Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

I am going to publish my list now (6 Nov 15) because if I keep tinkering with it I will never get any reading done!

Edited 28 Jan 16 - I have since done lots of tinkering, mainly because the whole point is to make a dent in my TBR but I put in so many 'new' books that I was going to have to acquire new books when I already have too many! Therefore I have had to shoehorn in the books that are already on my shelves, so if any of the books seem only tenuously linked to their category, you know why!

1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't: Such A Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry- been saving this up as I loved A Fine Balance
2. A book set in a different continent: Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie set in Nigeria
3. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015: Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
4. A book by an author you discovered in 2015: State of Wonder - only just discovered Ann Patchett (Bel Canto)
5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name: The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
6. The highest rated on your TBR: Stoner by John Williams
7. A book about books: The Blind Assassin by Margaret Attwood
8. A classic book with less than 200 pages: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
9. A book that was mentioned in another book: Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy- can't find the list I got this off but it seems it was also mentioned in 50 Shades (ooer)
10. A book by an author you feel you should have read by now: Umbrella by Will Self - slightly nervous about this as I don't have a great past history with stream of consciousness...
11. A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge: Divine Secrets Of The Ya Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
12. A childhood classic: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
13. Reader’s Choice: Less Than Angels - love a bit of Barbara Pym
14. A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title: originally I put Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee but in the interests of reading down my TBR I have decided to go for Why We Took the Car by Wolfgang Herrndorf which I may tandem read with the German version Tschick if I have time.
15. A book set in the past (more than 100 years ago): The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett set in the 12th Century
16. A book from the top 100 mystery novels: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
17. A book with a beautiful cover: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (according the the Huffpost list of pretty covers)
18. A book on a summer/beach reading list: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (from various 2015 Summer Reading lists including The Guardian and bustle.com)
19. A non-fiction book: Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore
20. A book with a first name in the title: Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
21. A book from the Goodreads Recommendations page: A Child's Christmas In Wales by Dylan Thomas
22. The first book in a new to you series: A Study in Scarlet - the first Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Conan Doyle
23. The next book in a series you are reading: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
24. A "between the numbers" book of a series (0.5, 1,5, 2.5, etc.): Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling - one of the textbooks used at Hogwarts, written as a special for Sport Relief
25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you: The Racketeer by John Grisham - about a lawyer I believe
26. A book everyone is talking about: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (according to Huffpost list)
27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion): The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir: This was going to be Just Boris: A Tale of Blond Ambition by Sonia Purnell which was originally my choice for "A book I am embarrassed to read in public". However after Brexit I cannot bear to even think of the man and so I have sent it to the charity shop and have chosen something by a much more admirable character - Maya Angelou - I will be reading the 5th of her autobiographical books, All God's Children Need Travelling Shoes.
29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith- hope it is as good as The Cuckoo's Calling
30. A fairytale from a culture other than your own: The Arabian Nights
31. A work of young adult fiction: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
32. A historical fiction book: Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil
33. The 16th book on your TBR: Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson
34. A book about mental illness: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
35. An award winning book: The Snow Child which won the author Eowyn Ivey the UK National Book Award for International Author of the Year 2012.
36. An identity book: Wonder by R.J. Palacio
37. A book that you've seen the movie of but haven't read: The Pianist: The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-45 by Władysław Szpilman- LOVED the film
38. A book about an anti hero: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
39. A previous suggestion that did not make it into the list: Dubliners by James Joyce (place I would like to visit)
40. A novella from your favorite genre: Anthem by Ayn Rand
41. A book about a major world event: A Place Of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel (about the French Revolution)
42. A top 100 fantasy novel: Pawn of Prophecy - the first of the Belgariad books, by David Eddings
43. A book about a thing that goes bump in the night: Carrie - it's been years since I read any Stephen King
44. A book you're embarrassed to read in public: The Smartest Guys In The Room by Bethany McLean - presumably only sad accountants like me would admit to having this on their TBR
45. A book related to a hobby or passion you have: Giving Up the Ghost: A Memoir. Hilary Mantel - I really want to write a book based on my mum's childhood memoirs
46. A crime story: Don't Tell by Karen Rose
47. A book with a type of food/drink in the title: Die Entdeckung der Currywurst by Uwe Timm - goodness knows what this is about
48. A dystopia: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - might have to read this early so I can watch the film!
49. A book with a great opening line: initially I put The Towers Of Trebizond by Rose Macaulay with its opening line '"Take my camel, dear", said my Aunt Dot' which I think is fabulous. However I don't have this book yet whereas I do already own another book that is on the list of 100 greatest lines - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf which has the opening line "Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself." Quite right too, Mrs Dalloway!
50. A book originally written in a language other than English: Look Who's Back by Timur Vermes and if I have time I will try the original German Er ist wieder da
51. A short story from a well-known author: Don Fernando by W. Somerset Maugham
52. A book published in 2016: Belgravia by Julian Fellowes

