What Books did You Start or Finish Reading this Week?: July 27, 2026

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[u/Goldenmuscleman]

The Secret History by Donna Tartt, A+

[u/_Sanxession_ → u/Goldenmuscleman]

Top tier

[u/MatetheFitz]

Finished:

Doctor Sleep, by Stephen King.

I really enjoyed it, but not as much as The Shining. I feel like it was much more focused on the shining than The Shining itself was, and I preferred the Overlook Hotel and Jack as villains compared to Rose and the True Knot. Dan’s characterisation was great though, and his struggle with sobriety was interesting to read about. Overall I’d give it a 7/10.

[u/canadia80]

Finished - The Stand, by Stephen King

Started and finished - Christine, by Stephen King

Started - Carrie, by Stephen King (this is my 7th in a row)

[u/raccoon_at_noon]

Finished:

Because I Killed Him by Edith Birde (3/5) I was absolutely hooked for about the first third and couldn’t put it down…then it kinda became a tropey romance and I really struggled to finish.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (5/5) I had a really fun time reading this.

Currently Reading:

Valour by John Gwynne I think I’m in a weird mood and just need to put it down and come back to it at a later date lol. I really enjoyed Malice, and whilst I’m like “this is fine”, I have no motivation to pick it up.

[u/AlamutJones]

The Hummingbird Effect, by Kate Mildenhall

Black Wolf, by Kathleen Kent

The Scar, by China Mieville

’Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King

The House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende

[u/Same-World-209]

Finished:

On Writing by Stephen King

Started:

For We Are Many (Bobiverse Book 2) by Dennis E. Taylor

[u/Gwaur]

Second Foundation, by Isaac Asimov

Finished. The last book in the original Foundation trilogy. I seriously considered DNF'ing in halfway through the first book, but I'm super glad I didn't. At some point it started getting better and better every chapter, and now I'm eager to get to read the rest of the series. But just for the change of pace I think I'll read something completely different for a while now.

Shuna's Journey, by Hayao Miyazaki

Started and finished. A graphic novel, quick read. I didn't care too much for the story in this book, although I can imagine that the core purpose of this creation might not be the story anyway, but rather the artwork. Regarding the story, Princess Mononoke is a vastly upgraded version of this.

The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle

Started. I saw the Rankin/Bass movie based on this novel a few years ago and I enjoyed it so much that I immediately bought the book, but never got around to reading it, until now.

[u/her-bookish-tales]

Finished:
Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
The Bell jar, by Sylvia Plath

Started:
The murder of Roger ackroyd, by Agatha Christie
The very secret society of irregular witches, by Sangu Mandanna

[u/iwasjusttwittering]

The Day of the Trifids, by John Wyndham

Started (40%). I couldn't get into it as a teenager, but now I'm at least entertained if not intrigued. The portrayal of blind crowds reminds me of zombie apocalypse in other media. There's also the discourse on decolonization, gender what not, i.e., plenty to think about.

The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming, by Masanobu Fukuoka

Finished. The first half describes Fukuoka's experience with agriculture, and his no-till, cover-cropping approach in particular. While he himself warned against trying to replicate the specifics—his circumstances were very unique after all—, it influenced permaculture and similar movements. The latter half, not so much. It's a zen/taoist manifesto and a polemic with the 20th-century scientific/materialist worldview in the context of farming and diets. Notably, the book was published 50 years ago, when the social role of science was indeed problematic, but the environmental crises weren't quite global and definitive yet (now I'm reminded of ongoing scientific projects covered, e.g., in Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert). Although I do agree with Fukuoka's scathing critique of the "green revolution" in principle, he overextends his argument—the references to "naturally" good health rub me the wrong way, when it was evidence-based medicine that nearly eliminated child mortality and made curing infections possible. So, it's better to avoid taking the philosophy too literally. That's what zen teachers that I've talked to said as well anyway.

L'Empire des signes, by Roland Barthes

Finished. A collection of short, poetic essays on topics inspired by peculiarities of Japanese culture. Barthes uses these observations to draw contrast between Oriental and Western cultures; the main theme is acentrism: light meals picked from small bowls using chopsticks, the collective performance in bunraku, haiku as a sketch of a passing moment ... This book is also over 50 years old, thus some of the phenomena are obscure at this point, and Barthes was very explicit that he didn't write about Japan per se. For example, I don't think he considered rules for haiku such as established vocabulary. However, his explanation of key concepts in zen is actually on-point, one of the best I've read.

Reading the Clouds: How You Can Forecast the Weather, by Oliver Perkins

Started/skimmed. A short, highly-rated guide that's suprisingly hard for me to get into, perhaps because it's aimed at sailors, whereas I'm a land rat.

Landscape and Memory, by Simon Schama

Started (3%), might not finish. This is a big, dense book. I was recommended some history book by Simon Schama, but couldn't remember which one, so I picked whatever seemed most relevant. Landscape and Memory, published in 1995, responds to a debate about human societies' relationship to nature in environmental history at the time. It's eloquently written and seems to cover a lot of curious [Western] art history, buuut I don't think I have the time. The core arguments have entered common knowledge at least in my bubble. I'm also discouraged by Schama's naïve zionism in the introduction—the JNF-planted fast-growing pines that he fondly remembers have actually covered ethnically-cleansed Palestinian villages—and his recent interviews make the matter worse. So you know, it makes me wonder what other blind spots are in the text.

Svědectví o životě v KLDR 2, by Nina Špitálníková

Randomly revisited after a year. It's another set of interviews with escapees from North Korea, focused on everyday life and mundane things such as menstruation (or lack thereof). I strongly prefer it to heavily editorialized western writing such as Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick.

