Author Topic: 50 books  (Read 137826 times)

happypup

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50 books
« on: January 26, 2015, 06:53:24 AM »
I read voraciously as a kid, and I miss it. The thing is, I've got no excuse for not reading -- I've got the time. It's just easier to plop down in front of the tv / internet in the evening, which is obviously a total waste of life.

But no more! This year I want to read 50 books. Would you like to join me?

I'm starting a little bit behind schedule, but here's what's in-progress right now:

1. The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss
2. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, David Sedaris (This one is little and quick, maybe it shouldn't count. Started yesterday, I'll finish it tonight.)

CatchingFire

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2015, 07:05:59 AM »
I'm in.  In fact, I already signed up for a 50-book challenge on Goodreads.  :)

So far,

1. Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
2. All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
3. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
4. The Martian by Andy Weir (excellent!)


Here's a friend link https://www.goodreads.com/friend/i?i=LTM2MDY3NTI2MjE6MzAx if anyone else is on Goodreads.

Irishtache

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2015, 07:08:30 AM »
I, too, read voraciously as a child and adult. In recent years I have taken to buying books in discount stores or 3for2 offers, etc. Often, they are books I will probably never read. My bedroom is cluttered with dozens of books, some read and many never to be read. I have decided to de-clutter shortly and donate or give away most of the books, many of which are from my and my brothers' childhood.

Also, we keep the light in the sitting room low at night, as we are watching TV or looking at our tablets! I only read in bed, briefly or on holidays, infrequently unfortunately! Ken

PS: I will try to read 50 books but they will be from my already acquired stock!

Apples

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2015, 07:24:13 AM »
Oh I'm all over this.  Idk if I'll quite read 50 books because I'm also trying to fully read all the industry magazines/newsletters I'm subscribed to, which adds probably 2-3 hrs/week of other reading.  But books so far:

1.  Four (from the Divergent series-I like fun reads every now and then)
2.  Dragonfly in Amber - Outlander series

kyanamerinas

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2015, 07:49:23 AM »
I'm in!

I challenged myself to read 52 books in a year a while back and enjoyed it so much. I read some short, quick read, some classics, some non-fiction. loads. 64 books total in a year. I enjoyed it so much.

I'll just have to try remember what I've read already this year!

Here's mine:
1. Fahrenheit 451 (for the 3rd time)
2. One of Our Thursdays Is Missing - Jasper Fforde
3. I am Malala
4.

(going slow, o no!)
« Last Edit: March 18, 2015, 03:36:40 AM by kyanamerinas »

Bob W

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2015, 08:40:34 AM »
(I'm secretly jealous of those who can actually read a fiction book all the way through)

Won't do the book thing as my ADD prevents me from dedicating more than 15 minutes to a task and I find fiction books just as mind numbing as TV shows.  But I will do this to prevent brain drain from the tube.   I actually started last night before I read this post and was excited about it.

TED talks -- It appears these are specifically designed for us ADD folks who have an interest in interesting stuff.   Most of them appear to be around 15 minutes in length and I just love them.   

So, while I can't do the books,  I will do my best to watch at least 1000 TED talks this year. 


Moonwaves

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2015, 10:01:09 AM »
If I were reading the books I read as a child, then I'd have no problem hitting 50 really quickly. Hmm, maybe I should re-read all of the Famous Five. I tried to re-read the Magic Faraway Tree a few years ago and just could not get into it. :) Need a kid around to read it to I think.

In 2011 I joined a Review of the Year in Books bloghop so now I actually do keep a list of all books that I read and it's very interesting to look over the list at see the times I was reading a lot or a little, connecting that up to what else was going on at the time. I set my self the challenge a few years ago of reading more non-fiction and more German books. I made a huge effort that first year but last year and the year before found that was slowing me right down. I just don't read non-fiction very quickly, will often stop to think about what I've read or look something up. And I really struggled the last couple of years with finishing books I started and just couldn't maintain interest it. So this year so far I've been trying to finish (and for some start again from the beginning) some of those books. I've finished Moab is my Washpot (the first edition of Stephen Fry's memoirs) and nearly finished Bring on the Apocalyspe (a collection of George Monbiot's newspaper articles) and have restarted We Need to Talk about Kevin. Liking that far more than I did the first time I started it but it's heavy going sometimes. So I'm interspersing it with My Berlin Kitchen, a new book that I got as a present. Would be great to have gottten four books finished in January but it's probably not going to happen.

