Sam's Big 50 (x 2...better make that x3)

[Sam]

22.Parachutes and Petticoats by Leigh Verill-Rhys - finished 31/03/2010, 5*

[Sam]

23.and Falling, Fly by Skyler White - finished 06/04/2010, 4*

[Sam]

24.The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: Or The Murder at Road Hill House by Kate Summerscale - finished 10/04/2010, 2*

[Sam]

25.Quantum Breach by Mark Powell - finished 12/04/2010, 4*

[[deleted user]]

Sam wrote: "25.Quantum Breach by Mark Powell - finished 12/04/2010, 4*"

How did you find Quantum Breach? I've won it with first reads.

[Sam]

Power wrote: How did you find Quantum Breach? I've won it with first reads."

I really enjoyed it actually, it was a pretty good read. The story was easy to follow but very enjoyable and action packed and keeps you turning the pages. I actually got annoyed during my lunch break yesterday as I only had about 40 pages to go but had to get back to work, so finished it off the moment I got home. If you like your thrillers I reckon you'll enjoy it.

[Liz, Moderator]

Hey Sam, have you noticed you're halfway through? At this rate, you'll be done by July/August....:)

[Sam]

Liz wrote: "Hey Sam, have you noticed you're halfway through? At this rate, you'll be done by July/August....:)"

Oooooo and I am, that hadn't clicked with me at all. Thanks Liz I feel all proud now :-D

[Sam]

Have you started it yet Jo? It is a good read :-)

[Sam]

26.Tell No One by Harlan Coben - finished 14/04/2010, 3*

[Liz, Moderator]

Oooh, they made this into a movie a couple of years back - it's French & well worth watching.

[Sam]

Really, I didn't know that. Think I'll have to keep an eye out for it. I take it it's actually in French too.

[Liz, Moderator]

Yes, French with subtitles, but after 10mins, you're gripped by the plot & don't notice them!

I have a feeling there's a Hollywood version in development too... (Why mess with something that's already good?)

[Sam]

Definitely have to look out for that then. I always worry when Hollywood tries converting books to films, it rarely works out well.

[Liz, Moderator]

Films & books - they certainly are very different animals - and I agree it's rare that a film adaptation does justice to a novel. (Although I think Peter Jackson did a fine job on 'Lord of the Rings', still did 'The Return of the King' really need four endings???).

One problem is to cram into two & a half hours, on screen, an experience that takes about a week to absorb from the page... (Not that I read LOTR in a week!!!!)

[Sam]

27.Egypt Revealed: Artist Travellers in an Antique Land by T.G.H. James - finished 16/04/2010, 3*

28.Dracula: the Un-dead by Dacre Stoker - finished 18/04/2010, 2*

29.DEAD ish by Naomi Kramer - finished 18/04/2010, 4*

[Sam]

Jo wrote: "Wow only 2 stars for Dracula the Undead! What didn't you like? I've got this one to read at some point."

The book is okay as a stand alone book despite the numerous cliches but as a sequel it is not brilliant, it changed the timing of the original novel so it could squeeze in a few mentions of the Jack the Ripper killings and it altered the ending of the original to suit the needs of this story and the attempts at character development left a bit to be desired. The rest of my review is at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... if you want to have a read.

[Sam]

30.Heat: How to Stop the Planet Burning by George Monbiot - finished 19/04/2010, 4*

[Sam]

Jo wrote: "I read your review. It's a shame that it didn't live upto Dracula!"

It was, and with a bit more effort/ability it could have been so much better too. I think the biggest problem was that neither of them are writers so they could never match up to Bram's ability, think they should have gotten some expect help in then it may have worked a bit better. You should still give it a read though, you may think differently from me.

[Sam]

Jo wrote: "Yeah i guess they just wanted to do it alone. Oh well! I will read it at some point and let you know what i think."

I'll look forward to see what you think of it. I've looked at the other reviews for it on GR and it seems to have divided opinion somewhat.

[Sam]

31. The Old Curiosity Shop, Authentic Edition by Charles Dickens - finished 29/04/2010, 3*

[Sam]

32.Pandora's Daughters by Jane Robinson - finished 06/05/2010, 4*

33.Nobody True by James Herbert - finished 06/05/2010, 3*

[Sam]

34.The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan - finished 10/05/2010, 5*

35.The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of The Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester - finished 12/05/2010, 4*

[Sam]

36.Fifty Dead Men Walking by Martin McGartland - finished 16/05/2010, 4*

[Sam]

37.Mr Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange - finished 17/05/2010, 3*

38.The Disaster by John Summers - finished 19/05/2010, 5*

39.The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Yann Martel - finished 19/05/2010, 3*

40.Jaws by Peter Benchley - finished 20/05/2010, 5*

[Sam]

41.Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris - finished 24/05/2010, 5*

42.Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris - finished 26/05/2010, 4*

[Sam]

43.Blink by Malcolm Gladwell - finished 27/05/2010, 2*

[Liz, Moderator]

Sam wrote: "43.Blink by Malcolm Gladwell - finished 27/05/2010, 2*"

Outliers is much better, if you can bothered!

