Books #27

[LaBlonde]

We have a saying in Spanish that every head is a world, so I know, I know it's okay for others not to like the things I love but I adore Book Lovers so much I hope it gets better for you. It's not just my favorite EmHen but it's my favorite contemporary romance, so it's very sad to hear it's not doing it for you! I feel like chastising the book. Do better, Book Lovers!

@Caffeine Fiend I will try not to cry about you not remembering Charlie Lastra or thinking he and Nora are wankery fuckwits. It's fine. I'm fine (kidding. mostly).

every head is a world is such a beautiful way to express that also, you said everything i might have said about book lovers. it’s not my favourite emhen but i did really like it. not the sister though, she was the worst

 

[KerGlr5]

One of my workmates bullied me in to taking home her copy of ACOTAR last week and keeps asking if I’ve started it yet. I’m really not a fantasy/romance type of girl but going to give it a go due to the rave reviews here!

Please let me know what you think as it’s not my type of book either but all the rave reviews are drawing me in!

 

[cherrymoon]

another hufflepuff

didn’t read the books until my late teens after my little brother collected them all but I’ve reread them all at least twice (azkaban probably about five times )

just followed the penguin instagram and added at least 25 books to my wish list

 

[BWGossip]

I think the term is meant as a diss

It's a bit condescending (though I think it's probably more of about social class snobism than misogyny) but at the end of the day it brings a lot of money to authors/the publishing industry. Given that less and less people read, any popular book should be counted as a win, no matter what their genre! (while still encouraging people to read 'meatier' books too - - edit: not a diss at K. Hannah, as I haven't read her books, can't judge how substantial they are).

On a complete differente note: I 'read' The boy, the mole, the fox, the horse today to a friend's kid. Worse. Children. Book. Ever. It felt like an ersatz of The Little Prince if it was written by Paolo Coelho... Am I missing something? I read so many people fawn over this book but I don't get the hype.

 

[SaintLeo]

And mine - but the the 7th book
It was the weekend I graduated, I remember getting in from drinks at 11.30ish then heading off to Tesco.. unsurprisingly I didn’t read any of it until the next morning.

I did a very similar thing with the last HP book too. Went to Tesco at about 3am on the way home from a club, picked up a frozen pizza, some beers and the Deathly Hallows! Definitely didn’t read any of it til the next day!

 

[LaBlonde]

The Works is a very different book offering to an independent, so should still be okay.

And if the current selection The Works has available is anything to go by, I really wouldn't worry. Because The Works has nothing good at the moment. Just more Tessa Bailey shite and the like.

yeah the works is TERRIBLE right now. mine is exclusively tessa bailey and books that look vaguely like tessa bailey

 

[SaintLeo]

I read this article about 99p deals a while ago. I have stopped buying books, but would definitely stop 99p purchases. The speed read and return bit really pisses me off.

)

Thanks for sharing, really interesting. I have always been the queen of the 99p Kindle books and I do think it shifted my mindset about what I’m willing to pay, to the point where there are books I’d really like to read on my wishlist but haven’t bought yet because I’ve been hoping they’d end up on a deal at some point.

Im trying to shift that mentality a bit this year (being honest, partly because Kindle deals are repetitive and there are fewer of my Wishlist books cropping up each month!). Instead of buying a load of 99p deals because they’re cheap I’m buying a book I really want to read for a higher price. Less books sitting unread and probably no more money spent. The amount authors get from a 99p deal has always been a niggle in the back of my mind too so another reason to buy at a higher price, although the fact that 99p deals tend to be short term offers I’ve always assumed they were a strategic marketing ploy/loss leader type thing.

I have no issue with books being cheap in general, I think it’s easy for those of us who are addicted book buyers and readers to have the view that lower prices devalues, but for occasional readers or those who can easily access books, if cheaper prices encourage them to read more than I’m all for it.

 

[baxter2021]

Finally finished my second book of March, The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. It was mammoth, 650 pages. Was slow to get going but I raced through the second half and it was fantastic.

 

[LittlePea]

I’ve been sent over here by the lit luvvie thread. I am desperate for some recommendations. Books I’ve loved in recent years are -

Fiction
demon copperhead
The paper palace
Conversations with friends
Pineapple street
Where the crawdads sing
The four winds
Most of Curtis Sittenfeld output
Green dot
Yellow face
The great alone

nonfiction
- Reach for the stars - LOVED this book.

-behind the beautiful forevers- Katherine boo
- Nothing to envy
- most of John Krakauer’s books

I seem to be favouring contemporary domestic fiction but do not like anything murdery or with any kind of child suffering.
Demon Copperhead was a bit of an exception as he was such a resilient character.

I know Colleen H is v popular but she’s not for me. I don’t mind an occasional Marion Keyes but not really what I am looking for either.

ive tried to distil what I loved about paper palace and crawdads and I think it’s the evocative settings.

