyCuddlesSolveEverything · 10/03/2018 09:58

Fairly new to mumsnet and just found this thread :) I'm aiming to read 30 books this year, I used to read 50 a year since ds was born last September I've not had a much time to read and I fall asleep if I do! . So far I have managed 4 so far and I'm 250 pages into The Secret History. It's so long and taking me forever to read, I'm enjoying it but it's going to put me behind if to want to reach 30.
What I really need to do is spend less time on mn and more time reading!

WitchSharkadder · 10/03/2018 10:50

Can I join in too?

So far this year I’ve read:

1.The Handmaid’s Tale, a re-read for me but after the TV series I had to go back to it.

  1. Why Mummy Drinks, a very easy read.
  1. The Help, a book that had been sat on my TBR pile for years. I enjoyed it but found it to be a bit too ‘tidy’ at the end.
  1. The Nowhere Girls. Really enjoyed this book, but of kickass feminism for YA.
  1. The Color Purple, I have to admit, I found it a struggle even though I wanted to love it.
  1. Still Me by Jojo Moyes. Nowhere near as good as Me Before You but a very easy holiday read.
  1. Eleanor Oliphant. As someone said earlier, the first half was truly brilliant and funny, the second half just left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
  1. It Only Happens in the Movies, Holly Bourne. I would have loved this book when I was a teen girl, definitely one for 15-19 year olds.
  1. The Power, Naomi Alderman. I’m about halfway through and up to reading it had only seen positive reviews. I wish I’d read what some of you thought before I started it though then maybe I wouldn’t have had such high expectations.
babybythesea · 10/03/2018 18:20

I read A Suitable Boy in about 4 weeks. i was travelling and so had a bit of time to read.

tomhazard · 10/03/2018 20:36

Finished 11: Maggie O'Farrell The Hand That First Held Mine. I found the first 100 pages a bit of a slog but glad I persevered because I really enjoyed it in the end. I love her style of blending past and present. I've now read 4 of her books so promised myself I will now move on to a different author!
My tbr pile is diminishing so I may do a charity shop rummage next weekend.

StripySocksAndDocs · 10/03/2018 20:59

If you read 100 pages a day (Not massively unrealistic - less MN) you'd manage it in under three weeks.

TheBitterBoy · 11/03/2018 09:26

I have just finished This Must Be The Place by Maggie O'Farrell - what a book! I was sad when it ended i was so involved with the characters. She is such a good writer, I have loved all her books.

Brox Shantaram is a fabulous book, but a bit of an epic, kind of similar in length to A Suitable Boy, so would be quite a time commitment. They both took me a few weeks to read and I am a fast reader and loved them both.

CakeBeTheFoodOfLove · 11/03/2018 16:45
  1. The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) Finished this today, really enjoyed it in the end after a rocky start.
Nearlyadoctor · 11/03/2018 19:18

Well done Cake glad you enjoyed it. I'm very slowly reading a God in Ruins, haven't read much this last week.

Iamblossom · 12/03/2018 17:54

Finally finished book 4. God I am being slow this year...

The Wife Between Us. Enjoyed it.

babybythesea · 13/03/2018 07:49

Book 8 done. The Improbability of love by Hannah Rothschild. It was ok. I wasn't hopeful as it kept dropping up on the thread about the worst books people read in 2017 and I didn't think much of the first few chapters but in the end, while not the best book I've ever read, it was a decent read.
Next book will also be for my RL book group. Elizabeth is Missing.

EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic · 13/03/2018 11:21

lamb I’ve only just finished book 4 too. I’m still hopeful Smile

baby I was surprised that it kept popping up on the worst book thread. Whilst it’s not the best book I’ve ever read I can think of far, far worse.

Swipe left for the next trending thread