100+ Books in 2025 discussion

I already have a shelf full of books that should get me near to 50 books for the year (both old and new literature). I'm sure I can find a few more to get close to 100. :)

[ 1 ] Scar Night - Alan Campbell

[ 2 ] Iron Angel - Alan Campbell

[ 3 ] Sovereign - C J Sansom

[ 4 ] Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer

[ 5 ] The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane

[ 6 ] Always Looking Up - Michael J Fox

[ 7 ] Complete Father Brown Stories - G K Chesterton *

[ 8 ] Double Comfort Safari Club - Alexander McCall Smith

[ 9 ] The Beasts of Tarzan - Edgar Rice Burroughs

[ 10 ] Tarzan the Invincible - Edgar Rice Burroughs

[ 11 ] Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management - Isabella Beeton

[ 12 ] Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett

[ 13 ] Integrity - Henry Cloud (audiobook)

[ 14 ] Palgrave’s Golden Treasury - Francis Turner Palgrave *

[ 15 ] The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

[ 16 ] The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson

[ 17 ] The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest - Stieg Larsson

[ 18 ] The Winter Ghosts - Kate Mosse

[ 19 ] The Road - Cormac McCarthy

[ 20 ] The Ramayana - Valmiki

[ 21 ] Einstein’s Theory of Relativity - H.A. Lorentz

[ 22 ] Aristotle on the Art of Poetry - Aristotle (obviously)

[ 23 ] The New World - Patrick Ness (Short Story)

[ 24 ] On the Origin of Species - Charles Darwin

[ 25 ] The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

[ 26 ] Roderick Hudson - Henry James

[ 27 ] The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci

[ 28 ] The Koran - J M Rodwell (Translator)

[ 29 ] Under The Dome - Steven King

[ 30 ] The Dreaming Void - Peter F Hamilton

[ 31 ] Room - Emma Donoghue

[ 32 ] Emblems of Love - Lascalles Abercrombie

[ 33 ] Heidi - Johanna Spyri

[ 34 ] Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

[ 35 ] Lectures on Modern History - John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton

[ 36 ] The Nabob’s Garden - Frederica Bennett

[ 37 ] A Girl At The Helm - Harold Avery

[ 38 ] The Whisperers - John Connolly

[ 39 ] The Owl Killers - Karen Maitland

[ 40 ] The Desert Spear - Peter V. Brett

[ 41 ] The Soul Collectors - Chris Mooney

[ 42 ] Anatomy of Ghosts - Andrew Taylor

[ 43 ]

[ 44 ]

[ 45 ]

[ 46 ]

[ 47 ]

[ 48 ]

[ 49 ]

[ 50 ]


Woops! I mistakenly added The Girl Who Played with Fire to my list twice. All corrected now.

Wolf Hall - removed this as I stopped reading it. It is back on the TBR pile while I decide if I want to try again.

Rating System
***** Fantastic
**** Really Good
*** Good enough
** Good, but not great
* Awful

1. Scar Night (Deepgate Codex Trilogy Bk 1) - Alan Campbell
Tor (2007)
500 pages
Rating: ****

I enjoyed the ideas behind this book. I was curious about each of the main characters enough to keep reading. The story could have done with a bit more depth, but I'm sure the age of the target audience would have influenced that. Still I would probably read it again.

2. Iron Angel (Deepgate Codex Trilogy Bk 2) - Alan Campbell
Tor (2008)
416 pages
Rating: ***

The sequel to Scar Night. Not as gripping as book No 1, but still enjoyable. Actually, thinking about it, I enjoyed the first half more than the last half. The author switches to new main characters in the last half, I would rather have stayed with the originals and fully followed their journey.

3. Sovereign (Book 3 of the Matthew Shardlake series) - C J Sansom
Pan (2007)
400 Pages
Rating ***

4. Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer
Rating ***

Finally finishing this series. It was an ok enjoyable read. Glad I read it, not so sure I would re-read it all though.

5. The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane
Wordsworth Editions
Rating: ***

Interesting classic literature following a young soldier experiencing his first battle in the American Civil War. He wonders if he will have the courage to fight or not, then finds out for real. Very good concept. An interesting "what would you do?" scenario.

6. Always Looking Up - Michael J Fox
Rating ****

Following from MJF's first biography "Lucky Man". What can I say except a frank, honest, sweet and gripping read as we hear about MJF's life after Spin City, setting up his research foundation for Parkinson's Disease.

7. The Complete Father Brown Stories - G K Chesterton
Wordsworth Editions
Rating ***

A collection of great classic detective stories following the adventures of Father Brown as he solves a number of puzzling scenarios. I'll be reading this book for a while, as there are many short stories in the collection. None are very deep, or very long for that matter, but they are enjoyable.

Opalgem wrote: "

6. Always Looking Up - Michael J Fox
Rating ****

Following from MJF's first biography "Lucky Man". What can I say ..."

I read this a year or so ago and really enjoyed it as well. Some memoirs can be campy or over done, but this one definitely was not.

Melissa wrote: "Opalgem wrote: "

6. Always Looking Up - Michael J Fox
Rating ****

Following from MJF's first biography "Lucky Man". ..."

Thanks for the comment Melissa. Yes, I know what you mean. I found this and Lucky Man to be very honest.

8. Double Comfort Safari Club - Alexander McCall Smith
Rating: ***

The latest in the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency Series starring Precious Ramotswe. Enjoyable light reading with a great set of characters.

9. The Beasts of Tarzan - Edgar Rice Burroughs
Rating: ** maybe ***

The third book in the Tarzan series of stories. Stumbling across some very old paperbacks on my bookshelf I realised I can't really remember reading this, so sat with it for a while. I'm enjoying the writing style very much, I kind of miss that old flow of language. I think the story itself is a little dated for these here modern times we are in. Hey ho!