[Sam]

Thanks for the recommendation Liz, I might hunt it down next time I'm in the library.

44.Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris - finished 28/05/2010, 5*

45.Black Bart Roberts: The Greatest Pirate of Them All by D.T. Breverton - finished 30/05/2010, 4*

46.Coraline and Other Stories: The Bloomsbury Phantastics by Neil Gaiman - finished 31/05/2010, 5*

47.The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura - finished 31/05/2010, 4*

[Sam]

48.Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - finished 02/06/2010, 5*

49.The Beach by Alex Garland - finished 07/06/2010, 4*

[Sam]

50.The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - finished 11/06/2010, 4*

And I've done it WOOHOO!!!!

[Sam]

Thanks Jo :-) might have to continue on and see if I can hit 100!

[Sam]

And so it goes...

51.Crusader Gold by David Gibbins - finished 14/06/2010, 4*

52.Dylan: Nine Lives of Dylan Thomas by Jonathan Fryer - finished 14/06/2010, 4*

53.My Kingdom of Books by Richard Booth - finished 16/06/2010, 5*

54.A Pocket Guide to Snowden: A Guide to the Routes of Ascent by Russell R. Roberts - finished 16/06/2010, 5*

55.Real Heritage Pubs of Wales: Tafarnau Treftadaeth by Michael Slaughter - finished 17/06/2010, 5*

56.The Call of the Wild/White Fang/To Build a Fire by Jack London - finished 19/06/2010, 5*

[Amy]

Well done Sam Looking good for the 100!

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Well done Sam, Joining me now, its a lonely trek to 150 on your own! lol!

[Sam]

Thanks both I hope I do break the 100 mark, noticed that I only managed 90 last year (love the new stats thing on here).

You better watch out Lynne, I'm on your tail! lol!

[Sam]

57.Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Climate Change - Is Time Running Out? by Elizabeth Kolbert - finished 22/06/2010, 4*

58.Dissolution by C.J. Sansom - finished 23/06/2010, 5*

59.I Am Legend by Richard Matheson - finished 23/06/2010, 4*

60.Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom - finished 26/06/2010, 5*

61.Darwin: A Life in Science by JOHN GRIBBIN MICHAEL WHITE - finished 27/06/2010, 4*

[Sam]

62.God and the Gun by Martin Dillon - finished 01/07/2010, 3*

[Sam]

63.Sovereign by C.J. Sansom - finished 02/07/2010, 5*

[Sam]

64.Diary of a Wimpy Vampire: The Undead Have Feelings Too by Tim Collins - finished 08/07/2010, 4*

[Sam]

65.Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - finished 10/07/2010, 4*

[Sam]

66. The Vampire Bible by The Temple of the Vampire - finished 12/07/2010, 1*

[Sam]

67. The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski - finished 15/07/2010, 5*

68. The Ingoldsby legends by Rev. Richard H. Barham - finished 15/07/2010, 3*

[Sam]

69.Green Tea and Other Ghost Stories by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu - finished 18/07/2010, 4*

[Sam]

70. Bublos by Billy Young - finished 21/07/2010, 4*

[Liz, Moderator]

Sam wrote: "69.Green Tea and Other Ghost Stories by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu - finished 18/07/2010, 4*"

Like the sound of that!

[Sam]

It was a very good book Liz, would certainly recommend it if you like good ol' fashioned ghost stories :-)

[Sam]

71. Second Sight: Second Tale of the Lifesong by Greg Hamerton - finished 23/07/2010, 5* (would give it more if I could)

72. Serial by Max Allan Collins - finished 24/07/2010, 3*

73. Where's My Cow?: A Discworld Novel by Terry Pratchett - finished 24/07/2010, 3*

74. The Messengers by Jason Hall - finished 24/07/2010, 2*

75. Beowulf by Gareth Hinds - finished 24/07/2010, 4*

76. Requiem Vampire Knight: Resurrection v.1 by Pat Mills - finished 24/07/2010, 2*

77. Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: The First Death by Laurell K. Hamilton - finished 24/07/2010, 1*

78. NEVERMORE: A Graphic Novel Anthology of Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe and others - finished 24/07/2010, 3*

[Sam]

79.Going with Gabriel by Bryan Islip - finished 25/07/2010, 4*

[Sam]

I did enjoy it, it was certainly something a bit different.