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?

Thanks @highlandcoo .

I've just finished my first book of the year! (Red Seas Under Red Skies)

I have been to a second hand bookshop on New Year’s Day and accidentally allowed The Fifth Risk and Fatherland to fall into my hands. As I’m still on holiday, I don’t think this breaches any “read what you own” resolutions, right? 😀

Hello everyone! Happy New Year! I completely fell off the threads in December and my reading tally tailed off accordingly. I managed 67 but had been hoping for 80. Ah well.

One of the reasons for my decline in reading was my enthusiasm for cold water swimming, which I've been doing 2 - 3 times per week since September, hence my first read of the year:

1 Winter Swimming - Dr Susanna Søberg

Dr Søberg is Danish and has spent some years (and her PhD) researching the physiological effects of winter swimming. Much of the content relates particularly to Denmark, but there are references to other countries too. This is a slightly odd mixture of scientific information, personal anecdote and awkwardly translated interviews with winter swimmers. It was a bit too long and got repetitive in places, but there were some interesting nuggets in there, especially her explanation of the still quite mysterious concept of "brown fat". Enough to convince me to keep going, anyway!

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and wish you all happy reading in 2025. I'm going to aim for 80 again, but probably won't get there.

Thank you. I see more purchasing in my future 💀

I'm in! I read fifty one last year.
My first book of 2025 will be Butter by Asako Yuzuki. It's a bit slow going so I'll probably read something else alongside it.

Happy New Year to 50 Bookers both new and seasoned ! Thanks as ever to @Southeastdweller for kicking things off and keeping house.

2024 was the year I really got into audiobooks, thanks to a new job with more travel in the working day, and as a result I hit 50 again after three years of not quite getting there. However I do feel that I got out of the habit of reading on kindle/paper, and so this year I'd like to get back into a routine of at least 20-30mins daily book reading as well as audio.

I am currently listening to Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad by Daniel Finklestein, which so far is tense and absorbing, and I have Wellness by Nathan Hix on kindle, which seems decent enough.

Thanks@Southeastdweller just marking my place for now but currently reading Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher, Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan and Hard Times by Charles Dickens

That sounds interesting @Welshwabbit . I’m plucking up courage to immerse myself in some extremely cold water before we go home on Sat. Haven’t done it for a couple of months but it always gives me a huge buzz that lasts a couple of days.

My first book completed, Girl A by Abigail Dean.
Wow. Compelling, heartbreaking and with a few vicious twists for good measure. Lex is ‘Girl A’ from several children abused by their parents and it’s her eyes we see the aftermath through. Not exactly an Unreliable Narrator, but still with enough uncertainty to throw the reader off from time to time. It reminded me of A Little Life at some points, but much more interesting. Also, of Penance in that the abuse is painfully realistic - I can’t read much True Crime or Misery Memoirs, but I could read this because it’s fictional.
Can’t wait for her new one out later this year.

Happy new year all. Welcome to all the newcomers. Just place marking at the moment. Currently have two rather contrasting books on the go - Prophet Song by Paul Lynch and Watermelon by Marian Keyes. Im not really getting on with either so could be starting the year with DNFs, but will see.

First read of the year finished: Nostalgia by Agnes Arnold-Forster. As mentioned earlier, a bit of a cheat as I started this during the Christmas holiday.

Interesting enough non-fiction account of what nostalgia is, how it has changed over the last two hundred years from a life threatening medical condition to primarily a marketing tool of social media platforms, and some detours into brain medicine. It's okay, I don't know that I'd recommend it though.

I think I am a bit jaded with these science-y non-fiction books after reading too many last year - I often pick these up from the front desk in my local library because the topic looks interesting, but actually, I want to get back into reading more fiction again!

I've just finished book 1.

think again by Jacqueline Wilson.

It was a very predictable book, but an easy read, I felt it just got good as it was ending (saying that I read most of it this afternoon, so it can't have been boring) it definitely feels like there will be another one.

Happy new year!

Thanks for the new thread @Southeastdweller

I think I'm also going to try and limit my new book buying to just book clubs for the next few months as have a lot on Kindle and new Christmas books to get through. I just got back from Bath and managed my first trip to Mr B's (sadly Persephone was closed) where I picked up The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk, so am looking forward to adding that to the list.

I'm halfway through Private Rites by Julia Armfield which is a suitably miserable start to the year on a miserable day!

Happy new year everyone and thanks to @Southeastdweller for the new thread. Welcome also to the newcomers, this is definitely the best corner of MN!

Like @elkiedee I'm aiming to read a bit more of what I'm really interested in, and this includes longer books, such as Stephen King's The Stand . I'm following Book Tuber Ben Reads Good's monthly challenge, the first being 'Ann-uary' (read a book written by an Ann(e) or with the name in the title). So the first book of the year is French Braid by Anne Tyler. Also following the Count readalong too.

Hello. I am halfway through The Trials of Marjorie Crowe by CS Robertson aand can't put it down. Scottish novel, mixes themes of witchcraft from today and the past.

