My need for physical books on holiday -- books I can smell, dog-ear, bookmark, and crease -- fully supports my fear of flying. I mean, how could I take this many books on a plane? Crazy talk.
I didn't go for Crawdads either. Love Sedaris, always fun. Also loved when God was a Rabbit, but I haven't read any of her other stuff. Should look out for it I guess. I am still reading shelves of soft crime and the longer ago they were written the better. I'm keen on the British Library Crime Classics series. Am also reading Ali Smith at the moment - I've only just discovered her and I'm hooked.
I'm trying the whole 'Seasonal' collection. I read Companion Piece first which goes with the four seasonal ones. I just found it so challenging in style and content, but so fierce and heartfelt, I bought the other four. I've read Spring, which I enjoyed - I think enjoyed is the wrong word, they're so raw and angry. I've got Autumn as my next read (I think Autumn was the first, Summer the last, so I'm trying to read in order). BUT - I have to be in the right frame of mind because they are a challenge. I haven't tried any of her earlier stuff yet.
Crawdads held such great promise for me in the early chapters. I loved the young girl's inventiveness in her struggle to survive. But as she neared puberty, and boys entered the picture, it became a page turning cringe. Just awful in places.
Slight change of your subject: i am halfway through a road trip through the Western US. Long stretches of highway and sage brush that makes audio books ideal. I just finished American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Not my usual fare--I am not a horror or fantasy or sci-fi reader, which this book falls between -- but the audio version is performed by a full cast, and the story is s road trip through there 1990's American cultural landscape. I was blown away by it on many levels. Happy Summer reading indeed!
I need to get into audio -- I’d get through so many more books that way. I do love Neil Gaiman but haven’t read American Gods. Maybe that’ll be my first foray into audio. Thanks for the tip.
I’m honestly thinking of skipping Crawdads altogether. Life is too short for a book you don’t love.
I’m about halfway through Still Life and really enjoying it. I love the quirky characters.
I joined a reading and hiking retreat with my local independent bookshop, and they picked out 5 different books for us they thought we might like based on our favorites., so I ended up buying this one. I probably wouldn’t have found it otherwise, although it was featured on my favorite podcast, Strong Sense of Place. I haven’t been to Italy in years, but it’s making me yearn to go. Thanks for sharing your list!
Thanks, Mary, I might dive in with Still Life. I have to be in the mood for an epic tale so this is definitely a holiday read. I’ll check our Strong Sense of Place -- thanks for the suggestion :)
It really was fantastic. The shop is great about organizing local events and engaging the community/ including other local businesses. Plus a wonderful way to meet new friends with similar interests. We also did a book swap where everyone recommended one book we loved in the last year and got to blindly pick one to take home based on a short description. As a book lover, it was pretty much a dream weekend.
It sounds wonderful, Mary! If I were in Virginia I'd love to check it out! I'm going to make a concerted effort to see what's going on at our local independent book shops in the bottom right-hand corner of the UK. 😊
Woah, you worked with Sarah Winman! I've just started Still Life. I've been putting it off cos I've not quite been feeling a chunky literary novel but I'm enjoying it so far. She's really pulling me in and I'm getting so invested in the cast of characters already. I listened to the audio of I'm Glad My Mom Died. Not one I'd personally take on holiday! I really loved Where the Crawdads Sing. (Then someone suggested I Google the author...) Enjoy your eclectic pile! Look forward to your reviews.
Thanks, Janelle! Yes! She was on an Arvon course I studied a few years ago at The Hurst. Such a genuinely lovely person and so humble about the success of her books. Her Instagram was based in France for a few years so I loved following her.
Seems like a few of us are starting Still Life. I felt the same way, chonky books need attention and time, so I’ve been putting it off.
Yeah, I’m getting that vibe from ‘Mom’. I’ll see how my reading goes!
Such a great list, Nat - I hadn't heard of many of these, but it's so great to read your descriptions and thoughts on how you feel about reading them.
I read 'Crawdads' at a time when it seemed to be one of *those* books that everybody says 'oh, you HAVE to read this!' about (and which I then deliberately avoid in principle). I wasn't sure about it at first, but from about a third of the way through I couldn't put it down. It was full of surprises, and I enjoyed it. After that I went on to 'Crow Lake' by Mary Lawson, whose writing reminds me a lot of Delia Owens, and loved that even more.
David Sedaris is absolutely wonderful - I've listened to him a lot on the radio, but never read him. Need to fix that!
