50 Books Challenge 2025 Part Four

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fourth 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 here, the second thread here and the third thread here.

Thanks @Southeastdweller

26 Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

I started off really enjoying this, but ended feeling a little underwhelmed. Yes it’s an important book, yes it’s well written, but did it have to be quite so long? For me, it would have been a much stronger book if she had cut out a few of the characters, it still would have had the breadth it needed while allowing for more depth in some of the women’s stories. I liked it, but it’s not anywhere near the bold I was expecting at the start.

Thank you southeast.

I fell off the last thread and spent my commute today trying to catch up on it and still have nine pages to go. I am behind on The Count of Monte Cristo read along, haven't read this months Agatha Christie book and haven't finished my IRL book club read (and work is to blame) but here's my list.....

1. Small Bomb at Dimperley - Lissa Evans
2. James - Percival Everett
3. Five Little Pigs - Agatha Christie
4. Spook Street - Mick Herron
5. Shy Creatures - Clare Chambers
6. Hangman Island - Kate Rhodes
7. Blaming - Elizabeth Taylor
8. Strange Sally Diamond - Liz Nugent
9. The Thirteen Problems - Agatha Christie

10. The Wizard of the Kremlin - Giuliano da Empoli

11. The House on the Strand - Daphne du Maurier

12. The Photograph - Penelope Lively

13. Ballet Shoes - Noel Streatfeild

The two books I have read since late February are:

14. Witness 8 - Steve Cavanagh

Eddie Flynn and his team return employed to defend a wealthy surgeon charged with murdering his neighbour. She let her murderer into the house and suspicion has fallen on the close knit group of neighbours in their desirable street. Does Ruby, indispensable Girl Friday to half the neighbourhood, hold the key to the crime?
Not as good as some of the earlier books but kept me turning the pages.

15. The Eighth House - Linda Segtnan

Set in Scandinavia (and translated from Swedish), Linda is a researcher who becomes obsessed with the historical murder of a young girl, Birgitta. Her research and investigation plays out whilst she is pregnant and has a baby/young child. This is very much a story of motherhood as well as an investigation. I thought the writing about motherhood was very realistic (although Linda's husband seemed unrealistically supportive and tolerant of her obsession!). Unsatisfactory in terms of the resolution of the murder but not a bad read.

Thanks southeast, here’s my list:

1 Notes for Neuro Navigators - Jolene Stockman
2 Years That Changed History: 1215 - Dorsey Armstrong
3 The Darcy Myth - Rachel Feder
4 To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
5 Matrescence - Lucy Jones
6 Strong Foundations - Clare Bourne
7 Alexa, What is There to Know About Love? - Brian Bilston
8 The Voyage Home - Pat Barker
9 The Medieval World - Dorsey Armstrong
10 I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was - Ruby Wax
11 One for the Money - Janet Evanovich
12 The Golden Mole - Katherine Rundell
13 Glorious Exploits - Ferdia Lennon
14 Blood and Guts: a history of surgery - Richard Hollingham
15 To Calais, In Ordinary Time - James Meek
16 The Power of Women - Dr Denis Mukwege

Hi my 2025 list so far :

1 , Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Gamus
2, Standing by The Wall - Mick Herron
3. The Secret Hours - Mick Herron
4 . A Picture of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde
5 . The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie
6 . Crusaders - Dan Jones
7 . Dubliners - James Joyce
8 . Man in the Queue - Josephine Tey
9 . A Shilling for Candles - Josephine Tey
10 . 1984 - George Orwell
11 . The Franchise Affair - Josephine Tey
12 . The Cracked Mirror - Chris Brookmyre
13 . To Love and Be Wise - Josephine Tey
14 . Lancaster and York - Alison Weir
15 . Daughter of Time - Jospehine Tey
16 . The Singing Sands - Josephine Tey
17 . Polo - Jilly Cooper
18 . An Expert in Murder - Nicola Upson
19. The midnight library – Matt Haig
20. Six Wives of Henry X111 – Alison Weir
21.The Gunslinger – Stephen King
22. Billy Summers – Stephen King
23. The Last Anniversary – Liane Moriarty

@MamaNewtNewt I found it quite overrated as well. In fact it made me decide to ignore book prizes

1. Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan
2. Drowning by T.J Newman
3. Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
4. The Valentine’s Date by H.M Lynn
5. Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

Don’t think I have added a review for any of these except the first one. No bolds yet.