Adventine

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2015, 10:18:46 AM »
I'm in! I actually hit my goal of 52 books a year in both 2013 AND 2014. Will post my 2015 list tomorrow.

deborah

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2015, 02:42:03 PM »
(I'm secretly jealous of those who can actually read a fiction book all the way through)

Won't do the book thing as my ADD prevents me from dedicating more than 15 minutes to a task and I find fiction books just as mind numbing as TV shows.  But I will do this to prevent brain drain from the tube.   I actually started last night before I read this post and was excited about it.
The challenge is books - not fiction books. Also, many childrens books take less than 15 minutes to read. I recently borrowed Crow Call by Lois Lowry - it probably takes 5 minutes to read, and is a very good book. Also Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French is well worth reading.

deborah

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2015, 02:46:10 PM »
Should be interesting to see how long this takes:

1. Gathering Blue - Lois Lowry
2. A Splendid Exchange - How Trade Shaped the World - William Bernstein

Annamal

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2015, 02:58:43 PM »
(I'm secretly jealous of those who can actually read a fiction book all the way through)

Won't do the book thing as my ADD prevents me from dedicating more than 15 minutes to a task and I find fiction books just as mind numbing as TV shows.  But I will do this to prevent brain drain from the tube.   I actually started last night before I read this post and was excited about it.

TED talks -- It appears these are specifically designed for us ADD folks who have an interest in interesting stuff.   Most of them appear to be around 15 minutes in length and I just love them.   

So, while I can't do the books,  I will do my best to watch at least 1000 TED talks this year.

Have you tried using audiobooks/podcasts while doing something else?

Philociraptor

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2015, 03:36:22 PM »
I'm thinking no-freakin-way on 50, but I've set a goal for 2015 at 35 books I have not read before (10% of something/day, rounded down). Some short paperbacks I can cruise through 20%-30% in a typical day, but others, like the books in the ASOIAF series, are closer to 5% in a day (and I'm rereading that series right now, won't count towards the total). Good to have company in this reading quest.

The journey so far:
  • Think Like a Freak - Steven D. Levitt and Stephen K. Dubner
  • Why Bother With Bonds: A Guide to Build All-Weather Portfolio - Rick Van Ness
  • The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
  • Consider the Lobster and Other Essays - David Foster Wallace
  • The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less - Barry Schwartz
  • (Currently Reading) Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World - Jane McGonigal

Rereads:
  • (Currently Rereading) A Dance with Dragons - George R. R. Martin
« Last Edit: January 29, 2015, 03:22:31 PM by Philociraptor »

RetiredAt63

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #12 on: January 26, 2015, 04:06:39 PM »
Enid Blyton - I read her books as a child.  When my DD was old enough to have longer books read to her, we revisited Narnia, went sailing with the Swallows and Amazons, and I generally took advantage of rereading many of my childhood favourites under the guise of reading to her.  She liked them too.  Of course she then went on to be a voracious reader herself- which meant I got to read all the Harry Potter books after she had read them, and Twilight, to see what the fuss was about (Bella is the blandest heroine I have ever seen, she makes tapioca pudding look exciting).

Fifty? In a year?  That is fine when you are working, I certainly read that number most years.  Now that I am retired (am I rubbing it in enough?) 50 is nothing.  For January I have returned 8 books to the library, have 12 out right now (some are already read) and have 48 on hold.  Plus the books I read from other sources.

I am a fast reader - a friend who was a fast reader and I agreed that this is a mixed blessing - you can read more, but it is an addiction, and then you have to find more books because you went through them so fast.  Nonfiction is better, it takes longer, and makes you think more.

Anyway, this is a fun challenge, good luck and good reading to all.


. Hmm, maybe I should re-read all of the Famous Five. I tried to re-read the Magic Faraway Tree a few years ago and just could not get into it. :) Need a kid around to read it to I think.

minority_finance_mo

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #13 on: January 26, 2015, 04:15:06 PM »
Yes!

#1: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff - About halfway through
#2: Lean in, for Graduates

Will update as I go forward.

