50 Books Challenge 2025 Part One

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the first thread of the 50 Book Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2025, 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, especially when the threads move quickly at this time of the year.

Who's in for this year?

2 Once Upon a River - Diane Setterfield Set in a vaguely late-Victorian period, the story begins in a riverside pub on the upper reaches of the Thames on the night of the winter solstice. In the midst of the usual storytelling, the door bangs open to reveal a badly injured man carrying a small child who appears to have drowned - but who miraculously comes back to life. From there, we learn about the families along the river who may have a connection to the mystery child, and over the course of the next year the story plays out, with a neat tying-up of the various strands by the end.

This is very much a book about storytelling, and is written in the style of that kind of story, meaning that suspension of disbelief is needed from time to time. But the characters are interesting and sympathetic, and I was keen to find out what happened to them all. Overall, I liked this a lot - although I did like The Thirteenth Tale even more (and might go back for a re-read of that soon).

Joining! I have just finished The Snapper which I found hilarious and a nice short read to start me off. I remember watching the film years ago. I have just ordered the trilogy.

I've been to Holkham Hall, but I had young kids with me at the time so my main memories are of the adventure playground, nearby beach and cream tea in the cafe

All excellent btw!

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit sorry, I probably didn’t explain it well.

Here is what my list looks like in Notes - when I have just finished a title, I copy the text after the slash.

Then when I paste that into MN, and add my review, it doesn’t think the title and author are part of a list, so I can manually add the correct number to the front when I have finished (if I don’t use the slash, it starts at 1 in a list each time).

I hope that’s clearer, but maybe not 😀

ETA: you need to click on the picture to see it all

@SheilaFentiman

I kind of see what you mean, I'll give it a try. Thanks again

Warning I strongly disliked Apples Never Fall thought it was utterly rubbish

2 Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent - Judi Dench & Brendan O’Hea

Utterly wonderful book in which Judi talks through her experiences in playing various Shakespeare roles, in a conversation format with fellow actor O’Hea. I think I learned more about Shakespeare listening to this book than in all my GCSE and A Level classes, and wish to press it warmly into the hands of anyone with even a passing enjoyment of theatre and the Bard. NB the audiobook is not narrated by Dench but the Audible narrator does an excellent job.

One of the Good Guys - Araminta Hall
After an acrimonious split from his wife, a man leaves London for a remote section of coast. He starts a tentative relationship with his neighbour, but when two young women go missing locally, they are both drawn into the police investigation.

Book club choice and what a cracker. Can't say much without spoilers, but we'll have a lot to discuss! I found this well written and very thought provoking. Bit of a page turner, did not expect the ending (which was a bit infuriating). It's MPV and sometimes a bit confusing whose POV it is. It's not something I would usually pick up so I assume the rec came from here. Thank you to whoever it was. It wouldn't surprise me if it was picked up for TV.

I utterly adored this. Just seeing the title made me smile.

I read Lady in Waiting when it first came out. All the good bits had been widely publicised and I wasn't much taken with the rest.

Ooh.. can I join? I’m currently reading atomic habits by James clear. Basically recommended reading at work

2 Shuggie Bain - Douglas Stuart
Growing up in Glasgow during the 80s, Shuggie is the son of an alcoholic who spends her life keeping up appearances and battling her demons from her poor choices. Shuggie is an outcast at school but isn’t sure why, though the rest of the world recognises that he is gay and taunt him for it which makes him want to be ‘normal’ more than ever.

This was a bold for me. Couldn’t put it down. I was desperate for Agnes to get her life together and despite all the awful things she did, I was very much on her side against the other women she encountered. Heartbreaking to see the devastation something like alcoholism can cause and how many people of effects outside of the immediate family.

My list is currently looking like

1. I Must Betray You - Ruta Sepetys
2. Grow - Luke Palmer
3. /The World Before Us: The New Science Behind Our Human Origins - Tom Higham (audiobook)

I'd picked up Grow thinking it'd be the sort of thing my eldest might be interested in, and thought I'd check it over first. Overall, I'd say it's an appropriate read for secondary school students and spans multiple themes including radicalisation, loss, racism, family and relationships. I'd love to see this (or a very similar) plot written for an adult rather than young adult audience; it's sufficiently strong to carry deeper character development and a more extensive cast of characters. I enjoyed the use of the garden in the book, and the many metaphors woven throughout around this, and thought the violence was handled well throughout in a manner which I'd be happy for my kids to read in the context of the book.

@MrsALambert I loved Shuggie Bain as well. I think the warmth and wit of Stuart's writing really elevated it above other books other books that focus on stories of hardship, abuse and neglect (A Little Life springs to mind...)

Apples Never Fall is definitely the weakest Liane Moriarty I’ve read. The tv adaptation is even worse, so boring! But I really enjoyed her new one, Here One Moment.

Ooh thank you I will check out David Vann! And I’ll try to track down that podcast episode too!

Agreed. It was like a to and fro between sympathy and frustration but without being predictable or a tied up neat happy ending. One I’ll be thinking about for a while

Legend Of A Suicide by David Vann is really good.

@thesecondmrsdewinter20 it was the You're Booked podcast dated 8 April 2020 😀

I have just finished (1) Bad Fruit by Ella King.

I absolutely loved it and will be holding onto it, which I rarely do with books these days.

It centres on the relationship between an 18 year old and her demanding mother, who is from Singapore. It had brilliant reviews and it did not disappoint.

Joining belatedly.

I'm not back to work yet, so I've made a good start on my list due to extra time off to read.
Books 1-5 are all from the same series as I'm reading the Jodi Taylor St Mary's series. I'd read book 1 before new year, and have now read books 2-4 and one of the short stories.

Kindle unlimited is currently 99p for the next 3 months, so I've also joined that to read some new stuff after I've caught up with the rest of the series.

3 The List by Yomi Adegoke

Ola and Michael are a happily engaged couple until Michael's name appears on The List a #MeToo style exposè of abusers in the creative industry. Once his name has appeared, things spiral for them both.
The exploration of the emotional and societal fallout from the list is intriguing, yet it lacks deeper reflection on the broader implications of abuse and redemption, leaving some key aspects underdeveloped. Moreover, the book’s contemporary references, particularly surrounding the creative industry and social media, quickly date the narrative, making it feel less timeless. While it touches on important themes, it ultimately feels more like a snapshot of a specific moment than a fully realized exploration of the issues it presents. It’s a quick read, but not as thought-provoking or enduring as one might hope given its timely subject matter. The narrative is engaging at times, but what really let it down for me were the numerous contemporary references, especially related to social media and pop culture, which already feel dated. Terms, apps, and influencers that are currently popular may lose relevance quickly, making the book feel less timeless and more of a snapshot of a specific moment in time. This diminishes its potential longevity, and I found it hard to connect with the characters when the cultural references started to feel forced or outdated. It’s an enjoyable read in the moment, but not one I’ll likely revisit or remember for long.

1. Wuthering Heights, I don't recall reading this years ago. I quite enjoyed it once I got the characters sorted out.
2. Every move you make, C.L Taylor. Several people are being stalked and re part of an online support group. I worked out that one of them wasn't who they seem, hardly surprising really. It was okay as a quick read but it won't be setting the book charts on fire.

Hmm, how do you do numbers not bullet points ?