Books #31

[inksmear]

I just finished The Virgin Suicides. I had actually read it before as a pretentious 16 year old who wanted to impress my bf at the time but I didn’t understand it at all back then. I sort of wish I could give it two ratings - 4 stars for how clever it is - it will definitely stay in my thoughts after this evening, and then 3 stars for enjoyable reading experience (because it wasn’t, either time round!),

Can’t decide what to read next. Thinking Young Mungo OR the latest Bella Mackie. I also want to read Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie but I’ve tried that before and DNF due to not being in the right headspace. Not sure if I want something a little less literary and a bit more ‘attention grabby’ for my next read, and then after that try and read MC.

 

[Throwaway89]

I just finished The Virgin Suicides. I had actually read it before as a pretentious 16 year old who wanted to impress my bf at the time but I didn’t understand it at all back then. I sort of wish I could give it two ratings - 4 stars for how clever it is - it will definitely stay in my thoughts after this evening, and then 3 stars for enjoyable reading experience (because it wasn’t, either time round!),

Can’t decide what to read next. Thinking Young Mungo OR the latest Bella Mackie. I also want to read Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie but I’ve tried that before and DNF due to not being in the right headspace. Not sure if I want something a little less literary and a bit more ‘attention grabby’ for my next read, and then after that try and read MC.

I LOVED Young Mungo but I needed to be in the right headspace for it. If you’ve already read Shuggy Bain then it’s of course a similar vibe. I won’t say anything more

 

[Pinkii]

On holiday and thought i’d get my thriller on.

reading the last house guest by caroline Mitchell.

I was shocked to realise this author has written many books already! The writing is SO amatuerish.

the FMC is insufferable with her constant need to know let the reader know she is a police officer and then explaining things unnecessarily in the book. Don’t get me started on the pointless podcasts interviews in between chapters which add nothing to the story

wouldn’t even give it 1 star

 

[anniemouse]

On holiday and thought i’d get my thriller on.

reading the last house guest by caroline Mitchell.

I was shocked to realise this author has written many books already! The writing is SO amatuerish.

the FMC is insufferable with her constant need to know let the reader know she is a police officer and then explaining things unnecessarily in the book. Don’t get me started on the pointless podcasts interviews in between chapters which add nothing to the story

wouldn’t even give it 1 star

I saw that one The Works at the weekend. Glad I put it back on the shelf.

 

[LaBlonde]

I LOVED Young Mungo but I needed to be in the right headspace for it. If you’ve already read Shuggy Bain then it’s of course a similar vibe. I won’t say anything more

absolutely agree with this! i found mungo way more brutal than shuggie tbh (that camping trip just became more horrific every time we went back to it) - definitely one you have to be in the right frame of mind for.

 

[Throwaway89]

absolutely agree with this! i found mungo way more brutal than shuggie tbh (that camping trip just became more horrific every time we went back to it) - definitely one you have to be in the right frame of mind for.

Yep I was just like “nooooo” every time. Douglas Stuart has done such a good job but I wish his characters got a happy ending

 

[SaintLeo]

I also want to read Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie but I’ve tried that before and DNF due to not being in the right headspace.

Hmmm, I read Midnights Children earlier this year and would suggest that your headspace wasn’t the problem and that actually it’s just an awful book! For me it’s as prime example of award winning novels that are actually terrible reads that we were discussing earlier in the thread.

I loved the idea of the main premise/storyline but most of it is soooo pretentious and rambling that it’s really hard work to get through. It could easily be 300 pages shorter and you’d still get the characters to the same point. I’ve never read any other Salman Rushdie (and won’t be!) but I felt the book was more about him showing everyone how clever and intellectual he is rather than trying to tell an interesting story about the characters he created.

 

[epl000]

absolutely agree with this! i found mungo way more brutal than shuggie tbh (that camping trip just became more horrific every time we went back to it) - definitely one you have to be in the right frame of mind for.

I think its fair to say that I won't actively seek out Young Mungo then as I found Shuggie Bain pretty heartbreaking. I don't mind a bit of sad fiction but in small doses

 

[CommentBelow]

I have news which may be of interest.......or not.
My library has had in quick succession two drops of books (unusual).
Anyway, some of them rang a bell with me regarding this forum.
Soooooo I know some of you are reading the classics, well it seems there is a special East of Eden book just out, which the library have ordered. Here's a picture:

View attachment 3186188

Plus, they have got some Sarah J Maas. Here's a picture of one of them:
View attachment 3186190

Naturally I've ordered a few Christmas books and the latest Agatha Raisin for myself.
ETA yes, I know the author died. I like the way the new author writes.

Ooh I like the East of Eden cover!
---

Another shout out for The Count Of Monte Cristo. Once it really got going it ended up one of the best books I've ever read.

Now I feel like I should give up my chapter a day plan and fully commit… once I’ve finished the 3 other books I’ve currently got on the go.
---

I just finished The Virgin Suicides. I had actually read it before as a pretentious 16 year old who wanted to impress my bf at the time but I didn’t understand it at all back then. I sort of wish I could give it two ratings - 4 stars for how clever it is - it will definitely stay in my thoughts after this evening, and then 3 stars for enjoyable reading experience (because it wasn’t, either time round!),

Can’t decide what to read next. Thinking Young Mungo OR the latest Bella Mackie. I also want to read Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie but I’ve tried that before and DNF due to not being in the right headspace. Not sure if I want something a little less literary and a bit more ‘attention grabby’ for my next read, and then after that try and read MC.

