Books #24 Reading Chats

[Albrouze]

sending you lots and lots of love xx (it is a beautiful book for when you feel ready to read it)

i use “destroy” in both a positive and negative way i might post my greatest selections here when we do our 2023 round-ups.

i really liked hidden valley road: again such a tragic book and i came away just so so sad and frustrated for those children, but fascinating to read.

Thank you I just downloaded it from the library, even though I bought two books yesterday and have a physical book out from the library too

I listened recently too because it was mentioned on here. Fascinating isn’t it! Now looking for my next audible read, recommendations welcome.

I'm interested in any recommendations too. I just noticed that audiobooks are available on Spotify now where I live and I have a new dog who needs lots of exercise. I'm going to have to up my audiobook game.

I’m just over halfway through The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and honestly I’m so bored.. what’s everyone’s thoughts on it?

I read it a few years ago. I think it was pretty hyped up at the time. So it fell a little flat for me because of that, but I still liked it. I can see how it would be boring to some though.

Ohh, this is right up my street - I work with people on end of life pathways a lot of the time.

This is tangentially related but the Eulogy from a Physicist was recently brought to my attention, another beautifully devastating piece of writing about loss.

Thank you for this! That was beautiful. 'Not a bit of you is gone; you’re just less orderly'

 

[vanilla cupcakes]

I've just finished it too, I really enjoyed it.

Spoiler: Spoiler about the storyline

I had no idea it was based on Ted Bundy and thought it was really clever to have the 2 timelines, one based on fiction and one based on a real life victim

Neither did I until I googled it! I like how it was based on that but not too obvious that it took over the book, although I did laugh when it mentioned that there was another film about him coming out, this time played by Zac Efron

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

My favourite genre is a good mystery/murder mystery but does anyone else find that if they don't figure out who it was they are frustrated at themselves for not picking up the clues and if they do figure it out they're frustrated that it wasn't a shock twist? Perhaps I need a different genre...

I defintely get frustrated if I was waaaaaay off. This along with crime and thrillers are my fave
---
Btw those who are on Netgalley and have reviewed Jane Corry before, look out for an early access email for her new book.
They know I’m a fan so I’ve just received ARC of I died on a Tuesday

 

[ordinaryjelly]

Talking of the Waterstones points deal, what books do we all have on our Christmas wish lists?

 

[Boredofinstahuns]

Sorry, but I didn’t enjoy it. But then, I’m not a massive fantasy fan. It went on too long and was a bit boring imo.

Thank you, I appreciate your thoughts as I don't want to waste time on it as it isn't my usual choice.

 

[twilightgarden]

Has anybody downloaded the free Reading Journal from Netgalley? It looks really interesting

Yes I have but haven’t looked at it yet. Question is will it help me to stop requesting so many NetGalley books?

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Okay so I tried a merry little meet cute, got 20% in… nope looked at the GR reviews and they’re 2/3 stars, why am I picking duff reads

Oh no this is my next pick! Ive got the sequel too.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Do you buy books as gifts for people? I’ve seen one I’m sure my friend would enjoy but wondering what the chances are she has read it! She doesn’t have Goodreads so I can’t check her history which is a bloody pain in the backside

Can you return books with Amazon? Or get a gift receipt with Waterstones? I don’t know whether retailers accept book returns/exchanges given there is a chance someone could have had a sneaky read if they don’t bend the spine.

If you send direct from amazon as a gift the recipient can exchange.

 

[Chocolategoggler]

Anyone read this if it's so good?

"From an exciting new voice in WWII historical fiction comes a tale of love, loss and a betrayal that echoes through generations…

Paris, 1940: War is closing in on the city of love. With his wife forced into hiding, Jacques must stand by and watch as the Nazis take away everything he holds dear. Everything except his last beacon of hope: his beloved bookshop, La Page Cachée.

But when a young woman and her child knock on his door one night and beg for refuge, he knows his only option is to risk it all once more to save a life…

Modern day: Juliette and her husband have finally made it to France on the romantic getaway of her dreams - but as the days pass, all she discovers is quite how far they've grown apart. She's craving a new adventure, so when she happens across a tiny, abandoned shop with a for-sale sign in the window, it feels fated.

And she's about to learn that the forgotten bookshop hides a lot more than meets the eye…

A heartbreaking tale of love and loss in war, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Jennifer Chiaverini.

