50 Books Challenge 2026 Part Four

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the fourth 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 as this makes it much easier to keep track of books or authors that may appeal (or not appeal) to everyone else.

Some of us bring over our updated lists to the new thread. Again, this is up to you.

The first thread of the year is here the second thread here and the third thread here

I admire your restraint @SpunkyKhakiScroller

Night Babies by Lucie McKnight Hardy
Astrid is an up and coming artist, with her first serious exhibition approaching fast, so a flood in her small terraced house is even more of a disaster than it would normally be. Fortunately, she has an old school friend who has just bought a large farm in Wales with her extremely rich husband, so Astrid and her husband Kit are invited to stay there. Due to their working needs they end up in the old chapel, which overlooks a reservoir that covers an old village (à la Haweswater). Secrets from the past come tip-tapping on the windows and leaving little handprints everywhere…….

This was bad. Disappointingly bad considering how good her other writing is. It reads like a cod-mysterious self published load of nonsense. The odd creepy bit is overshadowed by a plot that doesn’t seem to know where it’s going from one chapter to the next, repetition of descriptions, flat, unbelievable characters, an irritating habit of letting plot strands contradict themselves and some uncorrected sentences at the editing stage that make no sense. It also switches within a page between past and present tense, which I did try to go along with at first thinking it might be illustrative of Astrid’s mental state but no, it’s just lazy writing.
The only plus point was it reminded me that I’ve visited the cathedral in Orvieto and although it wasn’t quite ‘screaming in the Sistine Chapel’ level it was pretty amazing.
Even if you liked Water Shall Refuse Them and Dead Relatives I’d wait until this gets to 99p on kindle or someone gives it to you for free.

Stay gold, Ponyboy 😢

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

DH and I listened to this on long car journeys over the last couple of months (it's read by Tom Hanks).

I loved it, not a lot happens, it's just a story of a brother and sister growing up and into their adult hood but the writing is so good you get drawn in.

We both gave it 4 out of 5, which I am pleased about. DH almost exclusively reads sci fi and male authors so I had no idea if he would like this or not. Relieved he did!

Finished Kingdom of Copper by SA Chakraborty last night. It's the second in the Daevabad fantasy trilogy set in a middle east inspired setting. Like the first one (City of Brass) it took a while to get going but I really like the complex political plot and the morally grey characters. No one tribe or person is good or bad and all the choices have consequences. And the world is so beautifully drawn. I am not a big fantasy reader and this is the first time I am reading one set in a non West inspired setting. Not a bold but recommended.

Next up is The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett which I am reading for a Goodreads challenge and also as a palate cleanser before going back to the third in the trilogy.

@SpunkyKhakiScroller The Twyford Code made me angry I had a proper little rant about it

@Terpsichore A Fine Balance is pretty depressing. There's not as much war as in Brotherless Nights but a few things happen that are incredibly awful. It is still a great book but I guess you need to be prepared for sadness.

Eine the second book in ACOTAR is worth a read as it spins everything around. And the third is ok too. 4 and 5 are pretty terrible though unless you're a fan of soft porn with bat wings!

@SpunkyKhakiScroller I struggled a bit with the City of Brass - it was so unfocused. I felt like there was a good story in there but it was hidden. Not sure that I'll try any more by the author.

38. The Pretender - Jo Harkin. This is historical fiction following Lambert Simnel, a Pretender to the crown under Henry Tudor. He is purported to be the Earl of Warwick, Clarence's child, nephew to Edward IV and Richard III. The book follows him from his life as a peasant, to bring taken to Burgundy, Ireland and finally England in an attempt to become a Yorkist King. It's brilliantly written and intersperses medieval words with modern text very cleverly. It's all told from the viewpoint of Simnel and shows how he develops from a confused, innocent boy and learns the more manipulative ways of the nobles. I think this is a bold for me.

Ooh I like the sound of The Pretender @Stowickthevast