John's 2018 BFB Challenge

This year I will only be reading books of 500 or more pages so there will be a lot that will qualify for this group as I have a lot of 600 page plus books on my shelves and those will be got to in due course and I have identified at least six that are of more than 1,000 pages. I know it sounds like a crazy challenge but we all need a bit of craziness in our lives now and again.

Please come and join me and have a bit of fun on here.

>1 johnsimpson: Doesn't sound crazy to me, John, sounds committed! I have all 3 sections of The Gulag Archipelago on my reading list for 2018. Parts I and II exceed 600 pages but part III falls about 30-40 pages short. I will have to check out how much preface, introduction, and end notes there are, perhaps enough to page 600 pages! I'm also thinking that the last Outlander book will be out in 2018 and they are always chunksters. So those 4 for sure and whatever else strikes my fancy! May you have a Happy New Year!

I'm in! 2018 is the year of reading what I own. They aren't all chunksters but I am sure that of the 2000+ books on the shelf, I will find a few that fit the bill.

I'm in too! I have to figure out a number of chunksters and make a ticker and my own thread real soon.

I'm in for 15. I did 13 in 2016 and I've got 21 for 2017, and I think I'll keep my goal on the high side but still modest.

I go for 7!

Hi, I'm not ready to commit to a definite number yet but am keen to carry on with the chunksters. Look forward to seeing which BFBs everyone is reading in 2018!

I'm picking some 2018 books this weekend from my groaning TBR shelves. I'll make sure to include a couple of doorstops.

And this reminds me to see if I have others to add to my 2017 total.

Thanks for organizing!

Thanks John for setting up the challenge this year, good luck for 2018 !

Hi John.

Since one of the challenges to myself is to re-read the Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and have several sci fi series I want to get to, finding 600pp books is not a problem! The problem is only finding the time to read them all!

My 2018 BFB Reads.

1. Sue Grafton, A Is for Alibi / B Is for Burglar / C Is for Corpse (reread, first two mysteries of omnibus reread in last few days of December 2017, third mystery completed Jan 2) @761pp

I read the early "Kinsey Milhone Alphabet Mysteries" ages ago but I only ever completed the first half-dozen or so. I've had five omnibus editions, each of three mysteries – all told, A through O – around the house for ages and I've gotten or am in the process of getting the later volumes (P through Y along with Kinsey and Me) and doing a complete "Kinsey Milhone" marathon in honor of Sue Grafton's death on December 28. (Only first fifteen mysteries are in omnibus volumes, so they're the only ones that will count as BFBs.)

Hello John, thanks for the invitation and getting us started.

>12 CurrerBell: I hadn't heard about Grafton's death. I used to own quite a few of her alphabet series, but lost track somewhere.

2. Sue Grafton, D Is for Deadbeat / E Is for Evidence / F Is for Fugitive @736pp

ETA: QUESTION? Is this the thread to which we should be posting a running total of BFBs? Or can someone point me to the correct thread for posting? Or does one need to be created?

I am beginning my first BFB of 2018 today, Mount by Jilly Cooper, 681 pgs. This is the tenth in the Rutshire Chronicles series.

So John if BFB's are 500 pages and more then I am in and will do 12 at least this year.

Thanks for setting this one up, mate.

>16 PaulCranswick: Is it 600, John? Or is it 500?

>16 PaulCranswick:, >17 CurrerBell:, On here a BFB is 600 pages or more, my challenge on the 75ers group is chunky books of 500 or more pages. Hope this sorts things out.

Finished my first BFB last night Mount by Jilly Cooper, 681 pages. Next BFB is going to be Taboo by Elizabeth Gage, 623 pages.

