Books #24 Reading Chats

CommentBelow · Dec 17, 2023

smellsofbiscuits said:
Appreciate this is a bit early but does anyone think Waterstones will do their half price hardback sale this year? Not that I need more books but I'm eyeing up Prophet Song after Mr B said he wasn't getting it for my Christmas

I think so / have a wishlist ready for it!

Worth checking WHSmith though, I’m sure Prophet Song was on a half price end of aisle on Thursday (I was tempted but was already going to Waterstones for double stamps so resisted.. for now).

LydiaDeetzHat · Dec 17, 2023

smellsofbiscuits said:
Appreciate this is a bit early but does anyone think Waterstones will do their half price hardback sale this year? Not that I need more books but I'm eyeing up Prophet Song after Mr B said he wasn't getting it for my Christmas

I'd hang fire... might be a bluff.. idk i expect they will be doing it. It's copied from Barnes & Noble in the US and I imagine it' a good money spinner for them

AllieBee · Dec 17, 2023

nbt said:
Woo, The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett has become available for me on Libby

I finished a Christmas thriller last night and started The Shite Before Christmas, so I’ll read this one after. Doing well with the Christmas reads so far!

I quite liked the Shite Before Christmas would be a 3.8/5 stars for me. I found the language a bit repetitive though. I kept thinking I'm gonna scream if I read the the words ride or boke one more time!

coconochanel · Dec 17, 2023

nbt said:
Woo, The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett has become available for me on Libby

I finished a Christmas thriller last night and started The Shite Before Christmas, so I’ll read this one after. Doing well with the Christmas reads so far!

I've read The Christmas Appeal its a good quick read.

OnlyHereForTheLolz · Dec 17, 2023

Started listening to Born a Crime by Trevor Noah on spotify. I’ve avoided it so far because I’m also South African and of a similar age. It was a very turbulent time but so happy now that I’ve started it.
Very relatable for me and for anybody considering listening to the novel, I would say go for it. Such an easy listen

LaBlonde · Dec 17, 2023

smellsofbiscuits said:
Appreciate this is a bit early but does anyone think Waterstones will do their half price hardback sale this year? Not that I need more books but I'm eyeing up Prophet Song after Mr B said he wasn't getting it for my Christmas

i think they will! though, like said above, check smiths! i was there in the week and it had an offer sticker on it

one of my friends and i did our usual christmas book gift giving yesterday and she has bought me the complete beartown series so can only assume she’s one of you (CF?!

) - can’t wait to read them.

twilightgarden · Dec 17, 2023

@Chocolategoggler I’m sure I heard Graham Norton say on an interview once that he wanted to write fiction but the publishers wouldn’t take him on until he’d written a couple of memoirs first. I love his fiction books so I’m glad he stuck at it.

@nbt Loved The Christmas Appeal! Nice follow on from The Appeal and Christmassy without being twee.

chickhicks86 · Dec 17, 2023

Have any of your teens (or you!) read this? Looking for a last minute stocking filler for a teen boy and this sounds right up his street!

Amazon product

Chocolategoggler · Dec 17, 2023

Did I tell you I'm reeaaaallllyyy enjoying Barbra Streisand's autobiography and I was reduced to shouting at myself in my head at 2am to put the book down and go to sleep!
I've been very strict with myself today - not allowed to touch the book until I've done all my tasks including reading Tattle

Mamacita · Dec 17, 2023

Chocolategoggler said:
Did I tell you I'm reeaaaallllyyy enjoying Barbra Streisand's autobiography and I was reduced to shouting at myself in my head at 2am to put the book down and go to sleep!
I've been very strict with myself today - not allowed to touch the book until I've done all my tasks including reading Tattle

I love how reading tattle is a task

cherrymoon · Dec 17, 2023

I finished my a-z challenge

Caffeine Fiend · Dec 17, 2023

LaBlonde said:
i think they will! though, like said above, check smiths! i was there in the week and it had an offer sticker on it

one of my friends and i did our usual christmas book gift giving yesterday and she has bought me the complete beartown series so can only assume she’s one of you (CF?! ) - can’t wait to read them.

Awww I wish it was me. Im v jealous. Im looking for hardbacks at a reasonable price of BT and UAY to go with my The Winners for my bookshelf.

