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THE BRAND NEW 2024 50 BOOK CHALLENGE

(1001 Posts)
TerriBull Mon 01-Jan-24 06:49:34

Good Morning and a Happy New Year to all.

Well here it is on this new year's day, the brand new 50 book challenge and hope that all our regular posters will continue to contribute and anyone new who enjoys their books will consider joining us.

For the benefit of anyone who isn't familiar with this thread, I will run through my introductory spiel. Firstly I would like to point out that if you are someone who thinks that you wouldn't read 50 books in a year but would still be interested in joining in, don't let that number put you off, do come here and join us anyway, particularly if you think you would enjoy ongoing discussions about books which is the essence of this book challenge. This is a thread that I filched from MN, over there they have two threads running concurrently, one for 50 books a year and one for 25. Our reading community here on GN is relatively small so I think it's preferable to keep us as one group allowing for the fact that we all read at different rates, given time constraints or whatever else we have going on in our lives.

The choice of books you opt for is entirely up to you, anything is permissible, fiction, non fiction and I would particularly like to stress your reading material doesn't have to be a novel if you want to opt for something factual, biographies, memoirs, even a children's book if you want to revisit a childhood favourite maybe, audio/Audible. Again how you post is down to you, merely list your books, maybe a brief description, or feel free to waffle on, I do, particularly if I've been enthused about a book I've read. Sometimes we interject and comment on other posters choices, more often than not agreeing with their opinions, and taking up recommendations, occasionally interjecting with our own dislike of maybe one they have favoured, but always with a view of agreeing to disagree. Books as with most other forms of entertainment are subjective and will of course divide opinions as well.

I hope I have outlined all the relevant points for anyone who is contemplating joining us and I would like to wish everyone a happy year's reading and all the best for 2024.

Sparklefizz Fri 22-Mar-24 09:25:23

J52

Book 5, ( I’m a slacker too many other things!)
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell. It’s a page turner, set in late 1500s Italy, mostly Florence, when the men of the great families ruled. Brilliant.

I loved The Marriage Portrait, J52. A great page turner from the middle onwards.

My Book 24 was One, Two, Three, Four by Craig Brown about The Beatles. I was a great Beatles fan back in the day, and mostly enjoyed this book although it was so very detailed that even I as a fan felt I was learning more than enough minutiae about them.

Moving on to Book 25 - Coming Home by Sue Gee. I am definitely on a Sue Gee kick, and this book was very enjoyable. It starts in 1947 when a couple meet in India just prior to Independence. They marry and return to post-war England. India has made a huge impression on them - how will they make a new life now?

Many of the small details in this book are things from my childhood that I had clean forgotten about - foods, rationing, household products, etc.

GrannyBear Fri 22-Mar-24 00:14:22

Maggierose I downloaded it from Bookbub for 0.99p a few weeks ago! Maybe it will be available again at this bargain price?

Maggierose Thu 21-Mar-24 22:42:59

North Woods sounds interesting. I’ve pre ordered the paperback for when it comes out in August.

Hellogirl1 Thu 21-Mar-24 21:19:40

Book 49, The Other Half, by Charlotte Vassell. OK, but not brilliant.

GrannyBear Thu 21-Mar-24 14:16:37

No. 13. - North Woods by Daniel Mason tells the story of the various (unrelated) people who live in a particular house over a lengthy period of time. It is written in an amazing style. Totally engaging! Has anyone else read it? I am sure it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I loved, loved it!

GrannyBear Thu 21-Mar-24 14:10:39

No.12. - Absolutely and Forever by Rose Remain. I enjoy reading Rose Tremain’s books and this was no exception.

Calendargirl Thu 21-Mar-24 07:05:32

#20. The Midnight Hour by Elly Griffiths.

J52 Thu 21-Mar-24 06:31:41

Book 5, ( I’m a slacker too many other things!)
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell. It’s a page turner, set in late 1500s Italy, mostly Florence, when the men of the great families ruled. Brilliant.

Nonny Wed 20-Mar-24 15:56:55

Book 14: Crypt by Professor Alice Roberts- This book is extremely interesting with the description of how some history is being changed and rewritten through archaeology and modern science and the use of DNA. It is fascinating.

Hellogirl1 Wed 20-Mar-24 00:05:57

Book 48, Forgotten Dreams, by Katie Flynn. A bit chick-littish, but I enjoyed it.

Musicgirl Tue 19-Mar-24 18:39:39

#12 was A Bird in the Hand by Ann Cleeves. This was the very first book Ann Cleeves ever wrote and was a murder mystery mostly set on the Norfolk coast. The setting is a group of fanatical bird watchers, where one of their number is killed. Amateur detective George Palmer-Jones, retired from the home office is ably assisted by his wife, Molly, a retired social worker. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Lyndylou Mon 18-Mar-24 22:33:47

#10 The Second husband Louise Candish A woman falls for her lodger and marries him, only to find out it wasn't her that he wanted.