With Demon it was the character of DC. Just loved him so much.

Pineapple street it was a combination plus my personal nightmare of being dropped into a rich family.

I will keep browsing this thread but if anyone knows something that sounds right up my street I am all ears.
I have Tom lake, the new kiley Reid and the new Naomi Klein on order.

if you liked Where the Crawdads Sing and Paper Palace, I would really recommend Shelley Read’s Go As a River!

——————-
On a separate note, some recommendations from me:

Two books I’ve read recently and LOVED were Warm Hands of Ghosts and The List of Suspicious Things.

For fans of Normal People, you should Read Talking at Night.

Probably a bit behind, but Yellowface is also excellent!

 

[Honeystar]

I think part of the reason why I enjoyed Fourth Wing/Iron Flame so much was because my TikTok FYP was full of people talking about it/coming up with theories for the next book and it reminded me of the Harry Potter years when we were counting down to the next book and trying to figure out what would happen....it's almost hard to remember that there was ever a time when all of the books weren't out yet

 

[OhDearFords]

I finished A Court of Thorns and Roses today, it was ok. I was hoping for a bit more smut (haha) but the story was engaging enough. Not sure that genre is totally my bag though... but good to try new things! I listened to the audiobook and found the narrator's voice a bit jarring and annoying so perhaps that coloured my enjoyment slightly. She sounded like some kind of AI/digitally-generated audio, it felt stilted at times. And some pronunciation annoyed me - she said 'shone' like 'shown'. Perhaps I'm just frustrated there wasn't more Tamlin/Feyre action!

 

[StephenTJackson]

Had a tough reading month in March. Purely because I decided to read Doctor Zhivago.

And what a bag of utter bollocks it is.

I didn't like the structure. I didn't like how the author referred to characters by three names interchangeably. I didn't like that nothing really happened. I didn't like that over years and years in the middle of war and conflict people can travel across a country like Russia and still meet people they knew from years ago so effortlessly or meet people who are friends or friends etc. too convenient and unrealistic.

It had great themes of romance and loneliness and was questioning authority etc. But it just wasn't enjoyable to read at all.

 

[ordinaryjelly]

But I feel like you really deserve it Carapop cos you're wonderful.

Enjoy and report back on your thoughts!

She is indeed wonderful. But she won't be able to report back as the second she finishes the last page her mind will wipe and she will forget the entire book. You are out of luck with this one.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I just got the new Coco Mellors book on netgalley and I’m so excited! I know Cleopatra & Frankenstein had a mixed reception on here but I loved it.

Jealous. Cleo and Frank was one of v few 5 stars for me last year. I applied but didnt get it. Ive pre ordered it now.

 

[Chocolategoggler]

Audio books are so good you know. There was me this morning, arrived far too early for an appointment, sat twiddling my thumbs in the car, until I realised I might be able to listen to my audio book.
Spent the next hour with Penelope Keith reading me a story.
Don't know what the other people parked were thinking if they could hear.
Wish I'd known about this for all those times I've been sat outside in the car waiting for someone.

 

[Tofino]

After posting the other day about struggling with audiobooks I’m pleased to say I’m now hooked on None of this is true. I’ve done more walking and cleaning the last few days than I ever usually do

Any other recommendations for well narrated audiobooks? Any of the other Lisa Jewell ones good?

 

[Chocolategoggler]

Tried to force my 20 new books in my bookcase today. Managed to get 11 in and got rid of 3 books that "I can live without".
Am itching to buy another bookcase but can hear my friend's voice in my head "they have to earn their place"! No more bookcases!
She is really good and only has one bookcase despite being a bookaholic. She could be lying to me though, and have boxes of books hidden.
Trouble is I can't remember the story in some of the books and I think I've found another 2 books that are brand new in amongst them.
My coffee table is starting to look like the book table in the bookshop!
I really need to be firm with myself and start reading my bookcase to thin it out.
I can see you as I've said this before. 🥱

 

[StephenTJackson]

omg SAME. i’m not gonna tell you all the amount of draco fanfiction i read and wrote back in the day (hp fanfic was and is on another level quality wise though)

Some of the HP fanfic that exists in the world is insane. The standard is unbelievable.

There is also a lot of unhinged HP fanfic, both in terms of pairings and actual stories.

 

[nbt]

My ACOMAF life in stats:

20 hours remaining
11 days left on my library hold
10 days left of the Easter holidays



I almost returned it to borrow at a later date but I didn’t want to wait another few months. It’s actually making me want to do the ironing today so I can plug in my AirPods and get a couple of hours in

ETA - have any Schitts Creek fans listened to this series on audio and likened the narrator to Moira? At times I can’t unhear it

 

[strawb]

ahh i'm about 30% into acomaf and i want rhys to pick me up and carry me around with his little bat wings