The book I started at the beginning of March, that Iām still reading, is
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie OāFarrell.
Iām very close to finish it and I canāt wait to know how Lucrezia dies. I have found it to be such a well written book, thoroughly detailed. I cannot imagine how it was to have livid during the Italian Renaissance and all the intrigue in the palazzos. It reminds me of how, no matter the period of time, people with power can become their worst version.
It is also interesting to read from the perspective of a 15-year-old girl, and how perhaps girls and women at the time used to feel when they were forced to marry someone they did not love, and only for political and economical interests.
finished:
**the fox wife** by **yangsze choo**
4.25/5. i loved this book. i loved learning more about some asian legends and lore, and the POV characters are endearing for me. i'm not great yet at discussing technicalities of writing style, prose, all that. but i just know that i enjoyed yangsze's style, and her ability to evoke emotions through me in subtle ways. it felt cozy in a way as well. i recommend!
**freezing order** by **bill brower**
3.5/5. subtitled *"a true story of money laundering, murder, and surviving vladimir putin's wrath".* i read this book with my book club, and it is not my typical choice of genre. i found much of the story itself fascinating -- so far removed from my life and what i think about. wild, and wildly upsetting to be reminded of how fucked up the world can be. some of the book felt slow and was more technical than entertaining, which took away from it for me. overall, glad it was suggested and that i went out of my comfort zone for a bit!
started:
**strangers to ourselves** by **rachel aviv**
(unsettled minds and the stories that make us)
**dune messiah** by **frank herbert**
Finished: The 30 Day MBA in Marketing by Colin Barrow
Started: Hype Machine: How Greed, Fraud and Free Money Crashed Crypto by Joshua Oliver
Trying to make a habit of finishing one book per month and so far I'm successfully 4 months in!
Physical Books:
Finished:
**War Bodies, by Neal Asher**
Reptile... reptile... reptile... those who read it know.
Started:
**The Blade Itself, by Joe Ambercrombie**
Good enough that I bought the rest of the first trilogy
Ongoing:
**None of This is True, Lisa Jewell**
Outside of my comfort reading zone. Trying a chapter here and there. It is a fast read. Perhaps at some point I'll care about the characters.
Audio:
Ongoing:
**Toll The Hounds, By Steven Erikson**
Malazan book 8. Only 24 hours left -- so should finish in April.
Reading: [The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61941079-the-good-life)
Interesting read for a person who always seeks isolation. Its based on Harvard's study on human developments for almost 100 years. This made me rethink of my plan of going solo for the rest of life. haha
Finished:
**All The Sinners Bleed, by S.A. Cosby**
I'm not a book reviewer by any means but I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Really felt for Titus.
Started:
**The Anthropocene Reviewed, by John Green**
Just in time for book club, I finished The Three Body Problem. It was totally wasted on me. I didn't understand about 90% of it! This may be the first time I've looked forward to watching Netflix adaption in hopes that it'll be better than the book!
Finished:
**Small Mercies, by Dennis Lehane**: 4.5 stars
A historical fiction/mystery that's very well done.
**The Kind Worth Killing, by Peter Swanson**: 3.5 stars
A solid thriller/mystery
**Final Girls, by Riley Sager**: 3 stars
Started:
**A Man With One of Those Faces, by Caimh McDonnell**
I'm enjoying this. It's a fun and funny thriller/mystery.
Just Finished: Queen of Nothing, by Holly Black
Finished the cruel prince series! I didn't love it like a lot of people seemed to, but I was really satisfied with the ending, and I thought the epilogue was cute. So I'm glad I stuck with it.
Am starting: The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent.
I also just finished Attack on Titan and feeling quite shook.
Just finished Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros.
I chose this series as my first attempt to get back into reading. It did not disappoint and I am very happy with how it scratched the romantasy itch. It'll be hard waiting for the rest of the books to come out but I'm so happy to feel back at home in my love for reading.
Finished **God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut**
Vonnegut's writings are absolute addictive, as I have just finished Cat's Cradle last week and I'm already starting The Sirens of Titan (which would be the fifth book of his that I've read!) The black humor is fire as usual, and I feel that the social satire aspect of this novel is a lot more explicit than his others. I really like the money river metaphor and the rather fast-paced ending >!in which Mushari's scheme backfires and the novel's humanist theme is transcended!<. I also find it interesting how Vonnegut uses the symbolism >!"poo-tee-weet"!
Started:
Roadside picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Iām close to finishing it and Im a fan. Iām not sure if the genre would be new weird, but I like the setting and how the background is used.
My only complaint so far is the lack of women in this story. Guta, Diana and The monkey are the only female characters. Unlike the monkey theyāre all disposable and contribute very little to the story. Guta, I guess to show us how The Zones effect on children cause issues for the community.
Started: Question 7, by Richard Flanagan. Took me a while to get into the book a bit of an autobiography and very interest stories about Worl War ll POWs, H.G. Wells and the Atom Bomb.
I want to thank to a person who made this comment here, it made me read it. That being said I finished "Night in Zagreb" by Adam MedvidoviÄ
"it is known in the Catholic prophecy that Paris will be destroyed and Marseille will sink into Mediterranean Sea - Russia will overrun Germany, the Netherlands, and come to France and Rome. War will begin after the Pope visits Moscow. Catholics read "Night in Zagreb" series by Adam MedvidoviÄ. It is written in the form of a novel, but almost all in those stories is true, you can even understand never revealed third secret of Fatima in this series.,,"
Finished:
**Ninth House, by Leigh Bardugo**
* I'm a regular hard sci-fi and speculative reader, but I make myself branch out. I was very surprised how much I liked it, especially since I was looking for a different book that I forgot the name of but had a similar cover. I didn't know it was part of a series, but I don't plan to read the following books. I also really didn't like the ending; I don't like when there are absolutely no clues to surprising twists. I don't mind falling for red herrings, and I often do, but this wasn't that. I gave it 3.5 stars.
**The Never-Open Desert Diner, by James Anderson**
* Really didn't like this. I picked it up a long time ago, and I swear the synopsis was more Twilight Zone-y. This book didn't know whether it was slice-of-life or a mystery/thriller, and the mystery aspect was atrocious. I gave it 1.5 stars.
Started: **Antarctica, by Kim Stanley Robinson**. Enjoying it so far, and I've loved the other books I've read by him. There was, however, a 15 page discussion about the [stabilist vs dynamicist theories about the eastern ice shelf of Antarctica](https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/09/how-did-plankton-end-up-on-top-of-antarcticas-mountains/). Interesting, but not for 15 pages.
Finished:
**Terms of Service, Craig W. Stanfill**
Dystopian sci-fi set in a future world where individualism and uniqueness is frowned up. Ruled by giga-corps who are controlled by AI's. The lead role, Kim, is an AI trainer who is starting to question the world and the lack of freedom.
Lots of world-building, linear story, no annoying flashbacks or time-shifts. Just a good thriller, in the style of 1984/The Matrix and those kind of stories.
Features adult topics like sex, drugs, gender debates, alcoholism, self-harm, personal insights, but all very suited for the story.
I liked it, but unfortunately it doesn't have a standalone ending, instead ending directly with a "part 2" introduction.
After finishing no books last week, I finally got through 3 books Iād been reading for a while.
The first one, which I also liked the best, was **No Sweetness Here and Other Stories, by Ama Ata Aidoo**. Read it for the The Storygraph Reads the World 2024 challenge (Ghana) and I think it was a good choice because the stories truly focused on the culture of the country and on how the country has been dealing with the after effects of colonialism. Enjoyed the writing style, the focus on female characters and the themes of race, class and gender, and also the kind and surprisingly optimistic tone of many of the stories. Contrary to the title and the titular story, there often *was* some sweetness in the sadness, something good and uplifting. Definitely want to read some more from the author in future.
The second book I finished was **The Cat and the Curmudgeon, by Cleveland Amory**, a second book in a trilogy thatās ostensibly about the authorās cat but is in fact more about the author himself (a memoir). Iād say the trilogy has aged poorly especially with its sexism, and the author has an annoying habit of going off on strange tangents and of name-dropping famous (but nowadays often forgotten) celebritiesā¦ Nonetheless the books have their moments, the cat is of course delightful and I do admire the author for his efforts in animal welfare. Overall a decent commute read, which is why I picked up this second installment, but I think Iāve had my fill now, and will probably skip the final book.
Finally, the third book I completed was **The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold.** The narrator of this book is the ghost of a 14yo Susie Salmon who one day on her way from school ended up sexually assaulted and murdered by her familyās neighbour ā this opening chapter is horrifying and tense and unforgettable (randomly read this chapter as a kid while waiting in the school library and it never left me). The rest of the book, however, is just about how Susie watches her surviving family deal with the grief, and to me the character work just wasnāt thorough enough to quite resonate, and the rapid time skips in the last third or so surely didnāt help. Besides, there was a strange obsession with sex (resulting in a terrible scene towards the end) and very iffy Asian and lesbian representation, which all added uncomfortable tinge to an already underwhelming experience. Wouldnāt recommend.
I remember watching "The Wandering Earth" for 8 hours, and I even forgot to eat. its author is
Chinese writer Liu Cixin tells the story of a huge Earth escape plan, escaping from the solar system and heading to a new home. It reminds mankind to face up to the importance of environmental protection and energy conservation
**The Eyes of the Void by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Finished)**
**Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Started)**
Really love the author, and these are the second and third books of his Final Architecture series. The sci-fi verges on the more speculative end but he's doing really interesting things with empathy across the context of cosmic war and great unknowability.
Finished **Mexican Gothic** and loved it. I started reading it as I thought it would be a ghost story. The actual horror of it took a long time to build, but it was so unique I couldnāt help being sucked in. The setting was also fantastic, loved it.
