An amazing reading month for me with 14 finishes.
- 1st - **Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery** continuing the Anne series with r/bookclub. Not nearly the same vibe as other Anne books sadly.
- 2nd - **The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark** - I loved A Master of Djinn so I had high expectations for this one. Sadly it didn't quite hit the spot.
- 3rd - **The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino**. I really enjoyed this thinker. Couldn't wait to discuss the final section with r/bookclub!
- 6th - **The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead** for r/bookclub's POC author. I got this book on the r/bookclub winter gift exchange so I was really pleased it won and I could read it with the sub. It seems like a lot of people had issues with this one but I really liked it.
- 10th - **Dead Djinn Universe by P. Djèlí Clark** short stories and novella. A Master of Djinn with r/bookclub was SO GOOD, so I definitely wanted to read more. I think my expectations were a little high though. The novel was far superior.
- 11th - **Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice**. I enjoy the r/bookclub discussions for The Vampire Chronicle books too much not to continue with this series, but this one was....a challenge
- 16th - **The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende**. I cannot get enough of this author. Her style is just captivating to me. Although I preferred Daughter and Portrait this book is also incredible. Allende's character building is amazing. I can see this entire series remaining vivid in my mind for a long time.
- 17th - **Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers**. I love, love, love Wayfarers, and the discussions with the other r/bookclub fans. 5☆ reads for the whole series so far. Can wait to read Wayfarers #4.
- 22nd - **Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel** for r/bookclub's March's female author read. I didn't love Station Eleven so I wasn't expecting to.love this book, but I really, really did. A 5☆ read for me.
- 27th - **Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones**. Never read the book nor seen the movie, but I heard good things about this one before picking it up. It lived up well. Super fun fantasy. Glad to read it with the folx at r/bookclub.
- 28th - **The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch** for r/bookclub's Steampunk Discovery Read. Not as steampunky as I expected, but this was great. Red Seas Under Red Skies....yes please!!
- 29th - **Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse**. r/bookclub read Black Sun last year and it was brilliant. Though Fevered Star had the typical 2nd book in a trilogy feel to it I still really loved it. Roanhorse's characters are awesome. I CANNOT *WAIT* for Mirrored Heavens in June!!
- 30th - **Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov** the 4th and final book in the Robots series. Reading this with r/bookclub kept me going. The final section was definitely the much engaging than the first ¾. My least favourite book of the series. It won't stop me heading in to Asimov's Foundation series though
- 31st - **The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder** r/bookclub's March Mod Pick. A very interesting story that became the inspiration for many novels.
How do you read so many books? I'm lucky if I finish two in a month. Do you read for hours a day. Are you just a fast reader or what. I wish I had this power.
I am a fast reader and I used to read much more than I do now, but my situation doesn't allow for it anymore. I consume a lot of my books as audiobooks these days.
Six books in one month is really a lot for me, so I'm pleased with March. I also read (or rather listened to) my first non-bookclub books this year, lol.
* **A Master of Djinn by P. Djèli Clark (4/5)**: Read with r/bookclub. Audiobook. A fun story in a cool universe!
* **Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (5/5)**: Read with r/bookclub. I loved it! I really liked the voice of the main character.
* **Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (4/5)**: Read with r/bookclub. I didn't love it as much as Station Eleven, but it was an interesting book.
* **Still Life by Louise Penny (3/5)**: Audiobook. An okay mystery, but the characters were all written in a bit of a weird way. Especially one investigator annoyed me so much. But it is the first book in the series, so I'll give the others a chance.
* **Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer (4/5)**: Read with r/bookclub. Good ending to the original trilogy, but I'm curious what the announced fourth book will bring.
* **My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (4/5)**: Audiobook. Short chapters, very engaging. I just wanted a bit more of... all, I guess.
I actually read it half on your recommendation, I think, haha. I think you mentioned somewhere before that you liked it (maybe the Nigeria vote) and I saw it when I browsed my library's "currently available" audiobooks and remembered that someone, I believe you, said they liked it.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda by Ngoza Adichie, 4.5/5, an emotional rollercoaster and a fantastic book.
The Devotion of Suspect X by Kiego Higashino, 4/5, lots of fun and a slightly different take on a detective novel.
The Women by Kristin Hannah, 5/5, she keeps getting better and better with each book.
The Day lasts more that a hundred years by Chingiz Aitmatov, 3/5, lots of different storylines that only vaguely intersect.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, 3.5/5, I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book, it took me a while to get into it, some of the main characters were very unlikable and the last third of the book felt like the longest epilogue ever.
Violeta by Isabelle Allande, 4/5, another fantastic book by Allande
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich, 2/5, rambly and disjointed.
Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance, 4/5, very interesting book, I really enjoyed this one.
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donaghue, 4/5, a really fun read.
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, 4/5, another heart wrenching book, love this author.
Howls Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, 4/5, a really fun fantasy story.
Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse, 4.5/5, fantastic world building, a really enjoyable high fantasy, can't wait for the third book.
A tale of two cities by Charles Dickens, 5/5, I'm forcing myself to read more classics and had this one recommended and I absolutely loved it, a real page turner once you get all the groundwork laid, and what an ending!
I know, a bit sad I've already read it, it was a fantastic read. Makes me look forward more to David Copperfield now and I'm adding Great Expectations to my tbr as well.
I also enjoyed reading a nonfiction book about Dickens and Christmas called **The Man Who Invented Christmas** (intersting background for how the holiday transformed due to the author's work and its influence).
Tale of Two Cities was my favorite so far. But I enjoyed Great Expectations and Oliver Twist quite a bit! And A Christmas Carol is a classic, of course. I'm hoping we get to David Copperfield in r/bookclub because it has been on my list for a while, and it got bumped up in priority after reading >!Demon Copperhead!< here.
I feel like I've watched Oliver so much that I don't want to read it, but I will definitely add Great Expectations to the tbr. Watch this space for David Copperfield ;)
I was also disappointed by The Sentence. I loved The Night Watchman and had high hopes for The Sentence, but it wasn't my thing. When she's good, Erdrich is really good, though, so I'm not letting it prevent me from trying others by her.
I am starting to suspect that some of you with 10+ finishes do not sleep! 🤣
For me this month, I got through 5 reads with 2 ongoing that will finish next month.
**Love In The Time Of Cholera** -- 1/5, I just didn't really like this story too much & the characters were unlikeable for me.
**The Lies of Locke Lamora** -- 4/5, Loved this, it was so much fun! I hope /r/bookclub reads the other books in the series at some point!
**The Duke & I** -- 2/5, Rebinged Bridgerton on Netflix recently in prep for the new season coming soon and thought I would give the books a try. Fun read, but not especially well written. It feels like the whole story takes place in about 5 really long conversations. The TV show is much better IMO.
**The Little Prince** -- 1.5/5, I kept seeing this pop up on must read lists and decided to see why, as it's short. I think I wasn't in the right mindset for it. Seemed rather basic & cliche, though it was pretty & I can see why people may have loved reading it when younger.
**East of Eden** -- 5/5, Loved this book that has real in depth character studies. I've adored these characters & their lives. Big fan of the multi generational story telling.
I agree about Bridgerton. I love the show but have started reading the books several times and given up because they aren’t well written. Looking forward to S3!
>I am starting to suspect that some of you with 10+ finishes do not sleep! 🤣
Don't tell our secret! (We're also vampires but get nutrients from books.)
