50 Books Challenge 2025 Part Six

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the sixth thread of the 50 Books 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, the fourth thread here and the fifth thread here

Another

@RazorstormUnicorn I’m a hypermobile potentially ADHDer, (DD has hEDS, suspect I do too.) Might give the Liz Earle a go.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie did you buy it?

@BestIsWest I picked up the crossover stuff from a couple of people I follow on Instagram, but it was Liz Earle who inspired me to do my own experiments with what supplements etc might help. Sorry if that wasn't clear!

Of course I did!

@RazorstormUnicorn I’ve been reading about the crossover stuff myself. I definitely benefit from more sodium, especially in hot weather.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie that dress looks amazing!

Thanks for the new thread @Southeastdweller and sending thoughts to those having a hard time.

Bringing my list over:

1 Winter Swimming - Dr Susanna Søberg
2 The Story of Art Without Men – Katy Hessel
3 Mr Loverman – Bernadine Evaristo
4 We Solve Murders – Richard Osman
5 City of Destruction – Vaseem Khan
6 Girl A – Abigail Dean
7 The Slap – Christos Tsiolkas
8 Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World – Mark Aldridge
9 Black Butterflies – Priscilla Morris
10 Portrait of a Marriage – Nigel Nicolson
11 The Sibyl in her Grave – Sarah Caudwell
12 The Dispossessed – Ursula Le Guin
13 Dark Wives – Ann Cleeves
14 The House of Doors - Tan Twan Eng
15 A Mouth full of Salt – Reem Gaafar
16 One of the Good Guys – Araminta Hall
17 Ghost Wall – Sarah Moss
18 Goodbye to Berlin – Christopher Isherwood
19 Why we Swim – Bonnie Tsui
20 Such a Fun Age – Kiley Reid
21 Happiness – Aminatta Forna
22 Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent – Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea
23 Queen Macbeth – Val McDermid
24 Mad Honey – Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
25 In a Lonely Place – Dorothy B. Hughes
26 The Anxious Generation – Jonathan Haidt
27 The In-Between – Christos Tsiolkas
28 When the Dust Settles – Lucy Easthope
29 The Safekeep – Yael van der Wouden

and my two latest reads:

30 Excellent Women – Barbara Pym

My first Barbara Pym! Lived up to the hype. Mildred, a single woman in her thirties, lives a worthy but uneventful life, working for a charity for distressed gentlefolk and socialising with the vicar and his sister. Her world is disrupted when glamorous new neighbours arrive in the flat above, and the vicar and his sister gain an attractive female lodger. Nothing much at all happens, but nothing much at all is described deftly, wryly, in really perfect prose - and there are a few truths about the world and life glowing amongst the polished sentences. I will be reading more.

31 The Death of Us – Abigail Dean

In the same way as Pym (albeit very different style and genre), this is an example of a writer doing a particular thing very well. Dean's books focus on the aftermath of crimes or disturbing events. This one follows Isabel and Edward, both before and after they are subjected to a horrific ordeal at the hands of the South London Invader, a man who, over a period of years, enters couples' homes and carries out an escalating series of crimes. Not a traditional crime novel, although there are still several suspenseful moments - but the real strength of the book is the characterisation of Isabel and Edward, particularly Isabel. Flawed and very believable, I'd be quite happy to read a whole other book about them.

Love the detail on that dress @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie. I keep meaning to try Barbara Pym @Welshwabbit. My recent reads are

23. Outline by Rachel Cusk
A woman goes to lead a writing workshop in Athens and records the conversations with people she encounters.
I was a bit disappointed by this. Does the trilogy improve?

24. Read yourself happy by Daisy Buchanan
This is marketed as self help for anxiety but it's actually her life in books. I really enjoyed this and all her recommendations. It was similar to Bookworm by Lucy Mangan.

25. Forever Home by Graham Norton
Read for book club and I was pleasantly surprised. It was cosy crime set in a small Irish village where a woman's husband gets dementia and her step children chuck her out the house. Then she finds out some secrets about her husband. There were some implausible plot points but overall a nice read.

Next on to my summer reading. Going to try my first Elin Hilderbrand, the cazalet chronicles and The Genius Myth by Helen Lewis.

There’s a real person called Daisy Buchanan? Why on earth would anybody want to do that?!

Thank you southeast

Bringing my list across and then need to catch up on thread and add reviews of latest reads.

