What are you currently reading, how do you feel about it, and what's next on the list? Part 2

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So, here's another one to keep us going!

I'm rereading Blackout by Simon Scarrow as it's the book club pick for the month. Still enjoying it the second time around, which is always a good sign!

I'm reading a non-fiction book called Against the Machine by Paul Kingsnorth, which is about what the future holds and do we want it. When you describe it it sounds like a lot of conspiracy theories but it's extremely well researched and thoughtful.

We do we want continuous progress? Why are our culture and roots no longer thought to be important, why is history being ignored or rewritten? Is the individual more important than community and national identity? Is the ultimate purpose of humanity to replace human life completely by merging with AI?

Food for thought and not very reassuring

On a bit of a Dan Jones streak at the moment, just read Summer of Blood about the Peasants revolt in 1381. Very readable and very interesting to see how close the country came to anarchy.
Just bought Henry V by the same author which I think is going to be my next read. Definitely on a bit of a non fiction roll at the moment, probably need to start looking at some fiction again.

Did he write 'The Wake'? Basically writing 1066 as an apocalyptic novel, which it effectively was for many people. He integrated a lot of archaic and obsolete words to make his own approximation of language, so the whole thing felt quite alien. Stayed with me for a long time.

After feeling very disillusioned with modern literary fiction, I've decided to re-read some of my favourites from when the genre was decent 😄

I've just restarted "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt. I last read it about 20 years ago.

My God. What a brilliant piece of writing.
And perfect for the season - dark, atmospheric, claustrophobic, and even opens during autumn. I am absolutely loving it.

Next up I think will have to be "The Little Friend" even though I remember the 'twist' fairly well.

Yes, The Secret History is compelling. I didn't enjoy The Little Friend.

There are very few books that I re-read (on the basis that there are so many books I haven't read yet) but 'The Secret History' is on that short list. It stands up well every single time. And it has spawned so many pale imitations. Can't say I hold it against the authors who seek to emulate it in some way, who wouldn't love to create a book like that?

Been on holiday this week, so I have read
'Don't Forget We're Here Forever' by Lamorna Ash - supposedly 'a generation's search for religion'. Not really - more like 'one self-absorbed person's dabbling with some branches of Christianity'. It was okay, interesting in places.
'Bog People' - a working class folk horror anthology. As with most anthologies, some stronger than others, but some writers I'll definitely pursue.
'On the Calculation of Volume lll' by Solvej Balle - the third installment of this existential sort of sci-fi thing. It's hard to define, but it's well written. There's definitely a diminishing returns thing going on with the series but I'll probably be back for IV and V, or whatever number she's up to now, in due course.
'Courtiers' by Lucy Worsley - full of gossipy snippets on the Georgians, mostly George II. A relaxing read but you end up feeling a little improved, so win-win.
'Powers and Thrones' by Dan Jones. Also history light, this one covers the entire middle ages, all in 700 pages or so. I found it engaging and not too taxing.
'The Golden Rule' by Amanda Craig. I swear I've read something by Amanda Craig previously and quite enjoyed it, but that does not apply here. It was a sort of updated 'Strangers on a Train' but there was a large dose of poltics interwoven throughout, mostly in a hectoring tone. Even when it was politics I agreed with, I didn't really want to be beaten round the head with it. It came out a few years ago, I think, and was trying a bit hard to be a state-of-the-nation novel, but it already felt dated and like the politics spoiled what was a decent story. I found it off-putting, but maybe it's just not for me.

Have you tried the Goldfinch? Also a great read.

Thanks for the recommendation, I haven't no - but I'll try to in the near future.

I love The Goldfinch. I'm saving it for next summer - I like go match my reading to the weather/seasons and the sections in the desert absolutely radiate stifling heat!

The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles had that feel, set in the N African desert. But, I would say it is very disturbing - I can't encourage someone else to read it!

Really true about weather and books. For example, Dickens is a winter kind of author I feel. Reading him in summer just doesn’t work for me.

