All About Books discussion

My 2014 challenge

Abandoned this challenge...

Nice variety & some great choices!

Really a lot of interesting books!!!

Lovely choices and still some flexibility to read new things. Good luck!

You have excellent taste! There's a lot of variety in there, which will probably give you a richer reading experience in 2014.

Some great books there, Pink!

Thanks everyone, most of these books are ones that I currently own, having picked up here and there when I've seen a bargain, but haven't got around to reading yet!

I try to read from a wide variety and have pretty much done so this year - my hardest challenge is to read newer works of fiction, as these are usually my least favourite.

Wow Pink, you've got it all mapped out already!! Great choices!

Awesome Pink! I read The Complete Persepolis and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. They were both pretty good. I wish you the best of luck on your other challenges! Hope you enjoy the game of thrones series too. I wanted to start on them but I have to finish some book series first.

Amber wrote: "Awesome Pink! I read The Complete Persepolis and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. They were both pretty good. I wish you the best of luck on your other challenges! Hope you e..."

I'm glad you liked Persepolis, I have a small paperback version, that isn't very easy to read, so I have been putting it off. I've read the first three books in the Wizard of Oz series and really enjoyed them - just 12 more to go!

I've had Game of Thrones on my TBR for so long, but I'm also finishing other book series first. That's why I'm challenging myself to complete it next year.....perhaps you can in with me if you have time Amber?

I loved Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, it's my favourite of his so far.

Alannah wrote: "I loved Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, it's my favourite of his so far."

I've read no Dickens....ever! I have Great Expectations on my shelf and A Christmas Carol, which I plan on reading this Christmas. I think I've always put Dickens off because I assume I won't like it and so it slips further down the reading pile each year. It's time to finally give it a try and more importantly to work through my currently owned books, which takes up most of my 2014 challenge!

I've never read game of thrones before pink, so that'd be cool to do it sometime next year. I will have a book series complete then when the last kingdom keepers book comes out in april so I'll have ridley pearson's disney kingdom keepers series finished. The next chronicles of nick book will be out in april too then won't have other series books out until summer/fall like the next defiance book comes out then with the next white rabbit chronicles book. Have to go back and read book 1 later on. I will be on book 11 of 20 of the stephanie plum series next yr too. So let me know when next yr you want to do game of thrones pink. I even added you to my book series challenge on my 2014 challenge for game of thrones.

There's a really lovely selection there, Pink! I'm tempted to edit my challenge a bit to make it a bit more focused on themes...

Amber, I have no idea yet on when to attempt Game of Thrones, as I have several other book series to finish as well. Perhaps we'll think more about it again in the new year and try to schedule it in then :)

Game of Thrones is a long read, I must admit. But the whole world that Martin created is phenomenal. Plus he makes the best characters. You end up having some really strong feelings for them: love, hate, anger. Dany and Tyrion are by far the best characters!

You seem to have a love for Evelyn Waugh. I've read A Handful of Dust and am currently studying Brideshead Revisited in English Literature. I liked A Handful of Dust a lot, even though the ending is super peculiar. Brideshead Revisited is odd. I can't work out if I severely hate it or really love it...

Holly, I like to read different types of books, so breaking it into those categories works well for me. I've seen so many other good ideas on everyone else's 2014 challenge threads and I think it's great that we're preparing early, to give us time to refine our lists!

I've watched and loved the game of thrones series and my daughter has read the first book. I was unsure if I'd get as much out of them, already knowing what happens, but by next year I'll probably have forgotten enough to warrant trying the books - at last!

okay cool pink. Well, just let me know if you want to do a readalong of the game of thrones series next year and I'll try to put holds on them at my library.

I've only ready the first one, but I'd be happy to join in with the ones after that, if you're planning on doing the series.

Yep, definitely planning on reading the whole series next year, just not sure on a start date yet.

I got the whole series box set for my birthday, which is amazingly pretty. Depending on your start date, I might start them before, then just take part in discussions when you read them :)

I bought the box set this summer, but still haven't read it! I think I'll need to start as early as possible in 2014 to fit them all in, as they're quite long books!

Okay cool Pink. We can discuss it again in January or something. Just let me know. What other book series do you have left to finish up anyway? just curious.
here's what I got left of the book series I got to read:
1. Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich (on book 11 of 20)
2. Kingdom Keepers Series-Book 7 next year in April
3. Chronicles of Nick series-Illusion comes out next year around April
4. League series-new one out next year with darkhunter novel
5. Read alice in zombieland before queen of zombie hearts comes out in fall.
6. Next defiance novel comes out in the fall by c.j. redwine.
7. Blood Magic saga book 3 ruler comes out in January at http://www.blood-magic.net

I think discussing again in January is a good idea, then we can see how much we've crossed off our lists between now and then.

