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.

I did an advanced search and found the Susan Hill anecdote! It's in a comment by CorvusPurpereus on this thread. She doesn't actually identify Hill by name, but a subsequent poster guesses who it is and she replies, 'I couldn't possibly comment', with a wink emoji.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4101179-To-ask-whats-the-rudest-thing-a-stranger-has-done-to-you?page=3&reply=102452450

If only my memory for Great Literature were as good as my memory of random anecdotes on MN 😂

Lawks, I’m going rapidly off her!

perhaps my copy of “Howard’s End is…” should be moved from “..In My Study” to “…On the Fire”

I didn’t know all that about Susan Hill. I’ve never felt any urge to read her other books anyway.

There are a number of Maggie O’Farrell books in the daily deal today. Unfortunately it doesn’t include Instructions for a Heatwave, the one I actually want to read, but it does include Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait. I’ve bought The Vanishing of Esme Lennox after seeing good reviews for it on here.

My latest reads:

Kitchens Of The Great Mid-West by J. Ryan Stradal

This is a bit of a quirky book so won’t be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. It follows the life of Eva Thorvald, a talented chef, but we never hear directly from Eva’s point of view - it’s all told by different people that she interacts with at different points in her life. Some of these people are family members I have a close relationship with Eva, others are more peripheral to her life. I thought this was an interesting approach and I thought it worked well although I confess that I did find some of these people more interesting than Eva herself!

The Shiralee by D’Arcy Niland

This is set in outback Australia in the 1950s and follows itinerant worker Macaulay as he moves between towns trying to find work and lodgings. However Macaulay has his ‘shiralee’, which is slang for a burden - his four year old daughter Buster, who Macaulay snatched from her mother in a fit of anger. This is another one I really enjoyed - I loved the portrait of the relationship between Macaulay and Buster and just reading about a way of life I’m not familiar with was interesting.

Counterattacks At Thirty by Sohn Won-Pyung

This is translated from South Korean. It follows ordinary office worker Jihye who bands together with some friends to begin playing minor pranks to make their lives more interesting and pay back people who have wronged them. It was a quick read and was fine but never really went anywhere.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne

This is one I’ve had hanging round on my kindle for years, and it’s always been a book I’ve felt I should read rather than because I really wanted to, because I’ve seen it recommended by loads of people. Well, all I can say is that all those people were right and I wish I had read it sooner! I loved it. It follows Cyril throughout his life growing up as a gay man in Catholic Ireland, starting with his illegitimate birth in 1945 then catching up with him every 7 years throughout his life. I loved the story, the characters, everything.

Always On My Mind by Carys Green

Unfortunately coming straight after THIF this was a let down. Set in either a near future or a parallel world (not sure which), Anna and her husband Eli decide to get chips implanted in their brains so they can hear everything the other person is thinking. Anna however has some secrets that she doesn’t want her husband to know. This was an interesting premise but unfortunately most of the book just felt quite repetitive and the ending was ambiguous which I found annoying. Also, even if that technology was available I can’t understand why anyone would want to do that! I definitely don’t want to know everything my DH is thinking and I’m sure he doesn’t want to see inside my head either.

I bought a couple of Maggie’s books :-)

To go all the way back to Christopher Isherwood Goodbye to Berlin influenced Breakfast at Tiffany's so it might be worthwhile reading them close together to see that clearly.

I think I like the KK P&P more and more as I get older. I much preferred Brenda Blethyn's Mrs Bennet to Alison Steadman's although she was still too old but she has the right kind of prettiness. Mrs Bennet should really be no more than early 40s and just beginning to realise she's now unlikely to ever have a son. Kiera Knightly is now the perfect age to play her, and it should be a very pretty actress because Mr Bennett married her because she was young and pretty. Kate Winslet would be a good option.

I really liked Howard's End is on the Landing but her second book about books was much less good.

