50 Books Challenge 2025 Part Five

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fifth 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 or / and maybe authors as well of books you've read or going to read? It makes it much easier to keep track. Some of us like to bring over lists to the next thread- again, this is up to you.

The first thread of the year is here, the second thread here , the third thread here and the fourth thread here.

55. Death at the Sign of the Rook, by Kate Atkinson
The newest Jackson Brody book has divided opinion on here, and I can see why. It doesn't really work as crime fiction - the pacing is way off and there's very little actual detection: the characters just happen to assemble in the same spot for the final section and reveal things to each other. If you accept that it's only playfully gesturing at the genre, you can have a fairly enjoyable time along the way, meandering through the back stories of a range of characters. Maybe it's just me, but I'm starting to find the self-conscious quirkiness a bit dated - I'm thinking also of Marina Lewycka. It's all a bit early 2000s. I'm happy to read dated books, so that's not an objection, just an observation about book fashions.

I have concluded my engagement with The Stripping of the Altars, by Eamon Duffy. I can't quite say I read it, and I won't add it to my total, because I did a lot of skimming. It was written as academic history rather than for a wider public, and it doesn't pander to readerly laziness. It's very much a counter-narrative to those who portray the Reformation as something that was largely welcomed by ordinary people: Protestantism as an idea whose time had come. He shows how much the Catholic faith was woven through people's lives and how long-drawn-out and complicated it was to make the change. Other narratives may focus on the exceptions, those willing to be martyrs, but he looks at the general population who were not inclined to martyrdom, who were pragmatic and timid (his word), who might resist for a while by dragging their feet in making changes, but who complied in the end. It's not quite the book I wanted to read - I want fewer details and more wafting about what it felt like, which perhaps isn't very Tudor-minded of me.

@ClaraTheImpossibleGirl – yes, I felt that the Square of Sevens went on for absolute days! No need. It would have been much better with a good prune lol.

@oviraptor21 – welcome!

@ChessieFL – belated happy birthday! Nothing better than a good haul that has had a lot of thought behind it.

I have made 50!

49 Fatherland – Robert Harris (RWYO). I don’t think I’ve read a Robert Harris book before. For some reason, I get him and Ken Follett mixed up. I have no idea why. This kindle was a 25th anniversary edition. For those who haven’t read it, it is set in Berlin in 1964. The Nazis have won the war and are looking forward to the visit of US President Kennedy. A Berlin Detective gets himself involved in a murky murder and despite being told by the Gestapo to butt out, he cant help but get himself in deep. Thoughtful and moving.

50 Along Came A Spider – James Patterson (Alex Cross 1) I read this as a book group are discussing it. Not my cup of tea, far too long and it lingered on torture too much for me. I wont be bothering with JP again, except for one on my Kindle which is jointly written with Dolly Parton. I’ve heard that one is pretty dreadful, so not looking forward to that!

24 The Children Of Eve by John Connolly

I’m a huge John Connolly fan, but blimey, this failed to launch until well over half way through! It would have worked far, far better as a Charlie Parker novella, with the uncharacteristic filler stripped out. There’s been some talk of a character name being reused too, missed by the author and editors both sides of the Atlantic, so I hope he’s not in danger of overwriting and churning out future rubbish.
Anyway, a series of dodgy ‘antiquity’ dealers meet grisly ends, the FBI listen in, Parker is drawn in by investigating a sculptor’s missing boyfriend, Parker’s dead daughter is still wafting about at the side of the Lethe…..all the usual stuff is there, but it’s weirdly disjointed and unsatisfactory. A waste of what was undoubtedly his impeccable research on the ethics of exhibiting human remains, Mexican prehistory and organised crime. There are some Parker novels without the Fulci Brothers in them, but to chuck a scene in at the end where they do absolutely nothing seems silly. I don’t think that’s a spoiler really - it’s all quite Meh and underwhelming. If you like the Charlie Parker series then don’t miss it out, but if you’re new to the fiction writing genius of Connolly then for goodness sake, DO NOT START HERE.

Just adding a couple of thread favourites so in won't go in to many details:
52. The Reckoning - Jane Casey. The second Maeve Kerrigan and I agree it's better than the first. I'm not going to go straight into number 3 as have various other books I should read (and didn't buy them when they were on offer so am slightly resentful of paying £4-6 for each) but am invested in the back story.

53. The Story of A Heart - Rachel Clarke. Woman's prize non-fiction book following the journey of a heart transplant from one 9 year old to another. Heartbreaking, I had to stop reading it in the evenings as it was making me cry before bed. I loved the children's story but found I glazed over at some of the medical stuff - not really my area of interest.

