June 2026 - What are you reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash. I really love the humor, at least in the 75 pages I’ve read so far.

I’m also in the middle of listening to the third book in the Finlay Donovan series about a Fairfax County romance/crime author and mom who gets mixed up in crazy murder for hire and other ridiculous schemes. But they’re a fun, easy listen while driving or doing stuff around the house.

I DNF on Finlay Donovan after the 2nd book. The plots are thin and repetitive and are bloated with goofy characters and dialogs. A joke.

I LOVE the books. I know they are a joke but there is something - for me - that just hits the spot! I think the newest book is coming out soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading The Sea Wife by Amity Gaige about a married couple who ditch their suburban life and take their young kids on a year long sailing voyage in an effort to save their marriage.

For nonfiction I'm reading Revolutionary Summer by Joseph Ellis. It's about the summer of 1776 and how the military campaign and the political ideas in the Continental Congress played off each other to bring about the American Revolution. Part of my 250 reading.

PP, I hope you see this—how are you enjoying The Sea Wife? I’m looking for a breezy beachy read, and the premise of this actually sounds intriguing!

[Anonymous]

Just finished The Lido, by Libby Pope, this morning. Not a hard read by any means, but really a sweet - and often sad - story about friendship of a young woman and an older woman, and the passage of time.

[Anonymous]

The Calamity Club. Same author as The Help. I love it. It’s over 600 pages. Which is fine because I am very into the characters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Long Ships, by Frans Bengtsson. It's about a Viking and his adventures (originally written in Sweden in the 1940s) and it's a fun page-turner, but based on real history.

This is one of my favorite books! And it got me hooked on buying and reading books published by NYRB.

Best publication there is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout, and it was a real turner for me, even if it did feel like a personal diatribe of sorts at times, and even though I agree with her. That said, I was fully engaged and couldn't put it down. Like most of Strout’s characters and books, this wasn’t a happy, sunshiny read.

Thanks for posting. This is on my list. I've read pretty much all of her books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash. I really love the humor, at least in the 75 pages I’ve read so far.

I’m also in the middle of listening to the third book in the Finlay Donovan series about a Fairfax County romance/crime author and mom who gets mixed up in crazy murder for hire and other ridiculous schemes. But they’re a fun, easy listen while driving or doing stuff around the house.

I DNF on Finlay Donovan after the 2nd book. The plots are thin and repetitive and are bloated with goofy characters and dialogs. A joke.

I am not the OP but I find this type of response disrespectful and unnecessary. Fine for you to have an opinion on a given book but it’s no more or less valid than anyone else’s. The OP quite clearly said that this book falls into the category of a fun, easy listen so the PP’s comments don’t even seem to fit the discussion. Pp, why not tell us your suggestions in the fun, easy listen category? Or ask the OP to expand on the things she likes about the books (assuming you’re open minded enough to reconsider your opinion)

Ok.

But I find it helpful and on point.

And I think you mean PP, not OP.

[Anonymous]

Currently reading First by Ali Hazelwood. It’s a Romantasy novella with atrocious writing but one that scratches an itch.

[Anonymous]

Once or twice a month, I sit down with this thread and my library app, and add things to my wishlist. I so appreciate the posters who tell us something beyond the title and author! Just "it's a fictional account of an 18th century sea voyage, and it's melancholy and beautiful," or "I love the characters and the tension but I hate the rampant rapiness". Or just... something.

Thank you to my fellow book lovers who take the extra minute to give me an idea if something might work for me, and save me the effort of looking up each one

[Anonymous]

I'm re-reading Becky Chambers' Monk and Robot books-- the first is A Psalm for the Wild-Built. These are comfort reads, because they take place on a world that saved itself from rampant industrialization that nearly killed it, and the current moment is a century after the "factory age" ended. People live in harmony with nature and love their world and use technology thoughtfully and sustainably. The characters are lovable, the story is well-paced and low-conflict, and there's gentle humor throughout. It's just a warm fuzzy book.

Becky Chambers also writes some excellent sci-fi, starting with The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading The Sea Wife by Amity Gaige about a married couple who ditch their suburban life and take their young kids on a year long sailing voyage in an effort to save their marriage.

For nonfiction I'm reading Revolutionary Summer by Joseph Ellis. It's about the summer of 1776 and how the military campaign and the political ideas in the Continental Congress played off each other to bring about the American Revolution. Part of my 250 reading.

