50 Books Challenge 2026 Part Seven

[Southeastdweller]

Welcome to the seventh 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, the third thread here, the fourth thread here, the fifth thread here and the sixth thread here

I don’t think there actually are lots of people, teen or otherwise thinking Heathcliff is some sort of ideal hero. I am a fan of the book. It utterly blows my mind that Emily Brontë was able to write about the things she does in the way she does at 18 living where she did. That all of the characters are awful is part of the appeal to me. I think some of her turns of phrase are beautiful and things like old Cathy’s ‘I am Heathcliff’ speech are wonderful - I can remember as a teen all my crushes felt all consuming like I would never meet anyone again. I also have some sympathies with all the characters though I continue to dislike them - except Nellie I have no sympathies for the shit stirring housekeeper and sometimes want to stab her in the eye with a fork. But that’s why I love it, it provokes extreme reactions in me.

@TerpsichoreI have a very high tolerance and adore that genre of anyone who moves to France/Italy/Greece/Cornwall/Insert place here so adding to my list.

35 - Our Noble Selves - Kate Atkinson

It is the summer of 1951 and Flynn, a genuinely likeable chap with a chip on his shoulder about having been "just a journalist" during the war, despite the awful conditions he endured as a Japanese POW is currently part of a team of slight misfits who are dealing with the details of pulling together various parts of the Festival of Britain.

Kate Atkinson's writing is unsurprisingly excellent and the story gets curiouser and curiouser as the murder mystery unfolds. Her style is both witty and human and I enjoyed learning more about the Festival of Britain that quite frankly I had only vaguely heard of before reading this.
The novel is full of strong female characters — some more likeable than others — but all of them instrumental in driving the plot's most exciting turns.

I read afterwards that Atkinson chose not to go beyond basic historical fact and some brief glimpses of the horror of war, feeling that a light-hearted novel couldn't do justice to the suffering so many endured — my lovely Grandpa included.

I was delighted to get access to this ARC - the novel is due out on September 10th.

and thanks @Terpsichore for the Extra Virgin review. I know I have that on a bookshelf somewhere (just need to remember where exactly....) so you've encouraged me to bump it up my list. Like @AgualusasL0ver it is a genre I like to indulge in every now and again!

I was just wondering how you had it!

Mine is on pre order and is a birthday present to myself !

@Piggywaspushed - happy birthday in advance - I like your style!

Well... otherwise I get nothing- or nothing I want!

Blimey, I've just rushed to my library to see if I can get in early with a reservation for the Kate Atkinson and I'm no. 43 on the list! 😱

Thanks for that review @nowanearlyNicemum I pre-ordered it - somewhat tentatively as her recent output has been underwhelming - so good to see your positive comments.

Hello all. I went on holiday and missed the start of the new thread (thanks as ever @Southeastdweller ). This evening I'll catch up on all the posts I've missed and add my holiday reading reviews, but for now I've updated my list.

1.Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi
2.The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovits
3.Bournville by Jonathan Coe.
4.Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
5.Seascraper by Benjamin Wood
6.Shattered by Hanif Kureishi
7.Jump! by Jilly Cooper.
8.Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
9.Daughters of the Bamboo Grove: China’s Stolen Children and a Story of Separated Twins by Barbara Demmick
10.The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald
11.Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
12.Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent.
13.Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga.
14.Munichs by David Peace
15.Mount! by Jilly Cooper.
16.Unravelling Oliver by Liz Nugent.
17.Cuddy by Benjamin Myers.
18. Heart the Lover by Lily King
19.The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
20.The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
21.A Family Matter by Claire Lynch
22.The Fortnight in September by RC Sherriff.
23.Rodham by Curtis Sittenfield
24.Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald
25.The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden
26.Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
27.Land by Maggie O’Farrell
28.Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
29.The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd Robinson
30.The Human Stain by Philip Roth
31.Precipice by Robert Harris
32.The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
33.My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
34.Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix
35.Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico

Very jealous of your ARC @nowanearlyNicemum it’s on preorder along with the new Barbara Kingsolver

I also have the Kate Atkinson on preorder! I have three of hers to reread still - not sure if I’ll get them all done before the new one, not that it matters as they’re all standalones.

There’s so many good books coming out in September. I’m also really looking forward to the new Cazalet book while also being a bit nervous about it, as the Cazalet Chronicles are amongst my absolute favourite books.

I saw the BLL sequel in hardback in an indie bookshop today, but I resisted!