The Names by Florence Knapp

This has had a lot of hype but that is well deserved in my opinion. This book has a clever premise - how is a child’s life determined by his name? We follow baby Atkin throughout his life in three different stories - as Bear, as Julian and as Gordon. I loved this idea and loved all the different stories. It’s not an easy read as it features domestic abuse, but it is one that will stay with me. It reminded me of Nesting and The Heart’s Invisible Furies, both of which I have also read this year and loved.

My list so far...
(1) The Nurse by Valerie Keogh
(2) The Wrong Child by Julia Crouch and M. J. Arlidge
(3) The Perfect Parents By J.A. Baker
(4) Darkest Fear, written by Harlen Coben
(5) Old Filth by Jane Gardam
(6) The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam
(7) Last Friends by Jane Gardam
(8) American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins -
(9) The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden
(10) The Coworker by Frieda McFadden
(11) Maid by Stephanie Land (Audio Book)
(12) The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
(13) The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
(14) Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education
Book by Stephanie Land
(15) Verity by Colleen Hoover
(16) Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
(17) Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
(18) Home Front by Kristin Hannah

Latest Book.....

(19) The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Summary taken from Amazon:

A #1 New York Times bestseller, Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year, and soon to be a major motion picture, this unforgettable novel of love and strength in the face of war has enthralled a generation.
With courage, grace, and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of World War II and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women's war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

This book had a profound affect on me - it was an unbelievable book that I will remember for years - a definite bold for me!

Happy reading everyone :)

34 Murder at Gull's Nest - Jess Kidd.
A bold from me. Not a surprise twist or shock in terms of whodunit but enjoyable all the same. Can it stretch to a further book or indeed a series? I'm not sure, but I'd definitely give Nora another chance.

30 The Enchanted April - Elizabeth von Arnim What an absolutely lovely book this is - really cheered me up. I hadn't realised quite how old it is until after reading it - I assumed the talk of war widows was referring to the second world war, but it was actually written in 1922. Despite that, the characters felt relatable and it was just so nice that everything worked out well (slight spoiler for anyone who hasn't read it...). Of course in the real world things can't be fixed as easily as that but I think that's the whole point of the book - we're supposed to allow ourselves to believe that a month in Italy can have a lasting positive effect that won't wear off back in dreary old England. Certainly von Arnim's personal life (now that I've googled after finishing the book) suggests that she would have been well aware that this is closer to a fairytale than reality. The best thing, though, was how funny it was - really witty writing but in a gentle, non-bitchy manner. Very glad I picked this up on the recommendations from these threads!

@Clairedebear101286 which is your favourite of the Kristin Hannah books you’ve read? I read The Women earlier this year and loved it so want to read more of hers. I’ve got The Four Winds and True Colours on kindle so will probably start with them but
would be good to have an idea of which ones to look for after that.

33. Murder at Gull's Nest: Jess Kidd.

A former nun, Nora Breen, leaves her convent and religious life to investigate the disappearance of her friend Frieda at Gull's Nest, a sleepy seaside town in Kent. She applies her keen investigative skills to find out who is murdering the guests one by one in a series of gruesome events

I enjoyed this book very much. I liked Nora in all her feistiness; she is quite a character. I would be interested if this develops into a series. I thought the housekeeping details were excellent and the description of the guesthouse and inedible dinners helped to create the atmosphere of the postwar years of ww2. The characters were nicely-rounded too.
A good, entertaining read.

I'd love a good biography of von Arnim, @DuPainDuVinDuFromage Her other books are much less optimistic about bad husbands suddenly becoming nice.

28 Mischief Acts - Zoe Gilbert
Series of connected short stories following the adventures of Herne the Hunter from the reign of Richard II to an imagined near future. Herne is reimagined as the spirit of the Great North Wood (historically a large forested area south of London), and his fortunes track those of nature, linked in turn with the bandwidth societies have for a spirit of mischief through the ages. Plays with folkloric concepts of the wild hunt and horned god. Inventive, fun, speculative literary fiction - perhaps a bit on the long side, but the final story of reconciliation (between, essentially, the Nietzschean Dionysos/Apollo split in the human psyche) was beautiful.

29 Plagues Upon the Earth - Kyle Harper
A history of infectious disease from our early hominid ancestors, to medical victories against our germy foes over the past two centuries. Particularly interesting on the way the development of farming and towns led to gastric and respiratory diseases gaining a foothold on human populations. Whereas our hunter-gatherer ancestors just had to contend with the odd bout of worms and malaria.

30 The Lost Man - Jane Harper
A very competent family drama/mystery, set against the harsh background of a cattle-farming community in the Australian outback. Nathan's brother is found dead of dehydration in the desert, despite heading out with a carful of water and supplies. Nathan unravels family secrets to work out the truth, and the gradual reveal of what a damaged soul Nathan is is brilliantly handled, with his self-discovery matching pace with the reader's dawning understanding. It's a real page turner with the smooth prose style that former journalists can often tap into (see also Robert Harris) - but I've realised that's also why I didn't love it, because I'm more inspired by fiction that makes you notice its literary workings and wordplay (like Mischief Acts).

