NicolePatrick 50 in 2012

Last year I was in the 75 book challenge, but alas I didnt get there. I had a very busy year. So this year I'm going to be trying for 50, so heres hoping.

To start the year off I've polished off three books and have another 4 underway. I should probably finish the 4 I have going before I start anything else but we will see what happens.

January
Keeper of the light by Diane Chamberlain 399p
The name of the star by Maureen Johnson 372p (and I must say a fantastic read)
The time of my life by Cecelia Ahern 391p

3 down 47 to go.

Since Janurary I havent really read many books but im having trouble remembering what I've read. The four that follows however I know I read this year.

The boy in the striped pyjamas by John Boyne 215p
Touch of power by Maria V. Snyder 390p (As always with Maria I was engulfed in this book and can not wait for the next)
Inkheart by Cornilia Funke 544p
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke 682p

7 down 43 to go.

I am currently reading The boy who fell to earth by Kathy Lette, so far a very funny but sad book.
Until next time - Happy reading

In the last couple of weeks ive read two very different but interesting books.

The boy who fell to earth by Kathy Lette 321p
The golden door by Emily Rodda (The first in the three door trilogy) 264p

There is a thrid book that I have read but im not 100% that I read it this year.

The house of silk by Anthony Horowitz 294 p. It was either after christmas that I read it or very early Janurary all I know is that it was fantastic. So anyway I'm adding it to this years tally.

10 down 40 to go.

I have alot of interesting books on my TBR pile but its slow going as im trying to cram uni work in aswell.

Since the last post I have found an interesting site www.bookmooch.com give a book and get a book. Nice way to get rid of books you dont like or dont want anymore.

Cheers.

Ive read only two books since I last posted.

The silver door by Emily Rodda 278 p
Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder 504 p this was another fantastic book by Maria.

So ive read 12 books. 38 to go. I may get there but I'm just enjoying reading great books

So far I have read 4654 pages. That really is alot.

Until next time. Happy reading.

Its been a few months since I have read anything as I have been caught up with uni. Im on holidays at the moment and trying to get as much reading done as possible. I have finished for the Storm Glass trilogy by Maria V. Snyder and I'm very sad about that as I've now read all her books and Im desperatly waiting for the next to come out. I have started reading C.S Lewis' The chronicles of Narnia and really enjoying the books for far.

I've read a few books for uni but I'm not counting them.

Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder 472 p
Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder 535 p
The magician's nephew by C.S. Lewis 207 p

Hopefully I will get the second and thrid book read in the Chronicles of Narnia read by the end of the weekend.

So far I have read 15 books out of 50. 35 to go.

Until next time hope all are going well with their challenged and enjoying the reading.

I have The Chronicles of Narnia on my "to read" list as well... :)

TinaValdes I am reall enjoying the chronicals so far, they really are worth the read.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis 196 p
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis 236 p

17/50

This weekend I only managed to finish the book I've been reading all week. A little dissapointing, but I did manage to enter all of my ficton books into LT.

Secret Breakers: The power of three by H L Dennis 324 p

Although a childrens book it was an enjoyable read and at times funny. It is kind of like the Da Vinci code for kids based on true facts. I will be buying the next book in the series when it comes out.

I've decided I have to stop buying books and start reading the ones I already have. The first book off the bookself is The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain. If it is anything like her other books it will be great!

18/50

This week I read The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain 417 p. Though it was a little slow to start it turned out to be quite a good book although a tad predictable.

19/50

Its taken me a month but finally I have found time to read again. I dropped one unit and University for this semester leaving me with only one and more time to read.

I read Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis 234 p. I really enjoyed this much better than the movie, its flowed really well and was a nice quick read. Next on the list is The voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis.

20/50

Today I finished off The voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis 255p. Once again this was better than the movie. I love the descriptions and way these books are written.

I think that I am going well with this challenge compared to last year. I only read 16 books last year and am now up to 21 already this year. Hopefully I am well on track to hit 50 books.

21/50

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis 252p.

I really enjoyed the sixth book of this series. I would say that it is my favourite so far. I really enjoyed the characters, especially the mash-wiggle with his glum outlook on life. I enjoyed the new characters that were introducted into this book and was comforted by some familliar ones.

