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 .

His Lost City of Z was quite readable too, and I see he has one about Henry Worsley as well.

Oh I just checked and was on the what we're reading general threads since 2012 but on 50 books for the first time in 2015. One of my first posts was recommending something to Remus who was bored of everything!

116. The Proof of My Innocence - Jonathan Coe. I like Jonathan Coe and this was good fun. He is basically satirizing different popular styles of writing while also taking a pop at extreme conservatism. The start is about 20-something Phyl, who has just finished university and is living at home with her parents. One of her mother's University friends Christopher Swann comes to stay with his adopted daughter Rashida. Chris is on his way to a True Conservative conference in a country house. He has a political blog where he bemoans the present state of the conservative party - the book is set against Liz Truss's premiership - and It piques Phyl's interest. The rest of the book is based around Phyl's efforts to be an author, and trying out different styles following Chris's journey. First a cosy crime, then a dark academia memoir to his uni days and finally an auto-fiction narrated by Phyl and Rashida. This was enjoyable. I listened to the audio which was good.

Same here. I see from her website she's doing a talk in Chester at the end of next month so perhaps she'll announce something then. It's hard to believe it's been ten years since her last book, The Paying Guests. This is her longest gap between novels.

@Stowickthevast Some things change, some stay the same. 😂

What did you recommend? I wonder if I read it!

It’s in the 12 Days of Kindle deals at the moment - a bargain at 99p. I bought it.

I bought it also.

Remus it was something like a John Le Carre which I'm sure you would have already read.

I tried to post to the old thread and panicked when I realised it was full Glad to find you all here, and lovely to see some new names ready to join the 2025 threads.

I've been on these threads since 2017 and they are my favourite place on the entire internet. I was stuck in a crime/mystery rut before I joined and this has gotten me back to reading more broadly. It has also cost me several hundred pounds and an ever-growing TBR. But that has always been the way, back from when I worked in a bookshop and used to spend half my wages on the stock...

I thought I wouldn't finish any more this year but finished number 46 on a long flight, which was Nora Ephron's Heartburn - a reread and still absolutely brilliant. I need to find and rewatch the film too I think.

Now wondering whether to cheat my way to 50 with a few short books, or whether to just carry on with my Christopher Brookmyre and accept that I'll fall short again!

A couple more from me.

Black and British David Olusoga
I’ve been reading this since May! Largely, because unless I read non-fiction daily I get swept up in my fiction reading. I am sure this doesn’t need a huge introduction, it is the story of Black and British - people, places, ideas - told from a global perspective. It’s very good, and crucially very accessible. I got bogged down by at least 50% being focussed on the slave trade, whereas I wanted to read about Black Britons. That said, now I’ve finished it makes sense that he took this approach since you cannot accurately explain black presence in Britain without this.

Treasured Island Frank Bennett
Thanks to @bibliomania for recommending this on my thread about literary trips and wandering in the UK. Read this today and thoroughly enjoyed this. I was particularly interested in his commentary on the way locations are presented and how they add to our outstanding. I find museology fascinating, so that was an unexpected bonus.

That brings me to 38 so I might opt for a couple of short reads to hit 40. I’d set my target at 30, and have tried not to get too hung up on numbers.

I think I've actually only read (and loved) The Spy who Came in from the Cold - I wonder if any of his others are worth a go?

Hey all.

Ive had a terrible year for reading but had lots going on and found it difficult to focus on books. Just finished my 16th today.
Think I fell off the threads early on this year.

also failed miserably at my New Year’s resolution of read more books than I buy but that’s a resolution I don’t mind failing!

anyway hoping to get my head back in the game for next year. Just started ‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ as something hopefully easy going to keep up my interest.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all

I think I joined in 2019 - it was while I was potty training DD. I used to be InMyOwnParticularIdiom.

70 A Body Made of Glass - Caroline Crampton
Memoir of health anxiety, mixed with a cultural history of hypochondria. I don’t get on that well with literary memoir, so could have done with a more straightforward medical history - but that’s not the book's fault.

