50 Books a Year - The 2025 Challenge

Book 56, Everyone Here is Lying, by Shari Lapena. A good psychological thriller, not littered with bodies, but the tension is there.

Book 9. The Survivors by Jane Harper.

Set in a small costal town in Tasmania. The novel "Survivors" by Jane Harper is a mystery thriller set in a small coastal Australian town. It revolves around Kieran Elliott, whose life is irrevocably changed after a reckless mistake leads to a series of tragic events, including his brother's death. Years later, a new discovery forces Kieran to confront the past and the lingering guilt he has carried.

I mostly enjoyed this novel however was disappointed by the ending as it was a bit too convoluted and far fetched in my opinion. Some characters were well drawn, others seemed promising then discarded (Olivia for example, Ash was another). Not the best Jane Harper that I’ve read. I also noticed that it’s taken me a long time to read it as I wasn’t rushing to pick it up.

I’m going to read Sparklefizz’s recommendation next as my book no. 10. ‘The Silence’ by Susan Arlott. I will start it tonight. It’s Set in Australia. I’m always down in the southern hemisphere these days!

39-Dead Tomorrow-Peter James
The fifth in this series. Although this is a murder thriller, it touched me in a different way. As a parent to what lengths would you go to save your daughter's life?

Book 57, 25 Alive, by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. This is the latest in the Womens Murder Club series, I`ve followed them from number 1, love them.

Hellogirl1

Yes I enjoy that series too. Great characters.

40-The Gilded Cage-Josephine Cox
1888 Powerful businessman exiles his family from the outside world, but he has a dark secret; an illegitimate daughter, who he forces his sister to bring up. But Sally wants to find her real father.

#38. Moonraker by Ian Fleming.

25. Yes Ma’am, Tom Quinn

Something a bit different for me, this is an insight into the lives of royal servants, past and present. There are no huge revelations, but I found it interesting.

26. The Mystery Guest, Nita Prose

I downloaded this as an audio book and had to give up on it after a couple of hours. I haven’t read its predecessor, The Maid, but this story seemed to be going nowhere and I didn’t care for the narrator, who had an abrupt way of talking. None of the characters seemed believable either.

Book 22: The Norfolk Thyme Farm Murders by Judi Daykin
Book 23: Maxwells Reality by M.J.Trow
Book 25: the Norfolk Theatre Murders by Judi Daykin
I have enjoyed all these books especially those by Judi Daykin. They bring back memories of Norwich.

Book 58, Our Dear Daisy, by Rosie Goodwin. A nice, heartwarming story, set in the 1880s.

33 Intermezzo Sally Rooney (Audible)

I think Sally Rooney is an acquired taste, I felt that after I'd read Normal People which I didn't think was a book to rave about and then I saw the dramatisation and it was one of those rare occasions where, imo it brought a book I perceived as a bit flat to life by the superb performances. I think Intermezzo could work well in that vein too. There's a lot of introspection from the two main characters, the story unfolds fairly slowly. Essentially it's about two brothers, Peter an early 30s successful Dublin based. lawyer and his brother, Ivan, younger by a decade. a rather socially awkward chess prodigy both struggling with their grief on the death of their father. The narrative switches between Ivan and his burgeoning relationship with an older woman, Margaret, mid 30s and Peter, prone to be morose and rude and certainly not very likeable, whose love life is complicated, still involved with Sylvia, a long standing girlfriend, who he no longer has a physical relationship with due to her having suffered a serious car accident and in constant pain and his current love, Naomi a young college student who doesn't take life very seriously. The dynamics of the brothers relationship is complicated, at times full of resentment, there is massive falling out between them which results in a physical fight but a making up towards the end of the book. I think Sally Rooney's books are a bit Marmite, whilst she is an incredibly accomplished writer, I find them a bit too verbose and weighted down with the main characters struggling with their inner demons.

FGT I’m going to read Sparklefizz’s recommendation next as my book no. 10. ‘The Silence’ by Susan Arlott. I will start it tonight. It’s Set in Australia. I’m always down in the southern hemisphere these days!

I hope you enjoy it FGT

TerriBull, I really enjoyed Normal People, but thoroughly disliked Beautiful World Where are you?
So much so, that I said I would never bother with another of her books, I don’t think you have persuaded me.

Book 21
The Death of the Heart - Elizabeth Bowen
I read a book by this author some years ago, and didn’t find it particularly interesting, but I recently read an article singing her praises so decided to give her another go.
Orphaned sixteen year old Portia, is sent to London to live with her much older half brother and his wife, they are wealthy, sophisticated, and not very nice. Anna spends her life lunching, and dining and entertaining people who she pulls to pieces, and laughs at after they leave.
Portia is a nuisance, they don’t know what to do with her , and she is awkward and unsure of her position, until she meets one of Anna’s ghastly friends, Eddie.
She fancies herself in love, but honestly, it’s just the most ridiculous situation, can’t for one minute take it seriously.
There is an interlude where Portia is sent to stay at the seaside with Anna’s old nanny, she has two vile stepchildren, but at least they include Portia, and until Eddie turns up she is enjoying herself.
Back in London, things spiral from bad to worse, ironically it ended rather abruptly when I would have like to have known what happened next.
Didn’t really enjoy it, ghastly characters, not really very believable, wouldn’t recommend.

41-Dead Like You-Peter James
This is the sixth in the Grace series, and was a chunky 640 pages. I had seen the tv adaption of this but due to the gruesome bits in the book not being suitable for tv, the story was quite different. The book explores the rapes from 10years ago and the link to the present awful assaults.
I couldn't put this down ,so a really great story as usual from PJ.

