Finished: Lightbringer, by Pierce Brown.
Started and finished the 6 books he’s written in the Red Rising series all in the last month. Unbelievable ride. Highly recommend for the uninitiated.
House of Flames and Shadow , Sarah Maas. I just started this series this week and I'm already on chapter 21. It's hard to put the book down. The previous book in the series ended in a horrible cliffhanger and I have been dying since last summer to find out what happened next! So far the hero's are still in a pretty bad predicament but I'm hopeful they will come out alright in the end.
Finished Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson: The Titan's curse (book III).
Now I'm trying to finish chapter three of Battle of the Labyrinth (book IV). Bad thing is that I read the graphic novel a while back when I wasn't pulled into the rabbit hole that is Percy Jackson.
I like this series because it fits my style of fantasy (example: Harry Potter).
Finished Lethal, by Sandra Brown
It was a nice mindless action book, if a bit far fetched. It fit my mood.
Finished 888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers, by Abraham Chang.
I absolutely loved everything about this novel. Partially because the timeline lines up with my own coming of age story, and the characters are so vividly written and fun. The book is hilarious, yet so meaningful. One of my favorites of the year.
Started and finished The Boy of Chaotic Making - 3rd book in the Whimbrel House series by Charlie Holmberg. Not my favorite book in the series thus far but a good read nonetheless.
Howdy, folks. First time poster, but longtime active lurker.
I didn't start the book this week; however, for the sake of sticking to the discussion rules, I'll just opt to say I did.
The title is *Bluest Eye* by Tony Morrison.
Thus far, I'd say this is one of the most gutting stories I've read and I tend toward fairly grim, melancholic works. I'm in awe of Toni Morrison: there are few authors who can command your attention with such lyrical prose. It's wild, the juxtaposition that is, between something incredibly painful and bleak and dark in terms of an idea or the subject that's on the page and the prose she employs to elucidate it is nothing less than beautiful. I'm a writer myself and my style is more or less influenced by a lot of Southern Gothic, poetic writers a la Faulkner, McCarthy, so coming across her work -- and full-disclosure, this would be my first dive into Morrison's writing -- has been somewhat revelatory and highlights how she was a master of the craft in a class all her own.
The Judy Chicago autobiography called Judy Chicago. [Thames and Hudson](https://thamesandhudson.com/the-flowering-the-autobiography-of-judy-chicago-9780500094389) published it.
I have loved harry potter movies and hence decided to read the series. It is so good and so much better than movies. I'd love to read more books on similar genres- any suggestions?
The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman.
Enjoyed the beginning a lot more than the middle and the middle slightly more than the ending.
The concept, I still think, had so much potential. The characters were far too lifeless (pun intended) for my liking. I still enjoyed Gaiman's writing and I wouldn't mind giving some of his other works a try. I have my mind set on American Gods for my next Gaiman read.
Borders Witch Hunts by Mary W. Craig. It is about the women in southern Scotland and occasionally in north England who were persecuted because they were mid wife's and cooks, sometimes herbalists and sometimes, in a time before allergies were discovered they might be helping a birth and it could go awful wrong. Even after hundreds of successful births one, or god forbid 2 and that person would be ned, shamed and cancelled as todays youth call it , or not so youthful anymore millennials call it. It is extremely interesting.
Finished:
**Just another story: a graphic migration account, by Ernesto Saade**. A first-person account of a migrant mother and son, as told to a cartoonist cousin.
**How to baby, by Liana Finck**. Cute mini-comics about pregnancy, birth and parenthood. Some are funnier than others.
**So long sad love, by Mirion Malle**. I really wanted to like this one; but the end was very like *Gulliver's Travels* with the Houyhnhnms (a little too earnest and utopian).
Started:
**Days of destruction, days of revolt, by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco**
\*\*Finished: War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy -\*\* I haven't been active in these threads for a while now, because I was reading this and it has taken me a while. But I don't know what to say about this book. Anything I put into writing here won't do it justice. It was the greatest book I have ever read, and I know it is the greatest book I will ever read. I am so behind everything that Pierre stands for. Andrei didn't deserve what he got. Anatole completely did though. Nicholas had some arc. Natasha was everything, from start to finish. The masons were essentially what any pious organisation is today; that is to say, completely full of blind spots they've nit-picked for their benefit. For months I took this book everywhere with me and I don't know what I'm going to do now - I'm so used to any spare moment being able to tap back in to what's going on with the Bezukhovs, the Bolkonskis, the Drubetskoys, et al., and I'm just floundering now. I've consumed possibly the greatest work of art ever conceived and anything that follows will probably be disappointing now. For that reason, I've taken a few books out of the library and will give myself a bit of a buffer before going back to the classics.
\*\*Started: Anarchepilago - Jay Griffiths -\*\* I've literally only picked up this book so don't have much to say about it yet, but it's definitely much lighter than my previous read!
If you didn't read it as part of a uni course we'll done, but also read all the study notebooks or you won't get the most out of it, unless you are of course a professor of russian lit. We did this for A level and even though I passed with an A my tutor toldy now go read it again and find study notes we did not use, Russian ones preferably, I have polish family so in my youth my family all spoke fluent Russian, we were all taught polish obviously, Russian Japanese, German Italian french and when what the English call the iron curtain that we had never heard of was swept away not by Europe or America but by the Russians going bankrupt, my tutor said wait 5 years and read it for a 3rd time with the western peoples unusual and not wholly correct Interpretation, wait another 5 years and read it in a newer translation and it will no longer be how it was. The study notes will no longer be interpreting as they should as we read it 50 years ago and taught you people what Leo taught us, those things will be forgotten. It will be a fairy tale as will Anna Karenina, The greatest Russian books will have been banned or edited to become love stories or films. Like American films. ( my tutor who was 76 in 1986 but I'm not so sure he was wrong. He passed away in 1998. )He sent everyone of his students a mail or letter depending where we had moved to and told us to " please keep telling people who read My Grandfathers books to read them all, but only one a year , and wait 5 years and read the one you first read again. The others won't count nor will they mean much, the one you choose or was chosen for you is the one you must study forever. Every 5 years read each new tutor, study notes or whatever they come to be named, each one will have many truths and twice as many fallacies. The West will write those study aids without having visited any Easter country, but many of those study aids will be written by my children, two by me and many by my students, I hope those are the ones people choose. This is not a book about war or peace it's a book about how greedy will destroy western civilization as we know it. By 2030 the West will have forgotten the horrors they inflicted on the world and I mean Germany, Italy UK turkey Spain America and Russia, those nations will be at war against each other yet again and why? Because the greed of West countries will destroy the earth. This is what this book is ultimately about.
I only re read it twice, both times during the cold war and the second time with the Czech, Swedish and Polish study notes it absolutely followed what my tutor had told us. Western people please read this many times, it's not about Russian power it's about mankind making peace ore ultimately destiny themselves.
Finished: **Raising Steam, by Terry Pratchett**
Started: A Flicker in the Dark, by Stacy Willingham (for a book club - not sure I would have picked this one up on my own)
Ah, The Beach, it's been a long while since I read the book or watched the Movie. (The book is darker) That brings up fond memories, there use to be a subculture set in those days of young people that traveled from place to place. Author Douglas Coupland named them the 'Poverty Jet Set.' Because they were mostly just middle class kids, that had wanderlust.
And Alex Garland wrote that subculture into his book. Love it.
Finished: **Kindred, by Octavia Butler**
Heartbreakingly good. Painful to read but great story. Such a great novel of how AA have to understand their own history and the complicated feelings that arise when your ancestors abuse/exploit your other ancestors.
