50 Book Challenge 2022 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 2022, 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.

If possible, please can you embolden your titles and maybe authors as well of books you've read or going to read? It makes it much easier to keep track, especially when the threads move quickly at this time of the year.

Who's in for this year?

I got to 50 in 2020 so set myself the task of 52/one book a week for 2021 and failed spectacularly with just 20…unless you could all the kids bedtime stories in which case I smashed well over a hundred books and probably a thousand individual reads 😆

I’m starting off the year with ‘Chavs: The demonisation of the working class’ by Owen Jones. I bought a copy as part of my friend’s Christmas present and thought it looked so good I took it out on loan from the library. Still haven’t got to give her her presents yet and am worried she’s going to think I’ve read her present 😆

For those new or considering joining, but feeling a bit overwhelmed by the numbers. None of us really care how many books you read, we just like talking about books.

January is very hard to keep up with the threads as everyone is especially chatty. It does settle. Don't worry about keeping up here, nobody will know if you haven't read every post. Read your books and then dip in when you can to tell us about them. Don't worry about writing an essay about every book you read either, a few comments will suffice. If you fall off the thread, you are welcome back any time.

Some of us have been here doing this for years and know each other well, so will naturally chat. Don't be shy about jumping in to conversations. We also like to have healthy debate, so don't be alarmed if things get a bit heated, it's largely tongue in cheek. We like a good bunfight/ongoing war.

Looking forward to getting underway for the year.

Can I join? Love reading about your different choices, and it's given me a few ideas.
I read over 50 books last year but can't see that continuing (busy year ahead). A real eclectic mix, some of my own choosing, some book club, some hand me downs from my mum. Looking forward to carrying this on.
Starting with A Thousand Splendid Suns, a lucky dip Christmas present.

Hi, thought I'd try and join at the beginning. I read more books than I have for a few years in 2021 (finished 156) and I'd quite like to match last year's total if I can, but who knows whether I will or not.

A more important aim for me is to write more reviews and maybe this will help me do that, as if I post even a sentence or two I have the start of a proper review on Netgalley/Amazon etc.

I hoped I might finish another couple of books yesterday, as I only had a few pages to go, and if I could make myself go back to reading one at a time I'd probably have managed it, but that's clearly too simple to appeal to me. So maybe this afternoon or evening.

I have huge numbers of books TBR from various sources:

• library books from several London boroughs, mostly paper but have started reading library ebooks
• own books - huge numbers of paper and/ Kindle books and still buying, mostly Kindle and charity shop
• lots of books I want to reread as well, mostly because I first read them more than 10/20/30/40 years ago but also a few because my memoriy's poor and I'd like to reread a book before going on to one or more sequels or a whole series!
• review books - quite a lot of print books still TBR and/or to be reviewed, and lots more via Netgalley (ebook form which I can read on my Kindle - formatting quality variable)
• all the tempting books that I haven't got hold of yet, whether by buying or borrowing them, including the tempting books constantly being published

I'm not pretending I will buy less, only that I will try to read and write more.

@FortunaMajor

For those new or considering joining, but feeling a bit overwhelmed by the numbers. None of us really care how many books you read, we just like talking about books.

January is very hard to keep up with the threads as everyone is especially chatty. It does settle. Don't worry about keeping up here, nobody will know if you haven't read every post. Read your books and then dip in when you can to tell us about them. Don't worry about writing an essay about every book you read either, a few comments will suffice. If you fall off the thread, you are welcome back any time.

Some of us have been here doing this for years and know each other well, so will naturally chat. Don't be shy about jumping in to conversations. We also like to have healthy debate, so don't be alarmed if things get a bit heated, it's largely tongue in cheek. We like a good bunfight/ongoing war.

Looking forward to getting underway for the year.

Thank you for the lovely welcome @FortunaMajor

@LittleDiaries I haven't really tried Storygraph. I do use Goodreads but I prefer Librarything - better quality of discussion although there is some silliness, and it's easier to in some ways to catalogue my acquisitions as I want to, with pictures of the covers of the editions I own or am reading, and information which, where displayed, is accurate.

I would like to join. I am unlikely to read 50 books but I am aiming for 25 plus widening what I am reading - last year was all work/study based. I also need to spend less time wasting time on social media and reading more seems a positive alternative

@FortunaMajor

For those new or considering joining, but feeling a bit overwhelmed by the numbers. None of us really care how many books you read, we just like talking about books.

