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

Between The Covers with Sara Cox has been cancelled. I enjoyed that show. It’s sad that books don’t get much attention on telly

@MamaNewtNewt I was the same about the Dave Grohl book. I did buy it - I take comfort from the fact that it’s 99p, he won’t be seeing much profit out of that.

Oh, I have picked up some interesting books from there, too.

Yeah @Piggywaspushed the celebrity picks were really varied and often random

Book Tok is where it's at these days, it seems.

The same books seem to go round and round on BookTok. I prefer BookTube

Yep another Booktube fan. RoRo Reads and Ben Reads Good are favourites.

I also watch Slaggy Book Club, Jack Edwards, and Greg from Supposedly Fun among others . Always looking for new ones that do lit fiction. Greg has wide ranging taste so can be a bit hit and miss for me. Gorgeous dog though

Yes Hreg is hit and miss for me too as is Scott from Gunpowder Fiction and Plot. Gave up on Jack Edwards he never seems to do actual reviews any more. Must look for Slaggy Book Club

Jack Edwards is lovely. It's funny to think he was once a 17 year old making videos about uni applications. However, that does show how early these types plan their online careers!

Eric Karl Anderson is good - Lonesome Reader. Agree with Scott being hit and miss though he's quite funny and I like Ben & Roro reads too, though Roro does a lot of SF. Wish there were more women - I like Jen Campbell but she doesn't post as much since she had a baby

Yes I agree on Jen Campbell. I follow Louise Savidge and Shelley Sweringen but both are very hit and miss.

I don’t do either of the Savidges…..

What to do about my latest read? It’s not bad by any means but I am having to nearly force myself to engage with it and getting nowhere fast. The writing is good though, so I don’t get why I’ve got such ennui. Move on?

Soft DNF?

Love Eric Karl Anderson, Ben Reads Good and RoRo reads. Agree Jack Edwards doesn't do as much good content but I still enjoy him!

@ÚlldemoShúl would be my second soft DNF for this book

I would move on, if it's your second crack at it.

Then I agree with @SheilaFentiman Life’s too short for books that haven’t grabbed you twice.

Yeah I agree, shame though there was potential

I am currently getting irrationally annoyed by a Sara Sheridan book with a character called Mrs Grieg. The author is Scottish and the book set in Scotland but, at least as far as I am aware, the surname Grieg is only used for Edvard who for some reason changed the letter order. (I went on holiday to Norway and the very talkative guide to go to some lengths about this but I may have zoned out). In Scotland , it's Greig. The English are incapable of the whole ie ei thing so buy pastry from Greggs obvs.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit what book was it?

@RomanMumThe Unsettled by Ayana Mathis about a homeless little boy, it’s been days and I’m only 80 pages in

Just back from an overnight trip, ostensibly to watch DC2 in a concert in Bristol, but really to go book shopping in Bath. My H was most taken with Mr B's Emporium, but I think Persephone took the crown for me, and I came away with a small but perfectly formed stash

32. Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym

Am currently in Wales in a cottage with a very well stocked bookcase. Although I brought plenty to read, this one caught my eye. A Virago Modern Classic no less.

It's her first book, published in 1950 but she wrote it in 1934 and it's clearly set much earlier - the archdeacon goes to visit the local workhouse at one point for example and workhouses had all closed by 1930. I became quite obsessed with trying to work out when it was set. The paperback copy I was reading seems to think it's the 1950s by the cover but that's way out. I think possibly pre WW1.

Anyway it is a high comedy of manners, focusing entirely on upper middle class country village life, full of luncheons, tea and cake, church, gardening.

The descriptions of the food and clothes are wonderful. And the characterisations of all the various characters are superb

It is full of various levels of clergyman, from curate to Bishop - it is of its time re the religious content (there was a long section on a sermon) and there are a lot of poetry references (Pym was apparently famous for this). But the story itself is jolly and very easy to read.

It is possibly controversial these days due to the visiting (white) Bishop who runs a mission in Africa. The descriptions of the "natives" are done for comedy but wouldn't be permitted.

I didn't love it but I'm pleased I found it.