June 2025 - What are you reading?

[Anonymous]

Reading The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff. It's great, but I'm not loving it as much as I loved Matrix.

[Anonymous]

Just finished What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown. Basically if the Unabomber had had a daughters. I loved it.
Just started the River is Waiting by Wally Lamb. Really liking it so far. Living up to the hype.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff. It's great, but I'm not loving it as much as I loved Matrix.

I felt the same once I finished but still thought vaster wilds was worth reading. She’s a great writer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff. It's great, but I'm not loving it as much as I loved Matrix.

I felt the same once I finished but still thought vaster wilds was worth reading. She’s a great writer.

She's amazing. Will probably pick up Florida soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just started reading “ Long Bright River” by Liz Moore who also wrote “God of the woods”.
It’s too soon to tell if I will like it or not. Right now it’s a mix of police procedural and family drama.

I recently finished “The Wager” by David Grann , the true story of the adventures of a British naval armada in the 1700’’s.

One of my absolutely favorite parts of the book was learning about the nautical origins of multiple present day phrases—

Toe the line -sailors forced to stand with toes on deck seam for inspection

Pipe down— boatswain’s whistle at night to quiet down

Piping hot- boatswains whistle for meals

Scuttlebutt— water cask where sailors gossiped while waiting for their rations.

And more.

I also enjoy learning about the history of language. I’ve discovered a Youtube channel, Words Unravelled, that explores the interesting backgrounds and eccentricities of words.
https://m.youtube.com/@WordsUnravelled

Here are some other videos and channels that I’ve enjoyed that you might find of interest:

https://m.youtube.com/@RobWords/featured

https://m.youtube.com/@JDraper/featured

Bill Bryson has a wonderful book on this.

[Anonymous]

Just finished "The beginning of Everything" by Jackie Fraser.
I thought it was a dud.
It is set in Wales. A woman in her 40's runs away from her abusive boyfriend. She escapes to a town she has never been to, in hopes he will never be able to find her. After sleeping in a cemetery for a few weeks, she realizes there is a vacant house nearby and moves into it. Eventually a man buys the house, with plans to fix it up and move in. He discovers the woman squatting there and tells her she can stay until he gets the place fixed up enough to move in. They eventually become friends.
This is the 2nd book I have read by this author. She goes on way way too long and doesn't get to the point. I listened to it on audio and it was 10 hours long. I would have enjoyed it if it was half that length.

[Anonymous]

I just reread The Guest by Emma Cline. It’s such a satisfying (though anxiety-inducing) summer read. I read it in two afternoons at the beach and it was just a perfect setting to a surreal little book.

I may go into 1Q84 next but the size is daunting to me.

[Anonymous]

I just finished reading Sandwich, by Catherine Newman. I cannot understand the hype with this one. I found it grating. Things she frames as tragic just make her seem like a person with little true life experiences and a pretty self-centered perspective (she does acknowledge being narcissistic, though doesn't seem to really believe it). Of course, she has a queer daughter, so she's that cool mom. It was just incredibly annoying and boring. I was complaining to my family about it over dinner and they couldn't understand why I wouldn't just stop reading. It's short and so shallow, so I felt like I had to just finish the thing. Horrible. Do not recommend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown. Basically if the Unabomber had had a daughters. I loved it.
Just started the River is Waiting by Wally Lamb. Really liking it so far. Living up to the hype.

Wait, Wally Lamb has a new one? Getting that one today. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished reading Sandwich, by Catherine Newman. I cannot understand the hype with this one. I found it grating. Things she frames as tragic just make her seem like a person with little true life experiences and a pretty self-centered perspective (she does acknowledge being narcissistic, though doesn't seem to really believe it). Of course, she has a queer daughter, so she's that cool mom. It was just incredibly annoying and boring. I was complaining to my family about it over dinner and they couldn't understand why I wouldn't just stop reading. It's short and so shallow, so I felt like I had to just finish the thing. Horrible. Do not recommend.

I had a similar reaction to you. I just Finished Same as It Ever Was and of course the narrator was super whiny there too. Of course that narrator had a gay daughter as well. I hated All Fours too. I guess there are no good plots/characters about middle aged women?

[Anonymous]

I have been reading/listening to Jennie Goutet historical romances - I read “A Whimsical Notion” and “A strike of good fortune”. Light, gentle and clean historical romances. The first one was better than the second. I might take a break before reading the third in the series set in English countryside.

[Anonymous]

Thank you PP who shared YouTube links about language evolution. Very interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished reading Sandwich, by Catherine Newman. I cannot understand the hype with this one. I found it grating. Things she frames as tragic just make her seem like a person with little true life experiences and a pretty self-centered perspective (she does acknowledge being narcissistic, though doesn't seem to really believe it). Of course, she has a queer daughter, so she's that cool mom. It was just incredibly annoying and boring. I was complaining to my family about it over dinner and they couldn't understand why I wouldn't just stop reading. It's short and so shallow, so I felt like I had to just finish the thing. Horrible. Do not recommend.

100% agree!

[Anonymous]

I just finished "Twice in a Lifetime" by Melissa Baron.
It was kind of a butterfly effect type of book.
A woman gets a text from a guy who says he is her future husband. He even sends a photo of their wedding. She is able to text with him for a few months, until shortly before she meets him in real life.
I thought it was very good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just reread The Guest by Emma Cline. It’s such a satisfying (though anxiety-inducing) summer read. I read it in two afternoons at the beach and it was just a perfect setting to a surreal little book.

I may go into 1Q84 next but the size is daunting to me.

I finished that in two sittings, as well. It's a great beach read that also leaves you thinking at the end.