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StephenTJackson
VIP Member
I just ignore everything BookTok says now. Because it just seem to like books that aren't actually very good. Just super quick reads that take no effort, no depth and just about saying they've read something and numbers of how much they've read.Part way through and struggling with it, not sure whether to sack it off or carry on.
Think I have been influenced by Booktok because all these creators saying these 'thriller' books had them on the edge of their seat and I find them so boringmaybe i have a high tolerance level im not sure but please someone recommend me a book that will actually scare me.
Jellycat369
VIP Member
My goal this year was one book per month, figured I'd start slow as I was only getting back into reading. I had 4 that I didn't finish and I've finished 12 so am currently reading book number 17! Really proud of myself
LaBlonde
VIP Member
honestly, treat yourself, you deserve it. it sounds like you would use it loads and is a nice upgrade. consider it a little christmas present for yourself
my mum asked to see my kindle today and i had to launch myself at her before she made it to my library, which is currently full of what i can only describe as absolute filth. worth every penny!
ordinaryjelly
VIP Member
Your book of the year?
Mine is The Women by Kristin Hannah.
I have been to Vietnamc several times. I have seen the captured American tanks that are now children's playgrounds. Seen the museums showing just how devastating this war was. Seen a captured American taboo with it's whole story explained on a card. How senseless. How cruel. How barbaric. How the US bombed indiscriminately. How their helicopter sniper just shot randomly. How they wiped out entire villages, families. How they orphaned children for no reason.
How welcoming the people still are. How the maimed are still living without limbs. Faces torn apart. How they still want Americans to come and see first hand what they did.
How Phan Thi Kim Phuc, the Napalm Girl has made peace with America and how 50 years on she still takes (free) American surgery to fix the wounds and injuries that still plague her now.
Anyway, long way of saying The Women. The research Hannah must have put into this book i far reaching. I know it is fiction but it is also based on the Vietnam I know.
Mine is The Women by Kristin Hannah.
I have been to Vietnamc several times. I have seen the captured American tanks that are now children's playgrounds. Seen the museums showing just how devastating this war was. Seen a captured American taboo with it's whole story explained on a card. How senseless. How cruel. How barbaric. How the US bombed indiscriminately. How their helicopter sniper just shot randomly. How they wiped out entire villages, families. How they orphaned children for no reason.
How welcoming the people still are. How the maimed are still living without limbs. Faces torn apart. How they still want Americans to come and see first hand what they did.
How Phan Thi Kim Phuc, the Napalm Girl has made peace with America and how 50 years on she still takes (free) American surgery to fix the wounds and injuries that still plague her now.
Anyway, long way of saying The Women. The research Hannah must have put into this book i far reaching. I know it is fiction but it is also based on the Vietnam I know.
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wishiniwasskinny
VIP Member
Harlot O'Scara
VIP Member
I don't live anywhere near London but I have negative associations with Daunt Books because there's a regular customer at my work who always carries one of their bags and she's a right arseholeNot sure if you agree.
I couldn't possibly comment, not having been there...
'Best in the world': What makes Daunt Books so special? - BBC Sounds
Daunt Books has been named the most popular in the world.www.bbc.co.uk
Sir Lancelot
VIP Member
I've just read THE EXAMINER by Janice Hallett, told in messages and emails.
I thought it was great.
Apologies if it, or the author, has been discussed previously.
Edit: sorry, I see the author has already been discussed. My bad.
I thought it was great.
Apologies if it, or the author, has been discussed previously.
Edit: sorry, I see the author has already been discussed. My bad.
wishiniwasskinny
VIP Member
loving these round ups. Will do mine soon!
nbt
VIP Member
• A Heart for Christmas is shite and yet I’m gonna carry on with it
• This year was THE YEAR to reduce my Kindle unread. I’ve enjoyed going through them alphabetically and will continue to do so next year
• I’ve read 60/50 books in total this year
• The last two nights I’ve spent reading the new Lisa Jewell, borrowed from the library. 100 pages each night which I’m hella proud about!