123lee · Dec 17, 2023

I’ve just finished This Girl by Colleen Hoover. Not my favourite by the author and as it was the same story told by Wills perspective then I kind of felt it was very repetitive.

Now onto Reading Allowed by Chris Paling

JLXRD · Dec 17, 2023

I finished Penance and oh my god, so good!

the depiction of being a kind of weird year 10/11 and just how awful teenage girls are to each other was ridiculously accurate.

I gave it a 5/5, absolutely loved it.

Think I’m going to read Before The Coffee gets cold next.

SaintLeo · Dec 18, 2023

I’m about 30% into Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah and I think it’s going to be the last book of hers I read. For some reason her writing style just doesn’t work for me. I find it really basic and clunky. She doesn’t lead readers to speculate on characters or storylines, she sign posts things in the writing equivalent of big neon signs!! I feel like I’m reading a really bad YA coming of age novel.

I was one of the few (thats what it felt like anyway!) who hated The Four Winds even though the plot should have been right up my street and I’m feeling the exactly the same about this.

Apologies to anyone who’s a fan but I know I can moan in our safe little space here!

tam · Dec 18, 2023

Regarding Kristen Hannah. Has anyone read The Nightingale?
Just finished All the light we cannot see and loved it so much. In the mood for some emotional WW2 fiction apparently

LaBlonde · Dec 18, 2023

SaintLeo said:
I’m about 30% into Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah and I think it’s going to be the last book of hers I read. For some reason her writing style just doesn’t work for me. I find it really basic and clunky. She doesn’t lead readers to speculate on characters or storylines, she sign posts things in the writing equivalent of big neon signs!! I feel like I’m reading a really bad YA coming of age novel.

I was one of the few (thats what it felt like anyway!) who hated The Four Winds even though the plot should have been right up my street and I’m feeling the exactly the same about this.

Apologies to anyone who’s a fan but I know I can moan in our safe little space here!

i didn’t mind the nightingale by her but i really didn’t like the four winds either. she’s definitely a very clunky writer and the fact that whole plot was pointless and her children just went back home anyway so what was any of it even FOR made me mad. she obviously researches well but hasn’t yet fully worked out how to include that research in fiction in a readable way imo.
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tam said:
Regarding Kristen Hannah. Has anyone read The Nightingale?
Just finished All the light we cannot see and loved it so much. In the mood for some emotional WW2 fiction apparently

i love love loved all the light we cannot see 🥲

Mamacita · Dec 18, 2023

SaintLeo said:
I’m about 30% into Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah and I think it’s going to be the last book of hers I read. For some reason her writing style just doesn’t work for me. I find it really basic and clunky. She doesn’t lead readers to speculate on characters or storylines, she sign posts things in the writing equivalent of big neon signs!! I feel like I’m reading a really bad YA coming of age novel.

I was one of the few (thats what it felt like anyway!) who hated The Four Winds even though the plot should have been right up my street and I’m feeling the exactly the same about this.

Apologies to anyone who’s a fan but I know I can moan in our safe little space here!

Interesting, I liked most books I've read by her, though they can get a bit samey. I did like four winds. But as you say, safe space here to discuss. I have firefly on my kindle but haven't got round to that one yet!

tam said:
Regarding Kristen Hannah. Has anyone read The Nightingale?
Just finished All the light we cannot see and loved it so much. In the mood for some emotional WW2 fiction apparently

I really liked the nightingale! I do like WW2 fiction a lot. I wasn't a huge fan of the winter garden by her though.

AllieBee · Dec 18, 2023

Mamacita said:
Interesting, I liked most books I've read by her, though they can get a bit samey. I did like four winds. But as you say, safe space here to discuss. I have firefly on my kindle but haven't got round to that one yet!

I really liked the nightingale! I do like WW2 fiction a lot. I wasn't a huge fan of the winter garden by her though.

It's funny how we are all so different! I really liked the nightingale but I loved winter garden, for me it's the best of her books and I've read quite a lot of them!

Mamacita · Dec 18, 2023

AllieBee said:
It's funny how we are all so different! I really liked the nightingale but I loved winter garden, for me it's the best of her books and I've read quite a lot of them!

I didn't hate it but I've read lots of other books about Leningrad during war so just didn't find it that interesting in comparison