50 Book Challenge 2018 Part Three

[southeastdweller]

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

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2018, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, it’s not too late to join, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

The first thread of the year is here and the second one here.

What are you reading?

I've read 105 of them, there may be more though as I read loads of Ruth Rendell and Agatha Christie when I was 12 and don't remember all their titles!

Many thanks satsuki you have strengthened my resolve. Anna Karenina has just taken great leaps up my TBR pile.

Currently reading Any Human Heart by William Boyd and really enjoying it. On the Kindle I'm a few chapters into The Secret Life of Bees which is also proving to be a good read so far.

I have slowed way down. Think my problem is that I have tried to start a few at once, one in the bathroom, one in the bedroom, one in the living room and I can't get into any of them. I find with most books I need to devote at least half hour to it at the beginning to really get into it, then I can pick it up for a few minutes at a time.
Going to start the Hunger Games trilogy to try and get back into it again.

11. Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen. I enjoyed this novel about a large American/Irish family with an over-bearing patriarch of a father who bosses everyone around. Quindlen reminds me of Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett although she is 'less literary'. Her books are very easy to read but well-written.

I have just looked at the Guardian list. I actually had to think quite hard about it - many were books I read at school and university (I did English A Level and then French at uni). Not that I can remember anything at all about the likes of Stendhal, Proust or Maupassant. Shame on me!! ;)

I calculated I've read 107 of the titles listed. Have three more sitting on my bookcase waiting to be read: 'Gilead', 'All quiet on the western front' and 'A long, long way'.

Printed off the list and highlighted books I've read in a very anal way! Only 94 and many of those were read for study rather than pleasure so as others have said a lot to go at. Glad to hear it's not just me who can't remember if they have actually read some books or not. I'm 90% sure I read The Wind In The Willows as a child or had it read to me, but it was a looong time ago and have I read 1984 or do I just think I have because I'm so familiar with the story...

Murine - I've put the sleep book aside for the moment in favour of something a bit more relaxing that might help me get a good night's kip!

Surprised that I had read about 250 of them (but I am in my 50's) but a lot were books I actually really disliked or had to read at school or to please others.

I've read about 190 - but out of those there are plenty I certainly wouldn't include as novels everyone should read (Guns of Navarone? I rather like David Lodge - but essential? The deeply irritating Regency Buck as one of two Georgette Heyers?).

I make it 145 from that list, agree I may have mis-counted a couple - in either direction!

Re the list!! I have read 137 I think. Agree about lumping 'sets' of books together. It is annoying and if you have one Harry Potter you need them all.
There are some on there I have started and never finished. May some I need to try again now I am older. Definitely some I haven't read that I should. Also some I know I will never read. Heart of Darkness nearly made me catatonic with boredom. It would take a lot to induce me to go near another Conrad.

I’ve read about 130 from that list. Several more where I can’t remember if I read them or whether I’m familiar with the storyline from other sources.

Agree with the sets being lumped together. There’s, what, about 40 Discworld books? So you can’t count any Discworld books if you’ve only read 39 of them? It’s not consistent within the list either, the list counts Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (another Alice book) separately, and then only includes one of the Harry Potter novels.....

I lost count because dp spoke to me but it was over 200 and less than 240, I think. There were quite a few others that I've given up on in disgust. I was surprised how many I'd never heard of, so will investigate a few of them.

Agree some weirdness!

Around 180 I think. Some good ideas on there and many 50 bookers favourites. Strange mix though.

I used to love David Lodge. Nice Work is a much re-read book.

I’ve read around 55 from that list. Not really surprised - I read a lot but I know I haven’t read enough of the classics and literary stuff!

Interesting list, Too Much. I reckon I've read 105. There are loads on there I haven't heard of, and don't want to read.

I read what I want to read, free of obligation to study or educate myself. I'm not really bothered that I'm not particularly well read. Lists are really just someone's opinion on what makes a well read person. I'm sure there's loads of other books that ought to be there but aren't.

Perhaps there should be a Mumsnet list of best reads compiled from these threads? That would be more realistic :)

I think I've read 83. Would be more if they'd listed out some of the Discworld books separately! What a very strange list, some things on there that are absolute classics and others... not so much.

It made me smile to see David Lodge on the list, and discussed here. I went to the University of Birmingham and read quite a few of his books when I still lived in Brum. They must have been good because it was a long time ago and I can still remember scenes from many of them.

I reckon about 140, but a lot as a teenager. Also agree it’s an odd list- I know I have read some Colin Dexter, and some Ian Fleming, but why those specific ones? (And I can’t remember the titles of the ones I have read!). I think it should be done by author- two Helen Fielding and one JK Rowling seemed odd. And if you have read more than one discworld I think it counts- I didn’t see anyone else who had the whole series listed under one title (His dark materials is a trilogy, isn’t it?). But then Alice was listed as 2 books and so were Tom Sawyer/ Huck Finn! Very odd

Yes to a mumsnet list (by author!). Who would you put as top 3? Going by the total amount of enjoyment I have had I would put Diana Wynn Jones, Georgette Heyer, and probably Jane Austen (although hour for hour Dick Francis would be a contender). Anyone else?!

And some of the 'comedy' titles seem far from comedy to me.

Speaking of Jane Austen , I have just finished 15. Northanger Abbey. It was as I expected: a bit of light frippery. She is definitely easier to read than any Victorian writers but I just find her books a bit pointless. I've done three of hers now and doubt I'll bother with the rest since they seem to all have more or less the same plot.

I did quite like naughty Isabella though.

I counted about 217 on that list but agree there are some odd inclusions / omissions!

piggy Yes I suppose her books are a bit pointless unless you count her technical innovation, huge influence on the shape of the modern novel, gloriously crafted dialogue, and beautifully cadenced sentences. But each to their own, it’d be boring if we were all the same etc etc