• This year was THE YEAR to reduce my Kindle unread. I’ve enjoyed going through them alphabetically and will continue to do so next year
• I’ve read 60/50 books in total this year
• The last two nights I’ve spent reading the new Lisa Jewell, borrowed from the library. 100 pages each night which I’m hella proud about!
AllieBee
VIP Member
Favourite fiction - The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams and Death in the Spires by KJ Charles
Favourite non fiction - Suffragette by Emmeline Pankhurst
Don't listen to audio. Yet.
Bad Surprise - Demon Copperhead. It had such good reviews and I fully expected to love it. I found it a slog. Also cant let the year end without saying how much I hated a Heart for Christmas, I bailed at day 6. I was really excited to read an advent book as you all had such a good time with last years!
Average rating - 3.8 stars
Next year - the Hallmarked Man in paperback
Reading goal - introduce more classics to my reading and read every single day of 2026, current streak is 215 days for this year.
Thanks for this i love reading everyone's answers
For me the joy of my Kindle it’s simplicity. It doesn’t have apps or a browser to distract me. I read on it and keep an unlimited supply of books in one place and that’s all I really need it to do. If you like things like wireless charging and auto adjusting lights then go for the signature, but if what you really want is just to be able to read I’d go for whatever gives you an upgrade on your current version for the lowest price.
daisynoon
VIP Member
I just finished The House on the Strand, and I think it will sit with me for a while! Had no idea what it was about when I was going in, and I think that's the best way to approach du Maurier.
Otherwise, my first Claire Keegan, and I also picked up The Correspondent which I loved! Plus the first in On the Calculation of Volume - such a fascinating concept.
Otherwise, my first Claire Keegan, and I also picked up The Correspondent which I loved! Plus the first in On the Calculation of Volume - such a fascinating concept.
What I love about charity shop books is that I feel like it’s the books that find me, rather than me going out to buy specific books.
If it’s a book on my very long wishlist or something that just really appeals, then it’s the universe saying ‘now is the time for you to read this book. Buy it’.
That’s my excuse anyway
If it’s a book on my very long wishlist or something that just really appeals, then it’s the universe saying ‘now is the time for you to read this book. Buy it’.
That’s my excuse anyway
LaBlonde
VIP Member
thank you @mindlessness i love doing these!
2025 READING ROUND UP
What was your favourite fiction read of this year?
can’t pick one, any of: on the savage side, shark heart, the great believers, sorcery and small magics, and the safekeep
What book/s surprised you good or bad?
all the colours of the dark might be the most disappointedly overhyped book i read all year. the boys of tommen books (of which i read about one and a half) also shocked me by just how trauma porn they are.
If you rate books what was your average rating and/or sum up your year of reading?
read 85 books, goodreads tells me my average rating was 3.1 which seems about right! a year of some very very good books and also some really poor ones.
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?
aiming to read around 80 again, hoping to read some more non-fiction as i read precisely none this year. and also to stop buying so many romances in the works as i know i will not like them 🥲
2025 READING ROUND UP
What was your favourite fiction read of this year?
can’t pick one, any of: on the savage side, shark heart, the great believers, sorcery and small magics, and the safekeep
What book/s surprised you good or bad?
all the colours of the dark might be the most disappointedly overhyped book i read all year. the boys of tommen books (of which i read about one and a half) also shocked me by just how trauma porn they are.
If you rate books what was your average rating and/or sum up your year of reading?
read 85 books, goodreads tells me my average rating was 3.1 which seems about right! a year of some very very good books and also some really poor ones.
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?
aiming to read around 80 again, hoping to read some more non-fiction as i read precisely none this year. and also to stop buying so many romances in the works as i know i will not like them 🥲
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StephenTJackson
VIP Member
707 pages and not a word wasted. I will review without giving details/spoilers.
