50 Books in 2024!

[Adventine]

New year, new challenge!

[Zikoris]

I'll be here for my fourth 365 book challenge!

[WayDownSouth]

Your 50 Books in 2023 thread sent me here... I know I won't log 50, but I'll still participate if that's okay.

@Zikoris, that's incredible. Are you doing a lot of short stories? A book a day is a lot... Then again many people watch a solid 4 or 5 hours of TV a day so I could see how it could be easily done if that's your habit.

I tend to end up with longer books and too many distractions to ever finish one in a single read. And although I've got 1,000 books under my belt (which I thought was a lot) probably less than 5 percent of them were read from start to finish in a single day.

[Zikoris]

Your 50 Books in 2023 thread sent me here... I know I won't log 50, but I'll still participate if that's okay.

@Zikoris, that's incredible. Are you doing a lot of short stories? A book a day is a lot... Then again many people watch a solid 4 or 5 hours of TV a day so I could see how it could be easily done if that's your habit.

I tend to end up with longer books and too many distractions to ever finish one in a single read. And although I've got 1,000 books under my belt (which I thought was a lot) probably less than 5 percent of them were read from start to finish in a single day.

I read some short stories, but I count them as an anthology rather than individually. It's rare for me to read a book in a single session unless it's either very short or I'm on an airplane, but I do finish most books within a 24 hour period. The exceptions are long fantasy books tend to be two days and I usually spread my nonfiction reads out over a week (while reading other stuff the rest of the time) due to density. Your comment on television is spot on - I read around 4-6 hours a day, but I think the average person spends at least that on things like television and phone stuff (I have neither), not to mention all the smaller common things that I've axed or automated entirely (thinking about what to eat multiple times a day, thinking about what to wear, beauty routines of any kind, time stuck in a car on traffic, or anything else involving time loss due to poor planning or inefficiency).

[Adventine]

Your 50 Books in 2023 thread sent me here... I know I won't log 50, but I'll still participate if that's okay.

Everyone's welcome here, whether they reach 50 books or not!


I don't own a TV and only subscribe to a streaming service if there's a show I really, really want to watch (then I cancel again after a month). Reading books is my main hobby and you'll be surprised how many you can finish without the usual distractions of TV, kids, demanding jobs, and the usual things that sap time and energy.

[grantmeaname]

I'm in. I'll be just short in 23 but still a lot of books! Plus this is my main source for new reads!

[PlanetDee]

Happy New Year! Here’s to another fantastic year of books. I have yet to make it to 50 - maybe this will be my year! Finished a book this morning, so I guess it counts for 2024?

1. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

[Wolfpack Mustachian]

My favorite thread of the forum!

1. The compound effect - Darren Hardy

ETA: technically basically read almost all of this yesterday afternoon, but I didn't get it in on Goodreads yesterday so I'm counting it for 2024

[Jakestersquat]

This will be my first year joining a thread like this. I usually read a pretty good amount. Quite a mixture of fiction and non fiction. Looking forward to it.

[StarBright]

I'm in, as always! This my favorite source for new reads.

1. The Armor of Light by Ken Follett

[gatortator]

Joining!

[Splashncash]

I'm in again.  Not sure why but I stopped adding to last year's list at the end of May when I was at 51 books.  I vow to finish my list this year.

And, I agree, @grantmeaname - this is a great place to find new reads.   

[Morning Glory]

I'm in, as always! This my favorite source for new reads.

Me too!
I didn't know Follett had a new one, will add to my library hold list.

[Frankies Girl]

I'm in too. I didn't make goal last year but definitely plan on it this year. :)

[Razzle]

I'm in, I've lurked on this challenge long enough!  Finished my first today:

1. The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

[Serendip]

1) The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia McConnell
2) Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit

Love this challenge
(finished a dog-focused one that I'd been reading this weekend and started & will likely finish the essays tonight). 

[redhead84]

I'm in again for 2024. I finished by first book of 2024 this morning.

1) Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

[Raenia]

I'm in! Hopefully I'll make 50, haven't been reading as much with the new baby but we'll see if reading time improves as he gets older.

[Emerald]

Count me in please!

