50 books to read before I turn 50!

Books mentioned:
If This is a Man by Primo Levi
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett
The Second Suspect by HE Lewis
Street Players by Donald Goines
The Room by Hubert Selby Jr
The Real Cool Killers by Chester Himes
Child of God by Cormac McCarthy
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K Dick
Hogg by Samuel R Delany
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B Hughes
The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham
Bomber by Len Deighton
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
1974 by David Peace
The Conjure Man Dies by Rudolph Fisher
Horns by Joe Hill
Dark Passage by David Goodis
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
The Blackboard Jungle by Evan Hunter
Beast in View by Margaret Millar
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
The Thicket by Joe R Lansdale
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
Double Indemnity by James M Cain
The Crow Road by Iain Banks
The Return of the King by JRR Tolkein
Cover Her Face by PD James
Casca: God of Death by Barry Sadler
Cunning Folk by Adam Nevill
Roseanna by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
Crash by JG Ballard
The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B Parker
Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block
Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith
The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith
The Blunderer by Patricia Highsmith
The King in Yellow by Robert W Chambers
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gillman
Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke
Demons by Daylight by Ramsey Campbell
Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti
Call for the Dead by John LeCarre
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[@anthonyprice4862]

I found your channel a few months ago and have been devouring it with absolute relish! It’s really got me back into the habit. I had become a book buyer rather than a book reader. Currently enjoying Doctor sleep by King, it’s easy reading with a prose and style I enjoy. I’ve set myself a fifty book reading challenge for next year, I hope we both achieve our goals.

[@adriennelee26]

Of course we wouldn't expect you to ONLY read 50 books in four months 😂. I hope you enjoy the Ramsey Campbell collection. He's my favorite contemporary short horror story writer and some of his stories are really creepy.

[@myrarucker7953]

War and peace I read this year when I dove into all the Russian classics. Actually I read almost all of the Dickens,too along with many other classics. Yes,I just read really from the quarantine through now and I’m still reading. 😊 Being 73 and on my own I prefer to just read and I do love audiobooks! I read along with every audiobook it’s marvelous for total concentration!!

[@Joaquim.Oliveira]

Don’t say it “depressingly “ , you look great for 50 !!!! And you inspire ppl to read more , learn , have an active mind ..thx for that and Happy Hollidays to your and your family 🎉

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! Happy Holidays to you too!

[@troytradup]

You are a wild man, Olly. I do feel the need to point out that some people take four months ONLY reading War and Peace. But I have every faith in you!

[@lyndaslittlelibrary]

Geek Love is one of my favourite books! Definitely unlike anything else I've read. I also really enjoyed Child of God and The Yellow Wallpaper. My brother just gave me Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe for Christmas and I'm very excited to get to that one.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Excellent! I'm really looking to all of them

[@tramasrarasoddplots]

The King in Yellow and The Yellow Wallpaper are fantastical. However, The King in Yellow is actually a short stories collection. Some are more weird than others. Still, The Repairer of Reputations is my all time favorite.

[@jesscavazos]

I find you to be one of the most natural KZbinrs I’ve come across. Really enjoying your videos Olly!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you so much, Jess!

[@DuncanMcCurdie]

Weirdly you have chosen a lot of books I own and haven’t read yet! Dark Passage is a great place to start with Goodis. You can also watch the great Bogart movie afterwards.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Let me know if you fancy buddy reading any

[@danielsweet858]

Too late for me. Not sure if I'll live long enough to read 71! 🤣 Keep up the good work Olly 👍

[@bjminton2698]

Limiting my comments to 5! Love Steinbeck, the Block is a quick read - almost a funny cozy, Mankell was disappointing, Rosanna was good and James is a good writer but not gritty at all. A fun project for you!!

[@SlimeAndSlashers]

I'm so excited you're going to read Geek Love. Really hope you enjoy it! I loved Doctor Sleep back when I read it years ago. I wrote a few of the books you mentioned down so I can read them eventually too! This list was truly epic! I know these types of videos take a lot of work! You did an awesome job. Great video, Olly!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thanks Kelsi! It's been a fun project so far

[@johnward5404]

Oh snap the room is rather disturbing. I quite like Shelby Jr I read the Demon and it was really good. Haunted is quite good as well. Cheers Olly what a list!? Many on my TBR. Good luck with Hogg.

[@lesliepowell-mccarty7067]

You should put The Poisonwood Bible and Demon Copperhead (a retelling of David Copperfield but set in Appalachia) on your list of books to read before you're 55. Both books are by Barbara Kingsolver. She's excellent!!