The Strength of the Few -
Wow. Just wow.
When I read The Will of the Many I had no real expectations about what I was going to read. So when it was one of the best books I've ever read it stayed with me, and as you know I've raved about it for the last 18 months or so. My worry with The Strength of the Few was that my expectations and hopes were going to be so high they simply could not be matched and I was going to be left disappointed. But that was not the case.
I would say Part I worried me because its pace was slower, but I was aware that due to what was revealed at the end of the first book, ending with Vis in 3 places we ultimately have 3 stories to be told. So there is a lot of nee world building going on, new characters to introduce and a lot of establishing work to do. It's interesting and intriguing, but steady.
Part II and Part III however are when this book really steps up the pace and intensity. And from then on the book doesn't stop. This book hurts you, heals you, makes you weep, makes you laugh, makes you have hope, breaks you, puts you back together, piles so much on you and just keeps making you want more.
The complexity of the story, always leaving you to find out more history, back story and details later on keeps you guessing and intrigued. But still gives you enough throughout.
Ultimately I'm struggling to put into words just how brilliant this was. I feel bereft at the ending, it's an emotional rollercoaster for reasons you have to read it to understand.
And I'm just gonna spend the presumably next two years desperately waiting for the third and final part of the Hierarchy Trilogy to see how it all ends.
The Strength of the Few -
Wow. Just wow.
When I read The Will of the Many I had no real expectations about what I was going to read. So when it was one of the best books I've ever read it stayed with me, and as you know I've raved about it for the last 18 months or so. My worry with The Strength of the Few was that my expectations and hopes were going to be so high they simply could not be matched and I was going to be left disappointed. But that was not the case.
I would say Part I worried me because its pace was slower, but I was aware that due to what was revealed at the end of the first book, ending with Vis in 3 places we ultimately have 3 stories to be told. So there is a lot of nee world building going on, new characters to introduce and a lot of establishing work to do. It's interesting and intriguing, but steady.
Part II and Part III however are when this book really steps up the pace and intensity. And from then on the book doesn't stop. This book hurts you, heals you, makes you weep, makes you laugh, makes you have hope, breaks you, puts you back together, piles so much on you and just keeps making you want more.
The complexity of the story, always leaving you to find out more history, back story and details later on keeps you guessing and intrigued. But still gives you enough throughout.
Ultimately I'm struggling to put into words just how brilliant this was. I feel bereft at the ending, it's an emotional rollercoaster for reasons you have to read it to understand.
And I'm just gonna spend the presumably next two years desperately waiting for the third and final part of the Hierarchy Trilogy to see how it all ends.
LaBlonde
VIP Member
my november reads! i’m including creation lake even though i only made it halfway through and am sorry for the innocent soul who may pick it up from the tesco donation shelf.
masters of death - olivie blake
playing offside - jax calder
the names - florence knapp
very secret society of irregular witches - sangu mandanna
the favourites - layne fargo
the silence factory - bridget collins
for the fans - nyla k
creation lake - rachel kushner
masters of death - olivie blake
playing offside - jax calder
the names - florence knapp
very secret society of irregular witches - sangu mandanna
the favourites - layne fargo
the silence factory - bridget collins
for the fans - nyla k
creation lake - rachel kushner
Katykatykaty
VIP Member
I’ve ended up in hospital unexpectedly and I’m tearing through Noelle W. Ilhi’s new book Forget You Saw Her. It’s a prequel to Ask For Andrea and I’m loving it. I always like how pacey her books are and this is no different. It’s certainly helping to pass the time.
I finished My Friends by Fredrick Backman last night and loved it. May be controversial in this thread but I think it’s better than the Beartown trilogy. Lots of the same themes - troubled teens in difficult family situations, people trying to find their place in the world - but for me a more satisfying story, so if you’re a Beartown/Backman fan definitely pick it up.
