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 absolutely loved Demon Copperfield. Actually felt sad to finish it as I missed it for a few days!

Just finished The Island Of Missing Trees for parents’ book club next month at school. It was a really engaging read to my great surprise. I genuinely enjoyed it and would never have picked it up. I’m hoping at least one of the others will have finished it too. Nothing more frustrating than the meetings where no one has got to the end yet!

Just 10 pages left of Under The Eye of The Big Bird. It is superb. Very well crafted and thought provoking. I’m eking it out to savour after tea time. Mini me thinks I’m washing up, but I’m sneaking international novels in the kitchen 😂

@FreshAirForwardsi also read Islandnof Missing Trees for book club and as you say, I wouldn't have read it otherwise and really was very taken with it. I agree as well about people not finishing the book - i love a good discussion.

@FoxRedPuppyi know what you mean about DC, I really found it hard to read something else after finishing that. I read another one by Barbara Kingsolver as my solution, Unsheltered, and really enjoyed it though it is very different to DC.

@FoxRedPuppy @thisoldcity
Have you both read The Poisonwood Bible? In my (very humble) opinion, the very best of Kingsolver.

@FreshAirForwardsyes I have read it, though quite some years ago, when I just read books in an enormous rush. Maybe time to re-read it!

I'm about 100 pages into Demon Copperhead and it's not what I expected, but am invested now to find out what happens to the guy!
Next is The Hallmarked Man.

Finished Lowborn, reading The Child With No Name and have Poor waiting… all interesting ……

Nearly finished The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker. Brilliant - set in WW1, 2nd in the RegenerationTrilogy. It won the 1995 Booker.

Next The Overstory by Richard Power

I’ve been re-reading some of my mum’s Wexford mysteries by Ruth Rendell.

The astounding twists in the last chapter are usually blindingly obvious about 3 chapters in. Still enjoying them though.

Operation Mincemeat. Didn't see the musical, but saw the movie.

Incredible story, fascinating characters.

I have the ebook and the e-audio. Narration not great, I thought, but still enjoying it.

I’ve seen the musical (twice) but not the film - I would massively recommend the musical.

I'm reading The Correspondent by Virginia Evans - letters & emails to and from a woman make her face up to mistakes in her past. So far I'm enjoying it and I'm getting hints of what might have happened in the past. Looking forward to learning more about her and her life.

I'm currently reading 'Jude the Obscure'

It's alright. I'm not bored as such, but also not grabbed. It's confirmed my suspicion that I don't particularly like the classics so I won't bother with them in future.

Up next is tough. I've got 'A Place of Greater Safety' by Hilary Mantel on my shelf but I didn't realise quite how huge it was 😲 So I might hold that off until I have leave in September. I've just ordered four new books so might go for one of them. 'Middlesex' by Jeffrey Eugenides is kind of calling me....

Jude The Obscure is rough @IceIceBabyBump because it’s SO depressing. I’ve read a lot of classics and it isn’t one I’d be in a hurry to recommend

@IceIceBabyBump Middlesex is a fantastic read. I bought it when it came out, fully expecting a book about cricket 😂

Mania by Lionel Shriver

I'm enjoying it but it's slower going that We Need To Talk About Kevin (this may also be due to me being busier) It's about a society where "Mental Parity" is prized above all. Everyone is assumed to be of the same intelligence level, any words even implying differences in ability are banned, using words like "stupid" can result in having your kids taken off you, testing and interviews are taboo. It's a parody really, a criticism of groupthink. I've heard it described as "terrifyingly plausible" - I'm not sure I'd go that far but I can see how something similar could occur I guess. It's enjoyable but not one I'll go back to probably.

Next up time for something lighter. The Writer by Valerie Keogh arrived on my Kindle the other day, must have preordered it at some point so I think I'll go for that.

I've been in a weird reading mood.
I've started so many books and just can't get into them even though I know I will like them. So I have just read all the books in Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series whilst rewatching The Good Wife.

I was half way through Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell but on Borrowbox and didn't finish before my loan expired :(

I'm now reading Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy and it's very atmospheric, I like it. Hoping it will get me back into the swing of things.

I realise I read a lot more in the colder months, warm weather means I can't concentrate so much unless I'm on holiday.

I’ve just finished Dreamland by Rosa Rankin-Gee
What a read! I couldn’t put it down and I’m praying there’ll be a sequel.

Not sure what my next read is…I’m hanging out for the next Cormoran Strike which should be landing on my doormat on the 2nd September 🙌🏻

Currently reading Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy - I’m 80% through and absolutely absorbed by it - haven’t been able to put it down so I expect I’ll finish today or tomorrow! Very well written and character driven. I’ve got Demon Copperhead on my tbr next but I’m not actually that drawn to it so might see what bargains are on kindle first ..

Just finished A River in Darkness, a mans escape from North Korea , really good book. Ive read a lot of defectors memoirs and I'm fascinated by their stories, hardship beyond our worst nightmares. Really recommend this one

I'm in the middle of "What I Ate In One Year" by Stanley Tucci. I really like Stanley Tucci and I'm enjoying this a lot - it's a mix of descriptions food he makes for his family & friends, food he eats in restaurants and thoughts about his daily life. Its very enjoyable and I rather wish he'd invite me round for dinner (or lunch or brunch or breakfast or even just a snack, because it all sounds very delicious).

Ooh I love books about North Korea!

I’ve just finished The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Enjoyed it, wasn’t blown away but it really grabbed me from about halfway (I seem to saying that a lot!). I love historical fiction and I think she does good research. This is based on 1930s America, the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. I like that her stories really centre around women’s experiences.

Next I have A terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe. It was a charity shop buy, so not sure what to expect.

@FoxRedPuppy, if you enjoyed 4 winds then you should read The Crooked Branch, its by the same author as American Dirt and is set in Ireland during the potato famine

I'm reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. It's beautiful writing and I'm enjoying it very much. I've read his other two previously.
Next up is some more Dick Francis. I've been on a bit of a nostalgic Francis kick for a while now and as luck would have it, today's Kindle Daily Deal includes 12 Dick Francis books. I'm in for a binge.
NB. Stay away from the recent ones written by his son Felix. Dreadful.