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'm currently reading "The Marriage Plot" by Jeffrey Eugenides

I loved "Middlesex" and enjoyed "The Virgin Suicides" so I had very high hopes. But I've been a bit underwhelmed. The first part is really dense and quite boring. It's mostly heavy and stunted dialogue between university students about various philosophy texts. I can't help but feel the author was using this section of the book - and this dialogue - to show the reader how very well-read and clever he is.
I'm just onto the second part so I'm hoping it picks up.

I've got a WOB delivery arriving today. I might go for another Benjamin Myers. Or maybe 'Wild Swans' by Jung Chang which I've always been meaning to read.

@Sheeppig
You're not alone in your penchant for nuns. I like them too and remember a conversation with a bookseller when buying a copy of 'Matrix' by Lauren Groff. Bookseller was a nun book fan and told me she'd found it disappointing because the nuns in it weren't as 'kick-ass' as the cover blurb made it sound. I had a similar experience recently when reading a book called 'Mediaeval Nuns at War'.

Currently reading Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka. It’s excellent although quite harrowing.

You might like, " Black Narcissus" by Rumer Godden, which is set in The Himalayas and which was later made into a film starring Deborah Kerr.

A good non-fiction about nuns is, "Virgins of Venice" by Mary Laven. She looks at the high life-and sometimes powerful lives-these high class nuns lived in Renaissance Venice.

I enjoyed both of them.

Just finished AFriend is a Gift You Give Yourself by William Boyle. It sounds like some twee self help book. But it’s a very well written road book thriller/crime book. Very strong female character, well paced, funny and warm . Really enjoyed it.

Stayed up so late last night to finish The Naked Light by Bridget Collins. Sublime. I hope she writes a thousand more books.

Just finished my 24th book this year (met my challenge!), Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin. It was good but I preferred some of his other work. My favourite is Go Tell it on the Mountain.

Stopped by the library with DS to get him some new books and noticed they had The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante. I finished the 3rd book in the series a few weeks ago so decided to get it. Really relieved that it looks very short in comparison to the others because although I mainly enjoyed them I thought parts 2 and 3 dragged on a bit.

I am reading The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles and I’m really enjoying it. Great writer. I loved A Gentleman in Moscow and The Lincoln Highway so picked this one up on the strength of those two.

Loved Rules of Civility! Great characters.

Currently reading A Little Trickerie and finding it a bit clunky. Anyone else read it?

@MotherOfCatBoy
I also loved Rules of Civility, my favourite Amor Towles.
I recently bought A Little Trickerie..haven’t started it yet.

I’m currently reading all of Anne Glenconner’s book. And throughly enjoying them.

Urgh I'm halfway through Circe by Madeleine Miller and honestly I'm bored. Mind you, I thought Song of Achilles wasn't that great so not sure what I expected!

Next on the list is Endymion by Dan Simmons. I read the two Hyperion books a few months ago and loved them.

I think it was here I read about American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. Loved it - thank you!

I'm reading A Discovery of Witches.

I've read Fourth Wing, ACOTAR and all those types of things, and they are all about the strong, overprotective males. I like them for a bit of escapism and take it all with a pinch of salt.

For some reason though A Discovery of Witches is making me uncomfortable.
Matthew's overprotectivness and controlling is making me feel claustrophobic and I hate how he treats Diana like a child. He's always grabbing her as well
She seems to be putting up with it though and making excuses about it being because he's a vampire and ridiculously handsome, and because he warned her that being friends with a vampire is tough.🙄

It's probably supposed to be romantic but it seems abusive to me.

I'm really hoping she snaps and is like "If you grab my arm again or stop me from leaving one more time then you'd better not fall asleep because I've been sharpening a stake!" 🤣

I'm reading Book of Doors by Gareth Brown. Expecting this to be snapped up for a film, it has that feel to it and will transfer well to the screen

I have 3 books on hold with Libby so whichever one comes up first I will be reading

The Naked Light - Bridget Collins
Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik
The Dark Edge - Nick Louth

I may search for a Christmas story whilst I wait

Finished A Little Trickerie, found the end very slow to arrive.
Now about a third of the way through By Any Other Name by Jodie Picoult, in which she asserts that Shakespeare was various playwrights including one Emilia Bassano, a highly educated courtesan of Jewish Italian extraction whose family were court musicians. It’s an entertaining and intriguing read: she makes her case well, though tbh I think all historical fiction has been ruined for me by the quality of Hilary Mantel’s writing..

Current read is The Survivors by Jane Harper which is a crime/mystery story (set in Australia), it's great so far - about half way through.

Not sure what to go for next, on the to read pile I currently have: God of the Woods, The Gathering, The God of Small Things, and Prodigal Summer.

I'm sure the survivors has been made into a tv series?
I like Jane Harper.
Last one I read was about two brothers on a farm,the lost man (really liked it)

I didn't know that, just looked it up and it's a Netflix series. It's the first book of hers I've read but I think I'll read her others too - assuming this doesn't turn out to be a big let down at the end.

I watched The Survivors on Netflix earlier this year and really enjoyed it.

Currently reading Travelling in a Strange Land by David Park after seeing it recommended on here and it’s great so far.

The dry is another good book of hers-also made into a film i think.
Both books where better than the programmes but each worth a watch (read books first!)

I've just returned The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. I thought it was really bad.

Bizarre Oxford in 2050 with people arriving on the tube(?), calling scarves mufflers and apologising every 5 seconds. Loads of people arguing and waiting for telephones to ring, mobiles don't exist. But never getting through to anyone. Endless repetition.

Author clearly doesn't know much about the UK and the jokes fell flat. The time travel part was slightly better than the modern part but it wasn't worth it for putting up with the rest.

Normally if I dnf a book I take it on the chin, I don't expect to love every book but I actually wanted my money back!
I see it get recommended a lot and it's won so many awards so I'm really surprised to have disliked it so much! Did anyone else not like it?

Clown Town by Mick Herron (excellent)
next on the list:
The Night Gate by Peter May

I finished "Clown Town" yesterday. It's certainly very good indeed, though I wasn't entirely convinced by Lamb's openness in conversation with Standish at times.
I rather liked the Mumsnet reference, when Taverner is surveying the Hub and having a think: "....doubtless even now being murmured about in corners. The Park's chief gossip-mongers could give Mumsnet a run for its money. They rarely reach the same level of savagery but their commitment to trivia was beyond reproach."

I've just finished The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. It's an incredible book, really original and quite shocking.