Strange Sally Diamond however was unputdownable for me. Although have read reviews describe it as dark and agree very very dark disturbing read. Also the ending did not go the way I wanted.

@Southeastdweller thank you for the new thread

Thanks for the new thread southeast.

My list:

1 The Ink Black Heart - Robert Galbraith
2 How To Fall - Jane Casey
3 Appassionata - Jilly Cooper
4 Vive le Chaos - Ian Moore
5 Knowing The Score - Judy Murray
6 The Favourites - Layne Fargo
7 Timpson’s Other England - John Timpson
8 Glamorous Notions - Megan Chance
9 The Mitford Trial - Jessica Fellowes
10 Timpson’s England - John Timpson
11 Close Your Eyes - Teresa Driscoll
12 Super Cooper - Jilly Cooper
13 And Away… - Bob Mortimer
14 None Of This Is True - Lisa Jewell
15 The Dwarves of Death - Jonathan Coe
16 Ultra Processed People - Chris van Tulleken
17 The Clicking of Cuthbert - P G Wodehouse
18 The Chateau - Catherine Cooper
19 The Golden Age of Children’s TV - Tim Worthington
20 The Ship of Adventure - Enid Blyton
21 The Blue/No Escape - Lucy Clarke
22 The Brightest Star In The Sky - Marian Keyes
23 Rural: The Lives of the Working Class Countryside - Rebecca Smith
24 The Christmas Chronicles - Nigel Slater
25 Zikora - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
26 The Lost Child - Kathleen McGurl
27 The Stationary Ark - Gerald Durrell
28 Dead Mile - Jo Furness
29 The Undoing of Violet Claybourne - Emily Critchley
30 The Valley of Adventure - Enid Blyton
31 Famous - Blake Crouch
32 The Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage - Asia Mackey
33 Ink Ribbon Red - Alex Pavesi
34 Love Untold - Ruth Jones
35 When You Disappeared - John Marrs
36 The Fall Risk - Abby Jimenez
37 The Mitford Vanishing - Jessica Fellowes
38 The Last Days of Kira Mullan - Nicci French
39 Missing In Flight - Audrey J Cole
40 Evenings and Weekends - Oisín McKenna
41 Deceived By The Light - Damien Boyd
42 Famous Last Words - Gillian McAllister
43 Score! - Jilly Cooper
44 Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent - Judi Dench
45 My Favourite Mistake - Marian Keyes
46 The Wedding People - Alison Espach
47 Little Red Death - A K Benedict
48 The Wrong Daughter - Dandy Smith
49 What Time Is Love? - Holly Williams
50 Purple Hibiscus - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
51 The Blue Hour - Paula Hawkins
52 Message Deleted - K L Slater
53 Mania - Lionel Shriver
54 Murder On The Marlow Belle - Robert Thorogood
55 The Inheritance - Trisha Sakhlecha
56 The Sirens - Emilia Hart
57 The Bump - Sidney Karger
58 Scarcely English: An A-Z Of Assaults On Our Language - Simon Heffer
59 The Bookseller - Tim Sullivan
60 The Impossible Thing - Belinda Bauer
61 Show Don’t Tell - Curtis Sittenfeld
62 Annie Bot - Sierra Greer
63 The Sublet - Greer Hendricks
64 Our Infinite Fates - Laura Steven
65 Pandora - Jilly Cooper
66 Martin Chuzzlewit - Charles Dickens
67 The Alibi Girl - C J Skuse
68 Other People’s Houses - Clare Mackintosh
69 Broken Country - Clare Leslie Hall
70 The Daughter - T M Logan
71 Funny Story - Emily Henry
72 Nesting - Roisin O’Donnell
73 This Motherless Land - Nikki May
74 The Trivia Night - Ali Lowe
75 The Unrecovered - Richard Strachan
76 Nightwatching - Tracy Sierra
77 Murder At Gulls Nest - Jess Kidd
78 The Woman In The Wallpaper - Lora Jones
79 Death In Le Jardin - Ian Moore

Good to 'see' you @FortunaMajor I was wondering where you'd got to!

