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

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

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

I won a copy of that too, must get round to reading it before long!

[Sam]

It's well worth it Lynne, hope you enjoy it when you do get to it.

[Sam]

80. Animals by Lauren Shain-Raque - finished 28/07/2010, 3*
81. The First Lost Tale of Mercia: Golde the Mother by Jayden Woods - finished 28/07/2010, 3*
82. The Second Lost Tale of Mercia by Jayden Woods - finished 28/07/2010, 3*

[Sam]

83.The Third Lost Tale of Mercia: Aydith the Aetheling by Jayden Woods - finished 29/07/2010, 3*

84.The Fourth Lost Tale of Mercia by Jayden Woods - finished 29/07/2010, 3*

85.The Fifth Lost Tale of Mercia: Alfgifu the Orphan by Jayden Woods - finished 29/07/2010, 3*

86.The Sixth Lost Tale of Mercia: Hastings the Hearth Companion by Jayden Woods - finished 29/07/2010, 3*

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

At the rate you are going Sam do you think you will be joining me to 150?

[Sam]

Lynne wrote: "At the rate you are going Sam do you think you will be joining me to 150?"

I don't know Lynne, most of those were shorter books and graphic novels so it looks better than it really is but who knows I may just manage to join you in the lofty heights of 150! (no promises though lol)

[Sam]

87. The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld - finished 31/07/2010, 3*

88. Lowboy by John Wray - finished 01/08/2010, 5*

[Sam]

89.The Fern Guide: A Field Guide to the Ferns, Clubmosses, Quillworts and Horsetails of the British Isles by James Merryweather - finished 02/08/2010, 5*

90.Great Unsolved Crimes by Rodney Castleden - finished 04/08/2010, 3*

91.Blackie's Science Readers Volume III: The Young Scientists - Lessons on Simple Principles of Classification and on the Materials of the Industrial Arts by Blackie's Science Readers - finished 05/08/2010, 4*

[Sam]

Fiona wrote: Oh you enjoyed The Welsh Girl, I'm glad. I don't see this one around so often but it's one..."

I did thoroughly enjoy it and I only picked it up on a whim. I think it's one of those that'll quietly get read by more and more people rather than being an outright hit, one of those that gets around by recommendation rather than advertisment (I've already lent it to a fair few people myself).

[Sam]

92.a gunless tea by Marco Giovenale - finished 13/08/2010, 1*

[Sam]

93.Darwin's Notebook by Amanda Wood - finished 15/08/2010, 3*

94.Necronomicon: The Best Weird Tales of H.P. Lovecraft by H.P. Lovecraft - finished 15/08/2010, 5*

[Sam]

95. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas L. Friedman - finished 17/08/2010, 1*

96. A McMemoir with Fries by Linda Sacco - finished 17/08/2010, 3*

[Sam]

97. Hildred the Maid by Jayden Woods - finished 18/08/2010, 3*

[Sam]

98. Broken by Kelley Armstrong - finished 18/08/2010, 4*

99. The Lair of the White Worm: Complete, Original Text by Bram Stoker - finished 19/08/2010, 3*

[Amy]

Wow you're doing well Sam! Nearly at the 100 mark Looks like you'll be giving Lynne a run for her money at this rate!!

[Em]

Only one left to go for big 100! Is now the time to commence War and Peace or a similar brick of a novel (assuming you haven't already, of course!)

[Sam]

100. The House of the Vampire by George Sylvester Viereck - finished 20/08/2010, 3*

Thanks Amy, didn't even register that I was hitting the 100 mark!

Unfortunately Em War and Peace was my first read of the year but I do have another brick on my shelves in the form of Isles a History by Norman Davies, which I'm hoping to start soon.

[Em]

Well done on War an Peace - I am too scared to even attempt it! I probably should and it may not be as inapproachable as I think. I liked
Anna Karenina (once I got my head around those Russian names!)

[Sam]

Em wrote: "Well done on War an Peace - I am too scared to even attempt it! I probably should and it may not be as inapproachable as I think. I liked
Anna Karenina (once I got my head around tho..."

Thanks Em, it honestly wasn't as bad as its reputation suggests, once you get past the Russian names it's surprisingly easy to read, it's just a bit on the long side that's all. If you've read Anna I think you can do W+P :-)

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Well Done Sam on your 100th read!

