Books #28

[WeepingCassandra]

oh gosh just seen I have the email too. Glioblastomas are very aggressive, it’s the same type Tom Parker had. What a scary time for her and her family.

I’ve screenshot the email for anyone not on her mailing list.

Spoiler: Screenshots

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Incredibly sad news.

GBM is incredibly cruel. Most people don't survive 1 year of it, and even less survive 2. Hopefully the chemo and RT has worked for her though and gives her more time.

 

[ordinaryjelly]

Bless me Father for I have (semi) sinned.

It has been 490 days since I last bought a book. I jave today aquited two new books on my Kindle. My mum let me use her Amazon account as I was ordering some birthday gifts for nieces and nephews at the same time.

Not sure if that counts or not.

 

[LaBlonde]

I bought a book. I’m not even sorry, awful appointment at the speech therapist and buying a book helped soothe my broken heart. It was only 99p and Jodi would be glad

i hope you’re okay you deserved that book x

 

[wishiniwasskinny]

My April reads:
The New Girl - 3* it was OK but I felt the ending was rushed and it was a bit far fetched. TW - infant death.

Until August (Garcia Marquez’s new ‘lost’ novella) - 2.5 * I hadn’t read any Garcia Marquez before but have read reviews that this novella doesn’t live up to the mastery of Love in the Time of Cholera or One Hundred Years of Solitude. It was an interesting story

Good Material (the new Dolly Alderton) - 5 * again I haven’t read any Dolly before but plan to read Ghosts. This was one of those books you can’t put down for me. I loved it. Laugh out loud funny in parts and emotive too. I really enjoyed the ending and thought it was perfect.

Pretending - 3.5 * TW reference to sexual assault throughout. This was OK. I bought into the story and did enjoy it but again the end was rushed and it was all a bit far fetched.
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Only 2 off my wishlist went down in price today, probably for the best!

March was an extraordinarily average month for reading.

Books read: 17

Favourite of the month: only 4 books this month got over 3 stars. Favourite was probably A Court of Silver Flames, which was 4 stars, and I'd probably rank it 3rd of 5 in the ACOTAR series.

Least favourite: The Myth of Sisiphus by Albert Camus. Now I don't consider myself to be a dumb person, but perhaps I am, as all I could think while reading these classic essays on absurdism was good lord, what a lot of rabbiting on about nothing.

Honorary mention to What Lies Beyond the Veil, an unfortunate victim of the tiktokification of writing. I felt like the author outlined the tropes and spice ratings and then just auto filled the words.

This month we had two bookers nominees both get 3 stars (Seven Moons of Maali Almeida and A Spell of Good things) a book by a previous 5 star author dropping to 3 stars (Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon) and the strangest Poirot novel ever that barely scraped 3 stars (The Big Four).

Currently almost at the end of The Voyage of the Damned by Frances White and tbh, she had me at 'magical gay murder cruise'.

Enjoyed your reviews. Camus!!
I read 7 Moons last year and gave it 4 stars. In hindsight it was probably a 3 star book!

 

[LaBlonde]

I’m making my way very quickly through Preloved and so far I think it may be my book of the year so far. I love the concept of the items in the charity shop, and see a lot of myself in the main character

i LOVED this book (as proven by how much i talked about it here ) - it’s still one of my favourites of the year so far too, it’s really beautifully done and (as a late thirties woman myself) i really appreciated a lot of the choices that the author made.

 

[cill2019]

Er... just need to check, did you do a bit of crying whilst reading it?
ETA. Just remembered I walked past a stand in Aldi holding it and I think it was £2.50.

Not that I can remember. It was one of those lovely warm books that just made my heart swell
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Just finished Divine Rivals on audio. It was ok. The male narrator was good but the female was as wooden as a brush shaft. The story itself was quite good though. I’m torn over the sequel. I want to know what happens but it’s 14hrs long and according to the reviews that’s 13.5hrs too long

 

[CommentBelow]

I have got all the way to mid-April and still not read a 5* book. I don't think my scoring has got any harsher. I have read some good books, but nothing 5* worthy.