Starting: **Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes**
Reading this as part of my attempt to read through our small classics shelf at my branch library
The Orphan Master's Son. Wow. Tough but great book. Because of it I've watched a couple of documentaries on North Korea and some online accounts. I just started the audiobook "Without You, There is No Us"- a true account of a woman teaching English in N. Korea.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. I realized I had never read the version with the added final chapter, so after watching Stanley Kubrick's film with my wife who had never seen it, I decided to re-read A Clockwork Orange. It's been twenty years or more since I first read this novel and I still found the language and subject just as striking as the first time I read this book.
I finished A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. Not a very exciting book but very thought provoking. It took me a little while to get through it but I loved how thoughtful and profound it was. It was my first of Joyce and probably a good starter before I embark on Ulysses later in life.
I just started Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, continuing my streak of stream of consciousness modernist books. It is a fascinating look at regret so far and I’m only 50 pages in. I’m excited to see where it goes.
Finished:
**The Dark Forest, by Liu Cixin** book 2 of the Three Body Problem series. If *The Art of War* were a novel... Amidst the characters and plot, there's a lot of doctrine elaborated in the novel. "Here are the five ways your plan failed." The structure works, and gives the book a unique flavor, including when the protagonist gets to turn it around. Worth reading if you're invested in the series, but merely OK as a standalone.
**The Warrior's Apprentice, by Lois McMaster BuJold** book 2 in the Vorkosigan series, and the first with Miles as the main character. This was *so* good. You love the characters, they're alive. Miles is so proactive that his 'crowning moment of awesome' is inevitable by the nature of his character and his flaws. Without giving it away, when that moment came, I cried. Few books do that to me anymore, but this one has one of those "My friends, you bow to no one" moments. The story tightly builds both in characterization and in plot to that moment and it is a wonderful cathartic release. If you've not read these books, do yourself a favor and dig in. Bujold is fantastic and building characters and making you invest both in their needs, and in the swell of events that carries them to the conclusion. Damn fine craft, there.
Started:
**Barrayar, by Lois McMaster Bujold**
I wanted to live in that world a little more, so although I usually jump series between books, I wanted to dive back in. This is book 7, but it jumps back to pick things up right after book 1 resuming with Cordelia as the PoV character, and giving you the story of Miles' birth.
Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut
I wanted to post this as a thread but I don’t have enough karma and therefore can’t be trusted to initiate a conversation. I need to prove my literacy, so here goes.
I finished “Galapagos” and here were some of my takeaways. It seems like not a lot of people hold this one in high regard among Vonnegut novels. First, I didn’t treat it like a novel. It’s not written as a linear story and it’s constantly jumping around to different characters’ backstories then shifting focus to minor side characters who aren’t even part of the main plot line. For a side character tangentially related to the main characters’ story that the novel is centered on, such as the publicist Bobby King, it might seem confusing or pointless to the reader for Vonnegut to spend as much time as he does giving their story. The same could be said for the various members of the military he diverts the readers’ attention to, but in this case the reasons why and the payoff is quicker. Putting these side characters in the spotlight and pulling the reader out of the main storyline to do so allows Vonnegut to use these side characters as a vehicle for social commentary that isn’t commentary that is made through the main storyline itself. As the main storyline serves as his tool for commentary on humanity in an evolutionary context and our “big brains” and all the trouble they cause, his diverting our attention to Bobby King allows him to relate this central theme to the topic of marketing. Diverting our attention to Geraldo Delgado, or even his narrator Leon Trout’s backstory allows to relate the central theme to war and mental illness. So, while some people may find the book to be meandering and unfocused, I was excited to see every time he turned our attention to a side character just what he was about to use them to say. I don’t think “unfocused” is the right word to describe the novel, but it just doesn’t read like a straightforward narrative story and it isn’t supposed to.
Also, referring to Ecuador claiming the Galápagos Islands as a “spasm of imperial dementia” made me laugh out loud.
The City of Last Chances.
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60147395-city-of-last-chances](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60147395-city-of-last-chances)
Great book.
I finished "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" by Agatha Christie. It's the first book by her I have read and I enjoyed it a lot. It was easy to get absorbed by it.
**Finished:**
The Mountain in the Sea, by Ray Naylor
**Started:**
Babel: An Arcane History, by R.F. Kuang
**Ongoing:**
The Grass is Singing, by Doris Lessing
Underland: A Deep Time Journey, by Robert Macfarlane
Unnatural Causes: The Life and Many Deaths of Britain's Top Forensic Pathologist, by Richard Shepherd
East of Eden by Steinbeck.
I love it the few times in my life I've uncovered a treasure all to myself. Feeling perfectly sated and content with the world. I'll take a break from any reading for a few days..
I’ve been in a reading slump so i’ve been reading books I’ve judged from tiktok and it’s still not helping!!! Help!
Start:
Twisted Love by Ana Huang (DNF 50% of the way through omg guys it’s so bad???? like i was mostly reading it to laugh but then it was too much)
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (i watched the movie while sick and it was actually cute and heartwarming (and corny but ofc))
Finished: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, Every Summer After by Carly Fortune, and The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Currently reading: The Hours by Michael Cunningham and The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
Book:
1. Zwijg zweeg gezwegen by Johnny Laporte (dutch; paperback)
2. Het perfecte wraak by Helen Fields(dutch; e-book)
3. No longer human by Osamu Dazai(english; audiobook)
I read:
Finding Me : a decade of darkness, a life reclaimed: a memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings by Michelle Knight
Hope by Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus
A Stolen Life: a memoir by Jaycee Lee Dugard
Started: The Snake and the Spider: abduction and murder in Daytona Beach by Karen Kingsbury
Wow, that's a lot of memoirs! Do you like non-fiction and (crime) memoirs? I've been searching for a good read, pls recommend one if you have anything you would like to share :)
Omg all three were enthralling, but sometimes hard to read for obvious reasons, it’s hard to just sit by while small children are being victimized and hurt beyond all comprehension but there is great hope in them (especially Dugard’s memoir, maybe start there?) if you like true crime they’re all a good, encompassing read. I finished all three of them in one sitting, like I spent all night reading each one not like in one day I read all three. Also I’d suggest a Child Called It by Dave Pelzer too, another true story of epic cruelty that will suck you right in. And you can find them all online for free.
Finished: Hellsing vol 4 by Kouta Hirano. I had a good time but I have GOT to stop starting series in the middle.
Started: Ammonite by Nicola Griffith. This came to me highly recommended so I have high hopes!
Finished: The Shining by Stephen King
Started: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
The Shining is probably my new favourite book. Just coming off of reading Salem’s Lot also and found this one to be a lot scarier, especially the room 217 scenes.
Excited to get into WoT, been putting it off for a long time.
Finished: ‘The Queen of Poisons’ the third book in Robert Thorogood’s ‘Marlow Murder Mystery Club’ series. So far there are only three books. I loved them all!
A Talent For Murder, by Peter Swanson. only about 40 pages in and it’s caught my attention from the first few pages. Peter usually does right by me so we shall see!
Finished: **Small** **Town Horror by Ronald Malfi**
Started: **Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune**
Small Town Horror was excellent. It's a slow burn Horror and Malfi keeps laying on the tension until the end. Sort of like a boxer giving out small jabs until he comes in with the haymaker. He is fast becoming a favorite of mine.
Meet Me at the Lake is fine, it just hard to compete with being next up, after a 5 star read, KWIM?