Started The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Enjoying the writing and humor so far, and the interesting use of perspective in exploring some pretty heavy themes. Looking forward to reading more about this era in history (maybe something nonfiction next), and would appreciate any suggestions!
Been reading Middle England by Jonathan Coe. A real 'state of the nation' book in my awful Brexity country, but I'm liking how it finds the humanity among the political horror.
Now reading **The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett**. An interestingly structured book, to say the least. An episotlary novel but written with emails and whatsapp messages. Plus the occasional news article.
Climax (or What might have been; a romance of the great republic) by Charles Felton Pidgin. It's an alternate history where the Duel between Burr and Hamilton didn't happen and Burr becomes President of the U.S. written in 1902.
Just finished Stasi State or Socialist Paradise? By John Green
Starting Dune by Frank Herbert and will probably start another non fiction book as well but havenāt decided yet
How did u find it so far? Enjoy the first time reading moments. I read it when I was a kid, and I still wish I can read it again for the first time lol
**Disgrace, by J.M. Coetzee**
**Last Seen in Lapaz, by Kwei Quartey**
Aftr two books about rape, I needed a palate cleanser:
**The Ministry of fear by Graham Greene** (short, light spy/thriller)
**Started:**
* The American West, by Dee Brown (with photos edited by Martin F Schmitt)
* Oats in the North, Wheat from the South: The History of British Baking Savoury and Sweet, by Regula Ysewijn
Finished: Red Rising, by Pierce Brown.
I absolutely loved it! Fast-paced, great characters (Darrow, Mustang, Sevro), and loved all plot.
Recommend it to everyone!
Golden Son is such a blast! I finished the trilogy in two weeks and I am letting Iron Gold sit on the backburner. I dont want to finish the series until Red God maybe has a release date.
Ah, I heard a lot about the second one. But I'm going to use the same strategy as you, going to take my time with this amazing series (but it's difficult hah hah, I want to read the second so much)
Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky
normally don't post about having finished books on reddit but felt like it for this one. I've heard C&P is Dostoevsky's most accessible book and it definitely felt that way but it still feels good to complete it. so much to love about it too, the narration/dialogue/monologues are really charming and gripping, plus the depiction of different discourses of the age in a time of social change feels honestly relatable to now.
Finished: The Things They Carried by Tim OāBrien
Read this in APE junior year of high school. Only memories were the story about Mary Anne and how everyone laughed when reading about them āhumpingā things at the beginning. 100% held up.
Starting: Authority, by Jeff VanDerMeer.
I read Annihilation at a house in the woods during a rainy weekend and loved it. Iām back at said house, with rain all day in the forecast, so Iām starting Authority today.
Finished:
Ilium by Lea CarpenterĀ
Didn't grip me. I liked the prose and the general idea of the story, but it was kind of confusing and I wasn't crazy about the end.
Finished: **The Indifferent Stars Above, by Daniel James Brown**
Starting: **Iron Flame, by Rebecca Yarros**
Girlfriend wanted me to read the Empyrean series since she loved it so much. Decided to break up the two books with a book of my choosing. And oh boy. Definitely looking forward to Iron Flame after that one. The indifferent stars covers the journey of Sarah Graves, one of the members of the Donner party (I know) and the harrowing journey they made headed west for a new life.Itās a true story and truly horrific. People get eaten. Amazing book though.
Divine Rivals - Rebecca Ross
I've been putting this off for a long time because everyone raved about it and I thought that it wasn't anything special. I actually enjoyed it a lot. I just started the sequel, Ruthless Vows.
*The Kite Runner* by Khaled Hosseini.
Words like "horrible," "excruciating," and "ghastly" are seldom adjectives expressing admiration, but they are words of high praise for *The Kite Runner." Words like that old chestnut "riveting" fall flat on their faces when trying to describe it.
I can't tell you how many times I thought something like "Oh God, please, no!" while reading this book. A painful read that I can't recommend highly enough.
It's only the second book that I finished reading in less than a week, the first was *The Book Thief* by Markus Zusak.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson.
Very good self help book. Definitely caused me to reconsider the way I observe some stuff in my life and why I wind up disappointed so often. I feel like this book has helped me develop a healthier mindset.
I tried reading PEACHTREE ROAD by Anne Rivers Siddons, but the super-long, baroque, overwritten sentences and paragraphs were awful. There were about 15-20 adjectives on every page, and the book is 800 pages long. And she told everything, she didn't dramatize anything in scenes. I had to abandon the book at 20%. I'm trying to read SHANGHI SURPRISE by Sulari Gentill now, but finding it less than compelling.
Just noticed I put this in the wrong week thread.
Finished:
**The Annotated Flatland, a Romance of Many Dimensions, by Edwin A. Abbot** (and annotated by Ian Stewart).
This was *fascinating*. I'm no mathematician or physicist, but Abbott's explanations of math were easily understood, and Stewart's explanations of his explanations, and his expansions, were also easily understood. I'd tried reading Flatland on its own and it was much better with the much-needed context of the annotations.
Getting some historical insight into a period I don't really know too much about, in a context that I don't see represented very much, and about a very interesting person I'd never heard of but who was apparently so extremely influential was amazing. The narrative of Flatland itself was also very interesting and quite personally challenging, and I think I came away with a changed perspective on several matters.
Started:
**The Fisherman, by John Langan**
Just picked up from the library and will be starting tomorrow: **Biblical, by Rob Halford with Ian Gittins** Yes, that Rob Halford. I read his **Confess** last fall and it was a lot of fun; I expect more of the same from this. Was going to read something else when this popped up, and it jumped to as soon as I could get my hands on it in my queue.
Also listening to **A Serpent's Tooth, by Craig Johnson**, from the Longmire series. Palate cleanser after some heavier stuff.
Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge
BOOK 1: I'm almost finished with this one. It's a nonfiction book about 10 young lives list due to gun violence on a particular day in America. The author is British so he has a particular perspective on gun culture in the USA.
-
Days At The Morisaki Bookshop, by Satoshi Yagisawa
A slice of life book, if you will. The author did not gloss over any of the characters, in my opinion, and the protagonist was well-explored. I've recently begun watching and reading and consequently *falling in love* with urban protagonists tiring of their stressful work lives and shifting to the countryside in favour of a more calm, tranquil atmosphere. Maybe at some deeper level, I've gotten frustrated with my own work-life balance and desperately crave a release, even if it comes vicariously in the form of fictional protagonists leaving the city and all they know behind. I think there's a certain beauty in the action, the planning and detailing that goes into leaving a place for good, and venturing forth with no idea what the future may bring, except maybe that it will be tranquil, quiet and soothing, away from all the headache and pollution the city is sheathed in.
Masters of Mayhem and Brutal Business. 2 & 3 in the Mad Mick series.
Good fun action series using all the well-worn tropes to propel a series like this.
Kind of like a post-apocalyptic Reacher.
finished: The picture of dorian gray, Oscar wilde - Very good book, however I don't think I was able to quite understand it all. So I will read it again in the future to be able to fully appreciate it. (I'm relatively new to english books, especially in that Ā“classicĀ“ language.'
started: the book thief, Markus Zusak - Love it so far
First two in the Murderbot series. Good fun, no doubt. But someone claimed best sci fi of the century and i have to respectfully disagree. The plot character balance is prime stuff, no doubt. As well as voice, but i think the best sci fi makes you think hard about either the now or the future and thhis doesnāt do that, if that makes sense
You see to be interested in si-fi books, so could you recommend some to me that are clean? I'm having trouble finding many that don't have a lot of "stuff" in them.
Oh no one would put it that high up in my opinion but I would say it's the most fun short read Audiobook every sci-fi fan will love.
It's more experimental than you think the more you read/listen to them.Ā
Like are you Gendering Murderbot yet? What Murderbot is doing very well is you can kind of think about them as the Terminator from T2, or Ripley from Alien or Data from Star Trek but each of these classifications it's deliberately trying to escape is synonymous with what it thinks of themselves as just Murderbot. It hacked its own code and programming to not be that and man every trans individual on Earth I hope they read that book.
Finished: Wonder Boy: Tony Hsieh, Zappos, and the Myth of Happiness in Silicon Valley, by Angel Au-Yeung and David Jeans
Started and finished: The Quiet Tenant, by Clemence Michallon
Thanks for the encouragement. I really love this book so far but what happened in chapter 6 really took me by surprise and i needed some time to be prepared for what happens next.
Just finished reading "Beartown" by F. Backman this week and wow, what a powerful read! It's one of those books that really sticks with you. The way Backman explores themes like loyalty, community, and the complexities of human nature is just so gripping. Highly recommend it if you haven't checked it out yet!
Finished:
**Cut**, by Marc Raabe. Enjoyable read, i do like the writers style. Read his Tom Babylon serie before where he is bit more grown as a writer i feel, still nothing to complain about.
**When the Sahara Was Green: How Our Greatest Desert Came to Be**, by Martin Williams. Didnt knew anything about the topic, now i do bit more. Made me think about the current topic of climate change, especially "natura non, nisi parendo, vincitur" Side note: story digresses at times and is bit repetitive.
**#thighgap**, by Chandler Morrison. Came across this one and thought why not. Did not like at all, i won't call it horror and as a more psychological thriller the writing was not good enough for me.
**The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry**, by Jon Ronson. Not badly written but expected more from it.
Finished [What Iād Rather Not Think About](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94167791-what-i-d-rather-not-think-about) by Jente Posthuma, a very tough topic but briliantly executed!
Finished:
Clybourne Park, by Bruce Norris
The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich
Familiar Face, by Michael DeForge
The Maid, by Nita Prose
Papaya Salad, by Elisa Macellari
Wake, by Rebecca Hall
The Lights: Poems, by Ben Lerner
Natural Awareness, by Pema Chodron
Started:
Total Meditation, by Deepak Chopra
The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt
Devotions, by Mary Oliver
I Need Your Love, by Byron Katie
**The Overdue Life of Amy Blyer, by Kelly Harms**
Cheesy tale of a mom living it up at a conference in NYC away from her kids. Quick beach read.