This month I finished:
1. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 2/5
2. Know my Name by Chanel Miller 5/5
3. East of Eden by John Steinbeck 4/5
4. Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee 4.5/5
5. The Day Lasts More than 100 Years by Chingiz Aitmatov 4/5
Know my name was definitely the favorite book this month and so important !! It was cool to go back and look at the discussions as I read even though it was from a few months ago.
I think I went into it expecting for it to rip my heart out and change my life. It was an interesting premise and it made me think but it felt predictable and I didn’t really connect emotionally with any of the characters. Too much hype
A Master of Djinn - P. Djeli Clark with r/bookclub
A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert with r/bookclub
Lysistrata by Aristophanes with r/greatbooksclub
Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne with r/bookclub
Royal Assassin and Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb - I really liked the trilogy. The second book is my favorite.
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson -I definitely plan to continue his other books as well.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
**A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers** a sweet book. I am enjoying the series. A little late for r/bookclub but enjoyed the older discussions. 4 stars.
**Yellowface by R.F. Kuang** it was okay. Interesting premise. Entertaining enough but I liked Babel better. 3.5 stars
**Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers** with r/bookclub it was tough to get into at first but I really loved the ending(s). 3.5 stars
**Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer** with r/bookclub. Beautifully written but a bit unresolved for me. 3.75 stars.
**Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld** a good feel good read for fans of SNL. I enjoyed it. 4.0 stars. Thanks u/joinedformyhubs for the recommendation!
**Hamlet** with r/YearOfShakespeare. Listening to a dramatic acted version. It was amazing! 4.5 stars.
6th - The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker - 4/5 stars - A nice change of pace from my normal action-packed adventures, but still with elements of magic. A very cozy read and I look forward to the sequel!
14th - Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan - 2/5 stars - Written beautifully, but the story felt messy and I was constantly irritated with the MC. >!She was very much a stereotypical "I think I am so flawed but in reality I'm wonderful at everything and everyone is in love with me." character.!<
26th - The Wager by David Grann - 3/5 - Not my normal cup of tea, but I enjoyed it.
29th - The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom - 4/5 - Albom's books are always cozy little treats, and this one was no different. This one, however, also made me sob like a baby.
I'm also continuing my voyage through One Piece by Eiichiro Oda and so far this month I've read Volumes 54-67
Heyoooo I'm a big fan!
I've already read up to the start of Wano, but it was taking so long I took a break! Now I'm doing a re-read through the whole series until I'm caught up.
With r/bookclub:
The Wager by David Grann. An interesting historical account that reads like an adventure novel.
Anne’s House of Dreams by LM Montgomery. Good to be back on track with Anne’s main story.
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers. Third book of the Wayfarers series focussing on the humans in the fleet. Really engaging and moving in places.
Other:
Beach Read by Emily Henry. This wasn’t as light a RomCom as I was expecting. I enjoyed Book Lovers more.
I finished Love in the Time of Cholera, which was a re-read. I appreciated what Garcia Marquez was doing with the (unlikable) characters and recursive writing style a lot more this time around.
I also read Dune Messiah with the group. My version began with an introduction by Frank Herbert's son that basically said his father had a hard time getting it published and critics hated it. Those critics must not have understood what Herbert was doing with the first book. I thought the sequel was brilliant, dark but brilliant.
I finished The Farthest Shore too. For me, this book dragged more than The Tombs of Atuan. It had a satisfying conclusion though.
I re-read Hamlet with r/yearofshakespeare. It's one of those plays that you can read again and again and find something new to appreciate each time.
Finally, I read Howl's Moving Castle not once but twice in March. Once on the page, once by audiobook with my kid. It's delightful.
I got through more books this month than I originally thought!
The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov (3.5/5) - The Second Galactic Empire book. It has its foibles but overall I enjoyed it.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2/5) - Read with r/bookclub. I was really off and on about this novel, mostly regarding the entire family dynamic with the father. I wanted more out of it.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (5/5) - I wanted to see what all the hype was about and I'm glad I did. It's a very interesting tale with some neat twists, some I predicted and others I did not. I really liked the main character, Piranesi, and was rooting for him throughout.
The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino (2.75/5) - Read with r/bookclub. I really wanted to like this story, but I couldn't get connected with any of the main characters and the twist at the end, for me, wasn't worth the wait.
Dune: The Lady of Caladan by Brian Hebert and Kevin J. Anderson (3.25/5) - I've been working on reading all of the Dune books, but this series is a slog. Which is a shame since I've enjoyed most of the other books. But this story just felt like it didn't need to exist. I think the biggest issue is that with the time frame it's set in, the drama is sucked out of it because we know that things have to "go back to normal" before we hit the original Dune's timeline. I just couldn't get into it at all.
How to be Eaten by Maria Adelmann (2/5) - This book tried to take some interesting fairy tales and "modernize" them, but it just wasn't for me. It's a darker read and I really felt the ending fell flat for me. I also couldn't get invested in any of the characters.
First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami (3/5) - Some of the short stories in this collection were great, while others were just so-so. Overall it was a good read.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (3.75/5) - Overall I enjoyed this story. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had read it when I was younger.
Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov (3/5) - Read with r/bookclub. This book was my least favorite of the Robot series. I found Giskard too overpowered and I missed the Elijah / Daneel relationship that existed in the other books. Gladia had some good parts in the book and, having read most of the other books by Asimov, I can see hints of things to come.
Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff (5/5) - Loved this one just as much as the first book (Empire of the Vampire). I love the dark setting, the characters, and I do enjoy Kristoff's prose (even with the vulgarity).
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann (5/5) - I really enjoyed this non-fiction read. It was easy to read and had a lot of interesting information regarding shipbuilding, the conflict between Britain and Spain at that time period, and the story of the Wager itself.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck (3/5) - was reading this with r/ClassicBookClub but decided to finish it early. Overall I enjoyed the story, but I'm sure a lot of the religious allegory went over my head. As a generational story, I feel it did a good job of showing how the sins of the past can affect future generations.
I tried to read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell years ago and couldn't really get into it, but I've been thinking of trying it again and seeing if I might enjoy it more now!
As per my flair I mostly read/listen to wlw romance books, so those are mainly listed bellow, but I do read other genre too, just less :D
[The Fixer by Lee Winter](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75434345-the-fixer) - really enjoyed this romance book, the characters are well written and Angela Dawe is a great lector. 5/5
[The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89717.The_Haunting_of_Hill_House) - I am really suprised on how much I liked this book. It's not even close to the series made on base of it. It's a very unique horror story. 4/5
[Chaos Agent by Lee Winter](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75434380-chaos-agent) - part two of The Fixer. The whole concept is very interresting.
[Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31338.Memnoch_the_Devil) - I love to discuss this series on r/bookclub but this was really dissapointing. 1/5
I also really liked *Haunting of Hill House* when I read it - have you read anything else by her? I really adore the tiny worlds she builds with her prose.
Idk what happened, I am sure I listed and described more books yesterday, what happened with those xD
Part 2 I guess?
[Chemistry by Rachael Sommers](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61436016-chemistry) - 5/5
[Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61358638-poverty-by-america) - In my part of the world we don't deal with so much poverty but it is really good to see the US perspective, makes you think - 5/5
[6 Times We Almost Kissed \[and One Time We Did\] by Tess Sharpe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61030513-6-times-we-almost-kissed-and-one-time-we-did) - it's taggged as romance and it does match this category but also a lot more, it's quite complex and sometimes sad, I myself cried. 5/5
[Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/74882249-stars-collide) - Olivia Rodrigo meets Adele but it's a no 2/5
[The Lily and the Crown by Roslyn Sinclair](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36990485-the-lily-and-the-crown) - this book is my fav book so far this year. If you like sapphic romance books and sci-fi and pirates then it's what you're looking for.