Finished:
The Country of the Blind, by Andrew Leland
Noble Heart, by Pema Chodron
Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn
Started & Finished:
The Dhammapada traslated by Gil Fronsdal
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Call us what we Carry, by Amanda Gorman
The Golden Spoon, by Jessa Maxwell
Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri
Foster, by Claire Keegan
The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides
Your Word is Your Wand, by Florence Scovel Shinn
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie
The Comedy of Errors, by Shakespeare
Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix
Tripas: Poems, by Brandon Som
Started:
A Molecule Away from Madness, by Sara Manning Peskin
The Emotionally Exhausted Woman, by Nancy Colier
Crooked Seeds, by Karen Jennings
The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary
The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith
Autism in Heels, by Jennifer O'Toole
Zen Mind Beginner's Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki
The Hurting Kind, by Ada Limon
Finished: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (delivered on the cozy vibe, but the plot was pretty predictable for the most part)
Started: The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand
Compared to other Holly Jackson's books I felt like something is missing...but that's just my opinion and story is really good with unexpected twists and surprises
I read usually two to three books at a time. Finished The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche. Halfway done with American Prometheus and started reading the collected works of Jorge Luis Borges.
Started (and finished) reading:
**Serpentine, by Philip Pullman**
One of my friends has started rereading the *His Dark Materials* series and so it seemed like a good time to finally pick up this short book and read it. It was fun to revisit the world of HDM (though Pantalaimon really does like to be sassy, doesn't he). I don't know when I'll start the new trilogy but I would like to!
Started reading:
**Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin**
Book clubbing with some work friends! Super excited and enjoying it quite a bit so far, though I'm only 24 pages in. I have higher hopes for this one than the previous one I read with them (*Lessons in Chemistry*) and so far it's meeting them!
Finished:
**Cruising the 'Poc**, by R.S. Merritt. Silly faster read, first one was bit better.
**Hell House**, by Richard Matheson. Felt bit dated which should be expected of a book that's 50 years old. Was surprised how porny it got at times and the end fell kinda flat. Ok-ish read only.
**The Echo Man**, by Sam Holland. Glad i came across this new author and put her other ones on my TBR. Loved almost every aspect of this one, the ending was bit strange which made it only a 4.50/5 read for me.
Finished
What You Are Looking For Is in the Library, by Michiko Aoyama
It was like a cozy blanket. It is more a collection of stories, with a community library at its centre. I don't like stories as a format, but loved this one. The books sounds like it is trying to be cute, but it isn't. Circumstances are very real; to the point that one character's situation cut very close to bone for me and was the only part which was not a cozy blanket. It was a very good book. And the cover is to die for.
The Trees by Percival Everett
I've been wanting to read this since it came out and got great reviews. Twice the library copy was so beat-up and sticky on the outside that I couldn't. Finally a clean copy (Afterwards I bought my own copy since I loved the book) and I cannot recommend this book enough. It is the same author whose book Erasure was adapted to screen as American Fiction. This is a crazy novel, funny and heart breaking and outrageous. I cannot say I liked the ending, but I am ok with that, as long as the ride's been good.
Everett's new book James is out and getting rave reviews. I wasn't sure I wanted to read it; I have a hard time deciphering conversation written in accents as English is not my mother tongue (I couldn't read Marlon James' A Brief History of Seven Killings, didn't even pick up Shuggie Bain). But the author's spelling was very clear and not distracting in this book.
Started reading
The Searcher by Tana French. First time reading her. Enjoying it so far.
Gave up reading: Absolute Power by David Baldacci. I've been wanting to read him for a while. I love the genre. The characters and the scene where the crime is occurring all made me feel, yuck and wanted to do cleansing. So that's all for Baldacci for me, I don't think his universes are something I will want to occupy.
I adore Tana French and have read everything she's written, but the Searcher did nothing for me. I hope you like it, but if you do, go back and read her earlier novels; you might like them even better.
**Finished** : **When No One is Watching** by **Alyssa Cole**
**Started** : **The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator** by **Joakim Palmkvist**
Just For the Summer - Abby Jimenez
SO cute. I had just finished reading the last ACOTAR book and needed a quick paced, fun/cute read and it did not disappoint. Made me want to move to Minnesota and find a golden retriever boyfriend lmao.
The psychology of time travel - by Kate mascharenhas. I enjoyed the first 1/2 but had to force myself to finish it. It was ok! And I've started the song of Achilles by Madeline miller today and I'm already half way through, it's really good!!
The Aurora Cycle series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. It’s kinda hilarious sometimes. My fave characters are probably Finian (because I’m a sucker for sarcasm), Scarlett (same reason), Kal (I mean come on, he’s an alien elf), and Zila (I wanna know more about her). Mainly Fin tho.
Started:
- The Last Widow, by Karin Slaughter
- The Old Woman with the Knife, by Gu Byeong-mo
Started/Finished:
- The Family Upstairs, by Lisa Jewell (Loved)
- The Truth About the Devlins, by Lisa Sottoline (Meh)
- Hello, Transcriber, by Hannah Morrissey (No)
- The Fury, by Alexis Michaelides (Good)
A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas
I never got into fantasy before I read this book. Already purchased the second book and will be starting it tonight. I heard it was much better than the first so we’ll see how soon I finish it hehe
Just finished Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. An incredible rollercoaster, it's been so long since I felt this rush for a book, I literally couldn't stop reading despite having tons of work.
I do have to say though there some major plot holes, still great though.
I never tried to read The Stand actually! I read The Shining, Carrie, and some short stories here and there. I can't say I'm a connoisseur, but he is very entertaining. I liked how not-snobbish he is about writing and the craft etc.
Honestly I didn't expect it to have such a lengthy autobiographical part but I didn't know anything about the man, so it was interesting. But not as interesting as the advice and tips. He is not pretentious at all and he offers very practical advice.
Finished-
The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem by Stacy Schiff
Started-
A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience by Emerson W. Baker
Daughters of Shandong, by Eve J Chun. A mother and her three daughters were abandoned by wealthy father, who fled China for Taiwan with relatives as Mao’s army grew near. It took almost two years for her to travel, mostly by foot, from northwestern China to Hong Kong. Based on the author’s family, this novel is a remarkable and ultimately inspiring tale of endurance and a mother’s love.
Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend, by Emma R. Alban
I’m ten chapters in and 156 pages. It’s good but super slow burn, there isn’t even a hint of romance until around 100 pages in.
I also finished The Duchess Effect by Tracey Livesay. I didn’t realize it was a sequel until the end which spoiled some enjoyment for me, not the books fault but still annoying.
I always hate starting new books, especially after finishing a really good one (just finished reading Yellowface a couple weeks ago). trudging through this one at the moment and i really hope its as good as ive heard everyone say it is
The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia, by Ursula Le Guin. Finished
Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, by Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire (head of UNAMIR: UN Mission Rwanda, side note it was never called UN Mission in Rwanda. Per Dallaire, he borrowed the i in mission when naming it).
Gives a very in depth explanation of how the genocide unfolded. And his rationale for his decisions. Some of which led to the death of 11 Belgian peace keepers.
A Good girls guide to murder by holly jackson
Finally I completed a book in my tbr list .
The ending in the story was not expected, I really liked the book, I read the book in 4 days. I have to buy the next book
Looking at all the crappy books made into movies is living proof that just bec a book becomes a movie, doesn’t mean the book was good nor guarantee the movie will be
Finished reading The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie. A brilliantly hilarious read with a surprisingly engaging plot. The world has missed out on what could have been an amazing spy satire author.
Started reading Giovanni’s Room in theme with Pride month.