[@chrisgomes5048]

Really nice and ambitious list. I've been meaning to read Primo Levi, but don't know where to start. Ligotti is my favorite horror writer and Songs of a Dead Dreamer is my favorite collection - I've reread it many times. Ramsey Campbell is a writer I respect more than I like - Demons By Daylight is probably my favorite collection (after Cold Print). I read Robert W. Chamber's The King in Yellow when I was a teen. I'm glad I read it - he's another writer I respect more than I like. Good luck getting through your list.

[@MattWiley]

If you're interested in reading more Chuck Palahniuk, I'd highly recommend Survivor and Lullaby. They are respectively my first and second favorites of his books. I'd love to hear your thoughts on them.

[@cherylstevens9665]

Hi Olly.I read Geek Love a few weeks back and it was more bizarre than anything else. I did enjoy it. Thanks

[@joshramirez7]

Gotta love the British booktuber not getting on with Tolkien haha 😄 The Hobbit is my favorite from him by far, the others can be a bit much at times. Still, you got to respect what he accomplished with Middle Earth no matter your personal preferences.

[@jenniferlovesbooks]

Wow, what a list! The Yellow Wallpaper is my favourite short story. I loved Double Indemnity and The Midwich Cuckoos. Also enjoyed The Price of Salt and Beast in View. Good luck with your challenge! 😊

[@keninmaine1690]

I'm glad to see Geek Love on your list. It is an amazing book, one that I've read twice now. I look forward to hearing what you think of it!

[@bad-girlbex3791]

'Geek Love' is absolutely bonkers! Always imagined the dad character in it to be Nick Cave as I read it.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I'm looking forward to it!

[@heidifogelberg3544]

Great goal! Looking forward to hearing about your progress...

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you!

[@juanmorales9738]

Olly, I can’t believe how many books we have in common, specially in the mystery genre. I’ve read Robert B Parker and Ed McBain. They are some of my favorites. My wife fell in love Spenser. Now she’s reading C J Box’s Joe Pickett novels, her new love. I will be 55 on April 11 but I can’t put away those books the way you can.

[@mitzireadsandwrites]

Well I turned 50 in May, so can't take this challenge! 😂I did, however, read a list of books this year that turned 50 (published 1972). It was interesting to see the themes and whether or not they'd aged that well. The Yellow Wallpaper started my love for short stories in college, so think you'll enjoy that one. War and Peace, Cover Her Face, and The Midwich Cuckoos are waiting on my TBR right now. Good luck with this project! sounds fun!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I'm really looking forward to The Yellow Wallpaper! I like the idea of reading a few books from your birth year. Cheers, Mitzi!

[@dinacox1971]

Yes, there is something so sweet about thinking a writer is "your find". Silly story. I 'discovered Jane Eyre when I was about 11 years old. We lived in a very small town, more than 50 years ago so very very pre internet, and let us just say my parents were not well-read. For a while, she was all mine!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That's really lovely!

[@morebirdsandroses]

Wow. Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box I loved though at one point I really had to get up and walk to shake it off. Steinbeck's East of Eden I love enough to have read it 4 times. Also, just got to belatedly🙄 over all of the 👎on Brothers K. I loved it 4 times, reading is mysterious for who likes what🤭 Both the yellow things should provide some real creeps. Good luck! Look very forward to hearing 💝❄️

[@kevinsbookcase59]

Well...I missed reading 50 books by the time I reached 50... 😂...I just turned 63 at the 1st of December!!! But I am still reading while snowed in. I just finished "Doomed" by Chuck Palahnuik. It's his sequel to "Damned". I really liked some of his others, but this one was flat and very boring. Let us know what you thought of "Haunted"!!! 😊

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Will do, sorry that one didn’t work better work better for you

[@bad-girlbex3791]

@@CriminOllyBlog One word: Guts.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@bad-girlbex3791 noted!

[@HellzinB]

What a great list. I'm going to make my own 50 before 50 list now and this will definitely be some inspo for it

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Fantastic!

[@fiberartsyreads]

Fantastic list Olly! Looking forward to your thoughts on these, particularly Geek Love.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thanks, Crystal

[@jimmyearly6316]

Super interested in your goal. Please keep us posted with what you enjoyed, lessons learned, if you've achieved any level of growth over the 4 months. Good luck and best wishes.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Will do! And thank you!