Anyway, I made it to 70!

Well done on your 70 @LadybirdDaphne !

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is good. But probably needs a chunk or two of time rather than a few pages here and there, as it’s about finding a mole so it’s easy to lose track of who is double crossing who!

Glad you liked it @AgualusasLover ! He spends more time than necessary grouching about parking, but I hope it sparks some ideas for adventures!

Thanks @SheilaFentiman

I fell off the thread quite early on. This year has been a very difficult one. DS is autistic and has increasingly severe MH problems which have needed CAMHS involvement. At the moment we're able to keep him out of hospital, but I've no idea for how much longer. The impact of DS's problems has taken its toll on DH & DD as well as me and we're all just trying to keep our heads above water.

Reading has been mostly audiobooks and has been a comfort to me in these difficult days. I have, surprisingly, managed over 100 books, mostly easier reads, nothing too challenging. I haven't had time to write reviews, but I have been enjoying reading the threads throughout the year. I may join in 2025, but posts will be sporadic.

Hoping you've all had a good reading year.

Best wishes to you and your family @BarbaraBuncle

That sounds really tough, @BarbaraBuncle

Best wishes @BarbaraBuncle Im glad the audiobooks have been a comfort.

That does sound really difficult @BarbaraBuncle , sending you all best wishes.

Barbara so sorry to hear it

I've been loving lurking on this thread thank you.
I've fallen down a hole of the Instagram trends this year and hope i wont waste as much time skim reading absolute rubbish in 2025 so will list them just as an individual series. Thanks for tips for my 2025 reading. I also just joined the library so may go back to real books for a change from my kindle.
1.Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Taylor Jenkins Reid
2.The Guest List Lucy Foley
3.The Magicians Assistant Ann Patchett
4.The Perfect Match Dandy Smith
5.Reminders of Him Coleen Hoover
6.Shadow & Bone Leigh Bardugo
7.Seige & Storm Leigh Barddugo
8.Two Twisted Crowns Rachel Gillig
9.Tell me how this ends Jo Leevers
10.The Alone Time Elle Marf
11.Ruin & Rising Leigh Bardugo
12 The Bullet that Missed Richard Osman
13.The list of suspicious things Jennie Godfrey
14.My Favorite Mistake Marian Keyes
15.My Sister the serial killer Oyinkan Braithwaite
16.ACOTAR 5 books Sarah J Maas
17.Country Secrets Fiona Walker
18.Cut and Thirst Margaret Atwood
19.Remarkably Bright Creatures Shelby Van Pelt
20.The Scent of hours Barbara O'Neal
21.Fourth Wing 2 books Rebecca Yarros
22.The Wishing Game Meg Shaffer
23.All Fours Miranda July
24.Keeper of Enchanted Rooms Charlie N Holmberg
25.Weyward Emilia Hart
26.The Bookstore Wedding Allice Hoffman
27.The last list of Mabel Beaumont Laura Pearson
28.The Midnight Library Matt Haig
29.Girl A Abigail Dean
30.Origin Dan Brown
31.The Cypress Maze Fiona Valpy
32.Swimming to Lundy Amanda Prowse
33.The Riviera House Swap Gillian Harvey
34.The Psychopath Mary Turner Thompson
35.Kate Atkinson Transcription
36.Stone Yard Devotional Charlotte Wood
37.Heir of uncertain magic Charlie M Homberg
38.Mythos Steven Fry
39.James Percival Everett
40.The Mirror and the Light Hilary mantel
41 Throne of glass series 7 Sarah J Maas
42.Loosley Based on a true story James Blunt
43.Bleed for me Micheal Robotham
44.The last Devil to die Richard Osman
45.The man who made husbands jealous Jilly Cooper
46.Yellowface RF Kuang
47.Comfort Eating Grace Dent
48.Klara and the Sun Kazuo Ishiguro
49.The Housemaid Freida Mcfadden
50.The Housemaids Secret Freida Mcfadden