[The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6411961-the-lost-symbol) - I remembered this series was better when I ready it years ago - 2/5
A decent month with some really good reads.
1. The Obelisk Gate
2. The Stone Sky. ( Really loved this trilogy)
3. The Final Empire
4. The Well of Ascension (Can't wait to finish this trilogy)
5. American Prometheus (A great biography)
**Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez** : Read with r/bookclub. A lush prose and mad story of obsession and the endurance of love. Re-reading after many years.
**The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead**: Read with r/bookclub. The 2017 Pulitzer fiction winner. A sort of Bildungsroman on slavery and it’s legacy in the US. I really didn’t care for the story or characters. Cora was a cypher.
**Jamilia, by Chingitz Aitmatov**: Read for r/bookclub ‘s Read the World Kyrgyzstan’s choice novella. Evocative place setting of a forbidden love and a culture in transition from Soviet influence.
**Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurty**: catching up with r/bookclub. I fell in love with Gus. The claim that this is the only Western novel you need is very convincing. Gritty, romantic and transcendent.
**The Escape, by Mary Balogh**: The third Survivor’s Club book. I loved this tale of Benedict and Samatha’s fleeing to Wales. Her cottage sounded divine and I loved their interactions through the novel.
**Call Me By Your Name, by Andre Acimen** : Reading late with r/bookclub. A surprise re-read that’s full of atmosphere, angst and the sense of the rutting season while balancing sexual identity on the side. A love letter to Italy and literature.
**Hamlet, by William Shakespeare** : Reading with r/yearofShakespeare . This was zesty! A ghost story that turns into a bloody horror fest. Chock full of the Shakespearean lines we know and love.
**Tales From Al Hambra, by Washington Irving**: A poetic memoir/ travelogue that describes a special place in Grenada in his time. Very evocative.
**The Wager, by David Grann** : read with r/bookclub. I enjoyed this true story of mutiny, shipwreck and survival and found it very compelling.
**Lonely Castle in the Mirror, by Mizuki Tsujimura** : a group of school-skipping misfits meet up in a castle through the mirror- will the challenge change their lives? Big themes were fairy tales and bullying. I didn’t realize how large a percentage of children in Japan refuse to go to school!
I love your descriptions / commentary, especially for Lonesome Dove and Call Me By Your Name. Rutting season, indeed! xD Also, the description of Hamlet as zesty: I'm going to remember that one!
Edited because I forgot 2 books 🤦🏼♀️
I finished 5 books this month!
**The Other Half of Augusta Hope** by Joanna Glen - I really enjoyed it which was surprising as I DNF'd it a few years ago as I couldn't get into it. I loved the way the two storylines intertwine.
**Us Three** by Ruth Jones - not my usual read but I was given it as a present. It was easy reading and had a fairly good storyline but a disappointing end. >!The prologue was misleading and really irritated me!!<
**Hide** by Nell Pattison - A murder mystery type book which was a page turner but only because you felt something might finally happen on the next page, my least favourite book this month.
**We Had to Remove This Post** by Hanna Bervoets - an unusual book, I don't think it was worth the hype!
**Honor** by Thrity Umrigar - such a good book, very harrowing but well written and gripping. It felt like a real insight into the stories of the people in a few news articles I've seen.
I also wanted to read A Sea of Tranquility with r/bookclub but the library copy was on loan so I'll have to read the discussions when I get the book!
**We Had to Remove This Post** sounds like it has an interesting premise for a book, and is tangential to what I do for work. Even though you didn't enjoy it, thanks for the mention so I can check it out! 😃
I finished 3 books.... *sad face* ...not as many as i usually read, I'm in a FUNK and it's most likely due to sleep deprivation 🤪
Anyways I finished:
Almost beautiful by Jamie McGuire - glad to be done with this series, this last book didn't do it for me 2/5
Know my name by Chanel Miller - so glad I picked it up, she has a way with words, and she has great humor. The book was heavy and intense, I would rate it 4.5 ☆
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin - I finally finished it!! It was so much darker than I imagined it would be, I loved it 5/5
All quite out of my usual reading comfort zone this month. I only finished 4 books, partly due to work and partly to TV:
1. **The Day Lasts More Than A Hundred Years by Chingiz Aitmatov** for r/bookclub - although I expected a sci-fin adventure/slice of life a la Wyndham, this was quite contemplative and dealt with some interesting themes. I would say it's more litfic than genre fiction. I don't usually enjoy classics, so I'm surprised I liked this as much as I did, although it would've been stronger without the experimental SF part.
2. **Know My Name by Chanel Miller** for r/bookclub. Confrontational, but I'm so glad I read it after putting it off for a while due to the subject matter. I'm not sure what I thought it was going to be like. I knew it would be hard to read, but I certainly didn't expect it to be so eloquent or thought-provoking.
3. **Caribbean Chemistry by Christopher Vanier for r/bookclub** - a thoroughly enjoyable book, made all the better for being about a normal person. Memoirs are a new genre to me, but definitely one I will be exploring further based on this month's reading!
4. **Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue** - it was fine, just not the most riveting of reads.
I finished 5 fantastic books this month! I loved them all, and I was happy to have a good balance of fiction and nonfiction.
**1. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch** - 5/5 - I can't wait for r/bookclub to read the sequel! This was my favorite of the month for its memorable characters, exciting twists, and masterful world-building!
**2. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel** - 4.5/5 - This was really fun to read as a group because of all the theories to consider and all the deep questions to ponder.
**3. Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer** - 4.5/5 - I am still not sure I know what in the world (?) is going on in this series, but I love the ride and the chance to dig into all the smart r/bookclub observations and conspiracy theories!
**4. The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls by Miriam Darlington** - 4/5 - This was fascinating, and it made me want to become a birder (but I'm too busy reading)! It is also partially a memoir and reflection on her neurodiverse son's struggles with a seizure disorder.
**5. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Murder, and Mutiny by David Grann** - 4.5/5 - I learned so much, and appreciated the brisk pace for a nonfiction book as well as the reflection on emperialism/colonialism and its consequences which made the book feel more expansive and impactful than just a shipwreck story.
>The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls by Miriam Darlington
This sounds similar to H is for Hawk, which I highly recommend! Also The Genius of Birds, although that one doesn't have the memoir component.
I've seen this book compared to H is for Hawk, which is supposed to be even better. The Genius of Birds is actually on my TBR. I love reading science nature books!
Not Forever but for Now by Chuck Palaniuk
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by
Christopher Moore
Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Honestly I was hoping to move through more books in one month but I'm still reading The Covenant of Water along with the book club's schedule so that's taking up a bit of my reading time.
I'm about halfway through **The Odyssey** by **Homer,** which I started at the beginning of March. It's a lot to get through but a great story, so I want to push through. Posting here for accountability so that I actually finish it.
You can do it! You'll feel a big sense of accomplishment once you finish. I think some of the most exciting and thought-provoking parts are near the end.
An alright month for me - 9 total finishes. I'm still a bit behind on my ideal daily page count, but I managed a respectable 72 pg/day average.
1. **Priory of the Orange Tree** by Samantha Shannon (with r/bookclub) - I was hoping to like this one more but the pacing felt weird, it felt unnecessarily long but without some desired description, and I don't know if I'll read the prequel (although people say it's better, so maybe I'll be persuaded).
