Alexi Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) Hello and welcome to my reading log! I'm going to try and keep it better updated this time.... AIMS To read 60 books this year. I would like to read 11 books from the 1001 list. I read 12 in 2013 so it doesn't seem an unrealistic target, and would take me up to a nice, round (paltry) 50 read from the combined list of 1305 books. I'm also participating in the Around the World and English Counties Challenges but not setting specific goals for them. To reduce my TBR by one book. James dared me to count it and it stands at 223, so I must have it at 222 by 31 December 2014. Baby steps, right?! At least it won't be increasing.... Hopefully! Edited February 12, 2014 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) Books read in 2014 - January to June January The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Steig Larsson 5/5 A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka 2/5 And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie 4/5 Making Sense of the Troubles - David McKittrick and David McVea 4/5 An Awfully Big Adventure - Beryl Bainbridge 1/5 The Line of Beauty - Alan Hollinghurst 3/5 February The Stepford Wives - Ira Levin 4/5 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs 5/5 A Study in Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle 3/5 Jamaica Inn - Daphne Du Maurier 4/5 Step Back in Time - Ali McNamara 3/5 March Dracula - Bram Stoker 2.5/5 Lanced: The Shaming of Lance Armstrong - David Walsh 4/5 The Fall of the Stone City - Ismail Kadare 4/5 The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky 4.5/5 Pigeon English - Stephen Kelman 3/5 April Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome 3.5/5 Set in Stone - Robert Goddard 4/5 The Hacienda - Peter Hook 3/5 The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith 4/5 The Worst of Friends - Colin Schindler 3/5 Life after Life - Kate Atkinson 4/5 May Mary Poppins - P L Travers 2/5 Far From the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy 2/5 A Very Long Engagement - Sebastien Japrisot 4/5 The Return of the Soldier - Rebecca West 5/5 Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy - Helen Fielding 4/5 June Be Careful What You Wish For - Simon Jordan 3/5 The Blackest Streets - Sarah Wise 3.5/5 Pied Piper - Nevil Shute 5/5 My Uncle Silas by H E Bates 3/5 Bluestockings by Jane Robinson 4/5 Edited June 23, 2014 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) Books read in 2014 July to December July By the Pricking of my Thumbs by Agatha Christie 4/5 Gargling With Tar by Jachym Topol 3/5 Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin 4/5 I Am Zlatan by Zlatan Ibrahimovic 4/5 The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick 3/5 The Kindness of Strangers by Mike McIntryre 3.5/5 August Please Look After Mother by Kyung-Sook Shin 3.3/5 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 5/5 Scottish Independence: Weighing up the Economics by Gavin McCrone 4/5 Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach 3/5 September The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster 1/5 11/22/63 by Stephen King 5/5 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher 3/5 Capital by John Lanchester 4/5 Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell 4/5 October The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden 4/5 Sky of Red Poppies by Zohreh Ghahremani 4.5/5 Alice in Time by Penelope Bush 2/5 The Second Half by Roy Keane 4/5 November The Shining by Stephen King 4/5 Past Mortem by Ben Elton 3/5 Untouchables by Michael Gillard and Laurie Flynn 3.5/5 The Gathering by Anne Enright 1/5 The Woman in Black by Susan Hill 4/5 December Diary of a Country Prosecutor by Tawfik Al-Hakim 3/5 The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman 4/5 Undone by Cat Clarke 4/5 Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens 5/5 Edited December 27, 2014 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) TBR A-L Ben Aaronovitch - Rivers of London Douglas Adams - Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun Mitch Albom - The Five People You Meet in Heaven Tahmima Anam - A Golden Age Maria Angels Anglada - The Auschwitz Violin Paul Auster - The New York Trilogy Beryl Bainbridge - An Awfully Big Adventure David Baldacci - Absolute Power Sam Baldwin - For Fukui's Sake Nonna Bannister - The Holocaust Diaries Dennis Bergkamp - Stillness and Speed Tracy Bloom - No one Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday Attilio Bolzoni - White Shotgun Anthony Bourdain - Kitchen Confidential Anthony