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StephenTJackson
VIP Member
2025 Reading Round Up
What was your favourite fiction read of this year?
Well obviously I have to comment on my love of The Strength of the Few - James Islington. I adored the first book and spent 2 years raving about it. The sequel didn't disappoint, expanded its world in a extremely ambitious expansion and landed it so well for me. I loved it and eagerly anticipate the final book of the Trilogy.
I will also mention The Count of Monte Cristo. I had it on the shelf for some time and was intimidated a bit by it's sheer length. But it was well worth reading. A story that really hasn't particularly aged either, it still feels so very fresh and again the scale and ambition of the story told was remarkable. Still so readable to a modern audience.
What was your favourite non-fiction read of this year?
Not read much non fiction this year. But would say Let's Do It The Authorised Biography of Victoria Wood by Jasper Rees. A remarkable woman taken way too soon. The depths and breadths of her talents and skills are still under appreciated by many. But learning more about her childhood, growing up, just how painfully shy she could be, all the things that contributed to make her the woman she was, really really fascinating to read more about Victoria Wood.
What was your favourite audio book of this year?
N/A
What book/s surprised you good or bad?
I was surprised just how current The Count of Monte Cristo still feels.
Disappointed in Here One Moment - Liane Moriarty, just didn't really go anywhere for me.
If you rate books what was your average rating and/or sum up your year of reading?
N/A
Have you pre-ordered any books for 2026 yet / which books are you most looking forward to being released?
Have a raft of books already pre ordered - thank you Triple points Waterstones black Friday deal.
Probably most looking forward to the next Eddie Flynn by Steve Cavanagh, the next Rob Rinder, Marlow Murder Club. My favourite series that returning to is like a warm familiar blanket of characters you know and love.
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?
Trying to work through more of what is on my shelves, be a bit more selective with what I buy, but also continue to work on my long term reading projects - probably just focusing on British Library Crime Classics series and Agatha Christie's bibliography as my main two reading projects. Maybe starting to work on the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton.
What was your favourite fiction read of this year?
Well obviously I have to comment on my love of The Strength of the Few - James Islington. I adored the first book and spent 2 years raving about it. The sequel didn't disappoint, expanded its world in a extremely ambitious expansion and landed it so well for me. I loved it and eagerly anticipate the final book of the Trilogy.
I will also mention The Count of Monte Cristo. I had it on the shelf for some time and was intimidated a bit by it's sheer length. But it was well worth reading. A story that really hasn't particularly aged either, it still feels so very fresh and again the scale and ambition of the story told was remarkable. Still so readable to a modern audience.
What was your favourite non-fiction read of this year?
Not read much non fiction this year. But would say Let's Do It The Authorised Biography of Victoria Wood by Jasper Rees. A remarkable woman taken way too soon. The depths and breadths of her talents and skills are still under appreciated by many. But learning more about her childhood, growing up, just how painfully shy she could be, all the things that contributed to make her the woman she was, really really fascinating to read more about Victoria Wood.
What was your favourite audio book of this year?
N/A
What book/s surprised you good or bad?
I was surprised just how current The Count of Monte Cristo still feels.
Disappointed in Here One Moment - Liane Moriarty, just didn't really go anywhere for me.
If you rate books what was your average rating and/or sum up your year of reading?
N/A
Have you pre-ordered any books for 2026 yet / which books are you most looking forward to being released?
Have a raft of books already pre ordered - thank you Triple points Waterstones black Friday deal.
Probably most looking forward to the next Eddie Flynn by Steve Cavanagh, the next Rob Rinder, Marlow Murder Club. My favourite series that returning to is like a warm familiar blanket of characters you know and love.
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?
Trying to work through more of what is on my shelves, be a bit more selective with what I buy, but also continue to work on my long term reading projects - probably just focusing on British Library Crime Classics series and Agatha Christie's bibliography as my main two reading projects. Maybe starting to work on the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton.
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