May 2025

[Rowan]

[Rowan]

I finished the new Emily Henry and I really liked it. 4 stars!!

I subscribed to Book of the Month for a few months for Mother's Day to get a few super new releases that I am so behind in the holds list. Such an expense as I never buy new books! I just got:

The Names - Florence Knapp
Broken Country - Clare leslie Hall
Wild Dark Shore - Charlotte McConaghey

I'm going to read The Names first. I think it will be one of THE books this year but I guess I should read it first.

[Sílvia]

Blush, I haven't read that, but I've read parts of The Chaos Machine, and I agree.

Where did I stop? I finished The Autumn of Ruth Winters and really liked it. Then I read Ask for Andrea, a thriller with ghosts as main characters, and really liked it, too! I was completely hooked from page 1. Now I started an A.R. Torre (The Last Party?) and don't have much of an opinion yet. It's hard when you read 2 books that grab you from page 1 in a row. Not fair to the other books. These are all on kindle unlimited, since I paid 30 cents for a 3-month subscription. I have to use it.

[Spudd]

I finished Careless People. Frightening and none of us should be on Facebook. That company really should be broken up.

Then I read Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. Read the whole thing (it is a novella) with Frankie on my lap, sitting outside in the sun.

Now I have Fight Night by Miriam Toews. Cancon, which I know will be good; ahe doesn't miss.

Blush, is it specifically FB or all Meta (Insta, Threads, Whatsapp, is there anything else??)?

[Rowan]

I really liked The Names. Premise is basically does a name predetermine the person you become. Woman goes to name her son and is hesitant to name him the family name Gordon after her husband and FIL who are basically assholes. There are 3 name options and you see the man/family through the lens of the name and that life every other chapter. Four stars -- it wasn't perfect but really good.

I read another Freida McFadden The Locked Door. I think I'm done with her now. It was fine but really basic. My book buyer loves her because she sells and I had picked this up for her and I wanted to read it before selling it to her.

[Rowan]

I started Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy last night and really really liking it!

[Spudd]

I finished The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, and I strongly recommend it. It keeps coming back to my mind, it's really stayed with me. It's been probably a week or so since I finished it and am still thinking about it.

Now I am reading "The Morning and the Evening" by Ken Follett. So far, so good.

[Rowan]

Spudd - I loved The Great Believers. What a great book. So sad but wonderfully written.

[Sílvia]

Rowan, one of my favorite books last year was by that author, Charlotte McConaghy. Migrations. Have you read that one?

Spudd, The Great Believers sounds up my alley. And I really enjoyed The Evening and the Morning. I've been meaning to read the latest one, The Armor of Light (I think.)

Blush, there are at least 2 Kate Quinn books for very cheap today for amazon's book Friday. I might get them.

I finished The Last Party by AR Torre. It was my fourth and least favorite by her so far. For a popcorn thriller, it was neither fast-paced nor super thrilling. One of the main twists was so obvious even I saw it coming. I ended up giving it 3 stars because it was such an easy read, but it was probably more of a 2. Skip it.

I started Fahrenheit 451 for book club, but have only read about 10 pages.

[Rowan]

Silvia - I have not read that but I will need to. I really loved Wild Dark Shore.

Blush - I saw you put Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau as want to read on your goodreads. I just finished it and didn't really love it. You should look at the summary of Mary Jane - that one I LOVED.

I have the new Kevin Wilson which I forgot the name of. I found a galley at the library bookstore as it is not really out. He's a weird writer but premise sounds interesting. All these half siblings meet up as their dad just went from family to family reinventing himself.

[Sílvia]

I finished Fahrenheit 451. I get what he was trying to do with people being so stupid and robotic, but omg, it was boring. Most painful 180 pages I've read lately. I would totally have DNFd it after 30 pages if it weren't for book club.

Rowan, I have Mary Jane downloaded from kindle unlimited. I might pick it up one of these days.

[Rowan]

I'm currently reading Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley. It's about a couple celebrating their anniversary at a fancy restaurant and terrorists take over the restaurant comedy ensues. It's good.

Looks like lots of rain this long weekend. That means lots of reading!

[Rowan]

I finished This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead which really isn't a great title. I really liked it - true crime/amateur detectives story. I have The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark as an ARC which comes out next Tuesday. I should probably get to that to read/review it before it comes out. LOL

[Rowan]

Oh and part of the reason that I subscribed to BOTM was for the new Taylor Jenkins Reid that comes out on Tuesday and it's not a June pick. Piss me off -- I really hope I'm early in the library hold line. I got in line months ago but I can't tell my position.

[Rowan]

That's really smart Blush. It's weird though - I have real trouble with large print. I'm not sure why.

I'm buying way too many books lately...I have to hold myself back from getting this one. It will come in soon.