50 Books Challenge 2026 Part Three

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the third thread of the 50 Books Challenge for this year.

The challenge is to read fifty books (or more!) in 2026, 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 and the second thread here

11 Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan. This is about Carmel, whose young daughter may have caused the death of another child, and journalist Tom who is trying to get some inside info from the family so he can write a sensational article about it. I found this one a bit strange. It goes into as much detail about Carmel's brother Richie getting sacked from his job at an Italian restaurant as about the 'dead child' part of the plot - which seems odd when you have chosen to make something as shocking as a child murderer the main 'hook' of your plot. Overall I thought this was fine but nothing special.

12 I'm Not As Well As I Thought I Was by Ruby Wax. Ruby's memoir about her descent into depression in 2022, including her time in a residential mental health clinic and some other ways she tried to lift herself out of the dumps, such as a mindfulness retreat and swimming with whales. Another slightly "meh" book - I like Ruby and she comes across as a fun person, but I didn't find this as interesting as the books I've read about mental illness that are written by clinicians (eg Lori Gottlieb, Nathan Filer).

13. Murder on Line One by Jeremy Vine

Well, what can I say? I was intrigued by the very positive reviews and thought it was worth a shot. The characters are well drawn and he covers some interesting themes and draws on his radio experience, but the plot was way too implausible for my liking. If you didn't know, you would think it was another Richard Osman - it has that light hearted murder mystery vibe and features a lot of elderly people. Definitely not a bold for me.

@RazorstormUnicorn thank you for your interesting post on Eric Blehm's book. That has gone on my TBR list. It sounds like I will be able to spend a little time in the wilderness vicariously through this one.

Book 50 😀 and it’s a good one:

Just One Damned Thing After Another - Jodi Taylor

I learned about this author on here, so many of you have read this already.

First in the Chronicles of St Mary’s, this sets up Max joining the time travelling team and her key relationships with the other historians, technicians etc. High energy, great fun to read.

@Frannyisreading Drive Your Plow is a favourite of mine too. Complicité did an amazing play of it a couple of years ago. Well worth a watch if it ever returns.

I read The Empusium last year which is her retelling of Mann's The Magic Mountain, which I haven't read. There are some great bits in it - mushrooms and folklore and strange nightmarish scenes - but I did get a bit bogged down in it.

Bitter Orange sounds good @FuzzyCaoraDhubh . I really liked Unsettled Ground which I read recently. I wasn't as keen on The Memory of Animals, but that's a pandemic book which I generally don't enjoy.

I gave up St Mary’s on I think, Book 8, it wore thin and there were too many plotholes and nonsense twists

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie – I’m so sorry to hear that. Take care

@StrangewaysHereWeCome – I DNF Black and British. I found it too academic.

@SheilaFentiman – offt! Well done

I love Marian Keyes, have done since Watermelon was released. I’m watching the TV adaptation and while its not as good as the books, its certainly better than previous ones, like Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married.

37 Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York – Andrew Lownie. 99p Kindle special and it was worth it. Living in a barracks town, I had heard stories about the former Duke of York, about his rudeness, his entitlement, but this book takes the biscuit. The demands to take a helicopter flight for 15 minutes, rather than a car; the sheer wastage sickened me. Most of the ‘highlights’ are out there on social media and I think @SheilaFentiman said that there will be an updated version soon. I’d like to read a similar book on Mandleson.

Congrats Sheila! I won’t make that number this whole year.

The Children’s Bach by Helen Garner Australian novella about a family thrown into chaos when an old friend, her boyfriend and her younger sister come into their lives. At the risk of posting an ‘I didn’t like the characters’ review, well, I didn’t really, or at least you’re somehow distanced from them, and they are cool and beautiful people I couldn’t relate to. But then there would be a passage that blew me away, e.g. a character being ‘fortified’ by looking at sleeping children. I might read this again sometime as it would repay it.

Big Sky - Kate Atkinson

The fifth book in the Jackson Brodie series, here investigating trafficking activities on the North East coast. Reggie Chase (from When Will There Be Good News) also returns, which is a good thing as she’s a great character. She’s a police officer now, investigating further evidence that’s turned up relating to a historical child abuse ring which overlaps with Jackson’s case. Probably a bit too coincidental really but I don’t care, it’s still great.

Rachel’s Holiday - Marian Keyes

Rachel likes to take a bit of coke now and then, but her family have completely overreacted and sent her to rehab. Fine, she’ll have a nice holiday there for a few weeks to get them off her back and then she can resume her old life. However, Rachel realises she might have a bigger problem than she thought. This is one of my favourite books and I enjoyed it just as much rereading it again.

J is for Judgment - Sue Grafton

Still continuing my way through the alphabet series. I really like the main character, private investigator Kinsey Millhone, so I always enjoy these even when the story is just a bit average, as this one was - looking into the apparently faked death of someone who disappeared a few years ago but has just been spotted in Mexico.

Alys, Always - Harriet Lane

Frances comes across a car accident, and stays with the driver, Alys, until the emergency services turn up. Sadly Alys dies and Frances sees this as an opportunity to work her way into the lives of Alys’s family. I enjoyed reading this - until the end which was very disappointing. It just ended and I had been expecting a twist that never came.

1. Hold My Girl Charlene Carr

Apologies - this is going to be another fairly negative review from me. It was an audiobook pick from borrowbox. Jess & Katherine both undergo IVF treatment at the same clinic. Katherine has a little girl Rose, but Jess loses her baby to a stillbirth. About a year later it emerges that the embryos were swapped and Rose is gentically Jess's child. I picked this because I suffered years of infertility and miscarriages before I conceived DD. The next step would have been IVF if I hadn't had an unexpected 'natural' conception that I carried to term. Despite this I didn't feel much emotional connection to the characters. They both seemed very flat and the story arc was obvious from the first chapter. Again, couldn't have been all bad because I got to the end, but it felt a bit detached and formulaic.