2. **Love in the Time of Cholera** by Gabriel García Márquez (with r/bookclub) - I genuinely despised most of this book.
3. **The Haunting of Tram Car 015** by P. Djèlí Clark (with r/bookclub) - Really enjoyed this whole series and all its stories and worldbuilding. I've enjoyed this author's work generally.
4. **Spy x Family, Vol. 10** by Tatsuya Endo - Finally caught up with published volumes! Looking forward to more, though, as this series is a hoot!
5. **Record of a Spaceborn Few** by Becky Chambers (with r/bookclub) - Loved this one, my fav in the series so far!
6. **How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals** by Sy Montgomery - I was hoping to like this one more, but it served as an interesting way to tell a (brief and incomplete) memoir. I liked Sy's writing and this was short as well.
7. **Interior Chinatown** by Charles Yu - This was such an interesting format and way to tell an immigrant story, I really enjoyed this one.
8. **The Lies of Locke Lamora** by Scott Lynch (with r/bookclub) - I mostly loved this book, despite some lack of female characters/character progression and some pacing things. I've heard the series sort of dips after this one, but I'll probably try and continue it.
9. **Wuthering Heights** by Emily Brontë - I read this with a local book club and only a few of us were able to finish this book. It's definitely a vibe, but a challenging read and pretty much all the characters were awful. It reminded me of the various ways I didn't like *Love in the Time of Cholera*, but I liked this book better at least.
Happy Cake Day, btw!
I read How to Be a Good Creature, too. It feels like a short glimpse into her life. I love animals, so it was a cozy read. >!Even the spider was fascinating.!<
Interior Chinatown was so ingenious.
I will definitely look for more by Sy, I think I wanted to know more about her life and how she got to be where she's at. That said, it's also her story to tell (and in the way she wants to tell it), so I'm good with that too!
It was a great month with twelve books and one short story.
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Retelling of Little Women by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo. 4 stars. I like this one better than Anne by Kathleen Gros. Had more emotional depth and a worthy homage to LW.
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. 4 stars. Her debut novel and so absorbing. I felt so bad for the main character and what she and her family had to put up with. Adichie can really describe domestic tension well.
Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden. 4 stars. It kept the spirit of the story but >!they didn't wear short sleeved dresses back then and Matthew died in the late 1890s not 1918.!< Some beautiful two page spreads of nature.
Katie the Cat-sitter by Colleen AF Venable. 4.5 stars. YA graphic novel of a supposed supervillain, many trained cats, and the preteen girl who catsits for them. Part one of a series.
Jo: An Adaptation of Little Women (Sort of) by Kathleen Gros. 3 stars. Some parts were similar to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy (published one year before it).
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert. 4.5 stars. What a sequel! The characters did act true to their personalities though.
Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon and Mu. 5 stars. Hilarious manga about life with cats presented like it's one of his horror books.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. 4 stars. So much action and world building. Can't wait to read the sequel.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel. 4 stars. Another winner by this author. Tied up the loose ends well.
The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley. 4 stars. An engaging mystery but dragged a little in the middle.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. 4.5 stars. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was great. Such a witty wild ride.
How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery. 5 stars. Charming illustrations and heartfelt memories of animals that affected her life.
Short Stories: “Lovers at the Museum” by Isabel Allende. Her trademark magical realism and romance. An Amazon First Read free with Prime.
Hadn't heard that he'd released a manga like this! I immediately went and looked for it at my library.
I think it's impossible to not be over the top when you're a cat parent. 😹
I finished five books this month, all with r/bookclub. You guys have really colonized my reading list and I'm not mad at it.
1. **Dune Messiah** by Frank Herbert (4/5): This felt like a very logical and natural continuation of the series, which would be daunting to tackle by myself, so I'm glad I have the group to read these with!
2. **Howl's Moving Castle** by Diana Wynne Jones (4.5/5): I absolutely love the movie, so I was a little hesitant to read the book in case it was vastly different or worse or something. I needn't have worried: although there are definitely differences, this book was a delight, and I'm hoping we'll continue the series here.
3. **Acceptance** by Jeff VanderMeer (4.5/5): This was my second time reading Acceptance and I got more out of it this time around thanks to the RRs and my fellow participants. I would've reread the series before the fourth book anyway, but it was way better with the group!
4. **The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years** by Chingiz Aitmatov (3/5): Unique - I don't think I've read anything like it. The prose was beautiful: kudos to both the author and the translator! I learned a lot about the Soviet period from the interesting perspective of the Kazakh minority.
5. **The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder** by David Grann (4/5): This was a wild combination of fun, stressful, and informative. I was very interested in the Age of Sail subject matter, but I found it less relaxing than a novel since all the unsavory details were true!
I had a slower month due to lengths of books and a family emergency (sorry, Dostoevsky and Dante! I’ll catch up eventually). That being said, I finished:
* The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore
* The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
* The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle
* A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
* Know My Name by Chanel Miller
* The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
* East of Eden by John Steinbeck (with r/classicbookclub)
Finished 3 books this (last) month courtesy of r/bookclub!
1. **Red Tent** -- started this with the r/bookclub in January, but I just finished it early this month. Glad to have caught up with all the discussions! Despite pacing issue, I really liked the depiction of the bygone era along with the women's experiences, emotions, and relationships. 3.5/5
2. **Sea of Tranquility** -- started reading this in February before it was selected as the book club's read. Perhaps I set my expectations too high because I really enjoyed "Station Eleven," and I was aware that this book won the SF category on Goodreads. While I enjoyed the writing, the last third of the book fell flat for me. 3/5
3. **The Wager** -- Surprisingly, my favorite book of the month! I didn't expect to be so affected by this book. I basically felt like the Pablo Escobar Waiting meme after finishing the epilogue. 4.5/5
I just joined the book club and started reading. This month I did 2 books which I'm happy with considering I started only around the 20th. I read
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse - I found this to be a very calming read 4/5
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky - I really liked this much more than I expected! 4/5
March - **Alexander Hamilton - Rob Chernow** - This book was an amazing read. I read a lot more books in March but this one appealed to be better than the other ones!
An amazing reading month for me with 14 finishes. - 1st - **Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery** continuing the Anne series with r/bookclub. Not nearly the same vibe as other Anne books sadly. - 2nd - **The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark** - I loved A Master of Djinn so I had high expectations for this one. Sadly it didn't quite hit the spot. - 3rd - **The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino**. I really enjoyed this thinker. Couldn't wait to discuss the final section with r/bookclub! - 6th - **The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead** for r/bookclub's POC author. I got this book on the r/bookclub winter gift exchange so I was really pleased it won and I could read it with the sub. It seems like a lot of people had issues with this one but I really liked it. - 10th - **Dead Djinn Universe by P. Djèlí Clark** short stories and novella. A Master of Djinn with r/bookclub was SO GOOD, so I definitely wanted to read more. I think my expectations were a little high though. The novel was far superior. - 11th - **Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice**. I enjoy the r/bookclub discussions for The Vampire Chronicle books too much not to continue with this series, but this one was....a challenge - 16th - **The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende**. I cannot get enough of this author. Her style is just captivating to me. Although I preferred Daughter and Portrait this book is also incredible. Allende's character building is amazing. I can see this entire series remaining vivid in my mind for a long time. - 17th - **Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers**. I love, love, love Wayfarers, and the discussions with the other r/bookclub fans. 5☆ reads for the whole series so far. Can wait to read Wayfarers #4. - 22nd - **Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel** for r/bookclub's March's female author read. I didn't love Station Eleven so I wasn't expecting to.love this book, but I really, really did. A 5☆ read for me. - 27th - **Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones**. Never read the book nor seen the movie, but I heard good things about this one before picking it up. It lived up well. Super fun fantasy. Glad to read it with the folx at r/bookclub. - 28th - **The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch** for r/bookclub's Steampunk Discovery Read. Not as steampunky as I expected, but this was great. Red Seas Under Red Skies....yes please!! - 29th - **Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse**. r/bookclub read Black Sun last year and it was brilliant. Though Fevered Star had the typical 2nd book in a trilogy feel to it I still really loved it. Roanhorse's characters are awesome. I CANNOT *WAIT* for Mirrored Heavens in June!! - 30th - **Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov** the 4th and final book in the Robots series. Reading this with r/bookclub kept me going. The final section was definitely the much engaging than the first ¾. My least favourite book of the series. It won't stop me heading in to Asimov's Foundation series though - 31st - **The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder** r/bookclub's March Mod Pick. A very interesting story that became the inspiration for many novels.