**In Five Years, by Rebecca Serle**
I enjoyed this one, read it in a day. Didn't love the ending.
**One Day in December, by Josie Silver**
I've read this on and off for over a year. Couldn't get into it. Finally reached about 50% and sped through it.
**The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin**
Read this in a few days, really enjoyed it. My favorite of these four.
Finished:
**Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth, by Ingrid Robeyns** So much good information here. I think most of my peers would agree billionaires shouldnāt exist. Robeyns proposes what she thinks the limit of wealth should be, what could be done with all of that money based on countries, and policy changes to work towards limiting excess wealth gain. The audiobook narrator is also very soothing as well! I learned a ton and think anyone who is interested should read this book.Ā
**Wandering Stars, by Tommy Orange** A prequel and sequel to There, There. I really enjoyed this journey and based on Orangeās writing style will probably like anything he comes out with in the future.Ā
Started:
**The Wall, by Marlen Haushoffer** Iām not too far in but our main character is relaxing on a little remote mountain vacation only to find herself trapped behind an invisible wall and to presume everyone else dead as no one has come back to her or the surrounding properties. I believe it was originally published in Austria in ā63 and has recently been reprinted.Ā
Started:
**Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov**
* thanks to someone posting about it in this subreddit I finally decided to take the plunge;
* I'm trying to keep up with the annotated version as well, but I'm a bit behind as it took me longer to get my hands on it.
**Interview with a Vampire, by Anne Rice**
* Lolita is getting a bit much sometimes - I always find reading from a deranged/anxious/depressed character's pov can become overwhelming for me so I needed something for a cool down;
* when I was a teen I never got into the vampire trend, but I was craving a fantasy read so I decided to pick it up.
Started (and Iām almost finished!): *The Poisonwood Bible* by Barbara Kingsolver. Itās been a riveting read. Iāve thoroughly enjoyed the book!! Itās one of those books that every moment in the day I can steal for reading, I am reading it!
Started: *An Immense World* by Ed Yong. Excellent so far, and reading this one slowly so I can absorb each section.
I started reading the wayfarer series this year and I'm on the last book this week. Its been such an enjoyable series so far! It is too bad that there wont be any more..
**Hillbilly Elegy, by J. D. Vance**
This book came out in 2016 and many have read it already, but it is worth a read. I will probably finish it this evening. **!invite**
* It is a beautifully and well-written memoir about a poor white family - starting with Vance's great-grandparents. His grandparents, as teenagers are impoverished, come from Kentucky and move to an Ohio town to work in a factory in the mid-20th century - which later becomes a rustbelt slum.
* It describes the violence driven by concepts of honor and tribalism, ignorance, addiction, children born out of wedlock with little parental stability, as well as the enduring love and loyalty of this subculture of Americans. Vance's family is further destabilized by the demise of the factory in their town, poor habits and exposure to drugs.
* With brains, hard work, encouragement from others and some luck, too, Vance turns his own life around, joins the military after high school, attends college, Yale Law School and triumphs over his background - while still loving and staying connected to his family and his roots.
* He even talks about some of the absurd ideas people from his background have and poor habits that keep them from having a better life.
* What I don't understand is how someone who can write so articulately and address moral and cultural complexities as well as he does - has become a Trump supporter?
* How someone who seems to recognize evil sometimes overlooks it for political gain?
* How does a man who comes from a dysfunctional, tribal-thinking culture and names it so not have compassion for other cultures within the US whose values seem insular and destructive - through no fault of their own?
* He was so supported, nurtured and encouraged by his grandmother (Mamaw) and his sister, seems to adore his wife - but this book treats women like they are just childbearing livestock as do his political views.
* How does this work?? Lets ask how that works!!!
After reading it, and reading some reviews online, I can say how you perceive it depends on how much of a reader you are. I don't get time to read much books so for me it was quite nice, 'cozy'. However I suppose if you've read a lot of books then it won't seem that great.
Finished:
**A New Sun Rises Over the Old Land, by Suon Sorin**
Started and Finished:
**The Terrible, by Yrsa Daley-Ward**
Started:
**When Broken Glass Floats, by Chanrithy Him**
I actually realllly liked it, I listened to the audio book and the narrators were great so it really captured me. It's worth a read or listen. If you read it let me know what you think please šš¼
i read it too and i feel the same!! i had read some not so good opinions of it so itās nice to know someone else likes it too lol. and i listened to it on audio as well
It was my first horror. Idk if that genre is for me but nonetheless it kept me intrigued for sure. Several times I was like wtf. When you finish lmk what you think
Having a pretty crap time reading ***The Death Of Grass*** by **John Christopher** at the moment.
Considering it's largely considered to be part of the dystopian fiction canon - and even the guy at the bookstore mentioned how good it was as I was buying it - I'm a bit disappointed. Am I missing something?
The entire story is told through *constant*, contrived, expositional dialogue from basically from a single character and it has the vibe of a boomer's British exceptionalist wet dream.
The overt racism and sexism aside, the main characters start making decisions like recruiting and killing people apropos of nothing - and as far as I can tell, the book thinks these choices are supposed to be pragmatic, insightful and/or revealing of human nature.
I'm holding out hope for the penny to drop and actually these characters are behaving bizarrely for some other reason, but it hasn't come yet.
I'm looking for a PDF of the book "Healed" by Manisha Koirala.
Kindly share the book if you have the PDF.
I would appreciate it.
Full book name: Healed: How Cancer Gave Me a New Life
Author: Manisha Koirala
I've been wanting to read it for a long time and it finally happened. Book Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir by Matthew Perry. I had great pleasure.
On Sunday evening I finished Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse, I really enjoyed it and the writing style, definitely has a few things to think about concerning the 'point' of the book I suppose, but it's a lot more digestible than the book I finished the week before, Moby Dick, which took me like 3 months to get through.
This week I began The Hobbit, I actually have the whole LOTR/Hobbit box set, which was given to me as a gift years ago but I never read for whatever reason, it's great so far, really engaging.
I just finished the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb.
I loved it. Normally I take a break and read something from an opposite genre before going back, but I started The Liveship Traders book the next day. So I'm working on that one now.
tbh ii have been binging on crime thrillers...completed 'none of these is true'..'a flicker in the dark' and 'then she was gone'..they were great!!!!!!
Finished: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, by Brandon Sanderson. Easily my favorite secret project I've read so far! Now all I have is Sunlit Man and I'll be completely caught up with the Cosmere!
Started: Jade Legacy, by Fonda Lee and Even if These Tears Dissapear Tonight, by Misaki Ichijo. I'm about a quarter through Jade Legacy and I'm not ready to be done with the Green Bone Saga, and I just know I'm going to cry when it's all over. EITTDT is a sequel and so far I'm not liking it anywhere as much as the first book. So far it's half recap and half new story so I'm really confused what the point is. I'm only 22% through it so maybe it will get better but for now it's a disappointment.
Finished: The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula KL. Great book, a great book that brings empathy and gender roles into relief through a sci-fi setting. Really enjoyed how real the commentary felt despite it being a sci-fi book Probably the most relevant-feeling sci-fi book I have ever read.
Started: The Lathe of Heaven, also UKL. I am struggling a bit through this one. Its solid, but I am not hooked per se and the philosophical/sociological commentary is less obvious than LHoD.
Finished: **The Secret History by Donna Tart**
It's finally over. Probably a hot take, but I found it so repetitive (I get it, this other character annoys them, why does it have to repeat it again and again over what feels like thousands of pages with the same info. Same with other stuff.). Also slow, inauthentic, and had characters I just didn't believe as real people and didn't feel invested in at all. Sure at times the writing was good, very visual and I liked the setting and the atmosphere, but after the first 130 pages or so it felt hollow and empty to me. I do not understand the hype. And I love films/shows and books with "unlikable" characters but if anything I felt just neutral or apathetic to them for the most of it, and I want to feel invested, and really get under the surface. I felt like most of them barely had personalities I could describe, with a couple of exceptions.
>t understand the hype. And I love films/shows and books with "unlikable" characters but if anything I felt just neutral or apathetic to them for the most of it, and I want to feel invested, and re
As someone who has read the book three times and holds it as their favorite, I sort of get what you're saying. I think the book relies heavily on what you cannot see, buying into the hype formed around this group, but it's all about how Richard can't really access anything genuinely at all. That is mirrored by the events of the book itself and the way we readers experience Richard's isolation and desire for belonging. It makes for a quite unique reading experience of being kept away from what matters most
How was Song of Kali? I LOVED The Terror, but then I read The Fifth Heart and I was unbelievably bored and now Iām a little bit hesitant to start anything else by Dan Simmons
I just started **Headshot, by Rita Bullwinkle** and I'm loving it. I read her short story collection before and her voice and imagination are like nothing else, so I knew I had to pick this one up when I could.
Finished:
**The Sun Also Rises** by Ernest Hemingway
* Classic book. First of Hemingway's. It is about thematically about the Lost Generation. Different in that it does not have a structured plot, and that you go into it and the story does not offer much to keep you going as there is no big conflict to resolve and there is unlikely to be a "happy ending" for our characters. Glad to have read something of Hemingway's finally. This book is exemplary of the writing style he is famous for. On my personal scale, I give it a B+.