#11 Since I don't have you Louise Candish A family tragedy sends a woman to live alone in Greece, OK but not very page turning. It lost the plot a bit, I thought.

#12 The Island Hideaway Louise Candish A woman follows her ex-fiance to a holiday destination basically to stalk him and his new love,

I really enjoyed my first Louise Candish book (The only suspect) so I downloaded 3 more. I would say they were readable but not as good as The Only Suspect and The Other Passenger.

Nonny Mon 18-Mar-24 16:13:31

Book 13: Murder in the Valley by Pippa McCathie

Maggierose Mon 18-Mar-24 13:24:37

Book 35 If You Really Love Me by Anne Rule. True crime, A manipulative man gets vulnerable young girls dependent on him and when he tires of his young wife gets his 14 year old daughter and his wife’s 17 year old sister to murder her. He nearly got away with it!

TerriBull Mon 18-Mar-24 10:26:50

I read Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, it was one of the Christmas books. I was given so not a natural choice for me. Like you Maggiemaybe I wasn't sure whether I would like it, gaming not being on my radar, but I enjoyed it much more than I thought it would. I agree, Sam was an endearing character who had so many difficulties to overcome.

I think I also read a Catherine Ryan Howard book, possibly last year, but I don't think it was the one you've mentioned.

Maggiemaybe Mon 18-Mar-24 09:48:45

9. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, not being a gamer. It was very well written, and it wasn’t difficult to follow all the references to games and gaming, or the many twists and turns in the relationships of the four main characters. The only part that left me cold was near the end, where we had a couple of chapters playing a pioneer game that was to me excruciatingly boring. Fortunately the plot picked up again after I skipped through that, and had a fairly satisfying ending for the two main characters, Sadie and Sam. Of the two of them, I loved Sam, Sadie not so much - he deserved much better imho.

10. 56 Days, Catherine Ryan Howard
A decomposing body is found in a Dublin apartment just after the Covid lockdown of 2020, and the story of what led up to this scenario is told by way of flashbacks over the previous 56 days, from the narrative of the two main characters. I found this one gripping and unpredictable. And very evocative of the tense and anxious times it’s set in.

Parsley3 Mon 18-Mar-24 08:51:19

I have TerriBull and enjoyed it.

TerriBull Mon 18-Mar-24 08:44:12

Parsley3

Book 14 Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet. This author writes fiction as if it were fact, if that makes sense. His books are certainly different from my usual reads.

Have you read his "His Bloody Project" Parsley. Highly recommended if you haven't.

Parsley3 Mon 18-Mar-24 08:41:45

Book 14 Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet. This author writes fiction as if it were fact, if that makes sense. His books are certainly different from my usual reads.

Sparklefizz Mon 18-Mar-24 08:15:26

Susie42

I’ve just finished The Taming of a Queen by Phillipa Gregory which is about Henry VIII’s last wife, Katherine Parr. KP was a supporter of the Reformation of the church in England and life became very dangerous for her as Henry chopped and changed his mind depending on which bishop was advising him. I recommend this to anyone interested in Tudor history.

I enjoyed this book too Susie42. I really felt the ongoing terror Katherine Parr must have felt while Henry VIII was still alive.

Hellogirl1 Sun 17-Mar-24 21:32:39

Book 47, A Summer Promise, by Katie Flynn. A pleasant read, set just before, then during, WW2.

Sara1954 Sun 17-Mar-24 21:02:20

Book 15
Swan song - Damien Boyd
Very average crime novel set in a Somerset boarding school.
It was Okay, but I won’t be looking out for any more in the series.

Book 16
The Rising Tide - Ann Cleeves
From the first page I was certain I had already read this, but it turns out it was the Vera Christmas special.
It was really fresh in my mind, but I still really enjoyed it, she is a classy writer.
Set on Holy Island, where a group of old friends hold a reunion every five years, all is good, till one is found dead, which drags up tragedies from years before.
Vera is as always, fearless and magnificent, even though I remembered how it would end, it didn’t spoil it.

Calendargirl Sun 17-Mar-24 17:39:27

#19. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood.

Susie42 Sun 17-Mar-24 16:08:00

I’ve just finished The Taming of a Queen by Phillipa Gregory which is about Henry VIII’s last wife, Katherine Parr. KP was a supporter of the Reformation of the church in England and life became very dangerous for her as Henry chopped and changed his mind depending on which bishop was advising him. I recommend this to anyone interested in Tudor history.

Juno56 Sun 17-Mar-24 13:44:21

#13 Touch The Dark Karen Chance.
I fancied a change of genres so this is book 1 in the supernatural Cassie Palmer series. Featuring Cassie a clairvoyant, sexy vampires, ghosts, war mages et al it was a great bit of escapism. I realise it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea on this thread but this sort of book is my occasional guilty pleasure 😊.

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