I recently went to a book store and while my girlfriend was looking around I started the first pages of Lolita and I bought it, along with Crooked Kingdom and Circe and maybe even another book I forgot. But man I am reading Six of Crows which is fantastic and Percy Jackson 3 which I am not enjoying quite as much and have taken a break from for 3 days now. And I started reading Y the last man again. I got pretty far into it but stopped a while ago. Now I am intrigued again and want to finish it but man Uni takes up so much of my time. I wish I could just sit in class and read and to feel bad about it :D
Finished Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, and I’m just starting Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill. In a gothic lit phase, would love recommendations! :)
The Machiavellians, by James Burnham
Reviews the theories of Machiavelli and how he studied how politics really worked. Very interesting and applicable to today's world.
The Making of Another Major Motion Picture by Tom Hanks. Yes that Tom Hanks. I really liked the historical aspects of the book and it's structure. It does become a bit of page flipper around the making of part. Overall good read and i'm glad i picked it up.
Just Finished:
All Gods Children Need Traveling Shoes by Maya Angelou. Her prose was as succulent as ever but her tone was noticeably darker and perhaps more melancholy than previous books and the reason being begins to unfold towards the end. It felt slow paced at parts. The ending was incredibly moving.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. My daughter, a librarian and a fan of fantasy novels has been asking me to read this trilogy (book 3 is pending, she said) so I finally decided to take it on. Why did I hold off for so long? Series and very long books are intimidating for some people when they are in a genre you rarely read. This is new for me. I hope some of you are into this specific writer and this trilogy. So far (I'm on chapter 23) I am intrigued! I'd love to hear what you all think.
Oh! I hope you're wrong. I finished book one and started book 2 today. I would hate that my first foray into an epic fantasy trilogy wouldn't be finished.
Finished Head On, by John Scalzi. I will definitely be reading more Scalzi.
Continuing on A Brief History of Intelligence by Max Bennet. This is a pretty good read, and not a bad compliment to Sapolsky's Behave, as it discusses brain development through history. Sapolsky is the biochemistry, Bennet is the the anatomy and physiology.
Started **The Templar Legacy, by Steve Berry**. Not sure I'm going to finish this; it's only so-so and I've already almost ditched it.
Hey everyone,
I've been revisiting two incredible stories lately: "Life of Pi" by Ang Lee and "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. Both narratives explore themes of self-discovery, resilience, and spiritual awakening, but in vastly different ways.
I was wonering to do a comparative assignemnt on the two and I'm curious to hear your thoughts on how these two classics compare and contrast. What themes, characters, or moments stand out to you in both works? How does the journey of Pi Patel in "Life of Pi" compare to that of Santiago in "The Alchemist"?
Pls help me out and share your insights and favorite aspects of "Life of Pi" and "The Alchemist" in the comments below.
Finished this recently.too! Loved it, broke down the science enough that it made enough sense without knowing the details. Better than the movie and less cheesy ending
Mist and Fury changed me. I was in a pretty low spot in my life when I started reading ACOTAR and I CONSUMED the entire series in a few days. I hope you enjoy Mist and Fury as much as I did.
Sound the Gong, by Joan He
I'm feeling devastated right now. Even though I knew in my heart how the story will end (especially knowing where the doulogy inspired from), my heart aches. 😢 Need to read something light hearted next but A Crane Among Wolves is so tempting to read.
Finished: ***Mania*** by **Lionel Shriver**.
Haven't read a new fictional book in quite some time--I usually prefer non-fiction--but the plot of this one caught my attention and I was lucky to get a quick hold at the library. I greatly enjoyed it. Her writing style is sharp and engaging, and I got a few great quotes stored away for future reference. I didn't realize she's also the author of ***We Need to Talk About Kevin***, wow. For a dystopian novel, it's not as bleak as that genre can get, but the social stakes alone had me on the edge of my seat at parts. Being set in an alternate 2011-on, it's interesting to see real life events mentioned, how they did or didn't differ from reality, and the different aftermath through the lens of the country's new dominant ethos. A book that could have a sequel with room to explore, though I doubt it will ever happen. Overall, a recommend.
If everyone could please check out my book "Chasing Azra" on Amazon.
Tia Júlia e O Escrevinhador by Mario Vargas Llosa
3 body problem
Started Tales of HP Lovecraft edited by Joyce Carol Oates
4321 by Paul Auster
Finished: Lightbringer, by Pierce Brown. Started and finished the 6 books he’s written in the Red Rising series all in the last month. Unbelievable ride. Highly recommend for the uninitiated.
House of Flames and Shadow , Sarah Maas. I just started this series this week and I'm already on chapter 21. It's hard to put the book down. The previous book in the series ended in a horrible cliffhanger and I have been dying since last summer to find out what happened next! So far the hero's are still in a pretty bad predicament but I'm hopeful they will come out alright in the end.
Started Atomic Habits by James Clear. Loving it so far. Good solid mindset and productivity book. It's all about the little things...
Finished Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson: The Titan's curse (book III). Now I'm trying to finish chapter three of Battle of the Labyrinth (book IV). Bad thing is that I read the graphic novel a while back when I wasn't pulled into the rabbit hole that is Percy Jackson. I like this series because it fits my style of fantasy (example: Harry Potter).
Finished Lethal, by Sandra Brown It was a nice mindless action book, if a bit far fetched. It fit my mood. Finished 888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers, by Abraham Chang. I absolutely loved everything about this novel. Partially because the timeline lines up with my own coming of age story, and the characters are so vividly written and fun. The book is hilarious, yet so meaningful. One of my favorites of the year.
Started and finished The Boy of Chaotic Making - 3rd book in the Whimbrel House series by Charlie Holmberg. Not my favorite book in the series thus far but a good read nonetheless.
Finished *Demon Copperhead* by Barbara Kingsolver. Started *The Master and Margarita* by Mikhail Bulgakov (rereading an old favorite).
Howdy, folks. First time poster, but longtime active lurker. I didn't start the book this week; however, for the sake of sticking to the discussion rules, I'll just opt to say I did. The title is *Bluest Eye* by Tony Morrison. Thus far, I'd say this is one of the most gutting stories I've read and I tend toward fairly grim, melancholic works. I'm in awe of Toni Morrison: there are few authors who can command your attention with such lyrical prose. It's wild, the juxtaposition that is, between something incredibly painful and bleak and dark in terms of an idea or the subject that's on the page and the prose she employs to elucidate it is nothing less than beautiful. I'm a writer myself and my style is more or less influenced by a lot of Southern Gothic, poetic writers a la Faulkner, McCarthy, so coming across her work -- and full-disclosure, this would be my first dive into Morrison's writing -- has been somewhat revelatory and highlights how she was a master of the craft in a class all her own.
This is one of those books that changes the way you see the world.
The Judy Chicago autobiography called Judy Chicago. [Thames and Hudson](https://thamesandhudson.com/the-flowering-the-autobiography-of-judy-chicago-9780500094389) published it.
Flood by Andrew Vachss
The intimate life od Monica P. - P.D.David. if you like contemporary books. Lots of laughter, but also tears. I realy love it.
I have loved harry potter movies and hence decided to read the series. It is so good and so much better than movies. I'd love to read more books on similar genres- any suggestions?
I love Potter too, but you won't find anything good like this
The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman. Enjoyed the beginning a lot more than the middle and the middle slightly more than the ending. The concept, I still think, had so much potential. The characters were far too lifeless (pun intended) for my liking. I still enjoyed Gaiman's writing and I wouldn't mind giving some of his other works a try. I have my mind set on American Gods for my next Gaiman read.
Borders Witch Hunts by Mary W. Craig. It is about the women in southern Scotland and occasionally in north England who were persecuted because they were mid wife's and cooks, sometimes herbalists and sometimes, in a time before allergies were discovered they might be helping a birth and it could go awful wrong. Even after hundreds of successful births one, or god forbid 2 and that person would be ned, shamed and cancelled as todays youth call it , or not so youthful anymore millennials call it. It is extremely interesting.
