Books #17 Reading Chats!

[Marylou]

My favourite book to movie adaption is The Help. I adored the book and found the movie reflected it quite well. I didn't enjoy Room as a movie but I was gripped by the book.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

- A book with a person on the cover - Becoming by Michelle Obama

- A book with a colour in the title - Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

- A book with enemies to lovers - Twisted Hate by Ana Huang

- A book with four words in the title - Girls With Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier

- A book with one word in the title - Vladimir by Julia May Jones

- A book you haven’t read yet - A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman.

- A recent five star read - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 

[nbt]

This is sitting on my shelf waiting to be read! Glad to hear you’re enjoying it, I really loved The Appeal’s format so hoping this will be a similar hit for me!

I’ve still got The Appeal to read and it’s my A choice so I might go straight onto that after

 

[capriallie]

A book with a person on the cover - Next Year in Havana

- A book with a colour in the title - Tigers in Red Weather

- A book with enemies to lovers - Normal People

- A book with four words in the title - Crying in H Mart

- A book with one word in the title - Betty

- A book you haven’t read yet - Skin of the Sea

- A recent five star read - Boy Parts

 

[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.

 

[ToolaRoola]

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!

This would mean no buying books for about 3 years!!

Absolutely no way I'd have such FOMO on the 1st of every month knowing the Kindle deals are out.

 

[Elle]

My kids are not babies or toddlers so it does help. To those with young kids you will find more time to read.

Really appreciate this. My toddler cannot comprehend the meaning of 'Can you be quiet for 10 minutes so mummy can read for a little bit'. How and why do they have so much energy????? And why are they so LOUD! And needy! Just chill, babe.

Sorry, went a bit off topic there but also relevant because my toddler is messing up my Goodreads stats.

 

[cherrymoon]

I’ve just started reading Blood Orange…why have I waited so long?! (Got the hardback from a bring and borrow in work) I’m hooked!

 

[Libbylulu]

Oh yea I definitely struggle with my mental health - been a lifelong battle. I don’t think I’ve dipped far enough for me to think anything major is going on but just in a proper funk. Probably a good place to try and change things up a bit, like get outside and eat a bit better to see if that all perks me up and gets me back on track. I also think I need to delete TikTok - it’s the only social media I’m on and I’ve fallen too far into its grip this last few weeks.

I use reading to measure my mental health. There was a time when I couldn’t absorb the simplest sentence due to foggy and muddled brain. If I feel nothing is pulling me in I look at where I am with everything else and try addressing things before I fall down a hole. When I feel a bit clearer I start back with easy, feel good books - The People on Platform 5, The Lovestory of Missy Carmichael etc. I hope you feel better soon xxx

 

[capriallie]

Here to let you all know that there's a Kindle Sale starting at midnight, all it says is 2022 releases.

Besties prepare yourselves!!!

 

[Katykatykaty]

I use reading to measure my mental health. There was a time when I couldn’t absorb the simplest sentence due to foggy and muddled brain. If I feel nothing is pulling me in I look at where I am with everything else and try addressing things before I fall down a hole. When I feel a bit clearer I start back with easy, feel good books - The People on Platform 5, The Lovestory of Missy Carmichael etc. I hope you feel better soon xxx

That’s such an insightful thought process - thank you for that! Shall definitely keep that in mind going forward.

Last night I actually managed to read a good chunk of Daisy Darker and was enjoying it!! I only stopped because I needed sleep. I ended up sleeping for over 12 hours so clearly l needed the rest.

 

[Carapop]

I struggle to rate audiobooks as really I just want some company on my walks! Writers and Lovers was a reread (I remembered it after a few pages!). No 5* stand outs from the month. Rather disappointing.

 

[SwizzleMalarkey]

Might have found my book of the year,
In Memorium by Alice Winn. I finished it a few days ago and can’t stop thinking about it. So brutal but tender, from first love and schoolboy crushes to the absolute annihilation of a generation of young men in the First World War. I thought it would make me sob but it was more of a steady drip of devastation Really recommend!

 

[Tit4Tattle]

Happy Bank Holiday you lovely lot,….gorgeous weather too spent the afternoon in the garden attempting to read cloud cuckoo land whilst the kids played

 

[nbt]

I’ve finally got through two books this month

So I’ve started Alperton Angels after recommendations here. Read 20% in bed this morning and enjoying it and the format. Going to read some more now

 

[Marylou]

edit: as an update, enjoying tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow; it’s a genre of american lit-fic that i usually like (it’s very michael chabon!) it does occasionally applaud itself for its own cleverness but i’ll allow it.

@LaBlonde that is an excellent description of Tomorrow x 3. I'm almost certain that I mentioned the author's love of the thesaurus when we read it for the Book Club.

 

[ordinaryjelly]

I am in a slump. I am reading a book by an author I like but am only managing to read 10 or so pages at a time before I am day dreaming or nodded off. Usually I'd have finished this book in two sittings, it is only 330 ish pages and the storyline is decent.

Ho hum.

 

[smellsofbiscuits]

On the reading chat - I do notice that my reading time slides if I'm going through a patchy mental health period. One of the questions I usually ask myself during those times is when did I last pick up a book? If it has been more than a couple of days then I try to head to bed early with my book or Kindle.

I realise that this might be quite a simplistic way of looking at mental health and hope I've not offended anyone by it.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I have got the Audible for 99p for 3 months email.

But those who listen to audio books how do you do it? Haha what a stupid question, but it is me so what do you expect. Do you sit and listen in the same way you would a tv show, is it on in the back ground while you do housework/colouring in/whatever takes your fancy, while you commute, while you want to ignore husbands/wives/children? The times I read a physical book are when I sit quietly and turn pages. If I was listening what would I do with my hands?

I have never really got along with audio books but keep wanting to try again.

Have I asked enough stupid questions yet? The storygraph shenanigans still lives on in my head.

So according to my storygraph 37% of my books this year have been audio books.

My tips

- Start off with non fiction, its all I could feasibly listen to initially and take in

- listen to the little sample initially to see if you gel with the narrator. If you find a narrator you love you can then search for them. I really like Julie Whelan.

- I listen when I am doing house work and chores, ironing. It needs to be something physical that takes nothing mental from me. I also listen when Im running (although Im an unfit slob atm so not doing much of that) when I walk the dogs or the school run before collecting or after dropping. Also when Im cooking

- I will also listen when doing things like drawing or colouring. I find it v relaxing

Happy listening! I cant just sit and listen to an audiobook, if Ive got my audiobook going, Im doing something. It means I can read much more.

Are you still in hospital? I cant imagine Id listen much in that scenario.

 

[ToolaRoola]

I had to DNF Bunny today. I got to 37% and was lost, confused, and wasn't enjoying it.

I can't waste time on books that aren't enjoyable especially when I have 80% of A Little Life to get through.