[@im1ru122]

Some terrific titles here: 'Red Harvest'! ... I'm on a bit of a Philip K. Dick kick at the moment. Just read 'A Maze of Death'. Have a number of his books lined-up for near-future. ... 'In A Lonely Place' is wonderful - and completely different from its film version (both are fine in their own way; sort of like the book & film versions of Highsmith's 'Strangers on a Train'). ... 'The Midwich Cuckoos'! ... 'The Grapes of Wrath'! ... I've read 'The Blunderer' (quite good) in that 'Women Crime Writers' book but thanks for the hint to try 'The Beast in View'. ... I'm a big fan of Graham Greene's short stories, maybe more than his novels (?), though I do like 'Our Man in Havana' (esp. the film, which Greene adapted). ... 'The Lady in the Lake'! ... Have only recently read some short stories (good) by P.D. James. ... 'Cunning Folk' sounds... cunning. ... Haven't read 'Crash' - but, yikes!, that Cronenberg flick! ... 'Price of Salt' and 'Deep Water'! ... HAPPY READING!!! ;)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you! Really looking forward to all of them

[@scottgraham1143]

In a Lonely Place is a great film with Bogart and Gloria Graham which I didn't know was from a book, so that's one I'll want to read. I started reading Mankell with the one you've chosen, but it was my least favourite. I returned it to the library not even half finished, but then decided to give it another go and then became hooked on the Wallander series although I never really understood why because I can't say the books are brilliant, but something about his dyspeptic nature and the slightly weird Swedish setting.

[@heidifogelberg3544]

Re: The Midwych Cuckoos - my mom was made to go see The Village of the Damned when it was first out - and suffice it to say that horror was not her genre. She found it a totally compelling film and she refused to have anything to do with the book. I can almost see her telling me about how it ended, which she did more than once, and which was NOT how my mom thought a movie should end. I have greater flexibility in that area, so thanks for reminding me - this is one I need to read, then see.

[@ellagoreyshorrorstories7524]

The Yellow Wallpaper is a short story, so that won't take you an hour. Great stuff, too. The only books on the list I've read are Geek Love (great), Horns (everyone but the protag and love interest is completely despicable), and Doctor Sleep. The last one starts slow, gets REALLY good in the middle...and then kind of falls flat in the end between the "theatre of the mind" nonsense and dumbf(ck twist. The film is one of few King adaptations I like better than the film, props to Flanagan. I picked up War and Peace, so I'm hoping to get that read sometime this year, all 2000 pages of it! eep!

[@juanmorales9738]

Olly, it just occurred to me that Robert B Parker’s THE GODWULF MANUSCRIPT is a great little book, but it isn’t until his second novel GOD SAVE THE CHILD, that the Spenser character starts developing into the personality he will have for the rest of the series.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ah interesting to know! I'll have to see if I have that one too

[@Monsterblood]

Death on the Nile is great, one of my favorite Poirot mysteries. And I think you'll like Return of the King, it might be the best book in the trilogy.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That;'s great to hear, cheers Austin!

[@binglamb2176]

Len Deighton's Bomber was excellent and holds a special place in my heart. It was given to me for Christmas way back when I was a teen in the early 70s by a favourite aunt. Sadly she is no longer with us and I don't have my original hardcover edition of the book any longer either. The mere mention of that book brings back fond memories so thank you.

[@massonman9099]

Just finished Red Harvest. Very very good. Amazingly cleverly plotted.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Really looking forward to it

[@duffypratt]

I’ve read maybe 7 of these. Keep in mind, if you don’t like the first LeCarre book, that his middle period books are much different and more complex than the early books. The first one is basically a pretty typical English mystery, and it’s good but not great. Spy Who Came in from the Cold, for me, is where he hits his stride. And Honorable Schoolboy, Tinker Tailor, and Smiley’s People are all fantastic. You should love Cain. He is surprisingly overlooked nowadays, and his books are consistently very good to excellent. For me, 50 books is more like a year, and I rarely plan more than 2 books ahead.

[@Narniaru]

I turn 40 the first week of May! Hope you get through them all. Th Grapes of Wrath is also on my list

[@mediumjohnsilver]

I’ve read _Double Indemnity_ by James M. Cain a couple times. It is good, though Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler made a number of improvements in their screenplay, particularly in the second half of the story.

[@scp240]

Interesting list including just a few that I've read: In a Lonely Place, The Grapes of Wrath, The Quiet American, and The Return of the King are all classics that I can recommend. I'm bemused that I've read less than 10% of your list and I'm 70 years old! I definitely need to read War and Peace before I turn 80, God willing. Here's hoping I can finish the following 3 books in progress before the end of the year: Selected Stories of Anton Chekhov, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the translation by Simon Armitage, and Tales from Ovid by Ted Hughes. By the way, if you would like to explore dark poetry that qualifies as "horror", you might try Crow by Ted Hughes. In the beginning was Scream ...

