50 Books Challenge 2024 Part Nine

New thread / new reading year - and I really hope it’s better than this one!

Thanks @Southeastdweller
Have finished book 22. Into the storm by Cecelia Ahern
This is about Dr Enya who on a stormy night comes across a bad car accident and ends up saving a young teenagers life. Her marriage is crumbling and she can’t escape this awful night as the teenager reminds her of her own son Finn. She struggles with her mental health and coming to terms with the accident and her mother’s own death. She escapes to start afresh in a village but she can’t escape her past. There is also some folklore tied in with a Rag tree.

I found the build up very slow and was contemplating not finishing this. Overall I was very disappointed it was just an average read and I expected more from a Cecelia Ahern novel as have read a couple in the past and have really enjoyed them but this fell very far from her usual. I won’t be rushing to pick up another of hers.

I struggled to like most of the characters except Margaret who was a very blunt talking lady.

Anyway I would swerve this one.

Now reading Winter Soltice by Rosamunde Pilcher and this may or may not be my last book of the year

100. Accidents in the Home - Tessa Hadley

I'm calling this my last book of the year as it’s such a satisfying number, although…..hmm, who knows, I might manage one more!
Anyway, this had been languishing on the kindle for ages so I was glad to get round to it. It’s not exactly a novel, more a linked set of short stories revolving around characters in an extended family - Clare and her husband Bram and their children, Clare's old friend Helly, and Clare's various siblings and step-mothers. I enjoyed this - while slightly marvelling at the excesses of the emotional lives of all the characters, which seemed pretty exotic. But maybe I just lead a quiet life!

Thank you @Southeastdweller

I have to squeeze in number 83, but it is seasonal!

The Dead Of Winter: The Demons, Witches And Ghosts Of Christmas by Sarah Clegg
Seasonal and short, this is mostly interesting although comes across as a little rushed at times. Clegg spends a winter season travelling to various European locations to experience non-Christian celebrations. Thankfully, she doesn’t spend too much time wanging on about Krampus, because if I have to suffer one more conversation about “of course, Santa is so new, yeah, Krampus is the original, Titania and Rupert adore our Krampus Nacht celebrations now” I’d have thrown my Kindle out of the window.
It’s not chronological, but it is fascinating in places and she reserves amusing little snarks for her footnotes. It’s reduced at Waterstones if anyone wanted to snap up a copy to save for next year……or to duck out of a Zulu/board game afternoon

You're ahead of yourself Remus thats next week!

Thanks @Southeastdweller and a happy new year to bookers, old and new.

I’m still battling with The Secret Radical and still disliking it intensely. I intend to finish it though.

I have The Magus but I've never read it

Thank you @EineReiseDurchDieZeit . If pressed, my answer to favourite book would be The Magus by John Fowles. Not because it's my favourite tale but because I first read it when I was in my teens and I've re-read it a couple of times since then. It is like an old friend.
Favourite biscuit - anything dunk-able in an Earl Grey.

Thanks for the new thread @Southeastdweller - I was worried when I realised how close to full Part Eight was yesterday!

I've finished reading the same number of books this year as last year (210), and am fairly confident of finishing at least two more books this year. I am wondering what I'll actually remember reading in 2024 in a year's time though - I've looked up a few books I don't remember anything about at all to see that I not only bought them a while ago but apparently read them and gave them a star rating, and I don't even remember vaguely what they were about....

Totally relate @Southeastdweller and I've only been on the thread since just before the pandemic

Thanks southeast!.

Finished the last two books of The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman. I'm not entirely convinced that the Earthshaking Revelation was really a big deal, but the finale brought together various narrative strands and worked fairly well.

Thank you @Southeastdweller , checking in. Nothing new to report but enjoying Pandora - Jilly Cooper

Thanks @Southeastdweller! 😊

Back in a bit with my last book of the year (probably)

Welcome newbie! @BiscuitsBooks

Favourite biscuit ?

Favourite book?

Twelve years! Have you been hosting all that time @Southeastdweller ? I am in the south east too, of England that is. I'm looking forward to joining the challenge in 2025.

I finished on 135 and had 13 bolds.

Not a vintage year!

Standouts from the 13 Bolds :

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

and

None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

All of which were audiobooks so it was a great year for audio!

That's my Top 3 any way

Glad the thread reappeared, thanks South

Just checking in!