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

[Jelly Bean]

Sunday discussion,

what storyline has been done to death?

for me
- inherits a crumbling mansion/town house/cottage/farm/hotel in the countryside that comes complete with a handsome angry neighbour and dog.

- woman runs away from recent heartbreak and falls in love with the vicar.

I'm seeing a lot of coercive control storylines. It is a fascinating and horrible topic but becoming a bit predictable.

And as said the fish out water ones - woman after personal tragedy/divorce moves to (usually) village quite often by the sea. Quirky villagers at first sight appear suspicious, but are always won round.

 

[Oohthedrama]

A lot of books lately about student/teacher sex scandals, or students being involved in leaked photos/r*pe accusations by another student.

I saw the new book by Cara Hunter (the whole truth) has a twist on it.
male student, female professor.

temped to give it a go because the reviews on Amazon seem great so far.


When an Oxford student accuses one of the university's professors of sexual assault, DI Adam Fawley's team think they've heard it all before. But they couldn't be more wrong.

Because this time, the predator is a woman and the shining star of the department, and the student a six-foot male rugby player.

Soon DI Fawley and his team are up against the clock to figure out the truth. What they don't realise is that someone is watching.
predator is a woman and the shining star of the department, and the student a six-foot male rugby player.

Soon DI Fawley and his team are up against the clock to figure out the truth. What they don't realise is that someone is watching.

 

[WoahReality]

I finished ‘Later’ by Stephen King a couple of days ago and I’m about to start ‘Shuggie Bain’ by Douglas Stuart

 

[Lisdiz]

I finished ‘Later’ by Stephen King a couple of days ago and I’m about to start ‘Shuggie Bain’ by Douglas Stuart

Ohhhh how was later? I use to love reading Stephen King.

 

[Booklover]

Thank you for the welcome. Will do. After that I have The Authenticity Project lined up. I usually read non-fiction texts so feels good to have some fiction to lose myself in again.

I've read that too and loved it.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I finished ‘Later’ by Stephen King a couple of days ago and I’m about to start ‘Shuggie Bain’ by Douglas Stuart

Shuggie Bain is a good read. I dont even know if I can say I enjoyed it because it doesnt seem the right word. After reading about Douglas Stuart I do wonder how much is lived experience

 

[smellsofbiscuits]

Sunday discussion,

what storyline has been done to death?

for me
- inherits a crumbling mansion/town house/cottage/farm/hotel in the countryside that comes complete with a handsome angry neighbour and dog.

- woman runs away from recent heartbreak and falls in love with the vicar.

There seems to be a flood of "dodgy woman main character meets at a NCT/local baby group" books at the moment. Another theme seems to be how a dog (usually a rescue one) becomes a life changing event and usually involves a romance.

 

[Geranium]

Sunday discussion,

what storyline has been done to death?

for me
- inherits a crumbling mansion/town house/cottage/farm/hotel in the countryside that comes complete with a handsome angry neighbour and dog.

- woman runs away from recent heartbreak and falls in love with the vicar.

Right, woman of a certain age who is still of course slim, attractive and charming. Her adored but usually unpleasant spoilt children have flown the nest. There might be an elderly and quaint mother, but certainly a zany and quirky best friend. Adored husband either dies or more usually dumps her. She’s in the depths of despair when zany friend suddenly says “but Margot, you’re a wonderful cook/artist/interior designer “ and hey presto she starts a hugely successful business. In the course of which she meets incredibly sexy, handsome, rich younger guy who totally falls for her while she’s doing up a quaint and charming cottage to live in after hubby forced sale of the family home. By the end of the book she’s a successful businesswoman with a fab new guy, husband wants to come back if he hadn’t died at the start, but she won’t have him back.

 

[slugella]

I started reading The Rose Code by Kate Quinn that I mentioned a few days earlier and I'm really into it. I've been in such a reading funk, and have about 9 books that I've read a few chapters of and then started something else - not because the books are not good, just struggling to focus. But I've stuck with this one and am hoping to finish it today.

As another poster mentioned, Prince Phillip is a character (not one of the mains) which I'm not sure about as in fiction I would rather the characters all be fictitious, and go to non-fiction if I want to read about a real person. I keep picturing him as Matt Smith in The Crown haha. But I'm still enjoying it.

There seems to be a flood of "dodgy woman main character meets at a NCT/local baby group" books at the moment. Another theme seems to be how a dog (usually a rescue one) becomes a life changing event and usually involves a romance.

