50 Books Challenge 2024 Part Nine

50 Billy Summers by Stephen King

Just in time! Pretty unpleasant story about a hit man who masquerades as a writer for one last hit. One female character extremely poorly written. Plus King seems to use rescuing a rape victim as a sort of meet cute. Unpleasant story with unpleasant characters told in an overly long way. I have always thought of King as a good storyteller if nothing else but this wasn't even that....

no. 40

The Canterville Ghost Oscar Wilde
Fun short story (in its own binding as a standalone book, so I am counting) about a ghost who cannot spook an American family who have moved into his ancestral home. The children play tricks on him and it’s lovely and witty.

I have been true to myself this year with my choices not impacted by size etc so I feel justified in counting this as my last read of the year.

I decided against cheating with short books, and won't finish The Cracked Mirror today, so my final total is 46. I'm surprised I didn't get to 50 as I was reading at pace for the first half of the year but dropped off dramatically the last couple of months.

So my new year's resolution is to get to 50 again. I've only managed it 3 times out of the 8 years I've particpated, but hope springs eternal!

Off to post my bolds on the roundup thread.

FFS MN ate my round up post 😭

New NYR to draft all book posts in notes app but then deal with formatting weirdness

Otherwise the usual:
Read less, read better.
Epic fail this year going from 150ish to 200ish (not including books in other languages or read for work). I know others manage many more but that's too much for my brain and included much more contemporary meh than usual (I was trying to reread less, which backfired!) And never did get round to W&P....

RWYO/lowbuy (ish). I've already spent my Chrismukkah book tokens on preorders so won't have 'free' money to fritter on 99p ebooks. Though still allowed a deal book if it's one I've already read, loved and will reread OR one I'll start immediately.

Reduce number of bookgroups - the source of almost all this year's italics, and several DNFs (though I mind those less as DNF plenty on my own). Two should be plenty, so replacing the rest with other hobby groups, maybe even a new sport 😮
Still going to hang around here though! Your own fault for making my first year so lovely ♥

My new year book resolution is to get back into the habit of going to bed earlier with a book instead of staying downstairs, eating to stay awake and watching television.

I was hoping to get to 300 by tonight, but DS decided we should spend time together so I won't. I could add the children's books I've read (for review purposes rather than to a child) but I feel like that would be cheating. So here's my last 2 for the year. (Probably)

297. The Widow's Lie. Melanie Price
     Psychological thriller. Jacqueline lives with her wealthy husband and their daughter. When a mysterious new neighbour moves in across the street, who's husband had died in mysterious circumstances. But Jackie recognises Anastasia, and she looks suspiciously like Charles' first wife who was declared dead. Totally unbelievable secrets aplenty, no one is who they say they are, and everyone is somehow linked. But despite the total lack of reality it was a great read.

298. Childhood Behind Barbed Wire. Bogdan Bartnikowski Trans. By Tomasz Pobóg-Malinowski
     My mum got me this for Christmas from the shop at Auschwitz. It's the memoir of Bogdan, a Polish child who survived Auschwitz. The blurb on the back implies its a series of short stories, but it felt like one story with a few other random ones about other people thrown in. I think something got lost in translation. Anyway, as you'd expect it was hard to read in places. I'm always awed by the strength of those who survived, and the courage they had to relive their memories and write them down.

😂
I actually read lots of very serious non-fiction with not a shag in sight. Clearly, though, I must. find sexual tension in fiction boring and just want the literary foreplay over with. Having said that, I've rarely met a well-written sex scene, even when the shagging does occur.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie After this and your Strike limerick I'm just imagining you chanting 'shag shag shag' at every book 😛
Guessing Madonna also kept her fur coat on?

Me too!

Last one of the year and a re-read in tandem with me watching the Slow Horses on television:

88. Real Tigers - Mick Herron

Catherine’s been snatched,
But Lamb’s still unmatched—
Sending the slow horses out
To what could be a rout
But ending with them all barely scratched

More cover-ups, double-crossing and politicking in MI5 whilst trying to blame the slow horses. Great fun.

i will try and do my summary of highlights and lowlights tomorrow.

My NY resolutions should be to buy fewer books and read all my unread books (along with eating less and taking more exercise) but I will settle for keeping on track with the read along of The Count

Excellent 👏👏

Think this one wins 🤣
Brava Remus 👏

Remus

😂
The bloody boring butler
believed himself to love her
but he hesitated, waited
delayed, anticipated
the book would be better if he’d fucked her

😆
Anyone else have a brief panic yesterday when Ishiguro's name popped up in the news?

😂😂😂😂

The 50 book thread - such a slay!
With reviews good and bad every day
Posters so erudite
That there's rarely a fight
Just don't mention Remains of the Day...

@LuckyMauveReader

I have form for joining a read a long and dropping out so we will see how I do!

sorry that should be chapter per day seems manageable

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit Thank you for the link. The book is an absolute doorstop. I am quite surprised I wasn't charged for postage/packaging.

The chapter seems manageable so it should be fun as I haven't done anything like this before. I will try to continue reading other books alongside.

@LuckyMauveReader

Instructions Here :

Bienvenue à Marseille | 2025 The Count of Monte Christo, read-a-long http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/whatweree_reading/5210239-bienvenue-a-marseille-2025-the-count-of-monte-christo-read-a-long

@elspethmcgillicudddy Oh good for you! I can imagine it's a breath of fresh air when working in the sciences.

I love studying but being Autistic with a possibility of ADHD too, I have had my fair share of challenges at Uni. It's a shame too because once I get settled and stuck in, I do ok.

As long as the DC are successful I can live off their achievements. 😍

@LuckyMauveReader It's an OU English Literature module. Purely for fun. I have a science background and no desire for another degree but I always wanted to study English Literature. I planned to do it when I retired but I got bored of waiting.

The Count of Monte Cristo has been delivered today ready for the read-along. Could someone tell me how this works, please?