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?

Armfield

2 Joe Abercrombie - The Trouble with Peace
#2 of the The Age of Madness trilogy, but #9 overall in The First Law world, which makes a spoiler-free review impossible. I didn't enjoy it quite as much the immediately preceding book but it was still excellent, full of plot twists and characters developing in unexpected ways and alliances turning on a sixpence. Some great big set pieces and JA remains one of the few authors writing battle scenes I'm never tempted to skim. As always brilliantly read by Steven Pacey, although his excellent characterisations do occasional preempt the reveal of who certain mysterious figures are. Grand finale up next and I can't predict anything - will even the Bank fall?

3 Carys Davis - Clear
Literary historical fiction set in 1840s Scotland during the Clearances. Free Minister John Ferguson is dispatched to a remote island to evict its sole remaining inhabitant, but on arrival, an accident places him at the mercy of that very man, Ivar. Through alternating POVs their relationship evolves, from mutual incomprehension (literally speaking different languages) to an intimacy built on the mundane actions of daily life. Eventually John begins compiling a glossary of Ivar’s words, which according to the afterword was based on Norn, including: flinter (to bustle about), snyag (thin wool), elin (dark cloud in frosty weather). This is interspersed with scenes from the POV of John’s wife Mary, back on the mainland; while all three were delicately and well characterised, I particularly loved Mary and wanted more of her.
More of everything really, more lovely dialect words, more slice-of-life; I wouldn’t even have minded more about 1840s Presbyterian schisms. Instead, typical of short stories/novellas, something plotty had to happen at about 90%, and I found it unconvincing, and unnecessary. Almost definitely a me-issue (e.g. I felt Han Kang - Greek Lessons would have been better as linguistics essays…) but it prevented me from bolding it despite admiring the writing - clean and lovely but with heft.

@Stowickthevast - your review makes me feel that the situation isn’t going to improve. The writing will be pretty enough, but I won’t care about the characters much.

The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales For Frosty Nights

Purchased in a bout of festive feeling in 2023, I didn't have time to read it until this year. It's certainly different from the usual twee 'Christams at the bakery by the sea' I seem to end up reading but it still wasn't quite for me and I don't know why. I don't mind short stories. These were quite spooky and I didn't spot all the twists. They were all historical and that isn't my favourite. I also am suspicious that much of the historical aspects were guessed, but I am not sure enough of my facts to be certain.

So I suppose I'd recommend it for next December if one likes historical ghosts.

Up next Stephen King I think it's another from the Dark Tower series. I want to keep going while I can (vaguely) remember what happened in the last one.

7 Dark Times For The Clark's Factory Girls. May Ellis

This is the third book in The Clark's Factory Girls series, and it feels like an old comfort blanket. The characters feel like old friends. It's now 1916, so many of the Girls male friends are either away fighting, dead already, or exempt from the war for various reasons. They're also writing to young men who have been imprisoned for being conscientious objectors. Well one friend is writing to one young man anyway. I can't really say much without giving spoilers. But this is a really lovely, gentle series about strong female friendships set against the backdrop of War. As you'd expect there's romance, loss, unmarried mothers and so on. But whilst this genre can be formulaic in that sense, I have a soft spot for them.

Some of the characters are CofE, and some are Quakers and there's some rather interesting comparisons made between the two sets of beliefs, and some of the services and so on. There was some rather beautiful descriptions of how, when Quakers prat for someone, they imagine them being in the Light.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie agree. There are plot developments but the characters didn't really give much. For me, the city chapters were the strongest.

*Clear - Carys Davies rather

@EineReiseDurchDieZeitI'm not sure about Mistborn but I read the first two books of the Stormlight Archives and lost the will to live pretty quickly when I realized there was a planned series of 10. I honestly haven't picked up a fantasy book since (apart from ones written by women that just get to the point).

I have one of those @Arran2024. I don’t know if it helps with anxiety, I just really like the tiny books

I'm another person who tentatively joined last year's first thread and then got blown off course by a whole load of unwelcome life events, but am hoping this year will be rather better - both reading and life-wise!

I eased my way into the year with

1. My family and other animals - Gerald Durrell
Much-loved, somewhat fictionalised account of the author's childhood in Corfu, where he was able to amply indulge his fascination with wildlife. I first read this aged 12, and was pleased it hadn't lost its charm upon re-reading

@inaptonym I like the sound of Clear following your review. It's on the wish list. I'm not buying any more books at the moment but assembling a (long!) list of those I'm planning to get to later.

