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

I’m much too shy to meet up in person, but I hope those who go have a lovely time!

I'd potentially be up for a meetup, assuming we will all be extremely nervous 😬

Could do either London or Bath, my guess would be that London would be easier for more people, but we could have a vote...

Bring a book each for a book swap??

I'm in London so would definitely be up for a meet up here. And if anyone is visiting London in the meantime at different dates, let me know.

One book for a bookswap? If we arrange a meet up I will bring at least a backpackful, maybe more. There's an Oxfam on Bloomsbury Street (not far from either the British Museum to the north east or Charing Cross Road to the south west) so we could maybe organise a meetup to take in both browsing the stock and donating any leftover swap books. (Used to do this with a bookswapping site called Read It Swap It - I'm no good at posting things plus it's expensive to do so). There's also the London Review Bookshop in Bloomsbury.

Ah I'm sorry to hear that @Southeastdweller but I know what you mean...

The last time I was at an MN meetup was ?something like 2011? It was very nervewracking but I am glad I went.

I was going to say that I'd love to do a meet up but am on the wrong continent - however I will be near London for a few weeks in the summer so I might strike it lucky with the timing!

There is a 'silent book club' near me which I'm going to join, where you basically all just go and meet in a bar or cafe and read your own books. Talking is allowed but not compulsory.

Thinking of you @Kinsters

A book swap sounds a fab idea ❤️

Same here. Plus, having CFS and being full time carer to DS makes it difficult to plan days out. Hope you all have an amazing time.

I've actually done meet ups from another website where I was posting a lot on the forums and went on to turn some on line chat into real life long friendships 🙂 I'm almost never free, but would do this if it fell on a weekend I was available.

9. Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

I'm a bit behind everyone else on this so I don't have any new insights to add? Despite reading everyones reviews I still managed to have in my head this was non fiction autobiography. After two chapters I was surprised how readable it was and went to Google and was a little embarrassed this had passed me by it's actually a story.
Anyway, the characters leapt off the page and I just wanted to take Shuggie home and give him a big meal. It was a really hard read, but I think important. I had a pretty good childhood and I was quite far into my 20s I discovered not everyone was as lucky as me.

Penelope in Retrograde -Brooke Abrams. This is a light easy read, about family and romantic relationships. It was just ok. It felt like nothing much happened, some scenes were overlong and the lead character was constantly making witty comments that just weren’t very witty. There were a few nice moments, but overall it was a disappointing read.

I realise that I probably seem like a negative reviewer. I just seem to have chosen the wrong books this year.

I have just been to Bath and the glorious Mr B's (which is well worth a visit). Came back with some recommendations which I will review soon.

DH also took me to Topping and Company in Bath (independent bookshop) - an absolutely beautiful place sprawling across three floors with knowledgeable staff, book ladders and coffee. Book consultations and subscriptions are available. Good travel and languages section. Well worth exploring.

@Kinsters

A meet-up would be great. Did someone suggest August? Any time in the first three weeks I would do my best to be there.

I used to visit the London Review of Books tearoom every week. Lovely cake. Somewhere around Bloomsbury is a good suggestion 🙂

Loving the itinerary ideas! For those with a short window in London, do you want to suggest some dates? I could do any time in August, for example.

Will definitely miss the ones who can't make it but you get to retain your mystique.

I’ll go for ‘retain my mystique’ rather than ‘shy and antisocial’

I am an idiot and still haven’t made it to the London Review cafe. Must add it to the list for my next trip.

I like the idea of a meet up, but in reality I’m far too socially awkward for such a thing.

💐to Kinsters.

Just catching up on my weekly reviews after another busy week. Came to the realisation that all my books are going to have to go into temporary storage for a bit while our house renovations take place. Not sure how I'll cope - genuinely finding reading a refuge in this busy, noisy time. Will be a regular library user for a bit, not a bad thing.

I'm up for a meeting if I'm available, though much of August is out. London is probably easier to get to. I'm not nervous, intrigued maybe!

In the meantime a couple of DM's psychic books she was getting rid of. Scroll on by if they're not your thing.

17. The Accidental Psychic - Mhairi Kent

18. The Gift - Mia Dolan

I preferred The Gift; though both are memoirs, The Gift was better written and held my attention more. Down to earth, funny and readable, Mia Dolan had a tough upbringing in the same part of Kent where Mum grew up, which was probably why she bought it. The Accidental Psychic included some practical techniques to refine emerging psychic abilities which I skipped through, and it was difficult to believe that one person could be so accident prone (accidental in both senses of the word) but there we go. However, both books are going in the charity bag.

@Kinsters ❤

I'm about 100 pages into Wish You Were Here by Stewart O'Nan and I'm struggling a bit. This is the story of Emily, a widow who has invited the family to their summer house for one last trip before she sells it. It's quite character-driven with not much plot (which, being a fan of Ann Patchett and Anne Tyler, I usually like) but this isn't doing it for me. I don't know if I'm just not in the right frame of mind right now. I read Last Night at the Lobster by the same author a few years ago and loved it. If anyone can recommend any others of his I'd he grateful.
Meantime, I'm going to make a start on Howl's Moving Castle which has been sitting on my kindle for ages.

16. Three Hours - Rosamund Lupton

Finally I felt brave enough to read this story of a Somerset school under siege from gunmen over a tense three hour stand-off, complicated by a heavy blizzard hampering the police investigation.

We see the story from the points of view of several pupils and members of staff in different locations within the school, including a dress rehearsal for a school production of Macbeth, the Police and some parents.

It was a tense, gripping, read, an absolute page-turner. I enjoyed it very much but I need something a lot less fraught to read next!

18 The House of New Beginnings - Lucy Diamond I needed something lighter after a few heavier non fiction reads. Three women all with sadness in their pasts move into flats in a house in Brighton. Nice, easy read.

Shy here too @Southeastdweller and @BlueFairyBugsBooks love the idea but a massive trek for me being a northern lass and I think I would prefer to remain a mystery too. Off to purchase Steeple Chasing as thoroughly enjoyed A Tomb with a View and my the sounds of it will enjoy this too thanks for reviewing

I would say yes to a meet up but after spending about 10 years trying and failing to arrange an annual daytrip to Tenby with five friends who live in the same town as me, I’ll hold off for the moment.

Just popping in to say hi so I don’t drop off the thread. I decided to go for Budica: Dreaming the Eagle and while I am enjoying it, good lord it is lengthy! There is only so much concentration I have for Dun Fillies or battle hounds. I think I am struggling with the level of specificity given to everything. A colleague knows I am reading it and muttered something about how terribly her daughters were treated - I had to say that I am 400 pages into a 700 page book one of four. I don’t think I have the stamina.

so I decided to give myself a rest by going onto yet another Terry Pratchett. The publication order has me at Reaper Man. First couple of pages in and I was laughing out loud. I think this will be the rest I need over the weekend and then I can get back in my battle robes tomorrow

@BarbaraBuncle that’s going on the TBR pile, it sounds right up my street

@BarbaraBuncle Three Hours is one of the best books I've ever read. I read it a couple of years ago, and then searched on here to see what people thought and it was generally hated!

@MrsALambert I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.