50 Book Challenge 2021 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?

🙋‍♀️ Me too, I'm in.
Also reading (listening to) The Girl With The Louding Voice and reading the 1,2,3,4 Beatles book v e r y s l o w l y.

@2021booklover

Funny two people are starting with The Five - it was my first read of last year and it was one of my favourites of the year.

Good to hear!

I'm in! I only managed 38 in 2020, finishing with Matthew McConaughey 'Greenlights' yesterday which was a Christmas gift.

Today I have started 'The Future of Almost Everything' by Patrick Dixon which is fascinating.

I've also downloaded my Kindle First Reads for free. I never know whether I'm going to like them, but I've decide that whilst the bookshops are closed and I cant physically browse, I'm going to enjoy the limited choice rather than trying to find a treasure amongst the millions of options available online. I always read to the end and have never given up on a book, no matter how bad, I just avoid things (genres, authors) I know I wont like.

I also have decided to try and read for diversity more this year. More women authors, more books by and about people of colour, more books by non-Brits/Americans. More varied fiction and non fiction.

Really sorry to sound like the thread police, but as it's the first thread of the year...

bett I thought our only general rule is not to include DNFs in the numbers? It's fine to come and tell us what you thought of it though!

I'd like to join please! I've never done one of these threads before and not sure I will manage it but do want to do more reading this year.

Currently reading The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde.

Hi, can I join?
I read 50 books last year, but didn't know about this thread. I'm going to do a degree this year, but part time so hopefully I'll still have time for reading!

I've just started "Big Magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert. Last year. I'd like to read more fiction this year, last year only 10 of the books I read were fiction.

Thank you southeast for the new thread, and hello to all on the thread

Last year was a bit dismal in terms of numbers for me, but I come across some excellent reads - mostly because there are so many fantastic recommendations on these threads!

My tbr pile for this year is huge and I can’t wait to get stuck in. I’m so in awe of it that I’ve attached some photos. Dh and kids aren’t big readers, and just don’t understand my excitement

And starting off this year is Early Riser, Jasper Fforde Fantasy comedy set in an alternative Wales.

Due to global colding (?) the population have taken to hibernating over the 4 months of winter, with the help of a shady corporation’s sinister sleeping drug. (You’ll either wake up, or you won’t.. or you’ll wake up as a zombified shell of your former self.) Those who stay awake over winter by choice or not being able to afford the sleeping drug risk hypothermia, starvation, murderous villains, or attack by the wintervolk - mysterious and possibly mythical beasts. Charlie Worthing is a reluctant new hire to the Winter Consul (a kind of sleep police?) sent to the depths of Wales to investigate strange dreams which have started to kill people.

As ever with Jasper Fforde, he doesn’t spend any time explaining the mechanics of his universe. He presents it as is, you suspend your disbelief and let him drag you along by the eyeballs.

I started this last year but got so bogged down with all the terminology and weirdness that I had to go back to the beginning and try again. Enjoying it much more the second time round.

Ooh I’d like to join please!
I just finished Hamnet which I really liked, and now reading sex robots and vegan meat which is a non-fiction book by a journalist, Jenny Kleeman, looking at how tech will influence four areas of our lives (sex, food, birth and death).

I’d like to join. I got my kindle deals email this morning so maybe it’s just a bit delayed for some reason. Am hoping to convince a friend to get the same one as me so we can talk about them.

Hello everyone! Happy New Year and thanks as ever southeastdweller for starting the thread.

1. In The Shadow Of Power by Viveca Sten

Number seven in the Sandhamn murder series that I enjoyed all last year. This was one of the weaker entries in the series with a somewhat fantastical plot involving Russian banks and an unconvincing plucked out of the air solution to one of the central mysteries. Thomas spent most of the book moping around for no obvious reason and trying to decide whether to leave the police (tediously unresolved at the end of this instalment). And Nora has out of nowhere had a daughter and we got hardly anything about her relationship with her sons, which was one of my favourite aspects of the earlier books. I have number 8 on the Kindle already so am hoping it's a return to form.

