50 Books Challenge 2025 Part Nine

@Tarragon123 I read The Stand in 2020 during lockdown. I really enjoyed it, and it made Covid seem like a walk in the park in comparison!

Winter Ali Smith

In spite of spending the afternoon in bed with a migraine I have managed to read this practically in one day. Much like Autumn I really liked it and was compelled to read on, but I’m not quite sure what happened or why. I think Ali Smith is just a bit of a genius and maybe has some magical capabilities to write the way she does.

This is the story of Sophia and her estranged sister Iris and Sophia’s son Art, who meets Lux at a bus stop and pays her to pretend to be his girlfriend over Christmas. It’s set against the backdrop of Greenham Common, anti Nuclear weapons and general activism and more recently debates around immigration and the Brexit vote.

Loving seeing the book hauls. I also have an Amazon voucher, which might go on a cook book.

@GrannieMainland I didn’t realise that there was a Mitford sisters graphic novel. Luckily it’s my birthday in early Jan so that’s gone on my list. DH bought me a few graphic novels this year, as I didn’t give him much idea gift wise, which I’m looking forward to.

@Tarragon123 I love The Stand it’s one of his best in my opinion. After getting stuck on Everything’s Eventual for nearly a year (I just don’t really like the short story form) I’m nearly done and am looking forward to continuing my Great Stephen King readathon.

@ChessieFL how could I have forgotten the St Mary’s Christmas book. I’m off to read that now!

I hope everyone who is under the weather is tucked up with a good book and a cuppa and feels better soon.

I read Beautiful Ugly a few weeks ago @Arran2024 and wasn’t impressed. Here’s my review:

This started well, with a man struggling with life going to spend time on what turns out to be a very strange island. However the last 25% or so, as things are revealed, is not good. I can’t really explain why without spoilers but I was very disappointed with the explanations of events and the ultimate ending.

Merry Christmas everyone.

I have just finished book no 49 so I have a week to get another one in....

Anyway, no 49 is Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney. Would be really interested to know what anyone else has thought of it. It is a psychological thriller, set mainly on a fictitious Scottish island. I was pretty gripped by it, but the plot is infuriatingly preposterous. I did pick up a few important points early on, but found it hard to make sense of them. The ending is tantalising - "Beautiful Ugly ending" is a popular google search apparently.

The book concerns a writer with writer's block who goes to a remote Scottish island a year after his wife disappeared. He keeps thinking he sees her on the island, but maybe it's his alcoholism or the tea they sell in the shop...

Anyway, I haven't read any of her other work but might give it a go. Any recommendations?

Wish we still had the laughing emoji.

I can understand that! I was glad when it wound up too! Still thought it was good though!

72 The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose

A novella featuring the main character of The Maid. This was a freebie from one of the book events I've attended over the past couple of years. I've not read The Maid and this didn't encourage me to give it a go. An extremely silly storyline in which Molly (the titular maid of the series, who works in a fancy hotel) becomes suspicious of her boyfriend, who is very clearly planning a nice surprise for her. The writing is stilted and the characterisation insufficient to make up for the (lack of) plot. This may be a tad unfair as I'd perhaps be more invested had I read others in the series. But I haven't so this was a bit of a stinker for me.

@FuzzyCaoraDhubh He was a total pain in the arse and I found the book really irritating and boring for that reason. I think I was part of a minority of around three in really disliking the book. I couldn't wait for it to finish.

I completely agree!

Agree on Asquith, @FuzzyCaoraDhubh what an obsessive whiny tool he was!

DO just presented me with a book gift. Not a Christmas present apparently, but something he found brand new in the charity shop a few weeks ago and has been holding onto.

Very good!! Haha!

Thank you for the thread @Southeastdweller and happy Boxing Day to all 50 Bookers and hope you are all enjoying a lovely Christmas. Well I have lost the plot and have missed books that should have been added to my list but an abysmal reading year only about 10 but have enjoyed popping in to see what folks are reading. Will try again in 2026. Anyway reading a fantastic debut at the moment Prussian Blue by Zara Katanzaro only on chapter 4 but really enjoying it so far. Briefly about an artist which is why I am enjoying it as the description writing of the oils etc has really drawn me in. Only 99p at the moment on Amazon for kindle.