PP, I hope you see this—how are you enjoying The Sea Wife? I’m looking for a breezy beachy read, and the premise of this actually sounds intriguing!

I'm only about a third in to The Sea Wife, but I'm liking it. It's told through the wife's POV alternating with the husband's ship log. It's one of those where you know something bad has happened but you aren't sure quite what yet. A mix of a study of a marriage and the telling of the actual voyage. I think it would be a good beach read, but it's a little sadder than a "breezy beachy read". At least I think it's headed that direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm reading The Sea Wife by Amity Gaige about a married couple who ditch their suburban life and take their young kids on a year long sailing voyage in an effort to save their marriage.

For nonfiction I'm reading Revolutionary Summer by Joseph Ellis. It's about the summer of 1776 and how the military campaign and the political ideas in the Continental Congress played off each other to bring about the American Revolution. Part of my 250 reading.

PP, I hope you see this—how are you enjoying The Sea Wife? I’m looking for a breezy beachy read, and the premise of this actually sounds intriguing!

I'm only about a third in to The Sea Wife, but I'm liking it. It's told through the wife's POV alternating with the husband's ship log. It's one of those where you know something bad has happened but you aren't sure quite what yet. A mix of a study of a marriage and the telling of the actual voyage. I think it would be a good beach read, but it's a little sadder than a "breezy beachy read". At least I think it's headed that direction.

Thanks so much for replying! I’m taking your recommendation and downloaded it for my upcoming vacation!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm re-reading Becky Chambers' Monk and Robot books-- the first is A Psalm for the Wild-Built. These are comfort reads, because they take place on a world that saved itself from rampant industrialization that nearly killed it, and the current moment is a century after the "factory age" ended. People live in harmony with nature and love their world and use technology thoughtfully and sustainably. The characters are lovable, the story is well-paced and low-conflict, and there's gentle humor throughout. It's just a warm fuzzy book.

Becky Chambers also writes some excellent sci-fi, starting with The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet.

I’m another fan on Becky Chambers. I’ll also note that her books are available on kindle unlimited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash. I really love the humor, at least in the 75 pages I’ve read so far.

I’m also in the middle of listening to the third book in the Finlay Donovan series about a Fairfax County romance/crime author and mom who gets mixed up in crazy murder for hire and other ridiculous schemes. But they’re a fun, easy listen while driving or doing stuff around the house.

I DNF on Finlay Donovan after the 2nd book. The plots are thin and repetitive and are bloated with goofy characters and dialogs. A joke.

I am not the OP but I find this type of response disrespectful and unnecessary. Fine for you to have an opinion on a given book but it’s no more or less valid than anyone else’s. The OP quite clearly said that this book falls into the category of a fun, easy listen so the PP’s comments don’t even seem to fit the discussion. Pp, why not tell us your suggestions in the fun, easy listen category? Or ask the OP to expand on the things she likes about the books (assuming you’re open minded enough to reconsider your opinion)

Girl, she’s insulting the book, not the pp. I think there’s an implicit understanding that people can have wildly different views on the same book without meaning anything about the people who like them. For example my very best friend just adores the Poisonwood Bible and I have tried and tried and just can’t with that book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash. I really love the humor, at least in the 75 pages I’ve read so far.

I’m also in the middle of listening to the third book in the Finlay Donovan series about a Fairfax County romance/crime author and mom who gets mixed up in crazy murder for hire and other ridiculous schemes. But they’re a fun, easy listen while driving or doing stuff around the house.

I DNF on Finlay Donovan after the 2nd book. The plots are thin and repetitive and are bloated with goofy characters and dialogs. A joke.

I am not the OP but I find this type of response disrespectful and unnecessary. Fine for you to have an opinion on a given book but it’s no more or less valid than anyone else’s. The OP quite clearly said that this book falls into the category of a fun, easy listen so the PP’s comments don’t even seem to fit the discussion. Pp, why not tell us your suggestions in the fun, easy listen category? Or ask the OP to expand on the things she likes about the books (assuming you’re open minded enough to reconsider your opinion)

Girl, she’s insulting the book, not the pp. I think there’s an implicit understanding that people can have wildly different views on the same book without meaning anything about the people who like them. For example my very best friend just adores the Poisonwood Bible and I have tried and tried and just can’t with that book.

This! I hope you stay off of Goodreads and avoid Amazon reviews, PP.