[PlanetDee]

2. The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet by Jeff Goodell

[Zikoris]

Well, this is absolutely not how I expected things to go, but here we are on January 7th, and - first 20, favourites marked:

1. Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant
2. Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson
3. The Happy Prince and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde
4. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
5. The Journal of John Woolman by John Woolman
6. Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
7. The Past is Red by Catherynne Valente
8. Sixth of the Dusk by Brandon Sanderson
9. Driftwood by Marie Brennan
10. The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince by Robin Hobb

11. Apology by Plato
12. Crito by Plato
13. Phaedo by Plato

I confess that I always thought ancient Greek philosophy would be incredibly dry and boring, and this stuff is totally new to me as a result. WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME IT WAS THIS GOOD???

14. Fruits of Solitude by William Penn
15. Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

16. The Serpent by Claire North
17. The Thief the Claire North
18. The Master by Claire North

The Gameshouse trilogy is a fantastic political fantasy/thriller series based on games applied to the real world (think chess but the pieces are real-world people), this went straight to my all-time favourites list.

19. Many Things Under a Rock: The Mysteries of Octopuses by David Scheel
20. Drowned Country by Emily Tesh

[Jakestersquat]

Just finished “what the Robin knows” by Jon Young. An excellent book for anyone wanting to get into birding or even just to be able to better “see” the tons of wildlife that is around you whether in the city suburbs or country. We are going to be doing some major landscaping this year and DW and I are already planning some more bird baths feeders and houses.

[hudsoncat]

I'm in! I have a long commute (I KNOW) so I get a decent amount of listening in. I usually have an audio book and a print book going. I try to keep them fairly separate to make sure the stories don't blend if I am reading/listening in a short time frame.

2024 Finished:

1. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman (I like Backman books. This one was fine but did not work as well as others have for me)
2. A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (meh. I had mostly figured out where things were headed early on and kept reading to see if I was correct.)
Currently reading:

Audio: Dune by Frank Herbert
Print: Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

[Linea_Norway]

Currently reading:

The World and All that it Holds, by Aleksander Hemon.
Not a fast book to read, as it is full of quotes in foreign languages (German, French, Bosnian, Jewish-Spanish, Turkish and some more).

[WayDownSouth]

Well, this is absolutely not how I expected things to go, but here we are on January 7th, and - first 20, favourites marked:

1. Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant
2. Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson
3. The Happy Prince and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde
4. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
5. The Journal of John Woolman by John Woolman
6. Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky
7. The Past is Red by Catherynne Valente
8. Sixth of the Dusk by Brandon Sanderson
9. Driftwood by Marie Brennan
10. The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince by Robin Hobb

11. Apology by Plato
12. Crito by Plato
13. Phaedo by Plato

I confess that I always thought ancient Greek philosophy would be incredibly dry and boring, and this stuff is totally new to me as a result. WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME IT WAS THIS GOOD???

14. Fruits of Solitude by William Penn
15. Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

16. The Serpent by Claire North
17. The Thief the Claire North
18. The Master by Claire North

The Gameshouse trilogy is a fantastic political fantasy/thriller series based on games applied to the real world (think chess but the pieces are real-world people), this went straight to my all-time favourites list.

19. Many Things Under a Rock: The Mysteries of Octopuses by David Scheel
20. Drowned Country by Emily Tesh

Based on a couple things you've said or posted I'd like to recommend The Lost Language of Plants by Stephen Harrod Buhner, I think you'll find it fascinating if you can bear some of the rather tedious areas of the read.

*I actually would recommend it to anyone here but since you're really ripping through books so quickly - it's a small investment in time with a very rewarding return.

[Avolonte]

I'm in--loved this challenge last year!

 1. Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende, 2005. Couple lives without electricity for a year and finds that life is better in a lot of ways. I liked the premise, but it was just OK overall.

[Linea_Norway]

Currently reading:

The World and All that it Holds, by Aleksandar Hemon.
Not a fast book to read, as it is full of quotes in foreign languages (German, French, Bosnian, Jewish-Spanish, Turkish and some more).

1. The World and All that it Holds, by Aleksandar Hemon.
I finished the second half of the book quite fast, as I now prioritized reading. It is an impressive story.

[travelbug]

I'm in this year as well.
I love seeing what other people read and have found some awesome books from the lists.

