2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Aiming for 30 in 2015, with a few conditions:
- At least 25 books from my TBR
- 5 books may be new releases/purchases (inc. books received for Christmas 2014)
- At least 10 books from 1001 Books to Read Before You Die
- At least 6 books in German
- At least 5 books over 500 pages
- Read at least Vol. 1 of Les Miserables

1. If on a Winter's Night a Traveller [2nd January] ★ ★ ★ ★
2. Love in the Time of Cholera [8th January] ★ ★ ★ ★
3. Atonement [12th January] ★ ★ ★ ★
4. Fifty Shades of Grey [16th January] ★ ★ ★ ★
5. Wedlock: How Georgian Britain's Worst Husband Met His Match (Audiobook) [19th January] ★ ★ ★ ★
6. On the Road [21st January] ★ ★
7. The Casual Vacancy [28th January] ★ ★ ★
8. Homo faber [6th February] ★ ★ ★
9. The Colour of Magic [8th February] ★ ★ ★
10. The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy [9th February] ★ ★ ★ ★
11. Catch-22 [18th February] ★ ★ ★
12. Little Women: Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy [3rd March] ★ ★ ★ ★
13. Heart of Darkness [5th March] ★ ★ ★
14. Cockroaches [8th March] ★ ★ ★ ★
15. Tess of the D'Urbervilles [15th March] ★ ★ ★ ★
16. A Simples Life: The Life and Times of Aleksandr Orlov [15th March] ★ ★ ★ ★
17. Fifty Shades Darker [19th March] ★ ★ ★ ★
18. Lady Chatterley's Lover [6th April] ★ ★

TBR: 12/25
New Purchases: 6/5
1001 Books to Read Before You Die: 10/10
German: 2/6
Over 500 pgs: 6/5
Audiobook: 1

Page Total: 6,920

2015 Reading Statistics

Genre/Type
Biography/Memoir: 3
Classics: 10
Fantasy: 1
Graphic Novel: 0
Historical Fiction: 0
Horror: 0
Literary Fiction: 0
Mystery: 0
Other Nonfiction: 0
Science Fiction: 0
Contemporary Fiction: 4

Length
Short (<250 pages): 4
Medium (250-500 pages): 8
Long (501-800 pages): 6
Very Long (>800 pages): 0

Target Audience Age
Young Adult: 0
Adult: 18

Author Gender
Female: 5
Male: 13

New to Me or Repeat Author?
New to Me: 14
Repeat: 4

Series or Standalone Book?
Series: 4
Standalone: 14

January 2015:

1. If on a Winter's Night a Traveller [2nd January] ★ ★ ★ ★
260 pgs
TBR: 1/25
1001 Books to Read Before You Die: 1/10

An unintentional first read of the year, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. I wavered between giving it three or four stars, as it was at times gripping and at others dragged rather. However, even when it was a less enjoyable read some of the ideas and concepts were thought-provoking and have stayed with me since finishing it. I'd recommend it, but it's certainly not a book for everyone!

2. Love in the Time of Cholera [8th January] ★ ★ ★ ★
348 pgs
TBR: 2/25
1001 Books to Read Before You Die: 2/10

This book is a throwback to the days when I was applying to university and my mother was attempting to get me to consider Spanish. I ended up doing Danish instead, possibly because I never got round to reading the book! I digress. Reading this after If On a Winter's Night it felt like a breath of fresh air. In terms of plot, I've read better and I've read worse, but it carries you along well enough. What really sets this apart for me though is the language. Even though I'm reading in translation (and a slightly jarring American one at that), Marquez uses words in a way no other author I've read has. Linguistically this book is startling. However, the American translation is a little too American in places for a Brit like me, and, if I'm going to be really picky, I'd prefer shorter chapters!

3. Atonement [12th January] ★ ★ ★ ★
372 pgs
TBR: 3/25
1001 Books to Read Before You Die: 3/10

There was one significant flaw with this book, which was admittedly my own fault - I knew the film far too well to really be able to enjoy it too much. I didn't think this would have been too much of an issue, film makers really go in for artistic licence, right? But no, aside from a small section at the end, even some of the dialogue was verbatim. I fear my appreciation also suffered a little reading this immediately after Marquez's verbose prose. However, love the time period, loved some of the characters, loved the way in which the first section was told from various perspectives.

