06/27/2026
An update on my 50 books before 50 challenge:
Inspired by Kim’s ( ) personal challenge to read 50 books the year before she turned 50, I did the same. I’m at 41 books with 6 months left in the challenge! Here’s my list. Any opinions? Recommendations for my last 9?
❤️ Loved (7)
My Friends — Fredrik Backman
The Correspondent — Virginia Evans
The House in the Cerulean Sea — TJ Klune
Wild Dark Shore — Charlotte McConaghy
When the Cranes Fly South — Lisa Ridzén
Lessons in Chemistry — Bonnie Garmus
This Tender Land — William Kent Krueger
⭐ So Close to a Favorite, but something was missing (5)
The Theo of Golden — Allen Levi
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue — V.E. Schwab
Trust — Hernan Diaz
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store — James McBride
We Were Liars — E. Lockhart
📚 Solid Book—Not a Favorite, but I’d Recommend (21)
The Wedding People — Alison Espach
Heart the Lover — Lily King
The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science (2 books) — Kate McKinnon
Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books — Kirsten Miller
Echo Mountain — Lauren Wolk
Three Wishes — Liane Moriarty
The Life of Chuck — Stephen King
The Favorites — Layne Fargo
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo — Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Charity Shop Detective Agency — Peter Boland
Good Company — Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
Eleanor & Park — Rainbow Rowell
Gr***de — Alan Gratz
Lake of Lost Girls — Katherine Greene
Gone Before Goodbye — Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Conan
A Clean Mess — Tiffany Jenkins
Atmosphere — Taylor Jenkins Reid
Every Shiny Thing — Cordelia Jensen & Laurie Morrison
Emma M. Lion (first 2 books)— Beth Brower
😐 Powered Through, Didn’t Hate It, but Wouldn’t Recommend (3)
A Year of What Ifs — Phaedra Patrick
This Story Could Save Your Life — Tiffany Crum
Ape House — Sara Gruen
👎 Disliked (5)
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous — Ocean Vuong
A Spool of Blue Thread — Anne Tyler
I Who Have Never Known Men — Jacqueline Harpman
The Light We Lost — Jill Santopolo
Wild Love — Elsie Silver