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

Congratulations @GrannieMainland!

Congratulations @GrannieMainland
Lovely news!

Congratulations @GrannieMainland!!!

Lovely news @GrannieMainland

Congratulations @GrannieMainland.

Congratulations @GrannieMainland
Lovely to hear your news 💐

My reading has really slowed down recently. Too much life stuff is going on at the moment. I'll start a new book this weekend.

Congratulations @GrannieMainland. My books read during the newborn phase were chiefly chicklit of which I remember not a word so well done with continuing to read at all.

I just finished 40. The Medici Murders by David Hewson. I loved this author's Garden of Angels, a bold for me earlier this year, hence tried another one by him. Arnold Clover, archivist in the National Archives, now retired widower living in Venice, is hired to find proof to substantiate a scandalous theory about a historical murder. The person hiring him is an unpleasant British TV historian/ media personality who ends up stabbed to death. The story takes place over the course of a day as Arnold tells the policewoman in charge about the events of the days leading up to the murder.

It was alright. There is a LOT of history and a lot about Venice, it's culture, it's food, and it's history. I think David Hewson should write historical fiction, not contemporary thrillers because this is an uneasy hybrid that satisfies neither itch. Probably a good one to read if you are visiting Venice but that's about it. I will read something by him again at some point but will be more careful about choosing.

Congratulations @GrannieMainland and well done for reading a word with a new baby!

All the Barbara Taylor Bradford books are 99p today if anyone likes them.

Aw, congrats @GrannieMainland and welcome baby Grannie!

I saw this but don’t think I want to carry on with Emma Harte. I would read a new story by her though.

Congrats @GrannieMainlandwhat lovely news 🥳

Glad you are getting some reading done GrannieMainland.
My reading during the early days of newborn DCs was entirely Jilly Cooper as it happens. I read Polo during the early stages of labour with DD and it went well so I repeated it with DS.

Fabulous @GrannieMainland !

I'm reading The Wedding People now and quite enjoying it. I'm also reading Jennie Godfrey's The Barbecue at no 9 from the library, so was pleased to get that in the Daily Deals (£1.99) as well as Francis Spufford's new novel Nonesuch - late last night it was £2.19 but I noticed just now that it's now on sale for 99p - so I returned it and bought it again for the lower price....

In the monthly deals, my purchases include

Kathleen Farrell, The Cost of Living - from a new series of 20th century reprints of women's writing
Reeta Chakrabarti, Finding Belle - a contemporary take on Jane Eyre - I've read this (library) and quite enjoyed it
Leonora Carrington, The Hearing Trumpet - novel by Leonora Carrington who is better known as a surrealist painter - although she was English she spent most of her life/career in Mexico and is better appreciated there - although there has been a revival of interest in both her art and writing in the last few years, and Penguin is publishing more of her books in Penguin Modern Classics editions

Also in this month's reads: Lucy Mangan's second reading memoir Bookish - I don't love this quite as much as her first one on children's books but am happy to have my own copy

Huge congratulations @GrannieMainland !

I bought six books in the kindle deals, breaking my rule about only 99p ones for two that have never come down in price before (£2.99 and £5.99). A wildcard of a Joe Hill book for 99p too. Loathed The Fireman but like his earlier stuff, so here’s hoping this one doesn’t disappoint.

Congratulations @GrannieMainland Happy memories of babies, reading while breastfeeding. Dd1 was born in the pre -Kindle days and I still feel slightly guilty about propping up the hardback copy of Wolf Hall on her.

@BestIsWest well done for finishing Liz & Richard. I'm still languishing at around 40%. Isn't the author Welsh? Agree they sound like awful people. I can't get over all Liz's un house trained pets, just crapping everywhere, so gross.

Eine I remember Fortuna -avid prize list reader, vast number of books read, second only to Chessie - and Satsuki who I think read quite a bit of SF. Satsuki has been gone for longer I think.

Nothing in my wishlist in the deals today but I did pick up the Jennie Godfrey. I haven't trawled through the rest.

@Benvenuto I've just finished Writers & Lovers. I liked it but if you've already read Heart The Lover, there's a slight spoiler in that you know who she ends up married to. Some great writing though.

@BestIsWest love the idea of reading Jilly Cooper while in labour.
I've bought the Wedding People. Might need something fun after my current book The Siege by Helen Dunmore.

@Stowickthevast yes he’s Welsh but appears to have left without much of a backward glance. The mooring of their yacht on the Thames to house the incontinent pets (quarantine regs) while they lived it up in a hotel blew my mind!

Just catching up with the thread - many congratulations on your new little one, @GrannieMainland !

@BestIsWest I've read the Burton diaries and while I genuinely didn’t fancy the life of two pampered multi-millionaire film-stars who travelled the world on their own lavish yacht (it just sounded unutterably dull), I was terrifically impressed by just how many books Burton read. He'd have fitted right in on this thread in that respect at least! (I weakened and bought Erotic Vagrancy when you first mentioned it so I have the delight to come)

I’m impressed with all those who did manage or are managing to read with small babies. All I managed to do when DD was a baby was watch lots of Desperate Housewives. I would watch that for hours in the middle of the night.

Congratulations @GrannieMainland
Also impressed you are managing to read at all. Think the only thing I read with tiny ones were instructions for things!

27. Fire - John Boyne

One of the element series and the final one I have read - not sure I have necessarily read them all in the right order. Freya is an excellent doctor who specialises in burns. However, she is also a very damaged individual as a result of a traumatic childhood which plays out in her behaviour. I don't want to give spoilers so won't say any more. There are links to the other books in the series. All the books have dealt with difficult subjects. I found this one really uncomfortable reading and actually had to stop at points. It's well written and I wanted to know what happened but I did find it disturbing.