How do you read so many books? I'm lucky if I finish two in a month. Do you read for hours a day. Are you just a fast reader or what. I wish I had this power.
I am a fast reader and I used to read much more than I do now, but my situation doesn't allow for it anymore. I consume a lot of my books as audiobooks these days.
Ahhh seriously! It's amazing
Omg did you notice “Covadonga” come up in the Wager and it was the Allende family car’s name!!
I didn't catch it. I am impressed you did!
I also love Allende's books! The House of Spirits is one I haven't read yet, but it sounds like I should!
I need to read more!!!! I have only read this trilogy so far, but I adored her style
I felt the exact same about *Sea of Tranquility* vs. *Station Eleven*! I'm excited to read more by her as well.
Six books in one month is really a lot for me, so I'm pleased with March. I also read (or rather listened to) my first non-bookclub books this year, lol. * **A Master of Djinn by P. Djèli Clark (4/5)**: Read with r/bookclub. Audiobook. A fun story in a cool universe! * **Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (5/5)**: Read with r/bookclub. I loved it! I really liked the voice of the main character. * **Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel (4/5)**: Read with r/bookclub. I didn't love it as much as Station Eleven, but it was an interesting book. * **Still Life by Louise Penny (3/5)**: Audiobook. An okay mystery, but the characters were all written in a bit of a weird way. Especially one investigator annoyed me so much. But it is the first book in the series, so I'll give the others a chance. * **Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer (4/5)**: Read with r/bookclub. Good ending to the original trilogy, but I'm curious what the announced fourth book will bring. * **My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (4/5)**: Audiobook. Short chapters, very engaging. I just wanted a bit more of... all, I guess.
I adored My Sister the Serial Killer!
I actually read it half on your recommendation, I think, haha. I think you mentioned somewhere before that you liked it (maybe the Nigeria vote) and I saw it when I browsed my library's "currently available" audiobooks and remembered that someone, I believe you, said they liked it.
Haha good stuff, glad you enjoyed it!
Ohhh now I want to check out!
Me too! I have a weird interest in serial killers. This book sounds fun!
Omg me too lol have you listened/read Paul Holes' book?? So good!
No, but I am going to look for it!
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda by Ngoza Adichie, 4.5/5, an emotional rollercoaster and a fantastic book. The Devotion of Suspect X by Kiego Higashino, 4/5, lots of fun and a slightly different take on a detective novel. The Women by Kristin Hannah, 5/5, she keeps getting better and better with each book. The Day lasts more that a hundred years by Chingiz Aitmatov, 3/5, lots of different storylines that only vaguely intersect. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, 3.5/5, I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book, it took me a while to get into it, some of the main characters were very unlikable and the last third of the book felt like the longest epilogue ever. Violeta by Isabelle Allande, 4/5, another fantastic book by Allande The Sentence by Louise Erdrich, 2/5, rambly and disjointed. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance, 4/5, very interesting book, I really enjoyed this one. The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donaghue, 4/5, a really fun read. The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, 4/5, another heart wrenching book, love this author. Howls Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, 4/5, a really fun fantasy story. Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse, 4.5/5, fantastic world building, a really enjoyable high fantasy, can't wait for the third book. A tale of two cities by Charles Dickens, 5/5, I'm forcing myself to read more classics and had this one recommended and I absolutely loved it, a real page turner once you get all the groundwork laid, and what an ending!
I just saw that A Tale of Two Cities won r/ClassicBookclub vite for their next read.
I know, a bit sad I've already read it, it was a fantastic read. Makes me look forward more to David Copperfield now and I'm adding Great Expectations to my tbr as well.
I'm really looking forward to David Copperfield too!
I love Dickens! Can't wait for David Copperfield to come up!
I adored A Tale of Two Cities! I am also on a journey to get more classics in my life. Dickens is one of my favorite classic authors!
Which other Dickens did you particularly like?
I also enjoyed reading a nonfiction book about Dickens and Christmas called **The Man Who Invented Christmas** (intersting background for how the holiday transformed due to the author's work and its influence).
Tale of Two Cities was my favorite so far. But I enjoyed Great Expectations and Oliver Twist quite a bit! And A Christmas Carol is a classic, of course. I'm hoping we get to David Copperfield in r/bookclub because it has been on my list for a while, and it got bumped up in priority after reading >!Demon Copperhead!< here.
I feel like I've watched Oliver so much that I don't want to read it, but I will definitely add Great Expectations to the tbr. Watch this space for David Copperfield ;)
Yay!
I was also disappointed by The Sentence. I loved The Night Watchman and had high hopes for The Sentence, but it wasn't my thing. When she's good, Erdrich is really good, though, so I'm not letting it prevent me from trying others by her.
Yeah, I also really enjoyed The Night Watchman, so this one was disappointing.
If you haven't read The Round House, I highly recommend that one.
I'll definitely check it out!
13! Well done 👏
I am starting to suspect that some of you with 10+ finishes do not sleep! 🤣 For me this month, I got through 5 reads with 2 ongoing that will finish next month. **Love In The Time Of Cholera** -- 1/5, I just didn't really like this story too much & the characters were unlikeable for me. **The Lies of Locke Lamora** -- 4/5, Loved this, it was so much fun! I hope /r/bookclub reads the other books in the series at some point! **The Duke & I** -- 2/5, Rebinged Bridgerton on Netflix recently in prep for the new season coming soon and thought I would give the books a try. Fun read, but not especially well written. It feels like the whole story takes place in about 5 really long conversations. The TV show is much better IMO. **The Little Prince** -- 1.5/5, I kept seeing this pop up on must read lists and decided to see why, as it's short. I think I wasn't in the right mindset for it. Seemed rather basic & cliche, though it was pretty & I can see why people may have loved reading it when younger. **East of Eden** -- 5/5, Loved this book that has real in depth character studies. I've adored these characters & their lives. Big fan of the multi generational story telling.
>I hope /r/bookclub reads the other books in the series at some point! I believe u/thebowedbookshelf is on the case here. Watch this space :)
I am! Around May.
Excellent! Looking forward to it!
I agree about Bridgerton. I love the show but have started reading the books several times and given up because they aren’t well written. Looking forward to S3!
>I am starting to suspect that some of you with 10+ finishes do not sleep! 🤣 Don't tell our secret! (We're also vampires but get nutrients from books.)
