What I have read in 2013 a.k.a 52 books in 52 weeks

[Matbow]

In 2012 my goal was to read 52 books; one book a week. I think I missed this by 2 or 3 but I cannot be 100% certain as I didn't keep track of everything I read. In order to do better this year I have decided to track my reading in this thread. To try and make this a less boring thread for anyone who stumbles across it I will write a very small review of each book.

1. The Pillars of Creation. Terry Goodkind. Didn't like it. The POV was from new characters in the series.
2. American Assassin. Vince Flynn. Just OK. A little short and not what I had hoped for.
3. Kill Shot. Vince Flynn. Also just OK.
4. Transfer of Power. Vince Flynn. Better!
5. The Third Option. Vince Flynn. Liked the ending/setup for the next book.
6. Naked Empire. Terry Goodkind. Not sure why I keep on reading this series...
7. Separation of Power. Vince Flynn. Favourite Mitch Rapp so far....
8. Executive Power. Vince Flynn. This series keeps on getting better.
9. Memorial Day. Vince Flynn.
10. Consent to Kill. Vince Flynn. I didn't like the 'twist'.
11. Chainfire. Terry Goodkind. My favourite "Sword" series book in a while.
12. Phantom. Terry Goodkind. I am liking this mini trilogy.
13. Confessor. Terry Goodkind. I am glad I have finished this series!
14. Act of Treason. Vince Flynn.
15. Protect and Defend. Vince Flynn.
16. Shadow of the Wind. Carlos Ruiz Zafón.
17. Extreme Measures. Vince Flynn.
18. Best Kept Secret (Clifton Chronicles #3). Jeffrey Archer.
19. The Night Ranger. Alex Beronson.
20. The Hundred year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared. Jonas Jonasson.
21. Pursuit of Honor. Vince Flynn.
22. The Last Man. Vince Flynn.
23. Free Fall . Brad Thor.
24. Cyber Storm. Matthew Mather.
25. Empress Gold. Jeffrey Whittam.
26. Hidden Order. Brad Thor.
27. The English Girl. Daniel Silva.
28. And the Mountains Echoed. Khaled Hosseini .
29. Snow Crash. Neal Stephenson.
30. Power Down. Ben Coes.
31. Coup D'Etat. Ben Coes.
32. The Last Refuge. Ben Coes.
33. Eye for an Eye. Ben Coes.
34. The Plantation. Chris Kuzneski.
35. Rising Pheonix. Kyle Mills.
36. Storming Heaven. Kyle Mills.
37. Vicious Circle. Wilbur Smith.
38. National Security. Marc Cameron.
39. Act of Terror. Marc Cameron.
40. State of Emergency. Marc Cameron.
41. Secret Sanction. Brian Haig.
42. Free Fall. Kyle Mills.
43. Mortal Allies. Brian Haig.
44. The Kingmaker. Brian Haig.
45. Black Site. Dalton Fury.
46. Tier One Wild. Dalton Fury.
47. One Rough Man. Brad Taylor.
48. Private Sector. Brian Haig.
49. The Eleventh Commandment Jeffrey Archer.
50.
51.
52.

[dtietens]

Can't remember all of them anymore. But some of them jump into my mind
Douglas Rogers
The Last Resort: A Zimbabwe Memoir (recommendable read)
Deon Meyer
Seven Days (recommendable read)
Simon Mann
Cry Havoc (not a literary masterpiece but interesting)
Peter Godwin
Mukiwa: A White Boy in Africa (recommendable read)
When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa (recommendable read)
The fear: The Last Days of Robert Mugabe (recommendable read)
Conn Iggulden (entertaining but not a must to read but once started difficult to put the book down)
The Gates of Rome
The Death of Kings
The Field of Swords
The Gods of War
Was just reading that a fifth Emperor installment is coming out this year called: "The Blood of Gods"

[Nefer]

What a good idea!

I won't read as much as you all this year (work getting in the way of reading grr) but I'll share here when I do pick up a new book!

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter; starts in Italy at the time "Cleopatra" (yup that one with Liz Taylor) was being filmed. Follows a set of diverse characters remotely connected to the story. It's a sad sweet book

[johnrogers]

Off to a slow start for the year but have managed to read a few books.Very busy with one of my daughters getting married in a few weeks.

The Regiment - by Farley Mowat
great book about the Canadian regiment the "hasty Ps" and there involvement in World War 2 during the Italian campaign in Sicily.This book was a very personal read for me as several chapters were devoted to my uncle Frank Hammond who fought with heroism and along side the author Farley Mowat.

Tripwire - by Lee Child
the third installment in the Jack Reacher series.It took three books to get me hooked on Jack Reacher,really enjoyed this book and I have identified with the character.

Spiral Staircase - Kenneth Horne
This book is unpublished by authors request who is by best friends father.An autobiography of being a Japanese prisoner of war on the island of Java in 1942,a day to day account of the hardships endured to survive.He was 78 pounds when the Americans liberated the camp

Canadian Caper - Kenneth Horne
the story of a British soldier starting a new life in Canada after 3 years of being a prisoner of war.The hardships starting out and raising a family in 1950 in Ontario Canada.After 4 years he moved back to Liverpool with his family,and after a few years moved to the USA where he is today.

[Nefer]

Anyone read "Vicious Circle" yet? Or is it only out in Italy?

[Matbow]

Only Italy I think; not out in the UK/North America until October was what I heard. Crazy.

[Nefer]

Wow that is one hell of a delay! Not gonna cry about it though as I have a feeling I won't like it.