[@eriebeverly]

I admire the chaos of the list as you bob and weave through a variety of genres and authors. Weirdly, I got Less by by Andrew Sean Greer for Christmas which features a central character turning 50 and his life spinning out of control.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Hopefully that won’t happen to me. I did think about trying to group the list, but the chaos seemed more representative of my overall style 😂

[@ASoundtrackOdyssey]

Thomas Ligotti is so good! One of the best "weird horror" short story writers out there. Looking forward to hearing whether you like it or not

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I'm really looking forward to reading him

[@susanspisak65]

I like your idea about reading a book from your birth year …. Going to have look up good ones from 1965 !!!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I'm sure you'll find some good ones!

[@billcann5151]

So glad to hear you’re going into to give Mankell a shot. Faceless Killers is not even his best work, but it is good enough to encourage you to forge ahead in the series. Snow Crash is one of the few books I have reread (I don’t do that very often), and one of the books I read that really got me into science fiction some 30 years ago. Enjoy them all.

[@damenwalker5260]

Doctor sleep and haunted are two of my all time faves! :)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Oh that's great to hear!

[@mikebrough3434]

To be pernickety, Ed McBain/Evan Hunter's birth name was Salvatore Albert Lombino. He changed to Evan Hunter when he was in his twenties. A great series - I've got Sadie When She Died lined up for one of my January reads.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

lol I know. But I suspect if you’d asked him what his name was he would have said Evan Hunter. Sadie is probably my favourite 87th Precinct book

[@javelin60]

My brother and I both got into reading suspense/thrillers/police procedure by starting Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct series. I eventually felt as if I knew Carella, Meyer, ,Hawes, Kling and Teddy in person.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Completely agree, they become wonderfully rich characters over the course of the series

[@happyhauntslibrary]

What a list! I love these goal setting videos. I haven’t read any of the ones you listed but I loved the short story collection I read this December by KP Burke. Happy reading!

[@glennparfitt8068]

Really enjoy your channel Olly - I read ‘in a dark place’ recently - I enjoyed it, although it is very dark. The book is much better than the film imo. Definitely going to check out the work of Donald Goines - an author I’m unfamiliar with.

[@emmal7510]

Okay, feeling better about not having finished putting together my personal 50 before 50 list that I meant to start last week. (My 48th birthday) Hope you make it.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Happy belated birthday!

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

I have quite a few years on you so have read a fair few of these, I don't know where I would even start because I have read a lot but maybe, if I could finish House of leaves before I hit 70 I might be happy. There's a lot of good stuff on this list.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

House of Leaves is definitely a book that's worth reading IMHO. Glad you liked my list!

[@AnaMoShoshin]

Oh, No! I loved Travels with my Aunt, sorry you didn't like that one! I hope you like The Quiet American. I really enjoyed that one, too! I love PD James very much but I'm not sure if you'll like her mysteries. Very interested to see your thoughts

[@ShannonsChannel]

I've been somewhat interested in seeing what Joe Hill's writing is like, just because of who he is. I've read none on your list and I passed 50 a while ago.

[@authenticpoppy]

I am doing catalogs as a long running bucket list. Highsmith's catalog is on my bucket list and I haven't read the 3 books on your list, so maybe I will join you. Strangers On A Train is one of my favorites and I love Ripley to pieces. Double Indemnity is a movie favorite. :) I *love* the folk horror genre and Adam Nevill is an excellent choice. Good stuff on that list!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

You'd be very welcome to join us!

[@DuncanMcCurdie]

Oh I still have a Casca book to send you. I’ll have to find some other goodies to make up for forgetting.

[@M-J]

First off, turning 50 is NOT depressing. Change your mindset, book buddy. Hug😊 My first year of the 50’s has been brilliant! Second, I’ve got three checked off your list. Yellow Wallpaper and the two from Becky Chambers. Crash has been on my radar for a long time. You’ve got this one personal challenge in the bag. - 📚MJ

[@kublatard]

I agree - i think you can read what the hell you want - putting an arbitrary number on books `l wont read that when i`m 50` is doing yourself out of something that could be excellent - god read what you want age really shouldnt come into it

[@M-J]

@@kublatard I don’t think Olly means it that way. I think he wants to set a personal goal to read 50 books he meant to have read by now before his birthday. Cheers! - 📚MJ

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thanks MJ!

