Books #30

[Blueblue123]

I'm partway through The Housemaid is Watching and I'm not sure what's happened this time round but Freida's writing is almost unbearable. I feel like a simpleton with how she's over explaining even the most basic point.

Like this did not need to be 2 paragraphs

Spoiler: Spoiler

There is nothing more frightening than being called by your child’s school. There is nothing they could possibly want to tell me at one o’clock in the afternoon that is good news. The principal isn’t interrupting my workday to tell me that my kid has won a spelling bee.

They only call for bad news. Like two years ago, when Nico fell off the jungle gym and broke his arm. That was a call at one in the afternoon.

The storyline is interesting as usual though.

 

[Katykatykaty]

The Next Mrs Parrish is 99p today for anyone that’s been wanting to read it

I’ve barely even opened my eyes for the day and I’m already spending money on books. Best way to start the day

 

[Ashlgr]

July reads. I reread the first two Girls books in anticipation for Think Again! I'll read the next two this coming month
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I'm 1/3 of the way through Toxic by Sarah Ditum, all about the treatment of 9 celebrity women by the tabloid media and society as a whole in the period of 1998-2013 (Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Aaliyah, Janet Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Chyna, Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Aniston). It's so good, so interesting! I was born in the early 90s so very much part of the pop culture heydey of the noughties and I'm finding it all so sad and sobering. Tale as old as time when it comes to the treatment and judgement of women!

 

[ScoutFinch]

Im listening to the third book in the deverills chronicles and enjoying them. Perfect as an audiobook. Also finished reading "Just for the summer"- it was quite good easy read I thought, solid 3 stars.

But haven't picked up anything new in the last few days, not fancying any of the books I've bought recently so here to ask: what is everyone favourite book of the year so far?

I Am Pilgrim was my first book of the year so I’m afraid I peaked in January

Special mention to The Ink Black Heart and The Running Grave though, both also 5*s

 

[Albrouze]

Was away for two weeks, read 4 books and they were all 4 stars for me Happiness Falls by Angie Kim, The Rachel Incident, Before My Actual Heart Breaks (definitely a rec from this thread, would never have heard it otherwise) and The Divorce by Moa Herngren. The reviews on Goodreads for The Divorce seem mixed. I can see why some found it boring and cliché, but I didn't

 

[Katykatykaty]

My favourite bit of our library when I was younger was the “teenage” section they had. This was in the early 90s and the shelves were full of American high school series like Sweet Valley High and Cheerleaders. There was also one called All That Glitters about a girl who got a part on a daytime soap opera! I probably read everything in each series but never in the right order cos it just depended what was available on the day.

Oh how I longed to be in Sweet Valley High! The twins in that were the pinnacle of everything I wanted to be at that time! It’s so bizarre to me now to read books out of sequence but you’re right, we were at the mercy of what was there.
I also really remember the transition from Goosebumps to Point Horror and feeling like I was such a grown up, then moving onto Stephen King in the adult section and thinking I couldn’t possibly get more adult than that.

 

[wishiniwasskinny]

I bought another book today took a trip to my favourite coffee shop come bookshop.. I can never resist a purchase from their small but very well edited selection of books.. I went for This Family today. But was tempted by Big Swiss and Common Decency which were also on the shelf!

 

[Hannahebee]

Animal Ark. What a throwback.

Here are all the Animal Ark books that I have on my bookshelf.

 

[OH.FFS]

My July reads / listens …

 

[inwonderland]

Good reading month this month, made better by a weeks holiday! I'm normally more of a five books a month person.

 

[LaBlonde]

I think some authors really believe that quantity over quality makes a book a great thing.

same. i LOVE a big book, but it has to be justified. i’m plodding through my romances from the works month and some of these books are 400+ pages when the actual plot covers 200 at most.

 

[Booklover]

Enjoyed The Murder After the Night Before. Will check out her other work. Now a bit late to the party, starting Cleopatra and Frankenstein today. This is the 4th book of 5 from my birthday present haul from my son he bought me last month.

 

[nbt]

August is going to be another slow reading month for me. It doesn’t matter what book it is, I just can’t seem to sit and focus for long.

Currently about 3/4 through the two I started at the beginning of the month - Our Holiday by Louise Candlish and Talking at Night. I should be flying through both of these!

Determined to finish both by Thursday and then we’re on holiday for two weeks (to Orlando, so not one for the reading so much )

I have been listening to Strong Female Character though, and appreciate all the good reviews you gave it.

 

[twilightgarden]

Oh its the 1st of the month tomorrow. We all know what that means don't we!

IYKYK

 

[ToolaRoola]

My July wrap-up.

Favourite - The Women
Worst - It starts with us

I enjoyed all the others. Clickbait on audio was good.

 

[twilightgarden]

PSA for Backman fans. Coming out June next year.

 

[wishiniwasskinny]

My July reads:

- Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan - 4**** A perceptive and searing account of the class, race and political systems in the U.K. Bleak in many ways but I found the ending uplifting.

- In Ascension by Martin MacInnes - 3.5 ***
Not really sure what I thought to expect from this. It wasn’t anything like what I would usually read but I did quite enjoy it.

- A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers - 3.5*** An entertaining read by a psychopathic cannibalistic woman.

currently reading The Bee Sting and about 1/4 of the way through. Enjoying it so far.

 

[LaBlonde]

I do worry that we will end up with shitty AI books soon. Nothing compares the the honed craft of a decently written book though. For example the emotional insight and research and clever clues weaved into JKR's (Galbraith) Strike series can never be replicated by a computer but I assume the book market will get flooded with rubbish and drown out the good stuff. Perhaps the YA genre will be most hit.

i feel like romance is the genre that would get hit the most - it’s already starting to get advertised by tropes alone (i’ve lost track of how many insta posts i see that just have grumpy v sunshine! he’s a hockey player! she’s a brunette! as their key selling points). it’s eventually going to be very easy to feed all those details into a programme and have it throw a “book” back out. i would argue that a lot of lazier romances are verging on that already.

 

[twilightgarden]

Speaking of nostalgic books the Girls series by Jacqueline Wilson is available on Libby from my library. So tempted to re-read the series ready for her new book coming out.

 

[ordinaryjelly]

I think some authors really believe that quantity over quality makes a book a great thing.