22/50

I had an assignment for Uni due. I finished that and sent it in so thought I would reward myself with some reading time. Truth be told I forgot I was reading the last book in the chornicles of narnia.

I read The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snickett 162 p. I have to say that I really enjoyed this book so much more than the movie (as is the case with most movie adaptions of books). I enjoyed the way that the book was written and became connected with the characters, especially Sunny who was a great laugh.

I have also read The Reptile Room by Lemony Snickett 190 p. Again I loved the style of writing and I do not think I have read another book like it. I loved Montgomery Montgomery, he was a great character and I was sad to see him go. One page in the book in particular made me laugh so hard I had to put the book down. For those of you that have read it will know that its about repetition, for those who havent I wont spoil it. It may not be funny to some, but I have a strange sense of humor at times.

I cant wait to read the rest of the books in A series of unfortunate events, unfortunatly for me I do not have the next in the series only the ninth, twelth and thirteenth.

I am not sure what I will read next, maybe the last book in the Chronicles of Narnia series but I'm not sure. I will have to spend a bit of time in the book shelf I think.

Happy reading until next time.

24/50 - Almost half way there.

Today I finished off two books. The Dark Hills Divide 253 p and Beyond The Valley Of Thorns 221 p both of which are by Patrick Carman and are the first two books in The Land of Elyon series.

I found the first book to be a bit drab in the first half and unable to connect with the characters. However towards the middle of the book things changed and it became so that I could not put it down. The second book was really great and ended on a cliff hanger which is a pain as I do not have the third, fourth or fifth book to be getting on with. I will try to scout them out whilst on holidays.

Not entirely sure what to read next. Brought a couple of books last night that seemed interesting but I'm stuck in the land of Elyon at the moment. Might have sleep on it and review my options then.

Happy Reading

Nic

26/50

Last night I finished off reading The age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker 373 p.

This was quite an interesting book and well written. The story flowed well and was a page turner. I had to know what was going to happen next. I was a bit dissapointed with the ending however, I felt like there was unfinished business. This book is well worth a read.

27/50

Over the last two days I have read The wide window 214 p and The miserable mill 194 p by Lemony Snicket. I am really enjoying these books as they are nice quick ( I can polish one off in two hours) and easy reads. I enjoy the characters and I feel that I have become connected to the main characters. This series is a great read for young or like me the not so young.

29/50

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien 364 p.

In my early secondy school days we had to read this book for english class. The teacher also had it on audio book for us to listen to. I dont know what happened but we never finished it (I think the teacher left). In the first chapter I was completely confused about the characters and what was going on (This may of been because I was trying to read in a busy airport) so I left the book until we got home from our holiday. The rest of the book went along quite nicely but at times did find that I had to re-read sentences as the way they were written were a bit confusing at times. I enjoyed the book on the whole and I think that I will be going out to purchase The lord of the Rings triology.

I must say I am fairly pleased with my progress this year. Though I am not expecting to reach 50 I will do my best. If I didnt have to read ofr Uni I'm sure I would be further ahead than I am but even still its good progress.

30/50

Edward Trencom's Nose: A Novel of History, Dark Intrigue and Cheese by Giles Milton 391 p .

This book was interesting but at times I found it a bit of a hard slog (it took me a good 6 days to read this when it should have only taken about 3). There seemed to be two syles of writing within the book, changing from chapter to chapter, something which was a bit annoying. I also had trouble with some of the pronouncations of the cheese names. The first half of the book I had to force myself to keep on plugging on, the second half of the book was better but I had worked out the plot from about half way through. The characters were enjoyable but at times became a bit confusing, but I think this might have had something to do with the writing style. In all it was okay but not as good as I had hoped.

31/50

The girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making by Catherynne M. Valente 328 p.

This was a good read but at times it did become confusing and I had to re-read parts. But it may have been because I was distracted also. I enjoyed the references to other books of this type through out.

32/50

The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain 319 p

As usual with Diane Chamberlain books this one was great! The characters were lovable and as I was reading I got to know them so well. The pages seemed to just melt away and before I knew it I was done :(. I find her writing just flows so effortlessly.

On to the next Diane Chamberlain book!

Im also looking forward to reading some reviews on the new J.K Rowling book.

