Goodreads Ireland discussion

Someone else suggested this as a thread (Ian maybe) so I thought I'd go ahead and set it up. Has anyone set themselves reading targets for the new year. Are you going to read more female authors, try a new genre, embrace the classics? What are your reading goals for 2015?

Good idea, Trelawn and whoever else. I've been mulling over this but haven't made firm decisions yet. One genre that I should try reading is fantasy, which doesn't appeal to me at all. No doubt there'll be lots of suggestions on that ;)

I can help there Theresa. ☺
There are so many different types of fantasy I'm sure theres some you would enjoy ☺

I think I am going to try hit 50 books next year. Also I am going to try out some more older books. My initial thoughts tend towards more E.M. Forster and maybe another Gaskell and I hope to get to at least one new Dickens next year. Nothing firmly fixed yet but I'm still thinking.

I hereby solemnly swear to resist the temptation of new books and to remain focused on the completion of my TBR list. I'll try to focus more on Irish history and some more books as gaeilge. More so I'd love to complete a reading challenge similar to Allan and Barbara in magnitude which should be doable as I've a lot of travelling to do next year. :)

I'm not sure myself. There are a couple of authors I intend to try out in the new year so that'll be part of it. Also a couple of series I 've enjoyed have the last book coming out so some rereads may be involved there.

Kevin wrote: "I hereby solemnly swear to resist the temptation of new books and to remain focused on the completion of my TBR list. I'll try to focus more on Irish history and some more books as gaeilge. More so..."

Well, the resolutions in the first sentence are doomed to failure before we get to New Year. Not to worry you are in good company :)

I'm going to try to continue reading one Brian Moore novel a month and possibly return to Steinbeck again after my break. Getting through my tbr pile is also an aim, albeit a pretty unlikely one.

It wouldn't be a New Years resolution unless I failed to keep it, Theresa! haha

Paul wrote: "I can help there Theresa. ☺
There are so many different types of fantasy I'm sure theres some you would enjoy ☺"


Silly me thought there was only one sort of fantasy <:-I So it has sub-genres? The main stipulation is that it has to be in the library's sizeable download section.

Allan you and your TBR pile remind me of Sisyphus and the rock but I admire the sentiment :-)

Plenty there i'd assume. Ask Trelawn about the Peter Grant books. I reckon you 'd like them.They're Police Procedurals set in Londom with a bit of Magic thrown in☺

That sounds as if it will stretch me enough, Paul :) Thanks.

Like Allan, I want to read some Brian Moore as well as other Northern Ireland writers. I also want to read some contemporary Irish women writers and contemporary Irish poetry.

Other than that I am open to suggestions for my TBR pile.

The blurb on the first book Rivers of London was 'what if Harry Potter grew up and joined the fuzz'
Its not quite as much magic as HP though

I think you'd like the Peter Grant books Theresa. As Paul says there isn't too much magic but Aaronovitch's descriptions of London and it's history are worth it alone. I was also thinking of the Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde as a recommendation but I don't know. It's a great story with lots of literary references. I recommended it to Emma and she enjoyed it but the quality of the series does trail off unlike Peter Grant.

Trelawn wrote: "I think you'd like the Peter Grant books Theresa. As Paul says there isn't too much magic but Aaronovitch's descriptions of London and it's history are worth it alone. I was also thinking of the Ey..."

If it's good on London then that's promising as it's my home town. Funny you should mention The Eyre Affair as its tucked away in my iBooks and I wondered what it was doing there :)

Thanks, Trelawn and Emma.

I'll be aiming for the 100 book mark in my challenge again next year, as I reckon I massively over achieved this year, mainly due to my audiobook consumption while I was doing various diy jobs!

I should also possibly aim to read more fiction in translation-my non Irish / USA / UK fiction collection is pretty sparse, and much of my world fiction comes from the likes of Australia, S Africa and Canada.

I would like to branch out to read more translated fiction as well. I may focus on Latin American - but I should read those in the original language, but it takes me a lot longer. I have some Scandinavian, and German titles - maybe one or two of them.
I may actually read some British classics. I have never read Dickens, Austen or any of the Brontes.
More non-fiction for sure.

