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

[IceIceBabyBump]

Currently:
I'm currently about half way through "Enter Ghost" by Isabella Hammad.

Feeling:
I've been working my way through the six books shortlisted for the Women's Prize and this is the last one. It's probably bottom of my list of those books. I haven't at all clicked with the characters and I'm finding it quite boring to be honest.

Next:
I've just had my next stack of four books delivered and I think I'll try George Orwell's "1984" next. I'm excited.

I started re-reading Excellent Women by Barbara Pym a couple of days ago and am loving it. Not much happens in her novels, but they are just delightful page turners. I plan to read/re-read all of her books over the next twelve months or so, so will see how that goes.

I've just started reading "Absolution" by Alice McDermott.

I am absolutely loving it. I read it until 1am last night and I'm itching to finish work today so I can get back to it.

Up next I've got "Orbital" by Samantha Harvey for book club. I've been putting it off for ages because it just doesn't grab me. I also didn't clock (until I saw a PP on here) that Samantha Harvey wrote "The Western Wind". I hated that book so now I'm even less inclined to read it. 😭

I was not a fan of Orbital myself OP!

Emperors New Clothes I thought

I’ve recently got back into reading and am trying to read a measly book a month but it’s better than nothing. Have read a couple of Wallender books and currently on The talented Mr Ripley. Very little flowery description which I seem to struggle with and very much character driven.

Can I join?

I felt the same re Orbital. Put me to sleep & no characters to grab you! It was beautifully written though!

Just finished Butter - was good but not as amazing as I was expecting.

I've got Yellowface to read next @loveawineloveacrisp - hoping it's good!

@MrsPeterHarris @IceIceBabyBump

Have you ever considered joining the 50 Book Challenge threads?

50 a target but not mandatory, it's a busy thread with lots of different recommendations and tastes

Oh no, not seen / heard it! Just trying to get back into reading again & I'll be pleased if I manage 12 books (one a month), doubt I'd get anywhere near 50 in a year!

Currently - In Her Nature by Rachel Hewitt, a non fic exploration of women’s sport outdoors - mainly trail running and a history of Lizzie Le Blond, Victorian mountain climber. Pretty epic on the historical stuff and her whole point is why don’t we know all these names? And what puts women off getting out there? Three guesses what are the main reasons… v contemporary and enjoyed the author’s accounts of running in lockdown.

Just started Kate Mosse’s The Burning Chambers for an Instagram readalong. 16th century religious skulduggery.

I've just started reading A Heart So White by Javier Marias. It starts off pretty dramatically with a woman, newly returned from her honeymoon, leaving a family lunch table and going to the bathroom and shooting herself dead.

It's sort of then written in a stream of consciousness way, as far as I can tell, and promises to reveal why she did so. From the point of view of her husband’s son.

I'm finding it intriguing so far and hope I can keep following the thread of the story, and continue to find it engrossing.

Just started The Crash by Freida McFadden. Too early to have an opinion on this one but I generally enjoy her books.

Finished earlier today: Tidy the F*ck Up by Messie Condo. It's supposed to be a parody of Marie Kondo, but was surprised at how much I liked it. Maybe even more than the original, which I quite enjoyed. This was my 2nd reading (listening to the audiobook, actually) and I may listen again before I return it to the library. I find the author's tough love approach quite helpful as I'm currently trying to declutter the ridiculous amount of excess detritus in my home.

Read over the weekend: A Messy Murder by Simon Brett. I always enjoy his books, although I feel quite sorry for the protagonist in this series, which slightly decreases my enjoyment of the books.

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith Jkr

Its still a page turner but not as good as the last. I feel there are plot holes here and there.

Next - maybe a book of short stories by AS Byatt- the black book

The next one after The Ink Black Heart, The Running Grave, is BRILLIANT.

We seem to be reading the same books @MrsPeterHarris! I have just read Orbital too. It was one of those books you needed to be able to immerse yourself in, and when I could, I did find it beautiful (especially the bits about the mother's death). But it was far too slight overall, super impressionistic.

