50 Books Challenge 2025 Part Two

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the second 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.

The first thread of the year is

Exit by Belinda Bauer
If you like the Thursday Murder Club then definitely give this a go. I enjoyed it - I needed something light and amusing, but that still had me working out the twists, and got lucky this book hit the spot.

Miriam fan here too. It’s actually all
that snobby, self-aggrandisement is actually what I enjoy.

Recently finished 3) Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu. Which i enjoyed a lot, with the exception of the last 20 pages which I felt we're trying too hard to be poetic

@PepeLePew I adored Doomsday Book by Connie Willis when I read it in my teens. Then I tried to read other books by her and couldn't get on with them at all. She needs a good editor! I feel the same about the St Mary's books. I listened to the audio book of Doomsday Book a few years ago and couldn't believe how awful it was. If you're going to give it a go then definitely recommend reading rather than listening.

I seemed to have joined by accident! I've been trying to catch up on the first two threads for ages - wow it moves fast! Especially the first one. I'm still about 10 days on this one but seeing as I've gone and commented about the Doomsday Book I guess I'm in for a penny now...

I'm not sure how much to write for reviews but I'm guessing that with a book that's been widely read on here you don't do a whole synopsis?

1. The Mercies - Kiran Millwood Hargrave

I loved this book. Set on a remote Norwegian island in the 17th century, when witch trials were springing up all over Europe, it is historical fiction based on actual burnings that took place there (which are commemorated by an installation created by artist Louise Bourgeois, and a male architect). It is beautifully written, and very powerful.

1. A Cheesemonger's History of the British Isles by Ned Palmer.

Surprisingly interesting considering it is about how cheese making is done and has evolved since ancient times. I'm working my way through sampling as many of the recommended cheeses as I can.

1. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré.

Essentially a Cinderella story. I thought when she was married off at 14 to an old man that I was going to have to stop reading but it took a turn and Adunni's voice didn't let her down. Has anyone read the sequel?

Going to finish Caledonian Road next, and halfway through listening to Unruly.

6. Spook Street - Mick Herron

Ghosts of the past resurface in the fourth of the Slow Horses novels. Without giving too much away, one of the team discovers shocking revelations about their family, and the office sees comings and goings as action is brought into Slough House itself. I spent the first third of the book thinking this would be my last foray into the world of Slough House, as despite a lot going on it felt quite plodding, then it picked up and by the second half I was in for the ride, with some thrilling set pieces and twists (one of which I actually saw quite early on). I’m going to leave it a while before I go back to the next in the series though.

Thank you @MargotMoon and welcome! I have the cheesemonger book (in physical copy) and haven’t got round to it so it’s good to read a review.

Broadly, write as much or as little as you like! I bet I write about books many posters read ages ago and vice versa, so don’t worry!

I finished Jill by Philip Larkin last night and I completely agree with @Terpsichore 's review upthread.

I thought this was an odd novel with interesting aspects. John Kemp is an unlikeable protagonist; a poor young man completely out of his depth at Oxford whom you can't help feel sorry for but also want to give a shake a good talking to. I wished someone would come along and rescue him. It was reminiscent of 'Hangover Square' in this regard; the outsider, the idolatry of the privileged ones, the infatuation with the perfect girl (very inappropriate). Too much drinking all the time.

I only liked this in parts, specifically, the beginning and the end. It dipped in the middle where John Kemp took on the voice of Jill in the form of diary entries and a short story. This was unexpectedly odd and dull. I liked the evocation of Oxford during wartime and thought the writing was good here.

The introduction by Larkin was very interesting with reference to his own time at Oxford and the people he met there. In it he says that his hero's background, though an integral part of this story, was not what the story was about, but I'm trying to see what else this was about and am not coming up with much else. Character weakness, immaturity perhaps? The strain of living during a time of war? Maybe, but I wonder if John would have been any different even in peace-time. Anyway, for me, this is a three out of five star read, so not especially recommended unless you are interested in a description of Oxford during world war two which is its best feature.

@MargotMoon I loved The Girl With the Louding Voice a few years ago.

I've knocked off a couple more:

7. Manhunt by Colin Sutton
   I picked this up on Kindle after seeing the ITV series with Martin Clunes (I love a well made true crime drama) - it's about the initial investigation into attacks on women around Twickenham in the early 2000s which eventually led to the conviction of Levi Bellfield for the murders of Millie Dowler, Amelie Delagrange and Marsha O'Donnell as well as several attacks on women who survived and ultimately gave evidence against him.
   It was a fairly easy read, it is clear that Colin Sutton is a policeman not a great writer, and some of it reads like a police statement, but I found it fascinating. One thing that particularly struck me was the bravery of Bellfield's partner, whose evidence eventually convicted him for the Amelie Delegrange murder. She was obviously and quite understandably terrified of him, but she stood up in court and gave the evidence. As someone who has given evidence in criminal court against my ExH (who is nowhere nearly as scary as Bellfield), I know how scary and overwhelming it is. I hope she is in a good place now.

8. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
   Late as usual to the party (I wait for things to be avialable on Borrowbox from the library)
   This was absolutely not what I was expecting, (but then not sure what i was expecting really). This is the story of research chemist Elizabeth Zott in 1950s-60s USA. Her father is in prison and her mother is long gone. Her brother committed suicide and she is pretty much alone in the world. She is doing a Masters in Chemistry when she is attacked by a tutor and is forced to leave because she refuses to apologise for making the accusation. At the beginning she is working at a low level research company, where she meets brilliant Chemist Calvin Evans. She begin a relationship but refuses to marry him as she would forever be known as Mrs Calvin Evans. She is eventually offered a job as a TV cook.
   It is a great story of love, friendship, motherhood, family, feminism, loss and ambition. It definitely held my interest right until the end to see what happened to ELizabeth Zott. I was rooting for her.