I think you should go for Bella (purely because it’s on my next up pile!)

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Il come back later about Young Mungo. Someone tag me if I dont.

 

[emmer_moans]

Hmmm, I read Midnights Children earlier this year and would suggest that your headspace wasn’t the problem and that actually it’s just an awful book! For me it’s as prime example of award winning novels that are actually terrible reads that we were discussing earlier in the thread.

I loved the idea of the main premise/storyline but most of it is soooo pretentious and rambling that it’s really hard work to get through. It could easily be 300 pages shorter and you’d still get the characters to the same point. I’ve never read any other Salman Rushdie (and won’t be!) but I felt the book was more about him showing everyone how clever and intellectual he is rather than trying to tell an interesting story about the characters he created.

When I studied A Level English my English teacher was obsessed with Salman Rushdie and she tried to get us to read it for fun (it was extra curricular) and I don't think any of us did, really... I think I started one and I DNF'd, and I think my poor teacher just wanted someone to enthuse about his writing with

 

[wishiniwasskinny]

I’m watching Bake Off and a contestant did a showstopper of a book illusion cake. It was fabulous! Books were Mythos, Heartstopper, Song of Achilles and another I can’t remember.

 

[inksmear]

Hmmm, I read Midnights Children earlier this year and would suggest that your headspace wasn’t the problem and that actually it’s just an awful book! For me it’s as prime example of award winning novels that are actually terrible reads that we were discussing earlier in the thread.

I loved the idea of the main premise/storyline but most of it is soooo pretentious and rambling that it’s really hard work to get through. It could easily be 300 pages shorter and you’d still get the characters to the same point. I’ve never read any other Salman Rushdie (and won’t be!) but I felt the book was more about him showing everyone how clever and intellectual he is rather than trying to tell an interesting story about the characters he created.

Haha that will be my excuse if I dnf again!

edit to add: I picked up Pet Sematary by Stephen King instead of any of the books I was debating in my last post because I had a tit morning and was in such a rush I just grabbed the nearest book on the shelf that I hadn’t already read to read on the train into work. I am actually gripped already, although fearing for my life for when it starts getting scary.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Young Mungo. I adored it. Those on this thread will know how much I loved Shuggie Bain. Top 5 character for me across all the books Ive ever read.

I remember saying at the time the supporting cast of YM were so much more fleshed out than those of Shuggie Bain.

Its a bleak book, I found Shuggie bleak but with an undercurrent of love. Young Mungo isnt like that, its like a sledgehammer to the chest. There is no soft edge its just rough and heartbreaking.

Check the trigger warnings. If you have any issues with sexual assault, grape, child abuse then Id avoid.

Its been over 2 years since I read it and I think about it alot.

If youve not read Shuggie. Read it first also I went into a huge deep dive about it in Thread 8 of Books.

 

[cill2019]

I listened to The Bee Sting on audio book, and I enjoyed the book so much more because I didn’t get frustrated about the lack of punctuation. I’m currently reading Prophet Song — another book with no paragraphs or speech marks!

Prophet Song is an amazing book! I listened to it on audible last year and still think about it Trespasses is another book with no speech marks and it drove me mad, I had to listen to it because I couldn’t make sense of it

 

[Eureka]

Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo are excellent books, very bleak but A Little Life is my favourite book of all time so I lap that stuff up.

I do find though that I get the events in them mixed up a bit, they are very similar.

 

[daisynoon]

An achievement of sorts (though I might have to break the streak by force at this point...)

 

[LydiaDeetzHat]

Has anyone here joined a "silent book club" event?
I've realised there's one fairly locally to me and they do appeal since there's no pressure to read one particular book or even socialise. Ideally I'd like to make some friends but I always feel awkward describing the book I'm currently reading to another person

admit i don't really understand these.. if it's just communal reading in silence doesn't that happen in public anyway? I once had the gloriously lovely experience of being in a tube carriage where everyone was reading.... books , e readers, newspapers etc in an age where everyones looking at their phone like a zombie it was beautiful. There must have been about 15 or 20 of us in there from all ages and types

 

[StrawberryBanana90]

admit i don't really understand these.. if it's just communal reading in silence doesn't that happen in public anyway? I once had the gloriously lovely experience of being in a tube carriage where everyone was reading.... books , e readers, newspapers etc in an age where everyones looking at their phone like a zombie it was beautiful. There must have been about 15 or 20 of us in there from all ages and types

Yeah I thought the same! I think it's more the aspect of you can stay behind the allotted "time" and strike up a conversation with someone about reading but there's also no pressure to stay. Probably an easier way to talk to readers than in a more public setting.

 

[SaintLeo]

An achievement of sorts (though I might have to break the streak by force at this point...)
View attachment 3190225

Impressive! I’ve had a couple of times when my daily streak has been broken when I don’t think it should have been (no idea what happened on 5th September, I’m sure I’d have read something on that day!), plus I’m a one book at a time reader so if I do pick up a physical book rather than my Kindle it’s hard to keep a daily streak going.

I am on a bit of a mission to keep that weekly one up though. Aiming for 500!!