Reading Heart Liberals

[Pippedydeadeye]

I’ve read The Green Road by Anne Enright this morning. It was really well done. Rosaleen reminded me of my mum, a bit.

[Beena]

I am so annoyed, I just finished Things I Don’t Want To Know by Deborah Levy (brilliant) and I left the next one at home.

I love all these books, Pip. I've quite a crush on Deborah Levy.

[Pippedydeadeye]

My sister adores her and she always comes up on the Bookshelfie podcast, along with Toni Morrison.

[Bat Macdui]

I read Claire Fuller's The Memory of Animals and it wasn't really worth the effort. It's set in a fictional pandemic, and it kept me chugging along wondering how they were all going to sort themselves out but it was all a bit disjointed, then wrapped up improbably and in a highly unsatisfactory way in about five pages at the end. I think she was aiming for some kind of great symbolism to do with octopi and the nature of humanity but it was basically just meh.

I've started the new Mark Billingham to recover, and am racing through. I quite like his new detective so far, though there's a bit of a chip on political correctness/cancel culture going on that might get intrusive if he carries on.

And I am also reading Leif Bersweden's Where the Wild Flowers Grow, which is a lovely and very accessible potter through botany.

[wendy james]

I read Queenie today as I’d bought it before discovering I’ll miss this month’s book club (they went for 5 weeks later not 4 at the May one I also missed) and didn’t enjoy it that much.

It came after a murder mystery that was nothing special.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I liked Queenie, it made me cry. It was a bit basic though I suppose.

After The Cost of Living, which was brilliant, I started Demon Copperhead, which is fantastic so far. I did love David Copperfield though, so kind of expected I’d like this.

[Kenickie]

I really like Queenie.

I've just finished Between Us, the new Mhairi McFarlane. It was absolutely perfect. I really wish she'd been around for years so I had a while back catalogue of hers to discover (I've read everything she's written pretty much as it's come out) as it'll probably be a long wait for the next.

[sally maclennane]

I loved Queenie.

I'm reading Real Tigers, which is the 3rd Slough House book. I have Young Mungo for going on holiday next week.

[Flora Poste]

I started Demon Copperhead, which is fantastic so far. I did love David Copperfield though, so kind of expected I’d like this.

It's so good, isn't it? Best book I've read this year so far.

I'm reading Pineapple Street at the moment which I'm enjoying but it is making me miss Ella as it is totally up her street (no pun intended).

[Pippedydeadeye]

It’s so incredibly upsetting, but really well done. It’s also reminding me of Donna Tartt.

[Lily]

I have Demon Copperhead on my reading list and didn't realise a new Mark Billingham was out so I've just reserved that, thank you!

I've just finished Gathering of the Ghosts by Karen Maitland which was quite good, and Tell Me a Secret by Dorothy Koomson which wasn't bad. Damned with faint praise.

[Pippedydeadeye]

Right, Demon Copperhead was actually brilliant. Best book I’ve read this year. So, so cleverly done & faithful to the original while being completely original in its own right & relevant. I read David Copperfield when I was 14 and totally loved it.

[Kenickie]

I finished Lessons in Chemistry this morning, I enjoyed it but I found Elizabeth a bit annoying.

I liked her, and really enjoyed the book. I even didn't mind the dog. :lol:

[Flora Poste]

I thought the dog was the best bit

[sally maclennane]

Me too, Flora :lol:

[Little My]

I just finished The Guest by Emma Cline. It's about a grifter in her 20s, and is weirdly captivating. The writing style is very engaging and manages to give you good character development with few actual details of who the characters are, and the ending is clever but I don't wish to spoiler it.

Started on something fluffy. Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune. Bit of romance and local flair. It seemed like a good summer read.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I was just reading an article about thrillers for the summer and The Guest was on the list. It sounds good, and I enjoyed The Girls.

[Little My]

I never got around to reading The Girls, but I will definitely get to it.

[Flora Poste]

In other book news, they are currently filming Queenie very locally to me, which I'm quite excited about!

[Turtle Bean]

Did anyone read Wool by Hugh Howey? I read it ages ago and there is a series on Apple TV soon.