Before starting Game of Thrones I'd like to finish the following book series-
Pretties - 1 book to go
Gone - 5 books to go
Sherlock - 1 book to go
The Wizard of Oz - 12 books to go
Divergent - 1 book to go
Death Note - 5 books to go

I should finish all of these by the end of this year, except for the Gone and Wizard of Oz series, which I'll continue in January.

Okay awesome. Most of the ones on my list will be next year when they come out but I'm going to read 1 Stephanie plum or 2 a year until I'm done with that series. Good luck on your book series challenge Pink! ^_^

Holly wrote: "You seem to have a love for Evelyn Waugh. I've read A Handful of Dust and am currently studying Brideshead Revisited in English Literature. I liked A Handful of Dust a lot, even though the ending is super peculiar. Brideshead Revisited is odd. I can't work out if I severely hate it or really love it..."

I just started reading Waugh this year, and haven't gotten to Brideshead Revisited yet (although I have a pretty clear memory of the PBS/BBC mini-series with Jeremy Irons!). Pink - you have a couple of his on your 2014 list that I also want to read - especially Vile Bodies. We should explore the possibilities of a readalong or two!

Definitely Leslie, I'd like to work my way through all of Waugh's books eventually! Those on my list above are the ones I already own but haven't read before. Brideshead revisited is one of my favourite books :)

Pink wrote: "Definitely Leslie, I'd like to work my way through all of Waugh's books eventually! Those on my list above are the ones I already own but haven't read before. Brideshead revisited is one of my favo..."

I own Vile Bodies but not Men at Arms which I am also interested in reading... Actually I have been listening to Waugh's "Sword of Honor" trilogy (which Men at Arms starts) on BBC Radio on Sundays for the past month or so!

Yes I intend to read the trilogy, eventually, though I just have the first book. I noticed this was being played on bbc radio as well, but every time I try listening to books I just end up falling asleep, perhaps I need to try listening earlier in the day rather than at bed time.

hey pink have you ever read The Child Thiefby Brom? It looks to be a pretty interesting read. It is a dark modern retelling of Peter Pan. It's on my TBR list and I'll be getting it from the overdrive ebooks library soon. I may do it as a readalong here when I get it too.

I've halved my list of books for this challenge, so now it only includes books that I already own and ones that I really, really must read this year.

Pink wrote: "I've halved my list of books for this challenge, so now it only includes books that I already own and ones that I really, really must read this year."

The elastic part of that statement, of course, is the "ones that I really, really must read this year"! lol! I find that my selection of those changes and grows as readalongs come around :)

Leslie, yes my list of TBR books constantly changes, but as I plan on reading approximately 100 books this year, I figure tying myself to just 40 that I already own should be more do-able. This still leaves flexibility for group reads and spontaneous choices each month too :)

Mostly this year I'm trying to reduce the number of unread books I own - which is now well over 100! This is getting out of control and I really need to stop buying 'bargain' books when I still have so many unread on my shelf.

I am also trying to read more of the books I already have - both print and Kindle. It would be nice if I would read more Kindle books than I acquire but no success on that front so far! Hope you do better than I am ;)

1/40
I've crossed off my first book - Palestine a graphic novel by Joe Sacco I liked it, but not quite as much as I'd hoped. Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me.

My list is looking menacingly at me, especially Game of Thrones....I need to start this soon!

Pink wrote: "My list is looking menacingly at me, especially Game of Thrones....I need to start this soon!"

LOL!! I was just thinking the same about my resolution to read the Vorkosigan series this year -- Young Miles has been following me from living room to bedroom!

I am aiming to read the Game of Thrones series this year.

Paul wrote: "I am aiming to read the Game of Thrones series this year."

I don't know when to start? February is too busy, March seems quite full already, but with 7 individual books to get through on my shelf I daren't delay much past this!

Paul wrote: "I am aiming to read the Game of Thrones series this year."

Read it last year - and surprised to find I liked it!!!!

BV will be doing a series challenge after the Winter one has finished. Maybe for that?

LauraT I also enjoyed Game of Thrones! I intend reading more of the series this year :)

Tracey wrote: "LauraT I also enjoyed Game of Thrones! I intend reading more of the series this year :)"

I'm waiting for the next ones to come out!

Paul wrote: "BV will be doing a series challenge after the Winter one has finished. Maybe for that?"

Oh yes that would be great, perhaps it will give me the push to read it, plus I notice that lots of other people seem to have this series on their TBR lists, but put it off like me!

I'm rereading the entire series. One each month.

I am doing so bad with my challenge, I think I've been reading everything but what's on my list!

It is only May. Plenty of time.

Pink wrote: "I am doing so bad with my challenge, I think I've been reading everything but what's on my list!"

That is the joy of books!

Alannah, I'm more thinking, 'How is it May already?'

Paul, very true, but this won't help me get through the books on my shelves. The library has been too enticing recently!