50 Books Challenge 2024 Part Nine

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the ninth and final thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year, possibly the shortest thread in the twelve years the other 50 Books Challenge threads have been going.

The challenge was 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, the fourth one here , the fifth one here , the sixth one here , the seventh one here and the eighth one here .

Congatulations 🙂@Kinsters
Thanks for the new thread @Southeastdweller .

I'll save my little list for the round up thread. Im rather excited that i have finished something new, as i was in a total reader's block and was beginning to think id never read a 'proper book' again. Someone reviewed it recently (thanks - i cant remember who) and i thought 'Strout - i might be able to manage that' and did.

36. The Burgess Boys Elizabeth Strout
I liked My Name is Lucy Barton and absolutely loved Anythingis Possible. I didn't enjoy this quite as much, although it was still good. Young adult Zach throws a pigs head into a Somali mosque in small town Maine. This brings his mother back into contact with her two brothers who are now lawyers in New York (the Burgess boys of the title). I liked this a little less thsn the others, because i think Strout does 'small' better than 'big'. The explorations of the hunan relationships were as good as ever - the people are very real. However, i was less convinced by the explorations of wider themes such as immigration, racism and culture clashes.

I’ve been around MN since about 2007/08 and was definitely about in various username forms in the early 50 Bookers days but maybe year 2-3 as I know it felt somewhat established. I joined and fell off every year for years. I think I’ve only been here properly since just before COVID.

Looked back to discover I have been here since 2018 and it’s definitely encouraged me to read more and read more widely. Thank you all!

Happy belated Christmas 50 bookers. I won't bring my list across as will post it on the roundup thread. Disappointingly I didn't get a single book for Xmas. Dh's family are normally pretty good at buying books from my Wish list but avoided all the books this year, although bil did buy me the kindle page turner I asked for so that's book adjacent at least

Just finished 89) Riders by Jilly Cooper
A re-read having now watched rivals on iPlayer which I thought was brilliant! So true to the book, the casting was great (except rcb, I just can't get behind that choice) and I thought the time period was captured perfectly. Loved it. So have gone back for a jilly re-read. I definitely understand why they didn't start the series with Riders, RCB's behavior is so abhorrent he'd never come across as the "hero" if they covered things like the Kenya orgy but overall I love the book and it's a great introduction to the characters. Have now moved on to Rivals, not sure if I'll finish before the new year but will give it a go

I also bought the earlier Jilly books on deal & have started with Riders but my god RCB is annoying. I'm sure I read most of them back in the day, but I'd forgotten just how irritating & how much he needs a smack round the head with a wet fish.

126 Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

I saw this making an appearance on quite a few lists of top books of the year so I moved it to the top of TBR mountain. I’m not sure what I’m missing here but I’m just not getting it. I think one of the problems was that I found it a bit jarring that the three daughters had clearly heard this story many times before, and yet there were constant exclamations of “I didn’t know that!” and it all rang a bit false to me. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, and obviously well written, but I just found it all a little bit dull.

Can I join for 2025? I have no idea of I’ll manage 5 books but love the idea!! Any tips on finding the time!

Welcome @OddBallNumber5. I try and limit the amount of time spent faffing on the internet as I can waste hours of reading time doing absolutely nothing. I also find audio books really good as I listen to them if I go for a walk.

I think today might be a curl up on the sofa and read day. It was DH’s birthday yesterday but we came home from family early as he was feeling poorly and he hasn’t surfaced yet. Both kids are in their bedrooms and I’ve tidied round most of the post-Christmas mess so it’s now time to chill out with one of the cats.

I didn’t get any books this year as I’ve become a Kindle convert and never seem to pick up physical books anymore.

@MamaNewtNewt

It was read by Meryl Streep on the audio which elevated it

@TattiePants

I have the same issue RE KIndle versus physical books

My Christmas haul. Not sure if I have shared but sharing again. Charles Dickens Hard Times that I wanted and a surprise one Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum which was in a book gift box. Looking forward to reading them both. Have been on these threads under a different user name but honestly don’t know from when certainly during Covid and before that at some point I think. Hello to newbies and lots more reading in 2025

Just done a search and discovered I’ve been on these threads since the very first one. Not quite sure I want to know what that says about me!