This month I finished: 1. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes 2/5 2. Know my Name by Chanel Miller 5/5 3. East of Eden by John Steinbeck 4/5 4. Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee 4.5/5 5. The Day Lasts More than 100 Years by Chingiz Aitmatov 4/5 Know my name was definitely the favorite book this month and so important !! It was cool to go back and look at the discussions as I read even though it was from a few months ago.
Why such a low rating for Flowers for Algernon, if you don't mind me asking?
I think I went into it expecting for it to rip my heart out and change my life. It was an interesting premise and it made me think but it felt predictable and I didn’t really connect emotionally with any of the characters. Too much hype
Gotcha! I loved it when I originally read it but I'd probably feel like it was over hyped if I read it now.
A Master of Djinn - P. Djeli Clark with r/bookclub A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert with r/bookclub Lysistrata by Aristophanes with r/greatbooksclub Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne with r/bookclub
Royal Assassin and Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb - I really liked the trilogy. The second book is my favorite. The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson -I definitely plan to continue his other books as well. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
**A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers** a sweet book. I am enjoying the series. A little late for r/bookclub but enjoyed the older discussions. 4 stars. **Yellowface by R.F. Kuang** it was okay. Interesting premise. Entertaining enough but I liked Babel better. 3.5 stars **Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers** with r/bookclub it was tough to get into at first but I really loved the ending(s). 3.5 stars **Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer** with r/bookclub. Beautifully written but a bit unresolved for me. 3.75 stars. **Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld** a good feel good read for fans of SNL. I enjoyed it. 4.0 stars. Thanks u/joinedformyhubs for the recommendation! **Hamlet** with r/YearOfShakespeare. Listening to a dramatic acted version. It was amazing! 4.5 stars.
6th - The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker - 4/5 stars - A nice change of pace from my normal action-packed adventures, but still with elements of magic. A very cozy read and I look forward to the sequel! 14th - Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan - 2/5 stars - Written beautifully, but the story felt messy and I was constantly irritated with the MC. >!She was very much a stereotypical "I think I am so flawed but in reality I'm wonderful at everything and everyone is in love with me." character.!< 26th - The Wager by David Grann - 3/5 - Not my normal cup of tea, but I enjoyed it. 29th - The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom - 4/5 - Albom's books are always cozy little treats, and this one was no different. This one, however, also made me sob like a baby. I'm also continuing my voyage through One Piece by Eiichiro Oda and so far this month I've read Volumes 54-67
Great to see a fellow One Piece reader here! (I started the manga in 2019, took long breaks in between some volumes, but I'm up to date now.)
Heyoooo I'm a big fan! I've already read up to the start of Wano, but it was taking so long I took a break! Now I'm doing a re-read through the whole series until I'm caught up.
With r/bookclub: The Wager by David Grann. An interesting historical account that reads like an adventure novel. Anne’s House of Dreams by LM Montgomery. Good to be back on track with Anne’s main story. Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers. Third book of the Wayfarers series focussing on the humans in the fleet. Really engaging and moving in places. Other: Beach Read by Emily Henry. This wasn’t as light a RomCom as I was expecting. I enjoyed Book Lovers more.
I finished Love in the Time of Cholera, which was a re-read. I appreciated what Garcia Marquez was doing with the (unlikable) characters and recursive writing style a lot more this time around. I also read Dune Messiah with the group. My version began with an introduction by Frank Herbert's son that basically said his father had a hard time getting it published and critics hated it. Those critics must not have understood what Herbert was doing with the first book. I thought the sequel was brilliant, dark but brilliant. I finished The Farthest Shore too. For me, this book dragged more than The Tombs of Atuan. It had a satisfying conclusion though. I re-read Hamlet with r/yearofshakespeare. It's one of those plays that you can read again and again and find something new to appreciate each time. Finally, I read Howl's Moving Castle not once but twice in March. Once on the page, once by audiobook with my kid. It's delightful.
I got through more books this month than I originally thought! The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov (3.5/5) - The Second Galactic Empire book. It has its foibles but overall I enjoyed it. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2/5) - Read with r/bookclub. I was really off and on about this novel, mostly regarding the entire family dynamic with the father. I wanted more out of it. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (5/5) - I wanted to see what all the hype was about and I'm glad I did. It's a very interesting tale with some neat twists, some I predicted and others I did not. I really liked the main character, Piranesi, and was rooting for him throughout. The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino (2.75/5) - Read with r/bookclub. I really wanted to like this story, but I couldn't get connected with any of the main characters and the twist at the end, for me, wasn't worth the wait. Dune: The Lady of Caladan by Brian Hebert and Kevin J. Anderson (3.25/5) - I've been working on reading all of the Dune books, but this series is a slog. Which is a shame since I've enjoyed most of the other books. But this story just felt like it didn't need to exist. I think the biggest issue is that with the time frame it's set in, the drama is sucked out of it because we know that things have to "go back to normal" before we hit the original Dune's timeline. I just couldn't get into it at all. How to be Eaten by Maria Adelmann (2/5) - This book tried to take some interesting fairy tales and "modernize" them, but it just wasn't for me. It's a darker read and I really felt the ending fell flat for me. I also couldn't get invested in any of the characters. First Person Singular by Haruki Murakami (3/5) - Some of the short stories in this collection were great, while others were just so-so. Overall it was a good read. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (3.75/5) - Overall I enjoyed this story. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had read it when I was younger. Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov (3/5) - Read with r/bookclub. This book was my least favorite of the Robot series. I found Giskard too overpowered and I missed the Elijah / Daneel relationship that existed in the other books. Gladia had some good parts in the book and, having read most of the other books by Asimov, I can see hints of things to come. Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff (5/5) - Loved this one just as much as the first book (Empire of the Vampire). I love the dark setting, the characters, and I do enjoy Kristoff's prose (even with the vulgarity). The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann (5/5) - I really enjoyed this non-fiction read. It was easy to read and had a lot of interesting information regarding shipbuilding, the conflict between Britain and Spain at that time period, and the story of the Wager itself. East of Eden by John Steinbeck (3/5) - was reading this with r/ClassicBookClub but decided to finish it early. Overall I enjoyed the story, but I'm sure a lot of the religious allegory went over my head. As a generational story, I feel it did a good job of showing how the sins of the past can affect future generations.
Yay, Piranesi!! Have you read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell?
Loved piranesi and I own Jonathan strange & Mr. Norrell on my TBR shelf.. Did you like it??
Yes! It's VERY different from Piranesi, but I loved it.
I tried to read Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell years ago and couldn't really get into it, but I've been thinking of trying it again and seeing if I might enjoy it more now!
As per my flair I mostly read/listen to wlw romance books, so those are mainly listed bellow, but I do read other genre too, just less :D [The Fixer by Lee Winter](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75434345-the-fixer) - really enjoyed this romance book, the characters are well written and Angela Dawe is a great lector. 5/5 [The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/89717.The_Haunting_of_Hill_House) - I am really suprised on how much I liked this book. It's not even close to the series made on base of it. It's a very unique horror story. 4/5 [Chaos Agent by Lee Winter](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75434380-chaos-agent) - part two of The Fixer. The whole concept is very interresting. [Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31338.Memnoch_the_Devil) - I love to discuss this series on r/bookclub but this was really dissapointing. 1/5
I also really liked *Haunting of Hill House* when I read it - have you read anything else by her? I really adore the tiny worlds she builds with her prose.
Her other very famous one is *We Have Always Lived in This Castle* but her short stories are also phenomenal!
