50 Books Challenge Part Three

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the third 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 first thread is here and the second one here.

@SheilaFentiman

I had a look and saw.it's a different copper for each book. Are they all linked?

Yes, they are, some more strongly than others.

First book is Det Ryan and Det. Cassie Maddox
Second is Cassie and her boss Frank
Third is Frank and his family, two minor police characters
Fourth is one of the minor police characters ( this one is my least fave)
Fifth is back to Frank and his daughter, but with the other minor character, Stephen, from the third and a new Det, Antoinette
Sixth is Antoinette again

I also found the ending of In The Woods very annoying - so annoying that I have refused to read anything by her ever since!

50 The Fortune Teller

This was my Amazon first reads freebie. It was OK. A woman becomes obsessed with something a fortune teller said to her and ruins her life in the process. The ending came out of nowhere and another plot strand was left unresolved which was annoying. No idea how I managed to underline half of that but can’t be bothered to re-type it.

51 With Nails by Richard E Grant

I rather liked his latest diaries following the death of his wife but I didn’t like this. Firstly I thought it was all going to be about making Withnail and I, and it wasn’t - it’s his diaries of filming between about 1986-1994 plus an extra bit about making Spice World in 1996. I’m not familiar with the other films he made during that period so wasn’t really that interested in the filming of them. He also has a very annoying writing style here, using RANDOM CAPITALISATIONS when he wants to emphasise something. It’s also very name droppy, which I didn’t mind if he was saying something interesting about the person but most of the time it’s just who was at a particular meal or event. Not for me.

This book still gives me the rage because the ending does give you the answers it should

Obviously that should say doesn't not does, and @ChessieFL I too have never read another one of her books.

The Shepherd's Life - James Rebanks Another book that's been on my shelf for years. Nonfiction account of life as a sheep farming on the Cumbrian Fells. I live in Cumbria but wasn't born here, so reading this was interesting to see how people who have lived here for generations see the landscape in a very different way.
Rebanks found school totally alien from his own life and left with two GCSEs despite being very intelligent. He eventually went to night school aced his A levels and went to Cambridge. All the time coming back when ever he could to work on the farm.
The writing is beautiful and thought provoking, although I found it a little disjointed at times in the way it leaps about.
Not a bold but enjoyable.

I have the hardbacks of the first Michael Palin travel books and keep thinking I might reread him. I love him. The humour, the kindness, the crossness when merited, the open-mindedness about them there foreigners rather than the point and laugh attempts at great wit that borders on actual xenophobia in other "famous people go abroad" books/TV series.

I think it’s his genuine interest in the everyday lives of the people he meets along the way that makes me like Michael Palin so much.

I also loved the Dublin Murder Squad. I thought Faithful Place was probably the best one, but I think best to read them in order.

i think the ending of the first book was in keeping with the dream like nature of Det. Ryan’s life.

(trying not to spoiler)

Oh I also love the Dublin Murder Squad books. I have the last one on my kindle but I'm putting it off as I don't want to finish them! There is definitely an element of the unexplained there, I always think they have a slight fairytale feel round the edges despite no actual supernatural content.

There is a new Tana French book out very soon, the second in her new series which I don't like as much, but I'll definitely be reading it.

@BarbaraBuncle we're reading TMATNB for our book club.

@MrsALambert I read fostering memoirs too. I used to like Cathy Glass, but I found her most recent books have got a bit boring. I'm really into Maggie Hartley, and I like Casey Watson as well.

I will update my list later. I've stayed up all night doing my English assignment and now having a bit of a rest 🙂❤️

Thank you, I’ve not heard of either of those so I will look them up as I do find it interesting

@ICrunchCrispsNotNumbers I'll be interested to see what you think of TMATNB. It was a quick read for me, a few plot holes along the way* *but nothing too annoying or eye-rollingly silly.

I've got a Dawn O'Porter book, Cat Lady, that I picked up at the library last week so am also reading that. I've not read any of her novels before, and it's not bad so far. An easy read.

Wow who knew The Dublin Murder Squad would prove so divisive?

I might read the next one but I need a break first

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit a word of warning that the premise of the second one is completely bonkers, so you do need to be willing to completely suspend disbelief!

That doesn't fill me with hope Grannie

Women's Prize Longlist

So, are you ready to meet our 2024 fiction prize, its incredible longlisted titles and the brilliant writers behind them?

