2019 50 Book Challenge

[SIZE=16px]Welcome to the 2019 50 Book Challenge. Come on in, bring your favorite beverage and join us.

Hi everyone!

I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. That being said, I find it beneficial to have topics such as this one to help me find my next literary adventure.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=20px]FAQS:[/SIZE]

How do I post my books?

  • That is completely up to you.
  • Some may choose to only list the book and what number it is for them.
  • If you choose to write a short review, we welcome it.
  • Some may choose to list the genre or their opinion of the book.
  • Whatever makes you happy go with it.
[B]I found this thread and its the middle of the year. Can I still join?[/B]
  • Yes. All are welcome no matter when they find us jump right in and do whatever you can.
[B]Do all books count?[/B]
  • That is completely up to you. Some include comics, how to books, trade-books, textbooks, children's books, craft books, novels, audio books and everything between.
[B]Do I have to read 50 books to participate?[/B]
  • No, each of us has different goals and priorities. Set whatever goal you think you can make. If you reach it great. It's all about having fun reading and sometimes finding out about a new author.
[B]Do rereads count?[/B]
  • It's a matter of personal preference. No stress here just lots of fun and good discussion.
[B]Happy reading! [/B]

[SIZE=14px]I’ve kept up with all my reading this year. [/SIZE]

  1. First Grave on the Right…Darynda Jones (Audio)
  2. Second Grave on the Left…Darynda Jones (Audio)
  3. Third Grave Dead Ahead…Darynda Jones (Audio)
  4. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet…Darynda Jones (Audio)
  5. Stars of Fortune…Nora Roberts
  6. Revival…Stephen King (Audio)
  7. One For The Money…Janet Evanovich (Audio)
  8. Tales from the Odyssey, Part 1…Mary Pope Osborne
  9. Two for the Dough…Janet Evanovich (Audio)
  10. Three to get Deadly…Janet Evanovich (Audio)
  11. Four to Score…Janet Evanovich (Audio)
  12. High Five…Janet Evanovich (Audio)
  13. Hot Six…Janet Evanovich (Audio)
  14. Seven Up…Janet Evanovich (Audio)
  15. Hard Eight…Janet Evanovich (Audio)
  16. Caraval…Stephanie Garber (Audio)
  17. Legendary…Stephanie Garber (Audio)
  18. Shadows of the Stone Benders…K. Patrick Donoghue
  19. I Am Number Four…Pittacus Lore (Audio)
  20. Ghost Gifts …Laura Spinella (Audio)
  21. The Power of Six…Pittacus Lore (Audio)
  22. Fifth Grave Past the Light…Darynda Jones (Audio)
  23. Sixth Grave on the Edge…Darynda Jones (Audio)
  24. To the Nines…Janet Evanovich (Audio)
  25. Seventh Grave and No Body…Darynda Jones (Audio) Private Investigator Mysteries/Supernatural

I love to read and nearly always have my nose in a book and it’s usually in one of several languages! I used to keep a log and would average 100+ a year so I’m still going to set my goal for 50. These are the past three weeks:

  1. Post Mortem (Sp)- Patricia Cornwell - mystery
  2. Relatos (Sp) - Mary Higgins Clark - mystery
  3. Een Jaar Zonder Papa (Ned) - Suzanne Collins -Father in Viet Nam
  4. Crossed - Allyson Condie - dystopian
  5. Undo It - Dean Ornish - health
  6. La Revolte (Fr) - Suzanne Collins - youth (Hunger Games)
  7. L’Embrasement (Fr)- Suzanne Collins - youth (Hunger Games)
  8. Juntos (Sp)- Allyson Condie - dystopian
  9. The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning - M. Magnusson - decluttering now so your kids don’t have to when you’re gone
  10. Reached - Allyson Condie - dystopian

What other languages do you read?

@TexasPurl
Great topic! I haven’t kept track of my reading this year, but I’ll join in starting fresh in July. I doubt I’ll have time for 25 books for the latter half of this year, but one never knows.

I just finished listening to “The Shining” by Stephen King. I’ve never read it. I’ve seen the movie many times. Obviously there are many differences between book and the original 1980 movie. What stuck me most about the book were the societal differences between that time period (released 1980) and today and also just the difference in what things cost. (There were several references to how much the characters pay for a variety of things. Remember when $1 was a really good tip?!

@funnybunny My family language was Dutch, I learned Latin, Greek, German and French in school/college, and took up Spanish about 7 years ago. Was an American Sign Language interpreter and fun course instructor for about 20 years - so yeah, a language nerd!

I’ll join! I mostly listen to books while knitting, walking, cleaning, driving. etc. I’ll try to remember what I’ve read so far this year and list them here.