Happy New Year 50 bookers and welcome to the new folks.

Thanks Southeast for the new thread. I'm partway through The Cracked Mirror by Christopher Brookmyre and loving it, so that will be my first read of the year, and likely a bold.

I think they are doing the monthly deals as well as 12 days of Christmas because there are a few things on my wishlist that are suddenly 99p but aren't in the 12 days or daily deals. I just go to 'kindle book deals' and scroll right down to the bottom to 'see all results'.

@Kinsters if you're not enjoying the Colleen Hoover I think you can return kindle books within 24 or 48 hours of buying them?

@AlmanbyRoadtrip I thought Girl A was excellent as was her second book Day One which was a bold for me last year - might be worth a look if you haven't already read it.

@TheGodOfSmallPotatoes I will let you know. Too early to say!

@noodlezoodle I read Day One first, which was my first “Oh, that’s not what I expected!” moment with this author. I’m sometimes a bit quick to dismiss authors on the basis of what I think they are writing about.

I have the Julia Armfield on my Kindle but I’m dipping in and out of Jenny Eclair <fnaar>. God she’s a bitch but she’s an honest one and I admire that.

I’d like to join please.

I usually aim for 100 books but haven’t hit that for more than 5 years (probably a lot longer) and end up around 70. This year 50 feels like a realistic goal that won’t stress me out given I have some longer books on my radar. I’d also like to be more consistent as I’ve binged loads of books then not read for months on and off for years.

I like to spend NYD reading. Today I’ve tackled A Merry Little Christmas by Cathy Bramley which is fun and I liked. It did suffer a bit from the fact it’s the third in a trilogy, all set at Christmas (different years) and I read the previous two over December.

Happy New Year! Having lurked/fallen off the thread in previous years, I’m giving it another go as I find it so enjoyable to read.
I’m aiming to read at least a book a week, and to make some inroads into my shelves of unread books.
Just sitting in bed with both Dcats, I have finished:
1. Deep Deception - Alison, Belinda, Helen Steel, Lisa and Naomi
This book was written collectively by five of the women deceived into relationships with undercover police officers, and tells the story of those relationships, their discovery of the deception and their (ongoing) effort to bring the police to account. It’s in a diary format, which works well for telling the story of developing intimacy and shared lives, but is a little repetitive for recounting their campaign/legal action (too many situations are ‘surreal’). Although this issue has been extensively covered in the press, this book provides a devastating account of the extent of/harm caused by the deception and of the police’s institutional sexism. Unfortunately, I think a lot of women will find the lies/manipulation/self-justications of the men involved only too familiar.

Thank you for the new thread southeast! Was hoping to finish a book today with the dreadful weather here keeping us indoors, but sadly not and I'm back at work tomorrow

@BlueFairyBugsBooks my DGF (born 1910) used the term 'lady doctor' until he died in 1998 - not in a disparaging way (he was a lovely chap and not at all sexist) but just because he was always somewhat surprised that doctors aren't invariably male! My DGM - his wife - was a nurse, I think she would have been a doctor if born later as she had their DC early and never had the opportunity to do any further training. Always interesting to read about women who stood out in these respects!

1. The Zone Of Interest by Martin Amis

In the shadow of Auschwitz, living in the titular zone, 3 narrators tell their story. Commandant Paul Doll is unhappily married to Hannah and becomes increasingly unhinged. Fellow SS Officer Angelus Thomsen exchanges flirtations with Hannah and we also see the perspective of Szmul a Jew in a leadership role in camp.

This was a very disturbing read, there were among the mundanities of every day, glimpses, words sentences of absolute horror. It was very upsetting and challenging.

Apparently the film is very different and based more on the real life Rudolf Hoss.

I got this on @PermanentTemporary 's recommendation and I'm not sure whether she gets my thanks or not. Not an easy read, not a bold

I'd like to join this year please.

My current read (started this morning) is:

Leonard & Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession

I saw it on BBC's Between the Covers and it just appealed to me. So far, it's a really lovely, gentle read.

Happy new year all and welcome to new people!

I found some new kindle monthly deals and bought All Fours by Miranda July and Private Rites by Julia Armfield.

I'm reading There There by Tommy Orange, and as people might remember, A Place of Greater Safety at the rate of about 30 pages a day. However I'll have a short break from that as I have Absolutely and Forever by Rose Tremain out the library and it's due back on Saturday.

I finished The Forgotten Tower by Lulu Taylor this afternoon. It was a bit too twee for me and I didn't enjoy it. But it was a quick and easy read after it took me about 3 weeks to finish The Bee Sting at the end of 2024.

I am about to start The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, I've been meaning to read it for many years but never got round to it.

Wishing you all a wonderful year of reading

All Before Me - A Search for Belonging in Wordsworth’s Lake District. Esther Rutter.

An autobiography of a year spent as an intern at Wordsworth’s Cottage, and recovery from a breakdown.

I’m more interested in her recovery, transition to wellness than Wordsworth’s story. I’m interested to see how the two may link.