The full list in alphabetical order by author surname is:

Hangman by Maya Binyam, published by ONE, Pushkin Press
In Defence of the Act by Effie Black, published by époque press
And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott, published by Allen & Unwin
The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright, published by Jonathan Cape
The Maiden by Kate Foster, published by Mantle
Brotherless Night by V.V. Ganeshananthan, published by Viking
Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville, published by Canongate Books
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad, published by Jonathan Cape
Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy, published by Faber & Faber
8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster by Mirinae Lee, published by Virago
The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord, published by Gollancz
Western Lane by Chetna Maroo, published by Picador
Nightbloom by Peace Adzo Medie, published by Oneworld
Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan, published by Jonathan Cape
River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure, published by Duckworth Books
A Trace of Sun by Pam Williams, published by Legend Press

Thanks Fortuna! I've only read three: The Wren, The Wren, Soldier Sailor, and Western Lane (which was shortlisted for the Booker). I didn't care much for The Wren but I would recommend the other two.

In The Woods by Tana French also gave me the rage.

50. In The Wood - Tana French

I was recommended this murder mystery by a friend whose taste in books I respect, but didn't get on with it at all. It was at least 200 pages too long and the narrator (male murder detective) sounded like a giggly school girl for most of the book - actually talking about his "helpless, snorting giggles", "fresh fit of giggles", etc. Author can clearly write but isn't that good with suspense and doesn't seem to know how men think.

Check out the 50-Book thread from 11 years ago where we wrapped up the year in only 2 threads

I have read none of the Longlist but I do own Soldier Sailor I'm not in a mad rush my TBR is overflowing

Mad to see the early days of the thread, you've been at this a while! I only started in 2020

@CoteDAzur

What murder mystery series would you recommend?

I’ve read two of the longlist- The Wren, The Wren (okay- didn’t love it) and Ordinary Human Failings (tough but good). I own another 6 between kindle deals and gifts so will move them up the tbr.
Did the list fit with your predictions @FortunaMajor ?

Sorry to plop and run before, but I had a very urgent date with several library catalogues and a spreadsheet. I've been able to borrow some immediately and have a few on hold.

I've read 5
The Wren, the Wren - I love Anne Enright, but this didn't do much for me.
Enter Ghost - If I had to call it now, this would win.
Soldier Sailor - this would also be a serious contender.
Western Lane - I didn't dislike this, but it was nothing of note.
Ordinary Human Failings - I liked this a lot.

Only one other was on the eligible list, but I'm not sorry I did the pre-reading as I have discovered some great books/authors.

I'm smiling at the starting year having only 2 threads. I lurked at the end of 2016 for a few months and joined to participate in 2017.

Thanks for posting the list @FortunaMajor! I'm sure lots of big hitters have been missed but I think on balance it's good that they've nominated some lesser known books in the last few years.

I've only read Ordinary Human Failings which is not a likeable book exactly but I did think it was very good. Soldier Sailor I'm waiting for at the library.

I don't particularly rate Kate Grenville but I know she's been nominated a few times. I read Peace Adzo Medie's first novel last year and thought it was ok, this one looks more interesting and up my street.

All the others are completely new to me!

In other news, I saw today that Clare Chambers has a new book out in the autumn, I know a lot of people here enjoyed Small Pleasures, maybe excepting the ending. (And of course there's the new Sally Rooney coming at the same time but I may be the only one on this thread to be excited about that )

Thanks for posting the Women's Prize list @FortunaMajor - no Zadie Smith or Lauren Groff was a surprise.

I've only read Soldier, Sailor which feels like a strong contender but agree that Enter Ghost is probably the one to beat in light of what's going on at the moment. Western Lane was one of only 3 Booker books I didn't read so feel like I'm going to have to get round to it now. I may try and get some ARC copies of some of them but haven't been reading enough recently.

Thanks for the Women’s Prize list @FortunaMajor. I haven’t read any this time, in fact I haven’t heard of most of them so I’ll have to investigate.

I’m off for my annual jaunt to Barter Books tomorrow so I’ve been sorting out my pile of 40 books to take with me. Looking forward to a few hours indulging in secondhand books, cake and fish finger butties! I’m actually running out of shelf space so no idea where I’ll put any more books.