Books #28

[Ding]

My April reads. Don't think I've ever read this many books in a month (I said that last month when I'd read 6 )
My highest rated were The Housemaid Series, Verity, Never Lie and Blood Orange.

I've only just started reading thrillers this month...I think I have a new favourite genre

 

[cill2019]

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

 

[Honeystar]

Just want to be very clear that I do not personally think reading is lazy … it was more when you tell people it’s your hobby versus someone whose hobby is hiking or running etc

 

[ordinaryjelly]

I have had a Kindle since they get first came out, Kindle 1 the one with the stupid keyboard and the actual buttons to press to change r page. It was thick and heavy and cost about £400. My husband got it for me for my birthday, I want to say around 2006/7.

Then a Kindle Keyboard, which I kept for about 10 years. I used that thing until it died. Around 2014. Moved on to the Kindle Voyage, no keyboard but still buttons to press. Cost about £250. Hated it. So got a Kindle Paperweight 1st gen, around £150 which was the first one to have a touch screen. Kept that until I got the current Kindle 11th gen Paperweight. I still have all these Kindles!

It's been a journey.

I probably read 50/50 between Kindle and physical books. Swore I would never be a Kindle reader but as was said above the convenience of it, how small, light and portable it is made it a no brainer. I love it for all the aforementioned reasons. The current Kindle is a wonderful thing to own for it's practicality.
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Oh and I meant to say I am starting Preloved today, my friend passed it along to me. I am only reading it because if the praised it received on here. It is not my genre at all. It is also 400+ pages long and a small font. I am giving it 80 pages to interest me other I am giving up.

 

[BWGossip]

Read 16 books so far in April, but my overall rating went from 3.3 stars to 2.8

 

[AllieBee]

I read a book.over 20 years ago which I lost. I absolutely loved this book and some of the characters have stayed with me. I've searched and searched for it but sadly couldn't remember the title or the author. I've done random searches for it over the years with whatever keywords I could think of but no luck. This morning, woke up and just had a string feeling I should search again for it and I FOUND IT!! It's a family saga, called The Flowers Of The Field by Sarah Harrison. I've ordered it in paperback just hope I still love it as much as I did!

 

[tp1986]

I’ve made a special trip to Bath today to go to a reading by Leigh Bardugo and get her new book The Familiars at the same time. I’ve not been to a reading like this before so I’m curious to see how it is!

 

[wishiniwasskinny]

Hello! I’m new to the book threads but am avid book work and have a TBR list as long as my arm (400 books on Goodreads ) and a pile of
Books so high to read but keep getting others out from the library.
I’ve read 10 books so far this year and on #11.
Currently reading The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis.

 

[cill2019]

Listening to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and it’s good, I’m enjoying it but jeez I wish she’d only had 5 husbands because it’s going on and I’ve still 2 hrs left

 

[Carapop]

Resting and self care are as important a part of life as any other. If you never fill your cup then how can you keep pouring? I have a constant to-list in my head but rarely the motivation to do the doing! And actually, for me, reading felt like the only way to pass time that was worthwhile. Allowing myself to Netflix this year has been a revelation. We are so prone to black and white thinking. If I don’t do it all, I’m a failure, etc. @Caffeine Fiend i love your approach because it’s breaking life down into manageable bite size chunks. As someone who can find a day overwhelmingly long, I really appreciate the value in tackling it one task at a time. And being compassionate and pragmatic about what can wait! I’m actually considering seeking assessment for neurodivergence. There’s a high cooccurrence between autism/adhd and eating disorders. Many boxes ticked! Knowledge is power, right?

 

[HoGi]

I managed 17 books in April. Mainly thanks to a week away where I read 9 books.

My top books this month were:

Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver 5*
See you in September by Charity Norman 4*
Finlay Donovan is Killing it by Ellie Cosimano 4*
Every Smile you Fake by Dorothy Koomson 4*
One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose 4*

I also read Piglet by Lottie Hazell and was a bit disappointed. Only 3* for that one.

Spoiler

It annoyed me that we never found out what he told her. Although I assume it was cheating or similar.

I was really enjoying it until it ended and I was like huh?