Bourdain - A Cook's Tour Mark Bowden - Killing Pablo Tom Bower - No Angel: The Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone Rodric Braithwaite - Moscow 1941: A City and it's People at War Max Brooks - World War Z Helen Bryan - War Brides Edward Bunker - Mr Blue: Memoirs of a Renegade Jimmy Burns - La Roja Augusten Burroughs - Running With Scissors Luca Caioli - Messi Michael Calvin - Family Mark Cappell - Run Run Run Lewis Carroll - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Noel Cawthorne - Witch Hunt: History of a Persecution David Charter - Au Revoir, Europe Stephen Chbosky - The Perks of being a Wallflower Lee Child - The Affair Noam Chomsky - Occupy Agatha Christie - And then there were None Agatha Christie - By the Pricking of my Thumbs Cat Clarke - Undone David Cohen - Bringing them up Royal Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins - Catching Fire Suzanne Collins - Mockingjay Thomas H Cook - The Last Talk with Lola Faye Susan Coolidge - What Katy Did George Cooper - The Origin of Financial Crises Robert Davies - The Man Who Lived at the End of the World John Deering - Bradley Wiggins: Tour de Force Diana Dempsey - Falling Star Becky Dennington - Me and the Ugly C Arthur Conan Doyle - The Sign of the Four Arthur Conan Doyle - A Study in Scarlet Arthur Conan Doyle - The Valley of Fear Arthur Conan Doyle - The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Mark Dunn - Ella Minnow Pea Pete Earley - Super Casino Sam Eastland - Siberian Red Helen Edwards and Jenny Lee Smith - My Secret Sister Nick Edwards - In Stitches Ben Elton - Two Brothers Tan Twan Eng - The Gift of Rain Eskimo Folk Tales Michael Esslinger - Letters from Alcatraz Jeffrey Eugenidies - The Virgin Suicides Helen Fielding - Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy Joseph Finder - Paranoia Helen FitzGerald - The Cry Jonathan Safran Foer - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Ken Follett - Pillars of the Earth Eric Foner - Give Me Liberty John Foot - Calcio Michael Frayn - Skios Barbara Freethy - Ryan's Return Dawn French - A Tiny Bit Marvellous Robert Galbraith - The Cuckoo's Calling Alex Garland - The Beach Antonio Garrido - The Corpse Reader Lisa Genova - Still Alice Tess Gerritsen - The Silent Girl Tess Gerritsen - Bloodstream Zohreh Ghahremani - Sky of Red Poppies Michael Gillard and Laurie Flynn - Untouchables Charlotte Perkins Gilman - The Yellow Wallpaper Alex Grecian - The Black Country Phillippa Gregory - The Kingmaker's Daughter George Grossmith - Diary of a Nobody Richard Guard - Lost London Heather Gudenkauf - These Things Hidden Carla Guelfenbein - The Rest Is Silence Romesh Gunesekera - Reef Duncan Hamilton - Provided You Don't Kiss Me Dashiell Hammett - The Maltese Falcon Thomas Hardy - Far From the Madding Crowd Daniel Harris - The Promised Land Robert Harris - Imperium Noah Hawley - The Good Father Richard Herley - The Penal Colony Howard Hockin - High Stakes Steena Holmes - Finding Emma Ninni Holmqvist - The Unit Peter Hook - The Hacienda Mary Hooper - At the Sign of the Sugared Plum John Hoskison - Inside Victor Hugo - Notre Dame de Paris Victor Hugo - Les Miserables Graham Hunter - Barca Zlatan Ibrahimovic - I am Zlatan Walter Isaacson - Steve Jobs Eowyn Ivey - The Snow Child Liz Jensen - War Crimes for the Home Graham Johnson - Football and Gangsters Jonas Jonasson - The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared Lindsey Kelk - I Heart Hollywood Lindsey Kelk - I Heart London Simon Kernick - The Business of Dying Simon Kernick - Relentless Stephen King - 11.22.63 Stephen King - The Shining Barbara Kingsolver - Flight Behaviour Ayse Kulin - Last Train to Istanbul Camilla Lackberg - The Ice Princess Paul Lake - I'm Not Really Here Eric Lamet - A Child Al Confino John Lanchester - Capital Steig Larsson - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Doreen Lawrence - And Still I Rise Debra Lee - Taken Sheri Leigh - Graveyard Games Ira Levin - The Stepford Wives Marina Lewycka - A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian Mark Logue and Peter Conradi - The King's Speech Kate Long - Bad Mothers United Karen Lord - Redemption in Indigo Edited December 7, 2014 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) TBR M-ZSamantha Mackintosh - Kisses for LulaNelson Mandela - Long Walk to FreedomHilary Mantel - Wolf HallScott Mariani - The Alchemist's SecretHoward Marks - Mr NiceAndrew Marr - History of Modern BritainIan Marshall - The Class of 92Ann M Martin - Kristy's Great IdeaDaniel Martin - Black Tie, White NoiseGeorge R R Martin - Game of ThronesRobert K