Books #33

[AllieBee]

i absolutely agree with this.

i see it even in current books where the goodreads reviews are dragging certain characters for not acting certain ways or expressing problematic views even when those things are expressed for plot reasons. i think we need nuance in what and how we read and, like you, i hate the idea of older books being sanitised or impacted by what we now know about their authors (like enid blyton or roald dahl). just let them exist as they are!

I won't read a book that has been sanitised because to me the only person that can or should change the way a book reads or the meaning behind it, is the author themselves. Completely agree with the bit about modern books too, books can't all be airy fairy unicorny politically correct. That's not real life!

 

[cill2019]

A little to me, from me gift because I deserve nothing less can’t wait to read Christmas books wrapped in my blanket

 

[Mooordgirl]

60 books read this year - 7 more than last year and 8 more than my target! Chuffed with that!

Next years target is going to be 52 again.

Happy new year everyone, i look forward to many more threads in 2025!

 

[ordinaryjelly]

Spoiler: 25 days. Day 10

I think we all predicted that walking down the mountain would be a disaster. How do they think that sheltering behind a tick is going to offer them any protection from what must be really cold temperatures. How will they survive the night laying on just a wool blanket?

What is the implication of finding Bill's SUV? Was he really trying to get up the mountain to the cabin? Or is it a plant because he knew that sooner or later they would attempt to come down the mountain. Are they truly sure that that was his finger in the stocking? The same ring could be put on another finger.

Who was the man with the rifle? How did he get up the mountain? Has he been there all along? Is he the person with the snowmobile?

I am finding it difficult not to pull a @ToolaRoola and read on? Equally I am enjoying the suspense. I catch myself in the daytime pondering what is coming next.

I can't remember who first mentioned this book, but thank you! It is better than any Advent calender I have ever had.

 

[Harlot O'Scara]

Very impressed at the people on 100+, 200+ books! Last time I managed over 100 was lockdown!

I'm going to hit 65 this year and I was pretty pleased with myself for that

 

[Heidi88]

I finished The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah last night. It is a definite 5 stars from me. I enjoyed it so much. I rarely cry when reading but the ending was so emotional it did make me tear up. I am also a few days behind on 25 Days as I found The Nightingale so engrossing.

I've started Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These as a friend recommended it.

 

[ToolaRoola]

I convinced my mum to read 25 Days as well

I’ve just discovered…

She did a ToolaRoola on me

Yes , Mum

A woman after my own heart!

 

[PunkyMonkey]

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I fully support this decision. I finished it & wish I didn't bother. I'm still annoyed about it almost a full year later.

I hate DNFing but snap on Such a Fun Age and this has made me feel better!

I've just finished the Beartown trilogy and am in that lost/bereaved state of having wrapped up a completely immersive reading experience.
---
I knew I had something for this!

 

[LaBlonde]

i’ve been away for christmas but am finally here to do my roundup! can’t wait to read back over everyone else’s

2024 READING ROUND UP by me, lablonde

What is your favourite fiction read of this year?

IN MEMORIAM. destroyed me, i have thought of it constantly since. has entered the list of books where if someone brings it up in casual conversation i’ll kick a table over in my excitement to give a speech about it.

honourable mentions to shrines of gaiety, the will of the many, tom lake and beartown though.

What book/s surprised you good or bad? I.e did something not live up to your expectations or did any surpass any expectations you had for it?

sadly, funny story. emily henry and i have not been on a good run recently. faebound and the ministry of time both took really interesting ideas and somehow managed to make them extremely dull. long island also hugely surprised me in a bad way as a brooklyn fan also disappointed with how much i didn’t like think again.

on the flip side, one dark window surprised me in a very positive way, as did good material. under your spell was also a joy in amongst some slightly average romances.

If you rate books what was your average rating and/or sum up your year of reading.

according to goodreads, 3.3 was my average (from 87 books) BUT i did give more 5 stars than i have for a long while. i feel my standard 3 star basic romance rating has skewed that

Do you have a list of books you are aiming to read next year or do you have any reading goals for the year ahead, this doesnt have to be quantity based or anything like that.

i’m aiming for 70 again and anything beyond that is a happy bonus. also hoping to read more non-fiction and try and listen to more audiobooks. also, will 2025 be the year i free some space and buy a kindle?!? WHO KNOWS 🫠

 

[Ladeepfriedmarsbar]

Can I join in? Am on my annual Christmas reading fest now. Getting through the Tricia Ashley Christmas ones which will be closely followed by Jenny Colgan and India Knight's Christmas offerings. They are all comfort in a book. I need to squeeze in The Box of Delights and A Christmas Carol too. I don't have time to leave the house at Christmas with all the books I have on my list.

 

[Ladeepfriedmarsbar]

So I just went and found HotDudesReading on Insta (cheers @twilightgarden ) and I am down a right rabbit hole now of HotDudesWithDogs, HotDudesEatingHummus.... No time for Christmas reading now!

 

[ordinaryjelly]

Happy New Year, you lovely gang.

What book is everyone starting the year with?