33/50

Brass Ring by Diane Chamberlain 519 p.

Ive just put this book down and I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. It was such a heavy book, not in the sense of many pages but the content. This story even managed to make me un-pick my own marriage (not that my marriage is a bad one). I really did enjoy this book but at times I hated it . It made me upset to the point of tears and angry, so much so that I struggled to talk when I wasnt reading it this afternoon. I dont think I have read a book that has had such an emotional impact on me, I'm not sure if I like it or not. I feel like this story was my own, even though I know its not. Its not even remotley connected to anything in my life. I need a break from Diane Chamberlain but will continue to read her books

34/50

35. The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling 503 p.

Before this book came out I told myself that I was going to wait to read some reviews before I bought it. That didn’t happen.

I enjoyed The Causal Vacancy however it is not a book I would normally read. The beginning of the book was at times a bit confusing and some of the links between people were not explained very well. I found myself taking a step back and having to work out who was connected to whom. I found that the first 200 pages fairly slow going and I was not able to connect very well to the characters and at times thought I don’t know why I am bothering with the book at all. After the first 200 p however I thought the book picked up its pace and became more interesting, and at times humorous.
I did not expect the use of so many profanities and it came as a bit of a shock. Over all a good book BUT if it had been by any other author I would not have picked it up in the first place.

36. Path of Beasts (The keepers #3) by Lian Tanner 358 p.

I was excited to buy this book as I had been anticipating it for around a year and it did not disappoint. The same lovable characters and easy flowing words ( I polished this off in about 5 hours). This book was a great ending to the adventures of Goldie Roth and the Museum of Dunt.

Not sure what I will be reading next but I have about 10 books that I have started and not finished so maybe I might finish some of those off.

EDIT: I have read 11,781 pages on an interesting side note.

37. The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis 221 p.

So glad to have finally finished this book. I think I started it way back in August but I only got 30 pages in. Was a great finish to the end of the series but I am sad that I wont be able to read any more adventures from some of the most likeable characters there are.

Hi Nicole... I just ordered The Casual Vacancy because it's JK Rowling, of course! I hope I don't have a rough time with the characters, but I'll be on the lookout now just in case. I guess I also know to expect swearing. Who knew?

Hi Tina, Yes the swearing was a shock! Hope you like it, will be interested to read your review :)

38. The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket (Book the 5th) 221 p.

39. The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket (Book the 6th) 259 p.

As the previous four books in this series I really enjoyed both of these books, nice quick and fun reads.

40. The Vile Village by Lemony Snicket (Book the 7th) 256 p.
41. The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket (Book the 8th) 255 p.
42. The Carniverous Carnival by Lemony Snicket (Book the 9th) 286 p.
43. The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket (Book the 10th) 337 p.
44. The Grim Grotto by Lemony Snicket (Book the 11th) 323 p.

Really enjoying A series of unfortunate events so much that I can not pick a favourite. I have started the 12th book of the series and then on to the last. I am a bit sad about leaving the Baudelairs behind. I also like that they have taken quite a chunk out of my 50 books to read. Mostly just enjoying the good stories and relaxing times now that I have a month off from Uni.

Edit: Touchstones

45. The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket (Book the 12th) 353 p.
46. The End by Lemony Snicket (Book the 13th) 324p + 13 p for the 14th chapter

So A series of unfortunate events has come to an end :( I have to say The End was my favourite book out of the thirteen. It was fast paced and answered alot of questions but still left as many unanswered. I dont know what else to say about it and the series as a whole as I've just put the book down and havent had time to think on it. However I love all of the literary connections made throughout the books, the illustrations made for a better reading experience - for me at least - and I have no idea why I had not read this series sooner than I did. I am so glad that I invested my time in these books!

I have no idea what I am going to read next but I'm sure I will find something in the 100 plus books that are on my shelf I've not read. (maybe im exagerating that a bit!)

Edit: touchstones

47. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 187 p.

This year I had been meaning to start reading some classic literature but surprise, surprise up until today I had not achieved this.

I struggled with this book for about the first 40 pages. I'm not entirely sure why. It may of been they style of the writing or that it seemed a kind of pointless book leading to nothing. Once I got into it however it became more interesting but I did not develop an emotional connection to the characters. It was interesting to say the least. I didn’t expect it to go in the direction it went or to end the way it did. I enjoyed the way it was written as it was very descriptive but at times found the dialogue to be somewhat confusing. All in all a nice entry into the world of classic literature.

