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Books #43
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Ooooh I was very excited to see some of my top ten there, and that there were two Claire Keegan but then frigging Piranesi
My May reads.
Overall a good month, and i read 3 5 star books
Somebody I Used to Know by Wendy Mitchell - a memoir of Wendy's struggle with Alzheimers
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Mary Ann Shaffer - bit of a strange mismatched ending but I forgave that as the author died.
A Woman of No Importance - a biography of Virginia Hall, a female spy in WW2. I am a sucker for tales of strong women taking on the patriarchy and winning, this book was brilliant, historically accurate and on the nail.
4.5 stars
This is How We Are Human - Louise Beech
Worst book
Wrong Hands - Mark Billingham 1.5 stars. I love a good old crime detective novel but this was just really silly. The author was trying too hard to be funny and it just made the book real pathetic.
All other books somewhere in between, good enough reads
Overall a good month, and i read 3 5 star books
Somebody I Used to Know by Wendy Mitchell - a memoir of Wendy's struggle with Alzheimers
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Mary Ann Shaffer - bit of a strange mismatched ending but I forgave that as the author died.
A Woman of No Importance - a biography of Virginia Hall, a female spy in WW2. I am a sucker for tales of strong women taking on the patriarchy and winning, this book was brilliant, historically accurate and on the nail.
4.5 stars
This is How We Are Human - Louise Beech
Worst book
Wrong Hands - Mark Billingham 1.5 stars. I love a good old crime detective novel but this was just really silly. The author was trying too hard to be funny and it just made the book real pathetic.
All other books somewhere in between, good enough reads
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I just got to the bit in the first Crescent City book where Bryce hoovers up Micah 
The book took me a couple of weeks to read slowly at bedtimes but I enjoyed it, probably more than ACOTAR. I know SJM books get written off often as books for that went viral on tiktok, but I do find myself gripped by the world building and the surprises. It's good fun at the end of the day. I still have the other 2 Crescent City books left plus Throne of Glass: Tower of Dawn, Empire of Storms and Kingdom of Ash to read. I am on track to finish them before the new ACOTAR books come out.
The book took me a couple of weeks to read slowly at bedtimes but I enjoyed it, probably more than ACOTAR. I know SJM books get written off often as books for that went viral on tiktok, but I do find myself gripped by the world building and the surprises. It's good fun at the end of the day. I still have the other 2 Crescent City books left plus Throne of Glass: Tower of Dawn, Empire of Storms and Kingdom of Ash to read. I am on track to finish them before the new ACOTAR books come out.
I’ve seen enough hype about ACOTAR for it to pique my interest, but I sort of hate a book series. I begrudge having to commit to so many books before I know if it’s any good.
I finished Pictures of Him by Clare Leslie Hall this morning so perfect timing to include in the wrap up of my May reads! I know some people weren’t too keen on this, especially compared to Broken Country but I actually thought it was ok. It’s not going to make any best lists but it kept me interested for most of it.
Favourite of the month was Ordinary Time, raced through it in the sunshine last weekend! Least favourite was The God of Small Things which I had really high hopes for but it was too much about style over substance for me.
Favourite of the month was Ordinary Time, raced through it in the sunshine last weekend! Least favourite was The God of Small Things which I had really high hopes for but it was too much about style over substance for me.
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Don’t do it, it’s perfect for those who got into reading again during lockdown and don’t read loads, it’s essentially just a bunch of fairy porn
unless you like that (no shade as we all like different stuff). Throne of glass is much better and the first CC but all her new work has fallen flat for me.I read Houuse of Earth and Blood recently and really enjoyed it. It was my first Sarah J Maas. I have the second ready to go but I’ve been told I should read ACOTAR before CC.. which is putting me off going backI just got to the bit in the first Crescent City book where Bryce hoovers up Micah
What did you make of Lady Tremaine? I started it but couldn't get into it, and don't know whether it was the book or my mood
Thank you! I’ve got book two of an Elsie silver series on my kindle and I hated the first one but it’ll annoy me too much to leave the other one sitting unread.Don’t do it, it’s perfect for those who got into reading again during lockdown and don’t read loads, it’s essentially just a bunch of fairy porn
I don't think it matters too much. I read ACOTAR first because that's what the algorithms pushed to me first but I think I prefer CC much more.
Throne of glass is definitely better that ACOTAR, for me. I like reading SJM books in amongst my usual murder mystery and classics on my TBR. I enjoyed CC1 as it was more of a mystery than fairy porn.Don’t do it, it’s perfect for those who got into reading again during lockdown and don’t read loads, it’s essentially just a bunch of fairy porn
Josh Widdicombe's Archive of Pop Culture latest episodes are about Arthur Conan Doyle - interesting about him as an author and other bits about other authors too.
I really enjoyed those eps! Doyle lived quite a life! The Book Club podcast (from Goalhanger, with Dominic Sandbrook from Rest is History) recently did an episode on Hound of the Baskerville too.
The new Archive of Pop Culture episodes on the not-so-successful Spiderman musical are fun too.
i will disagree here, think you definitely need to read ACOTAR first
otherwise in the second book the whole my name is Rhysand thing won’t have the same impact and won’t make sense and then the whole Nessa and azriel part won’t make sense other.
they are so much fun - the Noel Edmonds one was a classic. I save them and then binge them in one go so I don't lose the thread
Thought I could squeeze 1 more book in, but no, so here are my May reads!
It’s Not What You Think — Clare Mackintosh — 3.5
The Marriage — K.L. Slater — 3.5
It’s Not Her — Mary Kubica — 3.75
The Wasp Trap — Mark Edwards — 3.75
The Birthday Party — Shalini Boland — 3.75
It’s Not What You Think — Clare Mackintosh — 3.5
The Marriage — K.L. Slater — 3.5
It’s Not Her — Mary Kubica — 3.75
The Wasp Trap — Mark Edwards — 3.75
The Birthday Party — Shalini Boland — 3.75
I don’t think you missed much really! It was a good premise but not brilliantly executed. I wouldn't rush back to it if it didn’t interest you first time round.
Some of the characters and storylines felt like they veered way to far from the original for it to just be a different POV, it really became a completely different story that just happened to have a couple of the same characters in it. Some of the later parts of the plot felt like drama for the sake of it, to the point where I ended up really not liking where it was going.
My May reads. I don't rate my books, but The Mercy Step was my most enjoyed of the month. I can't actually believe that The Correspondent has reached The Women's Prize shortlist alongside it.
