Alexi Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 (edited) Hello! Welcome to another reading log. I was ready for another to be honest, 2016 rather got away from me. I have put some reviews of the English counties books in the relevant forum, but other than that I intend to start afresh and do better with updating this year. It was a brilliant year for me away from reading, but that did rather impact both on reading and BCF time! 2017 should be a little quieter. NewJob means less commuting time, good, but that also means less time for reading, bad. So let's see. Now we have made the decision not to move abroad (for the time being, at least, California will still be there in a few years!) I should be more stable in life and work. AIMS FOR 2017 I'm playing fast and loose with these, they may change. My TBR stands today at 325 books, which is ridiculous. I did however, successfully reduce the pile by THREE in 2016! But really, it needs to get to below 300 because this is ridiculous. I would like to finish the English Counties Challenge if possible, even though I am 18 away from that, so we shall see, and I need to get a few books off the list that have been languishing on the kindle or physical bookshelves for years now. Other than that, simply enjoy! Edited January 1, 2017 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 (edited) BOOKS READ 2016JANUARY The First Phone Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom 3/5 Roman Holiday by Jodi Taylor 4/5 The Turn of the Screw by Henry James 2/5 Football and Gangsters by Graham Johnson 2/5 NW by Zadie Smith 3/5 Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh 4/5FEBRUARY Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee 3/5 A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines 4/5 El Narco by Ioan Grillo 4/5 Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo 4/5 Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell 3/5 At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie 3/5MARCH It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis 4/5 Tales from the Secret Footballer by Anonymous 2/5 Ashenden by W Somerset Maugham 3/5 The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame 5/5 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J K Rowling 4/5 Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume 4/5 APRIL When the Grey Beetles Took Over Baghdad by Mona Yahia 5/5 London by Tube by David Revill 3.5/5 The Go-Between by L P Hartley 3/5 Turbo Twenty Three by Janet Evanovich 2/5 Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope 3/5MAY No Hunger in Paradise by Michael Calvin 4/5 The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot 4/5 The Vanquished by Robert Gerwarth 4/5 Pure by Andrew Miller 3/5 JUNE Frozen in Time by Ali Sparkes 3/5 Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 4/5 Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith 4/5 On the Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin 3.5/5 The Football Men by Simon Kuper 3/5JULY A History of Britain I by Simon Schama 4/5 Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes 3/5 Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison 3.5/5 The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham 5/5 The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie 4/5 All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward 4/5 AUGUST American Gods by Neil Gaiman 2/5 The Dirt by Motley Crue 3/5 Family by Michael Calvin 4/5 SEPTEMBER A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor 4/5 Mr Holmes by Mitch Cullin 2/5 The North by Paul Morley 3/5 Lorna Doone by R D Blackmore 3/5 Winnie the Pooh by A A Milne 5/5 Nina is Not Ok by Shappi Khorsandi 4/5 The Darling Buds of May by H E Bates 3/5 OCTOBER I'm in Heaven by Terry Ravenscroft 3/5 The Right to An Answer by Anthony Burgess 4/5 Eskimo Folk Tales by Knud Rasmussen 2/5 Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd 3/5 Talking as Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham 4/5 The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides 4/5 NOVEMBER Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty 5/5 The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley 2/5 One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson 5/5 The Misses Mallett by EH Young 2/5 The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd 4/5 DECEMBER Mansfield Park by Jane Austen 5/5 The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson 3/5 The Greatest Gift by Philip van Doren Stern 5/5 Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie 4/5 Edited December 19, 2017 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 (edited) TBR A-K Ben Aaronovitch - Rivers of LondonDouglas Adams - Hitchhikers Guide to the GalaxyCecilia Ahern - The Marble Collector Mitch Albom – The first phone call from heavenUwem Akpan – Say