Books #27

[CommentBelow]

Well poo. I have this on my TBR.

Same here!
I read the first 20 pages after being excited to find it in sainbo’s then saw a slightly negative review so thought I’d come back to it.. here’s me parking it for another 3 months

Which reminds me.. I missed a lot of chat on book pricing this week!

I’m similar to @LaBlonde and book pricing for me is definitely in my little treat culture price bracket.. honestly, I love that Foyles reopened at the train station but I’ve missed a couple of trains and bought a few books I haven’t read yet from that shop.. this obviously won’t stop me going in this week.
However, my local Sainsbo’s has stopping selling books and while initially I was disappointed now I think it might be for the best TBR wise!

I saw a post on the ‘over consumption of bookstagram’ the other day and felt a little like someone was trying to make an issue. It’s easy to get caught up over buying (looking at myself) but on whole I think it’s great books are an accessible price point in supermarkets/the Works. I grew up owning books but the default wasn’t to buy a book - I went to the library a lot, would get books out with my own and my mums card lol
I want to join the library again for audiobooks but like someone else said (can’t remember who sorry!) I really like new books and keep them pretty near pristine.

 

[LaBlonde]

Same here!
I read the first 20 pages after being excited to find it in sainbo’s then saw a slightly negative review so thought I’d come back to it.. here’s me parking it for another 3 months

Which reminds me.. I missed a lot of chat on book pricing this week!

I’m similar to @LaBlonde and book pricing for me is definitely in my little treat culture price bracket.. honestly, I love that Foyles reopened at the train station but I’ve missed a couple of trains and bought a few books I haven’t read yet from that shop.. this obviously won’t stop me going in this week.
However, my local Sainsbo’s has stopping selling books and while initially I was disappointed now I think it might be for the best TBR wise!

I saw a post on the ‘over consumption of bookstagram’ the other day and felt a little like someone was trying to make an issue. It’s easy to get caught up over buying (looking at myself) but on whole I think it’s great books are an accessible price point in supermarkets/the Works. I grew up owning books but the default wasn’t to buy a book - I went to the library a lot, would get books out with my own and my mums card lol
I want to join the library again for audiobooks but like someone else said (can’t remember who sorry!) I really like new books and keep them pretty near pristine.

i’m finding it a plot that’s beyond the author’s capabilties sadly. it’s half a young adult romance novel and then half attempting to be a discussion of grief after an imaginable series of losses - and the latter part just isn’t working at all.

completely agree with your entire post re book pricing AND keeping books looking “nice”. like i said here at first, the counter argument is to say that books should cost more and i’m never going to agree with that. they should be accessible and affordable, and i’m grateful that they are. but again my little treat lifestyle plays into that

 

[123lee]

I finished ACOMAF last night and it was so good - definitely my favourite out of the two so far. Now reading The Lottie Project for some childhood memories

 

[Carabelle]

Love Jodi My personal favourites are
My Sisters Keeper
Handle With Care
Change of Heart
Plain Truth

Thank you! I have added all to my list and purchased My Sisters Keeper as it was on a 99p deal!

Love Jodi. I have reread My Sister's Keeper. The film of it is awful.

The Storyteller is probably my all time favourite.

A Spark of Light is worth a mention.

Salem Falls is probably my all time favourite.

As you can see from cill2019 and her recommendations which are different to mine you really cannot go wrong with a Jodi book.

While adding these to my TBR I discovered I purchased A Spark of Light in 2020! Better bump it up a bit

 

[Carapop]

@Caffeine Fiend Acts of Desperationis a stunning read. rather dark and quite bleak. I still think about it. Powerful prose that will resonate with most women I think.

 

[ToolaRoola]

So I need to pick a new book but after reading Weyward (see book club thread) I am desperate to not go straight into a slump.

Has anyone read any of the below? A few caught my eye from my kindle list.

I have most of these too and surpise, suprise, I've not read any of them yet 🫣 I have Open Water in physical copy, it's been sitting on my dining room table for over a year waiting for me to start it.

 

[twilightgarden]

So I need to pick a new book but after reading Weyward (see book club thread) I am desperate to not go straight into a slump.

Has anyone read any of the below? A few caught my eye from my kindle list.

The only one I’ve read is The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder. I enjoyed it but picking your next read is too much responsibility for me

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I have most of these too and surpise, suprise, I've not read any of them yet 🫣 I have Open Water in physical copy, it's been sitting on my dining room table for over a year waiting for me to start it.

Why are we all like this? Its like an illness at this point.
---

The only one I’ve read is The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder. I enjoyed it but picking your next read is too much responsibility for me

Tell me about it!!! Too much responsibility for me too.

 

[nbt]

@Caffeine Fiend I've only read Psychopathics Anonymous of those. It’s the only Will Carver book I’ve enjoyed out of four read. But I enjoyed it so much I gave it 5 stars.