72 . From Here To The Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keogh (Audible)

This is sort of an autobiography because many sections are written by Lisa Marie but it’s also a biography by her daughter Riley who contributes her own reminiscences and fills in posthumous gaps. Lisa Marie died in 2023 and is voiced by Julia Roberts (with some audio recordings of Lisa Marie). Riley Keogh reads her own sections.

What I suppose struck me was that for all her wealth and privilege she was unhappy a lot of the time and only found solace in her children. And then of course came to an untimely end herself after the suicide of her son.

I did this as Audible but it’s definitely a page turner about the perils of fame, a fame Lisa Marie had thrust upon her due to who her father was. Sad all round. Worth a look if she interests you as a public figure.

I've been looking forward to reading The Names!

I'll have to put Murder at Gulls Nest on my list too, I read an earlier Jess Kidd and wasn't too impressed but it seems to be getting great reviews.

@LadybirdDaphne I read Mischief Acts last year and found it hard work in parts but enjoyable. I live in the area it's set so really liked seeing places I recognised at different points in history!

I too have been looking forward to The Names- thanks for the review @ChessieFL

I also read a previous Jess Kidd (Himself) and didn’t love it so might give that one a swerve.

Just finished 69 The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clarke on audio. I’ve been purposely avoiding this for a while as a friend had a kidney transplant a few weeks ago (which has been on the cards for a long time) and I couldn’t face reading about transplants until I knew all was well. All is well 😀so I listened to it and sobbed into my potato peelings while making dinner. Beautiful and brilliant. I found the medical history fascinating as well. It’s just so awe inspiring what they can do and the gift that the donors give. A definite bold.

Ambrose Parry's The Death of Shame is due out next month and currently on offer on Kindle for £2.49 to pre-order. Just noticed the reduction in my wish list.

How are you getting on with Maeve Kerrigan? @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie

Thank you!!

51 The Names of the Dead – Kevin Wignall (RWYO) My longest, languishing Kindle book. I thought that this was set in the 1960s, but it is contemporary and was a new release when I bought it in 2020. James Wesley (Wes) is a former CIA operative and is in prison in France, having been scapegoated for a terrible crime. He is released from prison on compassionate grounds and seek vengeance on those who have wronged him. I enjoyed this, however, there was a lot of bible passages which could be annoying for some.

I'm now down to 21 books on the Kindle, hurrah! However, another 4 paperbacks sneaked into the house. I was at a street fair and one of the stalls had some second hand books. Well, I had to have a look. I bought 4 Joanne Harris books, Chocolat, The Lollypop Shoes, Peaches for Monsieur le Cure and Blackberry Wine. I've read Chocolat before, when it was first released and I'd like to reread before I read the others. I managed to read The Strawberry Thief out of order and I think that book 5 is due out this Summer.

I gave up on The Burning. Not tried the second yet. Think it would have to be 99p to tempt me.

25 The End Of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) - Katie Mack

Interesting, though short audiobook looking at some of the ways cosmologists think our universe might end. I really like her way of explaining complex concepts and wish this had been longer.

I've finished two widely reviewed books that I loved:

Nesting - I was nervous about this being a very tough read, and the abuse was certainly difficult, but I found the writing about motherhood, and specifically being a mother of young children, so beautiful that it made up for it. I know a fair amount professionally about the housing crisis and homelessness system in London, so I was really interested to read about how that was playing out in Dublin. I found it possibly too uplifting later on - there were definitely some lucky coincidences - but I could begrudge Cora a happy ending and I was so bought into her personal journey.

The Safekeep - I've just read this for my book club and I can't think why I avoided it for so long, possibly I had it confused with another book on the Booker shortlist. I thought this was astonishing. I read the first half thinking it was ok, well written but a bit literary and dull, and then changed my view completely after the reveal. I liked how it was subverting the standard country house stories about a stranger coming into a family, by asking who really is the stranger. I learnt a lot about a time and place I hadn't given much thought too as well. Again perhaps an overly optimistic ending, but it was what I was hoping for.

@GrannieMainland I initially felt the same about Nesting, was apprehensive about it but it turned out to be a standout read for me.

Pastoral by Nevil Shute
Sorry, but I’ve forgotten who recommended this and it’s a real pain to scroll back on my phone. Thank you, though. I really enjoyed it Didn’t like the last page and a half and there was rather more about the mechanics of planes than I was interested in, but I’ve read it in an evening and it had lots of Shute’s usual sweetness.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Translated by Robin Buss.

Read for the readalong. Great fun. But, as said by someone on the thread, we now need someone to write 'The Further Adventures of Eugenie Danglers'.