You’re One of Them Maria Angels Anglada - The Auschwitz ViolinFredrick Backman – A Man Called OveDavid Baldacci - Absolute Power Sam Baldwin - For Fukui's SakeJG Ballard - Empire of the Sun Nonna Bannister - The Holocaust DiariesAnthony Beevor - StalingradJeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian – The SystemDennis Bergkamp - Stillness and SpeedH G Bissinger - Friday Night Lights Tracy Bloom - No one Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday Judy Blume - Tiger EyesJudy Blume - Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Attilio Bolzoni - White Shotgun Kathryn Bonella- Hotel K Anthony Bourdain - Kitchen Confidential Anthony Bourdain - A Cook's Tour Mark Bowden - Killing Pablo Tom Bower - No Angel: The Secret Life of Bernie EcclestoneWilliam Boyd - Ordinary Thunderstorms Ray Bradbury - Farenheit 451 Rodric Braithwaite - Moscow 1941: A City and it's People at War Anne Bronte - The Tenant of Wildfell HallMax Brooks - World War Bill Browder – Red NoticeHelen Bryan - War Brides Edward Bunker - Mr Blue: Memoirs of a Renegade Jimmy Burns - La RojaJessie Burton – The Miniaturist Luca Caioli - MessiMichael Calvin – FamilyMichael Calvin - The Nowhere MenMark Cappell - Run Run Run Lewis Carroll - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Noel Cawthorne - Witch Hunt: History of a PersecutionMichael Chabon - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and KlayTracy Chevalier - Falling Angels Lee Child - Killing Floor Lee Child - The Affair Noam Chomsky – OccupySusanna Clarke - Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell Ernest Cline - Ready Player OneDavid Cohen - Bringing them up RoyalSuzanne Collins - The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins - Catching Fire Suzanne Collins - Mockingjay David Conn - Richer Than God Thomas H Cook - The Last Talk with Lola Faye Susan Coolidge - What Katy Did George Cooper - The Origin of Financial CrisesMitch Cullin – Mr HolmesRobert Dallek - John F Kennedy: An Unfinished LifeJames Dashner –The Maze RunnerRobert Davies - The Man Who Lived at the End of the World John Deering - Bradley Wiggins: Tour de ForceBarbara Demick – Nothing to EnvyDiana Dempsey - Falling Star Becky Dennington - Me and the Ugly CDavid James Duncan - The Brothers K Mark Dunn - Ella Minnow Pea Steven Dunne - The Reaper Sam Eastland - Siberian RedDamien Echols - Life After Death: Eighteen years on Death Row Helen Edwards and Jenny Lee Smith - My Secret Sister Nick Edwards - In Stitches Ben Elton - Two BrothersBen Elton – Time and Time AgainTan Twan Eng - The Gift of RainEskimo Folk Tales Jeffrey Eugenidies - The Virgin SuicidesMichel Faber – The Hundred and Ninety Nine StepsCharles Fernyhough - Pieces of LightJoseph Finder - ParanoiaHelen 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 MarvellousFrancis Fukuyama - Political Order and Political DecayNeil Gaiman - Stardust Robert Galbraith – Career of Evil Alex Garland - The Beach Antonio Garrido - The Corpse Reader Lisa Genova - Still Alice Tess Gerritsen - The Silent Girl Tess Gerritsen - Bloodstream George Gissing - The Unclassed David Goldblatt - The Game of Our Lives Alex Grecian - The Black Country Graham Greene – Brighton Rock Phillippa Gregory - The Kingmaker's DaughterIoan Grillo – El NarcoGeorge Grossmith - Diary of a Nobody Richard Guard - Lost London Heather Gudenkauf - These Things Hidden Carla Guelfenbein - The Rest Is Silence Romesh Gunesekera - ReefMatt Haig – The HumansDuncan Hamilton - Provided You Don't Kiss Me Dashiell Hammett - The Maltese FalconChad Harbach - The Art of Fielding Robert Harris - Imperium Thomas Harris - Red DragonJonathan Harvey – The Secrets We KeepNadia Hashimi - The Pearl that Broke its Shell Ben Hatch - The P45 Diaries Noah Hawley - The Good Father Terry Hayes - I am PilgrimJohn Heilemann and Mark Halperin - Double Down Richard Herley - The Penal ColonyJason Hewitt – The Dynamite Room Howard Hockin - High StakesAndrew Hodges – Alan Turing: The EnigmaSteena Holmes - Finding Emma Ninni Holmqvist - The UnitA M Homes – May We Be ForgivenRafael Honigstein – Das RebootAnthony Horowitz- MoriartyAnthony Horowitz - The House of SilkJohn Hoskison – InsideThomas Hughes – Tom Brown’s SchooldaysVictor Hugo - Notre Dame de Paris Victor Hugo - Les Miserables Graham Hunter – BarcaChristopher Isherwood – Goodbye to Berlin Eowyn Ivey - The Snow ChildQuintin Jardine - Lethal IntentLiz Jensen - War Crimes for the Home Lisa Jewell - The House We Grew Up InGraham Johnson - Football and Gangsters Jonas Jonasson - The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and DisappearedAndy Jones – The Two of UsOwen Jones - The Establishment Rachel Joyce - PerfectBen Judah - This is London M R C Kasasian - The Secrets of Gaslight LaneAndrew Kaufman – Born WeirdCarolyn Keene - The Secret of the Old Clock Lindsey Kelk - I Heart Hollywood