Books #17 Reading Chats!

[Elle]

Not sure if it's @Caffeine Fiend's influence but I've decided I want to read Beartown.

I wasn't blown away by Anxious People and Ove but Beartown seems like it might be different. I do like character driven books.

I didn't realise it was book one of a three book series. Have you read the other two @Caffeine Fiend? Us Against You and The Winners.

All three are very highly rated on Goodreads.

 

[061wan]

I finished 5 books in April Project Hail Mary was a stand out for sure!

Has anyone read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes? The film trailer has piqued my interest as I loved the original trilogy when I was younger but I was totally out of the loop when she released the book

I read it a few months ago. It’s a big book so a bit of a slog in parts purely because so much happens but definitely worth the read if you enjoyed the original trilogy.

 

[killtheold]

Oh gosh I loved Megan Nolan’s Acts of Desperation. Really powerful prose that hit a few nerves with me. I fear it may be another where folk don’t enjoy it because they find the protagonist so unlikeable and I liked it because I could relate to her so much

I loved it so much too. And yes, painfully relatable!

 

[HoGi]

I finished 5 books in April Project Hail Mary was a stand out for sure!

Has anyone read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes? The film trailer has piqued my interest as I loved the original trilogy when I was younger but I was totally out of the loop when she released the book

I enjoyed it but it is nothing like the original series

 

[SwizzleMalarkey]

I’ve read 24 books so far this year which is good going considering I have an absolute live wire of a 3-year-old who takes up most of my time and energy!
Got these on Prime Reading, trying to have a month without buying so will work through these and my Netgalley list too.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Not sure if it's @Caffeine Fiend's influence but I've decided I want to read Beartown.

I wasn't blown away by Anxious People and Ove but Beartown seems like it might be different. I do like character driven books.

I didn't realise it was book one of a three book series. Have you read the other two @Caffeine Fiend? Us Against You and The Winners.

All three are very highly rated on Goodreads.

Hello! Yes I have read the first two. I had a huge book hangover after Beartown, I read it October 2021, I think it took me the best part of a week to read the first 40% of Beartown and then a day to devour the rest.

Ive said before (and Im sorry everyone reading this for the 5th time ) this was the first book Id read of Backmans and I did find the writing style took me time to adjust to. I wasnt sure at all initially but then I just felt completely engrossed in Beartown, I felt like I lived there.

I didnt read Us Against You right away, I read it April 2022. For me I think I enjoyed Us Against You more than Beartown. I already knew the characters and for me it was like meeting up with an old friend, albeit an old friend where you both have emotional trauma but its still a much needed catch up.

I havent yet read The Winners. I have it in my posession. I preordered it and got it on release day but I havent got it in me to read it yet. Im apprehensive that I wont enjoy it, that I will be saying good bye to characters that live in my heart so vividly.

So yeah I hope you enjoy it. I hope you become engrossed in the lives of these beautifully flawed characters. That you too feel that you are living in a small town where hockey rules and everything just seems so real, like it could be the town next door to you where amongst the bleakness there is real human relationships and compassion.

 

[ToolaRoola]

Natives by Akaka is on the monthly deals. It's a very good non-ficton about British colonialism/racism/memoir. I found it a real eye opener.

 

[smellsofbiscuits]

Natives by Akaka is on the monthly deals. It's a very good non-ficton about British colonialism/racism/memoir. I found it a real eye opener.

Would also highly recommend this book and following him on the Twitters too

 

[LaBlonde]

a solid 5 stars from me to the whalebone theatre - what a wonderful book. i feel a little bereft to have finished it and left all these characters behind 🥲

 

[SaintLeo]

a solid 5 stars from me to the whalebone theatre - what a wonderful book. i feel a little bereft to have finished it and left all these characters behind 🥲

Was just coming here to say The Whalebone Theatre is a Daily Deal today so seemed right to include a glowing review too! It was on my wish list after other good mentions here.

 

[aidil]

Finally finished Cleopatra and Frankenstein (been handrearing kittens so no chance of reading!) and it’s four stars from me! I got a little emotional at the end, it really touched me. I think the characters are probably like marmite after reading some of the posts on here. I can be a bit of a maudlin drama queen at times so I found them very relatable I enjoyed the chapters from other character’s perspectives too.

Going to start Weyward now after all the positive comments from you guys

 

[LaBlonde]

Going to start Weyward now after all the positive comments from you guys

and i’ve just added it to my amazon order looks really interesting - let me know what you think!

 

[Carapop]

Finally finished Cleopatra and Frankenstein (been handrearing kittens so no chance of reading!) and it’s four stars from me! I got a little emotional at the end, it really touched me. I think the characters are probably like marmite after reading some of the posts on here. I can be a bit of a maudlin drama queen at times so I found them very relatable I enjoyed the chapters from other character’s perspectives too.

Going to start Weyward now after all the positive comments from you guys

Kittens!!!!!! Oh I’m so sorry to derail but please pics please

 

[nbt]

Two 99ps on my wish list and my first reads choice. I actually struggled to pick from two for first reads this month so maybe the other will go onto my wish list

 

[aidil]

and i’ve just added it to my amazon order looks really interesting - let me know what you think!

Ooh aidil x blonde book club incoming! The premise sounds right up my street! Also I’m a sucker for a pretty cover like this one…!

Kittens!!!!!! Oh I’m so sorry to derail but please pics please

Spoiler: I’ll put them in here so I don’t completely derail 🤣

They’re cute but god I’m missing my reading time so bad

 

[Carapop]

Ooh aidil x blonde book club incoming! The premise sounds right up my street! Also I’m a sucker for a pretty cover like this one…!

Spoiler: I’ll put them in here so I don’t completely derail 🤣

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They’re cute but god I’m missing my reading time so bad

Omg my heart

 

[ToolaRoola]

@aidil oh my, they are gorgeous

My reason buddy is my 15 year old ginger boy. It's my perfect scenario - cats and books.

 

[SwizzleMalarkey]

and i’ve just added it to my amazon order looks really interesting - let me know what you think!

I loved Weyward! Thought it did a great job of keeping all three different timelines/POV’s interesting and I love anything with a witchy vibe so I really enjoyed it.

 

[Katykatykaty]

I finished 5 books in April Project Hail Mary was a stand out for sure!

Has anyone read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes? The film trailer has piqued my interest as I loved the original trilogy when I was younger but I was totally out of the loop when she released the book

I thoroughly enjoyed Project Hail Mary too. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where I’ve been that much behind a character and just wanted everything to go right for them. I felt like I knew him (and Rocky) by the end!

And I did a reread of Songbirds and Snakes this month via audiobook after reading the ebook of it last year. I loved it! As other posters have said it is different to the others but is also isn’t in ways. It does follow the story of a Hunger Games but you see so much more before and afterwards that the games themselves are such a tiny part. Plus the Games take place 50 years before Katniss’ so they’re very different. I’m so excited for the film to come out as it looks great from what we’ve seen so far.

 

[mindlessness]

Looks like all of Barbara Kingsolver's books are on sale for kindle. Is anyone here a fan? I've had The Poisonwood Bible in hardcover for ages but not read

Amazon First Reads

Picked up the Light on Farallon Island. I've always found lighthouses sort of fascinating (and also enjoy historical fiction). Golden Hills and The Silent Bride also looked good, it was hard to choose!