50 Books Challenge 2025 Part Nine

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the ninth and final thread of the 50 Books Challenge for this year.

The challenge was 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 , the fifth thread here , the sixth thread here , the seventh thread here and the eighth thread

Merry Christmas everyone.

I have just finished book no 49 so I have a week to get another one in....

Anyway, no 49 is Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney. Would be really interested to know what anyone else has thought of it. It is a psychological thriller, set mainly on a fictitious Scottish island. I was pretty gripped by it, but the plot is infuriatingly preposterous. I did pick up a few important points early on, but found it hard to make sense of them. The ending is tantalising - "Beautiful Ugly ending" is a popular google search apparently.

The book concerns a writer with writer's block who goes to a remote Scottish island a year after his wife disappeared. He keeps thinking he sees her on the island, but maybe it's his alcoholism or the tea they sell in the shop...

Anyway, I haven't read any of her other work but might give it a go. Any recommendations?

I read Beautiful Ugly a few weeks ago @Arran2024 and wasn’t impressed. Here’s my review:

This started well, with a man struggling with life going to spend time on what turns out to be a very strange island. However the last 25% or so, as things are revealed, is not good. I can’t really explain why without spoilers but I was very disappointed with the explanations of events and the ultimate ending.

Loving seeing the book hauls. I also have an Amazon voucher, which might go on a cook book.

@GrannieMainland I didn’t realise that there was a Mitford sisters graphic novel. Luckily it’s my birthday in early Jan so that’s gone on my list. DH bought me a few graphic novels this year, as I didn’t give him much idea gift wise, which I’m looking forward to.

@Tarragon123 I love The Stand it’s one of his best in my opinion. After getting stuck on Everything’s Eventual for nearly a year (I just don’t really like the short story form) I’m nearly done and am looking forward to continuing my Great Stephen King readathon.

@ChessieFL how could I have forgotten the St Mary’s Christmas book. I’m off to read that now!

I hope everyone who is under the weather is tucked up with a good book and a cuppa and feels better soon.

Winter Ali Smith

In spite of spending the afternoon in bed with a migraine I have managed to read this practically in one day. Much like Autumn I really liked it and was compelled to read on, but I’m not quite sure what happened or why. I think Ali Smith is just a bit of a genius and maybe has some magical capabilities to write the way she does.

This is the story of Sophia and her estranged sister Iris and Sophia’s son Art, who meets Lux at a bus stop and pays her to pretend to be his girlfriend over Christmas. It’s set against the backdrop of Greenham Common, anti Nuclear weapons and general activism and more recently debates around immigration and the Brexit vote.

@Tarragon123 I read The Stand in 2020 during lockdown. I really enjoyed it, and it made Covid seem like a walk in the park in comparison!

I really liked Ali Smith's seasons too @AgualusasL0ver.

149. Clear - Carys Davies A bold for me. This is set in Scotland in 1843 and follows a minister John Ferguson who has left the church to join the new Scottish Free church but as a result has no money. His brother in law puts him in touch with a landowner who will pay him to go to a remote Scottish island and tell its only resident to leave as part of the Highland clearances. He then goes to the island and meets Ivar the resident who only speaks the local dialect. This is very short but had so much in it, with history, the setting and the language that Ferguson gradually learns. There are parts from the Pov of his wife Mary too. It reminded me a little of The Colony.

@Benvenuto – a dragon scone? Goodness that sounds amazing! Sadly, as I am lactose intolerant, I rarely partake of a scone, unless my Mum makes a suitable one for me or I pay a small fortune for one in the local café lol.

@Piggywaspushed – glad to hear it. This time of year can be so stressful and exhausting.

@Welshwabbit – good to know. I think by having a set reading programme takes the pressure off from it being such a long book.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie – I think I probably read Carrie back in the 80s and possibly Christine as well. I read a few James Herbert books too and was particularly freaked out by the rats. Shudder. Then I figured that horror isnt really my thing? I do enjoy a post apocalyptic tale though. I loved The Chrysalids. Its one of the few books that I reread. Can I say I liked The Road by Cormac McCarthy? Is like the right word? I hope you feel better soon. Absolutely typical that you are struck down with the lurgy just after school has finished.

@FuzzyCaoraDhubh – I adored Precipice but got really angry about Asquith and his nonsense with Venetia, particularly over Gallipoli. It’s the sliding doors moment, isnt it? If Asquith wasn’t so obsessed with Venetia, would he have questioned Churchill in more detail and still gone along with the plan? Interestingly. Roy Jenkins was given access to the same correspondence and chose not to use it.

@Tarahumara – I think I will like The Stand.

We’ve been watching Pluribus on Apple TV and I really like the premise. A mystery virus has taken over everyone in the world except for 12 people. The remaining population have a hive mind and contain the knowledge of everything. One of the 12 people is an author and one of the things that she does is to start writing another book. Because the hive mind have read everything ever written. It raises some very interesting questions. I couldn’t bear to be part of the hive mind and to not be able to read anything because you’ve read everything and your collective memory is so strong, there isnt any point in rereading. They also don’t seem to have much leisure time, always working towards the greater good. Worthwhile if you are looking for something to watch over the festive period.