48. Blaze of Glory by Michael Pryor 407 p.

This book was at times good and at other times complete rubbish. The premise of the book was great but they way it was written not so much. The book also had no been edited very well at all. Things such as "Aubry found myself ...." it does not make sense! I wont be reading the next in the series put it that way.

Off to read something a bit more interesting.

49. The Diviners by Libba Bray 578 p.

This was my first Libba Bray book. I have to say it was fantastic. And I want more. The first three chapters were a little slow to begin with and I struggled with some of the 1920's lingo. However after that the book just moved so fast. My heart was pounding in my chest at times and I've not had an emotional recation to a book like that in a very long time. Fantastic read!

50. Ink Death by Cornelia Funke 699 p.

So excited to reach fifty books this year!!!! Even more excited by that fact that Ink Death was such a fantastic book to meet the goal with.

Edit: Touchstones

Congratulations! Well, done. I hope you'll go on with your reading. :-)

Thank you Ameise! Im looking farward to seeing just how many books I can read!

51. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf 172p.

I really enjoyed this entery into the world of Virginia Woolf's books. Mrs Dalloway was a fantastic look into post war England. I struggled with the way in which it was written at first but with time found myself more able to grasp what was going on. Would like to re-read this book at some point in the future.

52. Animal Farm by George Orwell 119p.

This book is a re-read for me. I think I read it for the frst time when I was arounde 15 or so. I really enjoy this books and the issues it addresses. The treatment of boxer makes my blood boil. At some point I remember watching a TV movie of Animal Farm which was animated and I was seeing sceens from the TV movie in my mind as I was reading. The copy I was reading was the roiginal copy I first read which was my mothers but now belongs to my brother. Would love to get my own copy at some point.
Cheers.

Congratulations on beating your goal! :)

Thank you :)

53. The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley by Martine Murray 226 p.

This book althogh aimed at 8- 14 yr olds was a fantastic read. Hilarious in parts and sad in others. I really nice light read after reading some classics. I really don't know what to say to do this book justice. Go and check it out!

Edit: Touchstones

54. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill 368 p.

I picked this book up from a market when I was on holidays for $10 for the hardback. I can not believe that I had never heard of Joe Hill before. I must of been living in a hole?

I thought that this book was going to be scarier than it was. But I enjoyed it so much and it was very faced paced. I never knew what was going to happen next. I will be looking out for more Joe Hill books from now on.

I also enjoyed Heart Shaped Box.... Had never heard of him either until I joined a Halloween challenge last year. You are not the only one living in that hole :)

So glad I'm not the only one living in a hole :)

55. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie 297 p.

My entry into the world of Hercule Poirot and I have to say that I loved it. So much so that I read the book in one day between housework and cooking tea. I am sad that I haven't got the second book in the series as listed on the back of the books but I do have the third. (No I must not skip the second book!) I think I will be going to the book shop to hunt more Agatha Christie down.

56. Gone for Good by Harlan Coben 387 p.

This book had me hooked from the first page. Great read.

57. Wonder by R. J. Palacio 315 p.

This book made me cry a few times and laugh so much more.

Wonder is the story of August Pullman a 10 yr old boy. August has a facial disforment and this book gives us a glimse into his life. Told from the view point of different characters in the book.

Wonder made me want to become a 10 yr old kid again.

58. How to Kill your Husband (and Other Handy Household Hints) by Kathy Lette 326 p.

Hilarious thats all I have to say.

59. Kiss River by Diane Chamberlain 377 p.

This is the sequel to Keeper of the light. Another great read

60. The Third Door by Emily Rodda 282 p.

Last book in the Three Doors Trilogy. Nice to finish up this Trilogy.

61. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes 412 p.

Such a fantastic way to end the year. Great book with fantastic characters and wonderful world building.

This year has gone beyond my expectations. I never thought I would read 50 books but to read 61 is just fantastic. So many great reads. Along with the 61 books I have read 20,171 pages. I wish everyone a happy new year. I will be having a new thread in the 50 book challenge group next year. :)