Anonymous
Post 04/08/2026 16:36     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
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 think it may be Normal People. That is about twentysomethings.
Anonymous
Post 04/08/2026 16:34     Subject: Re:April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I'm flying through the Emma M. Lion journals. I'm just starting volume 4. Beth Brower knows how to write intriguing male characters.


I'm slowly working my way through these, finished book two yesterday. I don't want to go too quickly and be stuck waiting for the next book.

Currently I'm reading The Compound. It's described as Love Island meets Lord of the Flies. Currently I'm only aware of the Love Island side of that comparison, though I do know there are ongoing wars outside in the real world. I can't wait for work to be over so I can get back to it.


A friend recommended these books a couple years ago. I've loved them! I was disappointed Beth didn't release any more lst year, though I realize she was working on the audio books. Volume 9 should come out this year.
Anonymous
Post 04/08/2026 11:21     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:Tried reading The Names by Florence Knapp.

Read the prologue and the first 2.5 chapters. Felt like vomiting. Did not realize this book was mainly graphic descriptions of DV. Not just of the acts, but of the abusers and the victims thoughts and mentalities. Myself and my kids were victims of extreme DV, so no wonder that this book made me feel sick, but even if not a victim of DV, it's really a lot. Will not finish.

Really wish the book was marketed and sold as a DV experience, not about how names shape people (which seems like false advertising). Even the cover seems like false advertising. Don't really get what the author is doing with this. They do not seem to gather the severity of the effect of abuse on real people.

Starting The Road to Tender Hearts next and hoping that is a smoother experience!


I completely agree with this. I'm sorry you read this as a survivor of DV.
I did not have your experience, but was still completely put off by how this book was marketed as an exploration about how a name can change a life, instead of as how 3 different domestic abuse scenarios can change a life/lives.
Anonymous
Post 04/08/2026 05:41     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Just got Strangers from the library last night and so far, agree that it’s better written than I expected.
Anonymous
Post 04/08/2026 00:03     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Tried reading The Names by Florence Knapp.

Read the prologue and the first 2.5 chapters. Felt like vomiting. Did not realize this book was mainly graphic descriptions of DV. Not just of the acts, but of the abusers and the victims thoughts and mentalities. Myself and my kids were victims of extreme DV, so no wonder that this book made me feel sick, but even if not a victim of DV, it's really a lot. Will not finish.

Really wish the book was marketed and sold as a DV experience, not about how names shape people (which seems like false advertising). Even the cover seems like false advertising. Don't really get what the author is doing with this. They do not seem to gather the severity of the effect of abuse on real people.

Starting The Road to Tender Hearts next and hoping that is a smoother experience!
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2026 21:40     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
I just stayed The Briar Club, no thoughts to share yet. Everything is Tuberculosis is up next.
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2026 21:38     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
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?
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2026 20:58     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Is anyone going to read the new tradwife novel? I am curious!
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2026 18:59     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 kept wondering how truthful her writing was. It felt very...deceitful, but then again, she's a sociopath.


Same.

It reminded me of when I read A Million Little Pieces, and then the big scandal hit that he'd made most of it up and I was like "I knew that in the first 10 pages, lol."
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2026 18:53     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
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.


NP. I didn't finish it, either. I'm fascinated by criminal psychology and sociopathy and have read a number of books on the subject and something about it just didn't feel real.

Currently tackling War and Peace. I tried Anna Karenina earlier this year and loved it and W&P feels kind of like returning to a familiar world.
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2026 14:04     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Just read Maggie or A Man and a Woman Walk Into A Bar by Katie Yee; also finished SomenKind of Paradise by Janelle Brown. Both were 3 stars (out of 5) for me. I found Yee’s main character annoying and a wet blanket; Brown’s book was just very… okay. Starting either So Far Gone by Jess Walter or The Correspondent… hopefully either will be better!
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2026 13:58     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Currently reading You With the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate. It's sad and dark so far.
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2026 13:57     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Just finished Heartwood. I liked it, but didn’t love it and it gave me some anxiety about having an emergency and dying alone in the woods.

Just started The Frozen River. I’m hit or miss on historical fiction so wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but kept reading good reviews so gave it a chance. I’m not that far into it, but it has definitely captured my interest.
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2026 13:56     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 kept wondering how truthful her writing was. It felt very...deceitful, but then again, she's a sociopath.
Anonymous
Post 04/07/2026 13:28     Subject: April 2026 -- What are you reading?
Anonymous wrote:Just read Ian mcewans new book “what we can know”. Really good.


The architecture of that plot is brilliant. And the end was wonderful, shocking and disappointing but then seemingly inevitable and satisfying -- and all of that at once. That said, the whole book felt a bit slow for me, and it was hard to get into at first.