Books #28

[Brightlycolouredbowels]

Oh yes, do not kindle it! it needs a proper book to do it justice.
The only thing similar I've come across is the thompson experiment on tiktok, its so weird and creepy

You can’t get it on kindle, paperback only, which makes sense from the bit of it I have seen. I don’t like thinking too hard when I read and it looks like a tough read. Did you read it all, footnotes, all the extra bits, everything? I’m worried that I’ll either get so freaked out it’ll end up in the freezer like in Friends or I won’t have a clue what’s going on and any discussion I’ve found so far seems purposefully obscure. It seems that everyone also has a different method of reading it too.
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Do you recommend the Rivers of London series? I have the first book which I got for a few quid somewhere cheap, but I haven't got around to it yet.

Going to be honest, I’ve only read the first one, which I enjoyed. I like the cover and like how they look on the bookshelf so I bought them! I probably need to re-read the first one before continuing.
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I LOVE THESE BOOKS - they’re such fun reads, and so clever. i’ve given up hope about the next one ever coming out though

Had no idea it wasn’t finished, I hate reading series that aren’t finished! I have no patience!

 

[LaBlonde]

Had no idea it wasn’t finished, I hate reading series that aren’t finished! I have no patience!

yes! i think they’re intended to be seven books - the first two were published quite close together but there was something like a 4-5 year wait for the third and no sign of the fourth (and i’m sure it’s been about ten years). they’re great reads though, even with the wider series being unfinished.
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You can’t get it on kindle, paperback only, which makes sense from the bit of it I have seen. I don’t like thinking too hard when I read and it looks like a tough read. Did you read it all, footnotes, all the extra bits, everything? I’m worried that I’ll either get so freaked out it’ll end up in the freezer like in Friends or I won’t have a clue what’s going on and any discussion I’ve found so far seems purposefully obscure. It seems that everyone also has a different method of reading it too.

gently, i don’t think it’s a book to try if you don’t like thinking too hard when you read. there are a lot of footnotes, it gives you instructions on what pages to go to next etc, it’s almost like studying a text in places rather than reading a novel. it’s a really cool and completely unique reading experience, but it’s not an easy one.

 

[WeepingCassandra]

I haven’t been on these threads for a while, mainly because when I come on them my tbr gets longer and longer and longer so I ‘unwatch’ for a while to read them all!

5 star reads (I rate a book as 5 stars if I literally won’t put it down and carry it everywhere) in the last few months have been:
The Death of a Bookseller (recommended on here!) devoured it on Kindle then went to the local independent book shop and bought a hardback copy for the shelf.
Ryan Rule by Sadie Kincaid- 250 pages of pure filth.
If We Were Villians, M L Rio - I have a background in acting schools so I loved this.
Yellowface, R.F Kuang
Gild, Raven Kennedy
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin - was set in my gamer era so just so much nostalgia there for me.
Not a Happy Family - Shari Lapena

That’s an awful lot more 5stars than usual, normally I only get a couple a year.

Has anyone heard of The 66 Book Club in Hemel Hempstead (UK) it went ‘viral’ last year because it sells discounted books to trade but opens a weekend every months for non-trade. I went yesterday and bought 24 books so the tbr pile is far larger that it was! I was planning to add to it today by popping into The Works and buying the Tommen Boys books (influenced by here!) by they didn’t have them(!) on to the Amazon wish list they go!

Has anyone ever tried to read House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski? I’m fascinated but don’t like horror. Every discussion about it is incredibly obscure though. I’m not sure I ‘get it’ and I can’t figure out whether it’s really scary or not.

I was desperate to go to 66 Books before I got pregnant but it's definitely not something I'd bother doing now.

I love House of Leaves, I've tried to read it several times, given away at least two copies and bought it back again, but I can't get more than 100 pages in before it gives me awful nightmares and I have to put it away again. I didn't even get to the weird formatting bits. :/

The Rivers of London series are so good, did they have them all at 66 Books?

