March 2026 - What are you reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m reading Linda Holmes new book Back After This. Having listened to her on Pop Culture Happy Hour for years, I knew I’d like her writing. I really enjoyed her first two books, too. They aren’t life-altering literary achievements but they are fun reads with great characters.

I had to google Linda Holmes because apparently I had her confused with Linda Barnes, but I actually read Evvie Drake Starts Over a couple of months ago and loved it! Somehow I didn’t realize she had other books, I’m looking forward to reading more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just today finished Audition by Katie Katamura. It was strange but interesting in a mundane way.

Also just finished Heart The Lover by Lily King. I loved Writers and Lovers so I devoured this one. I just love the protagonist and her journey so much.

Next up is Long Bright River by the same author who wrote God of The Woods, Liz Moore. Ready for a good thriller.

Beware, I wouldn’t describe Long Bright River as a “thriller.” I thought it was a well-written book but also kind of a slog. I read God of the Woods after LBR and was surprised by how much more of a page-turner it was for me.

[Anonymous]

This week I finished two and started another, FWIW DCPL has all 3 as ebooks….

The Weekend Away, by Sarah Alderson — woman’s friend goes missing during a weekend trip to Lisbon — was supposed to be an easy palette cleanser after some heavy books, and it was an easy read but the plotting disappointed me in several ways so was left with kind of an “ugh” aftertaste

The Girl in His Shadow, by Audrey Blake —historical fiction of a young woman who was a surgical assistant in 19th century London at a time when that was actually illegal for women, I liked it a lot and recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction — really made me appreciate all the pioneering women in medicine!

Girl on Girl, by Sophie Gilbert — nonfiction, mostly about the messed up way women were sexualized in the 1990s and 2000s — an interesting read, I found myself wanting to do “just one more chapter before dinner”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:About 1/3 of the way into Isola by Allegra Goodman. Liking it, but usually I get really into historical fiction reads, and this books is very good, but I have no problem setting it down for the day. Maybe because the pace is a bit slow, or possibly because I'm not feeling immersed in a history that I know little about - learning being what I enjoy most about this genre.

I liked it but not as much as I thoughtn I would and thought the middle third was the slowest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just today finished Audition by Katie Katamura. It was strange but interesting in a mundane way.

Also just finished Heart The Lover by Lily King. I loved Writers and Lovers so I devoured this one. I just love the protagonist and her journey so much.

Next up is Long Bright River by the same author who wrote God of The Woods, Liz Moore. Ready for a good thriller.

Beware, I wouldn’t describe Long Bright River as a “thriller.” I thought it was a well-written book but also kind of a slog. I read God of the Woods after LBR and was surprised by how much more of a page-turner it was for me.

Long Bright River was made into a TV show and is good.

[Anonymous]

Continuing on with the Neapolitan novels. Finished The Story of a New Name, and started Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished The Three Lives of Cate Kay, by Kate Fagan.

Light but not vapid, which was perfect for me this past week.

Next up is The Rest of Our Lives, by Ben Markovitz, which just came off the waitlist. It’s been awhile since I read a novel that centered a middle aged man … I’m curious if or how it’ll hold my interest.

Oh I did not like this one. I was initially excited, but after 50-60 pages, I returned it to the library. I actually enjoy male narrators, it’s a nice change of pace, but this book quite literally had no plot. The story just plodded along. The protagonist was such a sorry sucker. Really whiny and self pitying! I had a stack of great books to read and could not waste another second on this story.

[Anonymous]

Just finished The Original, a novel set in 1899 about a young art forger whose cousin reappears after many years at sea and may or may not be her actual cousin. I really enjoyed it and finished it in a day! Reminded me a bit of Fingersmith, of course for the poor young gay British woman at that time period but also the combination of somewhat literary style with page-turner story.

[Anonymous]

wrapping up the corespondent now and just grabbed broken country

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It's a masterpiece in many ways.

That said, I didn't love it. I've read everything he's written, and I'm not sure why, tbh, lol, because I'm often left cold by his books. But you are going to love the end -- kind of a twist.

I agree that it is a masterpiece in many ways and that I didn’t end up loving the book. I wanted more of the climate piece — which I thought ended up being just a way to move 100 years into the future.

The quoting got messed up on this thread but was about me reading What we can Know by Ian McEwan. Finally finished yesterday. I loved the beginning so much I read it very slowy, spacing it out, before reading the last hundred pages in one go. I really loved it, and I do think it is a masterpiece. I work in a climate related field and thought the climate stuff was really, really well done. It wasn't explicitly outlined, but given my background the climate piece made sense and I could fill in what he was covering. Loved also the geopolitical side - just last week there was news that AI wargaming picks a nuclear option in 90% of scenarios, so there's that.

I enjoy dual timeline stories that look at the past and attempt to make sense of it or resolve a lingering mystery. I loved the dual timeline that looked ahead while looking back to resolve the mystery. Remarkable.

[Anonymous]

Let me save someone the time and agony and tell you to not read Adrift by Will Dean. It's on a bunch of lists recently as a thriller and it is painful.

[Anonymous]

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser

It's sold as a retelling of Cinderella, as told from the stepmother's point of view. I'm really enjoying it, and it's really disconnected from the fairytale in many ways. For example, Cinderella is not abused or mistreated. She's more of a soft spoken whimsical sort of girl. Lady Tremaine (stepmother) is a twice widow trying to maintain a large home and social status (between wealthy and working class) on her own with little in the way of income.

I'm about 1/3 of the way in and I'm enjoying it.

[Anonymous]

I’m reading Strangers by Belle Burden. I guess it’s a “hot” book which I didn’t realize, but I am loving it! I recommend it to any married woman.

[Anonymous]

Not new, but I got off the library waitlist for Lion Women of Tehran the weekend the war started.

Quick/easy read (though also emotionally hard), but I enjoyed it.

[Anonymous]

I’m reading The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende and loving it so far!

It’s a historical novel about the saga of the Trueba family in turn of the century Chile. I’m less than 1/4 of the way thru and loving the unusual characters, settings and adventures. Definitely the best I’ve read so far this year. I’ll update if my opinion changes as the book progresses.