The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta.
The title is ironic. This follows Nnu Ego through her life from her parent's relationship to her death over the middle of the 20th century and her life charts the changes in Nigeria. She is born in an Ibo village and has an initially happy but childless marriage to a neighbour. After her husband beats her she returns to her father who marries her to a man who lives in Lagos and works for a white couple. She starts having children but when the war starts her husband's employers leave and things start changing. This is the third Emecheta I've read and is the best. I love her writing and am now going to have to find second hand copies of the books that have not yet been republished.

Thank for the link @cassandre How unpleasant.

PS: I think The Woman in Black is a bit shit too.

@JaninaDuszejko I rate both Goodbye to Berlin and Breakfast at Tiffany’s very highly and might do exactly as you suggest.

63 A Curious Career - Lynn Barber (P) (NF)

I am making a concerted effort to read lurking paperbacks and this was a good one. It’s a small collection of Lynn’s interviews from her decades of journalism, each one prefaced with some general musing on interviewing. Chapter titles are things like “sportsmen” or “writers” and she talks generally about that group before reproducing a specific interview (of Nadal and Mantel, for the above categories). Interesting and entertaining.

Fascinating anecdote re Susan Hill. A book I have read until it fell to pieces years ago is her Family which is mostly about her life as a wife and mother of three daughters, and the very tragic loss of her second daughter. I absolutely loved it and also can see from some of what she writes that she and her friends wouldn't think much of me or my life and might not hesitate to let me know that. I have read a few of her novels but none have really stayed with me; a bit mannered.

54 The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
Cant remember if I already reviewed this. It’s a reread (or in this case re listen) to this retelling of The Iliad (mainly) from the perspective of Briseis- the captive of first Achilles and then Agamemnon. The language is modern which I know some people dislike but I enjoyed it. Have moved straight on to the second book as I’m heading to Athens tomorrow and want to work through the trilogy.
55 Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan
I always thought of the Ku Klux Klan as being of the southern states of America, but this book focuses on the Klan in Indiana, and its local leader (and second in command nationally) the Grand Dragon DC Stephenson in the 1920s. It is shocking and horrifying as it focuses on his rise and fall. This is an important book as it illustrates how people of such calibre can rise to such power and influence in a supposedly democratic country. An important read. Bold for me.

@JaninaDuszejko I've also read three of Buchi Emecheta's books - I have tatty old copies of quite a few of them but am not sure where all of them are. I've read The Joys of Motherhood but I liked her books about Adah, In the Ditch and Second Class Citizen, even more. I think Adah lives very close to where my aunt lives, and I often used to stay there before I moved to London. She gets a job in a local library and has to battle with the local public services. The books were written and set in the early 1970s so over 50 years ago. Adah is introduced to the work of some of the African American writers just emerging at the time, but there weren't many books being published about the lives of women in Nigeria or in the diaspora.

That's interesting @PermanentTemporary that Family made such a positive impression on you. People are complicated and maybe I dismissed Hill too quickly.

I've realised that the reason the MN anecdote about Woman in Black stuck with me was probably because DS1 was studying that book at school himself at the time, and he was also not a big fan of the ending 😂

By the way, DS2 is currently studying Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss for year 9 English, which I'm delighted about! It's part of a unit on UK landscape.

IIRC, for The Woman in Black, the play (excellent), the film (Daniel Radcliffe, so-so - but there might have been an earlier version) and the book all have somewhat different endings. Perhaps that’s why SH is pissed off with it being questioned 😀

According to my Kindle I’ve read the Woman In Black I have no recall of it whatsoever

I was really bored by the play and thought the Daniel R film was dreadful. I read a Guardian article that said SH liked the film but wasn't a big fan of the ending. I can't remember the ending of any of them though, so can offer no opinion!

@elkiedee those are the three I've read as well 😊. They've been republished recently by Penguin Modern Classics. This article by her son is interesting about the blurring of fact and fiction in the two books about Adah.