#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
#14. Witness 8 - Steve Cavanagh
#15. The Eighth Hour - Linda Segtnan
#16. Kitchen - Banana
#17. Towards Zero - Agatha Christie
#18. Three Act Tragedy - Agatha Christie
#19. Paper Cup - Karen Campbell
#20. The Ink Black Heart - Robert Galbraith
#21. The Seven Dials Mystery - Agatha Christie
#22. The Good, the Bad and the History of Jodi Taylor
#23. The Very First Damned Thing - Jodi Taylor (novella)
#24. Just One Damned Thing After Another - Jodi Taylor
#25. A Symphony of Echoes - Jodi Taylor
#26. When a Child is Born - Jodi Taylor (novella)
#27. My Father's House - Joseph O'Connor
#28. A Second Chance - Jodi Taylor
#29. Roman Holiday - Jodi Taylor (novella)
#30. Cards on the Table - Agatha Christie
#31. The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
#32. North Woods - Daniel Mason
#33. A Trail Through Time - Jodi Taylor
#34. Christmas Present - Jodi Taylor (novella)
#35. No Time Like the Past - Jodi Taylor
#36. What Could Possibly Go Wrong - Jodi Taylor
#37. Shops and Stings and Wedding Rings (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#38. Lies, Damned Lies and History - Jodi Taylor
#39. The Great St Mary's Day Out (novella)- Jodi Taylor
#40. My Name is Markham (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#41. And the Rest is History - Jodi Taylor
#42. A Perfect Storm (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#43. Christmas Past (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#44. An Argumentation of Historians - Jodi Taylor
#45. The Battersea Barricades (novella) - Jodi Taylor - Jodi Taylor
#46. The Steam Pump Jump (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#47. And Now for Something Completely Different (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#48. Hope for the Best - Jodi Taylor
#49. When did you last see your father (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#50. Why is nothing ever simple (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#51. Plan for the Worst - Jodi Taylor
#52. The Ordeal of the Haunted Room (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#53. Another Time Another Place - Jodi Taylor
#54. The Toast of Time (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#55. A Catalogue of Catastrophe - Jodi Taylor
#56. The Good, the Bad and the History of- Jodi Taylor
#57. The Crooked House - Agatha Christie
#58. Of all Faiths and None - Andrew Tweeddale
#59. A Remembrance of Death - Andrew Tweeddale

Found you all!

Yesterday I finished The Wild Men by David Torrance about the first Labour government in 1924. Of course I have heard of Ramsay MacDonald and studied the period prior to this in history at school. But I didn't know much about this government. I wouldn't recommend this book if you aren't really into the intricacies of politics as it was a bit too detailed. He uses too many quotes really and they get in the way of the flow. It gets good reviews on Amazon but DS , who is a history grad with lots of interest in post 1915 UK history , lent it to me and said he also found it a slog.

Despite this it was interesting to see how much like our current leader and government some things were - notably the comments on how apolitical and not very socialist at all JRM was and how ill he looked within a few weeks of taking office. He really did remind me of Starmer - good on the world stage but not so great with his domestic party and a minor expenses issue made bigger by the press than it was. The stuff about the press is also resonant. The opposition was more gentlemanly than you'd find now, however. The worst thing about the book really is that the title promises so much more excitement than it gives. They were really all very Mild Men.

I am surprised I haven't heard of Margaret Bondfield. She was the first female cabinet minister and highly competent.

I am now reading Alwyn Turner on almost the same period - he is so much better to read!

Speaking of my DS - quick humblebrag if I may because he is a real slogger and I am v proud of him. He just got a first!

Congrats to your DS @Piggywaspushed

Well done to your DS @Piggywaspushed, a really proud moment for you.

Well done to him, Piggy!

Well done to your DS!!

Heartiest congratulations to your DS, Piggy. Well done him 🥇

Adding latest reviews:

#49. When did you last see your father (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#50. Why is nothing ever simple (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#51. Plan for the Worst - Jodi Taylor
#52. The Ordeal of the Haunted Room (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#53. Another Time Another Place - Jodi Taylor
#54. The Toast of Time (novella) - Jodi Taylor
#55. A Catalogue of Catastrophe - Jodi Taylor
#56. The Good, the Bad and the History of- Jodi Taylor

Pretty much through my re-read of The Chronicles of St Mary's now and have got straight in my mind who is who etc.

#57. The Crooked House - Agatha Christie

This month's challenge book. Not a Poirot or Marple or any of her regular detectives so you would think I would have not rated it but it did have a rich old man as the victim who held the purse strings had the required big house and dysfunctional family. Didn't work it out so recommended.

#58. Of all Faiths and None - Andrew Tweeddale

Recommended by @rolypolycustard . The book initially focuses on the commissioning of the design and building of Castle Drogo (in Devon) by businessman Julius Drewe in the early twentieth century. The architect was Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll was involved in the gardens. Drewe and Lutyens and the Castle are all real but some of the characters such as one of Lutyens daughters (Celia) are fictional. The cost of the Castle is spiralling and then war breaks out. The book doesn't shy away from class issues, racism, politics and belief systems (theosophy)as well as the futility of war.

