Books #28

[wishiniwasskinny]

Today my husband took me to a brilliant coffee shop that also sells books and flowers. I sat looking at their (limited but well edited) book selection whilst enjoying a flat white. Ended up coming home with Piglet and really looking forward to eventually reading it.. by pile is huge
Told the husband we can only go once per month haha

 

[ordinaryjelly]

Right you lot. I finished Preloved the other day and I loved it. We all know how much I adore my detective, crime, thriller books so this was a complete step out of my genre and I was sceptical at first. But the more I read the more it sucked me in. I devoured it in about 10 hours.

So, now you all have done that to me and had me read something so different to my usual. Do you have any other similar books to recommend? No EmHen, she makes my eyeballs sore.

I am happy to broaden my horizons a bit more now!

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Freida imo takes the storyline of other thrillers written by better authors and rewords them and fires them out. The few books of hers Ive read Ive thought Ive read this before half way through. I honestly dont know how she gets away with it.

Obviously dont expect anyone just to take my opinion as gospel but there is alot out there on the internet about it.

 

[Katykatykaty]

My round up for April only has 6 books as this month I feel like I’ve barely had a second to myself and even when I have I’ve not been able to focus on reading. Ratings this month go from a 2 star (The Church Beneath the Roots) to a 5 star (The Last Mrs Parrish). Also updated my monthly brackets.

 

[LaBlonde]

went into the works, they had all the boys of tommen books there. i hesitated, heard @Caffeine Fiend in my head (obvs don’t know what you sound like CF but given that i picture everyone as their icons the voice was remarkably like taylor swift) whispering rugby romances lablonde, rugby romances and so have somehow bought them.

they are chunky! the same way i like my rugby men ayyyy

 

[cill2019]

My April reads/listens. I have really enjoyed this month, I just feel like I haven’t actually picked up a physical book all month
My ratings:
I Found You - 3
Divine Rivals - 3.5
Ruthless Vows - 4
Never Lie - 3.5/4
One by One - 3.5/4
Evelyn Hugo - 4

 

[ToolaRoola]

April reads.

3 audio books - An improbable life, Educated and Prima Facie.

Really glad to get Best of me off my Kindle as I purchased it in 2012 and only just read it

I liked them all in different ways but favourites were probably A woman is no man and Weyward. I liked Prima Facie too but it didn't compare to seeing the play.
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Wait a minute, some people don’t buy 99p reads immediately?

View attachment 2907682

Haha in all seriousness though, that’s a really good idea. I’m going to give it a go too.

I used to buy immediately but when I started buying Amazon vouchers to hide the 99p spends from my bank, I knew I had a problem

 

[StephenTJackson]

This is information I’m glad to know and wish I didn’t know at the same time…
After my failed attempt to get obsessed with Magnolia Parks this series could be it

However I did go in a very nice bookshop today and NOT buy anything. That deserves a reward surely!?

It definitely does. I'd suggest rewarding yourself with a nice new book.

 

[LaBlonde]

The whole “reading v watching films and tv as pass times” discussion is so interesting! I love doing all depending on the mood I’m in. In my mind they’re actually pretty similar activities - they’re all about consuming and enjoying stories. Sometimes I do it with images I create through my own imagination, other times someone else does that creative stuff for me.

I don’t think I’ve ever come across the view that reading is lazy before, or if I have I’ve been oblivious to it!

me neither! i’ve only ever heard the opposite (on the rare times where people pass comment) in that people think reading takes more effort than watching tv. never heard it described as lazy, not to my face anyway

seconding everything in your post. i don’t watch a huge amount of tv really (my downtime is always always reading) but they’re the same thing (stories of a kind) consumed in different ways imo. it’s just you rely on yourself to visualise one while the other is created for you.

 

[Tofino]

Just got an email from Sophie Kinsella, I’m subscribed, to say that she has brain cancer since 2022

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

 

[Ding]

Been to a few charity shops to today (even though I don't need anymore books on my TBR list! )
Found Where the Crawdads Sing and Blood Orange for 50p each. Don't know if I will enjoy them, but for 50p I thought I may as well try them

 

[daisynoon]

my april reads (a very mixed bag )

the new life - tom crewe
adventures of amina al-sirafi - shannon chakraborty
this could be everything - eva rice
demon’s guide to wooing a witch - sarah hawley
shrines of gaiety - kate atkinson
paris daillencourt is about to crumble - alexis hall
sad girl novel - pip finkemeyer
psyche and eros - luna mcnamara

I've been putting off Paris Daillencourt because I don't enjoy reading about characters with high levels of anxiety, does it dominate a lot of the book?