I now reading The Phoenix Ballroom by Ruth Hogan for my bookclub (not my choice) and listening to The Women by Kristin Hannah on Audio

@MargotMoon

I finished reading And So I Roar, the sequel to Girl With a Louding Voice, soon after New Year. Adunni has escaped domestic service and has support and a home with Tia, an educated professional, and her husband, and now is all set to take up a school place to continue her education, and very excited, but her past comes calling. The narrative switches between Adunni and Tia, who has her own story to share. This book is also about the oppression and violence faced by many girls and women in Nigeria, and some of it is quite upsetting.

Thanks @elkiedee I think I will read And So I Roar but might have to wait a bit. After reading The Mercies I need a break from books about the oppression of women 😔

@WelshBookWitch I was really enjoying Lessons in Chemistry until the whole talking dog bit! It was completely ridiculous and distracting. I note that they completely cut it out of the TV adaptation.

I will probably finish And Now the Living by Monica Felton later today - @Terpsichore read and recommended this book set in a factory during WWII in November 2024 (thread part 8) and I'm really enjoying it. This is a reprint in a series of WWII books published as Imperial War Museum WWII Classics, which I hadn't heard of before November - can never resist "modern classic" reprint series.

I suggested this as a Camden library purchase and it came through impressively quickly, but it was due back on Friday and someone else has placed a reservation so I've had to prioritise it - am hoping to take it in to Kentish Town on Thursday when the fine will still be much less than the bus fares, ideally in time to check out some of the charity shops too.

I didn't know there was a TV series. I didn't mind the talking dog really, at the beginning anyway. He got a bit much towards the end

Glad you’re enjoying it @elkiedee - I thought it was fascinating. I’ve read (and reviewed) another in that series, Plenty Under the Counter, which wasn’t as satisfying, but I find these wartime novels hard to resist, so I’ve got another on the tbr pile - a Land Army one.

I don't understand the love for Lessons in Chemistry. I thought the depiction of Elizabeth was like a sledgehammer to crack a nut - totally OTT. I have daughters with autism and I like books where women are allowed to be "different" but this was so hard-core, I found it too unbelievable. And it was like 2 different books merged together - on the one hand interesting themes, on the other the wrap-everything-up-nicely ending and the narrating dog.

I agree, the dog thing was a weird subplot which I didn’t feel added much. I liked Lessons in Chemistry in general though

1. Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans
2. Dominion by CJ Sansom
3. Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (reread)
4. The Silk Worm by Robert Galbraith (reread)
5. So Thrilled for You by Holly Bourne - I enjoyed this gripping novel about a baby shower gone wrong. Great perspective on the social pressures on both mothers and women who can’t, or don’t want to, have children. But I WISH the book had received a closer edit. Twice the author wrote ‘Matt and I’s’ instead of ‘Matt and my’ (I know that reads awkwardly and I’m not even sure it’s correct, but ‘I’s’???!!), and once put ‘divulged’ when I think she meant deluged - ‘divulged with offers of help’. Really feel the author was let down by the lack of editing.

Loved Dominion but not quite a bold. Very much enjoying my reread of the Strike novels.

Oh I have both of these books lying unread on my shelf somewhere, I must pick them up. I love anything written in or set during the Second World War. Although I was surprised by how much I didn’t get on with The Heat of the Day by Elizabeth Bowen.

18. Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange (Audible)

This serves as both prequel and sequel to There There and as such is difficult to review without spoilers but I will!

It focuses on the Red Feather/Bearshield family and the aftermath of the events of the previous novel.

It also contains a new story about Jude and Charles Sfar, the family's ancestors

In what is basically the polar opposite complaint to the one I had with The Love Songs Of W. E. B. Du Bois there is too much repetition in present day themes and not enough of the ancestral storyline which was really interesting

Between both works you've basically got more of a story about the prevalence of addiction in the Native American community than anything else but this is very much where the author's lived experience lies.

I also liked the Blue character from the first book and thought it was a shame and got written out in just one sentence.

Both books are four star for me, very good but slightly flawed in execution

I'm on the look out for more audiobooks with multiple narrators so if anybody knows of one that stood out hit me up!

I thought Lessons In Chemistry was fine but nothing amazing

Butter Asako Yuzuki (didn't enjoy this. Too much 'tucking in', 'slurping' and 'shovelling down' for me - lost in translation I think).

Mary Barton Elizabeth Gaskell - Gaskell is on the A Level syllabus and did a lot of damage limitation for Charlotte Brontë, so I read North and South at the end of last year. Lots of good context for the Victorian novel.

Run Rebel by Manjeet Mann - not really a fan of YA verse-form novels but I like to be familiar with what's around.

Thinking of Middlemarch again next, or maybe something else by a Japanese writer.

Me too Eine. The rest of my book club were going wild about it and I just smiled and nodded...

@WelshBookWitch I watched both of the Colin Sutton TV series recently and totally agree that Levi Bellfield's partner was very brave. I also hope she's doing ok. I found the investigation side of things very interesting but found it a tough watch, especially after reading the book about Milly Dowler by her sister Gemma and knowing what Milly went through. I realised after I watched the series that I have both of the books on my kindle too so will give them a read.

Lessons in Chemistry felt inauthentic and tick-boxey. After reading it I had a feeling the author was thinking of the potential TV or film rights.

Sorry you felt like that.I thought it was hilarious and authentic. The TV series was less good.

She wrote the first chapter after presenting a great idea to a massive conference that was met with silence. A male contributor then told the conference about his idea, which was exactly her idea and was lauded for it.

It's a brilliant observation of misogyny in the workplace.