Massie - Nicholas and AlexandraKimberly McCreight - Reconstructing AmeliaBob McElwain - Free to DieKatie McGarry - Pushing the LimitsBrian McGilloway - Little Girl LostMike McIntyre - The Kindness of StrangersReg McKay - The Last GodfatherDavid McKittrick and David McVea - Making Sense of the TroublesAli McNamara - Step Back in TimeCandy Miller - Kalahari PassageBrian Moore - Beware of the DogLiane Moriarty - What Alice ForgotHaruki Murakami - 1Q84Urzula Muskus - Long Bridge out of the GulagsJo Nesbo - The BatJo Nesbo - NemesisJo Nesbo - The RedeemerJo Nesbo - PhantomJo Nesbo - The SnowmanJo nesbo - The Devil's StarJo Nesbo - The LeopardPatrick Ness - A Monster CallsDavid Nicholls - Starter for TenJoseph O'Neill - Crime CityMichael Ondaatje - The English PatientS J Parris - HeresyJames Patterson - Kiss the GirlsJames Patterson - Cat and MouseChris Pavone - The ExpatsJohn Pearson - Learn Me GoodOliver Potzsch - The Hangman's DaughterJeff Ragsdale, David Shields and Michael Logan - Jeff, One Lonely GuyLouise Rennison - Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal SnoggingLexi Revellian - ReplicaDavid Revill - London by TubeTom Reynolds - Blood Sweat and TeaGraham Robb - Parisians: An Adventure History of ParisAngus Roxburgh - Strongman:Vladimir Putin and the struggle for RussiaC J Sansom - Winter in MadridColin Schindler - The Worst of FriendsPhil Scraton - Hillsborough the TruthTina Seskis - One Step Too FarAnna Sewell - Black BeautyWilliam L Shirer - The Rise and Fall of the Third ReichMartin Sixsmith - PhilomenaKarin Slaughter - IndelibleChristopher Smith - Fifth AvenueAli Sparkes - Frozen in TimeDana Stabenow - A Cold Day for MurderGarth Stein - The Art of Racing in the RainKathryn Stockett - The HelpBram Stoker - DraculaWilliam Styron - Sophie's ChoiceAntal Szerb - Journey by MoonlightDonna Tartt - The GoldfinchGeorgie Thompson and Imogen Lloyd Webber - The Twitter DiariesLesley Thomson - The Detective's DaughterRosy Thornton - NinepinsPeter Thurgood - The Stories behind London's StreetsKurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse FiveDavid Wailing - Fake KateKaren Thompson Walker - The Age of MiraclesDavid Walsh - LancedSam Warburton - Refuse to be DeniedMark Ward - HammeredMike Ward - GullhangerHeather Wardell - Seven Exes is Eight too ManyH G Wells - The Time MachineIrvine Welsh - TrainspottingIrvine Welsh - SkagboysScott Westerfeld - UgliesJacqueline Wilson - The Story of Tracy BeakerJacqueline Wilson - The Bed and Breakfast StarSarah Winman - When God was a RabbitDavid Winner - Brilliant OrangeScott Wittenberg - The May Day MurdersChristian Wolmar - The Great Railway RevolutionJennifer Worth - Call the MidwifeMona Yahia - When the Grey Beetles Took Over BaghdadA B Yehoshua - Friendly FireCarlos Ruiz Zafon - The Angel's Game Edited July 30, 2014 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) Books acquired 2014 The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst Alice in Time by Penelope Bush May We Be Forgiven by A M Homes Born Weird by Andrew Kaufman Life After Life by Kate Atkinson Killing Floor by Lee Child Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Gargling With Tar by Jachym Topol The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte The Old Wives Tale by Arnold Bennett Tales from the Secret Footballer by Anonymous Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher The Reaper by Steven Dunne The Railway Man by Eric Lomax The Misbegotten by Katherine Webb Hotel K by Kathryn Bonella Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters Reversible Errors by Scott Turow Lethal Intent by Quintin Jardine The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness Coming Clean by Kimberley Rae Miller 12 Years A Slave by Solomon Northup Brighton Rock by Graham Greene Red Dragon by Thomas Harris The Jewish Candidate by David Crossland Scottish Independence: Weighing up the Economics by Gavin McCrone The Fields by Kevin Maher Handsome Brute by Sean O'Connor The Unclassed by George Gissing Murder at Wrotham Hill by Diana Souhami Life After Death: Eighteen years on Death Row by Damien Echols The P45 Diaries by Ben Hatch Mary Poppins, She Wrote by Valerie Lawson The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan Perfect by Rachel Joyce Dear Lupin: Letters to a Wayward Son by Charlie Mortimer Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell Be Careful What You Wish for by Simon Jordan The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig Richer Than God by David Conn The Football Men by Simon Kuper My Trade by Andrew Marr Time and Again by Jack Finney