Challenge: 50 Books discussion

I'm starting late but I'm feeling really motivated to read at least 50 books in 12 months.
I use to read an awful lot but more recently I've stopped making time for it. I've begun at the start of April 2009 with some easy-read trash to get back in the habit:

1. Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
2. You Know You Love Me by Cecily von Ziegesar
3. Gossip Girl #3 All I Want is Everything A Gossip Girl Novel by Cecily von Ziegesar
4. Because I'm Worth It by Cecily von Ziegesar

None worth more than 2 stars but they were a guilty pleasure in high-school and sometimes you need that sort of thing?

5. A Thousand Acres A Novel by Jane Smiley

4 stars, a wonderful novel and one I've been meaning to read for a while. It reminded me how much I use to enjoy reading.

6. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

3 stars, I expected more from this. A friend spoke very highly of it and with all the research that has clearly gone into the writing I expected something more literary. Pleasant, easy fluff on subject matter that interests me.

I love the Gossip Girl books, they are so fun to read if you just want something silly. The It Girl series are good too.

Welcome and I cannot wait to see what else you read!

7. The Road by Cormac McCarthy

5 stars, a re-read - just as brilliant as I remember. I'd been craving a re-read of this book and I went out and bought it this afternoon and read the whole thing this evening.

8. The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea Poems by Mark Haddon

4 stars, a really lovely little book. I loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and it's one I've re-read several times. Haddon's poetry definitely didn't disappoint me.

Good luck to your goal!

I haven't had as much time to read as well. This summer I hopefully will have more time.

9. Accordion Crimes by Annie Proulx

4 stars, one of my absolute favourite authors. I never don't enjoy reading her.

MAY

10. Everything You Need by A. L. Kennedy

5 stars, AMAZING. I loved this book, I was apprehensive picking it up because I usually assume that a book of this length could do with some editing but Kennedy's writing is just perfect. I got that amazing good book afterglow when I finally put it down.

11. Stuart A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters

3 stars, I expected a bit more from this book after reading some great reviews. I really enjoyed it, a good biography and it's worth reading but I wasn't blown away.

12. Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

5 stars, this book had a bookmark in it close to the end but I decided to start from the beginning as it had been well over a year since I started it. Loved it, so well written.

13. The Anatomy of Wings by Karen Foxlee

4.5 stars, I loved it. I grew up in a regional Queensland town somewhat like the one in the story and could see everything described by the author so clearly. The familiar words and some beautiful descriptions (in one of the final chapters the author describes a gathering storm in a particularly accurate and beautiful way) made this a wonderfully engaging read for me.