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

No buying ban here either but I rarely buy anything that isn't on a deal. I'm quite strict about reading the oldest first (I have a spreadsheet) and only deviate from that if I need to read something lighter after a heavy read. TBR is currently 40 with 2 on the go.

I’ve just purchased another book. Venomous: How Earth's Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry by Christie Wilcox.

It’s been on my wishlist for years and it’s reached £1.99 so I couldn’t resist.

I don’t feel too bad about it because it is a wishlist book and there’s a dozen or so on my list that I’m resisting purchasing because though I want them, they aren’t a priority. I’m trying to only buy the books that I’m most excited about.

I must admit that the first day of the month is always a highlight for me because I love looking through the Kindle book deals so I’m eagerly anticipating tomorrow.

Birthday book haul! The middle two I've already read previously but loved them and I'm currently buying books I know I'll re-read, seeing as I now have the space for them.

So I found out yesterday that my favourite library is closing for a two year refurbishment. Am slightly gutted as I love my trips there!

@InTheCludgie

Happy Birthday! I envy you the ability to read Lonesome Dove from scratch

Happy birthday, @InTheCludgie !

When my library did a refurb, they invited library users to take home an unlimited number of books for the duration. The books might as well be in someone's house as in a closed library.

Happy Birthday @InTheCludgie 🎈
I hope you have a fantastic day.
Gosh, that's a doorstopper that big book!

Happy birthday @InTheCludgie, that’s a good book haul!

Happy birthday @InTheCludgie - excellent book haul 😍

The Accidental Tourist was my first Anne Tyler. V much recommended. I know I've read The Paying Guests but I can't remember a thing about it!
Old Baggage and Lonesome Dove are both waiting TBR on my kindle. Seeing the actual size of the latter is something else!!

Happy birthday @InTheCludgie Would love to be reading Lonesome Dove for the first time again

Happy Birthday @InTheCludgie !

Happy birthday to you inthecludgie 💐 🎂 🍵 📚!

12. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Jodi Taylor
Unseasonal read of Christmas-themed short stories featuring St Mary's and the Time Police. I might have enjoyed these more read individually in the glow of Christmas tree lights with a glass of wine. In the cold, bleak and sober light of late January, I was less engaged.

#9 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

A re-read of a re-read for me. I love this book. Not sure it needs much of a review as I think most people are familiar with it or maybe the movie!

I always find Colonel Brandon a bit creepy 🤢. I know it was more the done thing back then, but his infatuation with 17 yo Marianne, who he has barely spoken to creeps me out.

@Pickandmixusername I am reading Sense and Sensibility at the moment, having not read it or seen an adaptation before, so thank you for not including spoilers!

My list for January

Last one at the party - Bethany Clift
Our Holiday - Louise Candlish
Moscow X - David McCloskey

I absolutely loved last one at the party and read it in a day. There is a global pandemic and only one survivor and we follow her journey. Sounds bleak and parts are but it’s also darkly funny and intertwined with stories of her life before.

Moscow X - a spy thriller. I nearly didn’t finish- I found it dense and thought it needed a good edit.

Our Holiday - a light thriller focussed on second home owners. It was just ok, an easy read. But not that gripping and no likeable characters.

Asking for a friend. Does RWYO mean buying a 99p kindle book and reading it the same week ?

@bettbburg for me RWYO means no buying- just reading the gazillion books on my shelves and kindle but I can’t seem to last more than 10 books so what do I know?!

Meanings are flexible 😉

It's a lovely book! Glad I didn't accidentally spoil anything for you

Technically you do own it by the time you're reading it....

RWYBAWBANGRT (Read What You Bought A While Back And Never Got Round To) might not take off. But if it does, remember I coined it.

@bettbburg Literally, yes. <gavel>

Fabulous stack @InTheCludgie I too adore LD, OB and TPG and curious about My Best Friend's Exorcism - great title and spine!

@ÚlldemoShúl love your earlier haul too, well deserved! Also waiting for your thoughts on Confessions. It and Fundamentally were the ones that most called to me from the Observer debutants piece.

👋@Pickandmixusername hello fellow Tombland lover! It's had mixed reviews but I never complain about length if I'm having a good time (yes yes TWSS)

My 'literary' haul today consisted of sour apple Maoams which is entirely the fault of everyone who recommended Sweetpea 👀Just going to echo @bibliomania 's review of 'good unwholesome fun'. Adding that the audiobook narrator (Georgia Maguire) SLAYED: her delivery pulled me through some of the slightly drawn-out chicklitty lulls between the fun stabby bits.

Also finished Philip Larkin's Jill which was brilliantly and recently reviewed by @Terpsichore and @FuzzyCaoraDhubh

And coming to the end of a few others which I will review this weekend, one of which almost definitely a bold (The Mark, Friða Ísberg).

4) The House of my Mother by Shari Franke

Impulse buy at Glasgow airport this morning on my way to Heathrow and I had it finished by the time I got home. It is one of those special size airport paperbacks - bigger than usual and so much easier to read.

Anyway, Shari is the daughter of Ruby Franke, who was a popular mommy vlogger with a couple of million subscribers. But her parenting style was criticised and she ended up dropping the family vlog in favour of a joint venture with a therapist called Jodi Hildebrandt.

Spoiler alert- the two are currently in prison for child abuse - and Shari takes her through her life with her family and the difficulties of living with Ruby, who she believes to be a narcissist. The dad doesn't come out of it well either.

It was very easy to read, a bit disturbing but fascinating. The family is Mormon and I found that interesting too.

Last January read
12 A Bit of a Stretch by Chris Atkins
Atkins is a filmmaker who was convicted of fraud and sentenced to 5 years. He serves the first year of this in Wandsworth, and it’s his prison diaries which this memoir is based on. Whilst Atkins is very different from the average prisoner- no mental health or addiction issues, a good education and outside support- he does acknowledge this difference and his attempt to help others (and admittedly also himself) by becoming a ‘Listener’ (basically someone to support prisoners with suicidal feelings) is admirable. I listened to this read by the author who does have a bit of an annoying ‘chirpy’ narration style but the content was interesting enough to outweigh that.

Totally agree about the length of Tombland @inaptonym. I was so happy it was really long, especially since it is going to be the last Shardlake book due to CJ Samson passing away. Shardlake is one of those characters I just love spending time with.

#10 Redemption - David Baldacci

Amos Decker is a former cop who now consults the FBI. He suffered a brain injury when he played college football (American football) which has left him with synesthesia and a perfect memory, which means he doesn't forget anything ever. He has a tragic back story which brings him to his home town where he is approached by the first ever murderer he put in jail years ago. He says he is innocent and wants Decker's help proving it.

Far fetched, action movie type book with a very high body count. Similar to Jack Reacher books. I love these sorts of books for a bit of fun and this didn't dissapoint. It was not as good as the other Baldacci book I read this month (6.20 man). My lovely FIL shares my love of these books and he keeps finding them in secondhand book shops and kindly giving them to me to read first, so I have loads of them to get through!

I am not doing very well on RWYO tbh as I've just bought a new book. First one this year though, so not too bad 🤷‍♀️

@inaptonym Ive started Confessions and so far so good. Will keep you posted- intend to spend this weekend dozing and reading so will prob binge the whole thing if it’s good.