Books #36

[StephenTJackson]

I don't need new books, but I couldn't resist double points. So, I've pre-ordered paperbacks of The Will of the Many, The Wedding People and The Two Loves of Sophie Strom.

You do need The Will of the Many though. So this is completely acceptable and you were right not to resist.

 

[Blueblue123]

No. You get the gist of a plot from the summary and if it's obvious it's about something personally triggering - i.e. suicide, infertility, etc then you should have the intelligence to avoid it.

I've read books with things people might find triggering that you'd never guess from the plot. But then I read mostly thriller so it's a given something horrible might happen.

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

I'm on the fence when it comes to trigger warnings in general and I've heard the argument that sometimes the warning creates more anxiety than the content itself.

I'm sympathetic to people who don't want to be caught off guard but I'm not sure how realistic it is to expect to go through life without learning to cope with sudden feelings of discomfort.

It makes more sense if the potential trigger is especially detailed or a massive part of the plot.

I don't have any triggers personally but I've definitely skipped pages in some books when something was hard to read.

 

[anniemouse]

The meme thread is slagging us off....

View attachment 3529517

I mean this is my whole life whether it’s books, knitting or games. I always thought it meant I’d be prepared for an apocalypse but lockdown disproved that theory

 

[Blueblue123]

You're all readers, as am I, but do any of you write at all?

Yes, it's my profession

 

[veronica71]

Ive actually only bought 5 kindle books this year which is unheard of for me.

3 of them which Ive read already. 1 I bought as I had it from the library and was in the middle of reading it and couldn't renew as someone else had it on order so noticed it was a daily deal and snapped it up to let me continue to read it.

Its physical books which are an issue, so Ive swapped one problem for another. In the past few months Ive bought about 30 books which is alot and probably about 30% of books Id actually read in a year so I do need to calm it down but I have so many pre orders

Repeat after me the phrase I’ve taught my kids ‘you can never have too many books’

also ‘it could be worse it could be drugs’ - not for the kids that one

Sorry I’m probably not helping.

 

[LaBlonde]

Same i haven't actually read the last 3 days. Nothing seems appealing at all.

same!!!!

i’m reading same as it ever was (after loving the most fun we ever had) and it’s a big book that i feel like i’m climbing a mountain to get through i don’t care about any of the characters at all, even if the writing is beautiful. i can’t wait to finish it.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

There are deluxe editions of You and Me on Vacation and also Book Lovers coming. I got the Deluxe version of Beach Read last year and whilst its lovely Im not sure that its worth the £30+ cost.

Ive obviously pre ordered the other 2 though.

I came home from work to the Waterstones signed copy of Great Big Beautiful Life and also the deluxe It Happened One Summer.

I cannot resist a beautiful book

 

[AllieBee]

Average reading month, managed 11 books but most of them were pretty average reads.

I enjoyed:
Lethal White (Galbraith/JKR) 5 stars
The Dictionary of Lost Words (Pip Williams) 4.5 stars
The Liars Bones (Morag Pringle) 4 stars

Rest were meh and 3-3.5 stars apart from The Cuckoo Sister which I gave 2 stars to because it was just a bit idiotic and silly with a very unrealistic storyline.

 

[Foxvint]

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

No. Books and book shops should be temples of critical thinking. The patronising tiptoe approach to difficult subjects does us all a disservice. We're all alive today because our ancestors suffered unimaginable difficulties so we can definitely handle uncomfortable texts that agitate against our values. Humans are wonderfully resilient. Trigger warnings spilled over from academia, they shouldn't be adopted by publishing. Just avoid a book if you're not up to a particular subject.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

Im an all or nothing sort of person. Ive had 12 books arrive this week alone which is ridiculous.

I have really cut down my digital book purchases thankfully!

 

[veronica71]

@ordinaryjelly you've done amazingly with your book buying ban!

you really have - I'm in awe


Talking about the cost of books - they seem to have really increased lately just like everything else!

 

[wishiniwasskinny]

I have Wuthering Heights sat on my TBR at the side of my bed. I bought it in Brontë country (Haworth) in a local bookstore. I have a “thing” where I get a book from an independent bookstore in a place i visit. I usually try and relate it to the place. The best bookstore I’ve done this at is Shakespeare and Co in Paris. They stamp the inside of the books you’ve bought and you get a little linen book bag with their logo (which now holds my Kindle)..

 

[AllieBee]

Anyone read the Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp? It was meant to be a cosy crime/murder book but quite honestly I found it ridiculous. I DNFd after a few pages when Agnes lost her false teeth and then suddenly they were spotted on the back of the tortoise!

 

[Pinkii]

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!

there was a recent book/author who was definitely problematic- she wrote a love story between a man who fell in love with the girl when she was 3 baring in mind she was a mum and had 2 toddlers!!!

i believe she was arrested maybe? ( had to hide the content as it was truly disturbing)

 

[SaintLeo]

I generally will just start the next one, but in some cases definitely find that I need a day or two to process and if I try to start something else too soon I find I just can't really settle into a new book.

I don’t necessarily need any time to process previous reads, but I do sometimes find it slow going to get into a new book too. My daily StoryGraph pages read graph has very clear dips when one book ends and another one finishes!

I don’t think that’s because my last book is still lingering with me, more that sometimes it takes a little while to find my feet in the world and characters of the new one.

 

[anniemouse]

This thread has actually been a great support to me for a long time. So its made me quite sad to see that tbh. Ive always felt this is a great thread where everyone is supportive regardless of what is being spoken about, not just books.

Its probably my time to head out. Take care.

This is sad.

My feelings are that although I personally don’t need trigger warnings I can respect that other people’s mileage may vary and I don’t judge on that.

I’m currently reading The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah on Kindle and James by Percival Everett physical book.

 

[cill2019]

Finished Fourth Wing on audible I am NOT ok

 

[Harlot O'Scara]

Haven't posted in here for a while but I've managed to get back into the groove a bit with reading and I'm nearly back on track for my target for the year. Yay!

April reads:

Ice Station Zebra - Alistair MacLean (4 )
The Secret Lives of Colour - Kassia St. Clair (4 )
Angels & Insects - A.S. Byatt (3 )
Cult Trip - Anke Richter (3 )
Finch - Jeff VanderMeer (4 )
The Glassmaker - Tracy Chevalier (3 )

Currently reading:
A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks - David Gibbins

(Also added 5 books to by TBR with the month's Amazon deals )

 

[nbt]

I’ve returned both. I never realised it was so easy, they don’t even ask for a reason

I might treat myself to Wonderland as it’s our book club read. I really wanted to read it but I’m not adding to my kindle, so this seems like a win win

 

[OwlHen]

I’m heading on holiday and have a fine mix loaded onto my kindle. The first two Strike books, 4 unread Steve Cavanagh, and some beautiful trashy romances to get stuck into. Cannot wait!