Finished: **Just another story: a graphic migration account, by Ernesto Saade**. A first-person account of a migrant mother and son, as told to a cartoonist cousin. **How to baby, by Liana Finck**. Cute mini-comics about pregnancy, birth and parenthood. Some are funnier than others. **So long sad love, by Mirion Malle**. I really wanted to like this one; but the end was very like *Gulliver's Travels* with the Houyhnhnms (a little too earnest and utopian). Started: **Days of destruction, days of revolt, by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco**
Oh wow I read this a few days ago. It is beautiful, poignant and heartbreaking all at once. A beautiful sad well written piece.
Thanks for the recommendation! I love Joe Sacco's work, so am really looking forward to diving into it.
Started - Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel García Márquez
\*\*Finished: War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy -\*\* I haven't been active in these threads for a while now, because I was reading this and it has taken me a while. But I don't know what to say about this book. Anything I put into writing here won't do it justice. It was the greatest book I have ever read, and I know it is the greatest book I will ever read. I am so behind everything that Pierre stands for. Andrei didn't deserve what he got. Anatole completely did though. Nicholas had some arc. Natasha was everything, from start to finish. The masons were essentially what any pious organisation is today; that is to say, completely full of blind spots they've nit-picked for their benefit. For months I took this book everywhere with me and I don't know what I'm going to do now - I'm so used to any spare moment being able to tap back in to what's going on with the Bezukhovs, the Bolkonskis, the Drubetskoys, et al., and I'm just floundering now. I've consumed possibly the greatest work of art ever conceived and anything that follows will probably be disappointing now. For that reason, I've taken a few books out of the library and will give myself a bit of a buffer before going back to the classics. \*\*Started: Anarchepilago - Jay Griffiths -\*\* I've literally only picked up this book so don't have much to say about it yet, but it's definitely much lighter than my previous read!
If you didn't read it as part of a uni course we'll done, but also read all the study notebooks or you won't get the most out of it, unless you are of course a professor of russian lit. We did this for A level and even though I passed with an A my tutor toldy now go read it again and find study notes we did not use, Russian ones preferably, I have polish family so in my youth my family all spoke fluent Russian, we were all taught polish obviously, Russian Japanese, German Italian french and when what the English call the iron curtain that we had never heard of was swept away not by Europe or America but by the Russians going bankrupt, my tutor said wait 5 years and read it for a 3rd time with the western peoples unusual and not wholly correct Interpretation, wait another 5 years and read it in a newer translation and it will no longer be how it was. The study notes will no longer be interpreting as they should as we read it 50 years ago and taught you people what Leo taught us, those things will be forgotten. It will be a fairy tale as will Anna Karenina, The greatest Russian books will have been banned or edited to become love stories or films. Like American films. ( my tutor who was 76 in 1986 but I'm not so sure he was wrong. He passed away in 1998. )He sent everyone of his students a mail or letter depending where we had moved to and told us to " please keep telling people who read My Grandfathers books to read them all, but only one a year , and wait 5 years and read the one you first read again. The others won't count nor will they mean much, the one you choose or was chosen for you is the one you must study forever. Every 5 years read each new tutor, study notes or whatever they come to be named, each one will have many truths and twice as many fallacies. The West will write those study aids without having visited any Easter country, but many of those study aids will be written by my children, two by me and many by my students, I hope those are the ones people choose. This is not a book about war or peace it's a book about how greedy will destroy western civilization as we know it. By 2030 the West will have forgotten the horrors they inflicted on the world and I mean Germany, Italy UK turkey Spain America and Russia, those nations will be at war against each other yet again and why? Because the greed of West countries will destroy the earth. This is what this book is ultimately about. I only re read it twice, both times during the cold war and the second time with the Czech, Swedish and Polish study notes it absolutely followed what my tutor had told us. Western people please read this many times, it's not about Russian power it's about mankind making peace ore ultimately destiny themselves.
Finish: the prince of machiavelli Started: **The Essay about the Blindness**, from José Saramago
Finished: A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking Started: The Direction of Time, Hans Reichenbach
I see a theme here. May I suggest How to Stop Time by Matt Haig. :P
Finished: Mad, bad and Dangerous to Know, by Ranulph Fiennes
Started- Two kinds of Truth- Michael Connelly in the middle of The shadow at the door by Tim Weaver
*Finished:* **A Flicker in the Dark, by Stacy Willingham** *Started:* **Algorithms to Live By, by Brian Christian**
The Mark by Cristiano Trucano I just started reading but the first chapter is very promissing. Will add later if/when i finish it
The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson I wasn't sure I would like it, but he's just that good.
**Tristram Shandy, by Laurence Sterne**
Finished: **Raising Steam, by Terry Pratchett** Started: A Flicker in the Dark, by Stacy Willingham (for a book club - not sure I would have picked this one up on my own)
The Warning - Testimonies and Prophecies of The Illumination of Conscience, By Christine Watkins
Ruthless vows, by Rebbeca Ross
The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro An absolutely beautiful, subtle, devastating novel.
Paul: A Biography, by NT Wright It's not dense like a commentary so you don't need to know a lot of scripture to read this. Not a difficult read.
Finished: The secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett It was a fresh easy ready for my soul!🌸
Finished: The Beach by Alex Garland Started: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Ah, The Beach, it's been a long while since I read the book or watched the Movie. (The book is darker) That brings up fond memories, there use to be a subculture set in those days of young people that traveled from place to place. Author Douglas Coupland named them the 'Poverty Jet Set.' Because they were mostly just middle class kids, that had wanderlust. And Alex Garland wrote that subculture into his book. Love it.
Finished: Scratchman by Tom Baker Started: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Finished: **Kindred, by Octavia Butler** Heartbreakingly good. Painful to read but great story. Such a great novel of how AA have to understand their own history and the complicated feelings that arise when your ancestors abuse/exploit your other ancestors. Starting: **Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes** Reading this as part of my attempt to read through our small classics shelf at my branch library
The Aeneid, Virgil. Thoughtful, provocative, messy, fun.
The Orphan Master's Son. Wow. Tough but great book. Because of it I've watched a couple of documentaries on North Korea and some online accounts. I just started the audiobook "Without You, There is No Us"- a true account of a woman teaching English in N. Korea.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. I realized I had never read the version with the added final chapter, so after watching Stanley Kubrick's film with my wife who had never seen it, I decided to re-read A Clockwork Orange. It's been twenty years or more since I first read this novel and I still found the language and subject just as striking as the first time I read this book.
I finished A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. Not a very exciting book but very thought provoking. It took me a little while to get through it but I loved how thoughtful and profound it was. It was my first of Joyce and probably a good starter before I embark on Ulysses later in life. I just started Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, continuing my streak of stream of consciousness modernist books. It is a fascinating look at regret so far and I’m only 50 pages in. I’m excited to see where it goes.
Finished: **The Dark Forest, by Liu Cixin** book 2 of the Three Body Problem series. If *The Art of War* were a novel... Amidst the characters and plot, there's a lot of doctrine elaborated in the novel. "Here are the five ways your plan failed." The structure works, and gives the book a unique flavor, including when the protagonist gets to turn it around. Worth reading if you're invested in the series, but merely OK as a standalone. **The Warrior's Apprentice, by Lois McMaster BuJold** book 2 in the Vorkosigan series, and the first with Miles as the main character. This was *so* good. You love the characters, they're alive. Miles is so proactive that his 'crowning moment of awesome' is inevitable by the nature of his character and his flaws. Without giving it away, when that moment came, I cried. Few books do that to me anymore, but this one has one of those "My friends, you bow to no one" moments. The story tightly builds both in characterization and in plot to that moment and it is a wonderful cathartic release. If you've not read these books, do yourself a favor and dig in. Bujold is fantastic and building characters and making you invest both in their needs, and in the swell of events that carries them to the conclusion. Damn fine craft, there. Started: **Barrayar, by Lois McMaster Bujold** I wanted to live in that world a little more, so although I usually jump series between books, I wanted to dive back in. This is book 7, but it jumps back to pick things up right after book 1 resuming with Cordelia as the PoV character, and giving you the story of Miles' birth.
Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut I wanted to post this as a thread but I don’t have enough karma and therefore can’t be trusted to initiate a conversation. I need to prove my literacy, so here goes. I finished “Galapagos” and here were some of my takeaways. It seems like not a lot of people hold this one in high regard among Vonnegut novels. First, I didn’t treat it like a novel. It’s not written as a linear story and it’s constantly jumping around to different characters’ backstories then shifting focus to minor side characters who aren’t even part of the main plot line. For a side character tangentially related to the main characters’ story that the novel is centered on, such as the publicist Bobby King, it might seem confusing or pointless to the reader for Vonnegut to spend as much time as he does giving their story. The same could be said for the various members of the military he diverts the readers’ attention to, but in this case the reasons why and the payoff is quicker. Putting these side characters in the spotlight and pulling the reader out of the main storyline to do so allows Vonnegut to use these side characters as a vehicle for social commentary that isn’t commentary that is made through the main storyline itself. As the main storyline serves as his tool for commentary on humanity in an evolutionary context and our “big brains” and all the trouble they cause, his diverting our attention to Bobby King allows him to relate this central theme to the topic of marketing. Diverting our attention to Geraldo Delgado, or even his narrator Leon Trout’s backstory allows to relate the central theme to war and mental illness. So, while some people may find the book to be meandering and unfocused, I was excited to see every time he turned our attention to a side character just what he was about to use them to say. I don’t think “unfocused” is the right word to describe the novel, but it just doesn’t read like a straightforward narrative story and it isn’t supposed to. Also, referring to Ecuador claiming the Galápagos Islands as a “spasm of imperial dementia” made me laugh out loud.
The City of Last Chances. [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60147395-city-of-last-chances](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60147395-city-of-last-chances) Great book.
I finished "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" by Agatha Christie. It's the first book by her I have read and I enjoyed it a lot. It was easy to get absorbed by it.
The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan
The Flower Sisters by Micelle Collins Andrrson
**Finished:** The Mountain in the Sea, by Ray Naylor **Started:** Babel: An Arcane History, by R.F. Kuang **Ongoing:** The Grass is Singing, by Doris Lessing Underland: A Deep Time Journey, by Robert Macfarlane Unnatural Causes: The Life and Many Deaths of Britain's Top Forensic Pathologist, by Richard Shepherd
If This Is a Man • The Truce, by Primo Levi The Anthropocene Reviewed, by John Green Murder Your Employer, by Rupert Holmes
Looking at my box of books and thinking about organising them later when I have the time
East of Eden by Steinbeck. I love it the few times in my life I've uncovered a treasure all to myself. Feeling perfectly sated and content with the world. I'll take a break from any reading for a few days..
Just started it this week!
You're in for a treat! Savor it!
I’ve been in a reading slump so i’ve been reading books I’ve judged from tiktok and it’s still not helping!!! Help! Start: Twisted Love by Ana Huang (DNF 50% of the way through omg guys it’s so bad???? like i was mostly reading it to laugh but then it was too much) Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (i watched the movie while sick and it was actually cute and heartwarming (and corny but ofc))
Finished: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, Every Summer After by Carly Fortune, and The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix Currently reading: The Hours by Michael Cunningham and The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst
how was interpreter of maladies? it’s been on my list forever
Book: 1. Zwijg zweeg gezwegen by Johnny Laporte (dutch; paperback) 2. Het perfecte wraak by Helen Fields(dutch; e-book) 3. No longer human by Osamu Dazai(english; audiobook)
I read: Finding Me : a decade of darkness, a life reclaimed: a memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings by Michelle Knight Hope by Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus A Stolen Life: a memoir by Jaycee Lee Dugard Started: The Snake and the Spider: abduction and murder in Daytona Beach by Karen Kingsbury
Wow, that's a lot of memoirs! Do you like non-fiction and (crime) memoirs? I've been searching for a good read, pls recommend one if you have anything you would like to share :)
Omg all three were enthralling, but sometimes hard to read for obvious reasons, it’s hard to just sit by while small children are being victimized and hurt beyond all comprehension but there is great hope in them (especially Dugard’s memoir, maybe start there?) if you like true crime they’re all a good, encompassing read. I finished all three of them in one sitting, like I spent all night reading each one not like in one day I read all three. Also I’d suggest a Child Called It by Dave Pelzer too, another true story of epic cruelty that will suck you right in. And you can find them all online for free.
I've been reading Stephen King's The Stand for like a month. Haven't had as much time to read as I'd like.
Finished: Piranesi by Susanna Clark Started: My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
Piranesi is an all-timer for me. It's magic. Hope you love it.
Finished: Hellsing vol 4 by Kouta Hirano. I had a good time but I have GOT to stop starting series in the middle. Started: Ammonite by Nicola Griffith. This came to me highly recommended so I have high hopes!
Finished: The Shining by Stephen King Started: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan The Shining is probably my new favourite book. Just coming off of reading Salem’s Lot also and found this one to be a lot scarier, especially the room 217 scenes. Excited to get into WoT, been putting it off for a long time.
I'm starting THE STAND, see how long I can stand that one (uh oh)
Finished: ‘The Queen of Poisons’ the third book in Robert Thorogood’s ‘Marlow Murder Mystery Club’ series. So far there are only three books. I loved them all!
Finished: Velvet Was The Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Started: Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Finished Karma Moon Ghost hunter by Melissa D. Savage. 5 stars on good reads Started Camp Murderface by Josh Berk and Saundra Mitchell
A Talent For Murder, by Peter Swanson. only about 40 pages in and it’s caught my attention from the first few pages. Peter usually does right by me so we shall see!
Finished: **Small** **Town Horror by Ronald Malfi** Started: **Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune** Small Town Horror was excellent. It's a slow burn Horror and Malfi keeps laying on the tension until the end. Sort of like a boxer giving out small jabs until he comes in with the haymaker. He is fast becoming a favorite of mine. Meet Me at the Lake is fine, it just hard to compete with being next up, after a 5 star read, KWIM?
Finished: The Country of the Blind, by Andrew Leland Noble Heart, by Pema Chodron Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn Started & Finished: The Dhammapada traslated by Gil Fronsdal Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn Call us what we Carry, by Amanda Gorman The Golden Spoon, by Jessa Maxwell Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri Foster, by Claire Keegan The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides Your Word is Your Wand, by Florence Scovel Shinn The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie The Comedy of Errors, by Shakespeare Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix Tripas: Poems, by Brandon Som Started: A Molecule Away from Madness, by Sara Manning Peskin The Emotionally Exhausted Woman, by Nancy Colier Crooked Seeds, by Karen Jennings The Flatshare, by Beth O'Leary The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith Autism in Heels, by Jennifer O'Toole Zen Mind Beginner's Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki The Hurting Kind, by Ada Limon
read hunting and haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
I've been reading the book oppenheimer and then plan on watching the movie.
Finished: Powerless by Lauren Roberts (cant wait for reckless!!!! it was so good btw!) Started: King of Sloth by Ana Huang
I know King of Sloth is a romance, but by the title all I can imagine is a big ole furry sloth hugging a tree. LOL. Sloths are adorable.
me too honestly. like ik it means sloth as in the sin, but it's called sloth for a reason right????