10. Tarzan the Invincible - Edgar Rice Burroughs
Rating: ** maybe ***

Same comments as above. :S

11. Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management - Isabella Beeton
Kindle version
Rating: ***

12. Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Pan Books - 1100 pages :) (I love long books)
Rating: ***** (finally completed 17th July 2011)

Brilliant, not perfect, but still really enjoyed it.

13. Integrity: The Courge to Meet the Demands of Reality - Henry Cloud
Audiobook version
Rating: ****

I am not a great reader of self-help/popular psychology, but do read titles here and there that catch my attention. This book is an attempt to explain what integrity is, and is not. I'm still making my mind up whether I agree with the simplistic idea of integrity. I couldn't help thinking "in an ideal world, perhaps this is how people would work". We don't live in an ideal world though. We live in a world of human beings, with all of their flaws and fears. A nice idea, and a good place to start to get your own mind working and thinking on the subject for yourself.

14. Palgrave's Golden Treasury (New Ed.)- Francis Turner Palgrave (Poetry anthology)
Oxford Paperbacks
Rating: ****

A good anthology of classic English poetry. I have had this on my shelf for sime time, only dipping in to it here and there. Now for a proper read through :)

15. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
Quercus
Rating: ****

Technically I started reading this book back in 2010, put it back down again then only read it properly this past week (22 April 2011). I am not a great fan of crime thrillers, and although this was a bit grisly for my taste I loved the character of Lisbeth Salander. Great seeing a strong, tough, lead female character... shame that of course meant she had something "wrong" with her (supposedly Aspergers Syndrome so far). Because we can't have a strong female character otherwise right?! Anyway, decent story, jumped around a bit, but gripping enough.

On to book 2 in the series:



16. The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson
Quercus
Rating: ****
Review: See further comment below this one. I forgot and added this book in a second time. Oops.

On to book 3 in the series



17. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest - Stieg Larsson
Quercus
Rating: ****

Finally finished this series. It took me a while to get through the 3 books, but glad I did.

18. The Winter Ghosts - Kate Mosse
Orion
Rating: ***

I read this completely on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Lovely scenery as Kate Mosse walks you through areas of the French Pyrenees.

19. The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Picador
Rating: ****

Very good. Dark, deep, but very good.

20. The Ramayana - Valmiki
ebook
Rating: ***

I have always wanted to read this classic piece of literature. I can't say I truly understood it though. I will need to read it again, study it and it's history a bit more to fully grasp it's content.

21. Einstein's Theory of Relativity - H.A. Lorentz
ebook
Rating: ***

Another one that will take a second reading to fully grasp the contents.

22. Aristotle on the Art of Poetry
ebook
Rating: ****

23. The New World - Patrick Ness
ebook (Free short story)
Rating: **

A prequel to the latest series of books by Patrick Ness (which I haven't yet read). Not for me.

24. On the Origin of Species - Charles Darwin
ebook
Rating: ****

I'll be honest, I sped-read through this book. I will go back for a proper read sometime. Eventually.

25. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
ebook
Rating: ****

Interesting how, even though this is my first attempt to actually read Sherlock Holmes, that I know a lot of the stories already. I did used to watch the Jeremy Brett TV adaptation though, plus the old Basil Rathbone movies. That will be why I know them already. :)

Oops. I accidentally added this book twice. Not No.26 at all, this is No. 16. Hopefully the list is corrected now.

16. The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson
Maclehose Press/Quercus
Rating: ****

Book 2 of the Millennium Trilogy. I enjoyed this one. Very good. Easier to get into than book No 1.

I just read this myself so that I could present it at a book discussion class I was asked to lead.

I agree with all your comments...it was much easier to get into than the first book, and it was very good, too.

Having glanced through your rating list and the books you have read this year. Very impressive; you are willing to tackle books I probably wouldn't unless I had them as textbooks for a class.

Thanks Nancy. I'm glad you approve of my list :)

I enjoy reading new things. I have been reading since I was very young and never really felt that fear of books or reading that others seem to.

26. Roderick Hudson - Henry James
ebook
Rating: ***

27. The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci
ebook
Rating: ***

Again, for sake of honesty, I skim-read this book. It would be very useful to students of art, and art history as it discusses many technical aspects of perspective.

28. The Koran (English Translation)
ebook
Not giving a rating for this. Not right to do so.




29. Under the Dome - Steven King
Rating: ***

30. The Dreaming Void - Peter F Hamilton
Rating: **

31. Room - Emma Donoghue
Rating: ***

32. Emblems of Love - Lascalles Abercrombie
Rating: ***

33. Heidi - Johanna Spyri
Rating: ****

Technically a re-read but I won't tell if you don't.

34. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
Rating: ****

35. Lectures on Modern History - Lord Acton
ebook
Rating: ***

Being honest, I skim-read this. May go back to it.

36: The Nabob's Garden - Frederica Bennett
An old English children's book from my bookshelf (from 1930s-1950s I think)
Rating: *** Good story, if a little dated. Full of "I say" and "spiffing". :p


37: A Girl At the Helm - Harold Avery
Another old English children's book from my bookshelf. Another good but dated story.


38: The Whisperers - John Connolly
Part of the Charlie Parker detective series. Very good.

39. The Owl Killers - Karen Maitland
Rating: ****


40. The Desert Spear - Peter V. Brett
Rating: ****

41, The Soul Collectors - Chris Mooney
Rating ***


42. Anatomy of Ghosts - Andrew Taylor
Rating: **

I didn't get to 50 this year but managed a healthy 44.

Life got busy which is why I stopped updating this forum thingy.

A full list of books read can be found here