50 Book Challenge 2019 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 2019, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

Who's in for this year?

Blimey, this has moved fast!

Thanks, South.

I’m in again! I started two books today - I Invited Her In by Adele Parks in paperback, and Borrowed Time by Robert Goddard on Audible.

@DeusEx I'll let you know... I loved The Woman in White so I'm hopeful!

This thread popped up in active and inspired me to get back into reading, so joining up. Thanks south for starting it. I'm snuggled up with a hot choc and the sealwoman's gift by Sally Magnusson a gift from MIL. I've recently moved so will make the effort to sign up to the local library and lool forward to everyone's recommendations

I'm in again, probably won't hit 50 but I'll try. Thanks for new thread Southeast.

yes please im in i have been reading a book today had a lot spare time nearly finished it will have to wait til oh is back its in the car then i can let everyone know what it is

Thanks southeast, I'm in again. I've started Like Water for Chocolate but I think my whimsy tolerance levels have dropped since I first read it many years ago. I am experiencing mild annoyance.

Can I join please.
I'm off to buy some books tomorrow to get started ( any recommendations would be grateful)
I'm determined to get of my bloody phone this year and read!

Hello everyone, I'm in again.

I have made a public commitment to reading Infinite Jest this year, which may bring down my total book tally, but I am sure the sense of satisfaction will be worth it (please don't leap on and say 'no it won't' if you have read and not enjoyed it...).

I have also vowed to read at least one Thomas Hardy novel, in an attempt to break through the prejudice I have harboured against him since being forced to do Hardy for O-level many decades ago.

However, I am starting the year off with a few lighter reads I got for Christmas, including a novel satirising the Daily Mail.

Just read The forgotten garden by Kate Morton. I enjoyed but listened to it as an audio book and did keep falling asleep and missing bits of the story... may try some of her other books too.

I also have just read The librarian by Sally Vickers which was an easy read, quite enjoyable as of a time but not a lot happens!

Next I have Tom Hank's' book of short stories, Uncommon Type or possibly His bloody project by Graeme Macrae

I'm in. Have lost my reading mojo a bit and am determined to read more this year. Have just started the new CJ Sansom novel Tombland

Found you! Thanks for the thread southeast.
Joined last year for the first time and got to 44. Hoping to achieve as many (or more) this year.
Currently reading Featherboy by Nicky Singer and Three cups of tea by Greg Mortenson.

Hallo. I'd like to join you please.

I'm currently reading A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorhead; harrowing but really interesting.

Can I join? I read 43 books in 2018 and 43 on 2017 so I seem to get stuck at 43!'would love to make it to 50 but I work ft and have 2 young dcs so it is a stretch.

My list last year: 1. Where my heart used to beat by Sebastian Faulks
2. A Skinful of Shadows by Francis Hardinge
3. The Disappearance of Adele Bedeau by Graeme Macrae Burnet
4. In the days of Rain by Rebecca Stott
5. The Dangerous Rise of Therapeutic Education by Kathryn Ecclestone
6. Diary of a Bookseller By Shaun Blythell
7. Women vs Feminism by Joanna Williams
8. The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar
9. Why be happy when you could be normal by Jeanette Winterson
10. The lie of the land by Amanda Craig
11. Not my Fathers Son by Alan Cumming
12. The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans
13. The Book of Dust by Phillip Pullman
14. Gods of the Morning By John Lister Kaye
15. Feral by George Monbiot
16. Voices in Summer by Rosamund Pilcher
17. Rosie by Rose Tremain
18. Little Fires everywhere by Celeste Ng
19. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
20. The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst
21. Wilding by Isabella Tree
22. Less by Andrew Sean Greer
23. The immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
24. My family and other animals by Gerard Durrell
25. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
26. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
27. Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
28. Poverty Safari by Darren McGarvey
29. This is going to Hurt by Adam Kay
30. Transcription by Kate Atkinson
31. The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
32. A House of Lies by Ian Rankin
33. Lethal White by Robert Galbraith
34. Tombland by CJ Sansom
35. Love is Blind by William Boyd
36. A History of the World in 21 Women by Jenni Murray
37. The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
38. Becoming by Michelle Obama
39. The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
40. Anatomy of a Scandal By Sarah Vaughan
41. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
42. The Ravenmaster by Christopher Scaife
43. Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

Can’t possibly pick a favourite but top 10 standout reads are in bold. Biggest disappointments were Eleanor Oliphant and Tombland...didn’t feel like either lived up to the hype and was especially sad about the latter as I am such a Shardlake fan

@mycatplotsdeath what sort of things do you like?

I think some of the best books I read last year were these - in case helpful :) :

• The Bees by Laline Paull - I loved this, clever take on a beehive as essentially an all female society. That said, DH (who has kept bees in the past) finds that quite annoying, so each of their own.

• The Power by Naomi Alderman. This was the read of the year for a lot of people - can not recommend highly enough, brilliant writing and great idea.

• The Girls - a take on a Manson family esque cult around the time they murdered Sharon Tate. Clever, but gruesome, I found it a real page turner but some friends who work in criminal justice hated it, thought it was glorification of crime.

except, perhaps we can keep each other going with Infinite Jest. My sister loves it and has read it several times and has finally persuaded me. I'm not back at work until 15 Jan (minor operation tomorrow so plenty of recovery time) so am hoping to at least make a start.

Which Thomas Hardy are you planning to read? I don't think they are all created equal...

@exexpat - good luck with Hardy :) I was forced to read what feels like everything he read during my degree.

In my opinion, which by all means disregard entirely, the fact people often seem to start with Tess of the D’Urbevilles is a mistake - it is just. So. Grim. I mean, Hardy is all grim, but I found it uniquely depressing for some reason. Angel was such a twat and he’s supposed to be a hero. No one is likeable. It’s really miserable.

Under the Greenwood Tree, on the other hand, is quite lovely. And generally not grim.

Jude the Obscure is maybe the most beautifully written and thought provoking (in my opinion), but it is back to grim, grim and more grim.

@PepelePew cross post! What are your thoughts?

@likablum are the bold ones the ones you enjoyed?

I'm in for this year!

Do re-reads count? I am going to read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying again. First read of 2019!

Marking my place I'm reading the first "Game of Thrones" book A Song Of Ice and Fire. It is very long! Amazing worldbuilding, though.

@DeusEx yes sorry should have made that clear!

Have been a regular lurker for the last 2/3 years and during that time have picked up a lot of your recommendations and really enjoyed your debates. Feel part of the crowd even if from a distance. Thankyou for sharing!

Not going to make any wild promises here. But - I'm recovering from a serious accident and a major operation which meant I really couldn't read (and didn't know if I would again!). It means I have motivation, opportunity and a bit of time on my side at the moment while I phase back to work. Have set my goodreads target at 50 and will see how I go...

Read 1: Animal Farm in the wee small wide awake hours this morning.

2: The Dry by Jane Harper is currently on my kindle.
Have just updated my audible account so that I can use that too.

Last years highlights: including a couple of classic re-reads
Kent Haruf trilogy: Plainsong, Benediction and Eventide
John Boyne: A History of Loneliness
Daphne Du Maurier: Rebecca
Remarque: All Quiet on the Western Front

Looking forward to joining the conversation.

DeusEx, I've read most of them - my favourite is The Mayor of Casterbridge which I think has so much going on in it and is so quietly sad without being horribly grim like some of the others.