What are you currently reading, how do you feel about it, and what's next on the list?

Reading Sweet Caress by William Boyd. I'm finding that, when I'm reading it, I'm enjoying it but when I'm not, I'm not racing back to it. But it's still early-ish and hoping it will draw me in more soon. So far it hasn't got the usual humour I'd expect from Boyd. I'm also "on alert" as to whether he can "get" a female lead/first person character; whether it rings true.

Currently reading The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, enjoying but it hasn't grabbed me yet so finding I'm easily distracted out of reading. Not far through yet though so will give it time as I'm loving the central characters, just not the premise of the book being cogniscent.

Next up Butter

I have just finished re-reading Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited and listening to Stephen Fry read P. G. Wodehouse. When Stephen Fry was asked who his favourite writers were, he said "the three w's," meaning Wilde, Waugh and Wodehouse. I think I agree.

Next I am going to read George Eliot's Middlemarch. I have never read a word of Eliot, so it will be interesting to compare her to Jane Austen and the Brontes.

I'm just coming to the end of The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane.

I've loved it - set in Australia in 1883, a small boy wanders off from his families homestead during a dust storm. The book is set over seven days and nights as the community search for him and give support to the family. There's a big cast of characters but they're all well written and we find out about who they are and how they came to be living on the edge of the desert. The background to the book is the desert landscape, the sky and the sun.

Next on my list is The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce.

Oh!! I’m ready The Safe Keep too. Quite atmospheric so far.

@loveawineloveacrisp thank you I shall read It Ends With Us next

@happyandhopefulli love Gillian McCallister, all her books are good.

@HRTQueen Verity is possibly her best book, some of the others can be a bit formulaic. It Ends With Us and the follow up also very good though.

Currently reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, which is spectacularly good.
Next up is Sliver by Ira Levin, not one of his best, I fear.

I am reading (and also listening on audible when in the car or when going to sleep) Verity by Colleen Hoover. Its really good I am really enjoying it. I have not read any of her books before I like her style of writing I have found the story easy to follow

Thanks, I’ll see if it’s on audible.

Wrong Time Right Place is entertaining @happyandhopefull.

Joining the thread x

Currently.

Book: The Other Mothers, K. Faulkner ( first chapter in). Expecting twists and turns.

Audio: Famous Last words, G. McAllister. Read by
Emilia Fox.
Feeling: Really enjoying it, soft narration, waiting for the answers. Will definitely listen/read to another of the same author.

On my next pile: Such quiet girls, Noelle W. Hill delivery from my book subscription.

I'm currently reading 'Disgrace' by JM Coetzee for my book club. It's beautifully written, gripping and disturbing - the main character is vile but then shows glimpses of humanity that are completely at odds with how he is presented - there will be some good book club chat I think.

Just reading that back I'm annoyed that I've expressed myself so badly! When I say it was a quick read it makes it sound that that is what I think makes it good. What I mean is it was very short and it kept me gripped. Easy to read while yet also made me think about it a lot.

Love Diary of a Provincial Lady. I also have it as an audiobook read by Georgina Sutton which is a real comfort listen for me.

Just finished reading The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes. It was a good read in the sense that it was quite quick to read. I'm still pondering it and wondering what I thought of Tony Webster and his predicament and the other characters. I don't know if there's a definitive answer. Or whether there isn't and different thoughts are valid iyswim. Maybe I will read it again with the benefit of knowing the ending.

I'm on holiday ATM; in England, and have spent most of the afternoon reading my new book; Sweet Caress by William Boyd. I'm enjoying it so far. I read Any Human Heart at the end of last year and can't help but compare the 2 as I read. And comparing The Sense of an Ending to AHH. William Boyd tends to be very readable.

I couldn't agree more. The first third to a half was good, but meh, it dragged.
I did enjoy spotting the links between the novel and its inspiration as I know the original very well.

What did piss me off and made me wonder about the author was her saying she was inspired by Dickens's depiction of poverty in "David Copperfield" when writing Copperhead. "David Copperfield" is not about poverty. What did stand out were obvious links to "Oliver Twist" in the section on the youth farms.

I’ve just finished The Pisces by Mellissa Border, a very mad book. Disliked by many because the fictional character kills a dog and falls in love with a fish. But I liked its insights into love, women’s need for love to feel complete (possibly humans’ need, but she’s writing from an woman’s perspective) and mental health associated with lack of love and feeling abandoned.

After three Miranda July novels and then this fishy one, I’m now on By Your Side by Ruth Jones and I’m not really enjoying it. I think she’s a better screenplay writer than novelist. I find her writing style a bit dull and repetitive and after four very wild American women authored novels it feels tame and too cosy and I’m struggling through it. I am however on target to hit 12 books this year which is 11 more than I managed last year! If I didn’t spent so much time on here I’d be reading proper stuff, like actual books.

Have just finished Demon Copperhead. Am I the only person on the planet who found it hard going? It feels 3 times longer than necessay , a basically good story but sooo drawn out.

Boundaries on the Footsteps of Another World. Hard going because of the language of the time (mid 19th Century) so will probably re-read.

@whatsit84 I loved the Vanishing Half but it was tense!

reading- AFamily Matter* *by Claire Lynch and racing through finding it absolutely pick perfect. A take on a family scenario I haven't come across in novels before. Would cancel my plan for the morning to carry on if I could.

next- possible either * *Brother. Do. You. Love. Me. by Manni Coe or This Motherless Land: A Novel by Nikki May

I think they might lead on quite well from current book. Like a dj choosing the next track- keep the same feel or change it up?

I read East of Eden when I was a teenager. I love John Steinbeck and raced through most of his novels. It would be good to reread some of them now I'm older and have a more mature view of the world.

I've just finished The Party by Elizabeth Day - posh people behaving badly. Now I'm reading More Days At The Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa.

I'm currently reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells. I never read non-fiction usually but have stormed through this and nearly finished.

I imagine like many others, finding the parents extremely frustrating.

I'm reading the 4th Maeve Kerrigan next and then East of Eden by John Steinbeck