[Sam]

Thanks Lynne :-D

[Liz, Moderator]

Wow! Well done Sam! If you're looking for a brick to read..... How about Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell or A Suitable Boy? Both have been on my TBR list for quite some time and haven't been read as they're soooo long.

[[deleted user]]

I would second Jonathan Strange. Great book.

[Sam]

Thanks for the recommendations Liz and Peter, Jonathan Strange is already on my wishlist, I'll have to look at A Suitable Boy.

101. The Chemistry of Common Life Volume 1 by Professor James F.W. Johnston - finished 21/08/2010, 3*

102. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris - finished 21/08/2010, 4*

103. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole - finished 21/08/2010, 3*

104. Candide by Voltaire - finished 22/08/2010, 3*

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

I read Jonathan Strange too - not bad at all - long one though, don't drop it on your toe!

[Sam]

Thanks for the warning Lynne, I'll make sure I remember that when I read it!

105. 48 by James Herbert - finished 23/08/2010, 4*

106. The Trials of Life by David Attenborough - finished 25/08/2010, 5*

[Sam]

107. The Eighth Lost Tale of Mercia: Canute the Viking by Jayden Woods - finished 26/08/2010, 3*

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Ooh How did you like 48? I was engrosed from the start and read it in one session. Typical of me though I loved it!

[Sam]

Lynne wrote: "Ooh How did you like 48? I was engrosed from the start and read it in one session. Typical of me though I lovede it!"

I was almost the same (sadly work got in the way), I could've easily finished that in one go. It was engrossing right from the start, which I didn't expect, and I found it all surprisingly believable too (although didn't like it when they killed the dog, I cheered when he got revenge for that!)

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Scary thought though!

[Sam]

Lynne wrote: "Scary thought though!"

Oh yea, one of those that could be set at any time, any place and seem just as realistic (apart from Hitler being to blame...but then again you never know)

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Yes you never know! Maybe he is hanging out with Sammy Bin Liner (to quote Timothy Pilgrim's book)

[Sam]

I wouldn't put it past either of them, I must say!

[Sam]

108. Jailbreak by Shannon, Harry - finished 27/08/2010, 4*

[Sam]

109. A Place Of Execution by Val McDermid - finished 29/08/2010, 3*

110. On Murder by Thomas de Quincey - finished 30/08/2010, 4*

111. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - finished 30/08/2010, 1*

[Sam]

112. Graves by Justin Cawthorne - finished 01/09/2010, 4*

113. Zombie Nights by Tom Lichtenberg - finished 01/09/2010, 3*

[Sam]

114. Dame Demise by Stuart Neild - finished 02/09/2010, 5*

[Sam]

115. The Prophecy by Chris Kuzneski - 02/09/2010, 4*

[Sam]

116. Classic Fairytales, Folklore, Myths and Legends by John Halsted - finished 03/09/2010, 4*

[Sam]

117. Eirik The Red and Other Icelandic Sagas by Gwyn Jones - finished 07/09/2010, 4*

118. The Ninth Lost Tale of Mercia: Runa the Wife by Jayden Woods - finished 08/09/2010, 3*

119. The Legend of Darkness and Light by Kristine Williams - finished 08/09/2010, 4*

[Sam]

120. The Witch's Ladder by Dana Donovan - finished 09/09/2010, 3*

[Sam]

121. Nippon 2357: A Utopian Ecological Tale by Alex Shishin - finished 21/09/2010, 4*

122. The Tenth Lost Tale: Edmund the Aetheling by Jayden Woods - finished 21/09/2010, 3*

[Sam]

123. The Isles: A History by Norman Davies - finished 21/09/2010, 4*

[Sam]

124. Beasts of New York: A Children's Book for Grown-Ups by Jon Evans - finished 22/09/2010, 5*

[Sam]

125. The Trial by Franz Kafka - finished 23/09/2010, 3*

[Sam]

126. Leviathan: Or, The Whale by Philip Hoare - finished 26/09/2010, 4*

[Sam]

127. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - finished 01/10/2010, 4*

128. The 39 Steps by John Buchan - finished 02/10/2010, 5*

[Sam]

129. Loyalists by Peter Taylor - finished 04/10/2010, 4*

[Sam]

130. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - finished 06/10/2010, 4*

131. Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History by Paul Begg - finished 08/10/2010, 4*

132. The Book by M. Clifford - finished 11/10/2010, 5*

[Sam]

133. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - finished 13/10/2010, 4*