I love Barbara Pym and may reread one of her books for 2016. I also enjoyed The Girl on the Train.

Yes Barbara Pym always makes me chuckle! So observational. She could very well be talking about the people who live in my village!

Oh, I love Stoner. It's funny, because it's quite slow, and it feels like nothing really happens, but it's really affecting. My heart felt quite full & heavy after reading it.

Yes I am happy with books where nothing happens too - I am more interested in character development and good use of language. Stoner has consistently good reviews so I am hopeful. It seems to be much better known in the US than here in the UK but I am hoping that I will still 'get' it!

Well, if it helps, I'm Australian, and I live in Switzerland - and I got it. :D

Ha ha! That's good to know! Everyone I have mentioned it to here has just looked at me blankly so I was wondering if there was a reason it hasn't really taken off in the UK.

I hadn't ever heard of it until I stumbled across it in a bookstore here. It was one of the books with a staff recommendation card in it, and to be honest I don't think I would have looked twice at it otherwise - the cover is pretty dull. But it's such a gem.

I loved Tess of the d'Urbervilles when I read it in high school. I'm hoping I can reread it sometime soon.

I have Tess as my first name book next year - glad to read that you like it Michelle!

Yes Bel Canto is really nicely written. Just ignore the epilogue! The rest is great though - in fact it is my first Goodreads review as I have always been too scared to write one!

Really looking forward to the Blind Assassin - this could just as easily have fit into the 'an author I feel I should have read by now'. I am not sure how I got this old without managing to read a Margaret Attwood!

Also really looking forward to Oranges are Not the Only Fruit - think this is a based on her own childhood experience where she got adopted by a fundamentalist evangelical family. From an interview of her in a magazine it sounded like she wasn't exactly the pliant child her adoptive mother had hoped for!

I'm reading "Did you ever have a family" right now & highly recommend it! I suggest keeping track of the characters & who they are related to, as you read. Each chapter is a different character telling their story, which was a bit confusing for me at first. Hope you enjoy it!

I only found 'Did you ever have a family' in my quest to find my 52 books for 2016 and I'm so glad I did because it looks right up my street! Also it looks like most of the reviews are positive and I'm glad that it gets another commendation from you. I think I will take your advice and write some Who's Who notes in the first chapters as my brain is not what it was. I am getting ridiculously excited about some of these books!

really want to read the silkworm as well

Yes I was surprised just how much I enjoyed The Cuckoo's Calling and it took a lot of willpower not to go straight onto The Silkworm ... mid-2016 is about as long as I am willing to wait!

so many great books (I think id stop checking other plans because wants rearrange mine).

I think Mrs Attwood and I are going to get along well!

I can't believe either that I haven't read Atwood yet! It's definitely on my 2016 must-read! Which book would you recommend the most?

I'm reading both The Bell Jar and The Blind Assassin in my challenge next year, too! I read my first Margaret Atwood book this year (The Handmaid's Tale) and absolutely loved it so I had to fit her onto my list somewhere. I've never actually read any Sylvia Plath before so I'm very much looking forward to finally reading some of her work, I can't believe it's taken me so long.

I suggested The Handmaid's Tale for my Book Group but someone had seen a bad review for it so it got shelved. However another friend whose book tastes are close to mine said she really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale so I think it will have to go onto my 2017 list (definitely no wiggle room on my 2016 list!)