Books! #2 What are you reading, recommendations & reviews

[slugella]

Ok so this is a hard question but if you had to choose a favourite book to recommend what would it be?

If you find it too difficult to choose you can have up to 3. Saying this as I don't think I will be able to choose just one

 

[Gamu]

Have any of you got kindle unlimited? There’s a few books I like that are on it but I’m not sure it’s worth the £7.99 a month....not when I have about 200 unread ones on my kindle already that just keep getting added to

I cancelled mine. I found the books included too hit and miss, normally miss. My tip, like someone has said is Prime cos great benefits, but I also have a big wish list and 1st of the month loads go down to 99p/1.99 And they are from publishers like Penguin Some of the ones I have bought have gone back to up to full price. Recent example The Silver Collar by Antonia Hodgson. She has written a great series of historical crime fiction with same protagonist. I love them.. I 100% recommend, really brilliant.

 

[prinnygrace]

@Oohthedrama im 63% of the way through Johnny Be Good and I’m loooving it. Definitely something I’d have loved to read when I was about 16 and a bit of a fangirl such an easy book to read but I’m really enjoying it! Will definitely read the rest of the series

 

[Sarah1971]

@Sarah1971 really enjoying the first Jessica Daniel book - thank you!

I’m really glad you enjoyed it. Someone else mentioned Rachel Abbot. If you’ve not read any then those are a good read too.

 

[Warpaint]

Totally get your point, I actually dislike Lee as an author and maybe it’s different for me pbecause I studied it for so long it holds a place in my heart my comment about wokeness relates more to the fact everything that’s deemed priblamatic seems to be on the chopping block lately it’s still an excellent book.

Yeah that's fair enough lol. I'm like that with Animal Farm and Of Mice And Men. Studied them to death but still can't help liking them (especially Animal Farm)

I did see some comments about the White Saviour themes of Mockingbird, it's a shame things can't be appreciated for what they were at the time and the times they were written in.

 

[Bgr101]

i really loved this book!

Right i dont know what happened but i could NOT finish The other passenger by louise candlish for the life of me, it felt so slow and all the characters were completely unlikeable. i am only less than 100 pages from the end but i've put it back in my book cupboard and i really have no desire to know what happens

i've now started one by one by ruth ware, really enjoying it so far!

The other passenger was mega slow, it did get better towards the end but the first 3/4 of the book was dull.

 

[Booklover]

The Most Fun We Ever Had is 99p today (kindle). Been on my ‘to read’ list for a while

It's a long read and I really enjoyed this.

 

[Gamu]

Oh oh oh.... have you read the mothers?



I always wanted to be a librarian as a kid, I uses to play either travel agent or librarian

Yes! loved The Mothers. Last week I read The Perfect Father by Charlotte Duckworth that was fab. I love Tammy Cohen books too.
I like police procedural boos sara ward does good ones and also Gytha Lodge

 

[Tit4Tattle]

I’m torn between the watcher girl and the next wife

 

[jarv]

I'm still on the flight attendant it's been over 2 weeks now it's not even a difficult book I just cba not sure I'd recommend it but I may have been spoiled from watching the series first. I'm hoping to finish it either today or tomorrow and then make a start on last one at the party, which hopefully I will speed through much more quickly!

 

[Tit4Tattle]

Finished Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes. Probably one of the best books I’ve read in quite a long time. Absolutely loved it and I loved all the characters which was unusual the ending was great too

Get a life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert is next. Trying to get through the last few bits I have on my kindle which I’ve never read gotten through 3 books in the last 2 weeks though so I’m on a roll at the minute. I go through phases where I don’t stop reading or i won’t read for months. Making the most of this whilst it lasts

I really enjoyed get a life Chloe brown....she’s written 2 others as a series but I’ve not read them yet x

 

[smellsofbiscuits]

I’ve just finished my first Mark Edwards (The House Guest) thanks to the recommendations here and I really enjoyed it. A writer I’d never heard of and one I‘ll definitely be revisiting - thanks gang!

I’ve also read Breaking Out by Janice Nix - a story of an ex-convict intertwined with her current life as a probation officer. Very illuminating and I thought it was well written mostly although sometimes the structure was chaotic.

Looking for some light relief chick lit now - any recommendations? Thanks all!

I'm in the middle of Grown Ups by Marian Keyes and really enjoying it. All about a family United by three brothers and their respective wives and (step)children. Had to stifle quite a few giggles to avoid waking the baby.

Also got a book by Sara Manning called Rescue Me on the go too. It's about a couple that share a rescue dog. Only a couple of chapters in but has also made me laugh a lot. Maybe because I'm guilty of spending far too much money on my own rescue dog and cater to her every whim

 

[Oohthedrama]

love reading, it's the best gift my mother ever gave me when she bought me an Enid Blyton book as a child which started my passion.

same!!