I've got about 15% left of Butter – I am definitely enjoying it, but it's a bit too long and I find the translation a bit meh.

Next up, considering reading Fleischman Is In Trouble.

I'm re-reading Captain Corelli's Mandolin. I loved it completely when I first read it, but it's been years.

I've not heard of that @musicmaiden - let me know if it's any good & I'll add it to my list as we've similar views on both Orbital & Butter!

I enjoyed it but I have to confess to being a bit disappointed by the ending. Still very worth a read though.

Have started The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult. Lots of descriptions of Egyptian artefacts however I'm sticking with it as I usually enjoy her books.

Just got a 2 month free trial of Kindle Unlimited so if anyone's had anything good off there lately, let me know 🙂

I've just started Babel by Gaston Dorren. I'm a nerd and rather enjoy linguistics so I'm loving learning all about the different widely spoken languages. He writes very nicely, it's not dry at all.

I needed this after a swathe of psychological thrillers, which I do so love, but sometimes feel I need to diversify a bit. I suppose next will be this month's book club read "The Murder After The Night Before", which I'm not drawn to but I'll give it a go!

I've also seen that Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche has a new one out soon. I liked her first couple of books, read Americana but didn't think it was as good and these days I find her rather preachy I'm afraid, but I may give it a go.

Having loved "Orbital" so much, I though I'd like Benjamin Myers' "The Offing", the same emphasis on the physical landscape, but having put it down for a few days I find now it very annoying in this respect. So over-egged.

I will plough on as it's for my book club.

Fleischman is in Trouble is a fabulous read

Oh no, what a great idea. I'm aiming to read 50 books in 2025 anyway. I'll join!

I'm having a bit of a Romantasy spell. Enjoyed ACOTAR and Fourth Wing etc. Am now 150 pages into When The Moon Hatched but really struggling to get into it, I might even DNF which is so rare for me.

To make it even harder, I only discovered yesterday that one of my all time favourite authors, Mo Harder, published 2 more novels I knew nothing about? How did I not know?

So they're now downloaded onto my Kindle and they're calling to me..........

I’m currently reading Homecoming by Kate Morton and enjoying it. I like her fluid writing style, and the locations in this book are familiar to me. I haven’t really got deep into the meat of the story yet though, and yearn for enough uninterrupted time (possibly on a sunlounger somewhere) to be really transported by it.

Next up: Girl A by Abigail Dean.

But I have also just ordered Babel by Gaston Dorren on the recommendation of @Oganesson118 - sounds right up my street😀

@JessyCarr i read Homecoming recently and enjoyed even though it took a while before it hooked me - def agree you need some dedicated time to get immersed.

@Oganesson118 i somewhat agree with your Chimimanda comments but still excited for her new novel, hope it is a return to form from ther first two books

Currently reading My Friends by Hisham Mater and enjoying it, very easy to slip into immediately and even though there are short chapters which would make it ideal bedtime reading I’m def letting a few hours go by at a time before u put it down!

also slowly working through Hold Onto Your Kids Co written by Gabor Mate because my mum bought it for me. I don’t usually read books like this because frankly I find them overwritten and boring but I’m trying to just read a chapter every few days and it will take as long as it takes

excited to choose my next book, I had a few Waterstones gift vouchers to use so did a big shop

I've read a couple of his books, Berta Isla and Tomas Nevinson. I found them a bit slow to get going and almost gave up on the first one but really enjoyed them once I got into the characters.

I recently finished All the Broken Places by John Boyne. It was a captivating read and very thought provoking at times. It did show how easy it is to judge someone when you can't possibly imagine what you would do in their shoes.

I am also going through a Lisa Jewell phase at the moment . She's very easy to read and I love the plot twists. She really keeps you guessing right until the end. None of this is True left me wondering what the actual truth was.