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?

But what about the fiends that just jump in your bag Best?

I was strong .

This time at least.

Unprecedented behaviour from a 50booker 😀❤️

Do you need a lie down Best?

We left them at the entrance door and DH hurried me past the book shop with the promise of cake (I may have been there last Friday and might have come away with a couple of Agatha Christies).

:D

FFS, I’ve just been into the loft and spotted a box of books in the far corner. We’ve been here 24 years!

Oh no - are they yours or the previous owners??

😁

Mine!

New Dickensalong to those who join

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/what_were_reading/5123531-new-dickensalong-martin-chuzzlewit-2024-2025

On that note, I've just finished 31. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. We follow David in this first-person, pretty autobiographical novel right from his birth, through the various struggles of his childhood to his successful career as a novelist.

As you'd expect with Dickens, this is packed full of harsh step-parents, comical old crones, sly tricksters and out-and-out bounders. The depictions of David's early years as he struggles to stay afloat after the death of his mother and seeks new parental figures were great. TBH I found the middle section dragged quite a lot, and this wasn't helped by the fact that I wanted to punch the simpering Dora and find Jip a nice new owner who didn't keep punishing him for doing exactly what dogs do. However in the last quarter we raced along again tying up the various plotlines neatly.

I might go for Demon Copperhead at some point, but will need a few palate cleansers first.

Of the ones I've read, David Copperfield is my favourite Dickens

I'm currently reading David Copperfield after reading Demon Copperhead. I started well but agree the middle is dragging a little. Glad to hear it speeds up! I loved Demon Copperhead.

@Piggywaspushed I'd love to join, have never read any of Dickens' 'forgotten' trio.

List fans, NYT have released their readers' choice top 100 21st C. (as I was still putting together my 10 votes 😆)
https://archive.is/Wk8aM
Adds Olga Tokarczuk and Empire of Pain which* I thought the original list lacked, but also ones I was surprised but pleased not to see (Ottessa Moshfegh, Ocean Vuong, A Little Life*...), so swings and roundabouts.

Yet to count properly but am heading out for a bookgroup meeting and then to spend my birthday book tokens 😀

I do like a list - thanks @inaptonym ! I’ve read 13 on the readers’ choice list, a vast improvement on the 5 I had read from the main list! (One or two of them were not that great though - Gone Girl?!?)

Thanks @inaptonym

I got 54 on that list and many others on TBR I had all of the Top 10 except My Brilliant Friend which I abandoned but might go back to.

Yep, definitely fared better on that list! Read 31 and many of the others are languishing on my kindle, bedside table, arm of the sofa etc etc etc.

I've read 3 from the readers list. Clearly I'm not a fan of popular books

43 for me on that list (compared to 20 on the other list).

I have reAd 21 on that list and have loads more on my kindle to read

Read 45 on that list with a further 20 on my TBR. I’ve read or own 22 of the top 25 so I clearly have a preference for more current reads.

I've done 27 from that list. Quite a few I deliberately haven't read!

15 for me on that list, with a couple more DNF and a few more on TBR list.

I've done 53 on that list compared with 34 on the original. It feels like it's skewed quite recently with things like The Bee Sting, James and North Woods. It's got much more popular books too like The Hunger Games.

Pleased to see Homegoing and Abraham Varghese but there is no way Cloud Cuckoo Land should be on any best of list!