HelenNZ tries again 2017

Almost made it last year, so hopefully this year will see me back on track. First book underway, so the list should start soon.

I am part of the group.
I love being part of the group.
I love the friendships bestowed upon my by dint of my membership of this wonderful fellowship.
I love that race and creed and gender and age and sexuality and nationality make absolutely no difference to our being a valued member of the group.

Thank you for also being part of the group.

Welcome back!

Happy reading in 2017, Helen!

First book completed last night and it was great.

1. Old Filth by Jane Gardam 9/10
2. Gorse is not People by Janet Frame 7.5/10
3. Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay 8/10
4. The Toymaker by Liam Pieper 6/10
5. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 9/10
6. The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally 9/10
7. A Breed of Women by Fiona Kidman 8/10
8. The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier 8/10
9. The Warrior Queen by Barbara Else 7/10
10. The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville 8.5/10
11. The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant
12. The Harp in the South by Ruth Park 10/10
13. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides 7/10
14. Bitter Sweets by Roopa Farooki 7.5/10
15. The Chimes by Anna Smaill 9/10
16. The Book of Memory by Petina Gappah 7.5/10
17. The Life of Houses by Lisa Gorton 9/10
18. Sydney Bridge Upside Down by David Ballantyne 8/10
19. The Almond Picker by Simonetta Agnello Hornby 8/10
20. Last Tango in Paris by Robert Alley6/10
21. Where the Rekohu Bone sings by Tina Makereti 9/10
22. Golden Deeds by Catherine Chidgey 9/10
23. Our souls at Night by Kent Haruf 8/10
24. Where the Rekohu Bone sings by Tina Makereti 9/10
25. When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro 8/10
26. The Past and Other Lies by Maggie Joel 7.5/10
27. Taking Pictures by Anne Enright 7/10
28. Day by A.L. Kennedy 9/10
29. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks 8.5/10
30. A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale 7.5/10
31. A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible by Christy Lefteri 9/10
32. Slow Water by Annamarie Jagose 8.5/10
33. Circling the Sun by Paula McLain 8/10
34. Love as a Stranger by Owen Marshall 8/10
35. The Dogs and the Wolves by Irene Nemirovsky 7.5/10
36. Nine Days by Toni Jordan 8.5/10
37. The Boy Behind the Curtain 7/10
38. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom 8/10
39. The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey 9/10
40. Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje 7.5/10
41. Fosterling by Emma Neale 6.5/10
42. The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers 9/10
43. The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton 7.5/10
44. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo 10/10
45. Music and Freedom by Zoe Morrison 9/10
46. The Dark Circle by Linda Grant 8/10
47. Miracle at St. Anna by James McBride 9/10
48. The Severed Land by Maurice Gee 7/10
49. Pastoral by Nevil Shute 9/10
50. Lila by Marilynne Robinson 9/10
51. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson 7.5/10
52. The Wish Child by Catherine Chidgey 9/10
53. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson 7.5/10
54. The Voyages of the Clontarf by Marolyn Diver 8/10
55. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler 9/10
56. The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall 8/10
57. The Last Crossing by Guy Vanderhaeghe 8.5/10
58. The Power by Naomi Alderman 2/10
59. Autumn by Ali Smith8.5/10
60. The Fall of Light by Niall Williams 10/10
61. Buy Me the Sky by Xinran8/10
62. My Dear I Wanted To Tell You by Louisa Young 8/10
63. The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 7.5/10
64. Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar9/10
65. Please Look After Mother by Kyung-Sook Shin9/10
66. The Dust That Falls From Dreams by Louis de Bernieres 7/10
67. H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald 7.5/10
68. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 9/10
69. Leap of Faith by Jenny Pattrick 6.5/10
70. Extinctions by Josephine Wilson 8.5/10
71. The Song Before It Is Sung by Justin Cartwright 8/10
72. The Fine Colour of Rust by P.A. O'Reilly6.5/10
73. The Railwayman's Wife by Ashley Hay 8/10
74. The Legend of Winstone Blackhat by Tanya Moir 8/10
75. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George 6/10
76. All is Song by Samantha Harvey 8.5/10
77. The Dry by Jane Harper 7/10
78. Finding Father; The Journal of Mary Brogan, Otago, 1862 by Pauline Cartwright 7/10
79. We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo 7/10
80. Calling the Gods by Jack Lasenby 8/10
81. King Rich by Joe Bennett 9/10
82. The Writers' Festival by Stephanie Johnson 7/10

Hmm... Ticker not updating immediately. Hopefully it will overnight.

Ticker is okay now, if it doesn't update you can try F4 to renew your screen.

Hi Helen, several of us have been having the same ticker problem. It does eventually update. You inspire me with Old Filth; I've been meaning for ages to get to this one ...

Happy reading Helen. I have the same problem with my ticker. It takes a day or several hours to update. I'm not sure why.

#6 completed. A book I recommend. I am swinging between the Anzac Reading Challenge and my own alphabet challenge. I am trying to choose international writers for the alphabet challenge and they must be off my shelves, as with my online ANZ reading group and the ANZAC challenge I will be reading plenty of New Zealand and Australian authors. Happy with progress so far. I hope to read one more in each group before the end of the month.

I am very pleased with my progress this month. I need to be in credit by the end of January as it is the end of the New Zealand holiday period and the pace of life will pick up from tomorrow. I note that 6 of my books are Australian and New Zealand authors and only one is a new purchase. I need to show restraint and keep working at reading my own books. So far so good.

The pace continues in February with my second book of the month finished. One for the Anzac and one for the alphabet challenge.

Helen, you're keeping a much more admirable pace through February than I've managed. I've been trying to knit my sister a pair of socks (which we bartered for several years ago, LOL!). Time, time.

>13 lit_chick:. My knitting is suffering as I seldom watch TV anymore. I have several knitting projects planned despite it being summer but tend to save it for car journeys. I am enjoying the momentum with my reading but it could very soon slow up with a great deal of babysitting scheduled, family events and my 94 year old mother-in-law is causing some concern.

I am pleased to note that I am on track this year to achieve this goal having just passed half way and June is not over yet.

Well done, Helen!

Well despite a very busy year, I have achieved my goal with a month to spare. I am happy with that.

Congratulations on reaching 75, Helen!

Congrats!

>18 FAMeulstee:. >19 drneutron:. Thank you.

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

Finished one more before the midnight hour taking my total for the year to 82. I am well pleased with that.