MY BFB'S IN 2018

1. Mount by Jilly Cooper 681 pages.
2. Taboo by Elizabeth Gage, 623 pages.
3. The Forest by Edward Rutherfurd, 883 pages.
4. Never Look Back by Lesley Pearse, 737 pages.
5. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, 620 pages.
6. Bad Boy Jack by Josephine Cox, 632 pages.
7. No Angel by Penny Vincenzi, 626 pages.
8. Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson, 704 pages.
9. The Americans by John Jakes, 793 pages.
10. Give Us This Day by R.F. Delderfield, 767 pages.
11. Alaska by James A. Michener, 1,073 pages.
12. Something Dangerous by Penny Vincenzi, 893 pages.
13. Into Temptation by Penny Vincenzi, 876 pages.
14. Two Brothers by Ben Elton, 617 pages.
15. Godchildren by Nicholas Coleridge, 711 pages.
16. Trinity by Leon Uris, 890 pages.
17. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, 671 pages.
18. The Dwarves by Markus Heitz, 733 pages.
19. The Country Escape by Fiona Walker, 601 pages
20. Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson, 1180 pages.
21. The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks, 645 pages.
22. Perfect by Judith McNaught, 805 pages.
23. Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher, 698 pages.
24. Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough, 883 pages.
25. The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson, 772 pages.
26. The Love Letter by Fiona Walker, 665 pages.
27. Winston's War by Michael Dobbs, 685 pages.
28. Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks, 636 pages.
29. The Soprano Sorceress by L.E.Modesitt Jr, 658 pages.
30. Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks, 689 pages.

I have made a good start to my next BFB, The Forest by Edward Rutherfurd, 883 pages.

The next BFB for me is Never Look Back by Lesley Pearse, 737 pages.

Finished The Forest on the last day of January.

I finished Never Look Back by Lesley Pearse yesterday and am halfway through Angels and Demons by Dan Brown and should finish it by the end of Sunday.

Finished Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, 620 pages a couple of hours ago and selected No Angel by Penny Vincenzi, 626 pages as my next big read.

I forgot to mention that I had also started Bad Boy Jack by Josephine Cox, 632 pages. I should finish this later tonight.

Finished Bad Boy Jack by Josephine Cox last night. I am a third of the way through No Angel by Penny Vincenzi and will be starting Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson, 704 pages tonight.

Finished No Angel by Penny Vincenzi, 626 pages earlier today, this is my seventh BFB of the year and I should finish my eighth by the end of the weekend.

Finished Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson, 704 pages late last night. Next BFB off the block is The Americans by John Jakes, 793 pages.

Finished The Americans by John Jakes, 793 pages yesterday afternoon. The next BFB off the block is a biggie, Alaska by James A. Michener, 1073 pages.

Alongside reading Alaska by James A. Michener I have also started Give us this Day by R.F. Delderfield, 767 pages. I am enjoying my big reads this year.

>31 johnsimpson: I have Alaska on deck for hopefully 2018!

Finished my tenth BFB late this afternoon, Give Us This Day by R.F. Delderfield, 767 pages.

Well done!

>34 MissWatson:, Thank you my dear.

Finally finished Alaska by James A. Michener this afternoon, 1073 pages. Next BFB off the block is Something Dangerous by Penny Vincenzi, 893 pages.

Finished Something Dangerous by Penny Vincenzi, 893 pages, this is my Twelfth BFB of the year. Next BFB off the block is Into Temptation by Penny Vincenzi, 876 pages. This is the final book in the Spoils of Time Trilogy.

Finished my 13th BFB on Monday, Into Temptation by Penny Vincenzi, 876 pages. This is the last in the Spoils of Time Trilogy. Two more BFB's have been started, Two Brothers by Ben Elton, 617 pages and Godchildren by Nicholas Coleridge, 711 pages.

Finished my 14th BFB last night, Two Brothers by Ben Elton, 617 pages.

Finished my 15th BFB late last night, Godchildren by Nicholas Coleridge, 711 pages. The next BFB off the block is Trinity by Leon Uris, 890 pages.

Finished my 16th BFB yesterday evening, Trinity by Leon Uris, 890 pages. Next one off the block is The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, 671 pages.