I didn't go for Crawdads either. Love Sedaris, always fun. Also loved when God was a Rabbit, but I haven't read any of her other stuff. Should look out for it I guess. I am still reading shelves of soft crime and the longer ago they were written the better. I'm keen on the British Library Crime Classics series. Am also reading Ali Smith at the moment - I've only just discovered her and I'm hooked.
Thanks, June. I’d recommend Tin Man by Sarah, A Year of Marvellous Ways didn’t hit the spot for me.
I attempted Ali Smith’s Autumn but could’ve get into it. Which have you discovered of Ali’s that you’d recommend?
Thanks. I'll add to my list!
I'm trying the whole 'Seasonal' collection. I read Companion Piece first which goes with the four seasonal ones. I just found it so challenging in style and content, but so fierce and heartfelt, I bought the other four. I've read Spring, which I enjoyed - I think enjoyed is the wrong word, they're so raw and angry. I've got Autumn as my next read (I think Autumn was the first, Summer the last, so I'm trying to read in order). BUT - I have to be in the right frame of mind because they are a challenge. I haven't tried any of her earlier stuff yet.
Crawdads held such great promise for me in the early chapters. I loved the young girl's inventiveness in her struggle to survive. But as she neared puberty, and boys entered the picture, it became a page turning cringe. Just awful in places.
Slight change of your subject: i am halfway through a road trip through the Western US. Long stretches of highway and sage brush that makes audio books ideal. I just finished American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Not my usual fare--I am not a horror or fantasy or sci-fi reader, which this book falls between -- but the audio version is performed by a full cast, and the story is s road trip through there 1990's American cultural landscape. I was blown away by it on many levels. Happy Summer reading indeed!
I need to get into audio -- I’d get through so many more books that way. I do love Neil Gaiman but haven’t read American Gods. Maybe that’ll be my first foray into audio. Thanks for the tip.
I’m honestly thinking of skipping Crawdads altogether. Life is too short for a book you don’t love.
I’m about halfway through Still Life and really enjoying it. I love the quirky characters.
I joined a reading and hiking retreat with my local independent bookshop, and they picked out 5 different books for us they thought we might like based on our favorites., so I ended up buying this one. I probably wouldn’t have found it otherwise, although it was featured on my favorite podcast, Strong Sense of Place. I haven’t been to Italy in years, but it’s making me yearn to go. Thanks for sharing your list!
Thanks, Mary, I might dive in with Still Life. I have to be in the mood for an epic tale so this is definitely a holiday read. I’ll check our Strong Sense of Place -- thanks for the suggestion :)
Mary, I am in LOVE with the concept of a reading and hiking retreat with your local independent bookshop - what an amazing idea!
It really was fantastic. The shop is great about organizing local events and engaging the community/ including other local businesses. Plus a wonderful way to meet new friends with similar interests. We also did a book swap where everyone recommended one book we loved in the last year and got to blindly pick one to take home based on a short description. As a book lover, it was pretty much a dream weekend.
It sounds wonderful, Mary! If I were in Virginia I'd love to check it out! I'm going to make a concerted effort to see what's going on at our local independent book shops in the bottom right-hand corner of the UK. 😊
Woah, you worked with Sarah Winman! I've just started Still Life. I've been putting it off cos I've not quite been feeling a chunky literary novel but I'm enjoying it so far. She's really pulling me in and I'm getting so invested in the cast of characters already. I listened to the audio of I'm Glad My Mom Died. Not one I'd personally take on holiday! I really loved Where the Crawdads Sing. (Then someone suggested I Google the author...) Enjoy your eclectic pile! Look forward to your reviews.
Thanks, Janelle! Yes! She was on an Arvon course I studied a few years ago at The Hurst. Such a genuinely lovely person and so humble about the success of her books. Her Instagram was based in France for a few years so I loved following her.
Seems like a few of us are starting Still Life. I felt the same way, chonky books need attention and time, so I’ve been putting it off.
Yeah, I’m getting that vibe from ‘Mom’. I’ll see how my reading goes!
Such a great list, Nat - I hadn't heard of many of these, but it's so great to read your descriptions and thoughts on how you feel about reading them.
I read 'Crawdads' at a time when it seemed to be one of *those* books that everybody says 'oh, you HAVE to read this!' about (and which I then deliberately avoid in principle). I wasn't sure about it at first, but from about a third of the way through I couldn't put it down. It was full of surprises, and I enjoyed it. After that I went on to 'Crow Lake' by Mary Lawson, whose writing reminds me a lot of Delia Owens, and loved that even more.
David Sedaris is absolutely wonderful - I've listened to him a lot on the radio, but never read him. Need to fix that!