50 Books Challenge 2024 Part One

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the first thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2024, though reading fifty isn't mandatory. Any type of book can count, and please try to let us all know your thoughts on what you've read.

If possible, please can you embolden your titles and maybe authors as well of books you've read or going to read? It makes it much easier to keep track, especially when the threads move quickly at this time of the year.

Who's in for this year?

Just saying hello and thank you as I’ve been silently watching the thread last year and really enjoying it.
I managed 34 books in 2023, hoping to read 48 this year which would be a massive achievement if I get there! English is my second language and 90% of my reading is currently in English. I only read physical books as it gives me the opportunity to translate certain words and phrases without getting lost.
I’m starting 2024 with East of Eden, Ruth read along and Holly by Stephen King.
Thank you all for this thread, I’ve been very inspired and managed to find some great books thanks to your recommendations last year.

So I've peeked at this challenge a few times but not 'signed up'. So here goes for 2024. Just started Shakespeare - the man who pays the rent by Judi Dench. Will be listening to Managing Expectations by Minnie Driver on my commute**

Dong of Achilles is the best autocorrect ever, @CosyCapricorn

Hi all. I’ve not joined in a reading thread before so happy to be joining this one.
i used to be a voracious reader and then life hit! But I’m getting back on it.
I just finished Abroad in Japan which was a fun easy read! And now staring The Twt Files *by Dawn French!

@dazzlingdeborahrose Ive got the Judi Dench one on my TBR list - I glanced through it and can’t wait to read it!

To anyone new, there really aren't any rules. Some of us don't count books read, some have all the data to hand. We read all sorts and audiobooks, graphic novels, children's books are all fair game. No genre preferences, no book snobbery. It's all extremely chilled and easy going apart from
the occasional disagreement (there are one or two books that arouse strong feelings!!) but it's all good natured and you can just let those play out without getting involved. I really love it here; it makes me very happy.

2. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend

I really enjoyed this re-read and found it a lot funnier than I remembered. I definitely needed the laughs after reading The Road.

I'm going to jump in and join you. I've never thought about tracking how many books I'm reading but I do want to read more so it makes sense to track and my to read pile is huge at the moment so I may investigate an app as suggested above to bring some order to proceedings.

I finished my first book of 2024 this morning. It was The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell and I absolutely loved it. I love everything she's ever written though so no surprise there. I'm also halfway through listening to the last of Lucinda Riley's Seven Sisters books, this one is Atlas. I've found the series weirdly compelling if not all that interesting. Just kind of want to know how it all hangs together now. It has felt very long!

I usually have a few on the go at once. Next to finish will be Spook Street by Mick Herron, or The murder of roger ackroyd by Agatha Christie

I haven’t read past your post yet, but have you ever heard him on The Rest is Politics with Alastair Campbell? He’s quite self deprecating, has no time at all for Johnson and all I can think is how different things might have been if he’d won the leadership contest not Johnson. I like him. I have this book but haven’t read it yet…

I haven't no because I can't do listening! I can't concentrate on just voices. Never listened to an audio book, for example. I know. it's a popular podcast though. Might give it a whirl.

I'm joining and must do better than 23 last year! Carrying over Rory Stewart - Politics on The Edge.

A heads up for anyone who fancies Melvyn Bragg's superb memoir, Back in the Day (one of my top books last year) - it’s 99p in today's deals.

I have it in hardback @Terpsichore. I'd like to read it soon, as I really enjoyed his Soldier's Return trilogy last year. I believe the setting owes a lot to his own upbringing so it'll be interesting to read his memoir too.

Ok. I'm in!

I've been a very faithful lurker for quite a few years and read lots I've seen recommended. Last year I aimed for 50 and made 104. By far the most I have read since before having kids.

Currently reading Doppleganger by Naomi Klein plus some dreadful motivation improving self help drivel. Also have the new Ken Follett on the back burner as it is due back to the library in a week or two.

I have a series of small black notebooks in which I have written down (and usually a short review) of every book I have read since 1996. I'm looking forward to upping my game in writing a decent review (esp as I have just started an OU English literature degree) and having some good chats!

Nice to meet you all!