One Noisy Cat

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #14 on: January 26, 2015, 05:20:27 PM »
Books read this year

1) Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
2) Call of the Wild- Jack London
3) The White Queen- Philippa Gregory
4) Katherine Swynford- Alison Weir
5) Lancaster and York- The War of the Roses- Alison Weir
6) A History of England Vol 2 Tudors- Peter Ackroyd

Currently reading
7)The Greatest Knight William Marshal-Thomas Asbridge
8) Life on the Mississippi-Mark Twain

RetiredAt63

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #15 on: January 26, 2015, 07:36:24 PM »
Thanks for mentioning this - I had read all her Earth-Sea books years ago but didn't know she had another out.  It is now on hold at the library.


1. The Other Wind, by Ursula Le Guin

HappierAtHome

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #16 on: January 26, 2015, 08:07:52 PM »
I always read more than 50 books a year, so am I still allowed to join or is it cheating if you're already doing it??

Great thread.

daymare

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #17 on: January 26, 2015, 08:22:32 PM »
I'm definitely joining, last year I read 47 books (while not aiming for any particular number, just tracking).  Reading is one of my favorite leisure activities, and a much more productive one that wasting time online, so I definitely want to try to redirect even more of my relaxation time towards reading.

1967mama

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #18 on: January 26, 2015, 11:50:51 PM »
I would like to join! I always have 4-8 books on my nightstand, but I never seem to be able to actually FINISH a book! So, I'm wondering what it would be like to actually cut wayyyyy back on my online time, and rededicate my time to reading books like I used to do when I was younger? Perhaps joining this challenge will motivate me to read more, and read books right to the end. I'm a non-fiction gal and so not finishing a book never seems like the end of the world! :-)

On my nightstand right now:
"All Your Worth"
"Money: Master the Game"
"My Empire of Dirt"
"The Worst Hard Time"
"Bossypants"

One is due in 2 days, but the rest I have out for another few weeks. I look forward to checking back on my list at that time! Thanks for posting this cool challenge!

Adventine

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #19 on: January 27, 2015, 12:26:42 AM »
Here's my 2015 list of books:

1.   Saga Volume 4 - Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
2.   The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
3.   Pinocchio Vampire Slayer - Dustin Higgins and Van Jensen
4.   New Avengers Issues 27-28 (ongoing comics) - Jonathan Hickman
5.   Avengers Issues 39-40 (ongoing comics) - Jonathan Hickman
6.   American Vampire Volume 1 - Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque and Stephen King
7.   Shutter Volume 1: Wanderlost - Joe Keatinge, Leila Del Duca and Owen Gieni
8.   Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World    - Haruki Murakami
9.   Sophie's World    - Jostein Gaarder (in the middle of this one right now!)

MustacheMom

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #20 on: January 27, 2015, 12:44:50 AM »
I'm up for this challenge!  I love reading, but lately have not been reading many books.  Just in the past week I've really made a point to get back to reading more. 

1 - The Magic of Tidying Up (in progress)
2 - Walden on Wheels (in progress)

ToeInTheWater

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #21 on: January 27, 2015, 05:13:24 AM »
this was one of my new year's resolutions.  tried this a few years ago, and ended up with >100.
so far in 2015 (all either Free Kindle Books, or borrowed from a friend)

1. Malicious, James Raven
2. The Grinning Dog, Ed Halliday
3. The Scorpion's Tale, Wayne Block
4. Sister Missing, Jeff Ambrose
5. Boys in Chicago Heights, Matthew Luzi
6. Trick Question. Tony Dunbar
7. When No One is looking, Joseph Hayes


i tend to "binge" for a couple weeks, then take a break...


happypup

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #22 on: January 27, 2015, 06:58:31 AM »
Lots of readers -- awesome! The best part of this is seeing everyone's book lists. I've already added a few things to my to-read list...

I always read more than 50 books a year, so am I still allowed to join or is it cheating if you're already doing it??

The more the merrier, I say!

I don't think I can hit 50, at least not of the ones on my to-read list (which includes Infinite Jest)

You know, I was really surprised at how fast Infinite Jest went. For me that was one of those books that you just get totally engrossed in and read for hours without realizing it.

ToughMother

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #23 on: January 27, 2015, 07:27:04 AM »
With a FT position and a consulting gig as well, 50 books is too ambitious for my time. 

That said, I fritter away too much time at night winding down on those damn interwebtubes and on StupidBook. 

This is a good kick in the butt to use that time to read instead.  My goal is 24 books and I'd be happy to beat that.  I've read 3 so far already... a good sign.

Thanks for the encouragement.

randommadness

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #24 on: January 27, 2015, 08:57:47 AM »
Doing work so far this year, though I've always been a reader.