[E-Hoog]

Huh? Why the delay? That is very strange.

I just came back from a 4 week trip to Vietnam, expecting to see the forum bristling with new posts, but it's pretty quiet around here it seems.

@Matt: did you also read the other Terry Goodkind books? The Pillars of Creation is where I left it off (not read it yet). How did it compare to the other books?

Pretty steep goal by the way . Good luck!

@dtietens: I understand what you mean about the Iggulden books. Hard to put down, but not of especially high literary value. Very entertaining though! Reminds me a bit of Dan Brown (also hard to put down, yet not that special).

@john: congratulations! I'm curious: how exactly are you busy? I'm getting married in July, but my parents only job is more or less to show up . Unless they have some elaborate gags and sketched planned...

As far as my reading goes: I've finished the Song of Ice and Fire books and found out that the next installment won't be along for at least one or two years (and that's being optimistic). I'm not sure if I'll survive that! Oh and I read Eye of the Tiger for the millionth time

[annagram]

e hoog if you are the groom your parents can enjoy the wedding - john is father of the bride - watch the old movie "Father of the Bride" sometime with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor.)

My daughter's wedding is a blur but I really enjoyed my son's - all we did was have the rehearsal dinner"

Thinnking of you John Rogers

[Matbow]

@Matt: did you also read the other Terry Goodkind books? The Pillars of Creation is where I left it off (not read it yet). How did it compare to the other books?

Pretty steep goal by the way . Good luck!

Yup; I've read the series from the beginning - currently on book 8. I don't love them, but there's something that keeps me reading them.

It's actually these books that screwed me reaching the 52 books last year - I can usually read 1 regular sized books a week but because these are so huge they take me two.

[dtietens]

When sorting my books out I encountered another book I read last year which was quite a read. Funny as hell. Do not understand why I forgot it in my first listing.

Jonas Jonasson:
The hundered-year-old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared.

QUOTE
"Sitting quietly in his room in an old people's home, Allan Karlsson is waiting for a party he doesn't want to begin. His one-hundredth birthday party to be precise. The Mayor will be there. The press will be there. But, as it turns out, Allan will not...
Escaping (in his slippers) through his bedroom window, into the flowerbed, Allan makes his getaway. And so begins his picaresque and unlikely journey involving riminals, several murders, a suitcase full of cash, and incompetent police. s his escapades unfold, Allan's earlier life is revealed. A life in which - remarkably - he played a key role behind the scenes n some of the momentous events of the twentieth century."
UNQUOTE

A must read. Very funny (ok, my type of understanding of funny-ness. Maybe not for all).

[E-Hoog]

That sounds indeed like a nice read!

@Matt: I know what you mean with the Sword of Truth series. Sometimes they can be annoying as hell, but that is also part of the atraction. They are annoying because you're so into the story and you are thinking "Aarh, if only Richard knew that Kahlan..." etc.

@ annagram: ah, that explains it

[Matbow]

@Matt: I know what you mean with the Sword of Truth series. Sometimes they can be annoying as hell, but that is also part of the atraction. They are annoying because you're so into the story and you are thinking "Aarh, if only Richard knew that Kahlan..." etc.

I think my problem is that I enjoy the plot/story but not so much the way he tells it. I just finished "Naked Empire" and I ended up skimming over vast sections of waffle to get to the action.

[E-Hoog]

Slightly off-topic here, my apologies.

@John: how was the wedding?

[johnrogers]

Slightly off-topic here, my apologies.

@John: how was the wedding?

It was a complete success E-Hoog,my daughters dream of a beautiful wedding day came true.At this very moment my daughter Jenna and son in law Jordan are in Mexico on there honeymoon at a resort in Playa de Carma just outside of Cancun.Got tons of photos on my wifes facebook page and tons of posted photos on my daughters face book page.Honest Ehoog it was a terrific event I am completely satisfied and content at the outcome.

How about youself you are getting married in June or July I think.

[E-Hoog]

Slightly off-topic here, my apologies.

@John: how was the wedding?

It was a complete success E-Hoog,my daughters dream of a beautiful wedding day came true.At this very moment my daughter Jenna and son in law Jordan are in Mexico on there honeymoon at a resort in Playa de Carma just outside of Cancun.Got tons of photos on my wifes facebook page and tons of posted photos on my daughters face book page.Honest Ehoog it was a terrific event I am completely satisfied and content at the outcome.

How about youself you are getting married in June or July I think.

Sounds like you had a good time . I'm happy for you.

Our own wedding plans are progressing nicely. The invites were delivered this week from the printers and I'm currently building a website with more information for guests. Our wedding rings should be ready any moment now. July 5th is the date .

[Nefer]

July 5th is the date .

OOOOH exciting!

[johnrogers]

Hey Matbow - how are you coming along with the number of books you have read so far this year.My calculation is you should be at about 30 or so books so far.I have read quite a few books myself this year,as well Matbow I am wondering how you like your new kindle as compared to your keyboard model which is the one that I have and still use.

[Matbow]

I have been updating the first post in this thread rather than posting a new reply every time I finish a book - I am currently on book 17 and by my workings we are on week 19 of the year so I am 2 books behind.

Loving the new Kindle - so much better for reading at night and those dim days.

[Nefer]

I've read "The Bookseller" by Mark Pryor - it's a detective novel which I don't usually read, but this one is very well written!

John if you're looking for something new I highly recommend it - there's a second one called "the Crypt Keeper" which I think is better than the first.