[@statusboom-x6348]

Literally, figuratively and CriminOlly, keep doing your thing, keep creating dope content and good luck with the 50 books before 50. I'm rooting for you. *The best damn Book Tube channel!*

[@heidifogelberg3544]

Mankell is great, Peace is great, I remember Snow Crash as ... interesting, but a little uncensored, I enjoy Margaret Millar, I love Chandler even though even he admitted that plots weren't his big thing, Lansdale has really evolved since The Drive In & he's a favorite, Cain is great, Banks is really good, the end of Tolkein's trilogy is worth it, PD James is fiercely atmospheric, the Martin Beck books were ones I enjoyed, OMG I am almost as old as God because I remember when Crash came out and was all the controversy, your yellow odyssey should be interesting, Block has very different voices depending on which character he's writing, Campbell and Ligotti are very good - Campbell again is all about atmosphere. Good luck and enjoy!

[@heidifogelberg3544]

Crap! Autocorrect bit me on this one. I thought Snow Crash was "uncentered". No use for censorship here.

[@myrarucker7953]

❤❤❤ John Steinbeck!!

[@OrangeLibrary]

'The Room'... Oh hi Olly! 🤣 (Forgive me, I do love running gags!) Hogg: It's all right! (You will know when you read it!)

[@rubyjreads7503]

I need to jump on that challenge myself :-)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

It should be fun! I suspect you've got a bit longer than me though

[@roguemedic]

I loved "Red Harvest" and need to read more Hammett. I have not read any Primo Levi, but Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" is very short and unforgettable. I have read "Fight Club" and "Invisible Monsters" by Chuck Palahniuk and enjoyed both. I have read a bunch of Philip K Dick short stories and several novels and enjoyed almost all of them. "The Man in the High Castle" is the only one I did not enjoy. it just didn't work for me. It is interesting to compare the movie versions of his books with the books and to see how they compare. I am not usually interested in which was "better", but in how they approach the story in different ways. For non-fiction books, changing the story, to make the movie more "entertaining" is horrible, but much too common. Len Deighton has a wonderful way of expressing himself. I need to read more of his books. Still going at 93 🙂 Neal Stephenson has an odd, but interesting, way of expressing himself. He can write a lot on something and get you to look at it differently, but he is not so persuasive that I agree with him. A memorable part of "Cryptonomicon" - almost 1,200 pages and only "The Hobbit" to his "Lord of the Rings" Baroque trilogy - is five pages on how to prepare a bowl of Cap'n Crunch cereal. I have only read "Cryptonomican" of the Baroque Cycle (and only "The Hobbit" of LoTR. Other Stephenson is good and has been copied, but also has a lot of William Gibson, who similarly has a lot of Hammett/Chandler in his writing. I also read "Faceless Killers" as a 'let me try the first of the series' and it did not inspire me to continue. He is not a bad writer, but it just didn't appeal to me as much as other writers I want to read. Graham Greene writes some great books, but my favorite of his is "The Third Man", which was written during the production of the movie, as "2001" was by Arthur C. Clarke. Still there are interesting differences in both, but both movies and both books are great. As with Tarantino, my favorite Orson Wells movie is this one not directed by Wells (for Tarantino it is "True Romance"). Greene actually helped to popularize "Lolita". Years earlier, a defamation suit was brought by a studio about comments Greene made about Shirley Temple being 'sexualized' by the studio. Double Indemnity is another book where the movie and the book have different endings, but both work. Fred MacMurray as a bad guy is effective here, as is Henry Fonda in "Once Upon a Time in the West". I have not yet finished the Martin Beck series, but it is a great look at the ways things can be different from America - and still be much the same. The Spenser series is one of my favorites. I do not have "one" favorite of anything, since the favorite depends on the mood I am in, but I have read all of the Spenser books written by Robert B. Parker at least once and they are great. I was introduced to the series by my late ex-wife (I do have an alibi.), back in the early 80s. When the TV series, "Spenser for Hire" was announced, we thought it would be horrible, but Robert Urich did a good job (I would have tried to cast William Smith, but what do I know?) and Avery Brooks truly brought Hawk to life as more believable than in the books (Hawk doesn't appear until "Promised Land", the 4th book, and is not the only morally complex character in the series. I can almost always reread one of these books and enjoy it. His other series - Jesse Stone, Sunny Randall, and Hitch and Cole are also good. The Jesse Stone movie series is also very good. Parker was chosen by the estate of Raymond Chandler to finish the unfinished book, "Poodle Springs". Reading the books in order allows you to see the development of the character throughout the series. The books are short, not in pages, but in words per page, so they go more quickly than you would expect from the page count. There is a lot of rapid fire banter, similar to Ben Hecht's "The Front Page". Spenser drinks alcohol at a rate that is unbelievable, but that is not uncommon in detective fiction - or spy fiction. The BMJ had an article in their Christmas edition (which is their somewhat satirical edition of each year) in 2013, "Were James Bond’s drinks shaken because of alcohol induced tremor?" www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f7255 Spenser seems to try to burn off the alcohol with frequent exercise, but while this can increase the metabolism of alcohol in the short term, it probably does not do a lot to decrease the long term harm, which seems to be largely based on genetics. Bond's drinking does seem to be causing him problems in "Skyfall", but the plot in that movie may show more influence of alcohol, even for 007. I love the Matthew Scudder series by Lawrence Block (I have only read about half of them), but the Bernie Rhodenbarr books have not appealed to me. Scudder is one who admits to having a drinking problem and it is an important part of the plots, at times. "Call for the Dead" is short, but still complex. The George Smiley series takes odd turns in the first several books. the 2nd is not a spy book, but a murder mystery. The 3rd, "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold", is an impressive tragedy, which was successful enough to allow LeCarre to write full time. The 4th is a satirical response to the reception of the tragedy as 'heroic' by much of the public. The 5th was "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and he stuck to complex spy stories for the series, but there is still some satire and tragedy in all of them. If you haven't read Mick Herron, he does a great job of combining the tragedy, futility, and satire in his Slow Horses books. I have not yet seen the TV series, but Gary Oldman seems to be ideal for Jackson Lamb. He played the not very expressive Smiley, but can deftly move from subtle to over the top, which is a part of the way the character manages the spies who report to him. "A Small Town in Germany" is LeCarre's 5th book, and is his first book that is not part of the Smiley series. Happy Boxing Day and Happy Early Birthday. .