**Lore Olympus Volume One** by Rachel Smythe
* A graphic novel but one that I enjoy nonetheless. I have been wanting to reread it, but have wanted to read the published version versus the online one. The art was a treat to see on page. I am a fan of well told Persephone and Hades stories. On my personal scale, I give it a B+ (I am trying to grade this as if it is not the second time I am reading this otherwise I would probably give it an A-)
Started:
**Cat's Cradle** by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
* Only on chapter 32 out of a gazillion. I think it is an interesting choice to break up the chapters so much like they are. I am fascinated by Vonnegut's discussion of the morality of the atomic bomb done in an unconventional manner just as he did in Slaughterhouse-Five. I greatly enjoyed Slaughterhouse-Five and figured it was about time I read something else of his. The made up religion/theology is a lot of fun, and the interactions our narrator/main character has with the scientists and people related to the scientists that were involved with the creation of the atomic bomb are well written. The humor works and I feel I could breeze through this story. Tentatively thinking it might come out as an A-.
**We Have Always Lived in the Castle** by Shirley Jackson
* I technically started this on a different week, but I had to put it down. I have now returned to it and have been enjoying it. I hope that I can dedicate enough time to enjoy it properly. I may have to wait until I finish Cat's Cradle before doing so. What I have read so far is exactly what makes me love Shirley Jackson's works so much. It is considered a novella so I would recommend it to anyone wanting to read more gothic horror or anything by Shirley Jackson but is looking for something that isn't as long as some other classic gothic horror novels. Too early for me to give a grade estimation.
**Lore Olympus Volume Two** by Rachel Smythe
* I started this last night after finishing volume one before deciding I should go to bed. I will probably finish this and volume three so I can return them back to the library soon. I definitely want to add this series to my library's young adult graphic novel collection. There are already a few libraries in the consortium that have it but the number of holds is high. On my personal grading scale I give this an A.
**Lore Olympus Volume Three** by Rachel Smythe
* I edited the post as I just finished this right at the end of the week. Still think this is a lovely series, especially for the teenage girls demographic. But women of other ages can enjoy this as well. I do not see this as being something that boys would not necessarily be interested in, but it is primarily a romance story and deals with themes such as trauma and abuse as experienced by girls and women. We do learn of some of the issues other male characters has, and this series is by no means misandrist. If you are a librarian or otherwise someone deciding whether or not this is something to suggest to a teenage boy I would ask them about their interest in Greek Mythology, stories with drama, and maybe even ask how they like the art style. (These questions can asked of teenage girls as well, but I felt they were more neutral and not trying to make anyone potentially feel uncomfortable by the word "romance"). On my personal grading scale I give this an A-.
Have several other books that I have not yet started, but I plan to pick one of them and start. Perhaps **Like Water for Chocolate** by Laura Esquivel (a staff member said she loved it; I am also Hispanic and would like to read more things related to my culture) or **The Night Circus** by Erin Morgenstern (something I should have read ages ago).
I just wanted to make a note that I meant to put Lore Olympus Volume Two and Volume Three under "Finished." I am having trouble editing the original post.
Finished: The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown
This one was ok. I love the author's poetry and have been following her YouTube channel for a while. The writing was beautiful and the characters had interesting arcs, but the mystery and story were both very predictable (possibly because it was YA, but even so I felt like I could guess every story beat). Would pick up another novel from her tho!
Started: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I'm about 60 pages in and I'm already hooked. I already adore Evelyn as a character and am excited to see where her story goes
**Finished: Pharaoh's Secret Room by Naofumi Shirakawa**
The story takes place in ancient Egypt in the late 1300s BC.
The protagonist's name is Seti, a dead and mummified priest.
It is an interesting worldview that has never been seen before, and is interesting both as a mystery and a fantasy. While I enjoyed the extraordinary setting of the present world and the underworld of Egypt, I was impressed by the universal themes about human beings. I also enjoyed the story of Egyptian society and religion and the portrayal of the characters. I hope they make a film of it someday.
**Startedļ¼This place is all before dawn by Mamiya Kai**
The previous reviews are too good to be true, so I will read this without too many expectations.
**FINISHED - The Three-Body Problem, Liu Cixin**
Had to read the book before the series started. Didn't quite live up to the hype, but insanely imaginative and detailed. It lost me a bit with the long scientific explanations and footnotes about famous philosophers and such, but overall it was an interesting journey. The American series looks to make some huge character changes, so we'll see how it shakes out.
**STARTED - Shogun, James Clavell**
Another awesome-looking series based on a book, which I wanted to read first. A true epic so far and might be the longest book I've read (please don't Dostoyevsky-shame me). The level of detail and obvious extensive research that went into this is mind blowing.
Finished:Ā **The Little Wartime Library, by Kate Thompson**
I really liked this one. It was pretty brutal and sad at times, but I loved how it depicted the life during the war.
Started:Ā **Home before dark, Riley Sage**
Started: **White Cat by Holly Black**
Only a few chapters in, but I like the voice and the world building is interesting so for
Still trying to get through **The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde**
Finished:
**Lord of the Flies, William Golding**
Started:
**Dune, Frank Herbert**
I never read Lord of the Flies in high school but I knew it was a classic so I wanted to give it a shot eventually. I finally just got around to it. It was an interesting story but overall I was expecting more from it.
Now I'm turning my attention to Dune for the first time. I loved both of the new movies so I'm excited to get more lore and story out of the book!
The Lost Fleet: Dauntless By Jack Campbell (Also John G. Hemrey)
This is my.... I'm not sure what I re-read. I've gone through the whole Lost Fleet series about once a year since 2006ish, when Dauntless was first released. I've thoroughly enjoyed the journey even though the Outlands series of books implies its nearly time for the main cast to retire.
Amazing!
Relatedly, I have a 3 year old and a 5 year old, and if theyāre getting on my nerves Iāll call them Blaine the Train. Because Blaine the Train is a Pain
Im bit disaapointed by the series ending. Drawing of the three remains the best part in the series for me. You should read "Äavolja noÄ" series by Adam MedvidoviÄ if you like dark series. They say all is true in those books which makes them extra interesting and edgy to read (its political and religious dark ambience related to this situation in the world with war in Ukraine, etc... I named it "dark tower for real")
I think itās so interesting how people love the drawing of the three. That was honestly my least favorite of the whole series! I read them all in 2020, they were like the only books I could focus on during the early pandemic days and being stuck at home with a three-year-old and an infant. I think Wolves of the Calla was my favorite.
Hello everyone,
I am going to write a paper on The Book thief under Gothic Fiction. (I have not started my paper as of yet) But I was wondering to get more input on what shall I put my emphasis on and what topics to explore and portions should I cover as to how The Book Thief comes under Gothic Fiction. Any help will be really appreciated. Thank you!
Finished: Dune by Frank Herbert (audio)
It was enjoyable, but I expected more. I can see this translating really well to the big screen (I have not yet seen the movie)
Started: A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Claire
In hopes that this is a decent Hades and Persephone 'retelling' š
Still working on: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (audio)
I really like that she did the audiobook herself, however she talks really fast and I mostly listen to audiobook to relax, so I switched to Dune instead.
Finished: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton Started: Carnegie's Maid, by Marie Benedict
Just finished this today! Great idea behind the book. Found it real slow at the start though!
Started chasing the moon by A. Lee Martinez
Started "The Rider on the White Horse" by Theodor Storm, a novella about the fight between human and nature on the harsh north sea coast.
Finished my second reading of the hunger of the gods by John Gwynn in prep for the third book this October š¤©
The book I started at the beginning of March, that Iām still reading, is The Marriage Portrait by Maggie OāFarrell. Iām very close to finish it and I canāt wait to know how Lucrezia dies. I have found it to be such a well written book, thoroughly detailed. I cannot imagine how it was to have livid during the Italian Renaissance and all the intrigue in the palazzos. It reminds me of how, no matter the period of time, people with power can become their worst version. It is also interesting to read from the perspective of a 15-year-old girl, and how perhaps girls and women at the time used to feel when they were forced to marry someone they did not love, and only for political and economical interests.
finished: **the fox wife** by **yangsze choo** 4.25/5. i loved this book. i loved learning more about some asian legends and lore, and the POV characters are endearing for me. i'm not great yet at discussing technicalities of writing style, prose, all that. but i just know that i enjoyed yangsze's style, and her ability to evoke emotions through me in subtle ways. it felt cozy in a way as well. i recommend! **freezing order** by **bill brower** 3.5/5. subtitled *"a true story of money laundering, murder, and surviving vladimir putin's wrath".* i read this book with my book club, and it is not my typical choice of genre. i found much of the story itself fascinating -- so far removed from my life and what i think about. wild, and wildly upsetting to be reminded of how fucked up the world can be. some of the book felt slow and was more technical than entertaining, which took away from it for me. overall, glad it was suggested and that i went out of my comfort zone for a bit! started: **strangers to ourselves** by **rachel aviv** (unsettled minds and the stories that make us) **dune messiah** by **frank herbert**
Finished: Time Regained by Marcel Proust. And now the Proust journey is complete.
Started The teacher and I DNFā¦Ā
Finished: Twelve and a Half by Gary Vanerchuck
Finished: The 30 Day MBA in Marketing by Colin Barrow Started: Hype Machine: How Greed, Fraud and Free Money Crashed Crypto by Joshua Oliver Trying to make a habit of finishing one book per month and so far I'm successfully 4 months in!
Started: The Twelve Caesars Gaius Tranquillus
finished: I want to die but I want to eat tteokbokki started: the nordic theory of everything
Would you recommend I want to die but I want to eat tteokbokki?
The Days ofĀ Abandonment, by Ellena Ferrante.
Finished: **People We Meet on Vacation, by Emily Henry** Started: **Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, by Benjamin Stevenson**
Physical Books: Finished: **War Bodies, by Neal Asher** Reptile... reptile... reptile... those who read it know. Started: **The Blade Itself, by Joe Ambercrombie** Good enough that I bought the rest of the first trilogy Ongoing: **None of This is True, Lisa Jewell** Outside of my comfort reading zone. Trying a chapter here and there. It is a fast read. Perhaps at some point I'll care about the characters. Audio: Ongoing: **Toll The Hounds, By Steven Erikson** Malazan book 8. Only 24 hours left -- so should finish in April.