#59. A Remembrance of Death - Andrew Tweeddale

Sequel to the above but could be read as standalone. Post World War One with some dead and others injured and struggling to make new lives for themselves. Celia is in America with a young child but returns to the U.K. where she meets up again with the Drewe family. The Castle is still not complete at the start of the book. A greater timespan encompassed in this book from aftermath of 1st war through WW2 and into the 1950s moving between the U.K., Europe, India and Kenya.

These books hit my sweet spot of history a family saga with the added interest of being set somewhere I know. Characters are generally nuanced and I spent a lot of time googling events and people to see which were real/fictional. Enjoyed and recommended.

Well done Piggy's DS - great to see his hard work rewarded!

Thanks all!

Congrats Piglet!
96 Elvis and Me by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (audio)
This did give some interesting insight into what Elvis was like and is in total contrast to his daughter’s memoir which I listened to last year. In this one it’s clear that Elvis’s drug problems were around much earlier than I’d believed and that he was very controlling. I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell Priscilla’s parents were thinking. She isn’t a likable person (and the faux giggles in the reading were cringeworthy) but I’d say that’s at least partly from the damage done.

In other news, I’ve decided to start another Read What You Own for the summer. I’m starting on 1st July (after the release of the kindle deals because I’m not a fool) and continue until school starts again here at least (21st August). I will continue my Audible subscription during this period and will allow myself one deviation from RWYO which is the Booker longlist. Where I can I’ll get books from the library but hopefully I can pick up any missing ones from Waterstones vouchers/ plus points). If I can, I’ll stretch it to the end of 2025 but aim number 1 is 1st July until 21st August.

@ÚlldemoShúl I’d like to join you but as you say wait until deals! I recently read as audio and strongly recommend From Here To The Great Unknown - Lisa Marie Presley’s posthumous memoir completed by her daughter Riley Keogh and read by Julia Roberts. She and Priscilla really didn’t get on!

thanks @Southeastdweller for the new thread, and a big well done to @Piggywaspushed's DS!

List-haters, look away now.

1.Hitler, Stalin, Mum and Dad by Daniel Finklestein
2.Hotel Du Lac by Anita Brookner
3.The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis
4.A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
5.Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
6.Butter by Asako Yuzuki
7.The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
8.Middlemarch by George Eliot.
9.Wellness by Nathan Hill
10.My Friends by Hisham Mater.
11.Rizzio by Denise Minna
12. Staring at the Sun by Julian Barnes
13.Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell
14.Appassionata by Jilly Cooper
15.Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
16.You Are Here by David Nicholls
17.The Trees by Percival Everett
18.A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel
19.Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens
20.The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
21.Dracula by Bram Stoker
22. Case Studies by Grace McRae Burnett
23.Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
24.Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry
25.How to Eat (and Still Lose Weight) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson

And I've just finished 26.Score! by Jilly Cooper. This time our randy Rutshire aristos are largely engaged with filming a production of Verdi's Don Carlos. This takes a slightly different tack to the earlier Rutshire novels, with the central plot being a murder mystery. I'll be honest, I didn't love this, but assume that we'll be back on normal comic romance territory with the next one, and so I've already reserved Pandora on Borrowbox.

Now reading The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West in paperback, and I have Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst on audio - both excellent so far!

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit it was reading Lisa-Marie’s book that led to me reading Priscilla’s. I’d imagine that the truth lies somewhere in the middle of these two very damaged women. If a few more want to join us I’ll set up a read what you own thread to help keep us on track!

@ÚlldemoShúl Odd! I must have missed your review! Yes to an accountability thread

@Piggywaspushed fantastic news and bravo to your DS!

@Stowickthevast thanks for your thoughts on Michelle de Kretser and Botox. I feel ashamed of myself now! Her face in the video just seemed weirdly frozen, but I shouldn't be so damn judgy in any case. Anyway I'd like to read some of her other books. I thought I was reasonably familiar with Australian literature as my DH is an Aussie, but I'd never heard of her till she won the Stella Prize this year.

@FuzzyCaoraDhubh I'm glad we had the same thoughts/questions about Small Boat. I tend to err on the side of thinking that the encounter was an imaginary one, because of the mirror imaging as you say, but the author has certainly made the suggestion very subtly. I reread the ending multiple times in French and in English and still felt unsure of what had happened! But curiously enough, I remained sure that I loved the book.

@Terpsichore that's a beautiful review of Wreath of Roses. Taylor is such a gifted writer. I'm on to A Game of Hide and Seek next.

@Cherrypi I think if you didn't get on with Outline, the other books are more of the same. Rachel Cusk is very marmite I think!

No problems @cassandre I can see how it looks like that. I think you'd like her other books, a couple of which have won the Miles Franklin prize.

75. The Close - Jane Casey. Where Maeve & Josh get to go undercover and play house together for a few weeks. Really ramping up the relationship tension now!