Challenge: 50 Books discussion

JUNE 2011
1 - One Day by David Nicholls
Brilliant read; definitely worth all the hype!

2 - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

3 - The Blood of the Angels by Eugenio Fuentes
This was translated into English by my Aunt, I really enjoyed the story - got through it very quickly.

JULY 2011
4 - A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
A harrowing view of rehab - worth reading if you're in the right state of mind (ie. not feeling too sensitive!)

5 - Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
Was disappointed with this one; I'd never read Jodi Picoult before and wasn't impressed with it, although the concept could have led to a great book.

AUGUST 2011
6 - The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Really loved this book. Could not put it down!!

7 - The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

8 - The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

9 - Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinmann

This was recommended to me years ago by a good friend and I have never got around to reading it... am already hooked; can't imagine it'll take me long to read!

10 - Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott

11 - Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

12 - The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

My aim for this challenge is to try and read books that I already have as opposed to buying new ones - I went through a phase of buying loads of the 3 for 2 books at Waterstones and have struggles to get through them all. My pile is diminishing, but very very slowly!

I know what you mean, I too have several piles spread around the house.

I'm trying to move house and have struggled as most of my boxes are full of them! I do have a new Kindle though (very excited!!) so hopefully that'll stop me buying lots of books (or at least ones that take up space...)

I brought a Kindle for the same reason
Didn't stop me buying books at all. I just can't see my problem this way! Love it

SEPTEMBER 2011
13 - The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
This took me ages!! And I was a little bit underwhelmed... having heard alot about Margaret Atwood, I was a little disappointed - it was just too long!

14 - How to Leave Twitter: My Time as Queen of the Universe and Why This Must Stop by Grace Dent
Absolutely hilarious... loved it - read it in a day!

15 - Alison Wonderland byHelen Smith
The first book I am reading on my new Kindle... I did enjoy it whilst I was reading it, but it is one of those books that I just wouldn't be able to describe to anyone; I cannot remember what happened in it!!

Lin wrote: "I brought a Kindle for the same reason
Didn't stop me buying books at all. I just can't see my problem this way! Love it"

Yep, it seems to be the best 'solution'! I'm still downloading all the free stuff I can get, but looking through, I have enough books to take up at least one shelf but without the shelf/space taken up!

16 - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Really enjoyed this one! Came highly recommended and it was worth the hype...

17 - When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman
Also comes highly recommended...

18 - Red Dog by Louis de Bernières

19 - The Dress by Sophie Nicholls.
A newly written book, sent to me on my Kindle to review, so I will... I did enjoy it, it reminded me of the film Chocolat (haven't read the book of it yet, it's on my list of to be read) - in the sense of a mother and daughter who move to a new town/city to set up shop and attenmpt to fit in with the locals. It was a nice, easy read and I finished it in a couple of days... Recommended!

20- The Accidental Time Traveller by Sharon Griffiths

21 - This Charming Man by Marian Keyes

22 - The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory Love Philippa Gregory's books - I've always loved history and these are nice easy but interesting reads...

23- Boy / Going Solo by Roald Dahl thinking about teaching a project on roald dahl to my year 2's so this is a bit of fun research for me...

24- The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

25- No and Me by Delphine de Vigan

Half way there.... If picture books counted, I'd be there pretty quickly, seeing as I'm spending from Jan-April in the classroom...

26 - Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks

Quite theoretical reading, which I don't usually enjoy, but this book is really interesting! WOuld quite like to read now...

27 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

28 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

28-j.k.rowling-the prisoner of azkaban

29-Sylvia day-catching Caroline

30 - The King's Speech by Mark Logue

Highly recommended! Although theoretical, it is well-written and very interesting.

31 - Zero Degrees of Empathy bySimon Baron-Cohen

A very interesting, but disturbing read on human cruelty and Simon Baron-Cohen's theory on 'evil' being a lack of empathy.

32 - Carlos Ruiz Zafón - The Prince Of Mist

Comes highly recommended. I loved The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game....

A fantastic read - actually very spooky!

33 - Jo Nesbø - The Devil's Star.

As with all of the books I have read by Jo Nesbo, I really enjoyed this one and read it very quickly. Going to move straight onto The Redeemer, meaning I will have read all of his books apart from The Leopard... will see how much crime and murder I can take in my reading list before moving straight onto that one!

34 - Jo Nesbø - The Redeemer.
Another great Jo Nesbo book, not as gory as the Devil's Star, but still fast-pased and action-packed.Going to move away from Norwegian crime thrillers for a bit and read something different.

Only another 16 books to go... I reckon I'll be able to do that easily in 3 months... we'll see!

35 - Julian Barnes - The Sense of an Ending
I really enjoyed this; I don't usually get round to reading the Booker prize winners (or at least, in the year that they win!) but thought I'd give this a go. I read it in under a week, just couldn't stop... would definitely recommend this!

36 - Laurie Viera Rigler - Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

Ok, so I haven't fiinished Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict yet, but have started Katharine McMahon - The Crimson Rooms which will be number 37 when I finish both...

Have finished both books now and enjoyed The Crimson Rooms alot, a well-written, though-provoking book. I couldn't tell where it was going and although it wasn't a mystery, as such, it had the tension of one. A very good read.
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict was alright, wouldn't recommend it, although it made me laugh in places - it just didn't seem particularly orginal - there are so many books/shows about Jane Austen-esque characters/girls who can't live without their copy of P&P, this is certainly not the best I've read...

My next venture is going to be Genuine Lies by Nora Roberts.... borrowed, on my kindle, from the library (i say my kindle, I'm having to read it on an ebook app on my phone as it's the wrong file for my kindle... Apparently being able to boorow Kindle Books from the library is only something you can do in America at the moment).

That'll be book number 38...

39 - I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and read the first of The Hunger Games trilogy... by Suzanne Collins

40 - The Birds And Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier

41 - Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Might just miss my target of 50 books by June :( The joy of trying to finish off a degree means I don't get much time for reading... am going to try and get as many books as I can in though!!

i know about the degree thing. thats why i have only finished about 5 books in 2 years. i wish our textbooks would count!

I'd be fine if children's books/picture books counted - as I read hundreds of those as part of my teaching!! Nearly done though, cannot wait til summer!

42 - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins