Books #28

[Elelel]

Have you read Demon Copperhead? That got me out of my slump after Xmas!

I sure have! Loved it

 

[LaBlonde]

30 pages into Middlemarch and loving it! Dorothea is oddly relatable as a young woman having the hots for an old, ugly academic

I ADORE THIS BOOK you’re in for such a treat, savour it

 

[ordinaryjelly]

I havent read Pre Loved however 100 years of lenni and margot, remarkably bright creatures, the collected regrets of clover

I have read all but The Collected Regrets of Clover which I will look up now. Thank you.

I have read Preloved and Lenni and Margot also came to mind as one of those books that also has all the feels in it! The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams maybe another one to look at.

Thank you, I have never heard of that book but I will look it up now

 

[lilamay]

The only reason I bought that book was so I could read it in public (do you like it so far?)

Love that I haven't bought it yet, think it'd have to be one I ordered online! What did you think of it?

 

[AllieBee]

I've just been offered Audible for 99p for 3 months, but I'm scared of how to cancel it at the end.
I'm not used to this kind of technology.
Do I have to write to them to cancel?

It's easy to cancel in the app. I've never used audible but did have KU, when I cancelled it, they gave me a deal for a couple of months then when I cancelled again that was it. And I've not yet been able to restart KU on any of the 3 months free offers I've seen!

 

[ordinaryjelly]

i didn’t enjoy it tbh, after having seen rave reviews I was excited to get into it but it just fell flat and the humour felt very forced imo

Exactly. There is no storyline. I might have to dnf this one.

 

[Sir Lancelot]

Ooh yes Ray Winstone is how I picture Ron.

I think Ibrahim is a good choice but my perfect choice would have been an older version of Nick Mohammed (off of Ted Lasso) but failing such a person even existing, the person cast is a good 2nd choice!

I mean, they could have aged Nick Mohammed up...

 

[Custard cream]

OK I need a good cosy crime. I’ve read and love both the Thursday murder club and the Marlow murder club series, but I’m really craving a “cosy” and shockingly it seems to be the one genre not on my extensive tbr shelf

If you fancy a series of “cosy” murders then I’d really recommend the chief inspector Gamache books by Louise Penny. The first one is called Still Life. There are 19 in the series so far, the books are set in a cozy village in rural Canada called 3 pines - they are just fab!

 

[cill2019]

I literally read the sequel because I wanted to know what happened but it ended up being pretty disappointing. Not bad-bad but like ... Lots of Deus ex machina.

I’ve managed to get it on Libby so at least I’m not wasting credits or hours on it

 

[Pinkii]

I just finished this one, I did enjoy it, but thought there were far too many side characters and just as I was getting into one characters' story the POV would change. Would rather it just focused on the main characters' story in a bit more of a linear way.

yeh that’s how I feel about it already! i will stick with it for now and see how I feel in another 100 pages

i can see why it was made into a tv show though with all the different POV’s

 

[QueenBW]

I finished 'The Familiar' by Leigh Bardugo. Mixed feelings on it- I don't usually read historical fiction so it was a bit out of my comfort zone but I loved how she integrated the magical realism into the story, and her writing is always lovely to read. The pacing felt a little bit off- a bit of a lull in the middle for me, and then the last third picked right up again. Probably a 4* read all things considered.

Spoiler: Spoiler

The only thing I'd add is it took me a while to find Santangel a convincing love interest, because in my head I pictured him as quite ghost like and sickly!!

It's costing me so much to get into it. I'm about half way in and I don't even know if I'll continue. It helps to see you say it picks up in the last third.

And about your spoiler, yeah. I'm just like. Not convinced.

 

[HoGi]

Yes I'm currently 32, and I'm a teacher; as much as it's a gripping (true!) story, it's leaving such a sour taste in my mouth. I'm just past "Spain". I'll come back here with my thoughts when I'm done!

Omg Spain was so inappropriate!! I mean the whole thing was, but Spain especially and the deception involved

 

[Chocolategoggler]

So glad you found it.

I’ve had a book in my head from when I was about ten and I’ve never found it - I think I’ve mentioned it here before in the hopes of finding it. I have zero idea what it was called but it was a children’s book where two children (maybe siblings) slipped through some hedges and found themselves in a wood where one of them got a thorn in their foot/hand/other body part which made them ill. The other child had to go and get help as the child with the thorn got sicker and sicker. There was also some kind of animal companion maybe a lion or a wolf and I think a witch of some sorts. The usual suggestions I get are Narnia and Hansel and Gretel - it’s neither of these. I read it in around 1995ish but it could have been an older story, I really have no idea.