Lindsey Kelk - I Heart LondonHannah Kent - Burial RitesSimon Kernick – RelentlessSimon Kernick - The Business of DyingJudith Kerr- When Hitler Stole Pink RabbitYasmina Khadra – What the Day Owes the NightSue Monk Kidd – The Invention of WingsStephen King – JoylandStephen King – Mr Mercedes Stephen King – The Stand Stephen King - ITBarbara Kingsolver - Flight Behaviour Ayse Kulin - Last Train to IstanbulSimon Kuper – The Football Men Chris Kyle – American Sniper Edited October 23, 2017 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 (edited) TBR L-ZCamilla Lackberg - The Ice PrincessPaul Lake - I'm Not Really HereErik Larsen – In the Garden of BeastsDoreen Lawrence - And Still I RiseValerie Lawson - Mary Poppins, She Wrote Debra Lee – TakenHarper Lee – Go Set a WatchmanSheri Leigh - Graveyard Games Eric Lomax - The Railway ManKaren Lord - Redemption in IndigoSamantha Mackintosh - Kisses for Lula Kevin Maher - The Fields Emily St John Mandel – Station ElevenNelson Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom Hilary Mantel - Wolf Hall Scott Mariani - The Alchemist's Secret Howard Marks - Mr Nice Andrew Marr - History of Modern Britain Andrew Marr - My Trade Ian Marshall - The Class of 92 Ann M Martin - Kristy's Great Idea Daniel Martin - Black Tie, White NoiseGeorge R R Martin – A Clash of KingsGeorge R R Martin – A Storm of Swords: Steel and SnowGeorge R R Martin – A Storm of Swords: Blood and GoldGeorge R R Martin – A Feast for CrowsGeorge R R Martin – A Dance with Dragons: Dreams and DustGeorge R R Martin - A Dance with Dragons: After the Feast Robert K Massie - Nicholas and Alexandra Kimberly McCreight - Reconstructing Amelia Bob McElwain - Free to Die Katie McGarry - Pushing the Limits Brian McGilloway - Little Girl Lost Reg McKay - The Last GodfatherChristina McKenna - The Disenchanted Widow Philipp Meyer - American Rust Candy Miller - Kalahari Passage Kimberley Rae Miller - Coming Clean Brian Moore - Beware of the DogLiane Moriarty - What Alice ForgotRoger Mortimer and Charlie Mortimer - Dear Lupin: Letters to a Wayward SonMotley Crue – The Dirt Haruki Murakami - 1Q84 Urzula Muskus - Long Bridge out of the GulagsJo Nesbo - Nemesis Jo Nesbo - The Redeemer Jo Nesbo - Phantom Jo Nesbo - The Snowman Jo nesbo - The Devil's Star Jo Nesbo - The Leopard Patrick Ness - A Monster CallsPatrick Ness - The Crane Wife David Nicholls - Starter for TenJohn Niven – Kill Your FriendsSolomon Northup - 12 Years A SlaveSean O’Connor - Handsome BruteJoseph O'Neill - Crime CityLouise O’Neill – Only Ever YoursMichael Ondaatje - The English PatientS J Parris - HeresyS J Parris - Treachery James Patterson - Kiss the Girls James Patterson - Cat and Mouse Chris Pavone - The ExpatsChris Pavone – The AccidentStef Penney - The Tenderness of WolvesKaren Perry – The Boy That Never WasSylvia Plath – The Bell JarOliver Potzsch - The Hangman's DaughterJeff Ragsdale, David Shields and Michael Logan - Jeff, One Lonely GuyIan Rankin - Fleshmarket CloseLouise Rennison - Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging Lexi Revellian - ReplicaDavid Revill - London by Tube Tom Reynolds - Blood Sweat and TeaKate Riordan – The Girl in the Photograph Graham Robb - Parisians: An Adventure History of ParisTrevor Roberts – Caught by Cameras Veronica Roth – Divergent Angus Roxburgh - Strongman: Vladimir Putin and the struggle for RussiaEdward Rutherfurd – SarumDorothy L Sayers – Whose BodyVictor Sebesteyen – 1946: The Making of the Modern World Tina Seskis - One Step Too FarAnna Sewell - Black Beauty Georges Simenon – Pietr the LatvianMartin Sixsmith - Philomena Karin Slaughter - Indelible Christopher Smith - Fifth Avenue Tom Rob Smith - Child 44Zadie Smith - NW Bradley Somer – FishbowlDiana Souhami - Murder at Wrotham HillAli Sparkes - Frozen in Time Dana Stabenow - A Cold Day for Murder Kathryn Stockett - The HelpHarriet Beecher Stowe – Uncle Tom’s CabinMari Strachan - The Earth Hums in B Flat William Styron - Sophie's Choice Antal Szerb - Journey by MoonlightDonna Tartt - The GoldfinchDaniel Taylor – I Believe in MiraclesJodi Taylor – A Trail Through TimeHunter S Thompson - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Georgie Thompson and Imogen Lloyd Webber - The Twitter Diaries Lesley Thomson - The Detective's Daughter Rosy Thornton - Ninepins Peter Thurgood - The Stories behind London's Streets Scott Turow - Reversible ErrorsAnne Tyler – A Spool of Blue ThreadKurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse FiveDavid Wailing - Fake Kate Karen Thompson Walker - The Age of MiraclesSam Warburton - Refuse to be Denied Mark Ward - Hammered Mike Ward - Gullhanger Heather Wardell - Seven Exes is Eight too Many Sarah Waters - Tipping the VelvetSarah Waters – The Paying GuestsSarah Waters - FingersmithS J Watson – Second Life Katherine Webb - The MisbegottenAndy Weir – The MartianIrvine