1. Firefight, Brandon Sanderson
2. Fluency, Jennifer Wells
3. Terms of Enlistment, Marko Kloos
4. Lines of Departure, Marko Kloos
5. The Martian, Andy Weir
6. Locked On, Tom Clancy, Mark Greaney (in progress)

I'll probably finish the Jack Ryan Jr. series by Clancy, that'll be another few books, have also preordered Angles of Attack by Kloos and the Wheel of Time Companion.
Book 7 will be Starhold, by J. Alan Field.

Looking at a whole lot of Sci Fi this year. My goal is to actually start using the library... It's just been nice finding some books I've really enjoyed right off the bat, except for the fact I've been staying up late, lol.

sheepstache

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #25 on: January 28, 2015, 12:51:21 PM »
Something to help boost the numbers if you feel you're falling short:
http://electricliterature.com/17-brilliant-short-novels-you-can-read-in-a-sitting/

Adventine

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #26 on: January 28, 2015, 08:34:50 PM »

jennifers

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #27 on: January 29, 2015, 06:36:27 AM »
I'll join. I have trouble finding books to read, hopefully this thread gives me some inspiration.

Currently reading:
Lunatics - Dave Barry and Alan Zweibel (I don't like this book at all yet, but my dad got me it for Christmas so I'm reading it.)

Next:
Lean in - Sheryl Sandberg
The Martian - Andy Weir

CatchingFire

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #28 on: January 29, 2015, 07:36:10 AM »
Next:
Lean in - Sheryl Sandberg
The Martian - Andy Weir

I just finished The Martian.  I loved it.  I read it in under 24 hours.  I love a good page turner.

CatchingFire

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #29 on: January 29, 2015, 07:37:32 AM »
Rereads:
  • (Currently Rereading) A Dance with Dragons - George R. R. Martin

I really want to re-read this series, but I'm steering clear for now unless I get WAY ahead on my reading challenge.  So long! (but SO good!)

randommadness

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #30 on: January 29, 2015, 07:42:01 AM »

4. The Martian by Andy Weir (excellent!)



5. The Martian, Andy Weir



Next:
The Martian - Andy Weir

Looks like the Martian is winning the thread so far!

Finished Locked On. Now debating between Starhold or the next Clancy book in the series...

FoundPeace

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #31 on: January 29, 2015, 09:10:08 AM »
I'm in! Mostly because I want to know keep track of how many books I read this year. I doubt I'll have any trouble getting up to 50. My goal is to make sure that at least a quarter of them are classics or non-fiction.

1 Emerald Green: The ruby Red Trilogy-Kerstin Gier
2 The Maze Runner-James Dashner
3 Earth Awakens: The First Formic War-Orson S. Card
4 Visitors: Pathfinder Series, Book 3-Orson S. Card
5 The Final Empire: Mistborn Book 1-Brandon Sanderson
6 For Whom the Bell Tolls-Ernest Hemingway


Noodle

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #32 on: January 29, 2015, 11:32:52 AM »
For those with time or attention issues, graphic novels would also be an option. These days graphic novels can be found in all genres, even science (Jim Ottaviani's stuff is great history of science). The classic superhero comics are available, and also new series that use some of those tropes (Astro City, for instance) but don't require any knowledge of a particular set of superheroes and tend to emphasize character development as well as plot. And the art on a lot of them is just amazing.

savedough

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #33 on: January 29, 2015, 11:57:11 AM »
I'm in, but I have some catching up to do.  I'm going to aim for at least 20 to be non-fiction.

1.  Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult (Book Club selection for Feb - completed 1/28/15)

Currently reading Passing by Nella Larsen, Tiger, Meet My Sister...  by Rick Reilly (compilation of essays, it's like reading a magazine article) and American Wasteland by Jonathan Bloom.   I can usually read two or more books at the same time as long as the plots aren't similar.

If we count reading to our kids, I've already hit 50, but Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, Playground Days and Caps for Sale probably aren't what the OP had in mind.

Adventine

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #34 on: January 29, 2015, 12:05:54 PM »


For those with time or attention issues, graphic novels would also be an option. These days graphic novels can be found in all genres, even science (Jim Ottaviani's stuff is great history of science). The classic superhero comics are available, and also new series that use some of those tropes (Astro City, for instance) but don't require any knowledge of a particular set of superheroes and tend to emphasize character development as well as plot. And the art on a lot of them is just amazing.