I'd like to reread some of the classics--maybe read one Dickens a month or return to Hardy, or read Trollope; I've never read any of his. And I'd like to read more Irish literature obviously :) I'd also like to make more of a dent in books I own, unread, on my shelves. I've heard good things about David Mitchell, and I think his writing would be outside my usual fare, so I'd like to read one of his.

There's a fellow here on GoodReads who reads interesting books and writes excellent reviews. But the thing that makes me laugh is that he sets his reading goal as 1 book per year. Of course he reads many more than that--but he wrote that he likes to check things off his New Year's resolution list. :)

Cathleen wrote: "I'd like to reread some of the classics--maybe read one Dickens a month or return to Hardy, or read Trollope; I've never read any of his. And I'd like to read more Irish literature obviously :) I..."

Cathleen, you might like to note that Claire Tomalin has written a biography of Thomas Hardy.

PS Autocorrect changed you name to Cattlemen, but fortunately it was spotted just in time :)

Theresa wrote: "Cathleen wrote: "I'd like to reread some of the classics--maybe read one Dickens a month or return to Hardy, or read Trollope; I've never read any of his. And I'd like to read more Irish literatur..."

Believe it or not, Theresa, that's one of the unread books on my shelves. This is the year to read it. I've become a huge fan of Claire Tomalin.
I've been called many things--but never Cattlemen :) Too bad we still aren't reading The Son.

I hope to increase my reading to 50 books, may not happen with the wedding, my sons confirmation and my bridesmaids girls communion all up next year but I'll give it a go.
Have a list made of books I want to read next year already.

Ianie, you're in the wrong place if you want advice about No 5.

I also forgot I've decided, similar to Cphe, to tackle Ulysses come January. I doubt anyone wants to buddy read? :P

I have the Penguin Modern Classics version at home but there is also a Dublin Illustrated version available too which looks interesting. You should at least give it a go, as you might love it. :)

IanieB wrote: "Cathleen, where might I start with Hardy? He and Gaskell are two I'd like to read in the coming year."

Ianie, I would pick one of his major novels--The Return of the Native, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Far from the Madding Crowd or Tess of the D'Urbevilles. My favorite--although many think it's quite bleak--is Jude the Obscure, so I'd recommend saving that for later.

Kevin wrote: "I also forgot I've decided, similar to Cphe, to tackle Ulysses come January. I doubt anyone wants to buddy read? :P"

Kevin...if you didn't want to race through it, I might like to do a buddy read of Ullysses.

No racing Cathleen. I'm going to be there with my dictionary trying to make sense of the puzzle. I'd love if you did as motivation for each other :)

Kevin wrote: "No racing Cathleen. I'm going to be there with my dictionary trying to make sense of the puzzle. I'd love if you did as motivation for each other :)"

That would be fun :) I actually think I bought a hardcover of it a couple of years ago, intending to reread it. I read it as an undergrad and I've always wanted to reread it.

IanieB wrote: "I know Emma. It'll have to be Jan 1st, won't it? ;)

Thanks Cathleen. Think I'll go with Tess; heard a few good things, although apparently Hardy is painfully descriptive, which for a while was a c..."

I think we're used to novels that are straightforward, spare, and quickly-paced, and Hardy is none of those. I always liked description of furze and the heath. :) Nature is as much a character as any of the people in his novels, and that appeals to me.

Just read this and thought it was interesting. It's an article about Dickens' lobbying for his own post box at Gad's Hill http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magaz...

Sorry I meant to post in Newspaper Articles. Stupid technology!

Ianie - I like the Gabler edition and the version I got at Hodges Figgis - it's prettier than the American edition. It's got a green cover and I can't find a picture. I got it in 2009 so maybe the cover has changed. This edition has line numbering which helps alot.