Welsh - Trainspotting Irvine Welsh - Skagboys Scott Westerfeld – UgliesKate Williams – The Storms of WarBarry Wilner and Ken Rappoport – On the Clock Sarah Winman - When God was a Rabbit David Winner - Brilliant Orange Scott Wittenberg - The May Day Murders Christian Wolmar - The Great Railway Revolution Jennifer Worth - Call the MidwifeMona Yahia - When the Grey Beetles Took Over BaghdadNathan Yates - Beyond Evil A B Yehoshua - Friendly FireCarlos Ruiz Zafon - The Angel's GameMarkus Zusak – I Am the MessengerStefan Zweig - The Post Office GirlAnonymous - Tales from the Secret Footballer Edited September 25, 2017 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 (edited) BOOKS ACQUIRED 2017Roman Holiday by Jodi TaylorA Kestral for a Knave by Barry HinesHarry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK RowlingThe Turn of the Screw by Henry JamesThe Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope The Vanquished by Robert Gerwarth Nina is Not Ok by Shappi Khoorsandi A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson No Hunger in Paradise by Michael Calvin Forever Young by Oliver Kay The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot A History of Britain Volume 1 by Simon Schama All the President's Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein Lorna Doone by R D Blackmore The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry American Gods by Neil Gaiman The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson The North by Paul Morley Not in Your Lifetime by Anthony Summers Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie 2 Sides by Rio Ferdinand Winnie the Pooh by A A Milne The Right to an Answer by Anthony Burgess The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley The Darling Buds of May by H E Bates The Dry by Jane Harper The Misses Mallett by E H Young Only Yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen Since Yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen The Lords of Creation by Frederick Lewis Allen Mansfield Park by Jane Austen Age of Anger by Pankaj Mishra The Five Giants by Nicholas Timmins Rock and Roll Soccer by Ian Plenderleith Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman Swallowdale by Arthur Ransome The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich Edited December 19, 2017 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 (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 RED 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 - The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham 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 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 45/48 completed Edited October 23, 2017 by Alexi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 US STATES CHALLENGE Another list! Books in RED are ones I have read. 01. To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee (Alabama)02. White Fang - Jack London (Alaska)03. The Bean Trees - Barbara Kingsolver (Arizona)04. True Grit - Charles Portis (Arkansas)05. East of Eden - John Steinbeck (California)06. Plainsong - Kent Haruf (Colorado)07. Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates (Connecticut)08. The Saint of Lost Things - Christopher Castellani (Delaware)09. To Have and Have Not - Ernest Hemingway (Florida)10. Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell (Georgia)11. From Here To Eternity - James Jones (Hawaii)12. Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson (Idaho)13. The Adventures of Augie March - Saul Bellow (Illinois)14. The Magnificent Ambersons - Booth Tarkington (Indiana)15. A Thousand Acres - Jane Smiley (Iowa)16. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote (Kansas)17. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe (Kentucky)18: Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice (Louisiana)19. The Cider House Rules - John Irving (Maine)20. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant - Anne Tyler (Maryland)21: Walden - Henry David Thoreau (Massachusetts)22. Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides (Michigan)23. Main Street - Sinclair Lewis (Minnesota)24. As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner (Mississippi)25. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain (Missouri)26. A River Runs Through It - Norman Maclean (Montana)27. My Antonia - Willa Cather (Nebraska)28: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson (Nevada)29. Peyton Place - Grace Metalious (New Hampshire)30. Independence Day - Richard Ford (New Jersey)31. Red Sky at Morning - Richard Bradford (New Mexico)32. The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald (New York)33. Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier (North Carolina)34. The Round House - Louise Eldrich (North Dakota)35. The Broom of the System - David Foster Wallace (Ohio)36. Paradise - Toni Morrison (Oklahoma)37. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey (Oregon)38. Rabbit, Run - John Updike (Pennsylvania)39. The Witches of Eastwick - John Updike (Rhode Island)40. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd (South Carolina)41. Welcome to Hard Times - EL Doctorow (South Dakota)42. A Death in the Family - James Agee (Tennessee)43. No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy (Texas)44. The 19th Wife - David Ebershoff (Utah)45. Pollyanna - Eleanor H. Porter (Vermont)46. Prodigal Summer - Barbara Kingsolver (Virginia)47. Snow Falling on Cedars- David Guterson (Washington)48. Washington DC - Gore Vidal (Washington DC)49. Shiloh - Phillis Reynolds Naylor (West Virginia)50. The Art of Fielding - Chad Harbach (Wisconsin)51. Close Range: Wyoming Stories - E. Annie Proulx (Wyoming) 8/51 completed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 Spare post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 Spare post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 And with that, I do declare this thread OPEN! Happy 2017 to all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 I see you have already acquired 2 books in 2017 and we are only on day one. Congratulations on reducing your pile by 3. I know it's only 3, but at least it's a downward movement (unlike mine!). My TBR pile is up around the 300 mark as well, and I really need to work hard at reducing it. Some stand-out books from your TBR list: Judy Blume - Tiger EyesJudy Blume - Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret These are nice and easy reads, and I have fond memories of Judy Blume from my childhood. Mark Dunn - Ella Minnow Pea. This is very original and quirky. Ken Follett - Pillars of the Earth. Love this book; read it a couple of times but really want to read it again. Alex Garland - The Beach. Same as above. Matt Haig – The Humans. A funny read; read it last year (or 2015) and liked it a lot. Terry Hayes - I am Pilgrim. The best thriller I have read in years. Absolutely loved it. Stephen King – The Stand Stephen King - IT Two of my favourite books of all time. Both hefty books but they fly by because the story is so good. Haruki Murakami - 1Q84. I just finished Books 1 & 2. Very good read but not the best II have read by him. Stef Penney - The Tenderness of Wolves. I love this book, and have read it a couple of times. Donna Tartt - The Goldfinch. Another solid read, probably as good as The Secret History. I hope you have a great reading year, Alex! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 *gasp* You haven't read The Humans yet?? I dunno, the U.S. Might not be here in four years California would love to have you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Can I join the out-of-control, 300+ TBR pile club please? In all seriousness, I hope you have an excellent 2017 year (both reading and otherwise). Looking forward to hearing your reviews and general thoughts over the next 12 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 I hope you have a great reading year in 2017 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 Looking forward to continuing the English Counties challenge with you this year, Alex - hope we have many more great books ahead of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 I'd like to join the out of control tbr gang too! Happy reading to everyone in that group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Hello, old friend. I'm looking forward to discussing some more English Counties books with you. It's a great challenge - I'm really enjoying it! I'm on 30/48 too and I'm currently reading Norfolk's offering. I need to sort out the rest - I wasn't going to re-read any books, but I've got quite a few alternatives to find as a result. Happy reading in 2017. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacefield Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Lots of good-reading-wishes to you for 2017, Alex! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 I see you have already acquired 2 books in 2017 and we are only on day one. Congratulations on reducing your pile by 3. I know it's only 3, but at least it's a downward movement (unlike mine!). My TBR pile is up around the 300 mark as well, and I really need to work hard at reducing it. Some stand-out books from your TBR list: Judy Blume - Tiger Eyes Judy Blume - Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret These are nice and easy reads, and I have fond memories of Judy Blume from my childhood. Mark Dunn - Ella Minnow Pea. This is very original and quirky. Ken Follett - Pillars of the Earth. Love this book; read it a couple of times but really want to read it again. Alex Garland - The Beach. Same as above. Matt Haig – The Humans. A funny read; read it last year (or 2015) and liked it a