What are you reading for February?

[Anonymous]

I listened to Cassandra in Reverse.
It was 13 hours of navel gazing, in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I finished Lessons in Chemistry this morning. Not sure I understand the hype.

I actually liked it maybe because of the low expectations and criticisms on this board. But I found it amusing and engaging. It’s worth reading.

[Anonymous]

All This Could be Different
30 Things I Love About Myself

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished Bunny by Mona Awad; working on Old Gods Time by Sebastian Barry.

What do you think of Bunny?

I'm still reading the second in the Slow Horses books. I don't know why I can't just get through it! I love the TV show and really enjoyed the first novel, and for the life of me I can't get into this one.

I don't know what's after this because I don't know if I will ever finish reading this book!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I finished Lessons in Chemistry this morning. Not sure I understand the hype.

Did not like this at all.

I didn't love it either. I guess maybe I've had enough of books where someone being super duper beautiful means that they get a ton of things thrown their way. (I know that's not the whole thing but it's enough of it that I was like, oh brother.)

Did love the dog, though.

[Anonymous]

I just finished The Pillars of the Earth. It was long but worth reading. It is set during the medieval period around the time of Thomas Becket and follows a Monk named, Philip who wants to build a new cathedral and the people of the shire struggling to survive.

[Anonymous]

I'm reading Ripe, by Sarah Rose Etter. It's sucked me right in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Candyhouse by Jennifer Egan. It's about memory externalization and a collective conscience via social media in the near future. I'm enjoying it, but it's more dense and harder to follow than what I usually read.

I read this book - didn’t give up - but I’m sure I understood at all! There were enough pieces and small story lines for me to follow and enjoy but I wish someone could give me an explainer.

Same. I thought it would tie together by the end, but it never really did. And there are too many characters to keep track of and follow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Candyhouse by Jennifer Egan. It's about memory externalization and a collective conscience via social media in the near future. I'm enjoying it, but it's more dense and harder to follow than what I usually read.

I read this book - didn’t give up - but I’m sure I understood at all! There were enough pieces and small story lines for me to follow and enjoy but I wish someone could give me an explainer.

Same. I thought it would tie together by the end, but it never really did. And there are too many characters to keep track of and follow.

I loved Candy House! And I agree that it was full of small pieces, big ideas, and characters/story lines interconnected but not in the clearest of ways. I found it entertaining and thought-provoking, but not an easy read because of Egan's construction.

Her earlier book, A Visit From the Good Squad may help pull things together a bit more, if you're interested. Egan wrote it a good 10 years before Candy House. The two books are linked - more like siblings/cousins than prequel/sequel, if that makes sense. Goon Squad is similarly kaleidoscopic, and includes many of the Candy House characters, but earlier in their lives and with different technology in play (but it's similarly in part about people's relationships with technology and each other.) I found Goon Squad interesting and thought-provoking back in the day. Definitely worth reading a decade later, though I can see how you'd give it a pass if Candy House felt like a slog.

[Anonymous]

Just finished “Wandering Stars.”

Now onto “A Month in the Country.”

[Anonymous]

I just finished listening to Naomi Klein's Doppelganger (re: the confusion between her and Naomi Wolf, particularly online). It seemed to encompass many subjects I personally would be primed to like--the influence of social media, conspiracy culture, two authors I had read--but I was underwhelmed. It was pretty good, but there was not much meat on the bones, and probably would have been better as e.g. a long-form article in the New Yorker.

Close to finishing Nathan Hill's Wellness. It is well done and just bitingly funny in parts, but the genre of "marriage falling apart" is one of my least favorites and it is always a bit dreary IMHO. We'll see if it turns it around in the last 75 pages...!

And about to start Empire of Gold. Feeling excited and bittersweet. It is the third book of SA Chakraborty's City of Brass trilogy, which has been so good, and fun, and immersive. But it's the last one... and then I'll be bereft and turning to DCUM I guess for my next great rec!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just finished Bunny by Mona Awad; working on Old Gods Time by Sebastian Barry.

What do you think of Bunny?

I'm still reading the second in the Slow Horses books. I don't know why I can't just get through it! I love the TV show and really enjoyed the first novel, and for the life of me I can't get into this one.

I don't know what's after this because I don't know if I will ever finish reading this book!

DP here. I read all the Slow Horses books, they really pick up on the 4th one thru to the 8th - much more pace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All the Light We Cannot See

My favorite book!📚

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished The Pillars of the Earth. It was long but worth reading. It is set during the medieval period around the time of Thomas Becket and follows a Monk named, Philip who wants to build a new cathedral and the people of the shire struggling to survive.

Great book. Ken follet sp? wrote a sequel thats good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished listening to Naomi Klein's Doppelganger (re: the confusion between her and Naomi Wolf, particularly online). It seemed to encompass many subjects I personally would be primed to like--the influence of social media, conspiracy culture, two authors I had read--but I was underwhelmed. It was pretty good, but there was not much meat on the bones, and probably would have been better as e.g. a long-form article in the New Yorker.

Close to finishing Nathan Hill's Wellness. It is well done and just bitingly funny in parts, but the genre of "marriage falling apart" is one of my least favorites and it is always a bit dreary IMHO. We'll see if it turns it around in the last 75 pages...!

And about to start Empire of Gold. Feeling excited and bittersweet. It is the third book of SA Chakraborty's City of Brass trilogy, which has been so good, and fun, and immersive. But it's the last one... and then I'll be bereft and turning to DCUM I guess for my next great rec!

Did you end up finishing Wellness? I was thinking about starting it but it is LONG.