Books #36

[twilightgarden]

Sunday chilling on the sofa with a coffee and maybe a slice of cake reading Sweet Valley High oh the nostalgia!

 

[StrawberryBanana90]

April was a great month for me! I don't think I've ever had this many 5 stars so close to one another! I do feel in a bit of a slump though now, nothing on my shelf is inspiring me but I don't want to buy more books just to get out of it.

 

[daisynoon]

Managed to finish The Moonstone last night so I'm able to add it to my total. I really enjoyed this month's reading. My least favourite was The Overstory which was achingly pretentious. The ones which will stick with me are Strange Meeting () and Assembly. I definitely want to seek out the rest of the Lymond Chronicles too.

 

[Libbylulu]

April Reads

The Wrexham Killings -
The Colwyn Bay Killings -
The Chester Killings -
The Llangollen Killings -
The Wirral Killings -
When We Believed In Mermaids - .5
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - .5
The Sunrise on the Reaping -
The Dutch House -

there’s a lot of killings in North Wales

 

[ordinaryjelly]

I just want to say it wasn't my intent to hound anyone off of this thread, more of we expect a warning for triggering subjects in books - why are we not doing the same here - hiding behind spoilers:

Spoiler

child loss, ocd, trichotillomania, birds, abuse, rape, alcoholism, disability, trauma and so on

It just can't be one and not the other. Why is it ok to trigger people on here (and I am glad this can be a source of support for people, Lord knows when I was paralysed your support was unending and I have never forgotten that kindness) and not be triggered by the paper back you picked up in Asda?

I hope @Caffeine Fiend is OK and taking care of herself.

 

[CommentBelow]

I don’t mind trigger warnings if they are subtly placed so you can avoid if you don’t want to find too much out about the book.

I’d like them to ban putting you’ll never see the shocking twist coming off the front cover!!!

Omg yes! That and LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY or such like. No, let me decide if it’s funny thank you.

 

[anniemouse]

My April reads. Ove was my favourite

 

[ToolaRoola]

April wrap up

Mix of Kindle and audiobooks on Borrowbox this month.

Favourites were A man called Ove and Oh, Sister.

 

[Chocolategoggler]

I'm being offered discount to order more books from where I've just ordered ..........

The flesh is weak............

Resistance is futile................

.

 

[LaBlonde]

Me last night: I’m really inspired by the people not buying any books until they’ve cleared the backlog of their TBR stash. I should definitely do that.

Me this morning: sees Harper Collins has 40% off all books until Friday and immediately adds £30 worth of books to my basket.

same

always with the book buying ban until i’m in waterstones and it would be rude not to and i may as well pop in the works while i’m in town and if i’m ordering something from amazon anyway then why would i NOT add at least six books.

i literally bought a little book trolley this week to cope with the overflow from my shelves. and when i bought the trolley i also BOUGHT THREE BOOKS which have now already half filled the trolley. help me.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I went from being fully mobile to paraplegic in the space of 24 hours. For a while I was in a real woe is me phase, I couldn't read anything that was about disabilities/disabled people. That is my issue and I own it. I certainly wouldn't expect to be mollycoddled by a book seller. And where do you draw the line? I was dive bombed by a seagull for my chips on Bournemouth beach when I was 8, we are now well over 30 years later and I remember it clearly. Can we please get a seagull trigger warning?

I think people need to take personal responsibility and if you are triggered by xyz there are a lot of self help strategies that you can have in the background to help you through a tricky situation, paced breathing, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 5 minute feelings and so on.

Being triggered is horrible, but equally we are all unique with our own set of triggers. Just for Tattlers alone Waterstones have written 16 postcards for one book.

Sometimes the self help strategies do not work. The medication doesnt work. The therapy and the work you do every single day doesnt work. You spiral and you end up in a place you swore you'd never be again.

Sometimes the actual advice can be to avoid, from your mental health professional, despite showing up for yourself every single day and clawing your way back from the depths of hell.

I have had input from probably every sort of professional you could imagine. If I could just pull myself together and do the work and everything be great forever more believe me Id do it. I do, do it but sometimes it isnt enough.

Im sorry youve went through what you have and you have great resilience to get through it and manage it

Not everyone who would benefit from triggers are expecting everyone else to bow to them and shelter them, theyre looking for grace to complement the effort they put in every day to survive.

