Read the Room

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Lily
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Lily »

I really like Andrew O'Hagan.

It has taken me an age but I have finished The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading by Sam Leith. I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I feel the chap missed out Jennings & Darbishire in the school story section and I have written to tell him so.

Then I read The SS officer's armchair : in search of a hidden life by Daniel Lee. A woman discovered an SS officers paperwork sewn into an armchair and the author began a quest to track him down.

I also read Gliff by Ali Smith, which wasn't bad, but wasn't amazing, and All That Man Is by David Szalay which was fine but not that interesting. I interspersed this with Prayer of the Night Shepherd by dear Phil Rickman as I am gradually going through all his work again.

Oh I forgot I wrote Peepshow, about Reginald Christie by Kate Summerscale, Her usual excellent stuff.
"You first have to find out who you are. Then you have to be it like mad."

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Turtle Bean
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Turtle Bean »

I finished The Poet by Michael Connolly today. I don't even remember why I have it. Anyway it was ok. Bit dated and the hero kept talking about 'making love' which was icky.
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Pippedydeadeye
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Pippedydeadeye »

I read Yellowface. It was OK. Almost made me nostalgic for Twitter.
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sally maclennane
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Re: Read the Room

Post by sally maclennane »

I miss the good old days of Twitter.
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Dutchie
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Dutchie »

Pippedydeadeye wrote: Wed Apr 02, 2025 9:30 am It’s on the Women’s Prize shortlist, announced today. My sister is going to supply them again for my birthday. She’s been raving about All Fours for ages.

Good Girl by Aria Aber
All Fours by Miranda July
The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis
Thanks for this Pip! I have put almost all of them on my wishlist.
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Turtle Bean
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Turtle Bean »

I just finished The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. It was ok. I'm reading another Michael Connolly now, again I do not know why these are on my Kobo. They are easy reading but TV Bosch is one of my favourite fictional characters but if he 'makes love' on more time I am going to start getting the ick.
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Kenickie
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Kenickie »

I've read Behaving Like Adults, and then Jaded. Both were very good, especially Jaded which I think lots of people here would like, but I didn't realise both were about the aftermath of a rape, so I certainly wouldn't have chosen to read them one after the other if I'd known.
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Lily
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Lily »

I've never got the hype over Nancy Mitford... I didn't hugely enjoy anything she wrote. Which I'm sure would have devastated her.

I tried and failed to read Checkpoint Charlie about the Berlin Wall. It was too deep for me, embarrassingly. I have instead got A Knock on the Door by Rob Parsons, about a couple who basically take in a homeless guy one of them knew from childhood. It's quite wonderful.
"You first have to find out who you are. Then you have to be it like mad."

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sally maclennane
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Re: Read the Room

Post by sally maclennane »

I finished Caledonian Road today, it was very long! Good though, it reminded me of Capital by John Lanchester.
Christ on a bendy bus son, don't be such a fucking faff arse
Annabella
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Annabella »

Oh I loved Capital, Sal. Might give Caledonian Road a go then.
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sally maclennane
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Re: Read the Room

Post by sally maclennane »

Annabella wrote: Sat Apr 19, 2025 8:06 pm Oh I loved Capital, Sal. Might give Caledonian Road a go then.
It's not as good as Capital, tbh but I still enjoyed it.

I'm reading Standard Deviation, I like it.
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Annabella
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Annabella »

Thanks Sally. Will give its go then.
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Flora Poste
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Flora Poste »

Pippedydeadeye wrote: Wed Apr 02, 2025 9:30 am It’s on the Women’s Prize shortlist, announced today. My sister is going to supply them again for my birthday. She’s been raving about All Fours for ages.

Good Girl by Aria Aber
All Fours by Miranda July
The Persians by Sanam Mahloudji
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis
I've read All Fours, Tell Me Everything and The Safekeep already, but I've just reserved the rest at the library for our annual readathon!

I read In Memoriam whilst I was away and loved it.
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Kenickie
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Kenickie »

I read Amazing Grace Adams a couple of days ago. Really good, made me cry. It's about a menopausal woman just deciding to give zero fucks one day so some here might relate.
If your back's against the wall, turn around and write on it.
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Marth
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Marth »

Kenickie wrote: Mon Apr 21, 2025 11:49 am I read Amazing Grace Adams a couple of days ago. Really good, made me cry. It's about a menopausal woman just deciding to give zero fucks one day so some here might relate.
Thanks Ken, I've ordered. Only 0.99 on Amazon kindle just now
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Kenickie
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Kenickie »

I also got it for 99p. Hope you like it.
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Jupiter
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Jupiter »

Also purchased. Thanks for the recommendation!
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sally maclennane
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Re: Read the Room

Post by sally maclennane »

I just bought it too, on Play Books app (they often discount the same books as Kindle)
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Kenickie
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Re: Read the Room

Post by Kenickie »

Oh I have recommendation fear now. :lol:
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baargain
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Re: Read the Room

Post by baargain »

I just bought it too :))
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