26ish books 2025

[Tinkhasflown]

A shiny new thread for 2025.

All welcome and note 26 is just a number. Everyone can set their own target and you are welcome here even if you only read 2 books a year.

I personally count the larger novel style books I read to my children and audio books I listen to. Others don't and there are no rules.

I look forward to all your suggestions again this year.

@therewasafishinthepercolator I’d strongly recommend A History of Loneliness, more subtle than Hearts Invisible Furies but none the worse for it.

Hello, can I join in please? I love getting inspiration for books I'd otherwise totally overlook from threads like this.

My Goodreads target is currently set at 20. I returned to reading in about April last year with a goal of 10, and think I did about 22 between then and the end of the year.

I'm currently reading An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena.

I'd like to join please!
I managed 26 books in 2023 and 22 in 2024 so hoping for similar in 2025 - not started one this year yet though!

Hi
I'd love to join please. I've upped my reading in last months due to joining a pub book club so hoping to keep it rolling. Great recommendations on the thread. I've finished my first book of the year, Claire Keegan's book of short stories called Walk the blue fields. Loved it. About to start Black Moon by Kenneth Calhoun nominated at the book club. Aiming for 20 - 24 books this year, both fiction and non fiction.😀

Listened to book no 3 in one sitting. Even though I was in middle of another book... Tbf it was only 4 hours long and it was John Boyne.

Water. Not usually a subject matter I would read but he's such a beautiful story teller who really knows people.

Back to work so that'll slow me down. 😔

That was one of my final books last year and read it in one sitting too - one of those few novellas which I which had been a full
length book!

Finished Rivers of London - really enjoyed it. Have started the sequel Moon over SoHo.

Finished no 3 4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie, nice cosy murder before I go back to work!

Great to see a few newcomers and hear of the books alreadt been read.

1. How We Disappeared - Jin Jin Lee

A story of Singapore in the war and the ripples through to today. A really captivating read for those that like historical fiction.

Just finished The hotel Avocado** - better than the first book. Gary is less of a shit house 😆

Just finished book 2 for this year:

1. The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Festive Nights short stories by various authors. Really enjoyed these wintry ghost stories.
2. A Cornish Christmas Carol by Liz Fenwick. A modern day retelling of Dickens' story.

I'll never keep this pace up but happy to be off to a good start.

Can anyone explain to me (in very basic terms!) how audiobooks work? Wherebis best to get them from? I'm looking first a way to make the gym more bearable 😆

Try your local library first - most these days have access to digital lending via an app (mine uses BorrowBox) where you can read e-books and listen to audiobooks.

My local library has Borrowbox. You just put in your library card number and your PIN and then you can listen to them on the app.
I also cheekily have access to Libby from another library where I used to live and they have never revoked access. Same thing - card number, PIN, and an app.
Both apps remove the audiobook after the 3 week loan period so you don't get fined!
You can also join Audible (another app) and you get one free a month or so, depending on your plan, but I can't find anything much that is different on there so I just use the library.

I’d love to join in! I read around 18 books last year and I’m determined to read more this year! I’m currently reading Rupert Everett’s new book of Short stories ‘ The American No’

Thank you @MargotMoon and @drspouse I did think as I pressed send that I recall them saying something about it at the library when I signed my child up.

I shall have to investigate!

Finished

The Lost Apothecary I simply cannot recommend enough it has different POVs to keep you interested. Even the modern day husband turned out to be interesting in the end

Finished no 4 I Know You - Claire McGowan.

Listening to Fern Brady's Strong Female Character on Audible. Love it and wish I'd read it or something like this when DC was much younger. The insight.

Reading with eyes The Echo Chamber- John Boyne.

Hi I'd love to join please! I have a pile of 20 books that I want to read next to my bed. For the last few years I've just been on my phone at bedtime and I am keen to break that crappy habit. I've always loved to read but just fell out of the habit. I finished a book last night that I started on Xmas Day and really enjoyed it - Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult. Now deciding what to read next - any recommendations from my stack below?

Crawdads every time!

Looking to join you all. Finished the brilliant Frank and Red yesterday. Absolutely loved it.

The Cuckoo’s Calling would be my recommendation. Crawdads seems to divide opinions, mine would be take it straight to the charity shop but I think from other threads that more people love it than hate it.

Late to the thread but I do read about 1 every 10 days normally. Interested to see other people's choices. This year I have read lady Mary by Lucy Worsley which is for kids but I wanted to check it out. Currently on Esther Freud's 'I couldn't love you more' which took some getting into but I'm now enjoying.

Welcome to all our new members on the thread. I'm looking forward to a year of great recommendations again.

Book 1. The Women, Kristin Hannah
.5* Really loved this book, I listened on Borrowbox. I should state the book contains details of domestic abuse and is sad in parts. The descriptions of Alaska are so detailed I felt I was transported there. Maybe it helped that I have been to Alaska. I definitely recommend.

@Titsywoo I see my 1st book is on your shelf, so would recommend it, but also recommend The Kite Runner. I loved all of Khaled Hosseini books and A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of my all.time favourite books.

I need a new audio book now, but am also reading and enjoying, so far, The Paper Palace.

2 The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey

How funny TinkHasFlown my second book was also set in Alaska and I was also absolutely enchanted by the beautiful descriptions of the land.
The whole story was beautifully told and I feel I stepped into a magical land even though this story is not fantasy. I would highly recommend.

@Titsywoo I second the recommendations for Crawdads and Kite Runner from your shelf. I'm currently reading and really enjoying the Girl with the Louding Voice, didn't like Lessons in Chemistry (although did enjoy the TV version which I saw recently).