50 Books Challenge 2024 Part Two

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the second 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.

The previous thread is here

Sorry, should say - thanks to @elspethmcgillicudddy for the review that pointed me to Doppelgangers

@BarbaraBuncle The Mystery of Mercy Close was meh, IMO. I find Helen the least well-drawn sister.

@Sadik Glad you liked The Disappearance Boy and I agree with your comments. I think I liked it more for the 'world building' than the story. Also glad you enjoyed Polari.

I'm adding Before we were Trans to my list. I think the Tom Crewe that I've just bought might be another recommended by Gay's the Word, which is where I bought Polari and heard of The Disappearance Boy.

@ICrunchCrispsNotNumbers – I loved Midnight Library! It was one of my bolds last year. Its not anything like you think it will be. Its so well done.

@Sadik I read A Suitable Boy when it first came out. I'd just started my PhD and the characters in the book felt more real to me than my new friends. It was probably my favourite book I read at that stage of life.

I got 6 books from the kindle deals after a January of no buying. 3 from my wishlist which I presume came from here. Plus three to indulge my current comfort reading vibes.

I bought the Tom Crewe too @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie so thanks for flagging it. It was one that lots of people were expecting to be on the Booker longlist and had generally positive reviews.

I haven't got very far in his book but am generally a fan of Rory and would think he's perfectly shaggable. Unlike Jeremy Hunt who I have come across through work and is definitely not as good looking as Rory thinks.

Have heard tell Boris is weirdly attractive in real life but can't really imagine how.

Can I request trigger warnings for this thread in light of ongoing politician shagging discussion? 😱Nightmare fuel. Though 😁at @ndeplume on child Hunt.

@Sadik I never expected to find another reader of A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking on here! Also found it extremely charming and superior to the currently fashionable crop of cosy fantasy aimed at older readers (esp. Travis Baldree). Loved Bob the sourdough starter.

A Suitable Boy is one of my favourite comfort rereads, acting like a good luck charm ever since I first read it instead of while revising for GCSEs. I think Amit (whose true love is Jane Austen) is very much Seth's avatar.

For ebook offers, do people here know of ereaderIQ? I keep a wishlist on it to get email notifications of price drops on specific books but also for browsing (sort by 99p books here).

@Stowickthevast I imagine he is very charismatic despite being completely odious. Years ago I worked with Gordon Ramsay who was very charismatic, everyone in the office fancied him, even though he's not classically handsome.

20 This Much Is True by Miriam Margolyes

I’m not particularly a fan of hers but this came up on a daily deal for 99p and I know it had good reviews so I thought I would give it a go. I really enjoyed it. She comes across as very honest and she’s gloriously indiscreet about people she’s worked with. However I now know far more about her sex life than I ever needed to know!

I also have the sneaky suspicion that Boris might actually be an interesting and charismatic person if you remove his politics and the "aren't I just a cute bumbling dafty" act.

I remember his Who Do You Think You Are was absolutely fascinating and he came across really well.

Urgh. Going to be at myself with a Brillo pad now.

In other news I've started Doctor Zhivago in an attempt to a) move away from Iceland b) read more classics. I'm 8% in and have been introduced to 54,000 (feels like) characters. I'm telling myself it's because it's a classic, and a translation but jeez the short, snappy narration is irritating me. I shall persevere. At least the chapters are short.

@ChessieFL This Much Is True was one of my favourite reads from last year. She's done so many interesting things in her life, and had me snorting with laughter several times.

I also loved how indiscreet she was about people - it made a refreshing change from tedious name-dropping. Some of the actors she didnt like working with were not surprising, though.

Like you, I thought there was rather a lot about her sex life, most of which I didn't really want to know. But I will still read her follow up, Oh, Miriam!

I actually read them the wrong way round - I read Oh Miriam! last year when that came up as a 99p deal! That was also very good and I don’t think it mattered that I read them in the wrong order.

Hi @Sadik and @HenryTilneyBestBoy
Another fan of T. Kingfisher here.
I've read Minor Mage and Nettle and Bone as well. My dh reads a lot of fantasy and that's how I found out about her. He bought A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking for our DD to read.

I’m part way through This much is true and really enjoying it. She has a really nice writing style and has led a fascinating life

10 The Christmas Chronicles - Nigel Slater

Joined the MN readalong for the first time ever, which finished today (Candlemas - the last day of Christmas apparently, if anyone was still feeling festive!). Though as a lifelong vegetarian not all of the recipes were particularly appealing (like oxtail - bleurgh), the book exudes a comforting and cosy charm which was a lovely accompaniment to the months of December and January.

Book 13 is Sonic Life by Thurston Moore. I think this is probably only of interest to people familiar with Sonic Youth's work (me) and probably only going to be loved by people who are intimately familiar with the whole No Wave New York scene that they moved in (not me). DP, who is older and more North American than me, was entranced by it, but I found it somewhat dull in places. He manages to make being in a band sound rather boring - I am sure life on the road is somewhat dull but if you're doing something you claim to love, where is the joy? And there is no question I am #teamkim. I suspect Thurston is very much not the nice guy he would like us to think he is.

Book 7

The Mist Ragnar Jonasson

The last in the Hulda/Hidden Iceland series. This was great, a 5 star bold. Read it in just over 24 hours last weekend. Brings all the loose ends together about Hulda’s past, and the crime she’s solving at the time is also a shocker.
It was also set in the run up to the Icelandic Christmas- so snow, books, candles, what’s not to like?

Book 8

Decided to stay with Ragnar. Went back to Dark Iceland series.

Whiteout (Dark Iceland 5)

Not as good as Hulda, and not as good as some of the other Dark Iceland books. And spoiler alert: Ari Thor has the most annoying girlfriend in literature. She’s the Icelandic girlfriend equivalent of Niece Lucy the most annoying lesbian in literature, courtesy of Patricia Cornwall.

As I said, I'm now in Russia with Doctor Zhivago. I may be some time.

@HenryTilneyBestBoy maybe it was a review from you that set me onto Defensive baking - many thanks if so. Also good to see a recommendation for Nettle and Bone @FuzzyCaoraDhubh , I'd been wondering which other of her books to try, & that was one I'd been looking at.

Currently reading Werecockroach by Polenth Blake which is pleasingly weird.

I may have reviewed A Wizard's Guide before @Sadik I definitely reviewed Nettle and Bone. This is good, but a lot darker in tone than A Wizard... Minor Mage is a lighter read depending on what you feel like reading :)

Brilliant, thanks. I might just have to read both :)

I really feel this is the right course of action :)

You will fly through Minor Mage. The other one is longer.

@BlindurErBóklausMaður can you recommend a good read to get me in the mood for my trip to Iceland in June?

I'd say The Sealwoman's Gift (Sally Magnusson) and Burial Rites (Hannah Kent) @countrygirl99 but they are not a bundle of laughs, so maybe not appropriate for getting you prepared for what I assume is a holiday, but both great reads IMO

@countrygirl99 sooooo jealous. 😂
I'd recommend Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss about her year in Iceland, The Museum of Whales You Will Never See by A Kendra Greene and How Iceland Changed the World by Will Bjarnason.

For fiction you're spoiled for choice if Scandi crime is your thing. Ragnar's Hidden Iceland trilogy is now my favourite after reading the last installment.

Then watch Trapped and Entrapped on Netflix.