It is still annoyingly changing the numbering.

12 The Ink Black Heart - Robert Galbraith
Aaaaargh!!!! Will they ever get it together??? Probably my least favourite of the cases so far but still a great piece of story telling with wonderful characters. Need to get my hands on the next instalment now...

A rather marathon undertaking later, I have finished Booker and Women's longlisted Flashlight by Susan Choi. I really liked this to begin with - it's my kind of beautiful writing and themes. However, I just felt it was too long and at the end I just was route marching through it to finish. It doesn't bother me that none of the characters is likeable (except Tobias, I guess) but it is definitely evident in terms of me caring by the end.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie I assume you are away now, but I hope things improve soon.

@SheilaFentiman cannot believe you're at 50 before we're halfway through March!

I am on the much more modest number of...

18 The Kill by Jane Casey

My March Maeve Kerrigan - seismic developments amongst our lead characters against the background of a slightly unsatisfying plot (police murders) - but I continue to enjoy Derwent greatly.

• All the Beauty in the World - Patrick Bringley

Written by a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, who worked briefly at The New Yorker but wanted a different kind of job after the loss of his brother, and joined the Met aged 25, for ten years. This is a calm and slow book about grief, art and observation. I enjoyed it.

The Rest Of Our Lives By Ben Markovits

Dad drops his daughter at college and keeps driving.

I cannot decide what I make of this. It was a little boring, and I was so annoyed that the main character (whose name I have already forgotten - what is wrong with me!?) was unable to discuss his feelings in way. He didn't know how he felt about anything in his life and I wanted to shake him.

However, I suspect it was actually quite accurate portrayal of a bit of a breakdown of an emotionally stunted man as his last child flies the nest and he doesn't know what to do next. Despite my annoyances, it was almost a relief to learn that someone has an internal monologue that is vaguely similar to mine. It felt realistic even as I kept wondering if I cared enough to keep reading. Luckily it was short.

Since it was short listed for the Booker I assume I am missing something! I think perhaps I am fusspot. I dislike perfect characters who are witty, gorgeous and kind, but this time I disliked that all the characters were fairly deeply flawed. I need the middle ground!

@RazorstormUnicorn I often forget the names of main characters

@SheilaFentiman I think in this instance he was mostly referred to as Dad, but I think the inattentive ADHD doesn't help!

I was so surprised when the Rest Of Our Lives was first longlisted and then shortlisted for the Booker @RazorstormUnicorn. At least it made me realise I didn't have much in common with the judges!

Also agree that Flashlight was overly long Piggy. At least more interesting subject matter than basketball!

13 The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L Sayers
You know those pubs where they buy a few boxes of old hardbacks to make the place look - I don’t know what - cosy? I was in one on Friday night and those shelves are always irresistible, and while turning round the books they’d put in upside down, there was this dear old classic of the Golden Age which I hadn’t read for years. So they let me borrow it. An old school Saturday night on the sofa with a detective novel, can’t beat it.

Sounds fab @PermanentTemporary

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie I know I'm chiming in really late with good wishes, but I will miss you too! Please take good care of yourself and I hope to see you back on these threads before too long 💐

Black and British was a bold for me, but it wasn't an easy read; I think I read it off and on for about a year before I finally finished it! That said, nonfiction is almost always harder going for me than fiction. As someone originally from the U.S., I found the bits about the American Revolution quite shocking; I hadn't realised how hard some of the 'Founding Fathers' clung to the institution of slavery. Anyway, it's the kind of book I could productively reread from cover to cover one day; there was so much in it.

I'm looking forward to reading The Correspondent. About it being an epistolary novel, that genre has an impressive literary history; it's been around since the 17th century at least. And some epistolary novels are brilliantly constructed. But maybe this one isn't so well constructed, @Arran2024 , given that you thought the form was a bit of a cop out!

@SpunkyKhakiScroller I felt just the same as you did about the constant references to Ruth Galloway's weight; they really annoyed me, and put me off wanting to read more of the series.

@Frannyisreading Drive Your Plough is amazing, isn't it? I also read Empusium last year, and it was also a bold for me. Tokarczuk's books are like nothing else I've ever read.

Rachel's Holiday is the only Keyes novel I've read, but I loved it. A very wise and sympathetic take on addiction.

Meant to post a couple of reviews, but I'm falling asleep now; will have to do it tomorrow.

14 Ruth. Elizabeth Gaskell Bloody loved it in all it's melodramatic glory. A well fleshed out story of a fallen woman and her redemption. Interesting from a historical and religious perspective and controversial at the time for its exploration of sexual themes and hypocrisy. Bold
Atmosphere Taylor Jenkins Reid. On a roll now, another bold! Apparently this author is known for her love stories and this one was perfect. Sorry I have finished it and it will stay with me for a long time. No epilogue needed.

Hopefully it will tour at some point, Stowick, it was an incredible production and very powerful. The Beldam was gorgeously defiant and unrepentant, with brief moments of sensitivity. It was all quite emotional.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs

Sorry I can't remember which 50 Booker to thank for recommending this, but it was a pacey and enjoyable fantasy adventure about a library of magical books written in blood. I got a little bogged down near the end when the twists of the plot were resolving themselves, but it certainly was a diverting world to escape into.

Me, I think, @Frannyisreading - glad you enjoyed it!