MichelleAmanda's 75 Books Challenge for 2011

Hi All,

I've never tried a book challenge before, so I thought I'd give it a go in 2011!

I spend too much of my time re-reading the same books on my shelf, so my aim with this challenge is to ensure I read 75 books that I've never read before!

I've read:-

1. The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse

2. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

3. One Moment One Morning by Sarah Rayner

4. Sister by Rosamund Lupton

5. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

6. Man in the Dark by Paul Auster

7. The Resurreectionist by James Bradley

8. Witch Jar by Kelvin Jones

9. Chocolat by Joanne Harris

10. A Lion Called Christian by Bourke & Rendall

11. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

12. Speak to our desires by Brenda Clough (LTER eBook)

13 - Who Moved My Blackberry By Martin Lukes with Lucy Kellaway

14 - Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

15. Beautiful Darkness by Kim Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

16. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling.

17. Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai

18. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

19. The Island by Victoria Hislop

20. The Butterfly House by Marcia Preston

21. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

22. A Perfect Life by Raffaela Barker

23. Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson

24. - 75. Not decided yet!

Good luck to everyone else taking on a reading challenge this year!

Michelle
www.michelleamanda.co.uk

Welcome to the group! We have an introductions thread set up here http://www.librarything.com/topic/104688 if you want to head over and meet everyone.

Looks like you have already made a good start on your reading year!

Welcome, Michelle. This is my first time with the 75ers too. I just checked your profile page to see if we shared any books (not yet!) and then saw your blog about your OU studies. I've done three of their short science courses too (genetics, molecules medicines and drugs, and nutrition, which sadly didn't stop me eating biscuits). I hope you're enjoying the 60-point course and it still leaves you enough time to read.

Welcome! Looks like a fun start to the year.

Thanks for the welcome drneutron and alcottacre!

susanj67: Hi Susan

I've only just started on LT, so I've barely got any books loaded yet! Maybe we'll have some in common as I get on with my reading this year, hehe.

How did you find those short courses? I wanted to do some more Short Courses, but if I'm aiming for the degree, I can't afford to stay on the short courses forever (pity!). Are you doing any other OU courses at the moment, or do you plan to?

Michelle x

PS. I hope the course will still allow enough time for reading too - I'll squish it all in somehow!

Book 3 - One Moment, One Morning by Sarah Rayner now read and I'm now on Book 4 of the challenge, for which I'm reading 'Sister' by Rosamund Lupton.

Excellent progress!

I liked the OU short courses, although the molecules, medicines and drugs one was about the hardest thing I've ever studied. I was going to do the Darwin one, until I read that it involved some sort of experiment with a snail. I might do the microbes one at some point. I also did the Level 1 Humanities course a couple of years ago, partly with a view to doing a literature and language degree as it is years since I was at University, but I was quickly reminded of how much I hate reading things to pick them apart over weeks and weeks, and decided that I really preferred just reading for fun!

#6: I have heard good things about Sister. I will be interested in seeing what you think of it, Michelle.

Susanj67:

I've not been brave enough to attempt molecules, medicines and drugs... but I've seen the textbook, and I have to say - well done you for doing it!

The Darwin one I did - you didn't have to hurt the snails, you just had to go to a location near you where there was a particular snail species and record how many of each colour variety were there.

I know what you mean about reading - I love reading books and writing creatively, but I wouldn't dream of doing a course with the OU in English lit or writing - because it would ruin the fun for me!

alcottacre:

I've read Sister now and it was a brilliant book. By far the best book I've read during this challenge so far. I can't wait to read her next novel which she's currently writing I believe.

(I will be posting my proper review in just a moment.)

I look forward to your review, Michelle!

I only have five reserve slots in my library's electronic catalogue, and they're all full. But Sister is going in there next!

Now on book 8 of 75 - I'm progressing well, but I don't think I'll be able to keep up this rate of reading once my holiday days from work are over and when my OU course really gets going... But here's to hoping I'll meet my target by end of 2011!

Good luck to you with reaching your target!

Omigosh! You've read A Lion Called Christian?! I've had that on my TBR list since before it was released... how was it?! I'm still absolutely floored by the YouTube videos of when the men were reunited with Christian after him being in the wild for a year, alongside those female lions who'd never been around humans before. On man. Makes me teary just thinking about it... how he runs up to them and tries to hug them... aaaah, excuse me while I go get a Kleenex...

dk_phoenix : A Lion Called Christian was a really good read! Posting review here soon!

Hi there- this is my first full year with the 75ers too- I wandered over here in Dec. 2010. Best of luck with your course- I teach, so fitting reading in around schoolwork is always a challenge.

Hi There

I'm compiling a list of birthdays of our group members. If you haven't done so already, would you mind stopping by this thread and posting yours.

Thanks.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/105833

Did you enjoy Far from the madding crowd? It's years since I've read that, or any Hardy. One of the rare ones that isn't a total tragedy!

Yep, I did enjoy Far from the Madding Crowd - its the first Thomas Hardy book I've ever read! :) Maybe along the way for my challenge I'll include another for reading.

Well, I've only managed to read 10 books between January 22nd and April 5th! However, I am still proud of this, because I've also been working my full time job as night receptionist, started S104 (Open Uni course) and had a lot of studying to do, plus I've managed to make a lot of crafts still!

Hopefully if I can get some more studying under my belt, it will free up a little bit more leisure time in order to push ahead with my book challenge! :)

57 books to go!

Sounds like you have a lot on your plate! Congratulations on the 10 you have managed to read even with all that!

Ten is still a good number, particularly with a full-time job and S104! I enrolled recently for their "Plants and People" science short course, which starts mid-May, so I'm looking forward to that.

And I've very nearly finished Sister, which I found quite by chance at the library the other day - what an amazing read! I should finish it this evening, or I might take it to lunch in the canteen if I just can't wait.

Did you enjoy Who Moved My BlackBerry? I read Lucy Kellaway's new one, In Office Hours earlier in the year, and it was good, but Martin Lukes is definitely funnier ;-)

Any amount of reading is good, particularly for someone as busy as you. Good luck with your course!

You are juggling a lot of commitments! 10 books sounds good going with all that going on.