What are you reading? How do you feel about it?

[whatausername]

I'm reading Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. Surprised by how much I'm enjoying it. I wish Mattie and Ethan were more articulate and better fibbers!

I'm reading Beastings by Benjamin Myers, it's making me feel a bit unsettled so I'm finding it hard to keep picking it up! It's only short so will finish it but not sure if I'm enjoying it yet 😂

Somewhere Becoming Rain, a collection of essays on the poet Philip Larkin by Clive James. Really enjoying it.

I’m also reading a biography of Virginia Woolf, which is even better.

Frankenstein. Keep nodding off every time I pick it up.

I love classic literature so surprised to find it such a slog, but the constant misery is just tedious.

For the first science fiction novel there is very little science and a lot of lament.

I’ve just finished Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry. It was beautifully written, so sad and beautiful at the same time. I’m really pleased I’ve discovered him.

Now reading Insects and Angels by A S Byatt after recently reading The Children’s Book, but I feel it won’t be as wonderful!

I read that last year - it's awful! Paragraph after paragraph of descriptions of mountains and the characters spend far too much dwelling on how wretched they all feel. Iirc it is mostly written in the passive voice? Was a dull dull read.

By the by, I have heard Margaret Cavendish's 1666 novel, 'The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World' described as an earlier work of science fiction. But I've yet to read it and can't say if it is sci-fi as we would normally use the term.

I’m reading Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart and it’s making me hate the Conservative Party even more, which I didn’t think was possible.

Erotic Vagrancy - the story of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, by Roger Lewis.

I feel absolutely agog, like I’m sitting in a bar with my most gossipy, irreverent, hilarious friend. It’s fantastic!

Life and Fate by Vassily Grossman. It's engaging but a bit daunting and I do struggle to follow the names. But there are parts that are really good.

I'm reading The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly and loving it. I can't wait to settle down each evening and read a few more chapters!

Just finished Tides by Sara Freeman.

Almost visceral.

Little (Maddam tussaudes life story)

Took a while to get into but once hooked, it's brilliant!

A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon. I am feeling suspicious!

The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes. First 75% was one of the best books I've ever read. Last 25% is weird try hard genre hopping. Very sad and not sure I can finish it!

Just finished City of Shadows by Michael Russell as fancied a detective series and my dad recommended it. Enjoyed it in a mild way- likeable main detective , set in 1930s Ireland with lots of history I didn’t know about the Nazis in Ireland. I’ve ordered the second one but probably won’t read it for a bit. Before that it was Trust by Hernan Diaz which I liked despite not really liking anyone in it!

I'm in the middle of The Wager at the moment. It's a historical non-fiction book
told in a narrative style. So well written and gripping.

But I'm getting through it really slowly. Too many distractions during the day, and heavy eyelids at night 😑

Ethan Frome is one of my favourite books.

I’m reading Killers of the Flower Moon (haven’t seen the film), it’s really interesting so far. I didn’t know anything about the Osage and oil.

And also The King’s Painter (about Holbein) which is brilliant

And also Reykjavik by Ragnar Jonasson and (weirdly) Katrin Jokobsdottir (Icelandic PM?) which is not very good and has a tedious jumping timeline. Although how someone has written a detective novel whilst also being PM is impressive…

We’re both reading David Grann - I also think the writing is great. Was planning on The Wager next.

Me too !

This is a lovely thread - I want to read so many of these! Thank you

Songbirds by Christy Lefteri. I'm quite enjoying it, but the writing style is by somone chasing a literary prize rather than trying to engage the reader.

I have read The Beekeeper of Aleppo which she also wrote, and I hope this book won't be as depressing.

I finished Ethan Frome last night and loved it! Emotional realism isn't really my thing - enough misery in life as is - but golly I enjoyed that book.

I'm reading How to Kill your family by Bella Mackie and it's not gripping me, tbh, I will happily read it but unlike other books, I'm not waiting for every chance to get to it....

Nothing to add other than great idea for a thread.

Good Girl Deprogramming
Its making me angry, hopeful, sad, angry again. All the emotions. It's fab.

bhxquery, I really enjoyed Politics on the Edge last month.
This month I'm frightening myself stiff with Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. Some evenings I can't actually bear to pick it up, it makes me nauseous with unease. But it is beautifully written so I endure the churning, relentless tension.