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 .

Wishing you all the very best @BarbaraBuncle That sounds really difficult. I hope 2025 brings him more of the right help that he needs.

@BarbaraBuncle sending best wishes.

Sorry to hear that @BarbaraBuncle. Hoping 2025 is a better year for you and your family. We will all be here whenever you want to drop in next year.

@BarbaraBuncle that's so tough for you all. Sending best wishes.

Hope 2025 is better Barbara

357 Out of Character by Alison Steadman

The actress looks back over her acting life. It was fine, but all felt very surface level - there’s not much about herself in here. I don’t feel I know her any better after reading this. Nice to read about some of her famous roles though.

Thinking of you and your family @BarbaraBuncle

Hi all

I'm here to mark my place as newbie to the 50 books challenge for 2025 thread as suggested by @EineReiseDurchDieZeit Thank you

My hope is that by joining this thread I will read more widely and out of my comfort zone

I am looking for some suggestions. I've bookmarked a few ideas but looking for recommendations to get me started in either/all of these genres

1. Chicklit

2. Book in Spanish suitable for an intermediate learner

3. Crime/Thriller/Psychological Thriller

Welcome @LuckyMauveReader

Have you tried any Taylor Jenkins Reid?

There's an interconnected series of hers which is :

Daisy Jones And The Six
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Malibu Rising
And
Carrie Soto Is Back

Welcome to the thread@LuckyMauveReader !

If you have a Kindle, I recommend the Olly Richards series of books for Spanish. I find them great for learning Italian. I had a look and there's loads for Spanish.

And Jane Casey/the Maeve Kerrigan series for a good psychological thriller.

Happy reading!

The Spy who Came in From the Cold - an absolute classic and very, very good. Dark though.

If you don't mind historical crime - have you read the Shardlake series?

I'd also always recommend Raymond Chandler, if you haven't yet come across him - classic hard boiled crime.

Thank you all.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit The book None of this is Real, looks/sounds great. The Taylor Reid series is not something I would've considered but will read the first and see how I find it.

@FuzzyCaoraDhubh I don't have a Kindle but do have a few of Olly Richards books. They're good but the stories are quite simplistic - To be honest I keep avoiding reading substantial books in Spanish. Maybe I should jump in feet first and have a dictionary to hand. We'll see. I may get one of his books in advanced level and try that. I'm nowhere near fluent and can't see that happening very soon, but will persevere. ATM I'm just enjoying learning.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie I have actually bookmarked The Spy Who Came in from the Cold from the chat. It does sound like something that would engage me.
The Shardlake series is again something I wouldn't have chosen but have watched The Tudors and enjoyed that series. Intertwined with mystery and crime seems quite appealing. I'll look forward to reading the first one.
Gosh! Raymond Chandler was quite prolific. There are many titles to choose from. Some of the titles are familiar from TV but right now I can't remember if I have watched them or not.

Those are some great suggestions and are sure to take me well and truly out of my comfort zone. I now have a good list to keep me going. I will keep an eye on the threads and keep you updated.

For Chandler, I'd start with The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye or Farewell my Lovely.

Hope you find something that you like!

I'll keep that in mind.

Have you read any of his poetry? I used to like reading Limericks when I was a teen but I don't think they count😂

Another suggestion @LuckyMauveReader is to read one of the classics translated into Spanish and read the original in English alongside it, a chapter at a time. Something with a good story to keep you interested.

You could also look up the set texts for A-level Spanish if there are any. There might be something good there and within the scope of an upper intermediate learner at least not massively difficult. I think reading really helps to improve in a language. Good luck with it!

I'm not aware of him having written much poetry to be honest. Maybe some juvenile stuff? And a quick google just gave me this article.

Limericks are a fine poetry form. In fact, I think we should have a go at writing our book reviews as limericks:

In proving Jane Austen a radical
Kelly resorts to the farcical
Finding sexual perversion
where there never were some
made Remus' hatred emphatical

Thank you very much Southeast for the new thread.

I checked and can see I was posting on the thread as long ago as 2015. Amazed!

And hello to all the new people! This is a great place to be.

@RomanMum good to hear that you enjoyed P&P (sort of). I've been lucky with theatre trips lately. Come From Away was good and Spend Spend Spend was brilliant. Also looking forward to Hamilton soon.

@GrannieMainland I struggled with A Place of Greater Safety I have to admit. I couldn't seem to get the three main characters straight in my head and gave up about 50 pages in. Possibly my fault; having so enjoyed the Wolf Hall trilogy I was expecting to love it.

@StrangewaysHereWeCome I had to study Mansfield Park in my first year at university. I didn't love it then and it's my least favourite Austen now .. and I'm a big JA fan. It seems a strange choice to inspire 18 year olds with a love of literature, in retrospect.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie I think the Karla trilogy which are the Smiley ones are good. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is the first as recommended by @SheilaFentiman

Welcome to all newbies and thoughts with those who have had a tough year. Hopefully books can provide some welcome distraction.

I'm off to Bath tomorrow and hoping I can fit in a trip to Mr Bs and Persephone.

I've just started Mansfield Park. I think I read it years ago when I was young. I haven't read an Austen for a very long time.

Writing our book reviews in Limericks! I'm so tempted to do this 😅

The oceans are really quite huge
So they give our dear Earth its fine hue
With icebergs and gyres
Helen Czerski inspires
As she writes about all matters blue

• Blue Machine, Helen Czerski

In None Of This Is True
Is a woman just like me and you
But her podcast will be changed
By a woman deranged
And create much actual poo

There's horses and bonking galore
(You'd think all their bits would be sore)
Rupert's a cad
His wife makes Jake mad
But broadly, after some relationship rejigging, on the whole, everyone's happier than they were before.

(I bought the Jilly books to save for my holiday later in January, and totally failed to do so. Now on to Polo.)

Edited - sorry, double post

@Sadik

I've just started Polo and can't get over the main female lead being just fifteen, fourteen when it starts!

Welcome to all the new members. Great to see more coming to enjoy this lovely thread.

212 The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivy
There was an old pair long ago
Who made a child out of snow
She went every Spring
A magic realism kinda thing?
Easy story that gives you a glow

213 Speaks the Nightbird by Robert McCammon (audio)
In Font Royal (USA) deaths abound
There must be a witch around
Scribe Matthew Corbett has doubts
And investigates round about
And his conclusions are sound

214 Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst
David, an actor, is getting old
It’s his life which herein is told
The loves and joy and sadness of his tale
He beautifully regales
This story for me is a bold