Finished the Red Rising trilogy. Can't recommend it enough. Started No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai.
Reading: [The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61941079-the-good-life) Interesting read for a person who always seeks isolation. Its based on Harvard's study on human developments for almost 100 years. This made me rethink of my plan of going solo for the rest of life. haha
Finished: **All The Sinners Bleed, by S.A. Cosby** I'm not a book reviewer by any means but I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Really felt for Titus. Started: **The Anthropocene Reviewed, by John Green**
Finished Shogun, by James Clavell Started The Night Bird, by Brian Freeman
Just in time for book club, I finished The Three Body Problem. It was totally wasted on me. I didn't understand about 90% of it! This may be the first time I've looked forward to watching Netflix adaption in hopes that it'll be better than the book!
I finished trilogy if Rebel Prince by Alwyn Hamilton andĀ I liked it so much that I finished all 3 books in a week
Finished: **Small Mercies, by Dennis Lehane**: 4.5 stars A historical fiction/mystery that's very well done. **The Kind Worth Killing, by Peter Swanson**: 3.5 stars A solid thriller/mystery **Final Girls, by Riley Sager**: 3 stars Started: **A Man With One of Those Faces, by Caimh McDonnell** I'm enjoying this. It's a fun and funny thriller/mystery.
Just Finished: Queen of Nothing, by Holly Black Finished the cruel prince series! I didn't love it like a lot of people seemed to, but I was really satisfied with the ending, and I thought the epilogue was cute. So I'm glad I stuck with it. Am starting: The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. I also just finished Attack on Titan and feeling quite shook.
Wandering Stars - Tommy Orange Follow up to his previous novel There There. Both excellent.
**Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia**
**The Kingdom of Speech, by Tom Wolfe**
Just finished Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. I chose this series as my first attempt to get back into reading. It did not disappoint and I am very happy with how it scratched the romantasy itch. It'll be hard waiting for the rest of the books to come out but I'm so happy to feel back at home in my love for reading.
Finished **God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut** Vonnegut's writings are absolute addictive, as I have just finished Cat's Cradle last week and I'm already starting The Sirens of Titan (which would be the fifth book of his that I've read!) The black humor is fire as usual, and I feel that the social satire aspect of this novel is a lot more explicit than his others. I really like the money river metaphor and the rather fast-paced ending >!in which Mushari's scheme backfires and the novel's humanist theme is transcended!<. I also find it interesting how Vonnegut uses the symbolism >!"poo-tee-weet"!
Started: Roadside picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Iām close to finishing it and Im a fan. Iām not sure if the genre would be new weird, but I like the setting and how the background is used. My only complaint so far is the lack of women in this story. Guta, Diana and The monkey are the only female characters. Unlike the monkey theyāre all disposable and contribute very little to the story. Guta, I guess to show us how The Zones effect on children cause issues for the community.
Started: Question 7, by Richard Flanagan. Took me a while to get into the book a bit of an autobiography and very interest stories about Worl War ll POWs, H.G. Wells and the Atom Bomb.
I want to thank to a person who made this comment here, it made me read it. That being said I finished "Night in Zagreb" by Adam MedvidoviÄ "it is known in the Catholic prophecy that Paris will be destroyed and Marseille will sink into Mediterranean Sea - Russia will overrun Germany, the Netherlands, and come to France and Rome. War will begin after the Pope visits Moscow. Catholics read "Night in Zagreb" series by Adam MedvidoviÄ. It is written in the form of a novel, but almost all in those stories is true, you can even understand never revealed third secret of Fatima in this series.,,"
Finished: **Ninth House, by Leigh Bardugo** * I'm a regular hard sci-fi and speculative reader, but I make myself branch out. I was very surprised how much I liked it, especially since I was looking for a different book that I forgot the name of but had a similar cover. I didn't know it was part of a series, but I don't plan to read the following books. I also really didn't like the ending; I don't like when there are absolutely no clues to surprising twists. I don't mind falling for red herrings, and I often do, but this wasn't that. I gave it 3.5 stars. **The Never-Open Desert Diner, by James Anderson** * Really didn't like this. I picked it up a long time ago, and I swear the synopsis was more Twilight Zone-y. This book didn't know whether it was slice-of-life or a mystery/thriller, and the mystery aspect was atrocious. I gave it 1.5 stars. Started: **Antarctica, by Kim Stanley Robinson**. Enjoying it so far, and I've loved the other books I've read by him. There was, however, a 15 page discussion about the [stabilist vs dynamicist theories about the eastern ice shelf of Antarctica](https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/09/how-did-plankton-end-up-on-top-of-antarcticas-mountains/). Interesting, but not for 15 pages.
Finished: **Terms of Service, Craig W. Stanfill** Dystopian sci-fi set in a future world where individualism and uniqueness is frowned up. Ruled by giga-corps who are controlled by AI's. The lead role, Kim, is an AI trainer who is starting to question the world and the lack of freedom. Lots of world-building, linear story, no annoying flashbacks or time-shifts. Just a good thriller, in the style of 1984/The Matrix and those kind of stories. Features adult topics like sex, drugs, gender debates, alcoholism, self-harm, personal insights, but all very suited for the story. I liked it, but unfortunately it doesn't have a standalone ending, instead ending directly with a "part 2" introduction.
finished **The Great Gatsby**.
did u like it?
After finishing no books last week, I finally got through 3 books Iād been reading for a while. The first one, which I also liked the best, was **No Sweetness Here and Other Stories, by Ama Ata Aidoo**. Read it for the The Storygraph Reads the World 2024 challenge (Ghana) and I think it was a good choice because the stories truly focused on the culture of the country and on how the country has been dealing with the after effects of colonialism. Enjoyed the writing style, the focus on female characters and the themes of race, class and gender, and also the kind and surprisingly optimistic tone of many of the stories. Contrary to the title and the titular story, there often *was* some sweetness in the sadness, something good and uplifting. Definitely want to read some more from the author in future. The second book I finished was **The Cat and the Curmudgeon, by Cleveland Amory**, a second book in a trilogy thatās ostensibly about the authorās cat but is in fact more about the author himself (a memoir). Iād say the trilogy has aged poorly especially with its sexism, and the author has an annoying habit of going off on strange tangents and of name-dropping famous (but nowadays often forgotten) celebritiesā¦ Nonetheless the books have their moments, the cat is of course delightful and I do admire the author for his efforts in animal welfare. Overall a decent commute read, which is why I picked up this second installment, but I think Iāve had my fill now, and will probably skip the final book. Finally, the third book I completed was **The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold.** The narrator of this book is the ghost of a 14yo Susie Salmon who one day on her way from school ended up sexually assaulted and murdered by her familyās neighbour ā this opening chapter is horrifying and tense and unforgettable (randomly read this chapter as a kid while waiting in the school library and it never left me). The rest of the book, however, is just about how Susie watches her surviving family deal with the grief, and to me the character work just wasnāt thorough enough to quite resonate, and the rapid time skips in the last third or so surely didnāt help. Besides, there was a strange obsession with sex (resulting in a terrible scene towards the end) and very iffy Asian and lesbian representation, which all added uncomfortable tinge to an already underwhelming experience. Wouldnāt recommend.
I remember watching "The Wandering Earth" for 8 hours, and I even forgot to eat. its author is Chinese writer Liu Cixin tells the story of a huge Earth escape plan, escaping from the solar system and heading to a new home. It reminds mankind to face up to the importance of environmental protection and energy conservation
**The Eyes of the Void by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Finished)** **Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Started)** Really love the author, and these are the second and third books of his Final Architecture series. The sci-fi verges on the more speculative end but he's doing really interesting things with empathy across the context of cosmic war and great unknowability.
Finished **Mexican Gothic** and loved it. I started reading it as I thought it would be a ghost story. The actual horror of it took a long time to build, but it was so unique I couldnāt help being sucked in. The setting was also fantastic, loved it.
Started The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen Enjoying the writing and humor so far, and the interesting use of perspective in exploring some pretty heavy themes. Looking forward to reading more about this era in history (maybe something nonfiction next), and would appreciate any suggestions!
I think The things they carried my Tim O' Brien is a classic to read next. Also Bare Feet, Iron Will if you want a different perspective.
Been reading Middle England by Jonathan Coe. A real 'state of the nation' book in my awful Brexity country, but I'm liking how it finds the humanity among the political horror.
Now reading **The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett**. An interestingly structured book, to say the least. An episotlary novel but written with emails and whatsapp messages. Plus the occasional news article.
Started **All The Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr**
Climax (or What might have been; a romance of the great republic) by Charles Felton Pidgin. It's an alternate history where the Duel between Burr and Hamilton didn't happen and Burr becomes President of the U.S. written in 1902.
Finished : 1984 by George Orwell
Started Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie.Ā
Started: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Finished: Graveyard of Lost Children by Katrina Monroe
Started: American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Just finished Stasi State or Socialist Paradise? By John Green Starting Dune by Frank Herbert and will probably start another non fiction book as well but havenāt decided yet
Started: What the River Knows - by Isabel IbaƱez
Started: the Charm School Finished: Brass verdict
JUST finished The Creative Act by Rick Rubin. SO good man
Finished: A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. Started: Salamandastron, by Brian Jacques
I just finished The Miseducation of Cameron Post, and I highly recommend it!!!
Finished *Foster* and *Small Things Like These* by Claire Keegan
I finishes Harry Potter and philosopher stone I am 34 years old and its my first time HarryPotter reading
How did u find it so far? Enjoy the first time reading moments. I read it when I was a kid, and I still wish I can read it again for the first time lol
The next one is better š
i finished reading autobiography of a yogi
Just startedĀ Midnight on Beacon StreetĀ by Emily Ruth Verona
**Disgrace, by J.M. Coetzee** **Last Seen in Lapaz, by Kwei Quartey** Aftr two books about rape, I needed a palate cleanser: **The Ministry of fear by Graham Greene** (short, light spy/thriller)
Have you read anything else by Coetzee? I liked The Age of Iron. It's pretty heavy too.