65. Precipice: Robert Harris.

The story begins in London during the summer of 1914 just before the outbreak of WW1. Prime Minister Asquith is besotted with twenty-six-year-old Venetia Stanley who is good-looking, clever, but bored with her socialite friends and looking for diversion. He writes to her twice or three times a day about his thoughts and feelings and goes as far as divulging confidential parliamentary business and sensitive information to her. He treats her as a confidant and values her opinion. He leans on her way too much and loses perspective. When he tosses carbon copies of telegrams out the car window during their Friday jaunt, these are picked up by members of the public and an intelligence officer from Scotland Yard is sent to investigate the leak of top-secret documents.

I enjoyed this very much. Like 'Conclave', this was a very engaging read. It's hard to believe how Asquith could have been so careless in his correspondence with Venetia and in (mis)handling sensitive documents, yet this aspect of the story is based on factual evidence. I became very annoyed with his neediness and his obsession of her. Also, how he had the time to write to her three times a day, make social engagements, meet her clandestinely and lead the cabinet while a war was going on, is quite amazing. A very engaging blend of fact and fiction; recommended.

Get well soon @Piggywaspushed and @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie 🫖📚

@Tarragon123 The Stand is one of my all time favourites. It's a bug commitment though and if you've never read King before, it's not necessarily the one I'd recommend to start with, unless you particularly like post-apocalyptic novels.

@Piggywaspushed Glad you're feeling a bit better.

I started with the lurgy two days after breaking up from school (but of course I did). Fingers crossed it's not been too awful though and I've only had one day of properly sick. DP started with it last night though. We've got a few days on our own coming up now, so it will involve plenty of lying around reading and some hot toddies for him/Dishoom recipe chai for me.

Merry Christmas 50 Bookers! I hope everyone is having a nice chilled time.

Finishing my reading year on a nice round number:

60 Vertigo - Harald Jahner

Very interesting account of the Weimar Republic, which filled in some gaps in my knowledge about the period between the wars and the combination of circumstances that led to Hitler’s rise to power.

Hope you enjoy The Haunted Wood. It was one of my stand outs from this year.

@Tarragon123 The Stand was my entry Stephen King book and I love it. It's a very long book but he is exceptionally easy to read. I hope you enjoy it.

I feel better today, physically and also emotionally. Thank you for asking tarragon. Read another chapter of Dombey and Son and it was a lovely one. Also just read the iconic Little Women skating scene.

@tarragon123- it’s a nice little book with anecdotes / facts about a National Trust property on the left hand page (the facts are good although the writing style hasn’t grabbed me) & a recipe on the right hand page. There’s a range of recipes (basic, sweet, savoury, chocolate etc.) - I haven’t tried any yet, but even if you didn’t like the scone recipe compared to ones in other books you could probably transfer the flavourings to your own recipe.

DH bought it for me as I had a splendidly named Dragon scone at an NT cafe last month (sadly I don’t think it’s in the book).

Love seeing everyone’s book hauls! I’m looking forward to the reviews on future threads.

Murder at Martingale Manor - Jodi Taylor

This is the now-traditional St Mary’s Christmas story. Max and Leon go away to a country house hotel in 1924 to have a week of rest and relaxation. Needless to say this doesn’t happen! Max has been reading Agatha Christie which might give you a clue as to what happens. This isn’t Christmassy at all but I really enjoyed it - I loved the 1920s country house setting. The only downside is that you don’t get to see any of the other St Mary’s characters.

Merry Christmas you lovely lot.
@Piggywaspushed – are you ok? 💐

@InTheCludgie – The Island of Missing Trees was one of my favourites for 2024 and @ChessieFL – great haul @Benvenuto – that sounds FABULOUS!! Tempted to get it for DM as a wee extra for her birthday next week.

No books for me, surprisingly. DD did have a look, but was overwhelmed at what to get me. However, I did treat myself to The Stand by Stephen King when I was out shopping for books. I’m taking part in a slow read between January and June, so that’s quite the commitment lol. Anyone else read it?

71 Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson

Bought for me a few years ago, I've only just got round to reading this short story collection/recipe hybrid. I am a Winterson fan, but she can switch on a dime between obscure and cloying sentimentality, which I sometimes find a bit much in her novels. It's perfect for a Christmas short story collection though, and still better are the snippets of recipes and personal stories which come from her friends and (estranged) family. The best is Ruth Rendell's pickled red cabbage; a virtuoso cameo both of Rendell herself and of the inter-generational friendship between her and Winterson. There is also a cathartic vignette of Winterson's father's last Christmas. These are so good I preferred them to the stories, but there are a few good ones in there, including The Lion, The Unicorn and Me and my favourite, The Snow-Mama.

Edited for autocorrect!

Happy Boxing Day, 50 bookers! My book haul! Very crime/mystery Puzzle heavy, but that's not a bad thing.