Thank you for the new thread @Southeastdweller

Here’s my list so far:

1. Red Seas Under Red Skies - Scott Lynch
2. The Natural Cure for Tooth Decay - Kate Evans Scott
3. The Belladonna Maze - Sinéad Crowley
4. Sweet Pear - Jessica Butler
5. Republic of Thieves - Scott Lynch
6. The Answer is No - Fredrick Backman
7. Annie Bot - Sierra Greer
8. Message Deleted - KL Slater
9. Educated - Tara Westover

Currently reading Nesting and enjoying it, although it might not have been a great choice given certain ongoing life events at the moment. Sometimes it makes my stomach churn with anxiety, sometimes it makes me extremely grateful for what I have.

@Castlerigg I had times where I had to stop reading Nesting because it was so stressful, and I'm lucky enough not to have any experience of the issues raised.

@FortunaMajor do give us your thoughts on the Women's Prize books, I always enjoy your reviews.

Careless People: A story of where I used to work.- Sarah Wynn-Williams (NF)

I rewarded myself for in roads into the TBR pile by buying a full price, brand new and well publicised book. Hoorah.

The author began working at Facebook in 2011 and was fired in 2017. She is a New Zealander who formerly worked for the diplomatic service and pitched herself into a job that didn’t exist at FB - one in global policy, because she could see how FB would end up needing to interact with governments. Her enthusiasm was partly driven from her sister (a reporter) being caught up in the Christchurch earthquake and able to communicate via FB. She eventually became director of global policy.

This was very informative and gripping. There was a little (ok, a lot…) too much of the author saying “surely this time Mark/Sheryl would realise FB could be a force for good… oh no, they didn’t care” but as an insider’s view, it was very interesting.

Lots of depressing background on the attitudes to privacy vs growth, working mothers, entitlement and bullying. I assume this book has been lawyered up the wazoo, though FB has taken an injunction in the US to prevent her promoting it (not - yet at least- for it to be withdrawn). Zuckerberg’s ego meaning he kept “lesser” presidents waiting but still wanted Obama to do a photo opp with him. And stories as to how maternity, health insurance and visa needs can be very trapping in the US.

She was eventually fired after complaining about sexual and sexist behaviour from her boss, Joel (a former GW Bush aide who is still at FB, effectively in the COO role).

Would recommend as a good summary of the tech bro problem.

Thanks for the new thread, South.

My list so far:

1. Hidden Figures - Margot Lee Shetterly
2. A Game of Hide and Seek - Elizabeth Taylor
3. The Peepshow - Kate Summerscale
4. Midnight and Blue - Ian Rankin
5. Perfect English Townhouse - Ros Byam Shaw
6. The Undoing of Violet Claybourne - Emily Critchley
7. There and Back: Diaries 1999 - 2009 - Michael Palin
8. Jill - Philip Larkin
9. Rural Hours - Harriet Baker
10. The Waiting - Michael Connelly
11. The Rising Down - Alexandra Harris
12. The Children’s Bach - Helen Garner
13. The Perfect Stranger - PJ Kavanagh
14. A Penknife in my Heart - Nicholas Blake
15. Hardy Women - Paula Byrne
16. Lady Living Alone - Norah Lofts
17. A Voyage Around the Queen - Craig Brown
18. The Last Days of Kira Mullan - Nicci French
19. When the Dust Settles - Lucy Easthope
20. The Fugitive - Marcel Proust
21. My Name is Lucy Barton - Elizabeth Strout

