What are you reading this month?

[EverySongbirdSays]

At the moment I'm reading A Spool Of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

I've also read The Last Act Of Love by Cathy Rentzenbrink

Take Six Girls by Laura Thompson

and

The Circle by Dave Eggers

All really different

[SatsukiKusakabe]

I've read Stephen's memoir On Writing
Julian Barnes The Noise of Time
Slade House by David Mitchell

Currently reading The Revenant.

And yes all very different. I've got The Circle on my Kindle. Is it good?

[SatsukiKusakabe]

Ha - Stephen King! Wrote that like he was my mate Stephen.

[EverySongbirdSays]

LOL - Satsuki

The Circle very much Orwell meets Google/Social media. It was good, easy to read too, but just good not amazing. Tom Hanks, Emma Watson doing film

Last Act Of Love very good, not sure what I make of Spool Of Thread bit of a non-story as yet.

[MermaidofZennor]

Just started Diary of a Provincial Lady by E M Delafield

And Siblings Without Rivalry by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

After that - We Have Always Lived in The Castle by Shirley Jackson

[EverySongbirdSays]

Oh,

We have always lived in the castle is so good. I had questions after that!

[Wildernesstips]

Just finished A Spool of Blue Thread and At the Edge of the Orchard. Loved both.

Currently reading My Brilliant Friend, which is not living up to the hype for me, and listening to A Brief History of Seven Killings after abandoning trying to actually read it!!

[WipsGlitter]

Im reading We Were On A Break. It's ok. Bit trashy.

Just read The Wonder which I loved.

[TopazRocks]

I'm struggling a bit with reading just now - but am getting into Hannah Rothschild's novel The Impossibility of Love. (hope I've got the title right!)

I've got The Wonder in my stash. I loved Room.

[Roygrace]

After the fall for book club

[highlandcoo]

I'm working my way through the Booker shortlist this month. So far have read:

Hot Milk by Deborah Levy. I have mixed feelings about this book. It was well-written but I'm not sure I liked the theme; there was something self-indulgent about it and it got a bit wearisome.

Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien. A fascinating fictional account of the cultural revolution in China, a period of history I knew woefully little about, and well depicted through the lives of the individual characters. It reminded me of Dr Zhivago in the way that personal relationships are portrayed against a background of sweeping political change. Not a light read but well worth it.

Now reading His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet. The story of a crime committed by a young crofter in the 19th century, presented in the form of his written confession. I'm really enjoying this; the author has caught the rhythms of Scottish speech extremely well and, having stayed with a friend on her croft in Applecross, being able to picture the setting has made the account even more convincing. Be warned .. the description of the crime committed is pretty graphic.

Three more books to fit in in the next 12 days .. I'm on holiday and it's due to rain a lot this week so should be possible!

[highlandcoo]

OP and Wilderness I really enjoyed A Spool of Blue Thread while I read it, although I can't recall much about it now.

I agree that My Brilliant Friend is underwhelming. Unfortunately I bought the first three in the series, convinced I would love them, so the other two are sitting looking at me now and I'm not feeling compelled to pick them up at all ..

[MsJuniper]

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro. Struggling a bit to be honest.

[EverySongbirdSays]

A Spool Of Blue Thread is frustrating me a touch because it's all a bit of a non-starter, where's the story?

The Whitshanks and their 4 children Amanda, Jeannie, Denny and Stem.

Denny is enigmatic arsehole the two daughters have no personality, it's a bit so what?

I'm moving on to His Bloody Project next

[southeastdweller]

I've got a couple on the go at the moment - a biography of Maggie Smith, and the new Bridget Jones book that's based on the new film. Should finish them next week and then I'll start The Outrun.

[ThenLaterWhenItGotDark]

Am trying to read each month

1. something I think I should (Marukami, Norwegian Wood. Yawnfest of pervy bloke shagging and drinking and seemingly making people around him top themselves, which, quite frankly, I was ready for doing by the end
   
2. non-fiction Stuart Maconie- the Pie at Night, love love love SM, my little national treasure. Not as good as Pies and Prejudice, but still good
   
3. An easy trash read- Mark Edwards- because she loves me. Psycho thriller madwoman thing
   
4. A reread of an old favourite- haven't decided yet.
   
   On my bedside table are How to be a Brit, Love in the Time of Cholera, and Bruce Springsteen's autobiography.

[Morningbear]

Oh southeast, you're going to love The Outrun! I read it a couple of months ago and I still think about it all the time.

At the beginning of the month I read Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for my book club which I was completely blown away by. I learnt so much about Nigeria and the Biafran war. Currently reading The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides plus a bunch of poetry - Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, Physical by Andrew Macmillan and Undying by Michel Faber.

Undying is a collection of poetry written to the poet's wife, who died of cancer, and it's unbearably sad but also very beautiful and very honest.

[Morningbear]

Satsuki how did you get on with The Noise of Time? I couldn't get into it, and had to force myself to reach even halfway. Then I abandoned..!

Also, your mate Stephen !

[EverySongbirdSays]

I finished a Spool Of Blue Thread last night - I'm kind of at a loss as to what it was about. Underwhelmed.

I'm reading Hollow City (2nd Miss Peregrine) before I move on to His Bloody Project

[SatsukiKusakabe]

morningbear I found it disappointing too! Couldn't fault the idea, or the writing, and thought the beginning chapter was promisingly mysterious, but it was just boring and never went anywhere. It was under 200 pages but felt much longer. I did make myself finish it, but can't remember much from the last half anyway I'd just read Pedant in the Kitchen by Julian Barnes and enjoyed it (non fiction) so went for his latest. I have got Arthur and George by him as well but might leave it a bit, hope it's better.

Thanks re Circle, will get round to it soon Everysongbird. I have His Bloody Project ordered at the library.

If you are not on the 50 books threads anyone, come and take a look/join in, it is great for recommendations and robust good natured debate

[Wildernesstips]

Arthur and George is a brilliant read, but quite long iirc.

[TitsTingle]

My dear I meant to tell you.
Enjoying it but it's taking me ages to read it.

[AmberGreyson]

The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes

[EverySongbirdSays]

Ooo I have Arthur and George.

I did like Sense Of An Ending

[SatsukiKusakabe]

That's reassuring, wildernesstips

I liked, Sense of an Ending too.

[tobee]

Good Morning Midnight - short but very involving, semi autobiographical, Jean Rhys.

Am trying to get back into reading physical books as opposed to e books so was reading and enjoying Fortunes of War, also semi autobiographical, Olivia Manning but paused for a bit as had several days out with long train journeys and schlepping about so resorted to iBook. Immersed in Handsome Brute (as recommended on here to me) about real life murderer Neville Heath.