Books #17 Reading Chats!

[SaintLeo]

I should say, I have no kids, no partner, no social life, I work from home and work hasn’t been very demanding of late. And we all know I forget books the minute I finish them so I’d also question the quality of my reading. Also, generally I’m finishing a book just because I started it. Few are really connecting. My numbers aren’t to be envied!

Do all of them need to connect? I think sometimes there’s too much expectation on reading to be deep and meaningful in a way that we don’t apply to other forms of entertainment. We quite happily watch TV shows or films simply for something to do and a bit of light relief without expecting them to have some sort of impact on us, so why not books too? Unless you’re reading for academic/development purposes I think it’s fine for lots of books to just fill the time you read them and then never come to mind again. (As long as you’re not double buying of course!)

 

[Gem_woody]

Got a multi-shop voucher that covers Waterstones burning a hole in my pocket. Has anyone bought from the Penguin Classics Clothbound series? After saying I give away most of my books, I'm thinking of buying some pretty ones to keep

I don't have the penguin ones, but I collect the wordsworth collectors edition classics, they have really pretty covers too (they're about £5 each!)

 

[ordinaryjelly]

As you were.

 

[ToolaRoola]

Tonight I went to Foyles and Waterstones. Caressed all the books I want and left empty handed

 

[Carapop]

I should say, I have no kids, no partner, no social life, I work from home and work hasn’t been very demanding of late. And we all know I forget books the minute I finish them so I’d also question the quality of my reading. Also, generally I’m finishing a book just because I started it. Few are really connecting. My numbers aren’t to be envied!

 

[nbt]

I’m listening to The Fear by CL Taylor and I swear I’ve read it in the past. I feel like Joey except it’s reading books and not sleeping with women 🫠

Anyway, I can’t remember how it ends and it must have been pre 2018 when I started recording my reads, so no matter.

Just quoting myself because this has just appeared in my Instagram memories…

Bloody knew I’d read it.

 

[OhDearFords]

I didn't realise you guys had started a new thread and I've been so busy I've not been back to check!

I've read the following lately:

- Cleopatra and Frankenstein - 4.5/5 (really loved this!)
- Great Small Things by Jodie Picoult - 5/5 - this was incredible

And I'm about half way through Thrown by Sara Cox. It's ok, nice descriptions and good characterisation so far but a little cliche perhaps.... but I won't fully judge until I've finished! It's a nice palette cleanser after Great Small Things which was just so good but quite a gut punch. First time in years I've spent my whole day off reading, and then I continued reading after kids in bed and was awake until 2am finishing it! Anyone else read it?

 

[aidil]

I was wondering why nobody had posted for days and just found the new thread And within a matter of minutes of finding it, I’m on the Waterstones website. Damn you all

Thanks for the double points heads up! Purchased a few from my TBR list! Thank goodness for PayPal Pay in 3

 

[Carapop]

Just popping my head in to say that my current Kindle read is I'm Sorry You Feel That Way. It deals with similar themes to Sorrow and Bliss but I'm enjoying it much more.

I went to buy it (I loved sorrow and bliss) and discovered not only did I already have it but I read it…

 

[aidil]

I said I wouldn’t pick up any more books till my TBR pile went down but Sainsbury’s caught me out. Random crime book thrown in because I’m a sucker for that stuff!

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Saw this. Thought of you all.

 

[ordinaryjelly]

I wasn't trying to cast shame on Kindle users or anything, so I hope no one thinks that. I just think if we don't use our book shops we will lose them on our high streets. I don't know about where any one else lives but our high street is a bazillion coffee shops, another bazillion betting shops, a Waitrose, a library that isn't really a library and a Waterstones. I think my mum singlehandedly keeps that Waterstones in business though. Our conversations go "Popped to Waitrose today but before that I went in Waterstones and....." Every single time. I know not everyone can afford a physical book and however we read is what we can do for ourselves. I'm just passionate about keeping our bookshops.

Our library is stripped back to about four piddly shelves of books, 50 computers and a bunch of conference/work rooms. Not a library at all. But people stopped using it for books so

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Ive averaged about 9 books a month this year. I walk my dogs for an hour at least a day and at times can listen to my audio books all day at work. Depends what my work is like that week. This really helps bump my numbers up.

41% of my books this year so far have been audio according to Storygraph.

I do have a partner and kids but often ignore them because my head or ears are in a book

My kids are not babies or toddlers so it does help. To those with young kids you will find more time to read. I do find in a modern world I really need to be strict with my phone, many a night Ill get into bed and make the mistake of opening my phone first and 30 minutes of potential reading time is lost with doom scrolling

 

[twilightgarden]

I don’t want to tempt fate but I think my reading mojo is back! I’ve read for a good hour solid today which is a big improvement. Still enjoying The Measure by Nikki Erlick.
For my next book I think I’m going to look for one of those easy thrillers that suck you in. Suggestions welcome, bonus points if it’s already on my Kindle/bookshelf

 

[aidil]

My copy of The Guest Cat arrived today and the previous owner left a piece of paper inside with all their favourite parts of the book written on it

 

[mrs.darcy]

A book thread How have I not discovered this before today?

I am currently reading the latest Edward Marston Railway Detective book Death at the Terminus on my Kindle (only released Thursday).

I've just finished The Body on the Train by Frances Brody. This is the first book I've read of hers, picked it up at The Works.

I like crime/murder/detective books and these 2 combine my love of those with my love of steam trains. I've read all the Railway Detective books and was waiting impatiently for the new one.

 

[capriallie]

Just saw this book scavenger hunt tag on insta and thought we could do it!

- A book with a person on the cover

- A book with a colour in the title

- A book with enemies to lovers

- A book with four words in the title

- A book with one word in the title

- A book you haven’t read yet

- A recent five star read

 

[ToxicPony]

I really do wish libraries could be pushed and promoted more, maybe by councils. There seems to be a real reading renaissance and I know a lot of people don't realise they can get ebooks at the library, for example. Gen Z appear to like pretty hardbacks so hopefully a push in that direction will give bookshops a USP, things like limited edition covers, artwork competitions etc could make serious money turning books into collectors items, kind of like the huge resurgence in vinyl for music vs streaming.

 

[oopsididitagain22]

Sorry if I’m late to the party here, but just wanted to put my fave and least fave reads across. The Thursday murder club series is brilliant, got me back into reading. I absolutely cannot read any more Colleen hoover books.

 

[bookworm39]

Has anyone here ever tried the 100 books challenge? You basically have to read 100 books you already own before you can buy any new books. Not sure if I'd be able to complete this challenge!