Im also so grateful for all the input and support Ive had to get me where I am. So many people are floundering on waiting lists and systems and can't be seen to even get the ball rolling on strategies to help them cope

 

[LaBlonde]

Of course you're entitled to your own opinion here, but I'm curious as to what you think trigger warnings ARE, if not a way to help people avoid the book like you say?

For full disclosure, my personal interest in trigger warnings relates to my own OCD. OCD is one of many mental health conditions, in this case incurable, that can be severely triggered and leave someone spiralling for months in a pit of debilitating mental health issues. For example, I spent months barely able to sleep or eat because I came across an episode of television relating to rabies, one of my personal triggers. Now I'm not suggesting books should have trigger warnings for rabies - it's far too specific and we can't set up the whole world for one person to never come across it. But broad and known to be very commonly upsetting topics like suicide or child loss? I just don't see why not to do that.

i completely agree. also an ocd sufferer here and also have very niche personal triggers that could never possible be covered in a list. BUT i can’t see how anyone would begrudge a page covering broader and more common triggers at the front of a book ESPECIALLY if it’s not clear from a synopsis. let people make an informed decision then. if you don’t want to read the list then skip it

i’m thinking in particular of lessons in chemistry here which has a very brutal assault scene at the start that isn’t signposted or made clear in the synopsis. i remember thinking then that there should have been a trigger warning, given how completely unexpected it was in how the book was marketed, how the cover looked etc.

 

[AllieBee]

@Caffeine Fiend didn’t just say goodbye to this thread did she?! She’s part of the furniture here. This isn’t ok.

Really hope not.

 

[PrincessConsuelaBanana666]

My April reads. A fab reading month which included 3 five stars!

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro 5

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami 3

Farenheit-182 - Mark Hoppus 5

Last Summer In The City - Gianfranco Calligarich 3

The Hotel Avocado - Bob Mortimer 4

11.22.63 - Stephen King 5

Summer In The City - Alex Aster 4

The Favourites - Layne Fargo 3

Life Ceremony - Sayaka Murata 4

Magnolia Parks The Long Way Home - Jessa Hastings 4 - I just finished this this morning - 4 stars may potentially be generous but there is something about this series where even though it frustrated me so much in parts I cannot stop reading it! Each of the 3 of these books that I have read so far I have flown through so Jessa Hastings is doing something right haha

 

[Boogs]

There are 8 Maggie O’Farrell books on 99p Kindle deal today. Old Boogs would have grabbed all 8 but new Boogs is trying to be less impulsive with Kindle deals. Which of these would you recommend?

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Found myself in Waterstones. Ended up buying 2 books in the BOGOHP offer.

I got Evenings and Weekends by Oisin McKenna (its been on my wishlist) and The Husbands by Holly Gramazio as its been recommended on here

I feel like Evenings and Weekends may be one youd like @LaBlonde if you havent read it.

 

[AllieBee]

Oh now there’s a question…should books have trigger warnings ?

For me personally, no. If I don't like a book I just stop reading it. But I do get that for others it may be important.

I have a much bigger problem with a book/author being described as problematic, and the rewriting of certain texts. I can't see how books can ever be problematic, they are usually older books, and they were written in different times and were of their time. Either don't read them, or read them as a learning experience, but don't rewrite them!

 

[CrackingOwlSanctuary]

I loved working at Waterstones in the late 00s. Unfortunately the pay wasn't great so I left for an offer I couldn't refuse, and it was the right decision because the store I worked in that was sometimes staffed by up to 6 Booksellers at once is now usually a lone bookseller, maybe 2 on a weekend.

But working in a bookshop is amazing and inspiring and I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance.

My manager at the time predicted the new fangled Kindle would be a flash in the pan

 

[Carapop]

I'd second the Olive Kittridge and anything by Strout

But it's a no from me on the following listed.
Hello Beautiful
Claire Keegan
Dolly Alderton
Blue Sisters

and Demon Copperhead. All of which I have read and found poor to mid. Jobsearching rn but will prob comeback with suggestions later..

One good thing is you should be able to find most of these listed second hand if they interest you

Gosh I loved Hello Beautiful and Blue Sisters, and anything and everything by Claire Keegan

 

[SaintLeo]

My April was definitely saved by Rules of Civility. Easily one of my favourite book of the year so far. Loved the Gatsby-esque feel of it, just a joy to read.

The Great Alone confirmed Kristen Hannah is not for me, and while Jojo Moyes normally is this one was just had such a stupid plot that I spent as much time rolling my eyes as I did reading it! The other two were fine but nothing outstanding.