2024 52 Book Challenge

1) Locked-room mystery

Mortal Mischief / Frank Tallis

Clever mystery, the first in the Vienna Blood series. Author doesn't always play entirely fair with the reader, but that can be forgiven for the beautiful background of early 20th century Vienna (I wanted to visit again), well-drawn characters, and engrossing plot. Recommended.

2) Bibliosmia: A smelly book

A month in the country / J.L Carr

One of my favourite books, and a little jewel of a novel. My edition is not that old, only published in 2000, but my second hand copy has a distinctive old books smell. Reading it again is like being in the company of an old friend.

I love the writing of J.L. Carr. Often very funny, it's also elegantly beautiful. Have now read this several times and each time I take something new away with me. Beautiful.

3) More than 40 chapters

Portraits and Observations / Truman Capote. A selection (41!) of Capote's non-fiction writing. Spanning his career they are variable. Some excellent reads, some much less so. Worth reading though for the wonderful The muses are heard about the 1955 Porgy and Bess tour to the USSR. Enchanting.

4) Lowercase letters on the spine

Scruffy / Paul Gallico

Dated but utterly charming wartime romance (with lots of monkeys!). Gallico at his best.

5) Magical Realism

The Master and Margarita / Mikhail Bulgakov (Karpelson translation)

The Karpelson translation was the only full length translation into English of the Master and Margarita that I hadn't read.

Despite a clunky opening it turned out to be one of my favourite translations. It's pacing was brilliant and it was subtly different to some of the other translations (most likely because it was based on an earlier edition that was particularly popular in Russia).

6) Women in STEM

Written in Bone / Sue Black.

Fascinating if occasionally gruesome book by renowned forensic anthropologist Professor Dame Sue Black.

7) At least four different POV

Barnhill / Norman Bissell.

The story of the last few years of George Orwell's life and the writing of 1984 - told through George and Sonia Orwell's, and Paul Potts' voices, along with an omniscient narrator. Well written. Fascinating read.

8) Features the ocean

The doll / Yrsa Sigurdardottir

As assorted bodies and an extremely creepy doll are resurrected from a watery grave just off the coast of Iceland, this is a perfect read for an ocean challenge.

Not one of Yrsa's best, despite a great start, as even allowing for Iceland's tiny population, there are an uncomfortable number of coincidences. Though it does give you a great twist in the tale.

9) A character-driven novel

A terrible kindness / Jo Browning Wroe.

I had very mixed feelings about this novel. It opens with the Aberfan disaster and then moves backwards in time to the protagonist's time as a chorister at Cambridge and then forward again as he struggles to come to terms with various life events, including his time as an embalmer at Aberfan.

I grew up not far from Aberfan, while much of the latter part of my life has been spent in and around Cambridge, and I have a background in church music. All of which feature heavily in the novel. This almost certainly contributed to my problems with the novel.

There are some moments of beautiful writing, and although some of the coincidences are rather obvious there is a strong narrative flow. The opening chapters in Aberfan are undeniably powerful. However, I'm not convinced that the novel needed to be set in Aberfan. Part of me admired her writing in these sections, but part felt very uncomfortable that such a tragedy was being used as a vehicle when an imagined tragedy would work as well. It felt like imposing on someone else's grief.

There were a few grating musical errors, and frequent 21st century sensibilities grafted onto the 1950s and '60s, which made for some odd reading. (Did 1950s 10 year old schoolboys really have intense discussions about relatives' sexuality?)

I really wanted to enjoy this. And I did want to find out what happened to the characters, but somehow for me, it all fell a bit short, with some of the scenes very uncomfortable. At times powerful, but not one I would want to read again.

10) Told in non-chronological order

The zoo gang / Paul Gallico.

Not up to Paul Gallico's usual standard - very 2 dimensional characters, beautiful descriptions of the Cote d'Azur but variable pacing. Not a brilliant read but he still managed to make me cry "No!!!!" at the unexpected and tragic demise of a character. He can write extraordinarily touchingly even when not at his best.

11) Title starting with the letter “K”

Knife / Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie's account of the attempted assassination attempt on his life, his recovery, and its effect on his life and thought.

12) Title starting with the letter “L”

The lie tree  / Frances Hardinge 

Clever YA / Fantasy / Historic crime novel. Not convinced that the fantasy segment truly works as is principally an easy way of amassing evidence (something that is easier to get away with in a YA novel than an adult one). Nevertheless it's an interesting read with beautiful writing, some good characterisation and a definite sense of time and place.

