2026 - 50 Books a Year Challenge

I’ve reached the stage where I prefer lustening to reading, but I love books. Besides audiobooks, I also pay for a subscription to Speechify: it’s expensive, but I do believe it’s the best text-to-speech on the market. It has dozens and dozens of voices, not only British and American and Australian but other accents in English, and male and female voices in almost any language that has sufficient books published in it. You can clone your own speaking voice, and, fascinating, I can get “me” to read a text in a foreign language and it will sound fluent. AND: you can scan pages from a book, so with paperbacks, I’ll typically scan a chapter, click click click, and then I can have it read to me while I’m cooking or preparing for bed. And it’s extremely expressive. If you ever heard the robotic voices on the original Kindle or on VoiceOver, well, it’s a million times better. I frequently forget it’s AI. Even my cloned voice seems to be acting.

Thought that was it? No, it will generate a multiple choice quiz on what it’s just read to you, or summarise it, or present, in some cases, a 2-“person” podcast-type discussion. Scan the cover of a book and it will play a lively discussion all about what’s in the book, maybe about the author, maybe why you really ought to read it…

So rrecently I’ve been absolutely devouring books faster than ever, but I find it harder to just sit still and read, particularly as my sight’s not what it was.

I have just finished The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. ‘To the Land of Long Lost Friends’ by Alexander McCall Smith. A long series of books about Botswana. While on holiday in
Germany last year, a German man came to our breakfast table and said he had heard us speaking English and wondered if I was interesting in having his book on Nazy Spies! It was so good I ordered the next in the series by Rory Cléments. I am now just starting reading the next in the series called ‘Hitler’s Secretk. Good spy thriller. I can never find this list so have joined in the past but lost it again!

I loved Lessons in Chemistry too. Have jrecently finished reading Raising Hare which I thought was brilliant. Gave it to a few people for Christmas, and they've all loved it too. Beautifully written I thought.

I am on book number 2 "All Bones and Lies" one of the books for adults by Anne Fine.

I cheated a bit as I started book number 1 "Rivers of London - Body Work" before midnight.

Hello everyone and a very Happy New Year. Thanks Terribull for notifying me of this Challenge. I love reading but don’t think I can manage 50 books in a year (maybe I will try speed reading!) but I will certainly enjoy looking at other GN’s recommendations. I finished Harlen Coben ‘Boy in The Woods’ last night - I love a thrilker and now reading Jeffrey Archer’s 5th book in the William Warwick series.

I will probably slow down my reading once the better weather arrives but for now will certainly make the most of the long dark nights. 🤗

Susieq62

Allira on my shelf too

Some get passed on, others get put on the bookcase to re-read.

Allira on my shelf too

Welcome everybody who is new to the thread, yes just join, no permission needed come along and tell us about your books, remember to keep coming back and number them as you go, well you don't have to of course, but that's the plan.

I think we've been going since before Covid, can't remember when our 50 book thread first started. It wasn't my original idea, I nicked it from MN where else? I'd always taken some brilliant recommendations from over there, books I might not have read otherwise, which is why I thought we should have one of our own. Their reading community is obviously a lot larger than ours. The Fifty Book forum runs into umpteen threads and the sheer number of books some posters get through. I don't know how they have time to eat and sleep

Hi I’d like to join the challenge. Today I read A Boy called Christmas by Matt Haig. I bought it from a charity shop for my eight yr old grandson who I will see on Sunday. As I had an hour or so free this morning I thought I’d see what it was like and read it all. Good story, I think they have made it into a film.

Please can I join this thread? I loved Lessons in Chemistry , read it twice!

It is one book which will go on the shelf and not to the charity shop 🙂

Ps I volunteer at my local library too

Please can I join this thread? I loved Lessons in Chemistry , read it twice!
Just about to start Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
I am an avid reader too
Thanks

Am I the only person who didn't really like Lessons in Chemistry? Maybe I'll give it another try.

I found it took a bit of getting into and, rather than being humorous and joyful on every page as one reviewer (not on here) said, it was making me quite cross at first!
We have moved on since those days, not so long ago, but misogyny is still around.

Sparklefizz Happy New Year to you too!

Personally, I wouldn't revisit a book I hadn't enjoyed, even if everyone else did, life's too short!

