Read the Room

[Lola]

It was good

[sally maclennane]

I finished Blue Sisters the other night, I really liked it.

I'm now reading the latest Mark Billingham, which features his "new" detective. I wasn't mad about the first novel featuring him but this one was cheap online so I figured I'd give him another chance.

Hmm, I thought this was better than the first novel, but I still think the character is awful. I'm not sure why MB thinks having a dickhead as a main character is a good idea but he's a best selling author and I'm not, so he's probably the one in the right.

I've just bought the new Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie book, I love her stuff!

[lazzbo]

I finished Joe Country and really enjoyed it.

Now I'm on the Miniaturist. It's all coming back to me now! #celine

[Kenickie]

:lol:

I read another Katherine Heiny which was brilliant. And I've given up on Sally Rooney too and have decided to reread all the Jackson Brodies, so I've just started Case Histories. It's actually only very vaguely coming back to me so I'm not very Celine.

[lazzbo]

Ah, which Katherine Heiny, Ken? I laughed out loud at Standard Deviation, despite thinking Graham was a dick.

[Kenickie]

Games and Rituals. It's short stories which isn't my favourite format but they're really good, and definitely some laugh out loud moments.

[lazzbo]

Excellent, I shall add it to my list, ta!

[sally maclennane]

Ooh I've seen Standard Deviation mentioned a few places, I might give it a go. Although I have a few books already bought, which I should read once I finish Dream Count.

[lazzbo]

I raced through it, sal. It was very believable and also genuinely very funny.

[wendy james]

I started Book of Doors by Gareth Brown for book club when travelling last week. It's utter tosh and I can't be arsed when I pick it back up. Life is too short - I'm not reading the remaining two thirds!

[Flora Poste]

I really enjoyed Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny as well. Funny and readable.

I've just finished The Poisonwood Bible and I struggled with it a bit tbh - I loved, loved, loved Demon Copperhead and this was the first other Barbara Kingsolver I'd read so I was expecting to be blown away, but wasn't. I found it too disjointed with the different POVs and found the pacing weird for the last section. I didn't hate it, just didn't love it.

[lazzbo]

Oh no, Flora! That's one of my favourite books.

[sally maclennane]

I really enjoyed Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny as well. Funny and readable.

I've just finished The Poisonwood Bible and I struggled with it a bit tbh - I loved, loved, loved Demon Copperhead and this was the first other Barbara Kingsolver I'd read so I was expecting to be blown away, but wasn't. I found it too disjointed with the different POVs and found the pacing weird for the last section. I didn't hate it, just didn't love it.

I find her stuff quite hit & miss, I think the Poisonwood Bible was the first of her books I read, and I remember it took me a while to get into it but then I really enjoyed it. I never finished The Lacuna, loved Flight Behaviour and was quite meh about Unsheltered. I resisted Demon Copperhead for a while as people kept saying how bleak it was but when I did read it, I really loved it.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I’m reading Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico. It’s really good and he was impressive at the author event. It’s like an inventory of stuff, but a commentary on life and kind of mesmerising.

I’ve just finished this & would recommend. It’s Booker long listed and a quick read.

[Dutchie]

I've started We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes and I really like it so far.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I started Three Days In June straight after. So far, so Anne Tyler.

[Turtle Bean]

I finished Bonjour, Sophie by Elizabeth Buchan - I'd started it ages ago and got bored. The second half is much better than the first but still not one of her best. Then I read My Happy Marriage Vol.1 which I liked because I like the netflix series and a romance/ghost story called Mistress of Greyladies which I did quite enjoy but it was very much the sort of book pensioners take out of the library in large print.

Now reading Bridge by Lauren Beukes which I've been meaning to read for ages as I loved The Shining Girls. So far I think it is got to be good.

[sally maclennane]

Dream Count was very good, I really liked it. I bought Caledonia Rd, by Andrew O'Hagan, so I might read that next. I also bought Death At the Sign of the Rook in paperback (I read the e-book last year but I like to have a physical copy too) so I'll probably read that first.

[Turtle Bean]

Bridge was good, not as good as The Shining Girls which I may re-read.

I finished Olive Kitteridge this morning. I loved it.

I need to start Paris Echo for book club next.

[lazzbo]

Ooh you've got yours if Olive Kitteridge joy ahead of you, Beanoid.

I'm on House of Fortune but am not enjoying how stupid Thea seems and how bitter Nella is.