 

[Cheddar Chalpupa]

Controversial but I love a good cracked spine

Haha me too, I love nothing more than having a massive paperback that starts out pristine and then by the last page is all battered up, I like how the spine cracks almost keep track of how many pages you've read in a session, like tree rings. Shows you've enjoyed a good book!

 

[inksmear]

I finished Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. I adored it. 5 out of 5. Possibly my favourite book of the year so far (although perhaps that is shared between that and Demon Copperhead so far this year). What a wonderful book!

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Anything! I am truly open to all suggestions.
The last five books I read are:
-tomorrow x3
- a little life
- I who have never known men
- where the crawdads sing
- she and her cat
My favourite book ever is Adrian Mole. I am happy take suggestions that are very different to the above list, so bonus points if I get a suggestion I love which I may not have thought of reading myself!

Some of my favourites / books I have really enjoyed

Hello Beautiful - Ann Napolitano
Weyward - Emilia Hart
My Roommate Is A Vampire - Jenna Levine (romance)
How To Build A Boat - Elaine Feeney
Beies - Nicola Dinan
Close To Home - Michael Magee
Mad Honey - Jodi Picoult
Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt
Cleopatra and Frankenstein - Coco Mellors
Fleishman Is In Trouble - Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Before My Actual Heart Breaks - Tish Delaney
Shuggie Bain - Douglas Stuart
A Woman Is No Man - Etaf Rum
Every Summer After - Carly Fortune
Normal People - Sally Rooney
The Last Act of Love - Cathy Rentzenbrink
Dreamland - Rosa Rankin-Gee
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me - Mariana Zapata (romance)
Trespasses - Louise Kennedy
All The Bright Places - Jennifer Niven
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E Schwab
Beartown Trilogy - Fredrick Backman
First Born - Will Dean
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot - Marianne Cronin
Young Mungo - Douglas Stuart
Swimming In The Dark - Tomasz Jedrowski
Boys Dont Cry - Fiona Scarlett
Razorblade Tears - S.A Crosby
The Push - Ashley Audrain

Happy Reading.

 

[inksmear]

I just finished I who have never known men and I loved it! It was so bleak and haunting and unsatisfactory. Amazing little book.

 

[Honeystar]

Not the best month for me but had a lot going on so I’m pleased I got through 4.

Preloved was by far the best, my favourite I’ve read this year without a doubt. Also really enjoyed Never Lie, I know Freida is marmite but it was perfect to get me out of a slump. The Retreat was meh and I already can’t remember much about it. Enjoyed The Prison Healer but didn’t realise it’s the first of three and whilst I enjoyed the story and the ending was great, I can’t say I’ve much desire to read the rest.

 

[ordinaryjelly]

RIP Alice Munro. The Queen of a short story before short stories were even a "thing." She was once described as someone who could say more on 30 pages than most authors could on 300.

"The constant happiness is curiousity"

Carried Away is a collection of her favourite 17 short stories and a worthy read.

 

[Pinkii]

It’s funny isn’t it, I often feel like if someone asks me what I’m doing that evening and I say “oh I’m hooked on X series on Netflix” they don’t bat any eyelid. But if I was to say “reading my book” people seem judgey. I hate that reading isn’t really seen as a hobby in the way others are. If you enjoy painting or craft for instance and said that’s how you’re spending your weekend people would be impressed, if you say you’re planning to spend it reading your book people think your lonely, boring or lazy.

i can’t imagine anything worse than binge watching shows every night to me that’s boring. Its very rare I find a series I want to do that with, last series I did that with was Schits Creek lol

at least with books I feel my brain is getting a good workout with using my imagination and dont feel like I have wasted my evening

 

[cill2019]

I fell into the charity shop 🥹 I wasn’t even going to go because it’s the same books every time I go…. Not today
Excuse the edit round the books, my tiles are quite distinctive

 

[Tofino]

I resisted a kindle for so long but now I love both for different reasons. I do notice the benefit of a kindle when I’m in bed reading a book and I realise I can’t turn the light off and carry on reading. Also I love the ease of highlight a word on the kindle to get its definition rather than just ignore it in the book or pick up my phone to google it. I also love the minutes left in chapter as it encourages me to keep reading.

But I still love and enjoy physical books. I like buying a brand new copy but at the same time I love to see a book that’s been well loved. There’s something different about going into a preloved bookshop than Waterstones. Both bring joy for different reasons!