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.

I have read the Goldfinch in the past, and I think I am not pursuing more Donna Tart's books. She is a good writer, for sure. But her stories are a bit too cold for me...

I am a cheapskate.... and am known for choosing audible book by the length...😮

But this is an umissable bargain for those of you interested in catching up on classics:
Loads of classics read by stephen Fry for 1 credit

@MargotMoon
I can remember reading about The Little Friend and thinking it sounded too harrowing.
Although I have read and enjoyed A Little Life and I can't imagine a book more harrowing than ALL.

@MonkeyTennis34 It was just miserable!! - I realised after I'd finished it that it was pure narrative. No character insight or emotion. @Lua has it right - she's a cold fish! I did love The Secret History when I read it as a teenager though.

I have added The Little Friend to my list. I enjoyed ALL - if enjoyed is the right word…!!

Just finished book 4 - The Puppet Show by MW Craven
I loved this book and delighted to have found a whole crime series to now enjoy.
I knew from the very beginning it was my sort of book. It's a bit gory so not for those who don't enjoy that. Great characters that I can't wait to read more about.
I have reserved the next one at the library, which I am trying to make more use of instead of buying so many books!

S*tephen King - Fairy Tale
*
Not a bad book. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads. Even though it can be slow and was needlessly 576 pages. The book was like having two books in one. I enjoyed the main characters and the side characters. I was rooting for Percival to be alive at the end. Anyone with a dog will understand the reasonings behind what Charlie did. No sexy scenes unless you count a lady asking "will you lay with me" but overall a good read

1. Death At The Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson

2 . She Speaks! by Harriet Walter
Harriet Walter writes speeches from the perspective of Shakespeare’s female characters. I’m an English teacher with a specialism in Shakespeare and read a lot of theatrical biographies and criticism. This was good, but not as good as I hoped it would be. I enjoyed Walter’s musings on the characters and thoughts based on her own experiences with the plays more than I enjoyed the speeches themselves. Thought-provoking stuff nonetheless.

1: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (audio).
I first read this in the 90s when it was published and remember loving it as a young adult. Bought it on audible as I knew I'd never read it again with the length (40+ hours, @Lua it's not just you looking for value ). Thoroughly enjoyed it again. It's not highbrow literature and some of the more modern language jars a bit, some of the violence esp towards women is a bit grim but it was a great listen overall.

I've just finished The Definitive Collection by Stephen Fry, reading / performing the works of Arthur Conan Doyle and it was even longer than this! Stephen is an excellent narrator

The Definitive Collection is 71 hours 57 min!

2. The House of Fortune by Jessie Burton.

This is the sequel to The Miniaturist which I read and loved last year. This book is 18 years later in 18th C Amsterdam. It's a good enough book, but no where near as good as its predecessor.

Oh I got so excited until I reached the end of your post!!

#3 My Grandmother Told Me To Tell You She’s Sorry - Frederik Bachman

i loved the Granny in the story and the protagonist Elsa and grew to love this but it was a very slow burn and (dare I say it) a bit boring - and this is from someone who usually loves the pace of Bachman’s books. Solid 3.5, on the subject of which it’s very annoying you can’t give 3.5 on goodreads

have to read a few books for work, but next after that is Birnam Wood

I've had to DNF book 2 of the year which I'm disappointed about. Might still count it though as I did try! It was a ghost stories short stories think there were 12 stories, I tried 3 but didn't like any of them 😞

Edit yo add title....the winter spirits, ghostly tales for frosty nights

Tried to quote, failed!

@Yuja Not sure if you're aware, but this is one of a group of books set in the same what do you call it... realm?

Love a bit of John Marrs

This was my book of the year last year. I've never cried at a book before. As a dog lover, the writing around the relationships with Radar is spot on (although SK is known to be a big dog lover too!)

Book 2 Paper Palace - Miranda Cowley Heller I really loved this book, but was a little annoyed by the end. 4* though, so I do recommend.

Book 3 (audio) Poor - Katriona O'Sullivan An extremely powerful, raw and often very sad listen. Narrated by the author about being raised by parents who are addicted to heroin/alcohol. I definitely recommend this.

Finished books 1 and 2 over the weekend.

Hercule Poirot's Silent Night - Sophie Hannah
DH bought me this for Christmas because he knows I'm into Agatha Christie but didn't know which ones I'd already read. I was a bit sceptical but it was actually quite enjoyable.

We Solve Murders- Richard Osman
I've read all the Thursday Murder Club books (which are not amazing but entertaining enough) but couldn't really get into this. I think it was just too out there with the private jets/assassins/celebrities, I prefer a low key cosy crime!

@CordylineCapybara I have read the first off The Thursday Murder Club last year and ever since have been undecided on whether to finish the series or not. I didn’t get the hype or find it funny. My husband says they get better as you go through the series though.

3- Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
I read mixed reviews of this but I actually enjoyed it a lot, interesting to read a story about the complicated relationship between the two brothers. It slowed a little in the middle but overall I liked it a lot.

3 At the Existentialist Cafe - Freedom, Being and Apricot Cocktails by Sarah Bakewell.

I loved this book, it's really interesting on the origins of a lot of modern (and navel gazing) thought, loads of political stuff, and philosophers as people. I felt like I knew Simone de Beauvoir after reading about her (but also know not to bother reading the early translations of The Second Sex!)
Took me about 6 years to read though!

2 - Joho Moyes - Someone Else's Shoes

Bit of light chicklit but was an enjoyable read!

Now reading another Jodi Picoult The Book of Two Ways - about a third of the way through - a good story and enjoying the history about Egypt and the whole death process/mummies etc!

Will move onto some Kristin Hannah after this I think.

2 Gone with the wind. Epic, some challenging norms and language presented around slavery and race to put it mildly, but an amazing story

using the thread to keep track so

1. The Safekeep by Yale van der Wouden
2. Fire by John Boyne.
3. Birnham Wood by Eleanor Catton. I’m a bit perplexed by this book of two parts. It is a sort of an eco-thriller with the relationship between an Elon Musk type billionaire baddie and a guerilla gardening group. Very cynical about the power of the ultra-rich, very prescient. The first half established relationships and politics of young people developing into a pacy thriller in the second half. Well written and a good's read but not up there with my favourites, too much thriller for my liking.

On to my third book of the year - a reread of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Last read it as a teen & enjoying it more now I can understand the language & setting better. Decided to take a break from the Rivers of London series & go for something completely different.
Previous books so far:

1. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
2. Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch

I read Poor last year @Tinkhasflown what an inspiring story.