50 Book Challenge 2020 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 2020, 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?

Hello, everyone, happy new year!
No new books here apart from ones bought with Christmas book tokens until I’ve worked through the TBR pile. I’m about 20% of the way through Ducks, Newburyport at the moment, drifting through it quite happily. I do need something else, in parallel, though.

I would like to rally the Ulysses crew too as I’ve run out of steam. tara was in, I think - possibly Satsuki? Sorry, I’m so disengaged from it I can’t even remember who said they’d give it a go!

Ha! Cosmo - I almost chose Strangers on a Train for my next Book Club...it’s my turn this month. I didn’t go for it in the end and am rather regretting it now.

Back for my second year on the thread and would like to do more than the 62 I managed last year but also read some of the classics I'd missed - keen on joining a David Copperfield read along as a start on that.

Finished my first book of the year this morning which is The Secret River by Kate Grenville. I'm late to the party on this as it came out in 2005 and won/was shortlisted for several big prizes but I somehow missed it at the time. However I saw a dramatisation at the NT last year and was intrigued. Nothing particularly exciting in terms of literary style about the book but the story (convict sent to Australia trying to build a new life for his family on a river near Sydney and their 'encounters' with the aborigines) is gripping and the characters are well drawn. Very interesting historical background that I didn't really know much about. A strong start to the reading year :)

Chessie That's a thing of beauty! I really enjoyed it, but in audio so missed out on how lovely the real thing is. (Tom Hanks did a great job with it as consolation)

I'd like to join this year please. I've noticed I'm spending too much time browsing or playing on apps . I'm determined to read more this year and I'm aiming for 50 books. It will probably be 50/50 audiobooks and physical books as I have a long drive to work which is perfect for audible. I'm starting with Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming on audiobook and Your Pace or Mine which my brother gave me for Christmas.

I'm in! First time for me - one of my resolutions this year is to read a lot more - aiming for 50 books this year.

Currently listening to An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon on Audible, and have just finished The Woman in the Window by A J Finn.

Looking for ideas for easy'ish but well written books

Like Chessie, I have also been thinking that I should read (and listen to) slightly fewer books this year. The longest books I read last year ended up being some of my favourites. Also, my book/audiobook obsession has made me (even more) antisocial and has also meant that I've largely missed out on music, films, TV and radio for a while. It has been great, though: it will be interesting to see what happens this year.

Terpsichore ha! Mine is an online bookclub run by the author Claire Mackintosh....she chooses the books. So far they've all been fab and I've got to read some books I wouldn't usually choose.

Place marking
I’ve got a big order of books coming but they are at the post office so hopefully start reading later this week. I’ve read everything in the house!

I’ll join in.
Currently reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.

I need a kick up the arse with reading so count me in. My first is The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold.

Morning all - joining your ranks for 2020

I used to be such an avid reader, read at least 2 books a week and the last three years, I've just nosedived to zero a year (partly health reasons)

I need to be a reader again, I feel like I've lost part of my identity/my sense of self.

I will be starting with Vox by Christina Dalcher

and I'm midway through Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman on Audible, if audiobooks count?

@newyearnewea
I think that counts as a Marmite book

Eg I loved it and I know people who also did, it also had its haters

Just starting book 2 let me lie by Clare Mackintosh. I have read a couple of others by her so looking forward to it.

Envious of the people reading Night Circus and Secret History for the first time

I’m in! My good reads target is 100, I read 93 in 2019.
Currently reading The Salt Path by Raynor Wynn, A Feast for Crowd by George R R Martin, The C Word by Lisa Lynch and Split Second by David Baldacci.
(I have bipolar and find it hard to focus on one book at a time!).

Loved following last year's thread and was determined to actually post something on this year's.

Just finished the last chapter of my first book of the year.

1. Friend Request by Laura Marshall

This was utter drivel in my opinion. Was looking forward to a light thriller which came highly recommended with great reviews but I was very disappointed with it. It was a present from my daughter though for Christmas so had to finish it to spare her feelings. Normally I toss books aside after the first 5 chapters if I don't connect with them.

2d characters, unrealistic and wooden dialogue, the character's irritating obsession with her little boy and how bloody delicious he smelled, excess of exposition, poor editing - superfluous descriptions and underdeveloped characters and subplots which should have been removed. Just terribly written and felt like a young adult novel to me minus the last few chapters when the content got dark. Awful!

Next up is another Christmas present - It by Stephen King.

1. Autumn Term by Antonia Forest

Have a horrible cold and cough and my husband has kindly let me lounge around in bed all day while he looks after the kids - so I've finished my first book of 2020. Really enjoyed this so thanks to all who recommended it. The characters are so nuanced and well written - realistic, with flaws, but you root for them anyway. I liked that the big dramas and events were things that might actually happen in a school without too much outside agency. I would really like to read the others in the series but they seem much harder to get hold of. I will keep a look out on eBay and in second hand bookshops.

I'd like to join in. 2019 my Good Reads reading challenge goal was 30 and I managed 29, so I'm sticking with 30 again and hoping to be able to do it this year! Have just started 1. Bill Bryson The Body , have a few books from Christmas to read and some heading my way in the post.

I'm going to join. I used to be a reading addict, but stopped almost completely when I had babies. It's been long enough, and I began reading properly again in 2019, I need to get out of the habit of 800-page old sci-fi novels, and read some of the past 15 years' literature!

I am completely dithering about what to begin with, as my "to read" pile, both physical and on Kindle is enormous.

I'm going to aim for 30 books I think, half of which will be re-reads.
So either Tove Jannson's The Winter Book or Nancy Mitford's Christmas Pudding to start.

Hello! I’d like to join. I listen to a lot of books on audio, I have to read a fair bit for work, and I’ve had a bit of a reading-for-pleasure doldrums, which I’m just coming out of. So I’d like to actually physically read books this year - not just listen to them.

Just finished Transcription by Kate Atkinson but I’m counting that in 2019. Excellent, but not my favourite of hers. I think she’s generally brilliant.

So will begin with a very short Christmas present:

1. Festive Spirits: three short stories - Kate Atkinson

Interesting to see so many intending to limit book buying. I'm also going to try and read the books on my kindle and the tbr pile. Could probably last me a couple of years.

@mamapants

Might join you in that. Currently have 52 books to be read on my kindle app!

I also am trying to get through lots of unread books as far as possible.

I doubt I'll be able to resist though 🤣

Hi there, please count me in again. The past 2 years I've read 44 books per year so am hoping that 3rd time lucky I'll reach 50!

Currently reading The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley which has been on my kindle for a while and I remember someone on last year's thread saying it was good to read around New Year. I concur!

Also about to begin L'Elegance du Hérisson by Muriel Barbery which I've been meaning to read for ages.

I would be up for the Dickens read-along but not sure I'll keep up with you. How do you pace it???