I completely agree. I found some of the plot devices she used infuriating. And, being Scottish, I couldn't relate at all to this island supposedly being in the Highlands. Nothing about it said "Scottish" to me.

I've been doing a year-long read of The Stand, approx 100 pages a month although im a bit behind and am trying to get the last 150-odd pages done by NYE. Its great, sagged a bit in the middle but is picking back up now the end is near

237 Artemis - Andy Weir

A bold: this is my third space read of his (after The Martian and Project Hail Mary). The peril is more down to earth (down to moon, rather) - Jazz is a petty smuggler living in the Artemis city on the moon, disappointing her father, failing her ETA guide exams and dreaming of the big bucks (or slugs, in the case of Artemis currency). When one of her clients offers her a cool million for a sabotage job, she is drawn into the mobster world and a race against danger and time. As with the other two, this zips along and wears its science a bit more lightly.

Finished American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. It tells the story of Lydia and her son Luca whose whole family are killed by a Mexican cartel and their attempt to escape into the US. Parts of this were excellent- the parts on the train were harrowing but the author head-hopped between characters in the middle of a paragraph sometimes and some of the side characters didn’t feel real to me at times. Not a bold for me - sorry @EineReiseDurchDieZeit but an engrossing read all the same.

238 The Untouchable - John Banville

The main character of this book, Victor Maskell, is heavily based on (Sir) Anthony Blunt, one of the Cambridge Five spies and sometime Keeper of the Royal Paintings (or similar title). At the start of the book, Victor has just been formally announced as a spy by the female PM (as happened, with Thatcher) and the book weaves between the present and the past, with the device being that Maskell is telling his story to a young woman writing a book about him.

This book was shortlisted for the Booker (The God of Small Things won) and I can see why. Maskell is very well drawn; the intensity of his attraction to his friend Nick brings him into all
kinds of things, including a job with the Department and marriage to Nick’s sister. It was a little bit frustrating that this was almost but not quite histfic - so some of it is in accordance with known facts and some not. But that’s my preference rather than the author’s fault 😀

50. Heart the lover by Lily King A student studying creative writing has some intense relationships and friendships

Hurray I got to 50. I enjoyed this but not as much as Writers and lovers. The cast was a bit big and I got confused who people were by the end.

@SheilaFentiman I received The Untouchable as a Christmas present today. Looking forward to starting it having read your review.

@SheilaFentiman- someone recommended The Untouchable to me a while back when I read A Spy Among Friends - I’ve added it to my wishlist so I don’t forget about it.

I remember watching Alan Bennett’s play about him (A Question of Attribution) years ago (my parents were watching it).

Catching up with the thread after Christmas.

@Tarragon123- really sorry to hear about the lack of scones. Things do seem to be getting better at catering for food allergies / intolerances but there is still much more that could be done.

These is my list:

1. The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden
2. House of Lilies by Justine Firnhaber-Baker
3. Precipice by Robert Harris
4. This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
5. Touch not the Cat by Mary Stewart
6. The Moon-Spinners by Mary Stewart
7. Airs above Ground by Mary Stewart
8. Stormy Petrel by Mary Stewart
9. How the Railways will fix the future by Gareth Dennis
10. The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
11. We’ll prescribe you a cat by Syou Ishida
12. Potholes and Pavements by Laura Laker
13. Your Child is not Broken by Heidi Mavin
14. City of Destruction by Vaseem Khan
15. The Hours Before Dawn by Celia Fremlin
16. The Wreath by Sigrid Undset
17. The Household by Stacey Halls
18. Romantic Comedy - Curtis Sittenfeld
19. Ben Macintyre - A Spy Among Friends
20. Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
21. Love off script by Laura Starkey
22. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
23. The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
24. The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith
25. Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre
26. Mary Queen of Scots by John Guy
27. The Ghost Tree by Barbara Erskine
28. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
29. The Art of the Lie
30. The Wife by Sigrid Undset
31. Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
32. Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane
33. Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre
34. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
35. Citizen Clem: A Biography of Attlee by John Bew
36. The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre
37. The Scapegoat by Daphne Du Maurier
38. Patricia Brent, Spinster
39. Just one damned thing after another by Jodi Taylor
40. Traitor’s Legacy by S J Parris
41. The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths
42. Pine by Francine Toon
43. For Your Eyes Only by Ben Macintyre
44. The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall
45. Queen James by Gareth Russell
46. The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves
47. Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs
48. Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy
49. The Cross - Sigrid Undset
50. The Crossing Places - Elly Griffiths
51. The Wych Elm by Tana French
52. The Searcher by Tana French
53. The Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart

54 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Well reader, this might be my book of the year! Jane Eyre has always been the classic that my friends liked, but I could never see why. I loved the Timothy Dalton adaptation as a child, which led me to read my mother’s old copy too young so I gave up after Jane’s childhood. Then, when older I tried several times to read it again with similar results: childhood good, adult part less so. Then after the recent discussion on here, I bought the Kindle deal version only to find that I had been reading an abridged version! Some episodes and a lot of the dialogue had been cut - in the full version, Jane’s speech and behaviour is much more shocking (for a Victorian) and all of the other characters are much more vivid, not least Rochester (who I can finally see what the fuss was about) and St John. I probably need to read it again to decide how great a book it is, but it is a far more enjoyable book that I had expected.