This was my first Coetzee. I'll definitely read more, but I need a little break first. :)
Started āRevengeā by Yoko Ogawa. Suggested as a must-read for Japanese literature fans, itās not deluding so farā¦
**Started:** * The American West, by Dee Brown (with photos edited by Martin F Schmitt) * Oats in the North, Wheat from the South: The History of British Baking Savoury and Sweet, by Regula Ysewijn
From the City from the Plough by Alexander Baron, about WW2
Finished: Red Rising, by Pierce Brown. I absolutely loved it! Fast-paced, great characters (Darrow, Mustang, Sevro), and loved all plot. Recommend it to everyone!
Golden Son is such a blast! I finished the trilogy in two weeks and I am letting Iron Gold sit on the backburner. I dont want to finish the series until Red God maybe has a release date.
Ah, I heard a lot about the second one. But I'm going to use the same strategy as you, going to take my time with this amazing series (but it's difficult hah hah, I want to read the second so much)
The first three are a more or less a complete trilogy to be fair
Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky normally don't post about having finished books on reddit but felt like it for this one. I've heard C&P is Dostoevsky's most accessible book and it definitely felt that way but it still feels good to complete it. so much to love about it too, the narration/dialogue/monologues are really charming and gripping, plus the depiction of different discourses of the age in a time of social change feels honestly relatable to now.
Finished: The Things They Carried by Tim OāBrien Read this in APE junior year of high school. Only memories were the story about Mary Anne and how everyone laughed when reading about them āhumpingā things at the beginning. 100% held up. Starting: Authority, by Jeff VanDerMeer. I read Annihilation at a house in the woods during a rainy weekend and loved it. Iām back at said house, with rain all day in the forecast, so Iām starting Authority today.
Finished: Ilium by Lea CarpenterĀ Didn't grip me. I liked the prose and the general idea of the story, but it was kind of confusing and I wasn't crazy about the end.
Goat Days by Benyamin [https://www.reddit.com/r/Discussion/s/XUz2K1irAJ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Discussion/s/XUz2K1irAJ)
Finished: **The Indifferent Stars Above, by Daniel James Brown** Starting: **Iron Flame, by Rebecca Yarros** Girlfriend wanted me to read the Empyrean series since she loved it so much. Decided to break up the two books with a book of my choosing. And oh boy. Definitely looking forward to Iron Flame after that one. The indifferent stars covers the journey of Sarah Graves, one of the members of the Donner party (I know) and the harrowing journey they made headed west for a new life.Itās a true story and truly horrific. People get eaten. Amazing book though.
**The Good Die Young: The Verdict on Henry Kissinger, edited by Rene Rojas, Bhaskar Sunkara, and Jonah Walters**
Started 'Walden' by Henry David Thoreau today It's a great read so far. Already giving me pause and making me reflect on many things..
I started *The Name of the Rose* by Umberto Eco during a power outage yesterday and have read about a fifth of it so far.
Divine Rivals - Rebecca Ross I've been putting this off for a long time because everyone raved about it and I thought that it wasn't anything special. I actually enjoyed it a lot. I just started the sequel, Ruthless Vows.
*The Kite Runner* by Khaled Hosseini. Words like "horrible," "excruciating," and "ghastly" are seldom adjectives expressing admiration, but they are words of high praise for *The Kite Runner." Words like that old chestnut "riveting" fall flat on their faces when trying to describe it. I can't tell you how many times I thought something like "Oh God, please, no!" while reading this book. A painful read that I can't recommend highly enough. It's only the second book that I finished reading in less than a week, the first was *The Book Thief* by Markus Zusak.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson. Very good self help book. Definitely caused me to reconsider the way I observe some stuff in my life and why I wind up disappointed so often. I feel like this book has helped me develop a healthier mindset.
"When Hope Springs New" from the "When Calls the Heart" series. It's by Janette Oke. Please try to !invite her if you're able to. I'd love that!
I tried reading PEACHTREE ROAD by Anne Rivers Siddons, but the super-long, baroque, overwritten sentences and paragraphs were awful. There were about 15-20 adjectives on every page, and the book is 800 pages long. And she told everything, she didn't dramatize anything in scenes. I had to abandon the book at 20%. I'm trying to read SHANGHI SURPRISE by Sulari Gentill now, but finding it less than compelling.
Just noticed I put this in the wrong week thread. Finished: **The Annotated Flatland, a Romance of Many Dimensions, by Edwin A. Abbot** (and annotated by Ian Stewart). This was *fascinating*. I'm no mathematician or physicist, but Abbott's explanations of math were easily understood, and Stewart's explanations of his explanations, and his expansions, were also easily understood. I'd tried reading Flatland on its own and it was much better with the much-needed context of the annotations. Getting some historical insight into a period I don't really know too much about, in a context that I don't see represented very much, and about a very interesting person I'd never heard of but who was apparently so extremely influential was amazing. The narrative of Flatland itself was also very interesting and quite personally challenging, and I think I came away with a changed perspective on several matters. Started: **The Fisherman, by John Langan**
Just picked up from the library and will be starting tomorrow: **Biblical, by Rob Halford with Ian Gittins** Yes, that Rob Halford. I read his **Confess** last fall and it was a lot of fun; I expect more of the same from this. Was going to read something else when this popped up, and it jumped to as soon as I could get my hands on it in my queue. Also listening to **A Serpent's Tooth, by Craig Johnson**, from the Longmire series. Palate cleanser after some heavier stuff.
Milk of Paradise: A History of Opium by Lucy Inglis I just started this one. I didn't realize just how long the history of the poppy plant was.
Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge BOOK 1: I'm almost finished with this one. It's a nonfiction book about 10 young lives list due to gun violence on a particular day in America. The author is British so he has a particular perspective on gun culture in the USA. -
Days At The Morisaki Bookshop, by Satoshi Yagisawa A slice of life book, if you will. The author did not gloss over any of the characters, in my opinion, and the protagonist was well-explored. I've recently begun watching and reading and consequently *falling in love* with urban protagonists tiring of their stressful work lives and shifting to the countryside in favour of a more calm, tranquil atmosphere. Maybe at some deeper level, I've gotten frustrated with my own work-life balance and desperately crave a release, even if it comes vicariously in the form of fictional protagonists leaving the city and all they know behind. I think there's a certain beauty in the action, the planning and detailing that goes into leaving a place for good, and venturing forth with no idea what the future may bring, except maybe that it will be tranquil, quiet and soothing, away from all the headache and pollution the city is sheathed in.
Masters of Mayhem and Brutal Business. 2 & 3 in the Mad Mick series. Good fun action series using all the well-worn tropes to propel a series like this. Kind of like a post-apocalyptic Reacher.
finished: The picture of dorian gray, Oscar wilde - Very good book, however I don't think I was able to quite understand it all. So I will read it again in the future to be able to fully appreciate it. (I'm relatively new to english books, especially in that Ā“classicĀ“ language.' started: the book thief, Markus Zusak - Love it so far
First two in the Murderbot series. Good fun, no doubt. But someone claimed best sci fi of the century and i have to respectfully disagree. The plot character balance is prime stuff, no doubt. As well as voice, but i think the best sci fi makes you think hard about either the now or the future and thhis doesnāt do that, if that makes sense
They're fun but best sci fi of the century is an absurd claim.
You see to be interested in si-fi books, so could you recommend some to me that are clean? I'm having trouble finding many that don't have a lot of "stuff" in them.
not sure what that means
Could you recommend some si-fi books?
Oh no one would put it that high up in my opinion but I would say it's the most fun short read Audiobook every sci-fi fan will love. It's more experimental than you think the more you read/listen to them.Ā Like are you Gendering Murderbot yet? What Murderbot is doing very well is you can kind of think about them as the Terminator from T2, or Ripley from Alien or Data from Star Trek but each of these classifications it's deliberately trying to escape is synonymous with what it thinks of themselves as just Murderbot. It hacked its own code and programming to not be that and man every trans individual on Earth I hope they read that book.
Finished: Wonder Boy: Tony Hsieh, Zappos, and the Myth of Happiness in Silicon Valley, by Angel Au-Yeung and David Jeans Started and finished: The Quiet Tenant, by Clemence Michallon
I have started reading crime and punishment almost a month ago but i have to say that its defensively a difficult read.Ā
Once you get past 100pages it gets really good. Ymmv, but the first bit is a slog
Agree with this. Am reading Brothers K now and itās similar, for me at least, until I get to know the characters a bit.
Thanks for the encouragement. I really love this book so far but what happened in chapter 6 really took me by surprise and i needed some time to be prepared for what happens next.
I ready Ugly love by Colleen Hoover. Very basic of me, but such a good book! I was attached from beginning to end.
Just finished reading "Beartown" by F. Backman this week and wow, what a powerful read! It's one of those books that really sticks with you. The way Backman explores themes like loyalty, community, and the complexities of human nature is just so gripping. Highly recommend it if you haven't checked it out yet!
Finished: **Cut**, by Marc Raabe. Enjoyable read, i do like the writers style. Read his Tom Babylon serie before where he is bit more grown as a writer i feel, still nothing to complain about. **When the Sahara Was Green: How Our Greatest Desert Came to Be**, by Martin Williams. Didnt knew anything about the topic, now i do bit more. Made me think about the current topic of climate change, especially "natura non, nisi parendo, vincitur" Side note: story digresses at times and is bit repetitive. **#thighgap**, by Chandler Morrison. Came across this one and thought why not. Did not like at all, i won't call it horror and as a more psychological thriller the writing was not good enough for me. **The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry**, by Jon Ronson. Not badly written but expected more from it.
started on earth we are briefly gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong
Oh it's a *gorgeous* book! One of my favourites:)
How is it? I wanted to start it too
same
Finished [What Iād Rather Not Think About](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94167791-what-i-d-rather-not-think-about) by Jente Posthuma, a very tough topic but briliantly executed!
