Anonymous
Post 04/16/2026 09:48     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gaugin

It's really good. Has me wanting to pick up the book in any spare moment I have. What an fascinating time and place Paris of the mid 1800s was. Such creative energy. Might plan a quick trip to Paris just to hang out there for a weekend or something because I'm so inspired by this.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2026 09:44     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:I am usually a voracious reader, but world events have left me numb and unable to focus on books.


I was there too... basically lost most of March to well, the downward pull of outside world and events. Slowly getting back into it after finding the book I had been reading before my hiatus, but mislaid in a suitcase: Shipping News by Annie Proulx, which is great--both dark and hopeful--and thus somehow fitting for this time.

Also listening to the Correspondent which is pleasant and well-done, though agree with an earlier PP, not exactly knock your socks off literature.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2026 09:44     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I just finished Theo of Golden which everyone raves about. I had to force myself to finish. The concept seemed interesting but it really dragged for me. The book was cloying and saccharine.

I just started Sociopath: A Memoir and it’s too soon to form an opinion. My next read will be The Correspondent.

My last great read was The Wedding People.


This was a DNF for me. Will be interested to hear what you think. I got bored quickly.

It was a DNF for me, too! Like, within the first couple of chapters.


I’m the person who posted I was reading it. It was awful. I made myself finish though. It’s repetitive. She’s incredibly unlikable. She’s an unreliable narrator. I call BS on a lot of it.


Extremely repetitive.

And I call BS on a lot of it too. And even if it is all true ... it's boring as hell. So she liked to break into people's houses and stand there. Who cares?
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2026 09:42     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:On my beach vacation I read Ordinary People and When Women were Dragons.
They were both okay, didn’t love either.
Ordinary People was well written but my patience for 20-somethings who make dumb life choices and can’t communicate effectively is limited. Same reason I can’t watch shows like Girls.
When Women Were Dragons also well written and an interesting concept (sort of an allegory or magical realism type thing), but I found it a little simplistic. It oversold the sexism in the 1950s and 1960: — I mean, there was definitely a lot of sexism but this was almost a cartoonish level of sexism. I get that it isn’t meant to be a realistic book (hence dragons) but it irked me a little.


I take it this was not Ordinary People written by Judith Guest, published in 1980?


I suspect she means Normal People.


Yes I heard my favorite actor/pod-caster raving over her series of books - just raving! So i tried to read Normal People and got so mired between the angst and the ennui. No thank you! Too bad b/c I thought i had something there - oh well.


The Hulu series Normal People, based on the book, is fantastic. It’s quite hot. Highly recommend.


I liked it too.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2026 09:42     Subject: Re:April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:I am listening to the 5 types of wealth while walking my dog. The 5 types of wealth are: social, physical, mental, financial, and time. I generally like it.


Hmm.

Well, I've got 2/5. Sigh.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2026 09:19     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:Just finished James by Percival Everett. Absolutely loved it.


Yes loved it- hope you read Huck Finn to go along with it! So fun
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2026 08:06     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Just finished James by Percival Everett. Absolutely loved it.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2026 08:02     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
I'm reading Hope Rises, book two in a new series by David Baldacci. So far it's keeping my attention but at this point (about 25% in) I think book one was better and made me remember why I enjoy his books.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2026 07:59     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:Just read Happens Every Day by Isabel Gillies (maybe recommended here due to Belle Burden's book...or Reddit, cannot remember!) and enjoyed it, as an audiobook and narration by her was excellent. Now moved on to a Beautiful, Terrible Thing by Jen Waite, on the same topic.

I found Beautiful, Terrible to be just ok.

I recommend How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key. The male betrayed perspective was interesting, and the book was quite funny at times while still feeling devastating. It is my favorite on the topic.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2026 00:52     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I just finished Theo of Golden which everyone raves about. I had to force myself to finish. The concept seemed interesting but it really dragged for me. The book was cloying and saccharine.

I just started Sociopath: A Memoir and it’s too soon to form an opinion. My next read will be The Correspondent.

My last great read was The Wedding People.


This was a DNF for me. Will be interested to hear what you think. I got bored quickly.

It was a DNF for me, too! Like, within the first couple of chapters.


I’m the person who posted I was reading it. It was awful. I made myself finish though. It’s repetitive. She’s incredibly unlikable. She’s an unreliable narrator. I call BS on a lot of it.
Anonymous
Post 04/15/2026 23:43     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:On my beach vacation I read Ordinary People and When Women were Dragons.
They were both okay, didn’t love either.
Ordinary People was well written but my patience for 20-somethings who make dumb life choices and can’t communicate effectively is limited. Same reason I can’t watch shows like Girls.
When Women Were Dragons also well written and an interesting concept (sort of an allegory or magical realism type thing), but I found it a little simplistic. It oversold the sexism in the 1950s and 1960: — I mean, there was definitely a lot of sexism but this was almost a cartoonish level of sexism. I get that it isn’t meant to be a realistic book (hence dragons) but it irked me a little.


I take it this was not Ordinary People written by Judith Guest, published in 1980?


I suspect she means Normal People.


Yes I heard my favorite actor/pod-caster raving over her series of books - just raving! So i tried to read Normal People and got so mired between the angst and the ennui. No thank you! Too bad b/c I thought i had something there - oh well.


The Hulu series Normal People, based on the book, is fantastic. It’s quite hot. Highly recommend.
Anonymous
Post 04/15/2026 09:07     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:On my beach vacation I read Ordinary People and When Women were Dragons.
They were both okay, didn’t love either.
Ordinary People was well written but my patience for 20-somethings who make dumb life choices and can’t communicate effectively is limited. Same reason I can’t watch shows like Girls.
When Women Were Dragons also well written and an interesting concept (sort of an allegory or magical realism type thing), but I found it a little simplistic. It oversold the sexism in the 1950s and 1960: — I mean, there was definitely a lot of sexism but this was almost a cartoonish level of sexism. I get that it isn’t meant to be a realistic book (hence dragons) but it irked me a little.


I take it this was not Ordinary People written by Judith Guest, published in 1980?


I suspect she means Normal People.


Yes I heard my favorite actor/pod-caster raving over her series of books - just raving! So i tried to read Normal People and got so mired between the angst and the ennui. No thank you! Too bad b/c I thought i had something there - oh well.
Anonymous
Post 04/15/2026 08:51     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:Finally read Wild Dark Shore and thought it was ok. Loved the atmosphere and some of the scenes; however there were others that struck me as cringeworthy and melodramatic.


Same here. Loved the atmosphere more than the plot itself. Also, I finally read Atmosphere after seeing recs here a while back (started at position 942 on the public library waitlist…). I enjoyed the cinematic storytelling and the characters were endearing, but the musings about god/the universe and the teachings about stars felt like fluff.

Trying to read The City and its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami but I don’t think I’ll be able to finish it.
Anonymous
Post 04/15/2026 08:21     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Finally read Wild Dark Shore and thought it was ok. Loved the atmosphere and some of the scenes; however there were others that struck me as cringeworthy and melodramatic.
Anonymous
Post 04/14/2026 12:57     Subject: Re:April 2026 -- What are you reading?
I am listening to the 5 types of wealth while walking my dog. The 5 types of wealth are: social, physical, mental, financial, and time. I generally like it.