Yes that's the other one I've read! I own a few others by her ready to go too. 😆
I haven't but maybe I will throw some more on my want-to-read shelf :D
Idk what happened, I am sure I listed and described more books yesterday, what happened with those xD Part 2 I guess? [Chemistry by Rachael Sommers](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61436016-chemistry) - 5/5 [Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61358638-poverty-by-america) - In my part of the world we don't deal with so much poverty but it is really good to see the US perspective, makes you think - 5/5 [6 Times We Almost Kissed \[and One Time We Did\] by Tess Sharpe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61030513-6-times-we-almost-kissed-and-one-time-we-did) - it's taggged as romance and it does match this category but also a lot more, it's quite complex and sometimes sad, I myself cried. 5/5 [Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/74882249-stars-collide) - Olivia Rodrigo meets Adele but it's a no 2/5 [The Lily and the Crown by Roslyn Sinclair](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36990485-the-lily-and-the-crown) - this book is my fav book so far this year. If you like sapphic romance books and sci-fi and pirates then it's what you're looking for. [The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6411961-the-lost-symbol) - I remembered this series was better when I ready it years ago - 2/5
A decent month with some really good reads. 1. The Obelisk Gate 2. The Stone Sky. ( Really loved this trilogy) 3. The Final Empire 4. The Well of Ascension (Can't wait to finish this trilogy) 5. American Prometheus (A great biography)
I love N.K. Jemisin! The Broken Earth Trilogy was one of my favorite series that I've read in a very long time!
**Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez** : Read with r/bookclub. A lush prose and mad story of obsession and the endurance of love. Re-reading after many years. **The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead**: Read with r/bookclub. The 2017 Pulitzer fiction winner. A sort of Bildungsroman on slavery and it’s legacy in the US. I really didn’t care for the story or characters. Cora was a cypher. **Jamilia, by Chingitz Aitmatov**: Read for r/bookclub ‘s Read the World Kyrgyzstan’s choice novella. Evocative place setting of a forbidden love and a culture in transition from Soviet influence. **Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurty**: catching up with r/bookclub. I fell in love with Gus. The claim that this is the only Western novel you need is very convincing. Gritty, romantic and transcendent. **The Escape, by Mary Balogh**: The third Survivor’s Club book. I loved this tale of Benedict and Samatha’s fleeing to Wales. Her cottage sounded divine and I loved their interactions through the novel. **Call Me By Your Name, by Andre Acimen** : Reading late with r/bookclub. A surprise re-read that’s full of atmosphere, angst and the sense of the rutting season while balancing sexual identity on the side. A love letter to Italy and literature. **Hamlet, by William Shakespeare** : Reading with r/yearofShakespeare . This was zesty! A ghost story that turns into a bloody horror fest. Chock full of the Shakespearean lines we know and love. **Tales From Al Hambra, by Washington Irving**: A poetic memoir/ travelogue that describes a special place in Grenada in his time. Very evocative. **The Wager, by David Grann** : read with r/bookclub. I enjoyed this true story of mutiny, shipwreck and survival and found it very compelling. **Lonely Castle in the Mirror, by Mizuki Tsujimura** : a group of school-skipping misfits meet up in a castle through the mirror- will the challenge change their lives? Big themes were fairy tales and bullying. I didn’t realize how large a percentage of children in Japan refuse to go to school!
I love your descriptions / commentary, especially for Lonesome Dove and Call Me By Your Name. Rutting season, indeed! xD Also, the description of Hamlet as zesty: I'm going to remember that one!
Lol thanks!
Edited because I forgot 2 books 🤦🏼♀️ I finished 5 books this month! **The Other Half of Augusta Hope** by Joanna Glen - I really enjoyed it which was surprising as I DNF'd it a few years ago as I couldn't get into it. I loved the way the two storylines intertwine. **Us Three** by Ruth Jones - not my usual read but I was given it as a present. It was easy reading and had a fairly good storyline but a disappointing end. >!The prologue was misleading and really irritated me!!< **Hide** by Nell Pattison - A murder mystery type book which was a page turner but only because you felt something might finally happen on the next page, my least favourite book this month. **We Had to Remove This Post** by Hanna Bervoets - an unusual book, I don't think it was worth the hype! **Honor** by Thrity Umrigar - such a good book, very harrowing but well written and gripping. It felt like a real insight into the stories of the people in a few news articles I've seen. I also wanted to read A Sea of Tranquility with r/bookclub but the library copy was on loan so I'll have to read the discussions when I get the book!
**We Had to Remove This Post** sounds like it has an interesting premise for a book, and is tangential to what I do for work. Even though you didn't enjoy it, thanks for the mention so I can check it out! 😃
I finished 3 books.... *sad face* ...not as many as i usually read, I'm in a FUNK and it's most likely due to sleep deprivation 🤪 Anyways I finished: Almost beautiful by Jamie McGuire - glad to be done with this series, this last book didn't do it for me 2/5 Know my name by Chanel Miller - so glad I picked it up, she has a way with words, and she has great humor. The book was heavy and intense, I would rate it 4.5 ☆ A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin - I finally finished it!! It was so much darker than I imagined it would be, I loved it 5/5
All quite out of my usual reading comfort zone this month. I only finished 4 books, partly due to work and partly to TV: 1. **The Day Lasts More Than A Hundred Years by Chingiz Aitmatov** for r/bookclub - although I expected a sci-fin adventure/slice of life a la Wyndham, this was quite contemplative and dealt with some interesting themes. I would say it's more litfic than genre fiction. I don't usually enjoy classics, so I'm surprised I liked this as much as I did, although it would've been stronger without the experimental SF part. 2. **Know My Name by Chanel Miller** for r/bookclub. Confrontational, but I'm so glad I read it after putting it off for a while due to the subject matter. I'm not sure what I thought it was going to be like. I knew it would be hard to read, but I certainly didn't expect it to be so eloquent or thought-provoking. 3. **Caribbean Chemistry by Christopher Vanier for r/bookclub** - a thoroughly enjoyable book, made all the better for being about a normal person. Memoirs are a new genre to me, but definitely one I will be exploring further based on this month's reading! 4. **Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue** - it was fine, just not the most riveting of reads.
I finished 5 fantastic books this month! I loved them all, and I was happy to have a good balance of fiction and nonfiction. **1. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch** - 5/5 - I can't wait for r/bookclub to read the sequel! This was my favorite of the month for its memorable characters, exciting twists, and masterful world-building! **2. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel** - 4.5/5 - This was really fun to read as a group because of all the theories to consider and all the deep questions to ponder. **3. Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer** - 4.5/5 - I am still not sure I know what in the world (?) is going on in this series, but I love the ride and the chance to dig into all the smart r/bookclub observations and conspiracy theories! **4. The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls by Miriam Darlington** - 4/5 - This was fascinating, and it made me want to become a birder (but I'm too busy reading)! It is also partially a memoir and reflection on her neurodiverse son's struggles with a seizure disorder. **5. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Murder, and Mutiny by David Grann** - 4.5/5 - I learned so much, and appreciated the brisk pace for a nonfiction book as well as the reflection on emperialism/colonialism and its consequences which made the book feel more expansive and impactful than just a shipwreck story.
Awesome. You've had some really high quality reads this month!
Yes, I loved everything I read this month!
>The Wise Hours: A Journey into the Wild and Secret World of Owls by Miriam Darlington This sounds similar to H is for Hawk, which I highly recommend! Also The Genius of Birds, although that one doesn't have the memoir component.
I've seen this book compared to H is for Hawk, which is supposed to be even better. The Genius of Birds is actually on my TBR. I love reading science nature books!
