Books #28

[Caffeine Fiend]

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

I read Good Material last month and also thought it was excellent. Ive liked everything shes written.

 

[LaBlonde]

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.

the ending of this was RIDICULOUS! i thought it was involving enough until that point but i don’t think she had a clue how to end it. like you’re going to take him to a wedding full of all your friends and hope that no one calls you by your real name? and he apparently forgave this all very quickly?! did she even LIKE him because i never bought into it (she seemed to just be putting up with him for most of it)

 

[wishiniwasskinny]

the ending of this was RIDICULOUS! i thought it was involving enough until that point but i don’t think she had a clue how to end it. like you’re going to take him to a wedding full of all your friends and hope that no one calls you by your real name? and he apparently forgave this all very quickly?! did she even LIKE him because i never bought into it (she seemed to just be putting up with him for most of it)

I know!! And the whole time I was reading the last chapter sitting on the rain was just irritating me.

 

[epl000]

I finished Strange Sally Diamond yesterday. Overall did enjoy it, but echo others re the ending.

Spoiler

I really wanted him to get found by the authorities/podcasters - tracked through the airport so they found his new identity or something. Or for him to die in an accident or something. Definitely a disappointment compared to the rest of the book.

 

[LaBlonde]

I know!! And the whole time I was reading the last chapter sitting on the rain was just irritating me.

same!!! i spent that whole rain scene being like “dude grow a BACKBONE” (josh? was his name josh?) the ease with which he seemed chill with all of her behaviour was just wild to me, and holly bourne just never truly sold what she actually felt about him. it would have been braver to end it with him walking away but i knew she wouldn’t do that

 

[wishiniwasskinny]

same!!! i spent that whole rain scene being like “dude grow a BACKBONE” (josh? was his name josh?) the ease with which he seemed chill with all of her behaviour was just wild to me, and holly bourne just never truly sold what she actually felt about him. it would have been braver to end it with him walking away but i knew she wouldn’t do that

Yeah it was Josh!

Spoiler: Plot info

agrée. It would have been better if he left her and it was her realising how she had ultimately acted like a man who has this problematic behaviour she hates

 

[nbt]

It’s alright - I gave it a 3/5. Probably could have gone to a 3.5 though. It sets some more of the scene of how Amber made her way to the Parrish family and her background. I found some of TLMP to be a little unbelievable and 0.5 has similar themes. But it’s definitely readable and enjoyable but not as good as the main book. It’s only 85 pages so definitely worth giving it a go as a quick read.

I’m looking forward to the sequel now to see how the story continues.

I’ve read this today and it’s made me all excited for the sequel now. Thanks for mentioning it as I’d never have known about it otherwise!

 

[Katykatykaty]

I’ve read this today and it’s made me all excited for the sequel now. Thanks for mentioning it as I’d never have known about it otherwise!

I don’t even know how I spotted it. I don’t remember downloading it but clearly I did. I’ve often found with books on my kindle I’ve zero recollection of putting them there but clearly at some point they piqued my interest to download them…unless there’s a ghost in my kindle?!

 

[Booklover]

My April reads. All 4/5 stars too!

 

[OhDearFords]

Finished Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah - 4.75 stars for me, brilliant book! Loved it. Felt the opening half was a little slow going but once the other narrative picked up it was just fantastic. Tear jerker too, which doesn't usually get me but this did. Would recommend for sure!

 

[AllieBee]

Finished Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah - 4.75 stars for me, brilliant book! Loved it. Felt the opening half was a little slow going but once the other narrative picked up it was just fantastic. Tear jerker too, which doesn't usually get me but this did. Would recommend for sure!

I loved that one! I loved the story within a story element and of course the historical context which I think she does really well.

 

[LaBlonde]

currently reading homecoming by kate morton and after a promising start it has become an absolute chore to get through the middle part. her editor should have told her to drop the book within a book device so fast because it’s just so tiring to read (and yet i’m still interested enough in the central mystery to keep going )

 

[slugella]

currently reading homecoming by kate morton and after a promising start it has become an absolute chore to get through the middle part. her editor should have told her to drop the book within a book device so fast because it’s just so tiring to read (and yet i’m still interested enough in the central mystery to keep going )

I enjoyed it (wasn't a wow, think I gave it 3*) but it is definitely one of her weaker ones. I was the same that the mystery kept me reading but whew was it too long! I preordered it cos I generally love her books and when it arrived in hardback I was like at the weight of it haha.

 

[JLXRD]

I really love physical books so I’ve put off buying a kindle, but i am starting to run out of space so might have to get one.

I am looking at the green coloured paper white, anyone else got this one?

Also, any other physical book lovers found the transition difficult, and is not as satisfied without the physical book?

 

[WeepingCassandra]

I really love physical books so I’ve put off buying a kindle, but i am starting to run out of space so might have to get one.

I am looking at the green coloured paper white, anyone else got this one?

Also, any other physical book lovers found the transition difficult, and is not as satisfied without the physical book?

I really struggle with e-books. Same as audiobooks. It's like my brain doesn't translate it into reading, my mind wanders all the time and I retain so much less than I do with a physical book.

 

[LaBlonde]

I enjoyed it (wasn't a wow, think I gave it 3*) but it is definitely one of her weaker ones. I was the same that the mystery kept me reading but whew was it too long! I preordered it cos I generally love her books and when it arrived in hardback I was like at the weight of it haha.

this is where i’m at, it’s just too long. it’s almost so long that the length is just diluting how interesting the actual mystery itself was (the way they keep going over and over it). jess is probably her weakest lead character too, she’s so dull. three stars seems fair to me so far!

 

[JLXRD]

I really struggle with e-books. Same as audiobooks. It's like my brain doesn't translate it into reading, my mind wanders all the time and I retain so much less than I do with a physical book.

Hmm this is my worry too and I don’t wanna waste the money I shall have to work my way through my tbr stack and then see how I feel I spose

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I really love physical books so I’ve put off buying a kindle, but i am starting to run out of space so might have to get one.

I am looking at the green coloured paper white, anyone else got this one?

Also, any other physical book lovers found the transition difficult, and is not as satisfied without the physical book?

I have the lovely green paperwhite.

Ive had various kindles for probably about 15 years now. So I cant really remember not reading on them. They are brilliant for reading in bed. I read faster on them too.

Could you borrow one to try? It really is like reading a paper page. Its nothing like a phone or tablet or laptop or whatever. Ive stopped borrowing e books via the library because you cant use your kindle for that and I cant read on the ipad at all. I hate it.

 

[cill2019]

Has anyone read Once Upon a Broken Heart. I’m 1/4 of the way through and I just don’t know what I think of it. It feels at time like it’s written by a 16 year old girl “his handsomeness”

 

[AllieBee]

I really love physical books so I’ve put off buying a kindle, but i am starting to run out of space so might have to get one.

I am looking at the green coloured paper white, anyone else got this one?

Also, any other physical book lovers found the transition difficult, and is not as satisfied without the physical book?

I like my kindle but not as much as real books, I swap between the two but the reading experience is different. I find it doesn't sink in as well from the kindle as it does a real book.