Books #12 Reading Chats

[Mamacita]

I'm reading Trespasses but it's going so slowly, does it get more interesting in the second half? Struggling with the punctuation and don't really like the characters. The vibe is very depressing to me

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I'm reading Trespasses but it's going so slowly, does it get more interesting in the second half? Struggling with the punctuation and don't really like the characters. The vibe is very depressing to me

Hmm Id say its a slow burn overall. It is depressing all my 5 star books are very depressing.

 

[Booklover]

Yes, I like her writing style, it draws the reader in really well.
She also wrote Dear Reader which I recommend too. I haven't got to her other books yet.

I've read Dear Reader and would also recommend it. Everyone is Still Alive is on my Christmas list!

 

[Mamacita]

Hmm Id say its a slow burn overall. It is depressing all my 5 star books are very depressing.

I don't usually mind depressing books, love war books etc but this one just makes me feel down for some reason haha it feels like a gloomy rainy day

 

[cherrymoon]

I’ve just finished reading The Ex Hex, rated it 3.5 stars. I would’ve given it the full 5 stars had it not been for the predictable romance plot and some sentences running too long. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. It was heartwarming and comical in places and an easy read.

 

[epl000]

Finished The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish yesterday. I was disappointed overall by it given how much I loved Our House, but still alright. The last section definitely made it for me, but it felt very rushed. Liked the ending though, and didn't see it coming which is always good.

Started I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy and it is a lot. I am enjoying the short chapters and style of writing though. Quite a heavy topic though, must have been a hard decision to publish her story.

 

[Pinkii]

Finished The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish yesterday. I was disappointed overall by it given how much I loved Our House, but still alright. The last section definitely made it for me, but it felt very rushed. Liked the ending though, and didn't see it coming which is always good.

Started I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy and it is a lot. I am enjoying the short chapters and style of writing though. Quite a heavy topic though, must have been a hard decision to publish her story.

I definitely recommend listening to the jennettes book. When i was trying to read it I also found it very heavy but the audio book she brings a certain dark humour to it and definitely makes it easier to get through, it’s obviously still a very sad story but she is very inspiring

 

[Libbylulu]

I have gone for Trespasses first, downloaded it this morning and am 67% through. Took me a while to get used to the no quotation marks but once I did I can't get enough of it. Kindle has run out of power now.

I loved this book it stayed with me for a long time. It was recommended here a few months back which is how I picked it up

Anyone read Our Missing Hearts. I’m in a bit of a funk and don’t know if I want to start it or not.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Finished The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish yesterday. I was disappointed overall by it given how much I loved Our House, but still alright. The last section definitely made it for me, but it felt very rushed. Liked the ending though, and didn't see it coming which is always good.

Started I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy and it is a lot. I am enjoying the short chapters and style of writing though. Quite a heavy topic though, must have been a hard decision to publish her story.

Have read all of these I agree Our House was better than The Other Passenger. I have 'the heights' on my TBR.

I would also recommend the audio of Im Glad My Mom Died.

 

[SoulDestroyer]

I've had four books in a row that I've rated highly (this is v. rare for me!)

Jennette McCurdy - I'm Glad My Mom Died. Such a harrowing read, but really well told. I flew through this in two evenings.

Elizabeth Strout - Amy and Isabelle. I love her books. Haven't yet read them all ...

Michael Robotham - Lying Beside You. The third in a series that I'm really enjoying. He's the only crime writer these days that I look forward to his new material.

Andrew Morton - Elizabeth and Margaret. I've read a lot of royal biographies this year and it was interesting to read about Margaret. I knew she was a wild one, but turns out I didn't know much at all.

 

[Albrouze]

I finished The Winners. I don't know how I feel about it. I enjoyed it, but didn't feel as moved by it as the previous books.

Maybe it was the length? It close to 700 pages long and it felt that long and repetitive at times. It has been several years since I read Us Against You. So, I needed some of the repetition to keep track of everyone, but at the same time some of it felt tedious.

Maybe I expected too much from it as I loved the other two books so much? Maybe no book could live up to that expectation.

Loved the tension at the start of the book with the storm. Obviously, you can't keep that tension for a entire 700 pages, but I found myself not really caring about a newly introduced storyline.

I'm not really sure what my point is It hasn't 'ruined' the other books for me. It was fastest I've read a book in a sluggish year, even though it was by far the longest.

Next on my list is The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell.

 

[slugella]

Olive Kitteridge was recommended a lot recently, it's 99p today.

Amazon product

I finished The Winners. I don't know how I feel about it. I enjoyed it, but didn't feel as moved by it as the previous books.

Maybe it was the length? It close to 700 pages long and it felt that long and repetitive at times. It has been several years since I read Us Against You. So, I needed some of the repetition to keep track of everyone, but at the same time some of it felt tedious.