[@morebirdsandroses]

I'm leaving a 2d because I forgot Ramsey Campbell. He can be uneven overall, but really in a class of his own. Love him!

[@stephennootens916]

The mention of Grapes of Wrath reminds me I read most of that book but for some reason I put it down and never picked it up again. It is not a bad book but it isn't up beat and it takes you back to the great Depression and the Dust Bowl in the good old USA which is were I live. No doubt duo to the fact it was written while it was still happening it captures that moment in America that has thing about it. There is a darkness and yet a mythic feel of the time. The Great Depression has this historically power in some ways like the second war. There is image of it that Steinbeck types into maybe even created on The Grapes of Wrath. I am not sure I could ever come up with the right words for how powerful the book is. If there is one book I believe every single American kid should read in school it is the Grapes of Wrath.

[@princessinfini]

I set a 50-book reading challenge for myself this year. I will also be turning 50 towards the end of April. I am not depressed; I'm very thankful for life, the ability to read, and all the other blessings I enjoy! #madeinapril1973

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Love that hashtag! You're right, and I am very grateful for all my good fortune

[@myrarucker7953]

Nevill!!!!!! Omg!! The Ritual. So so many!! No One Leaves here!! 😮 fast reads but 🫣😱

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Am really looking forward to trying his work

[@myrarucker7953]

Great vlog!!

[@zachreads]

The heavy Holocaust book I have on my TBR is the Diary of Anne Frank. I love Day of the Triffids too! I should read The Lady in the Lake too, I'm in the same place in the Marlow series. I've been meaning to get to Becky Chambers for a very long time. I LOVE The Yellow Wallpaper. This is a fantastic list I could talk about at least 10 others, but all in good time : )

[@krzysamm7095]

I am starting War and Peace Jan 1. 50 isn’t so bad I will hit 53 in Feb and so far I am still kicking 😂😂

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That's good to hear!

[@bookssongsandothermagic]

Great video and a fantastic list of books. I’ll be reading more Steinbeck and Joe Hill next year. Looking forward to the reviews coming from this list mate.

[@BelialHexed]

Doctor Sleep will be a breeze, I thought it was great, Deep Water is a good one too

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Good to know! Thank you

[@jamesholder13]

Good luck!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Thank you!

[@Mi-yc3oy]

I loved Adam Neville until he released THE VESSEL. It really lacks the depth of every one of his previous books. 😢It’s not that It’s a bad story or even poorly written; it’s just like...popcorn - fun but not “filling”. Kealan’s BLANKY was amazing. I picked up several other books right after finishing that. THE TENT was hugely fun-ridiculous yet creepy. 😁🎉

[@mikebrough3434]

I finished The Vessel last week and quite enjoyed it. His summary at the end does say that he was trying to emulate a film script by leaving out as much point-of-view interior monologuing as he could. I think it worked but I can understand why some people might feel short-changed.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to try his work!