#39. From The Shadows by GR Halliday.

Book 22
The Locked Attic - BP Walter

Raced through this, I’m sure it will easily be forgotten, very lightweight, but I quite enjoyed it

Nonny

Book 22: The Norfolk Thyme Farm Murders by Judi Daykin
Book 23: Maxwells Reality by M.J.Trow
Book 25: the Norfolk Theatre Murders by Judi Daykin
I have enjoyed all these books especially those by Judi Daykin. They bring back memories of Norwich.

I've just read some mystery books by Kate Hardy which are set in Norfolk, Nonny.
The Body at Rookery Barn is the first one.

34 The Mysteries of Glass - Sue Gee

I discovered Sue Gee as an author on one of our past 50 book threads, recommended I think by both Sparklefizz and Sarah1954, although her books aren't easily accessible, my library has a limited selection from their on line index which have to be ordered.

Whilst I've enjoyed the ones I've so far read, this one wasn't one of her very best. Set back in the mid 1860s in a hamlet on the English/Welsh borders,not too far from Hereford, a young curate, Richard Allen takes up his first position and falls in love with, Susannah the wife of the vicar. There's a slow preamble to their mutual declaration of what is to be a very forbidden love affair. Meanwhile as the book draws on, the vicar, Father Oliver, besieged with what first appears to be a hacking cough, becomes increasingly ill and is clearly not long for this world bedridden towards the end with what is evidently consumption. It was a bit of a slow amble with somewhat of an inconclusive ending their liaison to be discovered when their cover is blown, but not before Richard uncovers some of the double standards of his accusers and critics. The four seasons come into play as a backdrop to building the momentum of the the main plot, from the outset when Richard arrives in the depths of a freezing cold winter, into the unfolding of spring and eventually summer all beautifully described. Not one of her best but it wouldn't put me off reading more of her back catalogue.

I have been very remiss recently and haven’t kept up with this thread. I have still been reading though, here are my recent ones, I won’t go into detail.

#21 A Little Bit of Baby by Patrick Gale I enjoyed this eventually, but it suffered a bit from me reading it on my kindle in 2 chunks, about 6 weeks apart. 8/10

#22 Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano This was excellent in many ways, the lives and loves of the 4 Padavano sisters who grew up close to each other, but who are traumatised and estranged in young adulthood. 9/10

#23 The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes Very readable and enjoyable tosh that got me through a challenging family visit. 7/10

#24 The Last Word by Elly Griffiths Natalia and Edwin run a detective agency in Sussex. When a local writer Melody Chambers is found dead her family are convinced it is murder, but Edwin thinks there’s a link to the writer of Melody’s obituary, who pre-deceased her. Very enjoyable Elly Griffiths in the same tone as The Thursday Murder Club. 8/10

#25 The Women by Kristin Hannah Twenty year old Frankie McGrath, who has had a very sheltered and affluent upbringing, impulsively volunteers as an army nurse in Vietnam. Frankie and her fellow nurses in the MASH units are at times overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of the war, but find strong friendships to support each other. Their return home however, is traumatic in a different way. Their country has changed and anti war protests are rife. They find they are reviled by their peers and unable to access any support services apart from each other. This was an excellent story giving voice to the 10,000 women who were stationed within Vietnam but were forgotten about as “women didn’t serve in Vietnam”. Unfortunately the writing strayed a bit into chick lit territory at times, otherwise I would have rated it higher. 8/10

TerriBull, I agree, not her best. But I remember clearly her beautiful descriptions of the changing seasons.

I am currently reading “Hera” by Jennifer Saint. Quite engaging if you like a bit of Greek Mythology but not quite up to Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes standard. I had put to one side book four of the Boudicca series by Manda Scott, not because it was a duff book - far from it - but because, like someone else on here said (Lathyrus, I think) you become so invested in the characters and you know it’s going to end badly that you can’t face it. I’ve read them before but it was a great joy to read them again. I’ve no idea what number that makes me, but I stopped counting. I am in awe of those who can read so many books.

42-Death of a Kingfisher-M C Beaton
Not one of her best in my opinion, but nevertheless a little light reading between the meaty thrillers.

Book 59, Ugly Love, by Colleen Hoover. I bought this without reading the synopsis, thinking it was a thriller. It turned out to be a love story, one of the sort that make me blush, but I was determined to finish it.

Sparklefizz

FGT I’m going to read Sparklefizz’s recommendation next as my book no. 10. ‘The Silence’ by Susan Arlott. I will start it tonight. It’s Set in Australia. I’m always down in the southern hemisphere these days!

I hope you enjoy it FGT

Just finished my book no.10 ⬆️
I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The silence relates to secrets kept within families, domestic abuse, alcoholism but the wider silence alludes to complicit behaviour of neighbours who are aware of their government’s practice (over many years, since independence 1901) of forcibly removing babies and young children from the indigenous population (Aboriginals) ‘to give them a better life’ in state run Homes. Yeah right.

It’s a time slip book between 1967 and 1997 and it definitely held my interest. Thank you for the recommendation Sparklefizz!

Now for book no.11
I think I’ll choose ‘Conclave’ by Robert Harris.

Although a novel it will give me some insight into what goes on behind the scenes when Cardinals within Vatican City choose their next Pope. Timing eh?

Thank you Allira that sounds interesting. I will have a look