1. Small things like these. Claire Keegan. Would recommend. Excellent short book set in Ireland.

[ahptex]

I'm in again!

Always enjoy seeing what others are reading -- I have found some great books from this list!

(1) Right Place, Right Time by Ryan Frederick
(2) China Blonde by Nicole Webb

[Linea_Norway]

1. The World and All that it Holds, by Aleksandar Hemon.

2. The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman

[PlanetDee]

3. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

[Emerald]

1.  North Woods by Daniel Mason 

One of the best books I've read in years, will probably make it on my Top 10 favorite books.

[PlanetDee]

1.  North Woods by Daniel Mason 

One of the best books I've read in years, will probably make it on my Top 10 favorite books.

It’s on my list!! Excited to get to it since everyone says it’s so good.

[Serendip]

..
1) The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia McConnell
2) Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit

Recently finished/reading

3) Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart by Jen Sookfong Lee : an interesting meld of a memoir referencing pop-culture/fetishization of race/feminism/parenthood
4) A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are by Byron Katie w/ Stephen Mitchell : a bit out there but sometimes I like doses of woo to ameliorate bouts of anxiety

[Zikoris]

And we're at 40. Favourites marked:

21. The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle
22. Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuire
23. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
24. Legion by Brandon Sanderson
25. Perfect State by Brandon Sanderson
26. Skin Deep by Brandon Sanderson
27. Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
28. The Golden Sayings by EPictetus
29. Lies of he Beholder by Brandon Sanderson
30. The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht
31. Trials of Conviction by T.A. White

32. River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer
One of my picks from the Goodreads Choice Awards historical fiction longlist, this was a great story about a Caribbean woman searching for her lost children after escaping slavery. Not my usual thing at all, but very good.

33. The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees by Douglas Tallamy
34. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

35. The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander
This was an absolutely wild ride. Think Radium Girls with half the cast replaced with talking elephants. Trippy, weird, fun, disturbing, and all kinds of fucked up.

36. The Essays by Francis Bacon
37. Passing Strange by Ellen Klages
38. The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
39. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
40. New Atlantis by Francis Bacon

My projects are all going well. I've read quite a few Sanderson books for my Backlog Challenge, have been reading The Daily Stoic every day so far, and am right where I should be for my Harvard Classics challenge (on volume 3) and Nonfiction Challenge (on book 3). My unofficial goal of reading all the r/fantasy 2020 and 2023 top novellas lists is obviously going REALLY well, and I've been able to poke at the Goodreads Choice Awards longlists a bit. Also just a few weeks away from another special project, my Europe and Morocco Vacation Relevant Reads reading list.

[PlanetDee]

4. Congratulations, The Best Is Over! by R. Eric Thomas

[redhead84]

1.  North Woods by Daniel Mason 

One of the best books I've read in years, will probably make it on my Top 10 favorite books.

I just added this to my library hold list. Thank you!

[StarBright]

1.  North Woods by Daniel Mason 

One of the best books I've read in years, will probably make it on my Top 10 favorite books.

I just added this to my library hold list. Thank you!

me too :)

[Linea_Norway]

1. The World and All that it Holds, by Aleksandar Hemon.
2. The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman.

3. Mot elven (Against the river), by Tom Nevle.

[travelbug]

1. Small things like these. Claire Keegan. Would recommend. Excellent short book set in Ireland.

2. The Tea Ladies. Amanda Hampson.
3. Stone Yard Devotional. Charlotte Wood.

[YellowCat]

I’m in! My target is at least 52 books this year, or ~1 per week.

1. A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Diana Gabaldon

[Serendip]

..
1) The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia McConnell
2) Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
3) Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart by Jen Sookfong Lee
4) A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are by Byron Katie w/ Stephen Mitchell

Recently finished/reading

5) A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (fiction) : really enjoyed this gentle, futuristic sci-fi
6) Rewilding: Meditations, Practices and Skills for Awakening in Nature by Micah Mortali : half-way through. I'm not the correct audience for this book as it seems superficial but that most likely is because of previous reading/experiences.

[Linea_Norway]

1. The World and All that it Holds, by Aleksandar Hemon.
2. The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman.
3. Mot elven (Against the river), by Tom Nevle.