[@Mi-yc3oy]

@@CriminOllyBlog Shame on you! for punishment you must read De Sade’s JUSTINE 😜 (But CUNNING FOLK is a good one)

[@Mi-yc3oy]

@@mikebrough3434 If I remember correctly, he also said (implied?) that he was encouraged to do it by his agent and plans on continuing that style 😭 Oh well. I am never short of reading material these days thanks to booktube 🥃

[@DuncanMcCurdie]

Blackboard Jungle was the movie that launched Bill Haley’s Rock Around The Clock . It pretty much introduced rock n roll to the masses in the UK and rockabilly gangs rioted in the cinemas.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Always the sign of a good film!

[@myrarucker7953]

Yellow wallpaper is a psychological story

[@DDB168]

Gosh I was mentioned again ! Do I need a manager ? Have you read/reviewed Black Friday (Goodis) ? I've heard good things about it, cant remember if you have covered it. Surprised it's not in that LoA volume. I hope you do a group buddy read for War and Peace, I'd be interested.

[@bad-girlbex3791]

Olly, is this what might have once been referred to as one of those 'midlife crisis' moments? Lol. I'm only half-joking because I think you're insane. You have more book commitments than whoever is being expected to keep on writing new Poirot novels until time immemorial! You're an absolute madman! And I mean that with a mixture of good-humour and envy...because I don't even turn 50 for another 7 years and your list is already making my eyes fly around the room and take stock off all that I too wish to complete before the big Five-Oh. On the plus side, we're living at an age and in a time where we can probably expect (touch wood) to make it to 100, so even when you do make it through this 50 before 50 list, in reality, you're still only going to be halfway through your reading life...and I fully expect you to commit to 85 more projects, lists and book commitments before they finally carry you off to the comfy place with the very soft furnishings! In all honestly though, I'll be rooting for you through this one. That's going to be a pretty frenetic first third of the year and you'll be putting me to shame with my own slow, deep reading of Russian chonkers in 2023. But as always lots to watch and enjoy from my end end at least. All the best for the New Year, Bex x

[@bad-girlbex3791]

P.S. 'Roseanna' by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, is also on my TBR at some point this year. I'm hoping it's just so unapologetically unreconstructed that it makes me laugh at loud as well as get pulled into a great crime thriller storyline. As for Adam Nevill 'Cunning Folk' fell a bit flat for me. I much preferred his 'Last Days' and the one set in Finland, the name of which escapes me right now, but had a folk horror vibe, while being really intense. It'll be good to see what you think about CF though. If you don't like that one, don't let it put you off trying 'Last Days' or any of his other stuff.

[@kerrymoore5146]

I’d forgotten I’ve read Child of God, strange,because thinking back, I did quite enjoy it. I read Crash by J.G Ballard shortly after and I think I found that such a slog, it wiped my memory of CoG😅. Haunted is a book I need to read again, as I DNF it for some reason, but I know I was enjoying it

[@authenticpoppy]

I found Crash to be a slog too. I loved High-Rise though.

[@anotherbibliophilereads]

I did a quick eyeball count in he description for 20 books. A gee were good to very good, at least one or two great, and a few disappointing. One very overrated IMHO. Good luck with the 50. After April you can wert a “You kids get off my lawn” button. 😝

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Ha! Yeah I think I'm going to settle into being a grump old man pretty quickly.

[@Rimzaka]

Deep Water and The Blunderer are among the very best books by Patricia Highsmith, so you're in for a real treat.

[@susanspisak65]

I really enjoyed the movie, “In a Lonely Place!” I’m wondering if the book is based on this noir movie?

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I think the movie is based on the book!

[@chrisallenmax]

‘Child of God’ is sooooo good.

[@retrog1]

The Primo Levi book is awesome. But I wonder what you'll make of David Peace. I love the trilogy but his style can be offputting . If you like it you should also pick up the Damned Utd., one of the best books about football ever. And Sjowall and Wahloo were the start for me in the 70's of a lifelong addiction to crime fiction. Question: have you read anything by Donald Ray Pollock? He's somewhere between Flannery O'Connor and Cormack Mccarthy

[@anthonyprice4862]

You are so right about the style of David Peace. It took me a long time to read 1974 but I ended up thoroughly enjoying the Red Riding trilogy. I must admit The Damned United is a rare phenomenon of me liking the film better than the book. The performance of Michael Sheen might have something to do with this.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I think you will really like War and Peace. It does have a lot of Russians talking though….I can’t do this kind of video because of my old age. I guess I could do 60 books before I’m 60.