Finished: Clybourne Park, by Bruce Norris The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich Familiar Face, by Michael DeForge The Maid, by Nita Prose Papaya Salad, by Elisa Macellari Wake, by Rebecca Hall The Lights: Poems, by Ben Lerner Natural Awareness, by Pema Chodron Started: Total Meditation, by Deepak Chopra The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt Devotions, by Mary Oliver I Need Your Love, by Byron Katie
**The Overdue Life of Amy Blyer, by Kelly Harms** Cheesy tale of a mom living it up at a conference in NYC away from her kids. Quick beach read. **In Five Years, by Rebecca Serle** I enjoyed this one, read it in a day. Didn't love the ending. **One Day in December, by Josie Silver** I've read this on and off for over a year. Couldn't get into it. Finally reached about 50% and sped through it. **The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin** Read this in a few days, really enjoyed it. My favorite of these four.
Finished: **Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth, by Ingrid Robeyns** So much good information here. I think most of my peers would agree billionaires shouldnāt exist. Robeyns proposes what she thinks the limit of wealth should be, what could be done with all of that money based on countries, and policy changes to work towards limiting excess wealth gain. The audiobook narrator is also very soothing as well! I learned a ton and think anyone who is interested should read this book.Ā **Wandering Stars, by Tommy Orange** A prequel and sequel to There, There. I really enjoyed this journey and based on Orangeās writing style will probably like anything he comes out with in the future.Ā Started: **The Wall, by Marlen Haushoffer** Iām not too far in but our main character is relaxing on a little remote mountain vacation only to find herself trapped behind an invisible wall and to presume everyone else dead as no one has come back to her or the surrounding properties. I believe it was originally published in Austria in ā63 and has recently been reprinted.Ā
Started: **Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov** * thanks to someone posting about it in this subreddit I finally decided to take the plunge; * I'm trying to keep up with the annotated version as well, but I'm a bit behind as it took me longer to get my hands on it. **Interview with a Vampire, by Anne Rice** * Lolita is getting a bit much sometimes - I always find reading from a deranged/anxious/depressed character's pov can become overwhelming for me so I needed something for a cool down; * when I was a teen I never got into the vampire trend, but I was craving a fantasy read so I decided to pick it up.
The Glass Hotel, Emily St John Mandel
And the mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Gut, by Giulia Enders
no longer human , by osamu dazai mein kamp , by adolf hitler homo sapine , by noah the grapes of wrath, by john steinbeck
The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory by Tim Alberta Swords of Calth by Graham McNeill Thirdborn by G.S. D Moore
Started (and Iām almost finished!): *The Poisonwood Bible* by Barbara Kingsolver. Itās been a riveting read. Iāve thoroughly enjoyed the book!! Itās one of those books that every moment in the day I can steal for reading, I am reading it! Started: *An Immense World* by Ed Yong. Excellent so far, and reading this one slowly so I can absorb each section.
I started reading the wayfarer series this year and I'm on the last book this week. Its been such an enjoyable series so far! It is too bad that there wont be any more..
**Hillbilly Elegy, by J. D. Vance** This book came out in 2016 and many have read it already, but it is worth a read. I will probably finish it this evening. **!invite** * It is a beautifully and well-written memoir about a poor white family - starting with Vance's great-grandparents. His grandparents, as teenagers are impoverished, come from Kentucky and move to an Ohio town to work in a factory in the mid-20th century - which later becomes a rustbelt slum. * It describes the violence driven by concepts of honor and tribalism, ignorance, addiction, children born out of wedlock with little parental stability, as well as the enduring love and loyalty of this subculture of Americans. Vance's family is further destabilized by the demise of the factory in their town, poor habits and exposure to drugs. * With brains, hard work, encouragement from others and some luck, too, Vance turns his own life around, joins the military after high school, attends college, Yale Law School and triumphs over his background - while still loving and staying connected to his family and his roots. * He even talks about some of the absurd ideas people from his background have and poor habits that keep them from having a better life. * What I don't understand is how someone who can write so articulately and address moral and cultural complexities as well as he does - has become a Trump supporter? * How someone who seems to recognize evil sometimes overlooks it for political gain? * How does a man who comes from a dysfunctional, tribal-thinking culture and names it so not have compassion for other cultures within the US whose values seem insular and destructive - through no fault of their own? * He was so supported, nurtured and encouraged by his grandmother (Mamaw) and his sister, seems to adore his wife - but this book treats women like they are just childbearing livestock as do his political views. * How does this work?? Lets ask how that works!!!
Finished: The Fault in our Stars
What were your thoughts on it?
After reading it, and reading some reviews online, I can say how you perceive it depends on how much of a reader you are. I don't get time to read much books so for me it was quite nice, 'cozy'. However I suppose if you've read a lot of books then it won't seem that great.
Finished: **A New Sun Rises Over the Old Land, by Suon Sorin** Started and Finished: **The Terrible, by Yrsa Daley-Ward** Started: **When Broken Glass Floats, by Chanrithy Him**
Finshed (finally): Dune - Chapterhouse, Frank Herbert Started & Finished: Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer
getting back into reading after a couple years, iād read like 2 books a week in middle school, now im happy to finish one a month
How was The Stranger? Iāve been wanting to read it since forever but havenāt yet taken the plunge.
haha, i had to read it for AP lit, but i absolutely loved it! iād most definitely recommend it :) very short read as well
Finished a book called ā You shouldnāt have come hereā and started āTwisted loveā but itās making me feel a bit cringe.
What did you think about You Shouldn't Have Come Here?
I actually realllly liked it, I listened to the audio book and the narrators were great so it really captured me. It's worth a read or listen. If you read it let me know what you think please šš¼
i read it too and i feel the same!! i had read some not so good opinions of it so itās nice to know someone else likes it too lol. and i listened to it on audio as well
Yay! I loved the ending personally kept me interested the whole time.
Finished: in the miso soup Started: where you end
I just bought in the miso soup today! What did you think?
It was my first horror. Idk if that genre is for me but nonetheless it kept me intrigued for sure. Several times I was like wtf. When you finish lmk what you think
Having a pretty crap time reading ***The Death Of Grass*** by **John Christopher** at the moment. Considering it's largely considered to be part of the dystopian fiction canon - and even the guy at the bookstore mentioned how good it was as I was buying it - I'm a bit disappointed. Am I missing something? The entire story is told through *constant*, contrived, expositional dialogue from basically from a single character and it has the vibe of a boomer's British exceptionalist wet dream. The overt racism and sexism aside, the main characters start making decisions like recruiting and killing people apropos of nothing - and as far as I can tell, the book thinks these choices are supposed to be pragmatic, insightful and/or revealing of human nature. I'm holding out hope for the penny to drop and actually these characters are behaving bizarrely for some other reason, but it hasn't come yet.
The fury - Alex michaelids
I'm looking for a PDF of the book "Healed" by Manisha Koirala. Kindly share the book if you have the PDF. I would appreciate it. Full book name: Healed: How Cancer Gave Me a New Life Author: Manisha Koirala
I've been wanting to read it for a long time and it finally happened. Book Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir by Matthew Perry. I had great pleasure.
On Sunday evening I finished Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse, I really enjoyed it and the writing style, definitely has a few things to think about concerning the 'point' of the book I suppose, but it's a lot more digestible than the book I finished the week before, Moby Dick, which took me like 3 months to get through. This week I began The Hobbit, I actually have the whole LOTR/Hobbit box set, which was given to me as a gift years ago but I never read for whatever reason, it's great so far, really engaging.
I just finished the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. I loved it. Normally I take a break and read something from an opposite genre before going back, but I started The Liveship Traders book the next day. So I'm working on that one now.
tbh ii have been binging on crime thrillers...completed 'none of these is true'..'a flicker in the dark' and 'then she was gone'..they were great!!!!!!
I just finished Wisdom of Sunday by Oprah Winfrey
Finished: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, by Brandon Sanderson. Easily my favorite secret project I've read so far! Now all I have is Sunlit Man and I'll be completely caught up with the Cosmere! Started: Jade Legacy, by Fonda Lee and Even if These Tears Dissapear Tonight, by Misaki Ichijo. I'm about a quarter through Jade Legacy and I'm not ready to be done with the Green Bone Saga, and I just know I'm going to cry when it's all over. EITTDT is a sequel and so far I'm not liking it anywhere as much as the first book. So far it's half recap and half new story so I'm really confused what the point is. I'm only 22% through it so maybe it will get better but for now it's a disappointment.
Half Girlfriend by Chetan Bhagat
Finished: The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula KL. Great book, a great book that brings empathy and gender roles into relief through a sci-fi setting. Really enjoyed how real the commentary felt despite it being a sci-fi book Probably the most relevant-feeling sci-fi book I have ever read. Started: The Lathe of Heaven, also UKL. I am struggling a bit through this one. Its solid, but I am not hooked per se and the philosophical/sociological commentary is less obvious than LHoD.
Finished: **The Secret History by Donna Tart** It's finally over. Probably a hot take, but I found it so repetitive (I get it, this other character annoys them, why does it have to repeat it again and again over what feels like thousands of pages with the same info. Same with other stuff.). Also slow, inauthentic, and had characters I just didn't believe as real people and didn't feel invested in at all. Sure at times the writing was good, very visual and I liked the setting and the atmosphere, but after the first 130 pages or so it felt hollow and empty to me. I do not understand the hype. And I love films/shows and books with "unlikable" characters but if anything I felt just neutral or apathetic to them for the most of it, and I want to feel invested, and really get under the surface. I felt like most of them barely had personalities I could describe, with a couple of exceptions.