So, I was an utter bookworm for years and years but have now found myself lucky to read a book a year these days. Too much time on Mumsnet etc. 😁 I intend to rectify it this year so I’d love to join you all.

Happy new year, 50-Bookers

Lovely to have so many new joiners, I love how quickly the thread moves in January.
Oh dear I've already added 2 books to my TBR list (Home Stretch and Aperiogon) and I really must go back to Shuggy Bain, everyone seems to rate it. Maybe it will suit my downbeat January mood better than my pre Christmas optimism!
Sorry off topic but, me too bett & BadlyDoneHelen! Just had an email from the Head telling us we aren't allowed to wear face coverings in classrooms 'In line with government guidelines'. I feel like handing in my resignation.

We don't count DNFs.

Although last year I didn't count at all, and I sort of liked that. My reading is just for me and increasingly it's just to keep me semi-relaxed in a mad world, so I don't care how many I read or what sort of 'quality' they are.

What is a DNF?

@Tarahumara

Really sorry to sound like the thread police, but as it's the first thread of the year...

bett I thought our only general rule is not to include DNFs in the numbers? It's fine to come and tell us what you thought of it though!

I won't include it in my numbers at the end of the year, no. I do label it as #1 here though as I posted when I started reading it.

DNF is did not finish (for the person who I see has asked)

I'm up for the challenge this year - I've not read much for ages and it's time that changes. Starting with #1The Man In The High Castle - Phillip K Dick. It's an audiobook, so I may well two-time with a hard copy of something else #bookslut 😂

I'm tempted not to count this year too Remus but that would mean no Goodreads which I use a lot. My reading notebook has 30 lines to a page so I'd know from that too. I don't think I will escape the numbers and I do love a list.

I like the idea of a more chilled out year though. I ended last year with a lot more 'lighter' entertaining reads which I really enjoyed so I want more of those this year.

I found a lot of the seemly 'worthy' reads were getting very samey last year and I was very unsatisfied by many of them in the end. MA writing courses have a lot to answer for.

"MA writing courses have a lot to answer for." - Hell, yes!

DNF is did not finish - they don't count for totals, but we like to hear about them so we know what to avoid - or can argue about why they are, in fact, brilliant!

I’m currently reading Dark Heart by Joakim Palmkvist , Police by Jo Nesbø and Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez

Am in 2 book clubs, so will be starting The Redbreast by Nesbø soon too (mainly because we were discussing new books and someone has that one unread). But I’m reading the Nesbø ones in Norwegian, as it’s a good way of ensuring I don’t forget the language

Crashes in

1. Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally (Audible)

Not really appropriate for the festive season just accidentally ended up that way as I had already started it.

Never saw the film as I was too young at the time of release and have since wondered if I could cope with it, but will make the effort to watch now.

What I did find remarkable was that Oskar Schindler was said to be a very ordinary man who did nothing extraordinary before or after the war but rose to the occasion at the time, in the way everyone hopes they would in that circumstance.

In later life, as he struggled to support himself his self proclaimed children rallied for him, and eventually, he a German, and formerly a member of the Nazi Party was buried with honour in the heart of Jerusalem.

Dry in parts but important nonetheless.

I've taken the first step towards not buying books in 2021 - I deleted my Amazon wishlist

@Umbongoumbongo999

Your opinion on Greenlights ??

PRESCRIPTION !!!!

NOTE TO SELF!!!

Was a bit mad as an Audible.

So much for not adding to the Kindle pile.

Today's offers are just up my street, added the Ragnar Jonasson Icelandic noir one (obsessed with Nordic countries and aim to visit at least Norway and Denmark this year with my numerous vouchers from cancelled flights in 2020)- have read a few of his and they're good cold weather detective stories, the Caroline Hirons (I'm a bit obsessed with face cream) and a couple of the Jan Morrises. I read Spain when at university (obsessed with Spain too ) but thought a revisit might be in order.