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.

@Tinkhasflown
I loved The Paper Palace
Need to find if the author has written anything else.

I'm starting the new year by reading All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
Absolutely brilliant. Can't recommend this enough. I enjoyed his previous book too, We Begin at the End.

@Titsywoo I loved The Kite Runner, (& A Thousand Splendid Suns is also one of my favourite reads) , The Handmaid's Tale and I was someone who enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing but I know not everyone does.

I am looking forward to reading The Women and The Girl with The Louding Voice this year.

#2 The Binding by Bridget Collins

set in a world where books are people’s memories bound inside them in order for them to forget them. I enjoyed the premise and setting (regency era?) and got caught up in the story but felt it was a little over written

#2 The Binding by Bridget Collins

set in a world where books are people’s memories bound inside them in order for them to forget them. I enjoyed the premise and setting (regency era?) and got caught up in the story but felt it was a little over written

Loving this thread...building up my TBR pile nicely!

1 - The Family Experiment - John Marrs I wanted something fairly easy and gripping to get the gear going and this didn't disappoint! Very clever in places and a fun read - will try more of his books as that was the first

@Scout2016 thank you for the recommendation, I will add it to my list!

@therewasafishinthepercolator I'm not loving How to kill your family either, I'll stick with it. I think I need to give it a good chunk of time. Its just not retiring me to read.

Great to see what others are reading.

I was initially going to aim for 1 a month but might increase that, we'll see!

2. From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough.
I am an Elvis fan, despite being conflicted and aware of all his flaws, so the interest was already there for this book. I've been trying to weigh up if it would be of interest to a non fan. I think probably yes, if into memoirs and themes such as addiction, intergenerational trauma, parenting / motherhood and the damage done by celebrity/ fame.

Actually, Elvis doesn't feature much as he died when Lisa was 9 and it's a largely chronological memoir. The split narration works very well as Lisa and Riley have distinct voice and perspectives. It's hard not to have the odd "sorry, they did what now!?" moment. At times I wondered if it felt voyeuristic or exploitative but I think that's because their lifestyles, lives and some of their behaviour is so far removed from my world. I don't doubt Lisa wanted the memoir out there and Riley has done a sensitive job of rounding Lisa's contributions out and filling in gaps.
I didn't know anything much about Lisa or Riley before. I listened to some of Lisa's songs after reading this and that felt sad combined with knowing how her life panned out as the lyrics are quite personal.
There is very little on scientology btw, for anyone hoping for some insight into that.

2. The Husband by Darren O'Sullivan - Rob Clarke and his wife Emma have recently moved from London back to Emma's small hometown to raise their young family. One night Rob returns home from a night shift to find his infant daughter crying alone in her crib. Emma is nowhere to be found, but did she leave or did something more sinister happen?

Not a fan of this one. The first half was quite boring and it was very obvious who the perpetrator was from their early scenes. The story would have benefitted from more characters to cast the net a bit wider, or at least fleshing out the characters it did have to give more of them motive. Some focus on Emma's childhood and her parents' perspective would have added depth as well. Overall very forgettable.

3 The Swimmer - Graham Norton

It feels a bit of a cheek adding this as it was so short but I really enjoyed it. I read two of his books last year and liked his style so I bought this today ready to hunker down and start another novel. I really should take more notice of the length of a book when buying. But, I'm glad I didn't or I might not have bought it and that would be a shame.

Just finished reading 'The Christmas Book Club' by Sarah Morgan. My mum bought me it for my birthday back on November. Was a good book 👍 Need to choose another one now 🙂

1. The Pumpkin Spice Cafe. Thought I would see what the hype was about as this seemed to be everywhere a while ago and I spotted it on kindle unlimited. A predictable, easy read. Quite a lot of making out scenes, with the traditional misunderstandings in a romance novel.

If I wanted a quick, easy read I may read one of the others in the series at some point.

1.The Safekeep by Yale van der Wouden
#2. Fire by John Boyne. I had high for this as I really enjoyed the Water book in the series. This one was a little far-fetched and a bit thrillerish and just didn’t stack up for me. There was a connection to Water via one of the characters. I’m still looking forward to reading the next in the series Earth as overall I’m a fan of John Boyne’s writing.
Next up Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

That kept popping up on my feeds over October.

Please can I join?
I read 20 books last year and set my goodreads goal this year for 25 books.
my TBR pile is huge thanks to DH who works in publishing and brings home free books every week!!

my last book of 2024 was The Housemaid, and I have finished the others last week.

1. The Housemaid’s Secret
2. The Housemaid is watching

currently reading Wicked - Gregory Maguire

1. All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

What a way to kick off the year... I can already predict this will be my Book of 2025.
It's so many things....crime, comedy, thriller.
But mostly it's a novel overflowing with heart and humanity.
The characters will stay with me for a long time.
I can't recommend this book enough.

I'd love to join.

Finished Trespass by Louise Kennedy this week and it was amazing. Great book to start the year with. Some passages had me properly laughing out loud, but in other places it was gut wrenching in its reality. I knew a bit about The Troubles but am keen to learn more now. If anyone can recommend any books, fiction or non fiction, that'd be great (although I've already read a few).

I really enjoyed (if that's the right word) this book. I'm not particularly a fan of Elvis, but always felt for Lisa Marie and have enjoyed Riley's acting. I listened to the audiobook and thought it was beautifully done.

My book of 2024! This was our December bookclub read and I already know that Patch and Saint will stay with me. Glad you loved it too!

Just finished my first - Wuthering Heights. It’s a re-read and I didn’t enjoy it at all first time. Glad to say I really liked it this time and have no idea why I didn’t appreciate it before.

I am planning to read some more classics this year so I am doing the MN read along, Count of Monte Cristo, a chapter a day.

Also working my way through The Bee Sting.

@Goodbyeimgoinghome I'm so glad you like Wuthering Heights second time around. One of my favourite books when I was younger and I have that kind of affection for it that I am pleased when someone else enjoys it. Have you read Jane Eyre?

I would like to add at least one classic in every year. I read Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier early on last year and loved it. I tried The Mill on the Floss later but didn't finish it. It wasn't awful and it may be the frame of mind I was in as much as anything so I may try it again

Any suggestions of classics from anyone?

Welcome @Goodafternoonmillie . What a treat to have a supplier so close to hand.

Ooh I'll have a look for this. Love crime/thriller

I love the classics too. My favourite has to be Little Women. Must have read it like 100 times now lol

@Breathmiller my husband has similar tastes and loved One Hundred Years Of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, reckon it was his book of 2024. Think that could be considered a classic.

I am making a note of the Chris Whitaker Colour book for a friend's birthday idea, thank you!
I enjoyed Begin at the End and have Tall Oaks not yet read.