Just finished reading dani Atkins a million dreams and I’m really disappointed with the ending

Oh noooo! I really enjoyed that book!! I also really like her as an author.

 

[Marylou]

Has anyone read anything recently with a decent twist that actually SHOCKED them (and not in a so-shockingly-bad way)

I've been reading a lot of thrillers/page turners recently, which maybe is the problem as I'm getting good at spotting twists, but I'm just finding that nothing is landing for me and I end up bored. I read 'One by One' as a murder mystery and guessed whodunit by about page 8. I read 'Playing Nice' and was waiting for a shocking twist and nothing surprising or interesting happened, same with 'The Widow'. 'Blood Orange' was twisty but again, I found it a bit predictable. The last book I remember being truly surprised by was 'The Silent Patient'.

Verity by Colleen Hoover blew me away. The Chalet by Catherine Cooper is also really good with a nice twist at the end.

 

[Geranium]

I’m really glad you enjoyed it. Someone else mentioned Rachel Abbot. If you’ve not read any then those are a good read too.

I’m a big Rachel Abbot fan, I think I’ve read them all

 

[Bubblesandflowers]

Spoiler: Thoughts about the ending of Skin

I felt the ending was a bit of a cop out and a bit underwhelming. I didn’t like that the son was the whole key to the ending because I’d hated him all the way through. I wanted to know if the virus was still there, how/if they came out of quarantine etc - perhaps because those questions are so pertinent to our lives right now.

Spoiler: Ending for Skin by Liam Brown

I agree!!!! It didn't satisfy any of the questions about the virus, why was she not infected, why would Charlie hack and reveal those things? I didn't think it was satisfying at all. Very disappointing because it was good until the husband tried to VR rape her and it turns out her son is a psycho. Also being pregnant Seemed so easy to predict once I realised she had sex. It became the expectation that was who she was talking to. But it was an enjoyable read and I'm glad it was 99p.

Liam Brown's other book Broadcast looks good. I think I need a break from dystopian for a little bit as my last 3 books in the last week have been the same genre. I AM STILL THINKING ABOUT THE LAST ONE AT THE PARTY

I was thinking earlier on because my husband upset me by turning on the TV whilst I was reading - I would love to know how you all read.

For example I like it to be quiet or have complete silence and I prefer reading whilst laying on my bed. In normal world I would sometimes on the bus in the morning when it was quieter and less busy but never coming home as it was too noisy. I would sometimes read in the kitchen at work but I'd have white noise on my earphones to drain out the noise of others.

 

[Oohthedrama]

I’m halfway through All The Lonely People by Mike Gayle. I’m enjoying it but not a favourite. I’ll probably forget about it pretty soon after finishing. I absolutely love the main character Hubert though something about old grandads, he’s so cute

I saw so many rave reviews but I didn’t love it or hate it It was average.

I still haven’t started another book I need to find something, I’m just in a book bla rut, I know it’s my mood more than anything else, even choosing a book is too much

 

[silkytoes]

I'm on Goodreads. I recently started using Storygraph too which is better for more detailed reviews and more specific recommendations but it hasn't got the same social aspects to it so I've not completely made the switch.

I finished The Choice by Claire Wade last night. 3.5/5 - It was good with a few twists I wasn't expecting. It made me want to eat cake and brownies which are banned in the world haha. Sugar is banned, exercise classes are mandatory and people snitch on each other. I found it very easy to follow the story and follows the classic dystopian plot line.

I started reading this last night after our dystopia conversation the other day. I'm already about a third of the way through. It's decent so far.

 

[howaboutnot]

Tirzah Price, I've seen it advertised on Instagram adverts. It's a retelling where Elizabeth wants to be a lawyer like her father. I think it is technically in the YA category.

Thank you! It sounds good so I've added it to my endless TBR list.

Not strictly just a bookish question but what’s everyone’s favourite book to movie / tv adaptation? Which ones have they done best in your opinion? And what books would make good tv and films that you hope they adapt at some point?

It's not the most faithful adaptation, but I loved the 2014 version of North and South (possibly because of Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe playing the leads).

Apart from that, The Pillars of the Earth was an excellent adaptation, and both of the Peter Wimsey adaptations are everything I wanted them to be.

I yearn for a Bryant and May TV series adaptation because there is so much potential there for different directors to step in for different book adaptations.

 

[Geranium]

Aaah I was hoping you’d come on this thread and let us know which book it was. Was gonna ask you on the other thread

It’s 99p so I’m downloading and that can be my new read! I’m intrigued.

I'm reading it too ---intense!