13) An academic thriller

Murder at the university / Faith Martin

Despite the title it's not as academically centred as I might have chosen earlier in the year (The Cambridge Murders or Gaudy Night would have been better fits), but there is plenty of death and dodgy dealings in this Oxford set novel, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable read with engaging characters. Looking forward to reading more by Faith Martin.

14) A grieving character

Dominion / C.J. Sansom. Excellent thriller set in an alternative Britain in which the UK has signed a peace treaty with the Nazis following Dunkirk. It is 1952, there is a new monarch, and resistance is on the rise. 

Features a number of grieving characters most notably the central characters of David, Sarah and Natalia.

15) Part of a duology

The kindness of women / J.G. Ballard

The sequel to Empire of the sun, which I loved, The kindness of women continues the story of Jim, with its many parallels to the author's own life

It's a bit of a patchy read. Moments of gripping brilliance, and then sections which feel as though they've taken aeons to read. It's hard not to be moved though by Jim's journey through life, and the impact of his wartime experiences on everything that comes after.

16) An omniscient narrator

Demons / Dostoevsky 

There is some argument as to whether the narrative voice in Demons (also published as The Possessed or Devils) can be described as omniscient, but in this translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, the omniscient voice triumphs with the narrator knowing far more than he apparently should.

17) Nominated for The Booker Prize

Empire of the sun / J.G. Ballard

Brilliant dystopic novel set against the Japanese invasion of Shanghai following Pearl Harbor, and drawing heavily on J.G. Ballard's own wartime experience.

It's a brilliant book from which you can draw something new every time you read it. Astonishingly powerful, often distressing, as with Canticle for Leibowitz and the author's roots in the battle for Monte Cassino, it shows how dystopia is not that far away from the modern world, and that society can be overturned dramatically in an instant. 

18) An apostrophe in the title

We couldn't leave Dinah by Mary Treadgold.

I first read this when I was about 10, and was delighted to come across it again while staying with a friend. Indeed the book itself was like coming across an old and much loved friend after far too many years apart. 

Winner of the Carnegie medal in 1941, Mary Treadgold wrote the novel while in an air raid shelter during the Blitz. 

The novel tells the story of two pony mad children, who are accidentally left behind on one of the Channel Islands as the Nazis invade. Desperate to get home, they are unexpectedly thrown into espionage. 

It's a great adventure story, but it's also surprisingly moving as the children struggle to work out who is friend and who foe; and discover that even enemies can unexpectedly become friends. I adored it every bit as much as I did as a child, but also found an added depth to it which I had not expected. Wonderful book.

19) A buddy read

Contact / Carl Sagan.

Thanks to a 52 Book Club fellow reader, this was read in memory of her brother, "Buddy", whose favourite book this was, and who passed away far too young.

Contact is a charming read. Full of Sagan's love and enthusiasm for science and humanity it's surprisingly touching. Not a book I think I would normally have read (a bit too hard sci-fi for my usual taste), but am very glad that I did. 

The ending is perhaps a little disappointing, and did become a little more religious than I had expected, but there were moments in the novel where I had a distinct lump in the throat. Carl Sagan's joy of life shines throughout.

20) A revenge story

House of cards by Michael Dobbs.

Gloriously cynical, blackly comic political thriller. When a Chief Whip fails to get a deserved promotion an intricate revenge story will play out.

Not just a revenge story either, this was also a revenge write for the author whose political career was ruined after a mauling by Margaret Thatcher. Revenge must have been sweet (though I am sure that Michael Dobbs like Francis Urquhart couldn't possibly comment)

21) Written by a ghostwriter

The black dog mystery / Ellery Queen Jr.

A junior version of the Ellery Queen mysteries. Sure, it's not great literature, but it's great fun and wonderful comfort reading.

22) A plot similar to another book

Death in Kenya / M.M. Kaye.

More information when challenge 23 (The other book with the similar plot) is completed.

23) The other book with the similar plot

Death in the Andamans / M.M. Kaye

Kaye's crime novels have a lot in common with each other. They're all set in places where she lived, and have at least some unusual memories at the core of each story. They're all of the "woman in danger" "cosy crime" type reads, but are great fun. Andamans is in some ways the lightest read, though I think it has the highest body count! Kenya is very much of its time, as indeed the author notes in her introduction.

24) A cover without people on it

The winners / Fredrik Backman

Final book in the Beartown trilogy. Loved Beartown and have enjoyed reading the rest of the trilogy and rounding off the story. Haven't found the sequels as good as the original, but glad that I read them as a group.

25) An author “everyone” has read except you

Bear town / Fredrik Backman

The fortunes of a hockey club are the centre of life for a small remote community.