I've finished a Laurie Colwin novel but just waiting to list it until I’ve finished my current non-fiction so I can keep things in the right order! I’ve also just started a potentially-interesting book about the history of graffiti in the 18th century. And I have a few things on reserve at the library which are taking a frustratingly long time to appear (notably The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscript Club, for which I’m no. 1 in the queue but have been waiting for now for over 3 weeks…)

I sympathize, @Terpsichore - my library doesn't haveThe Posthumous Papers and it's still quite pricey second-hand.

Thanks as always, Southeast. I won't be able to list my books till Thursday and the thread might have moved on too far by then. I'll see. I haven't been busting out the bolds yet although I've been enjoying my reading.

@Stowickthevast Yes, I’ve had to put it down and step away a few times. I’m sure the protagonist would be glad to have that option too.

Thanks for the new thread @Southeastdweller !

Just finished a very enjoyable listen:

17 The King’s English - Kingsley Amis

An A-Z of various rules, pitfalls and idiosyncrasies of the English language. Very funny as well as instructional, and recommended to anyone with an interest in words.

Thank you for the new thread, Southeastdweller! Here is the continuation of my list since the last thread;

11. Tunnel 29: Helena Merriman.

12. Creation Lake: Rachel Kushner.

13. Short Stories in Italian for Intermediate Learners: Olly Richards.

14. Lady Living Alone: Norah Lofts.

15. The Colony: Audrey Magee.

16. Gone Away (Mrs. Malory #1): Hazel Holt.

17. After Midnight: Irmgard Keun (trans. Anthea Bell).

18. Perfect Prepositions (Short Stories in Italian): Olly Richards.

19. Minor Detail: Adania Shibli (trans. Elisabeth Jaquette).

I haven't written a review yet for Minor Detail. It's a brilliant book.
I have started reading My Friends by Hisham Matar, which I'm enjoying so far.
Also The Count of Monte Cristo and Martin Chuzzlewit.

Thanks Southeast,
my short list:

1. Slough House by Mick Herron
2. Bad Actors by Mick Heron
3. Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans
4. Old Baggage by Lissa Evans
5. V is For Victory by Lissa Evans
6. Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers
7. Don’t Forget To Scream by Marianne Levy

The Lissa Evans trilogy has been well read on the thread. Crooked Heart was my favourite, Old Baggage my least favourite.

Don’t Forget To Scream is a collection of essays on motherhood - some better than others.

Currently reading Annie Bot which I’m finding intriguing, and listening to Still Life which I’m not! Interesting to hear bettberg say she didn’t got on with it. I’ve listened to 3 hours but there’s 12 hours still to go and it’s really not grabbing me, not sure if it’s worth persevering might be a DNF for me.

Thanks for the new thread southeast .

Interesting review of Careless People, Sheila.

Also looking forward to @FortunaMajor ’s WP reviews when you can Fortuna!

1 Suggested in the Stars by Yoko Tawada. Translated by Margaret Mitsutani
2 Your Wish is my Command by Deena Mohamed
3 The Fraud by Zadie Smith
4 After Midnight by Irmgard Keun. Translated by Anthea Bell.
5 Mrs Granby's Secret or The Bastard of Pinsk by Eleanor Farjeon

Currently doing TCOMC readalong which I'm blaming for my slow progress this year and Mr Loverman which I'm about 100 pages in and enjoying.

34 Oh William by Elizabeth Strout
In this episode of the Lucy Barton books we learn more of Lucy’s marriages and relationships with her children and in-laws as she and her ex husband travel together to find out about his family’s past. Strout is back on form here after a little dip in Anything is Possible. Very enjoyable. Not quite bold though.

Just a placemark so I don't lose you all.

I'm on another very long Tudor history book at the moment for my next read. Can anyone recommend any short books? (Not Claire Keegan as I've read those 😄)