Alongside The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher I am also reading The Dwarves by Markus Heitz, 733 pages.

Finished my Seventeenth BFB on Friday evening, The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, 671 pages. I am just over halfway through The Dwarves by Markus Heitz 733 pages and have begun The Country Escape by Fiona Walker 601 pages.

Finished my 18th BFB, The Dwarves by Markus Heitz, 733 pages. Along with The Country Escape by Fiona Walker I am also now reading Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson, 1194 pages.

Finished my 19th BFB, The Country Escape by Fiona Walker, 601 pages. Still on with Memories of Ice at the moment.

Finally finished my 20th BFB of the year and my second 1,000 page behemoth, Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson, 1180 pages.

This is the 37th 1,000 page behemoth I have read since I started collating my reading in July 1995.

Next one off the block is Perfect by Judith McNaught, 805 pages.

Very impressive readings stats, John!

>48 MissWatson:, Thank you MissWatson.

>50 frahealee:, Hi Francine, I must say that I have enjoyed all of my 1,000+ page behemoths although the one I did struggle with but glad I persevered with was A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. This was 1,474 pages of hard work due to the amount of text on the page and the intertwining stories of four families. It was eventually worth the effort but I did read about a dozen books alongside this one.

I think I have about another 15 to 20 1,000 page behemoths still to read, my challenge this year is to read books of 500+ pages and I had hoped to read 60. I am behind at the moment having only read 33 of which 20 fit this groups criteria, if it looks as if I will fail to reach the target I have a seriously large one to read which I may end the year with.

I have finished two more BFB's over the weekend, The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks, 645 pages and Perfect by Judith McNaught, 805 pages.

The Next one off the block is Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher, 698 pages.

Finished my 23rd BFB late last night, Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher, 698 pages. The next BFB off the block is Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough, 883 pages.

Finished my latest BFB, Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough, 883 pages and the next off the block is The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson, 772 pages.

Finished my 25th BFB of the year a couple of hours ago, The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson, 772 pages. this must be the weirdest book I have read. My current reads are The Love Letter by Fiona Walker, 665 pages and I am halfway through it and Winston's War by Michael Dobbs, 685 pages, which I will be starting when I go to bed.

Congrats on reading a quarter century of BFBs! This is impressive!

>56 MissWatson:, Thank you MissWatson, I should get to 30 by year end.

Finished The Love Letter by Fiona Walker, 665 pages and Winston's War by Michael Dobbs, 685 pages. Next off the block is Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks, 636 pages.

Finished another BFB this afternoon, Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks, 636 pages. Next BFB is The Soprano Sorceress by L.E. Modesitt jr, 658 pages.

Finished my 29th BFB yesterday, The Soprano Sorceress by L.E.Modesitt Jr, 658 pages. My 30th and last book of 2018 is the final part of The Night Angel Trilogy, Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks, 689 pages and hope to finish by midnight on the 31st of December.

Wow John you have read some BFB this year!! Good luck on finishing your 30th book by midnight on December 31st!!

>61 crazy4reading:, Thanks Monica my dear, my challenge for this year was to read books of 500 or more pages, if I complete my 30th BFB it will make 47 books for the year. I could do this challenge at least twice more to get through the big books pile but I am having a steady year in 2019 with mainly books of a normal size but I have no doubt I will read one or two BFB's as I cannot resist a BFB.

Hi John, I want to wish you and Karen Happy Holidays! I don't know if my card reached you in time. Love and hugs from the Netherlands!.

I finished my 30th BFB late last night, Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks, 689 pages. This completed the Night Angel Trilogy and I was pleased with my reading challenge for 2018, 47 books read in 2018, non of which was under 500 pages and 30 qualified for the BFB group. Next year will be a recovery year although I will probably pop one or two big ones in.

I hope that all the lovely friends I have made within this group have a very happy new year and have a great reading year in 2019 whatever size books you all read.