26ish books 2025

Yes, I'm enjoying it :)

Just finished Assembly by Natasha Brown.
Powerful, short novel covering some big topics including racism, sexism and cancer. Unique in its writing, it certainly packs a punch. 3 out of 5.

@ItalianChineseIndianMexican wintering is a lovely book!

I've had a really slow start to reading this year but currently have two on the go:
The Wintering by Katherine May and Assembly by Natasha Brown.
Both shortish books which I'm hoping to get through pretty quickly so I can get back on track!

I'm still on book 2 (was not expecting to read 2 a month in reality but still...) really struggling to focus on reading, but made good progress with it yesterday.

Last night I finished no. 5 & started no. 6.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros was very good (sequel to Fourth Wing) & continues the story strongly.
Started Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (3rd in The Empyrean series) last night - again follows straight after book 2; but is a hardback so a lot more cumbersome.

1.	Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
2.	Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch 
3.	Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
4.	Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
5.	Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
6.	Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Just starting book 3- the bee sting paul Murray. Started normal people by Sally Rooney last night which I've had on my TBR list for ages, read 3 chapters last night but fell asleep and couldn't remember a single thing from it so trying something different!

5. Mothers' Boys by Margaret Forster. I really enjoyed this. Centres on two women, one whose teenaged son was attacked and the other then gran who raised one of the attackers. It did get slightly wallowy in places but then the characters are wallowing, part of the narrative is they are struggling to move on and the need to still support those around them. Shades of We Need To Talk About Kevin but far less self conscious and stylised than Shriver who is rather marmite.

Last night I finished book #4 Gravity - Tess Gerritsen. This is my first book read by her and I will definitely be reading more as I thoroughly enjoyed this! It was so interesting and easy to understand even with a load of NASA acronyms dotted around. Some of the medical/forensic descriptions were a bit 🤢 but I knew that was going to be part of it.

I didn’t realise the author had tried to sue about the movie! I have seen the movie before and the book is quite different!

1. The Housemaid’s Secret - Freida McFadden
2. The Housemaid Is Watching - Freida McFadden
3. Wicked - Gregory Macguire
4. Gravity - Tess Gerritsen

Book #5 will be The Snakes - Sadie Jones.

Finished Circe by Madeline miller and really loved it and was sad to finish. Have gone straight onto Song of Achilles by the same author.

1. I haven't been entirely honest with you, Miranda Hart
2. The Cracked Mirror, Chris Brookmyre
3. Fairy Tale, Stephen King

Took me a long time to get through Fairy Tale and it's not my favourite Stephen King book. But I still enjoyed it. Need to choose my next book now!

2: mean streak by Sandra brown. Really enjoyed this. Definitely kept me hooked and didn't finish how I'd expected. Plenty of twists to keep it interesting!

4 - The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. 3/5*
I liked the format. The short chapters were great as I could pick it up and put it down easily. I read that Carey Mulligan was supposed to be playing the main character Nora in the film version but the article was from 2021, so I’m not sure if it’s still happening. I hope so as I’m a big Carey fan 💖

I’ve just started book 5, The Wind in the Willows edition and it’s absolutely beautiful.

5 A Spell of Good Things - Ayòbámi Adébáyò,

Although, I was intrigued by the storyline and the characters I found this a little challenging to read due to the traditional way the names and dialect were written. It took me a bit of time to get used to it.
I did think about giving up but my last book I didn't finish either so because of that and a desire to see how it ended I kept going. I am glad I did as I reas the last quarter much more easily.

I may be doing it a disservice as I was very busy with work and a bit distracted so it may be me not the book as it is usually the kind fo story I enjoy. I would be interested to hear the thoughts of anyone else who has read it.

I feel I could do with something a little easier now to get me back my reading mojo especially as I'm on holiday this week so I will catch up on everyone's suggestions.

6, Invisible Women - Caroline Criado Perez

for bookclub, very in depth a analysis about the gender satay gap across all areas of educations, politics, transport, health etc etc etc

ive read quite a few a books about how shit it is to be a women so to be honest nothing surprised me in this - maybe apart from some of the medical stuff - but my problem is it’s not a call to arms, just says this is all awful and needs to change but no suggestions of how to make the change, I guess if you work in one of the many industries she mentions there are things on even a macro level you can do. Interesting but for me not really thought provoking, as always with these types of books it’s somewhere preaching to the choir, these books need to be read by men

Finished book 4 yesterday evening - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Really enjoyed this - so much I bought the sequel & started it straight away. Fantasy is very much my wheelhouse since I was a child. Started Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros last night & enjoying it too.

1.	Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
2.	Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch 
3.	Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
4.	Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
5.	Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

4 A Doula's Journey - Hazel Tree

I don't usully add in books I read for work/studying but this is a really good read as a novel rather than an academic type.

Its in a journal style of the author's journey to becoming a doula and her life around it. An interesting read.

Sounds like a lovely plan @ThimbleT

What a lovely thread. I’d love to join in please!

I’d actually already set myself a target of 25 books in 2025 (and also 25 films and max 6 items of brand new clothing in 2025). The books and films are part of a wider effort to reduce the time I spend doom scrolling on my phone. I’ve deleted most social media accounts and am really enjoying a slower and less toxic form of leisure time.

Since the new year I’ve read The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu, The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris and Closer to Where the Heart Gives Out by Malcolm Alexander. I’m now reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

@cromwell44
I finished it yesterday, it was hard to put down! It’s only the 3rd I’ve read by Boyne so I will definitely be reading more; The Heart's Invisible Furies is one of my favourite books.

Just finished The Suspect by Rob Rinder. It was ok but just ok. Adam the protagonist is likeable but the boom is very similar to his first novel and clunky in places. Don't think I'll bother to read any more of his books.

1. A Maigret Christmas by Georges Simeon

2. The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase

3. The Suspect by Rob Rinder

Finished book no 3 - Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. Found it very slow going at the start & confused that the Abbey doesn't feature until half way through but it got better towards the end.

Started book no 4 today - Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Loving it so far - already up to page 144 & ordered the sequel.

1.	Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
2.	Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch 
3.	Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
4.	Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

4 - The Women - Kristen Hannah

Really enjoyed this (even the more gory parts in the Vietnam hospitals!).

Moving onto The Thursday Murder Club now.

5 Maid by Stephanie Land. I watched the TV series which is a bit loosely adapted - this is different, but you'd probably like it if you liked the show. In the show she comes across as more straight laced and her mum as more whacky but in the book it's kind of the opposite (but her mum still basically ignores her in favour of finding true love).

Can I ask about So Many Ways to Die?? It isn't an Agatha Christie novel? Is it a biography?