26ish books 2025

8 : The Other Side of the Bridge - Mary Lawson

Very much enjoyed this. I had a bit of a quiet spell of reading last month but this reeled me in.
Two stories a generation apart in a farming community in Canada, alternative chapters for each.

I always think highly of these authors that can grip you in one chapter so much that you don't want to swap to the other story in the next chapter But within a page you are engaged again with the one you're reading.

Highly recommend for an interesting but easy read.

Book 7: Spiked by Caroline Campbell 7/10
There are real Women’s VAWG stories in this book but also a lot of dark humour. Definitely read this if you haven’t already!

Book 8: Maggie Cassidy by Jack Kerouac 7/10
Based on Kerouac’s first love affair as a teen with Maggie. Very poetic prose, beautifully written but from the brutally frank mind of an adolescent boy.

Book 9: Commonwealth - Ann Patchett 8/10
Loved this book! I think it’s only the 2nd Ann Patchett book I’ve read so I’ll definitely be reading more.

About to start A Pocketful of Happiness by Richard E. Grant. Not sure if it's a good idea while grieving, can always shelf it if it's not.

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Ahhh...a book I'd looked forward to reading for a long time, much lauded on MN.

I liked it very much but can't say that I loved it! I feel like I've read a lot of books about historical witchcraft over the past couple of years...
On that subject, I preferred Weyward by Emilia Hart.

But of course, All the Colours of the Dark is IMO a very hard book to follow!

That was one of my recent reads too @Breathmiller .

1. Wishful Drinking - Carrie Fisher

A short read from a woman who really did live on the edge a lot. Some very serious subject matters at times that she manages to write about in a way that made me laugh out loud.

Oh, yes, do. I obviously knew about Malala and Mr Breathmiller had seen her speak but I had no idea how young she was when she started her life's work or the history of her particular area of Pakistan, the beautiful Sway valley. Very inspiring and I loved her story of family and ordinariness of life woven through, squabbling with her brother and being with her friends in amongst a very extraordinary life.

I’ve got this in my TBR pile, must get it out and read it

6 I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai.

Goodness, what an inspiring young woman.

10, Orbital - Samantha Harvey

This year's Book Winner and I think it's been quite divisive (on this thread too) but I really loved it. I hd to keep reading it though in disruptive places like public transport so I think I might try to make time to read it again but try for a quiet day somewhere and read it in one sitting. I just loved how meditative and unstructured it was

Now that does sound good!

Enjoying Saltblood by Elizabeth del Torres at present. Fabulous 18th c tale of a real female pirate.

7: Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
I really liked this one. Canadian fiction.

8: The Five by Hallie Rubenhold
Such an interesting book about the lives of the five women killed by Jack the Ripper. A really enlightening look at the social history of working class women at the time.

Oh that's great news, I'll keep an eye out for dates. I'm hoping they tour it or record it for NT At Home.

I hope so, but she seems to be making him older very rapidly, in my mind he should still only be about 55.

@ExtraDisorganised
I felt exactly the same about Death at the Sign of the Rook.

Her characterisation was, as ever, brilliant but it was about the characters I wasn't as interested in!

Here's hoping for a new and better Brodie soon.

1. The pumpkin spice cafe - an easy read, read mostly in one day today while waiting for a relative in hospital. Didn't love it but not sure I could have concentrated on anything more taxing.

3: Death at the Sign of the Rook - Kate Atkinson. I was a bit disappointed with this, having loved all the other Jackson Brodie books. It was OK till the last few chapters when it completely lost me. Even before that I didn't really care who did it. I would have liked the story of Jackson, Reggie and Louise to be more central.

@MargotMoon I did go to see Ballet Shoes at the NT, a couple of weeks ago before it closed, it was fabulous and they have now announced another run in the autumn.

9, The Storm We Made - Vanessa Chan

Fall out from a Malaysian woman's decision to pass intelligence to a Japanese man during British occupation of Malaya that helped expediate the Japanese invasion during WW2, moving along the timeline of what happened as she did so and 10 years later the enduring repurcussions on herself and her children.

No holds barred and pretty brutal but well written and it was easy to follow the multiple narratives, particularly "enjoyed" (maybe appreciated is a better word considering the content) the final few chapters where the pace ratchets up and the different POVs all come together

Def a 4/5

7. The Eye In The Door by Pat Barker. Second book in the Regeneration trilogy and easier to read. Same tonally - psychology and psychiatry, graphic descriptions of war, some difficult to like characters and a lot of social history and real news events woven in. I found the dialogue and way the characters related to one another rang very true. I found it both complex and over written in places and rather simplistic - a funny mix. I would recommend this and will read the third book but I suspect there will be those who dislike it, find the descriptions too detailed or the psychiatrist's insights a bit indulgent. The central character is interesting because he's such a calculating git but his takes on human nature had merit and his values and backstory gave him depth.

6. The girl with the louding voice. Ali Dare.

Very heart wrenching but a big eye opener about lives of women in Nigeria. But a wonderful book, beautifully written and hard to put down.

5 - The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard.

Very unique book with time travel elements. Loved it

8: Rivers of London, Ben Aaronovitch

It has been read by a few of you I think and was available on BorrowBox. Loved the narrator, he's so so good. Not normally the sort of book I'd reach for but I enjoyed it and will probably listen to the rest of the series

Well that's the quickest I've read a book in about 20 years! Now to decide what's next...

1. Wintering by Katherine May

Not quite what I expected but a lovely read all the same. I get the whole 'wintering' concept and can definitely relate. Written as a memoir, it had some lovely insights into the authors life as well as some sections on history, geography and nature.
3 stars out of 5.