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 currently reading Big Swiss by Jen Beagin. Very funny so far but does deal with sensitive subjects , the main character transcribes recordings of a sex therapist and becomes a little obsessed with one persons story (as far as I’ve read!)

I'm reading "Our Hidden Lives : The Remarkable Diaries of Post War Britain", edited by Simon Garfield. Very well put together; the individual voices are very authentic and interesting.

Also reading "Brooklyn", by Colm Toibin - I am finding it hard to put down now that I've finally found it again after it got lost in The Great Christmas Clean Up.

Finishing up "One Summer, America 1927", by Bill Bryson. Very interesting (I like history).

Has anyone read The Bee Sting by Paul Murray? I was loving the first part - but the second part has weird punctuation to dramatise a characters narration and it’s really seriously putting me off. Ink Black Heart by JK had the same effect on me with all the chat room text.

Did anyone make it through and was it worth it?

I agree about The Ink Black Heart online chats. They didn't add anything to the book and ruined a perfectly good story.

Also recently finished French Braid by Anne Tyler. Beautifully written as always and the first novel I’ve read to reference the Covid pandemic but I didn’t really empathise with any of the characters.

A Bit of A Stretch by Chris Atkins, his prison diary. Just finished and it was very interesting.

I've just finished the Rory Stewart book Politics on the edge and can very well understand why he wouldn't want to go back to be an MP his 'year group' are the most vacuous and self centred MPs I have ever heard of.

I'm on with Theresa May The Abuse of Power and it's the same, the last ten/ twelve years of politics has been in the gutter.

I will read The Road to Wigan Pier after.

Feeling quite angry at the moment 😂

Yes. I liked it. I really liked Imelda's voice, the one you're referring to in the stream of consciousness style. I thought it was a very sad story and I liked the shifting perspectives as you view events through other characters' eyes. The only thing is that there isn't a definite conclusion and you're not sure of the outcome and left to make up your own mind as to what happened. That's annoying!

This is true.

However, having promised myself that I will stay away from books in charity shops, NT bookshops, book swaps at work, my local town’s independent bookshops (because it’s important to support them…)

This is a dangerous thread for me..😳

(have a stash of unre

A stash of unread books to read which never seems to get any smaller.

Flowers for Algernon.

I think it's going to have a v sad ending 😭

I'm reading space by Tim Peake. Its about the astronauts and how they became. Really really interesting ❤️

Am reading The Inklings currently. Biography of C S Lewis, Tolkien and others and their life and times in Oxford. It was gifted to me by a very good friend. Am finding it a bit of a slog if I'm honest - long passages about their views on religion and mythology etc. which are hard going! But will persevere as I am close to the end.

Am also reading The Power of Geography by Tim Marshall, which is fascinating. I love geopolitics! Close to the end of this too.

The Ten Thousand Doors Of January by Alix Harrow. I bought it solely for the title. I'm finding it a bit frilly at the moment. It's not keeping my attention, but I'm determined to persevere.

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro. This has left me reflecting on lots of things but also very flat. Enjoyed is not the word....

That’s probably one of my most disturbing reads ever. Took me a few months to stop thinking about it, and even longer to realise it was one of my favourites of all time!

I think that I will think about it more, turn it over in my mind, read it again and probably come to enjoy it over time. I was the same with Remains of the Day.

I'm about 80% through Demon Copperhead and loving it.

That's how I felt after readinf Nineteen Eighty Four. I also felt relieved - that I had finished it.

It's so interesting to hear that about prophet song. I got about 25% of the way in and had to give up, the way it's written made it such a slog for me. Lack of quotation marks and paragraphs meant I was constantly skipping back to work out who said what.

Different strokes for different folks!

I've just finished The Hike by Lucy Clarke. Made me feel uneasy, but I was very underwhelmed with the way the ending went. It felt a bit bland.

I put down my first DNF of the year today, Bunny by Mona Awad.

Despite the amazing reviews it is just pages of pointless annoying waffle and nonsense.

It's weird because I enjoyed another book of hers - All's Well, I think the Shakespeare references carried me through in that one.

Gabor Mate

'In the realm of the hungry ghosts!'

It's now a chore and I am desperate to finish it

I'm reading Big Swiss for my book group - intrigued but I'm not quite sure what to make of it yet or where it's going! It's keeping me going though!