If I were you though, I’d probably narrow it down to 2/3 and then choose the shortest one in case I didn’t enjoy it.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

@Caffeine Fiend I've only read Psychopathics Anonymous of those. It’s the only Will Carver book I’ve enjoyed out of four read. But I enjoyed it so much I gave it 5 stars.

If I were you though, I’d probably narrow it down to 2/3 and then choose the shortest one in case I didn’t enjoy it.

I think Im going to wait until the morning to decide. I dont often like doing that I prefer to get 10-15% under my belt immediately after finishing a book because it hooks me back in. I will have another look at my kindle list too.

 

[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!

 

[Booklover]

after a 5 star read i’m fighting for my life reading this could be everything by eva rice. i remember really liking the loss art of keeping secrets but god i’m finding this dull. and she really really wants you to know that it’s set in the 90s too.

also really not into how the lead character’s grief induced agoraphobia is resolved about 80 pages in by an encounter with a cute boy

Agreed. It's on my to be finished pile. Just a bit bored with it, and the constant references to the era is getting very tiresome.

 

[twilightgarden]

@LittlePea I loved The List of Suspicious Things too

 

[QueenBW]

I'm reading The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza and it's so good!! Just wanted to gush it's been a rough start to the month and I haven't read a single book in 7 days now but this is getting me out of my slump.

 

[cill2019]

Thank you! I have added all to my list and purchased My Sisters Keeper as it was on a 99p deal!



While adding these to my TBR I discovered I purchased A Spark of Light in 2020! Better bump it up a bit

Make sure you have a box of tissues

 

[vanilla cupcakes]

I finished one of the good guys and I have mixed feelings on it. I wouldn’t really call it a thriller, it’s more a social commentary but I like that - a lot of the time in current social commentary thrillers it’s the attempt to be a thriller/the twist that loses me and this is the same. I think it’s an interesting and very current read and it would be a good book to discuss. It’s hard to say much without slight topic spoilers (I’ll put actual spoilers in a full spoiler) but I thought it was such a good depiction of a self proclaimed ‘good guy’ and how harmful this idea can actually be. Every character is flawed, but it works to show how women need to be so many things to be likeable, but all men need to be is a bit nicer than other men. I liked the use of mixed media to show modern opinions and how social media impacts discussions of gender based violence, with the most extreme views being the ones given the most attention. I didn’t like the twist because

Spoiler: twist spoiler

I hate the narrative of women lying, and although it was done here in a different way, it still to me reinforces the same idea and I think that’s dangerous, seriously harmful to women’s credibility and only furthers misogynistic men’s case that women are crazy and too dramatic and too emotional and lie about abuse/gender based violence.

has anyone else read it?

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I finished one of the good guys and I have mixed feelings on it. I wouldn’t really call it a thriller, it’s more a social commentary but I like that - a lot of the time in current social commentary thrillers it’s the attempt to be a thriller/the twist that loses me and this is the same. I think it’s an interesting and very current read and it would be a good book to discuss. It’s hard to say much without slight topic spoilers (I’ll put actual spoilers in a full spoiler) but I thought it was such a good depiction of a self proclaimed ‘good guy’ and how harmful this idea can actually be. Every character is flawed, but it works to show how women need to be so many things to be likeable, but all men need to be is a bit nicer than other men. I liked the use of mixed media to show modern opinions and how social media impacts discussions of gender based violence, with the most extreme views being the ones given the most attention. I didn’t like the twist because

Spoiler: twist spoiler

I hate the narrative of women lying, and although it was done here in a different way, it still to me reinforces the same idea and I think that’s dangerous, seriously harmful to women’s credibility and only furthers misogynistic men’s case that women are crazy and too dramatic and too emotional and lie about abuse/gender based violence.

has anyone else read it?

I havent read it but Ive got it on my TBR. I almost bought it on hardback when it was released as I really thought it sounded great. Will probably still give it a go though!

 

[vanilla cupcakes]

I havent read it but Ive got it on my TBR. I almost bought it on hardback when it was released as I really thought it sounded great. Will probably still give it a go though!

It fell a bit flat for me but I did enjoy a lot about it and I’m still glad I read it. I’d still recommend it despite its flaws - I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on it!

 

[LaBlonde]

Agreed. It's on my to be finished pile. Just a bit bored with it, and the constant references to the era is getting very tiresome.

“just a bit bored with it” is my exact thoughts. i feel like it’s going to get my classic 2.5 star “meh” rating (which i use for books i can’t summon up the energy to have an opinion on ) - it’s so pleased with itself for being set in notting hill in the 90s too.

 

[baxter2021]

Has anyone read my Fathers House by Joseph O’Connor? Finished it yesterday, it was a slow start but moved really quickly in the second half.

I fell down a rabbit hole looking up Hugh O’Flaherty who it’s based on. I cannot comprehend him and others bravery during WW2 and standing up to the Nazis and hiding POWs.

Found some of the writing really moving and sensitive. Highly recommend if anyone likes historical fiction.