It's not this one by any chance?

Linnets and Valerians

The four Linnet children: Nan, Robert, Timothy and Bets…

www.goodreads.com

 

[Katykatykaty]

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!

So glad you found it.

I’ve had a book in my head from when I was about ten and I’ve never found it - I think I’ve mentioned it here before in the hopes of finding it. I have zero idea what it was called but it was a children’s book where two children (maybe siblings) slipped through some hedges and found themselves in a wood where one of them got a thorn in their foot/hand/other body part which made them ill. The other child had to go and get help as the child with the thorn got sicker and sicker. There was also some kind of animal companion maybe a lion or a wolf and I think a witch of some sorts. The usual suggestions I get are Narnia and Hansel and Gretel - it’s neither of these. I read it in around 1995ish but it could have been an older story, I really have no idea.

 

[Mamacita]

and audio books too great for the car, top tip, if you find your mind wandering and losing track, then change the audio book speed to 1.25 or higher and it massively helps.

Oh i do listen to audiobooks, it's more that I shouldn't be surprised I don't manage to read that many books when I mainly read an hour or two at night when I'm done looking at my phone and there's people reading walking around the house

 

[twilightgarden]

I don’t think it’s you, I’m pretty sure a lot of the reviews that made me hesitate picking it up said similar. That being said I was still almost tempted to pick it up in Sainsbo’s earlier.
---

I’m not even halfway through yet and not sure if I should keep going with it. It feels so slow and although things have happened it’s not gripping me.

 

[Merpedy]

Hellooo!!

I have been having a bit of a productive read but recently fallen into a slump again

I don't remember if I wrote about Greek Lessons by Han Kang - I really enjoyed it and think it needs a re-read to fully understand what is going on. Honestly wish it was a bittt longer

I also read The Ruin of All Witches by Malcolm Gaskill, which weirdly seems to be everywhere in the book shops along with other books about the witch hunts, and generally it's pretty damn good. There's a few chapters where he's just setting the context and telling you about how these towns were founded which drag on a bit but then you get to town gossip and it becomes juicy. It's also a bit unexpected with how things play out

Currently reading Time to Think by Hannah Barnes. I wasn't really vibing with the beginning of the book as I think it's very clear that the author is coming from a specific point of view but it seems to even out a bit the further you read on. I have seen some criticisms of the book online on discussion forums so would be interested to know if anyone happens to know of any books/reviews that have a more fair discussion and possible critique of her work

 

[Trixxx]

I have just finished the 6th book in the Will Trent series, possibly my favourite in the series to date! There's 11 or 12 in the series so I'll have to try and stretch them out now.

Need to find another crime series as well to start afterwards. Have read the first Strike one and I did like it but felt it was a bit of a slow burn. Does it get more fast paced as the series continues?

And has anyone read James Pattersons women's murder club series? I read maybe the first 6 or 7 around 2009/2010 or so but there's 21 books in the series now!! And I'd definitely have to re read the first books if I was going to continue with them

For now though, I'm going to go with Jodi Picoult for my next read!

I absolutely love the Women's Murder Club series. Its the one series I will always stick too and recommend.

I keep meaning to start the Will Trent series, but with a TBR pile the size of a house it always just gets pushed back.

 

[Love_hate_small_town]

I've just finished this and definitely agree on your content warning! Although I must say the food descriptions are gorgeous, you can tell she's done her research on food writing.
In hindsight I wouldn't have purchased it and I wish I waited to get it from the library. It's not worth the money for me.

Spoiler: Piglet Spoilers

I can't tell if I just have too high expectations but the ending just fell so flat to me. I finished it in a day simply because the premise kept me hooked and I was hoping for an explosive ending but it fell short. Also, I love a bit of mystery and reader's interpretation but the fact that the betrayal was never said out loud killed me. I genuinely thought I'd missed some dialogue somewhere along the way

Same here although I would probably read her next novel. There was enough good stuff but yes! Irritated by all the same stuff.

 

[HoGi]

Does this mean it’s worth reading is books in order they are published? I want to try JM but your post has made me wonder if I should do this if it adds a little extra.

You probably should but I haven't I think the later books (the marriage act and the family experiment) should definitely be read after the passengers and after each other or else they might spoil the story.

There are just a few characters that pop up between the books.