Readers love The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris:

'Oh my!!! This is one of those books you just can't put down or stop thinking about. A must read.' NetGalley reviewer,

'One of my favourite reads of the year. The two timelines are seamlessly [woven] together… I loved it!' NetGalley reviewer,

'A truly wonderful read that you will not want to put down!' NetGalley reviewer,

'This book had me mesmerised from beginning to end. Highly recommended.' NetGalley reviewer,

'A heck of a good story filled with hope, and heartbreaking at the same time. Brilliantly written!' NetGalley reviewer,

'Such a stunning read! Five stars.' NetGalley reviewer,

'A truly riveting read. If you love historical fiction, this one ticks all the boxes. Five out of five!' NetGalley reviewer,


From an exciting new voice in WWII historical fiction comes a tale of love, loss and a betrayal that echoes through generations…



Reviews
Praise for Daisy Wood:

'A ticking time-bomb of intrigue, wrapped around stark but rich descriptions of the Blitz. An unforgettable wartime debut.' Mandy Robotham, internationally bestselling author of The Berlin Girl

'I couldn't put it down. My favourite kind of historical fiction.' Reviewer

'Wonderful.' Reviewer

'Brilliantly captures the essence of 1940s England. Highly recommended!' Reviewer

Set between WWII and today, and America and England, I totally loved this outstandingly amazing book. Five stars!' Reviewer

'Daisy Wood skillfully navigates between two timelines, and her descriptions of the war are really masterful.' Reviewer

'The perfect blend of historical fiction and espionage.' Reviewer

'Beautifully written… I highly recommend this treasure!' Reviewer


From an exciting new voice in WWII historical fiction comes a tale of love, loss and a betrayal that echoes through generations…"

 

[mindlessness]

I’m reading Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, which is set in an elite boarding school in New England.

Crying out to be adapted for TV!

I read and loved it when it first came out and was a teenager myself! I should reread.

 

[twilightgarden]

For anyone like me who hasn’t read this yet, Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These is a 99p Kindle offer today. Seen so many people leaving about ti on these threads so looking forward to finally getting to it. Added bonus of being a very short one for anyone trying to hit a target before the end of the year!

Thanks for this! I’ve never read any of her books but they’ve been recommended a few times.

 

[PiesAndLattes]

"Then she was gone" was one of my favourite Lisa Jewell books. She is one of my favourite authors.

I really enjoyed it! Couldn’t put it down (figuratively seeing as it was an audiobook haha).

 

[ordinaryjelly]

Penance by Eliza Clark is £1.49 today!
---


I havent but it sounds good . Im hoping youve read it and can recommend it.

I have and I do recommend it. Just wanted to talk about it!

 

[mindlessness]

Do you buy books as gifts for people? I’ve seen one I’m sure my friend would enjoy but wondering what the chances are she has read it! She doesn’t have Goodreads so I can’t check her history which is a bloody pain in the backside

Can you return books with Amazon? Or get a gift receipt with Waterstones? I don’t know whether retailers accept book returns/exchanges given there is a chance someone could have had a sneaky read if they don’t bend the spine.

I do! Just with a gift receipt so people can return for a different book if they've read it. This is often the case with my Dad but I repeatedly give him a book anyway!

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I've had a great year of reading! I read 32 last year and this year I've read 79/52 goal, and currently on my 80th! Good round number to finish the year on!
---
OMG OMG OMG, I pre ordered the Waterstones special edition of Ruthless Vows and just got an email to say it's been shipped and will be here tomorrow even though it's release date is the 26/12! Merry Christmas to me lol

I see the first book of this is on a 99p deal. Is it good?

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Julia Whelan is my favourite narrator for fiction books. I think thats her name.

 

[twilightgarden]

I got Three Dahlias and Intercepts from my wish list. I haven’t looked at the rest of the deals yet as I’m meant to be saving money.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I reeeeallly want to read Penance but I’ve picked up a vile cold and all I can do is lie and watch tv 🫠

Re Emily Henry… I’ve not read any of her books, I’m not normally a romance girly. Are they more .. contemporary or are they very cutesy? I’d like to give them a try but I’m just not sure.

For reference i read The Flat Share and that’s too cutesy for me, is it that kind of vibe or more TJR type of fiction where it’s a good story with romance in there?

More contemporary imo but Ive only read 2.

 

[Carapop]

So Kiley Reid’s new book was entirely meh.

now I start Emily Austin’s.

I far preferred Austin’s “Everyone in this Room will Someday be Dead” to Reid’s “Such a Fun Age” so my expectations are higher going into this !

 

[daisynoon]

Yes so I have decided to do this to make me more mindful of what I have...

I havent had a first reads in at least a year. These are old tbf. However I think I can get rid of them now as I'm not going to read them.

I think I may highlight all of the books on my list now that I think can be culled and if by the later ends of next year I havent even considered them I'll delete.

Also Im ND so I probably wont do this as I will lose interest

I do mine in an unpublished list on listchallenges, which works for me!

Also with illumicrate, if you want to see what the upcoming books are, https://instagram.com/theautumnbookreads always has spoilers so you can see if you want to skip a month! (This account seems to cover all the book boxes, no idea how they do it!)