Do you recommend the Rivers of London series? I have the first book which I got for a few quid somewhere cheap, but I haven't got around to it yet.

Definitely recommend!

 

[Brightlycolouredbowels]

The Rivers of London series are so good, did they have them all at 66 Books?

I bought Broken Homes, Foxglove Summer, The Furthest Station, October Man, False Value and Amongst our Weapons. The definitely had Moon Over Soho, I already have it. Can’t remember whether they actually had Rivers of London. There was a space for The Hanging Tree but it was out of stock.
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yes! i think they’re intended to be seven books - the first two were published quite close together but there was something like a 4-5 year wait for the third and no sign of the fourth (and i’m sure it’s been about ten years). they’re great reads though, even with the wider series being unfinished.
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gently, i don’t think it’s a book to try if you don’t like thinking too hard when you read. there are a lot of footnotes, it gives you instructions on what pages to go to next etc, it’s almost like studying a text in places rather than reading a novel. it’s a really cool and completely unique reading experience, but it’s not an easy one.

I’ll probably give it a miss then, or wait until my brain space isn’t taken up with work. I like puzzles but the eerie-ness may creep me out a bit too much! Thanks

 

[daisynoon]

Just saw a post about reading hour tomorrow if anyone is willing and/or able to participate! Apparently it's World Book Night (I know, I know, surely book night is every night...)

World Book Night 2023 | Waterstones

World Book Night is the annual celebration of books and reading on 23 April that brings people from all backgrounds together for one reason – to inspire others to read more.

www.waterstones.com

 

[killtheold]

i've been feeling a bit bored with reading at the moment - just checked my goodreads and i haven't read a single 5 star book this year! really need to get stuck into something mindblowing

 

[Trixxx]

i've been feeling a bit bored with reading at the moment - just checked my goodreads and i haven't read a single 5 star book this year! really need to get stuck into something mindblowing

I'm struggling to find something at the moment that really pulls me in. I loved "The Last Letter" by Rebecca Yarros recently, but other than that I am struggling! I havent read more than a couple of sentences in the last couple of weeks

 

[OhDearFords]

I've only read two books in the last month - one which took me 4 weeks to read and the other I read in two days! The first was Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson, and the other a YA weepy called A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole. Shrines of Gaiety, set in 1920s London with all its glitter and seediness from both sides of the tracks. Good world-building but it had lots of characters which tbh I lost track on occasions. Enjoyed it though, despite it feeling a bit of a slog at times. Glad I persevered. It had a nice 'wrapping up' section at the end which I liked. 3.5*.

A Thousand Boy Kisses was super sacharrine-sweet. A bit too sweet for my cold dead heart. I can see it doing v well within its target audience, perhaps I'm too old and jaded for it! A sweet love story but I found the characters a bit annoying. 2.5*.

 

[CommentBelow]

i've been feeling a bit bored with reading at the moment - just checked my goodreads and i haven't read a single 5 star book this year! really need to get stuck into something mindblowing

What was your last 5 star read?

 

[Tofino]

I think I am possibly too generous with my star ratings and reading Wild Love over the weekend kind of pointed this out to me further.

I read the book within 36hrs which is rare for me, I couldn’t put it down. and usually I think the author has done a good job if they have kept me up late at night. But I’ve realised I can be gripped but still not enjoy the book overall. Or not enjoy an ending. And maybe I keep turning those pages quickly hoping I’m about to get to the good part but it never comes? That’s certainly what I think happened with Wild Love (too many tropes shoe horned in, not much depth to characters which made me feel the book was rushed to be published, I disliked language used for a 12 year old, disliked the spicy scenes, too much of a slow burn between the main characters)

It’s not the only thing I rate on but I guess I lean towards a high rating if I’ve managed to read the whole book far quicker than normal. And maybe I should rethink that.

 

[AllieBee]

I think I am possibly too generous with my star ratings and reading Wild Love over the weekend kind of pointed this out to me further.