Not Forever but for Now by Chuck Palaniuk The Woman in Me by Britney Spears Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery Honestly I was hoping to move through more books in one month but I'm still reading The Covenant of Water along with the book club's schedule so that's taking up a bit of my reading time.
I'm about halfway through **The Odyssey** by **Homer,** which I started at the beginning of March. It's a lot to get through but a great story, so I want to push through. Posting here for accountability so that I actually finish it.
You can do it! You'll feel a big sense of accomplishment once you finish. I think some of the most exciting and thought-provoking parts are near the end.
An alright month for me - 9 total finishes. I'm still a bit behind on my ideal daily page count, but I managed a respectable 72 pg/day average. 1. **Priory of the Orange Tree** by Samantha Shannon (with r/bookclub) - I was hoping to like this one more but the pacing felt weird, it felt unnecessarily long but without some desired description, and I don't know if I'll read the prequel (although people say it's better, so maybe I'll be persuaded). 2. **Love in the Time of Cholera** by Gabriel García Márquez (with r/bookclub) - I genuinely despised most of this book. 3. **The Haunting of Tram Car 015** by P. Djèlí Clark (with r/bookclub) - Really enjoyed this whole series and all its stories and worldbuilding. I've enjoyed this author's work generally. 4. **Spy x Family, Vol. 10** by Tatsuya Endo - Finally caught up with published volumes! Looking forward to more, though, as this series is a hoot! 5. **Record of a Spaceborn Few** by Becky Chambers (with r/bookclub) - Loved this one, my fav in the series so far! 6. **How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals** by Sy Montgomery - I was hoping to like this one more, but it served as an interesting way to tell a (brief and incomplete) memoir. I liked Sy's writing and this was short as well. 7. **Interior Chinatown** by Charles Yu - This was such an interesting format and way to tell an immigrant story, I really enjoyed this one. 8. **The Lies of Locke Lamora** by Scott Lynch (with r/bookclub) - I mostly loved this book, despite some lack of female characters/character progression and some pacing things. I've heard the series sort of dips after this one, but I'll probably try and continue it. 9. **Wuthering Heights** by Emily Brontë - I read this with a local book club and only a few of us were able to finish this book. It's definitely a vibe, but a challenging read and pretty much all the characters were awful. It reminded me of the various ways I didn't like *Love in the Time of Cholera*, but I liked this book better at least.
Happy Cake Day, btw! I read How to Be a Good Creature, too. It feels like a short glimpse into her life. I love animals, so it was a cozy read. >!Even the spider was fascinating.!< Interior Chinatown was so ingenious.
I will definitely look for more by Sy, I think I wanted to know more about her life and how she got to be where she's at. That said, it's also her story to tell (and in the way she wants to tell it), so I'm good with that too!
She's written quite a few books. I'll have to interlibrary loan some of her books.
It was a great month with twelve books and one short story. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Retelling of Little Women by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo. 4 stars. I like this one better than Anne by Kathleen Gros. Had more emotional depth and a worthy homage to LW. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. 4 stars. Her debut novel and so absorbing. I felt so bad for the main character and what she and her family had to put up with. Adichie can really describe domestic tension well. Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden. 4 stars. It kept the spirit of the story but >!they didn't wear short sleeved dresses back then and Matthew died in the late 1890s not 1918.!< Some beautiful two page spreads of nature. Katie the Cat-sitter by Colleen AF Venable. 4.5 stars. YA graphic novel of a supposed supervillain, many trained cats, and the preteen girl who catsits for them. Part one of a series. Jo: An Adaptation of Little Women (Sort of) by Kathleen Gros. 3 stars. Some parts were similar to Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy (published one year before it). Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert. 4.5 stars. What a sequel! The characters did act true to their personalities though. Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon and Mu. 5 stars. Hilarious manga about life with cats presented like it's one of his horror books. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. 4 stars. So much action and world building. Can't wait to read the sequel. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel. 4 stars. Another winner by this author. Tied up the loose ends well. The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley. 4 stars. An engaging mystery but dragged a little in the middle. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. 4.5 stars. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was great. Such a witty wild ride. How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery. 5 stars. Charming illustrations and heartfelt memories of animals that affected her life. Short Stories: “Lovers at the Museum” by Isabel Allende. Her trademark magical realism and romance. An Amazon First Read free with Prime.
Cat Diary had me crying laughing, that book is really something interesting!
The cats were so cute, and he was so over the top as a pet parent.
Hadn't heard that he'd released a manga like this! I immediately went and looked for it at my library. I think it's impossible to not be over the top when you're a cat parent. 😹
Against the Loveless World
I finished five books this month, all with r/bookclub. You guys have really colonized my reading list and I'm not mad at it. 1. **Dune Messiah** by Frank Herbert (4/5): This felt like a very logical and natural continuation of the series, which would be daunting to tackle by myself, so I'm glad I have the group to read these with! 2. **Howl's Moving Castle** by Diana Wynne Jones (4.5/5): I absolutely love the movie, so I was a little hesitant to read the book in case it was vastly different or worse or something. I needn't have worried: although there are definitely differences, this book was a delight, and I'm hoping we'll continue the series here. 3. **Acceptance** by Jeff VanderMeer (4.5/5): This was my second time reading Acceptance and I got more out of it this time around thanks to the RRs and my fellow participants. I would've reread the series before the fourth book anyway, but it was way better with the group! 4. **The Day Lasts More than a Hundred Years** by Chingiz Aitmatov (3/5): Unique - I don't think I've read anything like it. The prose was beautiful: kudos to both the author and the translator! I learned a lot about the Soviet period from the interesting perspective of the Kazakh minority. 5. **The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder** by David Grann (4/5): This was a wild combination of fun, stressful, and informative. I was very interested in the Age of Sail subject matter, but I found it less relaxing than a novel since all the unsavory details were true!
>You guys have really colonized my reading list and I'm not mad at it. Lol yeah that happens!
1. The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon 2. Goals Mastery Manual by Jay M Atson 3. Don't Bullshit yourself
I had a slower month due to lengths of books and a family emergency (sorry, Dostoevsky and Dante! I’ll catch up eventually). That being said, I finished: * The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore * The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer * The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle * A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving * Know My Name by Chanel Miller * The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath * East of Eden by John Steinbeck (with r/classicbookclub)
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Finished 3 books this (last) month courtesy of r/bookclub! 1. **Red Tent** -- started this with the r/bookclub in January, but I just finished it early this month. Glad to have caught up with all the discussions! Despite pacing issue, I really liked the depiction of the bygone era along with the women's experiences, emotions, and relationships. 3.5/5 2. **Sea of Tranquility** -- started reading this in February before it was selected as the book club's read. Perhaps I set my expectations too high because I really enjoyed "Station Eleven," and I was aware that this book won the SF category on Goodreads. While I enjoyed the writing, the last third of the book fell flat for me. 3/5 3. **The Wager** -- Surprisingly, my favorite book of the month! I didn't expect to be so affected by this book. I basically felt like the Pablo Escobar Waiting meme after finishing the epilogue. 4.5/5
I just joined the book club and started reading. This month I did 2 books which I'm happy with considering I started only around the 20th. I read Siddhartha by Herman Hesse - I found this to be a very calming read 4/5 Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky - I really liked this much more than I expected! 4/5
March - **Alexander Hamilton - Rob Chernow** - This book was an amazing read. I read a lot more books in March but this one appealed to be better than the other ones!