4. En nær himmelen opplevelse (A near heaven experience), by Tom Nevle.

[hudsoncat]

2024 Finished:

1. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman (I like Backman books. This one was fine but did not work as well as others have for me)
2. A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham (meh. I had mostly figured out where things were headed early on and kept reading to see if I was correct.)

3. Dune by Frank Herbert (I really liked the first half, lost me a bit toward the end)
4. Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay (I LOVED this. Historical fantasy set in the Tang dynasty [names, including country/dynasty changed in the book, but that is the one])

Currently reading:

Audio: Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
Print: The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman

[Jakestersquat]

#2 The Doorstep Mile by Alastair Humphreys. Humphreys has written a number of adventure books this was boiled down to the simplest adventure just leaving your doorstep and doing something. Felt like it helped me realize lots of smaller simpler things can give me the taste of adventure to hold me over until we are FIRE.

[erp]

Apparently I'm getting off to a quick start this year:

1. Daring Greatly - Brene Brown (audiobook)
2. The Doors of Eden - Adrian Tchaikovsky
3. How to be Perfect - Michael Schur (audiobook)
4. Artificial Condition -Martha Wells (audiobook)
5. I’m Your Man - Sylvie Simmons (Leonard Cohen biography)
6. All Systems Red - Martha Wells (audiobook)
7. Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells (audiobook)
8. The Heat Will Kill You First - Jeff Goodell (in progress)

In fairness, the Martha Wells books are really more like novellas - ~ 100-200 pages each.

As I get busy for the next couple of months, I expect this rate to drop substantially.

[Zikoris]

This month has been INSANE. No really stellar reads this chunk, but all decent. Next 20:

41. Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang
42. Aeropagitica by John Milton
43. The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang
44. Cowboy from the Future by Cassandra Gannon
45. Tractate of Education by John Milton
46. The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi
47. Princess Floralinda and the Forty Flight Tower by Tamsyn Muir
48. Religio Medici by Thomas Browne
49. The Survival of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
50. Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather
51. Mozart's Starling by Lyanda Haupt
52. The Legacy of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson
53. In Midnight's Silence by T. Frohock
54. The Expert System's Brother by Adrian Tchaikovsky
55. The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
56. Hunting Monsters by S.L. Huang
57. Fighting Demons by S.L. Huang
58. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
59. Rose/House by Arkady Martine
60. Burning Roses by S.L. Huang

My projects are all going well, and there are a LOT of them:

1. I'm obviously way ahead of the game for hitting 365 books.

2. I'm right where I should be for the Harvard Classics, on Volume 4/Week 4, though it's about to get wonky on vacation because I'm going to read some stuff out of order to be more "relevant" for the trip (like skipping to the French literature volumes while in France, etc).

3. I'm right where I should be on my nonfiction challenge, on Book 4/Week 4. So far I've learned about octopuses, oak trees, and starlings, and my current one is about bacteriophages.

4. I have read The Daily Stoic every day.

5. I've read seven Backlog Books, and my goal is to read one or two a week for that (I have not counted exactly how many there are but I think it's around 60-70), so on track there too.

6. I've read 36 books from the r/fantasy top novella lists (2020 and 2023) and have just six more to go before that project is done.

7. I've read three books from the Goodreads Choice Awards longlists, and have the remaining six I'm interested in on hold at the library.

[nessness]

I'm in, though off to a bit of a slow start.

1. The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace Wells

2. The Best Short Stories 2023, ed. by Lauren Groff

[Linea_Norway]

1. The World and All that it Holds, by Aleksandar Hemon.
2. The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman.
3. Mot elven (Against the river), by Tom Nevle.
4. En nær himmelen opplevelse (A near heaven experience), by Tom Nevle.

5. Bølgen som brøt (The Wave that Collapsed), by Tom Nevle.

[Wanttobehome]

I am in again for 2024

Jan
1. The Donkey principle - Rachel Anne Ridge
2. Magic lessons - Alice Hoffman
3.A Sting in the Tale - My adventures with Bumble bees - Dave Goulson
4.The Arbornaut - Meg Lowman
5. Small bodies of water- Nina Powles