Finished my first book In Order to Live (Yeonmi Park) today l- it's been very peaceful, we have a blockade on New Year's visitors 🤣. Harrowing, absolutely incredible and compelling - 5* .

Book number 2 is going to have to be a little bit more light hearted! The Librarian (Sally Vickers)

Back again for another year. Thanks south for keeping us all organised

Managed 69 last year and would be happy with a similar number this year. I'm not really bothered about the total number to be honest, I just enjoy reading. Still frustratingly stuck in the Reacher series which is like hate reading as I don't particularly enjoy them but for some reason keep downloading the next as soon as I finish one. Maybe they're just a bit mindless which is what I've needed recently dealing with a poorly baby and the madness of Christmas with 3 kids under 6

@drowningintinsel I also use storygraph. I love all the stats it pulls out for you

I love the idea of your notebooks! How amazing that you've kept them going for so long 😍

@Onwayto50 enjoying it so far. I've really reignited my love of Shakespeare recently.

Happy New Year you lovely lot. I'm definitely in, this is by far my favourite corner of the internet. Thank you @Southeastdweller for stewarding these threads.

I'm starting the year reading Kate Mosse's Ghost Ship.

I’m going to give it a whirl too.
I did it a couple of years ago but gave up last year. I am now going to try again.
I’m definitely carrying books over - I’m in the middle of 5.
The Last Unicorn which is a kids book. I’m a TA and love reading but we had an influx of books to our library and I hadn’t read loads of them - I can’t recommend things if I don’t know about them so I’m reading them.
The Whalebone Theatre on kindle which I’m enjoying.
The Matthew Perry autobiography which I was halfway through when he died - felt a bit wrong to keep gleefully reading it so I stopped but I do need to finish.
Once Upon a River by Dianne Setterfield which I’m loving.
The Headmistress by Angela Thirkell which is old fashioned but enjoyable.

And I’m listening to Winter in Madrid on Audible, and reading The Half Blood Prince to my daughter.

If I don’t include books already started I won’t be contributing to the thread until February!

Im not buying any books this year - I’m reading the ones I’ve got. Last time I did this I lasted until April so we’ll see how it goes!!

I am waiting for my copy of Ruth to arrive for the read along. And for two books I ordered on Boxing Day to get here. They don’t count in my non-purchasing resolution as it was still 2023!!

@BlindurErBóklausMaður I adored my GCSE English teacher. He gave us a list of possible reading books over the summer when I was 14. It had things like Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Perfume, and Midnight's Children. It was the first time I had really read proper adult books in any quantity. He begged us to at least read one book over the holiday. I read the entire list I have kept a list of my reading ever since. One of the best decisions I have ever made.

@babybythesea I read and loved Once Upon a River last year. I then started The Thirteenth Tale by the same author in November but never got round to finishing it so that’s going to be one of my January reads.

@Piggywaspushed I love books on politics and hadn’t come across this one yet - I’ve just ordered it! So looking forward to reading it.

Checking in on the new thread.
Hello to regulars and newbies!
Thank you for setting it up Southeastdweller as always.

I'm reading The Fancy by Monica Dickens for The* *Rather Dated Book Club on this board. It's a book set in ww2 and was written in 1945 or thereabouts so has a really vivid sense of time and place. It focuses on the lives of ten women who work on a 'bench' in a factory in London that constructs engines for planes and on the life of their supervisor, the anxious and timid Edward Ledward. He is an avid breeder of rabbits hence the title of the book. He's much more confident dealing with his rabbits than with the girls. I'm seven chapters into it. It's a very absorbing read and almost has the feel of a soap opera to it because of the variety of people and situations. We read one 'rather dated' book per month. All welcome if anyone wants to join :)

I usually have a few books on the go between different readalongs and my own reading. I would like to read more books in French this year. I slipped a bit last year. I'll aim to read one per month.

This thread has been brilliant for recommendations and it's lovely to browse on it. Great company. Thanks to all. Happy reading in 2024!

That's so lovely. And so important that kids don't have wall to wall bonnets and sonnets forced upon them. (love both as I do 😂) (I'm an English teacher but not in the UK and mainly language with a bit of lit thrown in)