I read the Ministry of Time, was quite enjoying the story if not the writing (I'd read a non-fiction book years ago mostly about artic exploration called Barrow's Boys which was fascinating) when it took a sudden swerve and ended. I'm not one for throwing books against the wall, but if I was....

Currently reading Once A Monster by Robert Dinsdale. He's good at making monstrous characters sympathetic but I'm struggling through it because I fear it isn't going to end well. Also Little Women because I thought it was high time I did. It is a product of its time and I'm engaged enough to be happy to finish it. One of the Little Women's pregnancy (with twins) and subsequent childbirth being done and dusted with in one sentence was a surprise. Her trials and tribulations over jam making was dealt with much more exhaustively.

Yes, books have very different seasons for me too. Jane Austen is most definitely Summer. Sharon Penman is Autumnal. Andrew Michael Hurley is Winter.

In keeping with seasonal reading 'The September House' by Carissa Orlando about a house which is haunted every September. I enjoyed the main character's pragmatic approach and beliefs. It'll all be fine if you just follow the rules... (Reader, it was not fine.)

Also, 'The Make-Believe' by Hannah Murray, a memoir by an actor of some success who had a psychotic break/bi-polar episode while simultaneously joining a cult/scamming MLM organisation. Not convinced how much insight she has still about all this but it's an engaging read.

Up next is 'Withered Hill' by David Barnett, which I bought from The Haunted Bookshop in Bristol, a small independent struggling to keep going - consider supporting them if you can. They're online too.

Finally finished 100 Years of Solitude which I enjoyed for the most part. However I had to constantly refer to the family tree, which was thankfully printed at the beginning of the book, in order to keep track of what was going on. Multiple characters from different generations had almost identical names and I struggled to remember how different people were related to each other😵‍💫

Moving on to Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Stroud now.

Recently finished NW by Zadie Smith. Was first novel written by her that I’ve read and I’m not fully sure if I’d read anymore.

Currently reading Animal Farm, was one of those classics I never read as a child, and it’s set pretty near me so an extra reason to tick it off.

I've never taken to Zadie Smith. Feel bad for saying so becuase I feel like she's a writer I 'should' like but I've read 3 of her books and all left me cold.

DD had to read Animal Farm for English at school and I enjoyed re-reading it when she finished.

I don't like Zadie Smith's work at all. I don't think she's actually a very good writer. "White Teeth" and "On Beauty" deal with many of the same issues (race, integration, identity) in many of the same ways, none of which are as good as other Black British writers like Andrea Levy or Bernadine Evaristo.

Her newer novel "The Fraud" was just plain terrible.

I’m very suspicious of anyone who writes a book starting with “On”. It screams pretentiousness. Susan Sontag ( just) gets away with it because of her huge intellect.

I'm reading the Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley. I'm on the penultimate one now, entitled 'The Missing Sister'. I've loved the series. They're all like two books in one as they go back 100 years in each one. Would really recommend.

I agree. It's like the author is telling you that they're about to give you the definitive view on something, and you need never read another word on the subject. Anyway, no-one's ever beating Lucretius who's got everythng covered in 'On the Nature of Things'.

I've been reading 'Girl on Girl' by Sophie Gilbert which has the sub-title 'How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves'. If that was its aim, it didn't really achieve it, but that didn't seem to be what the author had set out to do at all. It was more like a list of things that had not necessariy been good for women, with not much analysis.

I also read 'Fall' by John Peston, a biography of Robert Maxwell. I'm fascinated in how these blustering bullies find people to boss around.

Heading back to fiction now with the new Emily St John Mandel, 'Exit Party'.

The Fraud sounded very promising but was another let down for me.

i’ve had a run of a few four star reads, just finished Strangers’ by Belle Burden, read it today so a real page turner but i did at times find the extreme wealth and privilege hard to swallow. (Her dad leaving 40 million dollars of debt but this didn’t seem to affect any of the luxury properties they had access to etc) Also was a bit dubious about them popping back and forth to their holiday home during lockdown but Im probably just being bitter !
Im now going to give ‘Death at the sign of the Rook’ by Kate Atkinson another go. Couldn’t get into it before and she is usually a favourite author of mine.