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?

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

I reread this and enjoyed it even more the second time. It's beautifully written and hits perfect tone. It's heart breaking, relatable and so sad. Also difficult to review without spoilers. Although it's technically sci-fi that isn't how it is written or comes across. I loved it from start to finish.

I didn't realise we were being competitive
Ffs. Talk about Twisting what's happening!

I think it was quite tongue in cheek. I’ll try to share here

The reading arms race: I’ve got through more than you

www.thetimes.com/article/12f099cd-7156-4a77-adb6-cdde977c7eb3?shareToken=899a13be5e71151870d0dbfb05c22984

As with anything seemingly harmless but that offers the chance to boast, Mumsnet quickly reveals a darker side.

Ouch!

It's not a "new trend" we've been at it years!

How long @Southeastdweller ?

And I've never seen anyone claim to have read a thousand books in a year

The first year I was on a 50 books thread was 2013!

How long ?

11 and a half years.

Think phrases such as “Oh, I only managed 120 last year” and you’re on the money.

I think Claire is on a different website because I've never seen any bragging about books on a MN thread.

I saw a post on twitter last week asking people how many books they've read in their lifetime and it had thousands of replies.

From the 1000 book poster…
I’m an exceptionally quick reader and normally get through 300 - 500 books in a year. I wanted to see if it was possible to do 1,000. Wouldn’t do that again, as having the target made it into more of a chore than enjoyment.

• hardly a smug boast!

I've definitely seen book snobbery on MN. But not as bad as Insta/threads/TwiX

I'm always in awe of those on this thread who hit 50 in about March. And I did mention competitiveness in posting the NYT list. So I won't deny that I'm aware of how much I'm reading- that's partly why I'm here, because a few years ago I found I was reading so little, I wanted to challenge myself and enjoy reading more.

Having said that, the article is an amusing bit of work not a hard hitting analysis!

I was mildly surprised by those posters hitting 40-50 books before the end of February. I love this thread and have picked up some fascinating reads from posts on here.

Well in a non-competitive spirit, of that list I have read 20, started and abandoned 14, and have 'honourable intentions' (aka 'kindle samples') towards a further 9.

@PepeLePew I agree. I had to grudge it out for a good 50 pages while the Brookes sisters were getting their jewellery sorted etc but once past this it took off and the turns of phrase, insights, the sense of the period are all marvellous.
There are some books I know I am never going to finish. Moby Dick may be the work of unparalleled genius everyone says it is and on my death bed I may list not reading this as one of my life's big regrets, but I'm afraid I'm going to take that risk. Whoever said that we only regret what what we don't do, probably didn't have Melville's descriptions of the state of cetology in mind.

Interestingly, that paragraph isn't in the print version!!

<waves at Claire>

I think it's safe to assume that the author of that Times article is not a member of this thread; she has totally failed to pick up the vibe 😂

Loving the theory that we are the Darker Side of MN though!

@GrannieMainland I felt the same as you about Brotherless Night. I thought it told an important story, but I also found the narrative voice to be curiously detached, and it wasn't a bold for me, although I admired it.

The darker side of Mumsnet - hilarious! They must never have visited AIBU or the sex boards.

Poor innocent journalist 😂

Hope no one checks my internet history to see how often I visit the Darker Side, it could be very incriminating.

@cassandre – oh yes, I would have cheerfully strangled the husband, but he didn’t put me off.

@GrannieMainland – I haven’t read Brotherless Nights yet and I only just bought it.

@J97King LOL! Too funny!

69 The Last Word – Elly Griffiths Harbinder Kaur Book 4. Hmmm. My least favourite Elly Griffiths book so far. It reunites characters from The Postscript Murders, which I loved, so this should have been a good read for me. But it all just felt a bit Scooby Doo to me. Harbinder is hardly in it. Far too many characters, I got a bit lost at who everyone was.

70 The Secret Adversary – Agatha Christie. The first in the Tommy and Tuppence books. I read all of AC’s books years ago when I was a teenager. I don’t remember anything of this one and it will fade very rapidly into the ether. Nothing to write home about.

71 Luckenbooth – Jenni Fagan. Goodness, where to start with this one. I really enjoyed Hex and thought the premise of this book was interesting. It centres on a tenement stair in the centre of Edinburgh and the story takes place over 90 years. I did not enjoy. There were too many stories and too many characters. Fagan fair bangs the drum for feminism and someone like me should enjoy it, but no. It was a struggle to be preached to.

Thanks @Sadik - I am also a Heyer fan so will look out for your recommendations.

@YolandiFuckinVisser I really enjoyed Wonder when I read it. The chapter from his sisters point of view and her relationship with their grandma was really touching (& I’m a super cynic). I thought the author coped out a bit with an overly neat and happy ending, but maybe that’s me.
@Mothership4two glad to see another Never Let Me Go Fan - I loved it too.

Made me smile - can’t think of anything much less competitive than these threads. If they think this is a dark corner of the internet they must be living a very sheltered life.

They need to try out the Strictly threads!

Still not finished anything else and continuing with what could be considered light drivel audio books on BorrowBox. Don’t seem able to concentrate enough to actually read anything.

I do my best Piggy honest

I nearly posted Kum By Yah the other day