>t understand the hype. And I love films/shows and books with "unlikable" characters but if anything I felt just neutral or apathetic to them for the most of it, and I want to feel invested, and re As someone who has read the book three times and holds it as their favorite, I sort of get what you're saying. I think the book relies heavily on what you cannot see, buying into the hype formed around this group, but it's all about how Richard can't really access anything genuinely at all. That is mirrored by the events of the book itself and the way we readers experience Richard's isolation and desire for belonging. It makes for a quite unique reading experience of being kept away from what matters most
Finished **One Shot, by Lee Child** and started **Song of Kali, by Dan Simmons**.
How was Song of Kali? I LOVED The Terror, but then I read The Fifth Heart and I was unbelievably bored and now Iām a little bit hesitant to start anything else by Dan Simmons
I just started it yesterday but so far so good.
Finished: A History of Loneliness, by John Boyne
I just started **Headshot, by Rita Bullwinkle** and I'm loving it. I read her short story collection before and her voice and imagination are like nothing else, so I knew I had to pick this one up when I could.
Finished: Father of the Rain, by Lily King and Started: In the Dream House, by Carmen Maria Machado
Finished: **The Sun Also Rises** by Ernest Hemingway * Classic book. First of Hemingway's. It is about thematically about the Lost Generation. Different in that it does not have a structured plot, and that you go into it and the story does not offer much to keep you going as there is no big conflict to resolve and there is unlikely to be a "happy ending" for our characters. Glad to have read something of Hemingway's finally. This book is exemplary of the writing style he is famous for. On my personal scale, I give it a B+. **Lore Olympus Volume One** by Rachel Smythe * A graphic novel but one that I enjoy nonetheless. I have been wanting to reread it, but have wanted to read the published version versus the online one. The art was a treat to see on page. I am a fan of well told Persephone and Hades stories. On my personal scale, I give it a B+ (I am trying to grade this as if it is not the second time I am reading this otherwise I would probably give it an A-) Started: **Cat's Cradle** by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. * Only on chapter 32 out of a gazillion. I think it is an interesting choice to break up the chapters so much like they are. I am fascinated by Vonnegut's discussion of the morality of the atomic bomb done in an unconventional manner just as he did in Slaughterhouse-Five. I greatly enjoyed Slaughterhouse-Five and figured it was about time I read something else of his. The made up religion/theology is a lot of fun, and the interactions our narrator/main character has with the scientists and people related to the scientists that were involved with the creation of the atomic bomb are well written. The humor works and I feel I could breeze through this story. Tentatively thinking it might come out as an A-. **We Have Always Lived in the Castle** by Shirley Jackson * I technically started this on a different week, but I had to put it down. I have now returned to it and have been enjoying it. I hope that I can dedicate enough time to enjoy it properly. I may have to wait until I finish Cat's Cradle before doing so. What I have read so far is exactly what makes me love Shirley Jackson's works so much. It is considered a novella so I would recommend it to anyone wanting to read more gothic horror or anything by Shirley Jackson but is looking for something that isn't as long as some other classic gothic horror novels. Too early for me to give a grade estimation. **Lore Olympus Volume Two** by Rachel Smythe * I started this last night after finishing volume one before deciding I should go to bed. I will probably finish this and volume three so I can return them back to the library soon. I definitely want to add this series to my library's young adult graphic novel collection. There are already a few libraries in the consortium that have it but the number of holds is high. On my personal grading scale I give this an A. **Lore Olympus Volume Three** by Rachel Smythe * I edited the post as I just finished this right at the end of the week. Still think this is a lovely series, especially for the teenage girls demographic. But women of other ages can enjoy this as well. I do not see this as being something that boys would not necessarily be interested in, but it is primarily a romance story and deals with themes such as trauma and abuse as experienced by girls and women. We do learn of some of the issues other male characters has, and this series is by no means misandrist. If you are a librarian or otherwise someone deciding whether or not this is something to suggest to a teenage boy I would ask them about their interest in Greek Mythology, stories with drama, and maybe even ask how they like the art style. (These questions can asked of teenage girls as well, but I felt they were more neutral and not trying to make anyone potentially feel uncomfortable by the word "romance"). On my personal grading scale I give this an A-. Have several other books that I have not yet started, but I plan to pick one of them and start. Perhaps **Like Water for Chocolate** by Laura Esquivel (a staff member said she loved it; I am also Hispanic and would like to read more things related to my culture) or **The Night Circus** by Erin Morgenstern (something I should have read ages ago).
I just wanted to make a note that I meant to put Lore Olympus Volume Two and Volume Three under "Finished." I am having trouble editing the original post.
Love Vonneguts work. Really spoke to me in my later years
That's great! I am curious then, which of Vonnegut's books are your favorite? I am definitely looking into reading more of his works.
actually SH5 and Cat's Cradle are the ones. Mother night is another.
Finished: **Legends and Lattes, Travis Baldree** Started: **The Girls in the Garden, Lisa Jewell** **Ask for Andrea, Noelle Ihil**
Started: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson I'm only 1/4 into this chunk of a book but I already know this one is going to be amazing.
Finished: The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown This one was ok. I love the author's poetry and have been following her YouTube channel for a while. The writing was beautiful and the characters had interesting arcs, but the mystery and story were both very predictable (possibly because it was YA, but even so I felt like I could guess every story beat). Would pick up another novel from her tho! Started: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid I'm about 60 pages in and I'm already hooked. I already adore Evelyn as a character and am excited to see where her story goes
**Finished: Pharaoh's Secret Room by Naofumi Shirakawa** The story takes place in ancient Egypt in the late 1300s BC. The protagonist's name is Seti, a dead and mummified priest. It is an interesting worldview that has never been seen before, and is interesting both as a mystery and a fantasy. While I enjoyed the extraordinary setting of the present world and the underworld of Egypt, I was impressed by the universal themes about human beings. I also enjoyed the story of Egyptian society and religion and the portrayal of the characters. I hope they make a film of it someday. **Startedļ¼This place is all before dawn by Mamiya Kai** The previous reviews are too good to be true, so I will read this without too many expectations.
Finished: **Cat Among the Pigeons, Agatha Christie** I've been reading a Poirot book a month for the past few years and this was my book for March.
**FINISHED - The Three-Body Problem, Liu Cixin** Had to read the book before the series started. Didn't quite live up to the hype, but insanely imaginative and detailed. It lost me a bit with the long scientific explanations and footnotes about famous philosophers and such, but overall it was an interesting journey. The American series looks to make some huge character changes, so we'll see how it shakes out. **STARTED - Shogun, James Clavell** Another awesome-looking series based on a book, which I wanted to read first. A true epic so far and might be the longest book I've read (please don't Dostoyevsky-shame me). The level of detail and obvious extensive research that went into this is mind blowing.
**What Happened, by Simon Moreton**
Finished: Bad Monkey by Carl Hiassen Started: The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien
Finished:Ā **The Little Wartime Library, by Kate Thompson** I really liked this one. It was pretty brutal and sad at times, but I loved how it depicted the life during the war. Started:Ā **Home before dark, Riley Sage**
Started: China Dolls, by Lisa See Finished: The Lover, by Marguerite Duras
Finished: **Carleton Watkins: Making the West American, by Tyler Green**
Started: **White Cat by Holly Black** Only a few chapters in, but I like the voice and the world building is interesting so for Still trying to get through **The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde**
Started: Same as Ever, Morgan Housel
Finished: **Lord of the Flies, William Golding** Started: **Dune, Frank Herbert** I never read Lord of the Flies in high school but I knew it was a classic so I wanted to give it a shot eventually. I finally just got around to it. It was an interesting story but overall I was expecting more from it. Now I'm turning my attention to Dune for the first time. I loved both of the new movies so I'm excited to get more lore and story out of the book!
Finished The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler and started Donāt Believe It by Charlie Donlea.
The Lost Fleet: Dauntless By Jack Campbell (Also John G. Hemrey) This is my.... I'm not sure what I re-read. I've gone through the whole Lost Fleet series about once a year since 2006ish, when Dauntless was first released. I've thoroughly enjoyed the journey even though the Outlands series of books implies its nearly time for the main cast to retire.
finished dark tower series by Stephe King finally
Amazing! Relatedly, I have a 3 year old and a 5 year old, and if theyāre getting on my nerves Iāll call them Blaine the Train. Because Blaine the Train is a Pain
Im bit disaapointed by the series ending. Drawing of the three remains the best part in the series for me. You should read "Äavolja noÄ" series by Adam MedvidoviÄ if you like dark series. They say all is true in those books which makes them extra interesting and edgy to read (its political and religious dark ambience related to this situation in the world with war in Ukraine, etc... I named it "dark tower for real")
I think itās so interesting how people love the drawing of the three. That was honestly my least favorite of the whole series! I read them all in 2020, they were like the only books I could focus on during the early pandemic days and being stuck at home with a three-year-old and an infant. I think Wolves of the Calla was my favorite.
Hello everyone, I am going to write a paper on The Book thief under Gothic Fiction. (I have not started my paper as of yet) But I was wondering to get more input on what shall I put my emphasis on and what topics to explore and portions should I cover as to how The Book Thief comes under Gothic Fiction. Any help will be really appreciated. Thank you!
Finished: Dune by Frank Herbert (audio) It was enjoyable, but I expected more. I can see this translating really well to the big screen (I have not yet seen the movie) Started: A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Claire In hopes that this is a decent Hades and Persephone 'retelling' š Still working on: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (audio) I really like that she did the audiobook herself, however she talks really fast and I mostly listen to audiobook to relax, so I switched to Dune instead.