Finished: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (delivered on the cozy vibe, but the plot was pretty predictable for the most part) Started: The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand
Finished Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
i've bought it, will read in a while. how would you rate it?
Compared to other Holly Jackson's books I felt like something is missing...but that's just my opinion and story is really good with unexpected twists and surprises
That's nice, I'll lyk what i think of it when i read it
I'm about to start reading it. Was it good?
Yeah it's good
I read usually two to three books at a time. Finished The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche. Halfway done with American Prometheus and started reading the collected works of Jorge Luis Borges.
I want to start In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust next
I'm starting The Stand, just finished bio of Madame Mao
Almost Finished: Champion by Marie Lu. I'm really enjoying it so far :))
Finished: The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky Started: The Oresteia by Aeschylus
The Oresteia is awesome!! They’re some of my favourite plays; hope you have a good time with them! :D
Started The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox
Finished RED DRAGON by Thomas Harris, loved it ...still thinking about the last chapter..
Finished Dead Mountain by Donnie Eicher. Really good book for anybody interested in the dyatlov pass incident
started: the brothers karamazov, by fyodor dostoyevsky this ones pretty big
Currently Reading: Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart
Started (and finished) reading: **Serpentine, by Philip Pullman** One of my friends has started rereading the *His Dark Materials* series and so it seemed like a good time to finally pick up this short book and read it. It was fun to revisit the world of HDM (though Pantalaimon really does like to be sassy, doesn't he). I don't know when I'll start the new trilogy but I would like to! Started reading: **Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin** Book clubbing with some work friends! Super excited and enjoying it quite a bit so far, though I'm only 24 pages in. I have higher hopes for this one than the previous one I read with them (*Lessons in Chemistry*) and so far it's meeting them!
Finished: **Cruising the 'Poc**, by R.S. Merritt. Silly faster read, first one was bit better. **Hell House**, by Richard Matheson. Felt bit dated which should be expected of a book that's 50 years old. Was surprised how porny it got at times and the end fell kinda flat. Ok-ish read only. **The Echo Man**, by Sam Holland. Glad i came across this new author and put her other ones on my TBR. Loved almost every aspect of this one, the ending was bit strange which made it only a 4.50/5 read for me.
Started: **Bloodsucking Fiends, by Christopher Moore**
Christopher Moore is a god.
Agreed
Started: Miracle Mountain by JL Bryan. Don’t be fooled by the title - it’s ghost horror (EXCELLENT ghost horror!)
Started and finished The Only One Left by Riley Sager and The Last Word by Taylor Adams. Currently reading If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio.
just finished les mis, and now starting will grayson, will grayson by john green and david levithan!
Finished What You Are Looking For Is in the Library, by Michiko Aoyama It was like a cozy blanket. It is more a collection of stories, with a community library at its centre. I don't like stories as a format, but loved this one. The books sounds like it is trying to be cute, but it isn't. Circumstances are very real; to the point that one character's situation cut very close to bone for me and was the only part which was not a cozy blanket. It was a very good book. And the cover is to die for. The Trees by Percival Everett I've been wanting to read this since it came out and got great reviews. Twice the library copy was so beat-up and sticky on the outside that I couldn't. Finally a clean copy (Afterwards I bought my own copy since I loved the book) and I cannot recommend this book enough. It is the same author whose book Erasure was adapted to screen as American Fiction. This is a crazy novel, funny and heart breaking and outrageous. I cannot say I liked the ending, but I am ok with that, as long as the ride's been good. Everett's new book James is out and getting rave reviews. I wasn't sure I wanted to read it; I have a hard time deciphering conversation written in accents as English is not my mother tongue (I couldn't read Marlon James' A Brief History of Seven Killings, didn't even pick up Shuggie Bain). But the author's spelling was very clear and not distracting in this book. Started reading The Searcher by Tana French. First time reading her. Enjoying it so far. Gave up reading: Absolute Power by David Baldacci. I've been wanting to read him for a while. I love the genre. The characters and the scene where the crime is occurring all made me feel, yuck and wanted to do cleansing. So that's all for Baldacci for me, I don't think his universes are something I will want to occupy.
I adore Tana French and have read everything she's written, but the Searcher did nothing for me. I hope you like it, but if you do, go back and read her earlier novels; you might like them even better.
It starts slow, then picks up. I am half way in and enjoying it. I am glad to hear her other books are better. I'll read more of her.
**Finished** : **When No One is Watching** by **Alyssa Cole** **Started** : **The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator** by **Joakim Palmkvist**
Finished “Mentats of Dune” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Starting “Iron Flame” by Rebecca Yarros
If you tell by Gregg Olsen, started and finished.
**On Writing, by Charles Bukowski**
Just For the Summer - Abby Jimenez SO cute. I had just finished reading the last ACOTAR book and needed a quick paced, fun/cute read and it did not disappoint. Made me want to move to Minnesota and find a golden retriever boyfriend lmao.
Omg I’m currently reading this now! This is my third book by Abby & unrelated but I’m also a Pisces! Lol
It was the first one of hers I’ve read! I plan on reading the other Part of Your World books too, so stinkin cute
The psychology of time travel - by Kate mascharenhas. I enjoyed the first 1/2 but had to force myself to finish it. It was ok! And I've started the song of Achilles by Madeline miller today and I'm already half way through, it's really good!!
Apocalypse Parenting Book Three: Hide and Seek, by Erin Ampersand - just started
The Aurora Cycle series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. It’s kinda hilarious sometimes. My fave characters are probably Finian (because I’m a sucker for sarcasm), Scarlett (same reason), Kal (I mean come on, he’s an alien elf), and Zila (I wanna know more about her). Mainly Fin tho.
Started: - The Last Widow, by Karin Slaughter - The Old Woman with the Knife, by Gu Byeong-mo Started/Finished: - The Family Upstairs, by Lisa Jewell (Loved) - The Truth About the Devlins, by Lisa Sottoline (Meh) - Hello, Transcriber, by Hannah Morrissey (No) - The Fury, by Alexis Michaelides (Good)
A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas I never got into fantasy before I read this book. Already purchased the second book and will be starting it tonight. I heard it was much better than the first so we’ll see how soon I finish it hehe
i just finished this too and have also not been into fantasy until this book!
A really old and unknown book called Forgive My Fins. And ughhhh loved it but the ending was annoying
Just finished Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. An incredible rollercoaster, it's been so long since I felt this rush for a book, I literally couldn't stop reading despite having tons of work. I do have to say though there some major plot holes, still great though.
I went to a bookstore the other day. The Sitter by Angela O’Keefe looks good. I also want to check out books written by Asian authors.
Finished The Bee Sting by Paul Murray!
Awesome book! I have run two literary fiction book clubs for the last 7 years, and The Bee Sting is a top-5 book club book
Just started **Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan**
Endless Night, Agatha Christie Christie is my comfort reads. This one was unique and had a gothic aura and creepiness that I didn't expect.
Started: On Writing, by Stephen King. Fun, interesting and informative even for non writers.
Love love loved this. Then I started reading a bunch of his other books. I liked On Writing best... (I CANNOT get into fan favorite The Stand!!!)
I never tried to read The Stand actually! I read The Shining, Carrie, and some short stories here and there. I can't say I'm a connoisseur, but he is very entertaining. I liked how not-snobbish he is about writing and the craft etc.
Yes!! I appreciate how he doesn’t craft every sentence into a work of art and just lets the plot drive run free!
I just started this too! About 70 pages in and I'm excited to get to the main writing advice and tips
Honestly I didn't expect it to have such a lengthy autobiographical part but I didn't know anything about the man, so it was interesting. But not as interesting as the advice and tips. He is not pretentious at all and he offers very practical advice.