Maybe I expected too much from it as I loved the other two books so much? Maybe no book could live up to that expectation.

Loved the tension at the start of the book with the storm. Obviously, you can't keep that tension for a entire 700 pages, but I found myself not really caring about a newly introduced storyline.

I'm not really sure what my point is It hasn't 'ruined' the other books for me. It was fastest I've read a book in a sluggish year, even though it was by far the longest.

Next on my list is The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell.

I had a huge ramble somewhere on one of these threads of my thoughts and have forgotten a lot of them now but agree with all you've said! I thought I would sit and inhale it but it took me about a week as I just didn't really care enough. There wasn't enough of my favourite characters either. The bits that should have given me all the feelings just didn't have that impact, I thought I would be sobbing at what happened near the end but I was just like oh..it happened.

I loved Bobo though he became a new fave in this one

 

[Albrouze]

Olive Kitteridge was recommended a lot recently, it's 99p today.

Amazon product



I had a huge ramble somewhere on one of these threads of my thoughts and have forgotten a lot of them now but agree with all you've said! I thought I would sit and inhale it but it took me about a week as I just didn't really care enough. There wasn't enough of my favourite characters either. The bits that should have given me all the feelings just didn't have that impact, I thought I would be sobbing at what happened near the end but I was just like oh..it happened.

I loved Bobo though he became a new fave in this one

I tried to edit my post last night to make it a little more coherent, but my phone died and then when I came back too much time had passed. I also felt like it may have read more negative than positive and I don't have negative feelings towards the book. I love his writing style, even though I don't even think it's a style I would enjoy in other authors.

I agree about there not being enough of favourite characters while there seemed to be so much else of other stuff that maybe I should have cared about, but didn't. The foreshadowing didn't really build the suspense for me that I guess it should have.

Yes to Bobo

 

[Smca53]

For my fellow DCI Kett fans (@nbt I’m looking at you ) I just finished the latest one, King Rat, and loved it - one of my favourite reads for a while and definitely my favourite out of the series so far!

Edited to add: looks like it’s on Kindle Unlimited now

 

[nbt]

For my fellow DCI Kett fans (@nbt I’m looking at you ) I just finished the latest one, King Rat, and loved it - one of my favourite reads for a while and definitely my favourite out of the series so far!

Edited to add: looks like it’s on Kindle Unlimited now

I’m going to start another of his after I’ve finished my current read. I miss those fudging tossers!

 

[twilightgarden]

I’ve been so busy lately my reading time has taking a hammering, I’m lucky if I can squeeze in 15 minutes before bed Hoping to be back to usual soon, I’ve got so many good books to read.

 

[Bubblesandflowers]

Ok so I picked up a short story hoping to get some quick easy reads and I realllllly disliked this book. I am trying to take it as a positive as it should hopefully make me appreciate the good reads more. Fingers crossed for the next one.

 

[ToxicPony]

I finished Autumn by Ali Smith and I just didnt get it all. Im glad it was a short read. The writing was lovely and descriptive but absolutely nothing happened. It was pages of waffle. Not my thing at all but can appreciate others may enjoy it.

I'm glad to hear you say this, I really felt like I missed something with Autumn. Wish i hadn't bought all 4 of them, at least they were all 99p...

Have come to the conclusion that I just don't like books that are 'great writing' and nothing else and that's OK, I'm not stupid or basic for wanting characters and a plot

Quarter of the way through Beartown, really hoped I would love it and I already do, these characters are just fantastic and even though there are so many, they leap off the page. The town feels so real and even if not much has happened, I know this build up is going to make it so much more effective when it does.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I'm glad to hear you say this, I really felt like I missed something with Autumn. Wish i hadn't bought all 4 of them, at least they were all 99p...

Have come to the conclusion that I just don't like books that are 'great writing' and nothing else and that's OK, I'm not stupid or basic for wanting characters and a plot

Quarter of the way through Beartown, really hoped I would love it and I already do, these characters are just fantastic and even though there are so many, they leap off the page. The town feels so real and even if not much has happened, I know this build up is going to make it so much more effective when it does.

I will always call it like I see it Ive decided not to finish A Little Life because life is too short. I was going to try finish it this year but Im not.

Glad you are loving Beartown. I have said this so many times the characters are so fleshed out and well written. The seem like real people, you can imagine them as real people. I wish I could re-read it for the first time

 

[ordinaryjelly]

I am an outlier with the Fredrik Backman love on this thread. Beartown bored me, I dnf it. Then went back for a reread and got to 65% and dnf it. Maybe third time lucky but I'm not trying again so we will never know!

I am reading Trust Me by T.M. Logan and it is wonderful so far, so suspenseful. I have no idea how it is going to end.