May 2026 - What are you reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished The Humans by Matt Haig, partially based on all the recommendations on here. It was a light and pleasant read, about an alien who is sent to earth to destroy a couple humans who know too much about a mathematical breakthrough (for the safety of the universe) but of course becomes increasingly sympathetic to the humans he is meant to kill.

I was somewhat distracted in the first half, when our alien first arrives, because the book reminded me so much of the show Resident Alien, which I had recently watched with DCs. Then I felt the back half was a bit rushed and - possible SPOILER - ... ... I never quite "bought" the love the alien was supposed to have developed with the main characters because the relationships seemed to jump so quickly from 0 to 100. That said, it was enjoyable and somewhat uplifting (well, when I was not ruminating that perhaps the alien was too optimistic about humanity, esp. given the trajectory the world has taken since publication of the book!)

This is a top five for me. Poignant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm about to start I who have never known Men, which has been mentioned a bunch these past few months. It's about a group of women kept prisoner for a long time underground. If not described here I doubt I would have picked it up myself, so fingers crossed.

I love the mystery series Ernest Cunningham by Benjamin Stevenson. Just got the 4th book - Everyone in this Bank is a Thief - so hoping it's as good as the others.

Last month I read on a whim An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good which is a physically small book with a charming cover and inside is a diabolical old lady sociopath murderer. So I grabbed the next one - An Elderly Lady Must Not be Crossed.

And finally - heavy on mysteries, I've decided to read all the Poirot mysteries in order and I'm up to #3 - Poirot Investigates.

I feel like i need something more literary this month, to cut through all the mysteries, but I'm still in the 200s on hold for Theo of Golden, and in the 300s for Yesteryear.

I finished I who have Never Known Men and I really do tihnk it's the weirdest book I've read in a long time. (I posted on the I who have never known men post, so double posting my thoughts here). One thing I never see mentioned is that the main character defines herself - in the title of the book and at least two places, if not more in the text, as never knowing men. It's like the entire book is about the Male Gaze. I'm perplexed by the book.

I also finished Poirot Investigates, which is a collection of (very good) short stories, most of which were adapted for the Poirot TV series.

[Anonymous]

I am reading The Incident at Badamaya by Dorothy Gilman, circa 1989. A friend at work said I should try it and it is so cozy. Reminds me Frances Hodgson Burnett. Colonial era Burma. A quick, maybe YA book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to read Less Than Zero but not enjoying it.

I love it, but I read it at the age of 16 in 1986 at at time and place in my life where, embarrassingly, I wished I could be just like them. (To a depressed girl growing up in a college town in the midwest that felt stifling and boring, the Less-Than-Zero glamour was blinding, and the nightmare kind of hid behind all of the glamour for me.)

[Anonymous]

I just started a nonfiction book called No One’s Coming: The Rogue Heroes Our Government Turns to When There’s Nowhere Else to Turn by Kevin Hazzard. It takes place during the ebola outbreak in 2014. Two American medical volunteers get infected and it becomes a seemingly impossible situation to get them home. Phoenix Air is a small company with the only planes in the world that are equipped for this mission. It is fascinating.

[Anonymous]

I just finished "What have you done" by Shari Lapena.
The story is set in rural Vermont, about 10 miles from the New Hampshire border. A small town where nothing ever happens. Until one day when a farmer finds the body of a teenage girl in his fields.

This was the first book I have read by this author. A couple months ago someone here on DCUM book club recommended the book, "She didn't see it coming" by this author. The poster made the premise of that book sound really intriguing so I kept checking Libby to see if that book still had a wait list. Since it did (still does) I decided to try out this book by this same author.
I thought it was good. Most of the characters in this book were teenagers, but I didn't feel like I was too old to relate to the story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just started “His Majesty’s dragon” by Naomi Novik. I am listening to the audiobook narrated by Simon Vance. It is a reimagining of the Napoleonic wars with both England and France having sort of a dragon Air Force. Really liking it so far. Has anyone read it? Did you like it? (No spoilers please). This is my first Naomi Novik read.

Finished this book and moving to Throne of Jade”, next in the series. I feel like this series should be more popular! The dragons are so awesome. Love their unique personalities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone read Her Last Breath?
I just read Emma Straub's American Fantasy and meh.

I’m afraid I can’t help with Her Last Breath, but I had the same reaction to American Fantasy. Perhaps it would resonate more with fans of either boy bands or cruises, but I thought it might shed more light on the fandom of both, and it just didn’t for me.

Ugh same here. I like Emma Straub too but none of it clicked for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading Yesteryear- 100 pages in and so far it's just ok. Hoping it gets better.

Listening to London Falling. It's a true story about a young man in London who assumes a fake identity and gets mixed up with a group of wealthy scammers and dies at the age of 19 after "falling" off a balcony into the Thames.

Just finished listening to London Falling. So good!

Agreed that London Falling is really good! I read vs listened, and could not put it down this weekend.

[Anonymous]

Just started Kin, pulled me in pretty quickly and I like the writing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished "What have you done" by Shari Lapena.
The story is set in rural Vermont, about 10 miles from the New Hampshire border. A small town where nothing ever happens. Until one day when a farmer finds the body of a teenage girl in his fields.

This was the first book I have read by this author. A couple months ago someone here on DCUM book club recommended the book, "She didn't see it coming" by this author. The poster made the premise of that book sound really intriguing so I kept checking Libby to see if that book still had a wait list. Since it did (still does) I decided to try out this book by this same author.
I thought it was good. Most of the characters in this book were teenagers, but I didn't feel like I was too old to relate to the story.

And I just finished (yesterday!) She Didn't See it Coming. It was gulpable - so quick and well-written. I will find others by this author for sure. but maybe not one with teen characters...

I'm starting a Val McDermid book now - Mermaids Singing. I started Place of Execution as an audiobook on vacation but I hate listening to books so I tried to get it out of my library but they didn't have it. So I'm trying Mermaids and so far it's just as good!

[Anonymous]

The Idiot (elif bautman, not Dostoevsky.) It’s very funny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to read Less Than Zero but not enjoying it.

Because it's terrible. Trust me, it has nothing to redeem it and you won't be glad you read it.

[Anonymous]

I'm reading Good People by Patmeena Sabit. About a third of the way thru, enjoying it so far.

[Anonymous]

Finally starting Prince Harry's book "Spare"