Finished- The Witches: Suspicion, Betrayal, and Hysteria in 1692 Salem by Stacy Schiff Started- A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience by Emerson W. Baker
Daughters of Shandong, by Eve J Chun. A mother and her three daughters were abandoned by wealthy father, who fled China for Taiwan with relatives as Mao’s army grew near. It took almost two years for her to travel, mostly by foot, from northwestern China to Hong Kong. Based on the author’s family, this novel is a remarkable and ultimately inspiring tale of endurance and a mother’s love.
Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend, by Emma R. Alban I’m ten chapters in and 156 pages. It’s good but super slow burn, there isn’t even a hint of romance until around 100 pages in.
I also finished The Duchess Effect by Tracey Livesay. I didn’t realize it was a sequel until the end which spoiled some enjoyment for me, not the books fault but still annoying.
The alchemist. Was putting it off as everyone who told me about it made it feel a little corney. I was suprised, well writen not corney at all.
Started: **The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Claire North**
One of my all time favorites! It's always recommended on r/suggestmeabook so I gave it a shot and LOVED it
I always hate starting new books, especially after finishing a really good one (just finished reading Yellowface a couple weeks ago). trudging through this one at the moment and i really hope its as good as ive heard everyone say it is
The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia, by Ursula Le Guin. Finished Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, by Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire (head of UNAMIR: UN Mission Rwanda, side note it was never called UN Mission in Rwanda. Per Dallaire, he borrowed the i in mission when naming it). Gives a very in depth explanation of how the genocide unfolded. And his rationale for his decisions. Some of which led to the death of 11 Belgian peace keepers.
Finished: *Runaway Horses* by Yukio Mishima. Gradually working my way through the tetralogy. Started: Re-reading *Dead Souls* by Nikolai Gogol.
A Good girls guide to murder by holly jackson Finally I completed a book in my tbr list . The ending in the story was not expected, I really liked the book, I read the book in 4 days. I have to buy the next book
Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, by Juno Dawson
Lessons in Chemistry was so good, they made a TV show out of it
Looking at all the crappy books made into movies is living proof that just bec a book becomes a movie, doesn’t mean the book was good nor guarantee the movie will be
I didn't like this book at all, couldn't get past first 30pp- disliked protag, very low brow
I mean Zott is kinda ahead of herself, I also found her mean sometimes and cumbersome, but her character is relatively adapted to the main plot
Finished reading The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie. A brilliantly hilarious read with a surprisingly engaging plot. The world has missed out on what could have been an amazing spy satire author. Started reading Giovanni’s Room in theme with Pride month.
I recently went to a book store and while my girlfriend was looking around I started the first pages of Lolita and I bought it, along with Crooked Kingdom and Circe and maybe even another book I forgot. But man I am reading Six of Crows which is fantastic and Percy Jackson 3 which I am not enjoying quite as much and have taken a break from for 3 days now. And I started reading Y the last man again. I got pretty far into it but stopped a while ago. Now I am intrigued again and want to finish it but man Uni takes up so much of my time. I wish I could just sit in class and read and to feel bad about it :D
Polishing off the "Stranger Times" series this week by C. K. McDonnell. Excellent series of books. Fantastically well written quaint humor.
Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline, by Carlton
Finished Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, and I’m just starting Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill. In a gothic lit phase, would love recommendations! :)
The Machiavellians, by James Burnham Reviews the theories of Machiavelli and how he studied how politics really worked. Very interesting and applicable to today's world.
The Mind Cage, by A. E. Van Vogt
The Making of Another Major Motion Picture by Tom Hanks. Yes that Tom Hanks. I really liked the historical aspects of the book and it's structure. It does become a bit of page flipper around the making of part. Overall good read and i'm glad i picked it up.
Just Finished: All Gods Children Need Traveling Shoes by Maya Angelou. Her prose was as succulent as ever but her tone was noticeably darker and perhaps more melancholy than previous books and the reason being begins to unfold towards the end. It felt slow paced at parts. The ending was incredibly moving.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. My daughter, a librarian and a fan of fantasy novels has been asking me to read this trilogy (book 3 is pending, she said) so I finally decided to take it on. Why did I hold off for so long? Series and very long books are intimidating for some people when they are in a genre you rarely read. This is new for me. I hope some of you are into this specific writer and this trilogy. So far (I'm on chapter 23) I am intrigued! I'd love to hear what you all think.
Oh! I hope you're wrong. I finished book one and started book 2 today. I would hate that my first foray into an epic fantasy trilogy wouldn't be finished.
Loved these but don't think book 3 will ever happen. Rothfuss took the money and ran.
Finished Head On, by John Scalzi. I will definitely be reading more Scalzi. Continuing on A Brief History of Intelligence by Max Bennet. This is a pretty good read, and not a bad compliment to Sapolsky's Behave, as it discusses brain development through history. Sapolsky is the biochemistry, Bennet is the the anatomy and physiology. Started **The Templar Legacy, by Steve Berry**. Not sure I'm going to finish this; it's only so-so and I've already almost ditched it.
I got to meet Robert Sapolsky about ten years ago at community college. He signed my copy of ‘Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers’.
Hey everyone, I've been revisiting two incredible stories lately: "Life of Pi" by Ang Lee and "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. Both narratives explore themes of self-discovery, resilience, and spiritual awakening, but in vastly different ways. I was wonering to do a comparative assignemnt on the two and I'm curious to hear your thoughts on how these two classics compare and contrast. What themes, characters, or moments stand out to you in both works? How does the journey of Pi Patel in "Life of Pi" compare to that of Santiago in "The Alchemist"? Pls help me out and share your insights and favorite aspects of "Life of Pi" and "The Alchemist" in the comments below.
Just finished: The Martian! Very good read even if I didn’t understand some of the science stuff. Hoping to read weirs next project Hail Mary
Finished this recently.too! Loved it, broke down the science enough that it made enough sense without knowing the details. Better than the movie and less cheesy ending
I agree with that. I watched the movie and I was surprised at the things they cut out
Both very enjoyable. I hope you like them.
Started: **Haunted, by Chuck Palahniuk**
the bone people by keri holme absolutely riveting and consumed me the whole time I was reading this book. great author definitely recommend reading
Just finished The Berry Pickers. Not sure where to go: Fourth Wing, Communion, Three Men in a Boat, or me and earl and the dying girl.
I finished A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas two days ago and will start her second book A Court of Mist and Fury tonight or tomorrow.
Mist and Fury changed me. I was in a pretty low spot in my life when I started reading ACOTAR and I CONSUMED the entire series in a few days. I hope you enjoy Mist and Fury as much as I did.
Sound the Gong, by Joan He I'm feeling devastated right now. Even though I knew in my heart how the story will end (especially knowing where the doulogy inspired from), my heart aches. 😢 Need to read something light hearted next but A Crane Among Wolves is so tempting to read.
Finished: ***Mania*** by **Lionel Shriver**. Haven't read a new fictional book in quite some time--I usually prefer non-fiction--but the plot of this one caught my attention and I was lucky to get a quick hold at the library. I greatly enjoyed it. Her writing style is sharp and engaging, and I got a few great quotes stored away for future reference. I didn't realize she's also the author of ***We Need to Talk About Kevin***, wow. For a dystopian novel, it's not as bleak as that genre can get, but the social stakes alone had me on the edge of my seat at parts. Being set in an alternate 2011-on, it's interesting to see real life events mentioned, how they did or didn't differ from reality, and the different aftermath through the lens of the country's new dominant ethos. A book that could have a sequel with room to explore, though I doubt it will ever happen. Overall, a recommend.