+1. The following graphic novels are seriously good pieces of literature. I've found both the writing and art to be outstanding:

Blankets by Craig Thompson
Habibi, also by Craig Thompson
Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Watchmen by Alan Moore
V for Vendetta, also by Alan Moore

misschedda

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #35 on: January 29, 2015, 12:20:07 PM »
Love this!

So far in 2015 I've read:
1. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
2. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

And I'm currently working on:
The Name of the Wind
Four
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

One Noisy Cat

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #36 on: January 29, 2015, 02:35:12 PM »
9) "Hard Driving The Wendell Scott Story"-Brian Donovan

rocksinmyhead

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #37 on: January 29, 2015, 03:31:22 PM »
Ooh! Can I be in for a lesser challenge? I know I won't get 50, but I'd be impressed with myself if I got 20. Definitely not a person that can read two books at once.

1. Lamb by Christopher Moore
2. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (halfway through)
3. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (next up, this month's book club selection)

The Name of the Wind has been on my to-read list for a while. One time last year we were having our book club meeting in a coffee shop/bar/bookstore and this super drunk homeless guy came in and starting talking to us really incoherently, and he kept mentioning The Name of the Wind. He finally left and this guy who was there with another small group of people turned to us and said, "It really is a good book! I don't want you to be turned off of it because that guy sounded nuts. I definitely recommend it." LOL.

Annamal

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #38 on: January 29, 2015, 07:19:53 PM »
I'm not sure that I can make 50 new books since I am kind of in comfort reading mode at the moment but here are the new books at the moment:

1) Neuromancer by William Gibson
2) Maplecroft by Cherie Priest
3) Miss Bradshaw's Handbook by Terry Pratchett (I have been comfort reading old Discworld books and this is the closest I am going to get to new DW for a while)

fresh

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #39 on: January 29, 2015, 09:21:22 PM »
Sounds like fun!  I'm trying to do the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list so most will be books off of that list with a few history & business books thrown in .  So far for the year I've got:

1. Brave New World- Aldous Huxley
2. Fast Food Nation- Eric Schlosser
3. Anna Karenina- Leo Tolstoy

I'm planning on starting Hunger by Knut Hamsun soon.

I love lists....

nanu

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #40 on: January 29, 2015, 11:20:35 PM »
Trying to get in on this as well... (though 52 books, just because it makes more sense).

So far (9/2/15):
1. Rich Dad, Poor Dad
2. A Random Walk Down Wall Street
3. The Millionaire Next Door
4. The 7 habits of highly effective people - stopped halfway... didn't like it
5. John Scalzi - Fuzzy Nation
6. John Scalzi - Lock In
7. Starship Troopers
8. The Martian
9. Leviathan Wakes
10. Caliban's War
11. Abaddon's Gate
12. Cibola Burn
13. Nemesis Games
14. You're never weird on the internet (almost)
15. The end of all things
16. The girl with all the gifts
« Last Edit: September 22, 2015, 04:47:06 AM by nanu »

happypup

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #41 on: January 30, 2015, 06:17:50 AM »
Ooh! Can I be in for a lesser challenge? I know I won't get 50, but I'd be impressed with myself if I got 20. Definitely not a person that can read two books at once.

1. Lamb by Christopher Moore
2. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (halfway through)
3. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (next up, this month's book club selection)

The Name of the Wind has been on my to-read list for a while. One time last year we were having our book club meeting in a coffee shop/bar/bookstore and this super drunk homeless guy came in and starting talking to us really incoherently, and he kept mentioning The Name of the Wind. He finally left and this guy who was there with another small group of people turned to us and said, "It really is a good book! I don't want you to be turned off of it because that guy sounded nuts. I definitely recommend it." LOL.

Hah! My local coffee shop drunky just rants about John the Baptist. It'd be nice to get some book recommendations instead! It's really good though. I'm almost done and will probably go on to the next book in the series right away. The third one is set to come out this year, I think, too.

Also if you like Christopher Moore, The Stupidest Angel is a fun one.

rocksinmyhead

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #42 on: January 30, 2015, 06:46:15 AM »
Ooh! Can I be in for a lesser challenge? I know I won't get 50, but I'd be impressed with myself if I got 20. Definitely not a person that can read two books at once.