99. The Bridge to Always. Lynda Marron
    This was rather enjoyable. Maeve and her daughter Emer move to a small town in Ireland as Meave hopes to reconnect with the man she fell in love with, Tim. Tim is Emer's father, but he didn't know about her. It's a book about people discovering who they really are and what they really want. Tim was thoroughly unlikeable though.

100. Finding Sarah. Nina Purtee
     Book 3 in Annie's Journey and I'm not recommending any of them. This one has the best story line but it's full of mistakes. The first part of the book is set in England in the late 70s/ early 80s (at a, guess) but they use dollars, and mention things like the "carpool" line when picking up from school. I don't think that's a thing nowadays, let alone 40+ years ago.

101. Moroccan Sunset. Nina Purtee
     The 4th and final Annie's Journey book. In case you're wondering why I read an enjoyed series that I chappy didn't enjoy, I signed to review them, and they were just about bearable so I didn't dnf. Kind of wish I had though.

102. The Einstein Vendetta. Thomas Harding
     This was a bold. It's the true story of Robert Einstein, cousin of the rather more famous Albert. They grew up together, the families lived together until the boys were 11ish. Robert married an Italian woman and had 2 daughters. They lived in Italy. Robert considered himself to be an atheist, but Nazi law classed him as Jewish. His wife was Christian as were his daughters. In 1944 Robert was hiding in the woods near their villa, when Nazis broke in and murdered his family. This book tells not only that, but the 80 year investigation into who killed them and why. Some people think it was a way of getting at Albert Einstein, who the Nazis hated with a passion. Others think it's because Robert was ethnically Jewish, which made his wife a traitor, and his daughters Mischlinge.

And finally Choice by Jodi Picoult
This was an audiobook, which I rarely listen to except to fall asleep, and don't count on my target (personal preference. I don't care what anyone else does)

Jodi wrote this very short (38min IIRC) story in 2022 in response to the overturning of Roe V Wade. James, along with a lot of other men wake up one day to find themselves pregnant. Various stages. But as the abortion laws have now been changed there's nothing they can do about it. They find themselves being questioned about who the other parent is, why they weren't more careful/ didn't abstain if they didn't want a baby, and being passed over for promotion at work.
What really annoyed me was the references to "women, transmen and non binary people who menstrate" as those who usually get pregnant (that wasn't too annoying, it included everyone, although I think "women" would have done the same) But then "cis-men" as the ones currently getting pregnant. Unless I missed it, at no point were transwomen or non binary people who ejaculate mentioned. Not very inclusive!
Overall though, it was a fascinating thought experiment, and some positives came to light stick as the young girl who's stepdad (?) Stopped raping her once he realised he could be the one that ended up pregnant as a result.
Unfortunately this is only available as audio on Audible, but you can listen to it even if you don't pay for a subscription.

Love the sound of the Buchi Emecheta books. Will keep an eye out for those.
Thanks also to Chessie for the heads up about the daily deals - I thought I already had The Marriage Portrait on my kindle. I didn't. But I do now 😉

Just finished (14) The Summer of the Bear by Bella Pollen which I have thoroughly enjoyed. A family drama that takes place during the Cold War and is loosely based on true facts - I'm off to investigate exactly which ones!

I am also liking the sound of the Emecheta books. I enjoyed TWiB play, but had what can only be described as the best seats for something unexpected - Susan Hill otherwise not even on my radar.

The Divorcees Rowan Beaird
Solid three stars. 1950s USA and divorce is near impossible for a woman (and a bit hard for a man) but the state of Nevada allowed divorce beyond proven adultery if you were resident in the state for at least 6 weeks. As a result, ranches spring up to service this need of, middle class women. Everything is moving along at the ranch when a woman called Greer arrives,
with a huge bruise on her face and an air of the mysterious. All the women are drawn to her, but who actually is she?

I enjoyed the setting, the historical back drop was really interesting. I’ll definitely get to reading about this in more detail. This story was ok, we are basically in the narrator’s head and she is quite (intentionally I think) bland and I’m not sure we get enough of the other characters and the ranch.