January is very hard to keep up with the threads as everyone is especially chatty. It does settle. Don't worry about keeping up here, nobody will know if you haven't read every post. Read your books and then dip in when you can to tell us about them. Don't worry about writing an essay about every book you read either, a few comments will suffice. If you fall off the thread, you are welcome back any time.

Some of us have been here doing this for years and know each other well, so will naturally chat. Don't be shy about jumping in to conversations. We also like to have healthy debate, so don't be alarmed if things get a bit heated, it's largely tongue in cheek. We like a good bunfight/ongoing war.

Looking forward to getting underway for the year.

Well said Fortuna, you've captured the spirit of the thread perfectly!

Happy New Year to all, and many thanks as ever to southeast.

Happy New Year 🥳 everyone! Thank you @southeastdweller for the new thread. Really enjoyed trying the challenge last year but only managed 23 books will see how I go this year. Not fussed on how many I read but love reading the reviews of books on here. @highlandcoo Will keep an eye out and add to my TBR pile A single Thread by Tracey Chevalier sounds right up my street. It reminds me of a film I once watched with Victoria Woods in it set the n WW2 I think and how her life got more interesting but then when the war was over she returned to her mundane life. It was a sad film, very moving. Can anyone remember it or what it was called?

Still on with The Ghost Tree by Barbara Erskine but I am finding I am putting it down more than picking it up. Going to set some time this afternoon to carry on with this.

Thank you southeast. Aiming to get a bit of reading mojo back this year after scraping past 50 in 2021.

Attempting to do 25 this year. Got to 10 last year but need to focus more on reading and less on phone scrolling. I've tried to keep up with threads last few years but failed. Here's hoping I can keep up this year.

Currently reading

Egyptian Myths: A guide to the ancient Gods and legends by Gerry Shaw. I teach the Egyptians so wanted to learn more and love mythology. Really interesting insight so far.

Thank you for starting this thread. I'm in. First book is being started today - The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel.

Midnightstar76 Was that Housewife 49? Love Victoria Wood, she could convey pathos so well.

I’d love to know everyone’s top 3 books they read last year.

I didn’t read much last year, stressful house move, plus business premises mice and a toddler but I loved Love after Love by Ingrud Persuad

That was another move not mice!

What a lovely post @FortunaMajor

I have nearly finished The Photograph @Tarahumara and I think it’s going to be a five starrer for me. I’ve read quite a few of her books and they always move me.

Forgot to say, my starter reads for 2022 are:

Action Park - Andy Mulvihill. Frankly horrifying memoir about growing up in an amusement park in 1970s New Jersey, whose USP was that people are happiest when they're managing their own risk. Yikes.

Vanity Fair - WM Thackeray

The Moth and The Mountain - Ed Caesar. Non-fiction book about a First World War veteran who made an unauthorised solo attempt on Everest in the 1930s. I have just started this so will save my comments for when I've finished.

Happy New Year lovely 50-bookers! - and thank you southeast

Currently reading Little Dorrit as a paper book, Unorthodox on the kindle and I'm also listening to Me by Elton John

Here's to 2022. Let the reading, recommendations and rumpus commence!

After not reading books for a few years due to too much internet use I'm making reading my New Years resolution. In preparation I rejoined the library yesterday and I'm halfway through my post Christmas purchase vaxxers. A nice easy and still topical read.

@Midnightstar76 a single thread by Tracy chevalier is amazing, I absolutely loved it!

@Welshwabbit Ingrid Persaud is from Trinidad and Tobago definitely recommend reading if you haven’t.

Happy new year, everyone I'm reading Robert Heinlein's SF classic The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress and non-fiction Handel in London by Jane Glover.

[quote Plantsandpuddlesuits]@Midnightstar76 a single thread by Tracy chevalier is amazing, I absolutely loved it![/quote]
Plantsandpuddlesuits did you enjoy all the embroidery details? I surprised myself how interesting I found it.

I once went to an author event with Tracy Chevalier in a church hall in London, and she told us how she'd learned quilting because she wanted to write about it in one of her novels (The Runaways maybe? Not sure) and needlework seems to be one of her interests. I'm not an embroiderer but my mum was and I totally got how it could be calming and grounding to sit stitching away, concentrating so hard that your other worries were put to one side.

Midnightstar76 have you read the Old Baggage trilogy by Lissa Evans? From what you say I think you would really enjoy that too.

[quote Plantsandpuddlesuits]@Midnightstar76 a single thread by Tracy chevalier is amazing, I absolutely loved it![/quote]
I read this during the summer and I enjoyed it.