Well I have a few reading resolutions

#1 I will make my annual attempt to avoid buying books in between New Years and my birthday (April 21st). Exceptions will be made for book group books if they can't be obtained at the library. I've also pre-ordered Love and Rockets: New Stories #7. I also plan to order Locke & Key, Volume 6: Alpha & Omega which is the concluding volume in the graphic novel series I've been reading and isn't yet available at my local library. It may not arrive before New Years.

#2 I will also avoid getting books from the library during that same period unless I need them for a book group.

#3 I will focus on reading the books on my 2015 TBR shelf.

Like minds, Sara. I'm just drawing up my 2015-TBR-shelf. :)

Seeing you drawing up you shelf is what reminded me to post here Theresa. Oh and the 4th reading related resolution I'm mulling over is to refrain from reading in bed. There's a bunch of sleep research that indicates that if you have trouble getting to sleep one of the things you should do is make your bed only for sleeping...I'm torn though, since reading in bed on my stomach is one of my favorite ways to read.

Reading in bed is just too good to forgo, Sara. Make it the last resort?

I couldn't give up reading in bed. That would be painful. A world where the bed is only for sleeping would just remove a bit too much fun.
I think my main one this year will be to buy less books online so I can have more of the fun of strolling around book shops picking them up. I'll exclude series where I have the previous editions as limited editions , I'll allow myself complete the set .

To read as many books as I can, sounds like a good resolution

That one should go for us all I think Seraphina. Good call ☺

On the 2015 reading shelves. I don't think I could preplan my years reading. Whar about big new releases . Is there a flexibility with it for group reads and new releases

The reason for the pre-plan is to make sure that I read many of those I already own and the list coincidentally came out at 52. Weird :)

Fair enough idea then. I really have to dent my TBR pile this year as well.
I was just curious as to how solid a reading regime it would entail.

It's a fairly mixed bunch of books and I will read outside the list. It also means that if the BOTM doesn't appeal there is something to hand to read instead.

I make a list but it's not necessarily rigid. All are books where reviews have interested me so I can remember them if I put them on a list. Otherwise I have to go looking through the reviews again which is a waste of time

Both approaches should work.
I see Emma is aiming for 60 books next year .
Has anyone else a figure in mind for the Goodreads challenge.
I think I'll aim for 65 .

I did 40 this year and exceeded that so I think I'll try for 50 next year and see how i get on.

I'll go with a 100 again even though I went over that this year. I hope to be working more next year, so that will possibly put a dent in things. My planned list is just a list to really encourage me to read more of the unread books on my shelf. Most of my TBR lives under my bed, but with the particular 60 on the list I've put them out on a shelf where they're easy to see. I also have a couple themed "projects" in mind. For instance I plan to read a bunch of books by or related to Virginia Woolfand do likewise for Zora Neale Hurston They are two of my favorite authors, but I haven't read quite everything by them. I also plan to try at least the first in the Campion mystery series by Margery Allingham. If I like it, then I can read more. If I don't like it, then I know I can safely get rid of the 10 or so in the series that I have sitting on my TBR.

Sounds like a good plan Sara. I don't tend to plan out my reading, I just pick a book as the mood takes me. My TBR isn't too out of control so it's not intimidating me. Besides getting through a few of the Classics an continuing my Wimsey buddy read I'm just going to see what I get through and aim to hit the 50 book mark.

Sara / Theresa, you've both got some excellent reads on your 2015 shelves - plenty to look forward to!

Personally, in 2015 my aim will be to read as many of the books on my physical TBR shelf as possible without buying any more titles over the next couple of months-given I have about 6 more books on the way, the shelf is more or less full now. I wonder if this self imposed moratorium will be any more effective than the Susan imposed one of last month? Audiobooks won't count though!

I'll be aiming to continue reading one Brian Moore or John Steinbeck title a month, and to read some more books that were originally written in a language other than English.

While I'll probably get through a pile of audiobooks when I return to my beloved painting and decorating in the summer, I'll still be aiming to read 100 books in 2015, as 2013 was the first time that I'd actually reached that milestone, and I definitely 'overachieved' in the amount of completed titles this year.