I read the book within 36hrs which is rare for me, I couldn’t put it down. and usually I think the author has done a good job if they have kept me up late at night. But I’ve realised I can be gripped but still not enjoy the book overall. Or not enjoy an ending. And maybe I keep turning those pages quickly hoping I’m about to get to the good part but it never comes? That’s certainly what I think happened with Wild Love (too many tropes shoe horned in, not much depth to characters which made me feel the book was rushed to be published, I disliked language used for a 12 year old, disliked the spicy scenes, too much of a slow burn between the main characters)

It’s not the only thing I rate on but I guess I lean towards a high rating if I’ve managed to read the whole book far quicker than normal. And maybe I should rethink that.

I agree. I've just read The Gradual Disappearance of Jane Ashland, one of my random library picks where I literally close my eyes, pick out a book and make myself read it! It was written absolutely beautifully, fabulously layered and gorgeous prose. I gave it 4 stars, it was a lot of story in its 150 pages, but I do love a conclusive ending and this didn't have one! I read it in a day.

 

[killtheold]

What was your last 5 star read?

my last few were these. i had about 20 5 star reads in 2023 so it's not like i'm shy in handing them out normally. but so many 3 stars recently!

Duck Feet by Ely Percy
The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
Yellowface by RF Kuang
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torz

 

[Tofino]

Did you know you can collect points on BP fuel and then use the points to buy an Amazon voucher?

Who knew buying fuel could lead to free books! I have enough points for a £5 voucher

 

[Pinkii]

@killtheold if you liked Rachel incident, try ‘i’m sorry you feel that way’ by Rebecca Wait

 

[LaBlonde]

I've only read two books in the last month - one which took me 4 weeks to read and the other I read in two days! The first was Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson, and the other a YA weepy called A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole. Shrines of Gaiety, set in 1920s London with all its glitter and seediness from both sides of the tracks. Good world-building but it had lots of characters which tbh I lost track on occasions. Enjoyed it though, despite it feeling a bit of a slog at times. Glad I persevered. It had a nice 'wrapping up' section at the end which I liked. 3.5*.

ooo i just read shrines of gaiety! i would read kate atkinson’s shopping list, i think she’s amazing, but i think even she lost track of how much she had going on in it (i couldn’t keep the policemen in order at all ) and i found the ending very rushed and sudden. her writing is absolute perfection though, which meant i went with 4.5 stars.

 

[Insta09875]

I have been reading Freida McFadden 5 books in a row now can anyone recommend a similar author or book I love the thriller stories and the big twists that you never see coming

 

[HoGi]

Bit late to the party but I just read Strange Sally Diamond.

It was great until it wasn't...

Spoiler

just feel like the ending was a bit blah

 

[SaintLeo]

ooo i just read shrines of gaiety! i would read kate atkinson’s shopping list, i think she’s amazing, but i think even she lost track of how much she had going on in it (i couldn’t keep the policemen in order at all ) and i found the ending very rushed and sudden. her writing is absolute perfection though, which meant i went with 4.5 stars.

Another Kate Atkinson fan here! Shrines of Gaiety is one of those books that’s on my wishlist in the vain hope it’ll be on offer at some point. I may have to admit defeat and just pay up for it!

Behind The Scenes At The Museum is one of my all time faves, and one I treat myself to a re-read of every so often. I used to lend copies out to people all the time but never got them back so now it’s safely on my Kindle!

 

[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!

 

[LaBlonde]

Another Kate Atkinson fan here! Shrines of Gaiety is one of those books that’s on my wishlist in the vain hope it’ll be on offer at some point. I may have to admit defeat and just pay up for it!

Behind The Scenes At The Museum is one of my all time faves, and one I treat myself to a re-read of every so often. I used to lend copies out to people all the time but never got them back so now it’s safely on my Kindle!

i love her! one of our greatest living writers imo - her phrasing sometimes just has me in complete awe. i love behind the scenes at the museum and her jackson brodie books but i think a god in ruins may be my favourite of hers (though it made me weep). i love how there’s always a very loved dog character too

i tried to copy her style when i was doing my creative writing degree…… with mixed results