Wonderful book. Starts off like a standard Nordic noir, then turns into a story about community. Alongside this there are much deeper and darker themes about how what unites community can also divide it, rape culture and toxic masculinity, bias, justice and law. It is an astonishing book that treads lightly but thoughtfully. Great writing.

26) Hybrid genre

The name of the rose / Umberto Eco

Historical novel / murder mystery.

First read this shortly after it was translated. Enjoyed it but didn't understand the hype. This time around I adored it. Such an insight into medieval life and thought especially for those who love and work with books. Also thoroughly enjoyed listening to C13th music while reading.

Have also included this in the Read it / Watch it challenge. Have seen the TV series - beautiful photography, good acting, but a very different beast from the book. Re-watching the film next.

27) By a neurodivergent author

Wishful drinking / Carrie Fisher.

Incredibly funny, often outrageously shocking, Wishful drinking is actress, Carrie Fisher's memoire of life, celebrity and her battles with addiction and bi-polar disorder. 

I found this prompt a tricky one and was delighted to suddenly remember this. Am sorry that Carrie died far too soon, she was a wonderfully hilarious story teller.

28) A yellow spine

The charioteer / Mary Renault 

29) Published in a Year of the Dragon

From Doon with death / Ruth Rendell.

Published in 1964, dated (as Rendell acknowledges in her fascinating afterword) but compelling detective story - the first Inspector Wexford. 

30) Picked without reading the blurb

Hiding the elephant / Jim Steinmeyer

I came across this accidentally online when I saw and loved the front cover. It's not the sort of book I would normally read, but I loved Jim Steinmeyer's fascinating history of optical magic, from its roots in the mid 19th century through to the 1920s.

It features a big cast of characters through the greatest illusionists of the day, escape artists, con artists, and some of the most elegant magicians ever to grace the stage. There's also a cast of disappearing donkeys, an invisible elephant and a craze for sawing women in half (thankfully no-one was harmed in this process, though ambulances were on stand by). 

It's quite frequently funny, sometimes astonishing, and occasionally unexpectedly touching. A really interesting look into an unknown world by a master of illusion.

31) Includes a personal phobia

Russia : revolution and civil war 1917-1921 / Antony Beevor.

I wasn't intending to fill a challenge with this book, but unexpectedly came across an incident (phobia related) that had also prevented me for many years from finishing George Orwell's 1984 (am sure he must have based the rat incident on stories he had heard emanating from the Russian civil war). 

It's a haunting and often disturbing read. I was troubled by how many towns have suffered time and again through the revolution into the Second World War and onwards into modern times. It's not an entirely neutral account but is written in Beevor's beautiful style. He really makes you care about those caught up in events beyond their control.

32) Timeframe spans a week or less

Candleshoe (originally published as Christmas at Candleshoe) by Michael Innes.

Enchanting story spanning roughly 24 hours. For those thinking of using it as the Holiday prompt though, beware. It has nothing to do with the Christmas season whatsoever.

33) An abrupt ending

The making of the British landscape/ Nicholas Crane.

Lovingly told history of the changing landscape of Great Britain. It inevitably has an abrupt ending finishing, as the author puts it, in the middle of a chapter as the landscape and our relationship with it continues to evolve. Fascinating book.

34) Set in a landlocked country

The Salzburg Connection / Helen MacInnes.

Principally set in Austria and Switzerland.

35) Title matches lyrics from a song

Running wild / J.G. Ballard.

Chilling novella. Well written, sometimes blackly comic, it's also distinctly unpleasant. 

Originally chose it for the Wild prompt, but then realised that it would fill the tricky lyrics from a song prompt. For anyone who doesn't know the song, you can hear Marilyn Monroe sing it in Some like it hot (which is a lot more fun than this book)

36) Has futuristic technology

This is how you lose the time war / Amal El Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Often wondered what the heck was going on, but I really enjoyed this. Beautiful writing, and the love of the central characters was both powerful and endearing. A salutary lesson in a world at war that opponents often have more in common than they believe if only they would look.

Also contains the most graceful acknowledgements of any novel. 

Unexpectedly enchanting. 

37) Palindrome on the cover

Eight detectives / Alex Pavesi.

Thank goodness for Sophie Hannah's review on the cover which gave me a palindrome.

Clever but ultimately slightly disappointing novel, despite the hype.

38) Published by Hachette

Still life / Louise Penny

This is the first of Penny's Inspector Gamache mysteries that I've read. I loved the community of Three Pines and Gamache that she created. As Whodunnits go, the murderer was easy to spot (or at least I thought so), but with this kind of crime novel that really isn't the point, it's more about finding a new fictional friend, that you know is going to be keeping you company for some time. A great comfort read.