Currently listening to: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Currently reading: Enoch Primordial by Brian Godawa & Ban This Book by Alan Gratz

2019 books read:

  1. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim MIchele Richardson- 4 stars
  2. The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff- 3 stars
  3. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman- 5 stars
  4. The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland- 3 stars
  5. The President is Missing by James Patterson- 1 star
  6. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny- 3 stars
  7. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas- 2 stars
  8. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley- 3 stars
  9. The Giver by Lois Lowry- 4 stars
  10. Still Life by Louise Penny- 3 stars
  11. 11/22/63 by Stephen King- 4 stars
  12. An American Sickness by Elisabeth Rosenthal- 4 stars
  13. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch- 3 stars
  14. Column of Fire by Ken Follett- 3 stars
  15. Caroline by Sarah Miller- 4 stars
  16. Man in the High Castle by Philip Dick- 1 star
  17. The Girl on the Train by Tate Taylor- 1 star
  18. 1984 by George Orwell- 5 stars
  19. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern- 5 stars
  20. The Poldark Series by Winston Graham (started this series in 2018 and finished it up early 2019)- 5 stars
  21. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin- 4 stars
  22. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien- 3 stars
  23. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah- 4 stars
  24. Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton- 3 stars
  25. The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick- 3 stars
  26. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel- 2 stars
  27. Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo- 4 stars
  28. Anthem by Ayn Rand- 5 stars
  29. Plum Island by Nelson Demille- 4 stars
  30. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate- 4 stars
  31. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens- 4 stars
  32. Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo- 4 stars
  33. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty- 4 stars
  34. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny- 2 stars
  35. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance- 3 stars
  36. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah- 5 stars
  37. The Circle by Dave Eggers- 5 stars
  38. Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo- 4 stars
  39. Moby Dick by Herman Melville- 1 star (only because it’s considered a classic)
  40. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny- 3 stars
  41. Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton- 3 stars
  42. The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum- 2 stars
  43. Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet- 3 stars
  44. Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny- 3 stars
  45. Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener- 3 stars
  46. Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M.C. Beaton- 4 stars
  47. The Christmas Train by David Baldacci- 5 stars
  48. This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel- 5 stars
  49. Gone Missing by Linda Castillo- 4 stars
  50. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman- 5 stars
  51. The Wizard of Evesham by M.C. Beaton- 3 stars
  52. The Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton- 2 stars
  53. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman- 5 stars
  54. A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny- 4 stars
  55. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman- 2 stars
  56. The Curious Curate by M.C. Beaton- 2 stars
  57. The Buried Treasure by M.C. Beaton- 2 stars
  58. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt- 3 stars
  59. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny- 4 stars
  60. The Library Book by Susan Orlean- 3 stars
  61. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman- 3 stars

Since we’re all talking about books, perhaps we could also mention our all time favorites.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Dracula by Bram Stoker

Wow, there are so many!

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The Stand by Stephen King

I have been doing a Goodreads challenge this year with a goal of 50 books… However, I have already read 43 books this year. I suppose that a goal of 32 more this year would be a good goal for a total of 75 this year. #44 I am currently reading is The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. My other books read this year in descending order are:

  1. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
  2. The Woman in the Window by A.J Finn
  3. Dreams of Falling by Karen White
  4. Stars Over Sunset Boulevard by Susan Meissner
  5. Illusion by Frank E. Peretti
  6. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
  7. Whistling Women by Kelly Romo
  8. In Pieces by Sally Field
  9. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
  10. The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth
  11. Look for Me by Lisa Gardner
  12. Hello from the Gillespies by Monica McInery
  13. When We Meet Again by Kristen Hamel
    30.All the Colors of the Cattle by Alexander McCall Smith
  14. A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
  15. Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes
  16. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
  17. The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard
  18. Night Road by Kristin Hannah
  19. No Exit by Taylor Adams
  20. The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner
  21. Deadly Cure by Lawrence Goldstone
  22. There Will Be Stars by Billy Coffey
  23. Daughter of Moloka’i by Alan Brennert
  24. All We Ever Wanted by Emily Griffin
  25. My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray
  26. Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter
  27. Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris
  28. GI Brides: The Wartime Brides Who Crossed the Atlantic for Love by Duncan Barrett
  29. A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner
  30. As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner
  31. RV There Yet: by Diann Hunt
  32. Where the Crawdads Sing byDelia Owens
  33. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
  34. Glare Ice by Mary Logue
  35. The Last Equation of Issac Severy: A Novel in Clue by Nova Jacobs
  36. Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
  37. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
  38. The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell
  39. The Art of Keeping Secrets by Patti Callahan Henry
  40. Ordinary Grace by William Ken Krueger
    2… The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
  41. The Veins of the Ocean: A Novel by Patricia Engel

Loved: Before We Were Yours, As Bright as Heaven Hello from the Gillespies
Hate: Sharp Objects, The House We Grew Up In, My Dear Hamilton

My favorites are:

Jane Eyre by Charolotte Bronte (no idea how many times I’ve read it!)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

I am a pretty frequent reader. I listen to more books than I read now, with my knitting and a three year old.

  1. A Handful of Happiness by Massimo Vacchetta and Antonella Tomasselli. Currently a little over half way through, it has been a pretty interesting biography about a large animal vet in Italy who starts a hedgehog rescue.

