I cannot read so many books but I do try to remember this chat when I need book suggestions.
Good Morning Wednesday 13th May 2026
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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.
I cannot read so many books but I do try to remember this chat when I need book suggestions.
False Witness by Karen Slaughter. It is not for the faint hearted but I want to know how the ghastly situation is resolved.
I gave up on The House of Fire although I had enjoyed Songbirds.
I might go back and give another go later.
Jaxjacky
#3 The Guilty Couple - C L Taylor.
#3 was ok, not very gripping, it was transitory entertainment at bedtime.
#4 A World of Curiosities - Louise Penny, I have high hopes after enjoying the previous books in the series. A Christmas present, I’m looking forward to starting it tonight.
Just finished The Last Devil to Die, 4th book in Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club. Excellent read, he's a fascinating writer. I am enjoying reading other grans recommendations.
#9 is a reread of Mary Stewart’s Wildfire at Midnight, while I wait for a book I have on order to arrive. Not perhaps one of her strongest, but all the Stewart elements: her lightly worn knowledge, intelligent and incisive heroine (although less so than most of them), a real sense of place (Skye in this case) and, of course, a strong plot, are there.
Finished #5 today, it was Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton which I read after reading GNs views on it here a while back it was excellent, a gripping read. 8/10.
I am about to start The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths. The first one of this series I read was quite late in the series, then I read the first one and decided I should read them in order, so here I go. It was interesting to see a few of you have recommended that.
Terribull your views on The Marriage Portrait matched mine exactly.
I loved 3 Hours!
I also loved Three Hours, and I came late to the Elly
Griffiths books, and am now gradually reading them in order.
SPARKLE FIZZ, I have also tried to get through Prodigal Summer, kept thinking "come on Barbara cut to the chase" I don't like giving up on a book so I might go back to it....
I have just finished #4, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, which has been on my kindle for a long time. It is an absolutely gripping read about Dinah, Jacob’s only daughter, who merits a single mention in the book of Genesis. It tells of strong women and has the stories of Jacob and Joseph as a backdrop
YesLets, l have thoroughly enjoyed Rachel Joyce’s books too and The Music Shop remains my favourite.
Avia I am pleased to hear that I'm not the only one who has struggled with Prodigal Summer. I kept thinking I ought to be enjoying it but eventually had to admit that it was getting boring....
AliBeee I loved Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton and it's a book that has stayed with me. Her book Afterwards is also brilliant (in my opinion).
Musicgirl We read The Red Tent with my book group years ago and unanimously loved it. It was such a different book. Actually I think I might reread it
For people who are just starting the Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway series of books, you have 15 of them to look forward to, and they're all good.
I completed Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri and just started with The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens. Overall a pretty good start to the January.
Grannmarie
*Geminijen*, I agree. I was greatly moved by A Terrible Kindness. Some of the details and descriptions, albeit sensitively handled, will stay with me forever.
Thanks Grannmarie I feel the same
Jaxjacky
I finished The Running Grave last night, 945 pages, an excellent book, latest in the series by Robert Galbraith, aka, J K Rowling. Book two, which I’ve started is The Last Devil to Die, Richard Osman, I’ve read his previous ones.
I only read in bed, goodness knows why!
Jaxjacky. Another fan of Cormoran and Robin here. The series just keeps getting better 
Sara1954 Sat 20-Jan-24 10:38:36
Book 4
American Dirt - jeanine Cummins
I know I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.
I so agree. Read this last year and episodes keep coming back to mind
Book 5. Jill Johnson: Devil’s Breath..
Gifted by a friend. Wasn't sure at first but gradually began to root for the main protagonist: Professor Eustacia Rose - botanical toxicologist, eccentric loner, instinctive detective. Quirky and intriguing.
Finally finished Demon Copperhead and I'm coming down firmly on the side of those who loved it. I was rooting for the main character all the way through, even though his choices exasperated me many times.
Next up is a pack of 6 books that me daughter bought me for Christmas. Richard and Judy's book choices - they all seem crime/psychological mystery-based which is just up my street.
I’m still wading through the non-fiction ‘Brazen’. By ‘eco it could’ve done with some serious editing! I’m only 58% in. It’s just getting to where she’s made financial plans for her escape from the ultra Orthodox Jewish community in the USA. A good deal of the writing is repetitive. It’s a good read but tedious wading through all the verbiage IYSWIM? For that reason alone I’m not sure I’d recommend it.
* by ‘eck 😁
Urmstongran
* by ‘eck 😁
By saying "by eco" I thought you were being "woke" 
#4 Friday's Child Georgette Heyer.
I frequently return to the GH titles I first read over 50 years ago. This one is not one of her best, in my opinion, but witty, charming and a thoroughly good read.
4. The Only Suspect, Louise Candlish
You can always rely on Louise Candlish, imho, for a good old mystery with just the right number of twists and turns to keep you awake into the early hours. This is no exception. It dots between two eras, the first where a young couple meet and start an affair, the second twenty years later, with the young man now married, living in the street where his old love once shared a house with her abusive husband, and noticeably jittery about the digging going on for the new nature trail his wife’s heavily involved with. It’s a page turner!
Book 8, Pure Evil, by Val McDermid, very good. Then book 9, a lighter read, The Girls of Bomber Command, by Vicki Beeby, very enjoyable.
Book 5
It ends with us - Colleen Hoover
My first book by this writer, and most certainly the last.
It’s a book about domestic abuse, but it’s not done very well, nothing about the plot or the characters is believable, I found it to be a bit silly, and not very well written.
To be fair, I think it’s probably aimed at a YA readership, and I certainly don’t fall into that category, but I really can’t see why it received so much hype, one of my granddaughters says it was big on TikTok , so that probably says it all
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