4. Fifty Shades of Grey [16th January] ★ ★ ★ ★
514 pgs
New Purchase: 1/5

Well, I have no idea what I was expecting when I picked this up. All I know is that the enjoyment of reading this was rather greater than I was thinking it would be. Yes, the plot line's terrible, yes, it's pretty sketchy in some places, yes, the writing is downright awful, but you know what, it reminded me of the serious self-indulgent joy I used to get from reading fanfic as a fourteen year old. And once in a while, that's ok. The second book is already on my wishlist.

Edited: I've upped this one to four stars, against my better judgement - it's just stuck with me in a way others didn't so three stars seemed a little miserly.

5. Wedlock: How Georgian Britain's Worst Husband Met His Match (Audiobook) [19th January] ★ ★ ★ ★
502 pgs

I listened to this on audiobook, which was actually surprisingly good for a work of non-fiction. However, it did take me a few repeat listens of the first chapter or so to actually understand what was happening and what relation that had with the later events. Once I got over that little hurdle, I enjoyed it a lot.

6. On the Road [21st January] ★ ★
304 pgs
TBR: 4/25
1001 Books to Read Before You Die: 4/10

I'd been warned about this book, and my previous foray into American literature of the 1950's did not leave me particularly enamoured. On the Road did absolutely nothing to dispell my previous convictions.

7. The Casual Vacancy [28th January] ★ ★ ★
568 pgs
New purchase: 2/5

My first foray out of J.K.Rowlings' young adult fiction and I was pleasantly surprised, although this was much more of a slow burning character study than an action-packed novel. Over all, I enjoyed it, although it's not something that I will keep coming back to as I have with Harry Potter.

February 2015:

8. Homo faber [6th February] ★ ★ ★
205 pgs
New purchase: 3/5
1001 Books to Read Before You Die: 5/10
German: 1/6

My first German read of the year and the return to a book I started reading in Foyles (RIP) several years ago and was under the impression that I absolutely loved. That impression turned out to be a little wrong, but it was still a very thought-provoking book, although it helped to have a little bit of an idea of what thoughts he was trying to provoke!

9. The Colour of Magic [8th February] ★ ★ ★
285 pgs
TBR: 5/25

This is a book that I've had for a very long time, and tried to read on several occasions. A little confusing, but then I think Terry Pratchett is until you really get into it. I enjoyed it, I will continue reading the series, but I'm not sure I'm going to become a Pratchett fanatic. (NB: Perfectly willing to rescind this statement at a later date).

10. The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy [9th February] ★ ★ ★ ★
242 pgs
TBR: 6/25

A very simple and lovely little read, providing more information about King George and his speech impediment than in the film. I appreciated the fact that this was written as a result of the film, and so the film was not an adaptation of the book. I love reading about this time period and this was a perfect holiday read that I just wanted to keep reading.

11. Catch-22 [18th February] ★ ★ ★
572 pgs
TBR: 7/25
1001 Books to Read Before You Die: 6/10

This was another holiday read. Obviously. It took me a good 100-odd pages before I actually understood what the hell was going on, but once I got into it I really got into it. The confusion cost it one star, and the fact that I felt it could have ended at least 100 pages earlier cost it the other star. Altogether though, as a TBR book I was absolutely dreading reading, I really enjoyed it, and was very pleasantly surprised!

March 2015:

12. Little Women: Or, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy [3rd March] ★ ★ ★ ★
13. Heart of Darkness [5th March] ★ ★ ★
14. Cockroaches [8th March] ★ ★ ★ ★
15. Tess of the D'Urbervilles [15th March] ★ ★ ★ ★
16. A Simples Life: The Life and Times of Aleksandr Orlov [15th March] ★ ★ ★ ★
17. Fifty Shades Darker [19th March] ★ ★ ★ ★
18. Lady Chatterley's Lover [6th April] ★ ★

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Good luck with your challenge and mini-goals, Freya! I'm glad you liked the idea of tracking statistics.

(Are you finished reserving posts? If not, let me know and I can delete this post.)

Thank you! I'm finished! Just wanted to reserve enough for one per month. Anything else will be going in my corner.

how is your challenge coming, Freya? It looks like you've been doing a lot of reading.