Fleshmarket Close by Ian Rankin Wild Swans by Jung Chang Inside the Divide by Richard Wilson The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell American Rust by Philipp Meyer Nicholas Nickleby By Charles Dickens If I Stay by Gayle Forman The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud John F Kennedy: An Unfinished Life by Robert Dallek The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume Past Mortem by Ben Elton I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene Treachery by S J Parris Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier Beyond Evil by Nathan Yates When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde Empire of the Sun by JG Ballard The Disenchanted Widow by Christina McKenna The Establishment by Owen Jones The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach The Pearl that Broke its Shell by Nadia Hashimi Seven Deadly Sins by David Walsh Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson Fear and Loathing in La Liga by Sid Lowe Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith Stardust by Neil Gaiman Edited December 27, 2014 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 (edited) THE ENGLISH COUNTIES CHALLENGE - ALEX'S VERSION Two substitutions for books I had already read before the challenge started (Greater London and Leicestershire) Books in BOLD are ones I've read. 1. Bedfordshire - My Uncle Silas by H. E. Bates 2. Berkshire - The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame 3. Bristol - The Misses Mallett by E. H. Young 4. Buckinghamshire - The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper 5. Cambridgeshire - The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers 6. Cheshire - Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell 7. City of London - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 8. Cornwall - Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier 9. Cumbria - Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome 10. Derbyshire - Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks 11. Devon - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 12. Dorset - Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy 13. County Durham - Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens 14. East Riding of Yorkshire - South Riding by Winifred Holtby 15. East Sussex - Winnie-The-Pooh by A. A. Milne 16. Essex - The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James 17. Gloucestershire - Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee 18. Greater London* - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf 19. Greater Manchester - North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell 20. Hampshire - Watership Down by Richard Adams 21. Herefordshire - On The Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin 22. Hertfordshire - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 23. Isle of Wight - England, England by Julian Barnes 24. Kent - The Darling Buds of May by H. E. Bates 25. Lancashire - Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson 26. Leicestershire - The Right to an Answer by Anthony Burgess 27. Lincolnshire - The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot 28. Merseyside - An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge 29. Norfolk - The Go-Between by L. P. Hartley 30. North Yorkshire - Dracula by Bram Stoker 31. Northamptonshire - Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 32. Northumberland - The Stars Look Down by A. J. Cronin 33. Nottinghamshire - Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence 34. Oxfordshire - The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford 35. Rutland - Set In Stone by Robert Goddard 36. Shropshire - Summer Lightning by P. G. Wodehouse 37. Somerset - Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore 38. South Yorkshire - A Kestral For A Knave by Barry Hines 39. Staffordshire - The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett 40. Suffolk - The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald 41. Surrey - Emma by Jane Austen or The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells 42. Tyne and Wear - Another World by Pat Barker 43. Warwickshire - Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes 44. West Midlands - Middlemarch by George Eliot 45. West Sussex - Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons 46. West Yorkshire - Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë 47. Wiltshire - Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope 48. Worcestershire - The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall 12/48 completed I think that's everything, so now open for business I hope everyone has a wonderful reading year in 2014! Edited December 27, 2014 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 I wish you a wonderful reading year ! You have some great books on your TBR, I enjoyed in particular the following ones. I rated all of them as 10 out of 10. Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins Helen Fielding - Bridget Jones 3: Mad About the Boy Eowyn Ivey - The Snow Child Ann M. Martin - Kirsty's Great Idea George R. R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire 1: A Game of Thrones I also liked David Baldacci - Absolute Power when I read it when I was a teenager. The Perks of Being a Wallflower I enjoyed though not as much as I thought I would. I may have read Alex Garland - The Beach for secondary school once (English class), but I am not sure (I can't find my copy yet). I know it was called The Beach but I don't remember the author or what the book was about. I enjoyed H. G. Wells - The Time Machine, but I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped. I have some of your books on my TBR too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Nice goal to reduce TBR pile by one book in 2014. It sounds easy, but we all know that it can be very difficult! Comments on your TBR pile: Ben Aaronovitch - Rivers of London : I couldn't get into this one, but I know I'm in the definite minority. Max Brooks - World War Z : This is another one that I struggled with, more the style of the book than the written content. Mark Dunn - Ella Minnow Pea : Loved this one, it was just so original. Ken Follett - Pillars of the Earth : One of my favorites. I've read it a few times, and keep thinking I should read it again. Alex Garland - The Beach : Another great one. Miles better than the movie. Richard Herley - The Penal Colony : A nice surprise. This was a freebie on the Kindle, and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. Happy reading for 2014. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Alexi Good luck on the coming year of reading , You're in for some good ones ! Love the Mitch Albom book,as always . I just bought The Shining ( not sure what I was thinking ,as I don't read many horror type books, but thought I'd give it a shot ) . Also, I have Little Girl Lost, yet to read . Kindness of Strangers was really good ,as was The Angel's Game . I read it back when it came out ,but just recently bought it and the 2 others that go with it for my Kindle, so I'll have the set to read when the mood hits . * I like your ONE- BOOK Challenge James gave you . Pretty funny ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marie H Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Good reading in 2014 Alexi . Ella Minnow Pea is a fantastic book; it's so quirky, but so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Hi Alexi You've got some great reads on your TBR list - Rivers Of London & Running With Scissors i really enjoyed, quite different from what i normally read but in a good way Also Far from The Madding Crowd is one of my favourites by Hardy & When God Was A Rabbit is a good story as well. I agree with Bobbly about The Pillars Of the Earth, wish i was reading it for the first time Happy reading in 2014 Alexi & look i forward to comparing notes with you on the Counties Challenge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Happy reading next year, Alexi! I haven't heard of most on your TBR, but I hope you enjoy the Max Brooks and Stieg Larsson - I found both were brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 I wish you a wonderful reading year ! You have some great books on your TBR, I enjoyed in particular the following ones. I rated all of them as 10 out of 10.Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hunger Games series by Suzanne CollinsHelen Fielding - Bridget Jones 3: Mad About the BoyEowyn Ivey - The Snow ChildAnn M. Martin - Kirsty's Great IdeaGeorge R. R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire 1: A Game of ThronesI also liked David Baldacci - Absolute Power when I read it when I was a teenager. The Perks of Being a Wallflower I enjoyed though not as much as I thought I would. I may have read Alex Garland - The Beach for secondary school once (English class), but I am not sure (I can't find my copy yet). I know it was called The Beach but I don't remember the author or what the book was about. I enjoyed H. G. Wells - The Time Machine, but I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped.I have some of your books on my TBR