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(Most of) my April - I managed 12 books. My favourite was Parable of Talents, and my least was probably The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley (I didn't hate it, but found it lacking in parts)

 

[CommentBelow]

I’ve never posted my wrap up for the month but since I’ve read the most amount of books I’ve read in a month since I’ve been tracking (10!) - and I love seeing all of your round ups I thought I’d do mine..

The Maiden
Soldier, Sailor
Life Death and Biscuits
Fourteen Days
Reach for the Stars
Reappearance of Rachel Price
Gentleman in Moscow
Ordinary Hunan Failings
Western Lane
You Are Here

A couple were almost 5 but I’m trying to be more stingy with my 5s after scanning through my 5s looking for some books to recommend and then changing my ratings down 🫢
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my april reads (a very mixed bag )

the new life - tom crewe
adventures of amina al-sirafi - shannon chakraborty
this could be everything - eva rice
demon’s guide to wooing a witch - sarah hawley
shrines of gaiety - kate atkinson
paris daillencourt is about to crumble - alexis hall
sad girl novel - pip finkemeyer
psyche and eros - luna mcnamara

Enjoying the emoji usage and now I regret sticking to plain old stars lol
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I only read five books this month. Trying to finish a sixth today but probably won't get to it. The Familiar put me in a massive slump that The Inheritance Games did not solve and then tried Weyward and did nothing for me. And my Funny Story reread couldn't save me because I've been busy.

Do you stick to one book at a time?

I’m 35% through The Familiar and have just started Funny Story. Having multiple books on the go definitely helps me avoid slumps!

 

[vanilla cupcakes]

another mixed bag this month. was underwhelmed by a couple (alone with you in the ether and notes on an execution). highlight was definitely prima facie which was my only 5 star read of the month, the other 3 I gave 3.5 or 4 stars. only one kindle book read this month and 5 on audio, I’ll be interested to see my stats at the end of the year as it’s looking more and more like audio will be my top format which I never would’ve expected. I feel like I haven’t enjoyed reading as much this month nothing is sticking and a few of the books I couldn’t even tell you much past the plot

now to look at the monthly deals and see if there’s anything to respark the joy

 

[ToxicPony]

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'.

 

[Carabelle]

Finished Remarkably Bright Creatures yesterday after seeing it spoken highly of here. Loved it.

I just saw that the sequel to Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín is coming out next week. Its called Long Island. I adored the film but have never read the book so I've just bumped it up! Started The Song of Achilles last night so will finish that first.

 

[cherrymoon]

I’ve only gone and finished another book

it took me an embarrassingly long time to finish but I thoroughly enjoyed the most fun we ever had. Loved Wendy and Jonah’s relationship! David

next on my tbr list is dracula so I might see you all in the summer

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

It doesnt have to be all or nothing. In 2021 95% of my reading was kindle or audio and not much better in 2022 but in 2023 I set myself a challenge to read more physical books and I must say I did enjoy it. I have continued it in to 2024.

I think as a book lover its nice to have both. Where my kindle comes in to its own is if Im ever caught somewhere unexpectedly. Its always in my hand bag. I wouldnt carry my books about the same as I feel they get damaged.

Also good for books that you may not wish to have the physical copy of. You can often get them cheaper too. Just avoid the 99p deals or youl end up like us however my physical TBR is out of control too and Ive started going to the library again. Why?!?
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Guys, I'm so sad. I bought the Waterstones' signed edition of Funny Story, and had it delivered but customs decided to open the box with a cutting knife and it's completely slashed. Like the dust jacket is just an accordion.

This is awful I wonder if Waterstones have any spares in situations like this?

 

[Ashlgr]

I haven't posted for a little while because I was in a reading funk (I say that, but I did read 10 books in April, however 75% of them were trashy romance novels that are super easy to read), however I started reading Strange Sally Diamond yesterday and I'm really enjoying it! It gives me Eleanor Oliphant vibes, which is one of my favourite novels. I've also started Yellowface which I am also enjoying. I think it's going to be a good reading month

 

[LaBlonde]

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

have never added a book to my to-buy list so hard in my life