lot. Terry Hayes - I am Pilgrim. The best thriller I have read in years. Absolutely loved it. Stephen King – The Stand Stephen King - IT Two of my favourite books of all time. Both hefty books but they fly by because the story is so good. Haruki Murakami - 1Q84. I just finished Books 1 & 2. Very good read but not the best II have read by him. Stef Penney - The Tenderness of Wolves. I love this book, and have read it a couple of times. Donna Tartt - The Goldfinch. Another solid read, probably as good as The Secret History. I hope you have a great reading year, Alex! Thank you! I will try and get round to the books you mention this year. I really want to read some more King, only three read so far yet several on the TBR! *gasp* You haven't read The Humans yet?? I dunno, the U.S. Might not be here in four years California would love to have you! It's certainly an odd time in the US! Not the right time for us, but hopefully we will get to move there at some point in the future. I can't even remember the synopsis of The Humans now! Will have to look it up. Can I join the out-of-control, 300+ TBR pile club please? In all seriousness, I hope you have an excellent 2017 year (both reading and otherwise). Looking forward to hearing your reviews and general thoughts over the next 12 months. You can! Good to see you around again Sure I will be getting some recs off you this year. I hope you have a great reading year in 2017 ! Thanks Gaia! Looking forward to continuing the English Counties challenge with you this year, Alex - hope we have many more great books ahead of us. The challenge has been good to us so far, let's hope that continues! I'd like to join the out of control tbr gang too! Happy reading to everyone in that group! Our numbers are ever expanding Hello, old friend. I'm looking forward to discussing some more English Counties books with you. It's a great challenge - I'm really enjoying it! I'm on 30/48 too and I'm currently reading Norfolk's offering. I need to sort out the rest - I wasn't going to re-read any books, but I've got quite a few alternatives to find as a result. Happy reading in 2017. Hi J I'm embarrassed to say I haven't needed to find too many alternatives because most are totally new! I have only reread one (Swallows and Amazons) and replaced a Sherlock and Adrian Mole due to having already read them. No question there are many I feel I should have already read! Here's to a positive 2017 in books and out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 Lots of good-reading-wishes to you for 2017, Alex! Thank you! Right back at ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 I wish you the most excellent reading year in 2017, Alexi! Especially since your reading in 2016 wasn't that great, in your own words. At least you had a smashing year in other personal ways, so it was a winner year in that way! TBR A-Z Fredrick Backman – A Man Called Ove Michael Chabon - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay Susanna Clarke - Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell Alex Garland - The Beach Motley Crue – The Dirt Stef Penney - The Tenderness of Wolves Kathryn Stockett - The Help Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse FiveSarah Waters - Fingersmith Irvine Welsh - Trainspotting Oh wow, you have so many great books to read! I'm jealous you get to read these for the first time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted January 6, 2017 Share Posted January 6, 2017 Happy Reading in 2017. Hurray for the Jonathan Strange and 1Q84 books - I loved those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted January 12, 2017 Author Share Posted January 12, 2017 Oh wow, you have so many great books to read! I'm jealous you get to read these for the first time! Thanks Frankie! I'm actually about to start Trainspotting, so I hope it goes as well for me as it did for you Happy Reading in 2017. Hurray for the Jonathan Strange and 1Q84 books - I loved those. Thank you! For some reason, I keep looking at Jonathan Strange and then putting it down... must give it a chance soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Happy Reading in 2017 Alex, hope it's an enjoyable reading year for you Don't stress too much about the TBR. I highly recommend Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell .. fab book but it is huge so I can totally understand why people might be reluctant. Hope you give it a go this year and love it! You'll know pretty soon whether it's for you or not (though give it a good few chapters .. it does take a little while to get into the swing of it ) Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted January 13, 2017 Share Posted January 13, 2017 Wishing you a wonderful year of reading, Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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