too. Thanks Athena! I've heard lots of good things about The Snow Child, excited to get to that one! Nice goal to reduce TBR pile by one book in 2014. It sounds easy, but we all know that it can be very difficult! Comments on your TBR pile: Ben Aaronovitch - Rivers of London : I couldn't get into this one, but I know I'm in the definite minority. Max Brooks - World War Z : This is another one that I struggled with, more the style of the book than the written content. Mark Dunn - Ella Minnow Pea : Loved this one, it was just so original. Ken Follett - Pillars of the Earth : One of my favorites. I've read it a few times, and keep thinking I should read it again. Alex Garland - The Beach : Another great one. Miles better than the movie. Richard Herley - The Penal Colony : A nice surprise. This was a freebie on the Kindle, and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. Happy reading for 2014. Thank you! I'd not heard anything about Pillars of the Earth - I seem to remember it was a iBooks 12 days of Christmas freebie - so great to see so much praise for it! I downloaded The Beach based on recommendations on here, I've never seen the movie. Sounds like that's a good thing... Alexi Good luck on the coming year of reading , You're in for some good ones ! Love the Mitch Albom book,as always . I just bought The Shining ( not sure what I was thinking ,as I don't read many horror type books, but thought I'd give it a shot ) . Also, I have Little Girl Lost, yet to read . Kindness of Strangers was really good ,as was The Angel's Game . I read it back when it came out ,but just recently bought it and the 2 others that go with it for my Kindle, so I'll have the set to read when the mood hits . * I like your ONE- BOOK Challenge James gave you . Pretty funny ! James dared me to count it, the one book challenge is from the BF He ruined it a bit by saying 30 minutes later that buying books makes me happy so why restrict it! Good reading in 2014 Alexi . Ella Minnow Pea is a fantastic book; it's so quirky, but so good. Thank you! Heard nothing but good things about Ella Minnow Pea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 28, 2013 Author Share Posted December 28, 2013 Hi Alexi You've got some great reads on your TBR list - Rivers Of London & Running With Scissors i really enjoyed, quite different from what i normally read but in a good way Also Far from The Madding Crowd is one of my favourites by Hardy & When God Was A Rabbit is a good story as well. I agree with Bobbly about The Pillars Of the Earth, wish i was reading it for the first time Happy reading in 2014 Alexi & look i forward to comparing notes with you on the Counties Challenge I'm really looking forward to tackling a lot of the classics for the challenge - like Far From the Madding Crowd - which I've never got around to! I intend to make 2014 the year I try my first Austen. Will look forward to reading alongside you! Happy reading next year, Alexi! I haven't heard of most on your TBR, but I hope you enjoy the Max Brooks and Stieg Larsson - I found both were brilliant. Thank you! I'm reading the Larsson at the minute and absolutely loving it so far. World War Z is a departure from my normal reads but I put it on my wishlist after reading Brian's review and then unwrapped it on Christmas Day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 I intend to make 2014 the year I try my first Austen. Will look forward to reading alongside you!x Which one do you plan to start with? I feel I should try to read one too at one point.. not sure how I'll get on but I have an omnibus edition and there's my Kindle books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted December 29, 2013 Author Share Posted December 29, 2013 I haven't decided yet - but either Pride and Prejudice or Emma, I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Happy reading in 2014, Alexi! Looking forward to sharing in the English Counties challenge with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Best Wishes for your 2014 Reads ! I`m also planning not to increase my TBR, since trying to decrease it just wasn`t working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Happy Reading in 2014! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 (edited) I would like to read 11 books from the 1001 list. I read 12 in 2013 so it doesn't seem an unrealistic target, and would take me up to a nice, round (paltry) 50 read from the combined list of 1305 books. Sounds good! I like even numbers, and an even 50 at the end of the year sounds like a good target To reduce my TBR by one book. James dared me to count it and it stands at 215, so I must have it at 214 by 31 December 2014. Baby steps, right?! At least it won't be increasing.... Hopefully! Baby steps are good, yes Whatever doesn't increase the TBR (too much... like by a hundred titles...) is good! And re: your TBR: Augusten Burroughs - Running With Scissors I've probably said this like a thousand times, but I love Burroughs's books! I hope you enjoy it. It's pretty disturbing at places, but Burroughs is such a talented author he makes it sound more tolerable than it is... Garth Stein - The Art of Racing in the Rain This is one of my all time favorites Such a gentle soul, the dog... We could learn so much from them! Happy reading in 2014! Edited December 31, 2013 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 Thank you so much for the well wishes everyone! Hope everyone had a marvellous New Year, and has a great 2014 ahead! I have already had to update my "Books Acquired 2014" post... But one was for the reading circle so that doesn't count...right?? I've also updated my earlier posts to include my version of the English Counties Challenge (substituting books I had already read before the challenge began, and read too recently to reread!) I'm currently on 2 out of 48 completed. As well as that, I've finished a book today so sticking my review in here and counting it as a January read! #1 The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson I have decided not to put in a synopsis, because they all contain spoilers for The Girl Who Played with Fire. So I will summarise by saying it's the conclusion of the Millennium Trilogy! Thoughts: wow, what a start to my reading year. For some reason I've putting this book off (well, I actually know the two reasons. Length, and my worry I enjoyed the first two so much and this wouldn't be a satisfactory ending). I shouldn't have worried, it's a fantastic conclusion. I loved the different groups working together and against each other, and how their viewpoints were woven together. I love the character of Lisbeth Salander. I love the fact that most loose ends were tied up, but there were just a few left to keep you wondering. My only issue was one of my own making - I'd left it too long between books two and three, so spent the first 50 pages remembering the little details about two I hadn't retained. The three books sit wonderfully together, with great characterisation, a stunning plot and fantastic pacing. I know I will reread the whole trilogy one day. 5/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Happy Reading in 2014 Alexi! I love your TBR .. so many great books. I'll pick out a few for special recommendation (or the kiss of death .. depending on your view ) Ben Aaronovitch - Rivers of London Stephen Chbosky - The Perks of being a Wallflower Agatha Christie - And Then There Were None Mark Dunn - Ella Minnow Pea George Grossmith - Diary of a Nobody Victor Hugo - Les Miserables Eowyn Ivey - The Snow Child Hilary Mantel - Wolf Hall Patrick Ness - A Monster Calls Bram Stoker - Dracula Well done for finishing a book already .. what a great start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I'm glad you liked the third book of the Millennium series! Great review . I have all three on my TBR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 3, 2014 Author Share Posted January 3, 2014 Happy Reading in 2014 Alexi! I love your TBR .. so many great books. I'll pick out a few for special recommendation (or the kiss of death .. depending on your view ) Ben Aaronovitch - Rivers of London Stephen Chbosky - The Perks of being a Wallflower Agatha Christie - And Then There Were None Mark Dunn - Ella Minnow Pea George Grossmith - Diary of a Nobody Victor Hugo - Les Miserables Eowyn Ivey - The Snow Child Hilary Mantel - Wolf Hall Patrick Ness - A Monster Calls Bram Stoker - Dracula Well done for finishing a book already .. what a great start Thank you - I read about 2/3rds before the new year but finished it in 2014 so I decided that was where it belonged! I'm really looking forward to reading all the books you mentioned. In fact, writing out my TBR in full got me really excited about all of it so now I don't know what to tackle first I'm glad you liked the third book of the Millennium series! Great review . I have all three on my TBR. Thanks Athena! I would really recommend the trilogy. My bf bought them for me (back in the early days, it's how I knew he was a keeper ) and I loved the plot and characters in each installment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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