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

Sorry bit late to the thread as was away for the weekend and it is moving very fast.

My list for 2025 so far

1 None of This is True - Lisa Jewell
2 Daisy and the Six - Taylor Jenkins Read
3 The Vegetarian Han Kang trans Deborah Smith
4 And Then She Fell - Alicia Elliot
5 The Queen of Spades - Alexander Pushkin trans by Rosemary Edwards
6 Ali & Nino - Kurban Said trans unknown

Currently reading a dual time novel called The Venice Secret by Anita Chapman about a painting found in a loft and also enjoying The Count of Monte Cristo readalong.

Rural: The Lives of the Working-Class Countryside by Rebecca Smith

Rebecca grew up living in a lodge house on a big estate that came with her dad’s job (he was a forester). This book looks at people in similar situations - those who live in housing tied to jobs or who simply don’t earn very much in rural areas. Farming, mill workers, miners etc. are all considered. I did enjoy this, but I felt it couldn’t really decide what sort of book it wanted to be - partly a memoir, partly a history, partly a polemic - and ended up not quite delivering with any of them.

@CutFlowers

Your first three books were all bolds for me

I've just finished book #4 this year, A Court of Wings and Ruin it's the third book in the ACOTAR series and I enjoyed it but not as much as the first two books. They are pretty long, this was over 700 pages and pretty much the entire second half of the book was multiple battles but it did still keep me interested enough.

I'm now reading book #5 and fancied a change so it's Interesting Stories For Curious People by Bill O'Neill. It is similar to QI I suppose.... it's a collection of interesting stories from history, science, pop culture etc.

Found you! Mumsnet confused me when I couldn't post on thread one by telling me to log out and in again then try.

1. The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
2. A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles

Just finished reading a Gentleman in Moscow, it was recommended by a friend and although I bought it ages ago wasn't sure I would enjoy it, but I absolutely loved it. It's quite a long book but I got through it quickly because I found I couldn't put it down.

@JaninaDuszejko – it was me asking about island libraries. I follow both Orkney and Shetland Libraries on Twitter (well, I used to. I’m rarely there these days) and found them both hilarious.

@Tarragon123 yeah, I follow the Orkney Library on instagram and it's very funny.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit
I very nearly bolded The Vegetarian and I thought the other two were great as well! Good start to the year!

@PowerTulle I've had Starling House on my bookshelf for a while, it was a bit of an impulse buy in Waterstones as I like gothic fiction set in country houses too but now I'm thinking I'm not going to be in a hurry to read it any time soon.

My reads so far this year:

1 Every move you make, C.L. Taylor
2 Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte (for an online book group)
3 The girl in the midnight maze, Cathy Hayward
4 A Borrowed Path, Imogen Clark
5 The Teacher, Freida McFadden
6 Family Doctor, J.M. Dalgeish
7 101 people who made the UK, Christopher Townley
8 The further north you go, Tom Morton
9 The answer is no, Fredrick Backman
10 Tell me how this ends, Jo Leevers
11 The wrong daughter, Dandy Smith
12 Not from round here, Bradley Chermside

More than I expected to read, I got a deal for Kindle Unlimited for 99p/3 months so I joined and immediately cancelled the renewal.

I listened to some of them as audio books with kindle assisted reader, a couple came with a free audible copy and others I read on the kindle.

#3 Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I by Tracy Borman
Continuing my quest to understand the Tudors and the English Reformation!
As I'm sure you well-read folks all know, Elizabeth I was the daughter of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII and famously executed by him when Elizabeth was only 2. Anne was beheaded for "adultery" , on fabricated charges, and was considered across Europe as a strumpet (and other, even less kind terms). As she had been forced to agree to her marriage being annulled before she was executed and as Elizabeth was only a girl (and as Henry already had an older daughter), Anne would never have expected her daughter to become queen, but she did, and reigned for decades. The book is non fiction and is essentially about introducing us to Anne and then describing how Elizabeth rehabilitated Anne's reputation throughout her reign, and how she was influenced by what she knew of Anne.
It's an excellent book, especially the earlier sections. A fascinating insight into Anne who I think was an incredible woman. The later sections were also interesting although it's pretty hard to keep track of so many people who all have the same few names. When a character called Lettice appeared it was a great relief! Recommend.

@ShackletonSailingSouth welcome to the Tudor Addicts club 😀 if you ever go to Hampton Court, Borman narrates the Tudor section of the audio tour

@CutFlowers Ali and Nino has stayed with me. You might also enjoy the Kurt Seyt and Shura that I reviewed a few pages back - Ali and Nino on steroids.

@SheilaFentiman

I'd love to go to Hampton Court but I haven't been able to fit it into my itinerary in a London visit because of all the messing around on public transport to get there and I also can't do the boat option either

We used to drive and pay for a driveway - used to be one practically across the road, because from our part of London it’s a faff to Victoria first before we even get anywhere. We had a couple of years when the kids were small and we had annual passes to HRP and once had a memorable play date just in the playground (that was £7 pp or something at the time).

It was ok, I can’t really put my finger on why it didn’t work for me. Perhaps a bit too much on the romantic fantasy side and not enough gothic creepy or fun-but-jumpy scary stuff.

I got into a couple of T Kingfisher and Grady Hendrix last year and enjoyed those very much, so thought Starling House might have been up my street. It might well be up yours!

@SheilaFentiman oh no, what have I gotten into! Do send any other recommendations my way! Hampton and Hever both on my wishlist ( been to both many years ago).

It’s half price at Hampton court until 7 Feb (which just makes it expensive instead of “remortgage required”!)

Eek! I missed the fact that a new thread started and now I have nine pages to catch up on!!

I finished #11 Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld today.

Not for me. Felt like fan fiction. It was interesting to think about Hillary Clinton going it alone but I didn't need to think about Bill Clinton as a horny young man. I also don't like most first person narratives, so I should have known. I can't think of a single brilliantly written section.

Onwards!

I shall confess that I live not far from Hampton Court Palace. It's a longish walk or nice cycle ride. I love it - I never fail to be thrilled by seeing it. We go to the concerts they hold in June every year in one of the yards. You get to picnic in the grounds first. I wonder what Henry etc would make of that!

Slow Horses

Well, I’ve surprised myself somewhat by finishing this one.

The slow of the title was echoed in the very slow start, which seemed a combination of unfunny jokes, ungrammatical sentences and unappealing characters who I was unable to tell apart for a while.

Suddenly, though, I found myself interested. And then I found myself caring about a few of the characters. And then a rather amusing Boris Johnson tribute act got me smiling. And then I decided that River and Lamb interested me. And then I found myself really enjoying the last 40 pages or so.

Did I like it enough to read the second? Not sure yet.

Was it worth the grand total of 33p? You’d have to pay me more than 33p to re-read the first 33 pages, but I reckon the Boris reference was worth 15p in itself; Lamb with Lady Di worth another 15 and a moment near the end well worth thruppence.

Used to go on school trips to Hampton and Hever as a child - revisited and enjoyed Hever with the DC a few years back, but not been back to Hampton as it’s a bit of a trek for me.

Anyway as we’re talking about Tudors…

4 The Mirror And The Light - Hilary Mantel

A more sombre book than the first two in the Wolf Hall trilogy, as Cromwell’s story comes to its end. But still beautifully written and just such a fantastic feat of storytelling.

@MegBusset respect! Loved the first two but baulked at the length of the third.

@ShackletonSailingSouth it’s my second or third time round with the trilogy- TMATL doesn’t feel as long as it is because her writing is so gripping imo - helps to read on Kindle too 🤣