50 Books Challenge 2024 Part Five

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fifth 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.

Some of us bring over to the new thread lists of the books we've read so far, but again - this is your choice.

The first thread is here, the second one here , the third one here and the fourth one here

What are you reading?

I don’t do very well on that list! But I’m not a big contemporary book person. Slightly surprised by a few of the entries (but pleased they've included Behind the Beautiful Forevers, which I really enjoyed)

Alternative link: https://archive.ph/bzPK9

I’ve read about a dozen or so of those but have never read the no 1. But some which have been contentious on here - Station 11 divided the thread a few years back. And of course, Never Let Me Go.

I can recommend The Emperor of All Maladies from that list.

I've read 20 of the list and have about 30 more on TBR mountain.

I’ve read 5 of them and they were all great - I’m sure I’ll eventually end up reading more from the list, but I don’t feel any urgency to do so at the moment! More in the mood for beach reads right now 😄

I’ve only read 5. I started but gave up on two others, including the number 1!

Thanks for the list! I've read a few including #1 and I recognise others from discussions here. There are others that I would love to get around to reading as well...

I’ve read 23 and own another15 or so so they’re in the TBR. I loved some but hated others (Goon Squad I’m looking at you!)

I've read 32. I would say that the list has a bias toward US authors (unsurprisingly, since it's the NY Times) and I'm American.

I'm happy to see a few great titles there by translated women writers (@JaninaDuszejko , I'm thinking of you). Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen (a recent discovery for me), and of course Annie Ernaux and Elena Ferrante.

Other authors on the list who were bolds for me: Hilary Mantel, Maryanne Robinson, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Zadie Smith, Claire Keegan, Donna Tartt, Elizabeth Strout, Gabrielle Zevin, Ali Smith.

I've read very few of the male writers.

I've read 20 from that list, but there are several that I've never even heard of!

I've read 14 - mostly the obvious ones. Never been a huge contemporary fiction fan, espeiclaly when it's American. The ones I have read and enjoyed weren't the American ones!

Heavens, I have read less than 10 of those ( though no 1 is on my shelf, unread and borrowed, must read and return it!)

14 read from that list and I didn't think much of most of them - in particular I hated How to Be Both, although I adored The Goldfinch, which I'm surprised didn't place higher than 46.

I've read 16 which considering I don't read much American fiction isn't bad. A reminder that I do need to read some Annie Ernaux. I do love the number one but I'm not sure I'd have it as my number one, it was massively successful in the US though.

Interesting that Americanah is listed but not Half of a Yellow Sun, suspect in the UK it would be the other way round.

I can't read the list. It won't let me make an account and not subscribe!

@BlueFairyBugsBooks you can read it without an account using the link in Terpsichore's post.

I've read 31 so not a bad innings. Many I hadn't heard of.

Station Eleven though ?

SERIOUSLY?!

NLMG ranked highly too.

I've read 17 of them, & it looks like an interesting list, particularly the non-fiction. Glad to see both Evicted by Matthew Desmond and The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson on the list. I'll go back & have a read in more depth and no doubt add more things to my TBR!

Thanks for this. I have read 15 of them and started but not finished a few more including Wolf Hall and My Brilliant Friend!

Thank you for the list (and especially the archive version). I've read 17, DNF 3 and have 2 on my TBR pile. I'd say some are worthy inclusions eg Marilynne Robinson, Annie Ernaux, W G Sebald and Claire Keegan but, as Eine points out, Stations Eleven! NLMG! Really?!

I just went back to count up properly and I’ve read 12 - with quite a few more languishing on the kindle 🫣

Proud to say I've only read 1 on the list 😁

@RomanMum I’m very curious about which one and what you thought of it.

I’ve also only read one, but have a few on the tbr list

Thank you, I somehow missed that post !
I might have read White Teeth and Atonement, but I'm not 100% sure.
I started Wolf Hall, bit as I was reading via the kindle app on my phone didn't get far. Other than that I've read none of them

Went back to count them up. Nine.