Aren't libraries wonderful

FGT just post as and whenever you feel up to it, I completely understand there's one serious issue that takes up much of your time. It's always good to read your recommendations.

TerriBull Happy New Year to you and to everyone. I love this thread.

Greciangirl My library does free reservations, and 69 of the 71 books I read last year were library reservations at no cost. There's no way I could buy them all. I make a list of books I fancy reading and reserve them - maybe have to wait a while until they come in, especially if a book is popular. I would highly recommend checking out your nearest library.

Allira I enjoyed Here one Moment by Liane Moriarty when I read it last year.

Am I the only person who didn't really like Lessons in Chemistry? Maybe I'll give it another try.

Hi Greciangirl
I mostly read on my Kindle or on my phone nowadays.
I borrow quite a few books or audio books for free from Borrowbox, provided by the library.
I share a Kindle Unlimited account with DD1 and BookBub sends me 99p recommendations for genres or authors I like.
E books can still be expensive, though usually less than paper copies but I like the fact that Amazon lets me return them if I don’t like them.

Greciangirl There are online booksellers who deal in secondhand books and have an enormous selection, often at very reasonable prices, and often recently published. I mostly buy from these, usually at a fraction of the new price. I also frequent charity shops and very occasionally, I find something I want.

I have far too many books knocking around but I have a cull every so often and take piles of them to a charity shop.

Mirren I gave Mrs Dalloway a go when I was in my 20s and hated it. Perhaps now I am in my 70s I should give Virginia Woolf another go.

Greciangirl

Just wondering what you all do with the 50 odd books that some of you read.

Also, buying all those books if new is expensive.
Even scouring charity shops doesn’t always come up trumps.

I would like to read a lot of titles that are recommended, but they are costly.

These days I tend to use the library more. Once upon a time I did buy more books than I do now. I donate books I don't want to keep to a local charity shop.

Just wondering what you all do with the 50 odd books that some of you read.

Also, buying all those books if new is expensive.
Even scouring charity shops doesn’t always come up trumps.

I would like to read a lot of titles that are recommended, but they are costly.

I didn't comment on last year's thread but did read some of the suggestions. There was some good ones which were in different genres than I normally read.
I use a kindle as my eyes aren't the best.
I have a notebook to write down the ones that are recommended and interest me.
This is checked regularly to see if it's free with kindle unlimited.

At the moment I'm reading 'The Tenth Cycle by JC Ryan'
It's a mystery thriller.

I read Virginia Woolf for the first time this year.
Our book group read ' Mrs Dalloway '.
It caused a lot of discussion; some hated it .
I absolutely loved it !
I just don't know why I have never tried reading Virginia before.
Do try it . You might be very pleasantly surprised

Thank you for another books thread for 2026 Terribull. Always a pleasure to pop in but I’m struggling lately with difficulties at home. When I’m happier I tend to contribute more. Other times my profile is low but I know you understand.

I’ve just read Winter People by Gráinne Murphy.
Loved it.
Winter People is a story of forgiveness, resilience, and the power of the sea to unlock what we are most afraid to say,

3 protagonists who do not know one another, living on the Atlantic coast of Ireland. Bleak at times but it suited my mood and I found comfort within in.

“Tears of self pity are not earned Lydia”.
Highly recommend.

Magenta8

I am currently reading one of the "Rivers of London" books which are a series of graphic novels. I am a great fan of books with pictures. However most of the books I read do not have pictures.

Magenta I like the Rivers of London Books too, though I haven’t read them as graphics. He’s brought out a new one at Christmas but I’m saving that.
I’m currently reading/listening to a series of books by Rhys Bowen, all set around or with links to WWII. I started with Mrs Endicott’s Splendid Adventure.
Does anyone else find they like some series of books by an author, but not others?

I used to be an avid reader but haven't been for the last 2/3 yrs. My friend recently told me about the Sue Grafton alphabet books. Wasn't interested as they are crime novels which I've never read before and follow the exploits of a PI. After some 'bullying' I eventually downloaded the first one 'A is for Alibi' and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now on to 'R is for Ricochet'. They are very easy reading, not taxing, don't take too long to get through and have successfully got me back into the reading habit. Only problem is that, in the same way as never not finishing any book, I now feel I have to get to the end of the series before getting back into the swing of reading for good.