I’m in a phase right now where I just can’t get enough of reading. I am absolutely loving just sinking into a book... any book. From experience this will not last forever but it is just delicious and I am taking full advantage and reading whenever I get the chance.

14 The Black Mountain by Kate Mosse

A novella about a volcanic explosion on a medieval Tenerife. Uninteresting in my opinion. Thin characters and dull plot.

15 One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

A woman reluctantly accompanies her boyfriend on a reality TV show set on a small Indonesian island. There is a huge storm and it all goes terribly wrong when the group is stranded with only limited food, water and medicines.

Ruth Ware is a good storyteller and this was well told. It was good fun. The twist was so little of a twist that I didn’t even realise it had been a twist until afterwards but that didn’t stop it being diverting.

16 Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

A dystopian Ireland is depicted as a mother faces the detention of her husband and unravelling of society and family. I’m not even sure how to describe this. Like being punched in the gut. I think it had mixed reviews and I can’t honestly say it is a bold as I am still processing it all. Not an easy read but I am glad I read it.

17 Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O’Porter

Two young teenage girls in the 90s on Guernsey have difficult family lives and navigate their way into a friendship. I enjoyed this. It depicted the complexities of trying to make decisions about your life for the first time while living within the control of family and school. I believe it is a prequel and I would read the next one.

18 Whiteout by RS Burnett

Drivel about being caught in the Antarctic winter while trying to save the world with science. Or something. Implausible. Vaguely readable as a very unlikely thriller but wouldn’t seek anything else by the same author again.

19 Good Material by Dolly Alderton

A comedian breaks up with his girlfriend and spends a few months making poor decisions and finally coming to terms with it. This was like a British, male version of Really Good Actually (which I thought was better and really quite enjoyed but also would completely understand those who found it whiny and navel gazing).

20 Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

A woman’s husband holds a warehouse hostage on her first day back at work after maternity leave. As these modern thrillers go this was pretty good. Some twisty bits which were surprising (always a joy). Well paced and well told. If you like this sort of thing then this is a good one!

21 Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams

In 1870s Midwest America, a young Boston man comes to town and is told by an old timer of a man who knows of a place where lots of buffalo gather- if they hunt them they will be rich. An adventure ensues.

I don’t know what made me read this- Kindle daily deals perhaps?! At any rate it was really great. I enjoyed the setting and the changes in the men as they went through their trials. I don’t want to give spoilers but the last few chapters were just fantastic and added a new perspective to the whole story.

22 Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell

Much reviewed. I thought this was great. Agree the romance bit was unnecessary and I physically put the book down in disgust at one stage. I would never have come across this book without this thread so thank you. I work in a field where I occasionally come into contact with those in similar situations. Last week I had occasion to speak to a woman fleeing domestic violence living in a succession of travelodges. Now clearly I would have been empathetic before but I think my understanding of some of the nuance of why and how this is so difficult were aided by having read this.

23 The Figurine by Victoria Hislop

A young woman has Greek family and sometimes goes to Greece as a child. We are then told every single detail of her life ever in minute detail because Victoria Hislop has clearly never even been close to anything like an editor. For the first third I resented this lack of editing but then somehow I settled into it and quite enjoyed hearing about how and where she bought the cleaning products for her Grandmother’s flat and how and what she cleaned first then what she had for dinner. Sometimes an author builds a world that is a fairly comfortable place to be and you don’t resent hearing all the little details (JKR is the queen of this IMO).

Definitely not a bold and I don’t think I have time in my life to seek out another of her tomes. But this was a diverting read and made me want to visit Athens at the very least.

I’m in a phase right now where I just can’t get enough of reading. I am absolutely loving just sinking into a book... any book

That feeling is just fantastic when it hits, isn’t it?

I'm also adding Buchi Emecheta to my TBR list - thank you. I'd never even heard of her before.

@elspethmcgillicudddy I felt the same as you about Prophet Song; I admired it on a literary level but could barely manage to read it as the trauma the characters were experiencing felt so real.