[@davebrzeski]

I suppose I could attempt 70 books before I'm 70!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

LOL just catching up on old comments and found this one...

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

@@CriminOllyBlog ha! Shows what I know!

[@myrarucker7953]

Neal Stephenson is really good!!!

[@CriminOllyBlog]

His books look HARD though

[@myrarucker7953]

@@CriminOllyBlog yup!

[@themiddleplace]

Too many talking points for me write a comment, so allow me to be random, I've never heard you talk about Robert aickman on the channel...that's wild I was typing and thinking ' or Ligotti for that matter' and then you started talking about him! Read them both now! Ligotti is amazing, but word of warning, it turned me personally from cynic to a nihilist. It can really get under your skin if you read him during a dark period of your life! (Also, if you haven't seen TRUE DETECTIVE then watch after you have read king in yellow and Ligotti - if you don't already know what I'm talking about, you will!)

[@CriminOllyBlog]

That’s useful to know about Ligotti, thank you! Aickman is definitely someone else I need to get to. I haven’t watched True Detective yet but have been meaning to and I think it’s on one of the streaming services I have at the moment. Will hold off on watching it for now!

[@themiddleplace]

@@CriminOllyBlog yeah Ligotti is officially a massive influence on that show. Lots of mconahay's dialogue is lifted straight from ligottis "conspiracy against the human race" philosophy book. My original point about aickman was going to be that I think you will LOVE his stuff and it would make for great wintry, Christmas ghost story, curled up under a blanket reading.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@themiddleplace thank you! I didn’t know that

[@Kikilang60]

I'm surprised. I've read a double hand of the books you spoke of.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Excellent!

[@paulfillingham2958]

Turning 50 wow. You’re still a youngster, I’ll be 72 next year. I’ve only read 6 of your 50 books. I’ve got at least 50 to read next year and non are on your list. Strangely enough most of your to read books don’t interest me but I do like your channel a lot. It would be a far more boring world if we all liked the same think. There are some books you have previously mentioned that I will look out for but not until I make a large dent in my own unread books. Like you have previously done I am still buying books while I have so many to read. I must stop this obsession for the moment and read more.

[@sidclark1953]

I read "Hogg" when I was 50 and very angry and bitter about the life and the world and the tone of the book fit my temper. So I'd have to say it's a very angry book as well as a catalog of gross sex stuff. Here are two more outstanding books you've probably already heard of or read: "Go Tell It On The Mountain" by James Baldwin and "Satan in Goray" by Isaac Bashevis Singer. I recently finished all Singer's short story collections, they're great little numbers. Ever read any by the prolific John Christopher?

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Angry is a great way to describe it. I've read a bit of Baldwin, but not that one. Satan in Goray I hadn't heard of. And weirdly I've managed to get this far in life without reading Christopher

[@sidclark1953]

@@CriminOllyBlog "Satan in Goray" is a tour de force. "Go Tell It On The Mountain" has a climax that is some of the most powerful and harrowing since I once took too much Orange Sunshine back in the hippie days.

[@danielmarlett1421]

Can you clarify your thoughts on "When domestic noirs really were Noir..." as opposed to modern. Are you referring to a time period or style?

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Much more about style - so domestic noir seems to be used today to describe the kind of thriller that's very popular at the moment

[@danielmarlett1421]

@@CriminOllyBlog got it

[@michaelreeney81]

😳how many books do you read a week?

[@johnbeeston2473]

doctor sleep is good

[@wendyvilla2904]

💚🖤

[@gerarddonohoe5806]

What?..your not already 50!..😂

[@CriminOllyBlog]

😂😂

[@nonowannabe]

11

[@deepakchaube2584]

How do find time to read so many books?? Envious of u😀

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I just don't do much else :)

[@deepakchaube2584]

@@CriminOllyBlog Thanks for your videos Olly. Really really love it.

[@deepakchaube2584]

Which is the scariest book till date Ollly. I mean really scary

[@zestpeet4614]

How much time do you spend reading per day on average?

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Probably an hour or 2 - more at the weekend

[@zestpeet4614]

@@CriminOllyBlog I appreciate the response! I just finished school and FINALLY can read more and find the amount you read to be inspiring

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@zestpeet4614 Excellent! Hope you find some great stuff to read

[@beggarsend]

I would skip Doctor Sleep...

[@CriminOllyBlog]

I do need to read it for something else as well so am kind of committed

[@AN-xi7sg]

Please! speak slowly! Not just native speakers listen you.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Sorry! Sometimes I get carried away!