1. Lamb by Christopher Moore
2. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (halfway through)
3. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (next up, this month's book club selection)

The Name of the Wind has been on my to-read list for a while. One time last year we were having our book club meeting in a coffee shop/bar/bookstore and this super drunk homeless guy came in and starting talking to us really incoherently, and he kept mentioning The Name of the Wind. He finally left and this guy who was there with another small group of people turned to us and said, "It really is a good book! I don't want you to be turned off of it because that guy sounded nuts. I definitely recommend it." LOL.

Hah! My local coffee shop drunky just rants about John the Baptist. It'd be nice to get some book recommendations instead! It's really good though. I'm almost done and will probably go on to the next book in the series right away. The third one is set to come out this year, I think, too.

Also if you like Christopher Moore, The Stupidest Angel is a fun one.

I definitely want to read more Christopher Moore after Lamb, it was awesome... I'll look for that one!

sheepstache

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #43 on: January 30, 2015, 02:17:28 PM »
You know what, I'll join y'all. I don't actually want to aim to read a certain number of books since it might influence my choice of books. But I'm usually pretty close to 50. And I do feel better from sustained reading rather than mindless websurfing so it's a good reminder.

Plus, I never know whether to add to the "What are you READING right now?" thread or if I'm adding too many posts. Here I'll just post once a month.

1) A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor
2) The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carre
3) From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming
4) Ms. Marvel, vol. 1 by Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona
5) Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day by Peter Zuckerman and Amanda Padoan
6) The Martian, Andy Weir
7) My Struggle by Karl Ove Knausgaard
8) Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler
9) Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick

deborah

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #44 on: January 30, 2015, 03:16:00 PM »
Should be interesting to see how long this takes:

1. Gathering Blue - Lois Lowry
2. A Splendid Exchange - How Trade Shaped the World - William Bernstein
3. The Grey Nomad's Guidebook - Cindy and Jeremy Gough
I am only going to include books read cover to cover, and since the challenge started.

RetiredAt63

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #45 on: January 30, 2015, 04:28:20 PM »
I knew I read a lot but hadn't actually counted how many.  Of course winter is prime reading time, and a lot is planning for the summer.  Being retired helps too, no more putting a book down because I have to go to bed because I have to go to work (another reason to work at FIRE).  Fiction is "light", mysteries and SF.

I didn't keep track starting January 1, but from what I have returned to the library in January and what I have at home, I have read:

Non-fiction:  (do books that are mostly recipes or patterns count?

Free Range kids (good read for parents, I was a free range kid, my DD was one, I was appalled at the restrictions described here)
Wheat belly total health
Odd bits (how to cook the rest of the animal)
More money than brains ( my title = how to raise your blood pressure in one funny read)
The butcher's guide to well-raised meat
Hemp
Recipes from the root cellar
The outdoor shower
Barn heart
One woman farm
Knitting loves crochet
Honeybee democracy (really good if you find honey bees interesting)
Gene everlasting
Attracting Native pollinators (excellent)
The vegetable gardener's book of building projects
Lace One-Skein Wonders
How to save the world in your spare time
Sex on six legs
The Science of happily ever after
Pioneer naturalists
Oil and honey
How to add value to your home
Darwin's' Ghosts
Cubed
Buzz
The 7 most important equations for your retirement
Zero waste home

Fiction

Just re-read all the Mrs. Pollifax books I have at home (10) and have two on hold at the library
Cemetery Girl (and found I prefer regular books to graphic novels, my mind provides all the illustrations I need)
Beeline to trouble
Shaman rises
Death blows
Dog on it

I definitely need more fiction.

deborah

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #46 on: January 30, 2015, 08:51:55 PM »
I like this. I'm a little behind if I'm going to get to 50 this month,
But the challenge is to read 50 in a YEAR - not 50 in a MONTH!

RetiredAt63

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #47 on: January 31, 2015, 03:16:29 PM »
That's good since I managed 42.  But it is winter and cooold outside.  So what better to do than read/knit/read?  In July I will be doing well to read 10.

I like this. I'm a little behind if I'm going to get to 50 this month,
But the challenge is to read 50 in a YEAR - not 50 in a MONTH!

votu

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #48 on: February 01, 2015, 08:57:42 AM »
I'll join too.  Just realized I barely read anything at all last year.

1. The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick by Gene Stone

RetiredAt63

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Re: 50 books
« Reply #49 on: February 01, 2015, 07:13:11 PM »
That's because it IS good   ;-)    I just wish I had done it sooner!


Dang, RetiredAt63 -- you make retirement look good! Read on, sister.