My mum used to talk about the Frees and the Wee Frees, and I had a friend at university who went out with the son of a Wee Free minister. Visiting for the weekend wasn't much fun; a cloth over the TV on Sunday and nothing to be read except the Bible. She said she used to try and sleep through most of the day. The relationship didn't last.

@BadSpellaSpellaSpella I visit that beach a few times a year so it was a nice surprise to stumble across it in Paper Cup. Apparently the author lives in the nearest village now. We have a friend in common and it would be great to get the chance to meet her one day.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jan/07/remembering-gerald-durrell-100-myself-and-other-animals

@NeverEnoughCake2 not sure if you saw this article in the Guardian today

Thanks for sharing that article @highlandcoo. My Family And Other Animals is one of my favourite books of all time and I dread to think how many times I’ve read it!

Number 3 this year was Keep them close - Sophie Flynn.

New Mum Emily joins a Mumsnet style forum to help in the aftermath of her having twins. It becomes a real lifeline in her darkest days while she battles post natal depression. She makes a particular connection with one mum who over time she spills her deepest secrets and thoughts to. On realising she has shared too much she begins to pull back from the site and her online friend only to find herself being stalked. Someone is trying to expose the dark past she has tried to stop encroaching on her now perfect life.

I actually really enjoyed this. It wasn’t a difficult read and I worked out who the online friend was pretty early on but it was entertaining, quite well written and kept me engaged throughout

The Cracked Mirror sounds great noodle - I’ve reserved it, thank you!

It’s a good read 🙂

I've also ordered The Cracked Mirror.

Welcome to all the newbies. I totally get it can be a bit intimidating when you first join. However, dont worry. I have never made 50 and my reading choices are varied to say the least. They have included The Game by Micah Richards (yes the sky football pundit). As long as you are open to differing views on your books, you'll enjoy the thread.
On to my first review of the year. When i last posted i was reading booker award winner Prophet Song and chick-lit classic Watermelon. I've finished one of them so far ....
1 Watermelon Marian Keyes
Well I am sure that Prophet Song is a very good book, but it is quite depressing. I thought that this would provide a welcome bit of light relief. However, i forgot to factor in that i am a cynical old goat.
Clare's husband James leaves her immediately after she gives birth. To overcome this trauma she returns to stay with her family in Ireland. The whole thing is told as her internal monologue. I quickly began to feel sympathy for James (although he is painted as a one-dimensional villan), as Clare was beyond annoying. The whole thing was completely predictable (I am sure you can guess how she gets over James & boosts her self esteem). I read a large section whilst watching 'The Planet of the Apes' on TV (which was more entertaining). I feel the need to finish once ive started (no idea why - it is ilogical) and this is the only reason i got to the end. One tiny plus, is that it reminded me that the 90s were a different world (people argue over keeping the landline free, fax machines ...) Anyway, starting the year with an 'italics' means that in terms of reading things can only get better.

I am rather embarrassed to admit that despite 3 years on these threads I haven't read any of the universally liked books mentioned by @Southeastdweller
I think I've previously gotten 84 Charing Cross Road mixed up with 44 Scotland Street which I didn't enjoy at all. So having now discovered they're different books I'll give CCR a go

@noodlezoodle I picked up a super cheap kindle holder from Amazon and it's fine but I find the pole a bit stiff, I thought it would be easier to adjust but it takes some real effort

Not sure if this link will work but this is the one I have https://amzn.eu/d/8sbrw6D

Unfortunately I haven't yet finished a book this year. I'm still working through my jilly cooper re-read and had forgotten how insanely long Polo is

Is anyone else planning to do the read christie challenge this year?

I've reserved The Cracked Mirror at the library too. Sounds good!

I haven't either @satelliteheart
The two memoirs are really not my thing. I may get round to 84 Charing Cross one of these days.

Also haven't read This Thing Of Darkness - what am I even doing on this thread?!

Nor have I :)

@satelliteheart I'm planning to read the first book in the Christie challenge, but I think I've read the rest. I do get confused about which ones I've read - her titles aren't always that helpful.

I read every single Agatha Christie book when I was about 15. I can't remember much about any of them tbh. I seem to remember my favourites were One, Two Buckle My Shoe and Endless Night.

I'm listening to This Thing of Darkness at the moment. It's good, but I don't think I'll be raving about it by the end. About 1/3 left.