39) Non-fiction recommended by a friend

The Wager / David Grann

It's only January, but I think I've just read one of my books of the year. Compulsively readable account of a naval disaster. A real-life adventure story beautifully told. Highly recommended.

40) Set during a holiday you don’t celebrate

The river / Rumer Godden.

Part set during Diwali, my edition also includes her delightful essay on Kashmiri gardens (oh, to be able to visit them) Water music, which is partly set during Basant, Hindu New Year.

41) A sticker on the cover

The locked room / Elly Griffiths 

42) Author debut in second half of 2024

43) About finding identity

Wandering stars / Sholem Aleichem

Utterly charming, heartwarming tale of life in a Yiddish theatre troop in the early C20th. Two youngsters discover their path in life after joinng the company. Partly based on real people and places, and very funny, this is my latest comfort read.

44) Includes a wedding

Phineas Redux / Anthony Trollope

Features two weddings

45) Chapter headings have dates

Death comes as the end / Agatha Christie.

I was originally going to use this along with Sleeping Murder for the similar books prompt. Both have long been favourites, but I am particularly fond of Death comes as the end - a murder mystery set in Ancient Egypt. Agatha was married to an archaeologist and was very knowledgeable about ancient history.

Both Sleeping Murder and Death comes as the end were written during the Second World War, though Sleeping Murder, the last Miss Marple, was only published posthumously. Both Sleeping Murder and Curtain : Poirot's last case were locked away in Christie's publisher's safe, only to be published in the event of her death. They would remain there for 30 years.

You can tell however when reading Death comes as the end that they were written around the same period. There is a distinct resemblance between the villain, the innocence of the heroine, and even some tiny details of the surroundings.

In the end however I moved away from the similar books prompts (prompts 22-23) when I discovered that I had completely forgotten the dated chapter headings in Death comes as the end. OK they are a little vague - Second month of inundation, 20th day - but near enough to  know that would be roughly September 15th. This feels like a more tricky prompt to fill, so have moved this rather unChristie Christie to here.

Here's my beloved suitably ancient copy with the beautiful Tom Adams cover.

46) Featuring Indigenous culture

The light garden of the angel king / Peter Levi 

Beautifully written account of Peter Levi and Bruce Chatwin's journey to Afghanistan pre-Russian invasion and the Taliban. On the trail of Greek influence and Alexander the Great, they encounter centuries of Afghan history, traditions, music and poetry. It makes you sad for what has been lost and suppressed.

47) Self-insert by an author

A line to kill by Anthony Horowitz.

Generally entertaining murder mystery as author Anthony Horowitz and former detective Hawthorne investigate a series of deaths at a literary festival. 

The ending is a little disappointing with a very awkward abrupt cliffhanger presumably into the next book in the series. Unfortunate as the rest of the book was so enjoyable.

48) The word “secret” in the title

The secret of Chimneys / Agatha Christie

Not one of Christie's best. Published in 1925, it is very much of its time. It's often very good fun, but is spoiled by the casual racism of the period. An interesting read though from an historical viewpoint

49) Set in a city starting with the letter “M”

Gorky Park / Martin Cruz Smith

Principally set in Moscow, Gorky Park is a thoroughly enjoyable and well written murder mystery / thriller. Loved the lead character of Arkady Renko.

50) A musical instrument on the cover

51) Related to the word “Wild”

Nordy Bank / Sheena Porter.

I had this book as a child. Tried several times to read it, never got on with it at all. Picked it up the other day and loved it (50 years on must make a difference). 

Set in the hill country around the Welsh Marches, a group of children  wild camping, are stirred by memories of the distant past at an Iron age hill fort (which really exists!) and rescue an ex-army dog, who is also of a rather wild disposition, hence why he is being sent for re-training. (To a Canine Defence League centre near Bristol - wonder if it still exists under Dogs' Trust?)

It's a delightful read and left me feeling decidedly homesick. I just wonder why it took me so long to discover the joy of this children's novel.

52) Published in 2024

The Venus of Salo / Ben Pastor 

Bear with me here as it's a bit of an odd one. The Venus of Salo was first published in 2006, BUT although originally written in English it was only published in Italian. Finally in 2024 it was published in its original language.

It's got a good storyline with an unusual hero, but the writing is a bit uneven. Character names are also rather confusing. Was glad there was a "cast list" as, a bit like a Russian novel, I found myself having to refer back to it. There's also a fair bit of back story which is further complicated by the novels not having been published in English in order. Having said which I wouldn't mind trying another one.