​​​​​​My all time favorites include:
Homer’s The Iliad and Odyssey
JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth books
JK Rowling’swling’s Harry Potter Series
Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld Series
Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum Series
Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swenson Series
Kim Harrison’s Hallows Series (the early books)
Most Dean Koontz and Stephen King

Favorite YA Books:
Madeleine L’Engle’s A Ring of Endless Light
Marguerite de Angeli’s The Door in the Wall
Michelle Magorian’s Goodnight Mr. Tom
Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet Series
Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars and the Giver Series
Jean Craighead George’s My Side of the Mountain Series

Great idea! Some years I keep track of books read and some years I don’t…this year I am keeping track. I set a goal of reading 52 books this year. I’m a librarian and have to read books for my job (some of which I don’t enjoy or wouldn’t choose on my own), so I am only counting books that I choose to read for my own enjoyment. Sometimes those book lists will intersect and sometimes they won’t. :wink:

  1. Bringing Columbia Home, Michael Leinbach
  2. The ABC Murders, Agatha Christie
  3. Dumb Witness, Agatha Chriatie
  4. The only woman in the room, Marie Benedict
  5. Sparkling Cyanide , Agatha Christie
  6. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
  7. Destination Unknown, Agatha Christie
  8. The Library Book, Susan Orlean
  9. Bibliotech: Why libraries matter more than ever in the age of Google, John Palfrey
  10. The Nightingale, Kristen Hannah
  11. A Mother’s reckoning, Sue Kleibold
  12. Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelley
  13. Victoria’s Daughters, Jerrod Packard
  14. The Pioneers: The heroic story of the settlers who brought the American ideal west, David McCullough
  15. Educated, Tara Westover
  16. The Daughter’s Tale, Armando Lucas Correa
  17. Fall and Rise : the story of 9/11, Michael Zuckoff
  18. The angel court affair, Anne Perry
  19. Treachery at Lancaster gate, Anne Perry
  20. Lady First: the workers of First Lady Sarah Polk
  21. A well behaved woman: a novel of the Vanderbilts, Theresa Anne Fowler
  22. A Thousand pieces of you, Claudia Gray
  23. Ten thousand skies above you, Claudia Gray
  24. Indianapolis: The true story of the worst sea disaster in U.S. Naval history and the fifty year fight to exonerate an innocent man, by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic
  25. Murder on the Serpentine, Anne Perry
  26. The Weight of Ink, Rachel Kadish
  27. The Mystery of Three Quarters, Sophie Hannah
  28. Invisible: The forgotten story of the Black Woman Lawyer who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster, Stephen L. Carter
  29. Twenty-one Days, Anne Perry
  30. 13 Hours : The Inside Account of what Really Happened in Benghazi, Mitchell Zuckoff
  31. The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, David McCullough
  32. Marching off the Map, Tim Elmore
  33. The Seven Dials Mystery, Agatha Christie
  34. Triple Jeopardy, Anne Perry
  35. Dark Tide Rising, Anne Perry
  36. Jimmy Stewart: A Biography, Marc Eliot
  37. Towards Zero, Agatha Christie
  38. The Royal Secret, Lucinda Riley

What a great topic, and a great way to find new books of possible interest! I also don’t keep track, so I’ll have to start from today forward. Currently reading “Strange Weather” by Joe Hill (one of Stephen King’s sons), and “The Witch Elm” by Tana French. “Strange Weather” is a set of four short novels, and I’m loving it.

Bibliotech is a fascinating book. I was at a conference this spring and the author was on one if the panels. He calls himself an accidental librarian (and has since moved on to other educational jobs…he will be the head of the MacArthur Foundation beginning this summer), it his insights resonate with me a great deal.

where do you get french language books from? My local library doesn’t really carry any …

I would love to join in on the fun. I have been in a bit of a reading slump and haven’t tracked what I have read in a while. but here it goes
Books I am reading now. It is usually 3 or 4 and they are normally different genres
1 Fellowship of the Ring , this is my 7th or 8 reread of it and am amazed that I forgot what a good writer Tolkien is
2 12 Rules for Life. by Jordon Peterson
3the bullet Journal Method by Ryder Carol

I hope to be finishing the Bullet Jounal Method this week and my Reading club makes up its mind on the next book we will be reading before that.

[SIZE=3]“But I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness. I want sin.”
Aldous Huxley (Brave New World) [/SIZE]

I’m thrilled with the participation! Thank you all & Happy Reading!

I love to read, always have.
Unfortunately, my attention span has not been the same since I went through chemo and that was in 2008!
This year, so far,

  1. The Soul of an Octopus
  2. Hamilton
  3. Salt
  4. Grant
  5. Where the Crawdads Sing
  6. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark
  7. Best of Enemies
  8. Martin Luther
  9. Ikigai
  10. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
  11. Being Mortal
  12. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
  13. The Indigo Girl
  14. The Runaway
  15. The Sewing Machine

there are more but will have to look at my bookcase.:slight_smile:

This sounds like fun! Each year, I pick books from within each 100’s section of the Dewey decimal classification system. I don’t have my current list at hand, but I’ve read around 20 so far this year.