I've just picked up What Lies Between Us by John Marrs. I know I'm not his only fan on this thread.

 

[ToolaRoola]

I knew it would happen, someone would break ranks and zoom off. I just thought it might take longer than 4 days to get there

It's taken me to day 4 to admit it, I raced ahead on day 1

 

[emmer_moans]

2024 READING ROUND UP

What is your favourite fiction read of this year?

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - this book consumed my every thought for the week I was reading it. Why can't I have a dragon pal that I can talk to telepathically, please?!


What is your favourite non fiction read of this year?

Well, considering I've only read one, it will have to be the Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken - it's certainly eye-opening and will be useful for my food consumption, going forward.


What is your favourite audio book of this year?

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? - Agatha Christie narrated by Emilia Fox. This one entertained me and opened up the rabbit hole of listening to audiobooks at work. Prior to 2024 I barely read a thing, it was a New Years Resolution in 2024 and I am now officially hooked on reading.


What book/s surprised you good or bad? I.e did something not live up to your expectations or did any surpass any expectations you had for it?

Good surprise - The Marlow Murder Club - Robert Thorogood. I read it expecting it to be 'meh' but I wanted to see if it was anything like The Thursday Murder Club, but I actually loved it and prefer Judith Potts and her gang to the TMC lot, even though I love TMC too. I just 'vibed' with the author's writing.

Bad surprise - Mrs Dalloway, My Husband, and The Vanishing of Esme Lennox - all 3 books bored me and lost me - all 3 had a stream-of-consciousness vibe and I realise that I just don't enjoy that format. At points it was almost painful and I nearly DNF'd them. Especially Mrs Dalloway which everyone seems to think is wonderful, when I read the reviews. I just felt like I couldn't 'access' the author's ideas as well as I probably should because the lack of breaks and constant flicking between characters just doesn't work for me, and then I find myself not caring about the characters much. Maybe it's how my brain works. But at least now I know that for sure and can avoid such books in future.


If you rate books what was your average rating and/or sum up your year of reading.

Average 3.5

Have you pre-ordered any books for 2025 yet / which books are you most looking forward to being released?

I have pre-ordered Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
There's also books from Tom Hindle, Robert Thorogood, Janice Hallett and Anthony Horowitz that are on my wish-list that I will pre-order soon. All books in their murder mystery series'.


Do you have a list of books you are aiming to read next year or do you have any reading goals for the year ahead, this doesnt have to be quantity based or anything like that.

I have a spreadsheet and I am aiming for 52 a year again, and between my bookshelf and my Kindle I have enough to cover that already ahahahahahaha, though of course people will keep releasing books and I will go 'oooooh shiny!'

My reading goal is 52, but I will focus more on continuing my random mix of genres to explore stories and try not to be too boxed in. This year I mixed audio, ebook and paper format and it worked for me depending on what I was doing, and also mixing genres has helped. Joining the Book Club thread around April 2024 also helped me read books I would never have picked up myself, and a few of them I really enjoyed. So I want to do more of this again in 2025.

 

[ToolaRoola]

I love my kindle(s) and will implore anyone to get one, but on this holiday so many people are using them and it means I can't nosey at what they are reading! It's great in reverse that they can't see I'm reading smut but I wanna know what people are reading, mainly to increase my ever growing tbr list lol

This is me on the train.

I'm fascinated, I love seeing people with proper books and I stare at them (the books) working out what they're reading and if I want to read it. I really want to engage in conversations with people reading books I've read.

I might actually start a weekly list of "books people read on the train" as I think it's quite rare as normally everyone has their head in their phones.

 

[StephenTJackson]

I feel like I'm in such a reading slump at the moment. Like mentally don't want to read. And when I do, just can't get into anything I'm reading. Even easy reads that shouldn't take long, I just can't be bothered with it.

 

[AllieBee]

3 days into the new year and so far I've not bought a single book. My NY resolution remains unbroken!

 

[lokp0009]

A good November for me!

Just for the Summer - .5

The Yorkshire Pudding Club -

Ice Queen -

Two by Two -

The Christmas Wish - .5

The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul - .5

Black Heart -

The Wrong Sister -

The Santa Killer -

Blue Sisters - .5

The Dee Valley Killings -

The Happiest Ever After -

The Winter Killer -

A Quiet Contagion -

The Devil’s Cliff Killings

 

[aalmaalm]

I’ve just finished my last book of the year & finishing on 99! I started reading again last year and spend a lot less time on my phone scrolling social media aimlessly!

 

[Heidi88]

I've read 20 books this year. I am around 60% through number 21 (The Ashes and the Star Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent). I hoped to finish it before this evening but i don't think i will manage it. While 20 is not a lot compared to what some people read I am so happy to have gotten back into reading. I loved reading as a child but fell out of the habit. I always did the Goodread's challenge and set targets of 1 book per month but never managed it. It was fantasy books that got me back into it this year. I read all of ACOTAR, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame and also the first two books in the Nyaxia series and the novella Six Scorched Roses.

Besides those I also loved The Nightingale by Krisitin Hannah, The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.