@Kinsters – what lovely news. I’m sure you will have had a fabulous day with your wee family

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit @ÚlldemoShúl – read what you own sounds a great idea! I think I will join for January.

@MamaNewtNewt re Chris Clark. Shocked to read that he is younger than me! Just not appropriate to the n word or similar. Brought up in Cameroon, perhaps the word is not as shocking to him as to us or he was used to using it?

@Boiledeggandtoast – great Christmas pile!

@BiscuitsBooks @OddBallNumber5 – welcome!

@FortunaMajor – laughing at you having to open a bottle of wine with a screwdriver! We actually had to open bottles on Christmas Day, no idea who bought us posh stuff, we usually just have the screw tops

Hope you lovely 50 Bookers had a lovely day yesterday. Just a few books from DD. She is also great at getting me books presents. I got books 2, 3 and 4 in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series. She got me the first one for my birthday and I loved it.

I’m very much a newbie to this thread. I think I started in 2022 or maybe even just 2023.

118 Weyward – Emilia Weyward (Audible) I cant remember if this was recommended here or on the What Should I Read Next? Podcast or an article about Audible books. It’s about 3 women, Altha in 1619, Violet in 1942 and Kate in 2019. The women are all connected by their love of nature and perhaps something else. I loved this. It was a great read, especially with three different narrators.

@OddBallNumber5 I go to bed half an hour before intend to go to sleep and use that time to read. I find it a really relaxing way to end the day and stops me from doomscrolling on my phone.

I’m more of a lurker than a poster but have taken so much from these threads - it’s really expanded what I read and I’ve found so many new and wonderful books and authors from it. This thread really is the nicest place on the internet.

I did a search as well and it confirms what I suspected; I have been around since January '21 first under IsFuzzyBeagMise and then had a name change to FuzzyCaoraDhubh. This is also my favourite corner of the Internet. It was brilliant meeting some of you in London in May. A highlight of 2024 for sure.

I reviewed The Burgess Boys quite recently @Owlbookend. I'm glad you liked it. I Iike your review and agree with you when you said that Strout is best when she does 'small' rather than take on bigger issues.

Thank you for that description of opening the bottle of wine with a screwdriver Fortuna 😄 It made me laugh. Also Biblio's description of opening Christmas gifts with her family! Oh dear! 😅

I've finished A Christmas Carol which I still love as much as ever and have started the book whose title I have not managed to get right yet...The Inn at the Edge of the World by Alice Thomas Ellis.
So far I'm enjoying it.

Welcome @OddBallNumber5 to the thread! Happy Reading!

Next year will be my seventh year, I believe.

I was on the very first thread as NicknameTaken. Hard to believe it's been so long!

I know I lurked for a few years, joined in half heartedly for a couple of years, then this year and last year saw it all the way through and made proper notes on my books.

I was comfily ensconced in my room with Rupert Everett earlier. DH came in to pack for going away tomorrow and although he said he wouldn’t talk to me he Then. Proceeded. To. Talk. To. Me. I know the posters on this thread will understand

I've just bought:
A Paper Cup - Karen Campbell
Experience - Martin Amis
My Family - David Baddiel
all for 99p.

Please can I join?
Looking through my goodreads it seems I only read/want to read chick lit, and stories of foster parents so hopefully I'll find some new book genres that I like.

We definitely have diverse tastes here @Sodascreams I'm going to recommend you None of this is true by Lisa Jewell

Welcome @BiscuitsBooks @OddBallNumber5 and @Sodascreams

I've added it to my list, it sounds really good. Thank you 😁

Just looked and I’ve been on these threads since 2015, at least under this name. Ten years! I NC’d a few times before that but can’t remember what I was.

It’s the best thread!

How are you searching? I think I've been on here a long time but drifted off for a few years and returned (was Stokey).

By name and filtering by date.