SPOILER - although I like the bit where Jane discovers that Thornfield Hall is ruined and hears about the fire, I still don’t like the rest of the ending. It seems a poor deal for Jane that she only gets injured Rochester, and St John could have solved all his problems had he decided that improving the lot of factory workers was of equal value to missionary work.

55 Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë - in which a spoiled but sympathetic girl has a hard time working as a governess to some other spoiled but much less sympathetic children. This was a Kindle deal alongside Jane Eyre and it is an interesting companion read. I quite enjoyed this when I first read this as a teen, and enjoyed it much more now. Although Anne Brontë is often grouped with her sisters, she is a very different and much more realist author - there are some plot similarities with Jane Eyre but the book is much closer to Black Beauty (dealing with the mistreatment of governesses rather than horses). There is a Rochester type figure - but he is a minor character and has no redeeming features, whereas the St John figure is much more sympathetic. Fortunes that are lost at sea stay lost. There is no equivalent for Agnes of the kind Mrs Fairfax or affectionate Adèle - Agnes’ pupils are really difficult as are the parents. Although Agnes gets more skilled at dealing with her situation, there’s no sense that she achieves much educational success as a governess. Rereading it made me realise that this is them same world that I live to read about in Jane Austen’s novels - it just looks a lot less appealing through the eyes of a governess.

@Tarragon123 We’ve really enjoyed Pluribus though haven’t seen the latest two episodes as we’ve had family visiting all over Christmas. I’ve really enjoyed it and found it interesting. Love Carol.

I’ve also enjoyed the Jane Austen documentary on iplayer though I haven’t seen the last one yet for the same reason. I’m looking forward to it during the quiet few days before NYE. It’s made me vow to read all her books again in 2026.

Haven’t done much reading though I’ve treated myself to The Hallmarked Man with Christmas money.

Prussian Blue by Zara Katanzaro
So I think this is something like book 12 maybe this year as my total and most likely my final book of the year. It is by a debut author.
Kai Nasseri doesn’t fit in. Not many artists do. She vow’s to leave her confidence-crushing ‘boyfriend’, quit her part-time jobs and make lots of money selling abstract paintings. And she promises herself - and her therapist - that her next cut will be her last.

But the life she dreams of doesn’t manifest. How can it? Nobody is buying original artwork, she is consumed by her steroid-enraged partner, and echoes of her absent sister are growing louder.

The glitzy glow of a new nightlife enterprise brings fun, freedom and Reuben - a guy whose refreshing energy revives her enthusiasm for life. She has finally met someone to heal her scars, but what unfolds is much, much worse.

I note this is book one of The Oil Paint series so I am definitely waiting for the next. It drew me in straight away and I was no don’t do it, don’t go there a lot during this read. It should have siren warning blasting throughout in my mind as that is how I felt with some of the dangerous escapades hence the please don’t do it a lot during this book. It is trigger warning mental, health, OCD, Selth harm so very much not a light read but very much recommended.

Anyway my next book is The Dream Home T.M. Logan but don’t think this will be finished before the years end.

Just went to add The Untouchable to my wish list and it's 99p so I bought it.

I love this book and have recommended it on here in the past so really glad you liked it @SheilaFentiman

@SheilaFentiman The Untouchables sound right up my street, thank you for that review and to @countrygirl99 for highlighting that it is only 99p a the moment.

Ha! We should get commission from amazon for a coffee kitty for the meet-ups 😀

239 Ghost Wall - Sarah Moss

A short read (I am trying to hit 240 and selecting from my RWYO accordingly 😀)

A sinister atmosphere pervades this book, reminiscent of Lord of the Flies. Silvie is a sixth former on holiday with her subdued mother and abusive father. They are away with Professor Slade and three of his archaeology students - Molly, Pete and Dan - and trying to live as Iron Age Northumbrians. They forage for food and wash in streams - and Silvie and her mum suffer if the jobs aren’t to her dad’s liking. The rituals of the people they are emulating come more to the fore - the Ghost Wall in question is a woven wall topped with skulls to frighten the enemy.

I liked this more than Summerwater.

@Benvenutoyour review of Jane Eyre has prompted me to bump it up my list.

@SheilaFentimanI have Ghost Wall in my TBR, and I’m sure it was based on a recommendation from here from years ago. Did you also enjoy it?

@Zireael I have read and enjoyed Ghost Wall. I think Sarah Moss writes quite different novels. I didnt enjoy the pandemic set one much (The Fell?), but I know others on the thread loved it. Ghost Wall is really short, so not much time wasted if you're not keen.