15.5 months without buying a book. It feels so good to actually be going through the books I already own. I remember the joy I felt when I bought it and then feel a bit of joy that I am not buying it then. Then I feel happy knowing I haven't spent any money on it now and am making a dent in all the books I own. Not sure that makes any sense, but working through the books I own is just as good as buying books in a different way.

I recommend it!

I should screenshot this post to re-read when I’m stood near train station Foyles this weeek..

Maybe I should take over the coffee or dining table and transform it into a Waterstones/Foyles buy one get one half price or ‘books you’ve always meant to read’ table.

 

[SaintLeo]

Has anyone any tips on how to stick with audiobooks?

I am trying to read A Court of Silver Flames (my first audiobook) and I am struggling. My attention wanders and I end up rewinding. I feel like I would have read the book by now. I have downloaded it to my kindle and half planning on giving up on audiobooks. I tried to listen when cleaning and driving and when doing mundane tasks. When reading I have been dying to finish work to read a few chapters but the audiobook hasnt got me as gripped.

My tip would be don’t! If they don’t fit into your lifestyle and/or you’re not taking them in then maybe they’re just not for you? I’ve tried audio a few times but have finally admitted defeat! I love my reading but listening is not for me!

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

if you say you’re planning to spend it reading your book people think your boring or lazy.

Theyd be right

 

[AllieBee]

Are we twins? Because same. Turning over a new leaf...

I tried to turn over a new leaf at new year. I failed. Oh well there's always next year!

 

[nbt]

I need to do a reread of Blood Orange because it’s talked about a lot but I don’t remember it at all. Shocker

 

[LaBlonde]

Finished In Memoriam. Fabulous, albeit heartbreaking at times, book. Highly recommend.

i’ve owned this for so long but every time i pick it up i’m like “am i in the mood to be heartbroken right now?!” and so i always put it back 🥲

i WILL read it in 2024 (maybe)

 

[LaBlonde]

Controversial but I love a good cracked spine

noooo! one of my friends literally cracks the spines the minute she opens a new book. just grabs both sides and pulls and i’m always there like:



i didn’t even crack the spine on a court of wings and ruin i am a PRO

(also finally finished homecoming, and it was just a slog that i felt like i’d literally walked to australia in the act of reading it. less is more kate morton, less is sometimes more)

 

[OH.FFS]

I'm the opposite to everyone else.

I never thought I'd prefer Kindle over physical books but I've not read a physical book since 2022.

The 99p deals may be responsible for that decision though.

I too prefer my kindle. Don’t get me wrong I love books but only in a library and seen as I don’t live in a mansion nor an I rich enough to buy all the hard copies I’d like.
My kindle is my library and it’s stuffed so full I’d probably need a huge library to house them were they were physical books.

 

[cill2019]

Another 3 99p books today right I am putting myself on a buying ban. No books in May also possibly June

I’m also feeling EmHen fomo I haven’t read any of her books

 

[Gem_woody]

I'm on holiday at the moment and yesterday I started reading The Last One At The Party.. Wow its so good!! I can't put it down and I've nearly finished it already. Think I might go for The Stranding next

 

[emmer_moans]

April was a slow month for me, I couldn't focus!

I listened to A Pocket Full of Rye, 3 It was ok but not one of Agatha's best, in my opinion.

I read The Time Machine, 4 and it was a novella, so not too long. I read it to try kick start my reading with a quick win. It's a science fiction classic and was interesting.

Weyward, 4 though it only got going in the second half. Glad I read it but it took me too long to get into it.

 

[ordinaryjelly]

Ideal for me and my 17 credits

Who can say no to 34 new books?!

 

[cill2019]

Finally finished Never Lie that was a slog
Not sure what’s next but I need a Freida break

 

[nbt]

I’ve been listening to The Satsuma Complex and just love the narration. I can’t wait to listen to some more tomorrow, although I’ll probably finish it too which is sad 🥲