Yeah that seems to be becoming a popular storyline, and I do like dogs but not sure I'm fussed about novels about them. Saying this though, I loved The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein which was written from the point of view of the dog - it sounds absolutely ridiculous and I was very skeptical when my friend lent it to me, but I really enjoyed it. There is a film adaptation too but I haven't seen it.

I have read all of Sarra Manning's books, I have a soft spot for her as I loved her YA ones when I was a teenager, so have since read all of her adult ones too. But I'm not sure about whether I will read her latest one, Rescue Me, as it's about a rescue dog bringing a couple together. This makes me sound so heartless haha... I love people that rescue dogs, and would rescue myself, but if that's the main part of the book I'm not sure it's for me..

One thing this thread has made me think is when I recommend a book that I read years ago, it makes me curious as to whether it is actually good and if I re-read it now would I think so highly of it.

 

[silkytoes]

I just finished Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones. I read An American Marriage last year and hadn't really understood the hype and I couldn't get passed my dislike of the characters.

I didn't find that with Silver Sparrow at all, I absolutely loved it.

 

[Booklover]

I just finished Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones. I read An American Marriage last year and hadn't really understood the hype and I couldn't get passed my dislike of the characters.

I didn't find that with Silver Sparrow at all, I absolutely loved it.

I'm currently reading Silver Sparrow and I'm loving it.

 

[WoahReality]

Ohhhh how was later? I use to love reading Stephen King.

Honestly I loved it! I’m a big King fan anyway but it was really good

 

[Marylou]

Sunday discussion,

what storyline has been done to death?

for me
- inherits a crumbling mansion/town house/cottage/farm/hotel in the countryside that comes complete with a handsome angry neighbour and dog.

- woman runs away from recent heartbreak and falls in love with the vicar.

Main character is escaping from a life changing event, goes back to their birth home to recover and discovers a secret buried in letters or other buried somewhere. Similarly someone dies and the main character is clearing out the house only to discover something that will change her life.

I've finished The Push today and found it harrowing. I've been in the midst of grief this week and kept trying to finish the book to escape. It was a brilliant story, gripping and chilling. Bit unsure about the ending though.

 

[Jelly Bean]

Right, woman of a certain age who is still of course slim, attractive and charming. Her adored but usually unpleasant spoilt children have flown the nest. There might be an elderly and quaint mother, but certainly a zany and quirky best friend. Adored husband either dies or more usually dumps her. She’s in the depths of despair when zany friend suddenly says “but Margot, you’re a wonderful cook/artist/interior designer “ and hey presto she starts a hugely successful business. In the course of which she meets incredibly sexy, handsome, rich younger guy who totally falls for her while she’s doing up a quaint and charming cottage to live in after hubby forced sale of the family home. By the end of the book she’s a successful businesswoman with a fab new guy, husband wants to come back if he hadn’t died at the start, but she won’t have him back.

Haha spot on
And yes the bit where she is forced to sell the huge family home and buys a small run down cottage but turns it a cosy and elegant dwelling with candles and a permanently crackling fire.
The other version is that she is attractive, but slightly overweight and frumpy. Through misery and living in the countryside she loses the weight, gets a tan and of course is able to spurn her husband after his affair did not work out.

 

[Oohthedrama]

I move to ban all story lines that involve a vets practice yet another overdone storyline.

we should write a book

 

[Geranium]

Haha spot on
And yes the bit where she is forced to sell the huge family home and buys a small run down cottage but turns it a cosy and elegant dwelling with candles and a permanently crackling fire.
The other version is that she is attractive, but slightly overweight and frumpy. Through misery and living in the countryside she loses the weight, gets a tan and of course is able to spurn her husband after his affair did not work out.

Of course, forgot that bit!

 

[Anonymous_Troll]

I have just finished If I Can’t Have You by Charlotte Levin and loved it! Very dark, a slow burner in parts, but very intense and the writing almost has a haunting quality rather than being an out-and-out thriller if that makes sense! Think it was 99p so well worth a look!

 

[PreciousVenus]

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'.

 

[HoGi]

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'.

Oh no don't say that about playing nice, I'm about 3/4s of the way through and waiting for a twist haha

 

[Gamu]

I have just finished Call Me Mummy by Tina Baker I really enjoyed it. Child abduction and the story told through various narrators. Really well written, chilling and scary in parts.