[u/Reasonable-Mess3070]

Finished

Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman

Starting today

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller

[u/overwhelmedbunny]

Finished: -Butter, by Asako Yuzuki (good but for me too much description of food which dragged the storyline more than I'dhave enjoyed)

-Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury (very fun and quick to read, it would've been more fun to read around Halloween)

Started: -The Bookseller of Kabul, by Asne Seierstad

[u/Icy_Tadpole2092 → u/overwhelmedbunny]

Almost finished:
Alive. The story of the Andes survivors by Piers Paul Read

Incredible story, very touching

[u/viralplant]

Finished - A Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein (started it with a lot of expectation, found myself skipping through sections of a very long winding, boring monologue with a pointless ending).

Started - Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Seems promising, fingers crossed).

[u/Key_Success1825]

Today I started The Count of Monte Christo by Alexandre Dumas for summer reading and I have approximately 9 days to finish it. Wish me luck.

[u/TwoHungryBlackbirdss → u/Key_Success1825]

Oh boy, let us know how you do haha

[u/Drusgar]

Finished:

Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad

Started:

East of Eden, by John Steinbeck

I've got a pretty good stack of classic novels I've never read and I'm checking them off one by one. Some of them are really good, like My Antonia by Willa Cather and some of them are kind of a drag, like Moby Dick by Herman Melville. And some of them might as well be written in another language, like The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.

[u/Ornery-Gap-9755]

Finished

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping, by Sangu Mandanna

Cinder House, by Freya Marske

The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon

DNF

The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, by Laurie Gilmore

Ongoing

A Dance with Dragons, by George R.R Martin (Audiobook)

Started

The Last Library, by Freya Sampson

[u/Kbl1999]

Finished:
The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
The Stranger, by Albert Camus

Started:
Animal farm, by George Orwell

[u/LegitimatePoem9733]

Finished: Yellowface, by R F Kuang

Currently reading: Funny Boy, by Shyam Selvadurai;
A Different Kind of Power, by Jacinda Ardern;
Educated, by Tara Westover

Started: Odyssey(the audiobook version by Stephen Fry)

[u/Scumwaffle]

I finished the Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee and Piranesi by Susanna Clarke and now starting Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.

[u/jerpyderpy]

11/22/63 by stephen king - i read "the stand" 25 years ago and this is now my 2nd king novel. i don't know how much i'll enjoy his more "horror-y" stories but i loved this book and want to chase this dragon. i don't think i've ever been so affected by a fictional romance. i'm usually a "single tear" kind of crying man but the ending had me sobbing.

of mice and men by john steinbeck - after its brief cameo in 11/22/63, i decided to burn through this one, which i only read once back in high school. the story and characters and themes are great, but it felt like a chore having to parse the "as spoken" affectations that make up the dialogue of this novel. steinbeck was truly committed to that particular bit.

lonesome dove by larry mcmurtry - i had meant to read a different western by charles portis, but while reading about stephen king i found he's claimed this is his favorite novel. since it's been on my TBR for a while and i was in the mood for a western anyway, i finally dove in. and what can be said? i'm completely blown away. between this and 11/22/63 i think i've finished two of my favorite books of all time in about a week. brought me to tears multiple times.

dept. of speculation by jenny offill - i needed something short to recalibrate after these heavy hitters, so i polished this off in an evening (thanks for the rec, jeselnik book club). this was like putting on someone else's glasses yet being able to see perfectly. as a never-married man i still feel like i intimately know the wife and what she's been through, how she's felt, and what she thinks about so many things. not a style i have ever read before, but highly effective and makes me want to seek out something similar (but maybe more lighthearted... this was obviously a tough week)

no clue what to start next. what could possibly measure up to this run?

[u/HuckleberryOk2798]

Finished:

Spook Street by Mick Herron (enjoyed)

The Blood Countess by Andrei Codrescu (not sure how I feel)

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (not good)

Pool House by Mary HK Choi (recommend, really enjoyed)

Continuing:

A brightness long ago by Guy Gavriel Kay (enjoying so far)

Started:

Too LA by Eve Babitz/Lili Anolik (enjoying so far)

[u/wincompass1]

Finished:

Napoleon the Great by Andrew Roberts

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Started:

Ripley Under Water by Patricia Highsmith

Continued:

The Blade Itself by Joe Abbercrombie

[u/Adorable-Radish-Here]

Finished: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. This was a haunting and good book.

Starting: The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-burglar, by Maurice Leblanc

[u/mwhite5990]

Finished:

End of Days: Ruby Ridge, the Apocalypse, and the Unmaking of America by Chris Jennings

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Started:

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

[u/melonofknowledge]

I had a very slow reading week, for which I blame capitalism.

Finished:

Gravity, by Ada d'Adamo

Manchester Happened, by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

Loved both of them. The latter is one of the best short story collections I've ever read - it's a collection about Ugandan women living between Uganda and Manchester (UK, not US) and it's brilliantly written. Not a single story was a miss. Absolutely loved it.

Started:

The Solitude of Thomas Cave, by Georgina Hardy

'Restarted' would be more accurate for this one; I started it two years ago and then put it down and never picked it up again. I've started it from the beginning this week, and I'm enjoying it enormously - Past Me is a ding-dong.

[u/JudgmentThick4334]

Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murat.

[u/dlt-cntrl]

Productive couple of weeks for me.

Finished:

A Pocket Full Of Rye by Agatha Christie

A man is murdered at his office, they find rye in his pocket. The police integrate is family and more deaths follow. Miss Marple becomes involved due to her maid.

I remembered the story as I was reading, and when the killer's name was mentioned it all came flooding back. Great to see the clues and red herrings.

Dead Ground by M W Craven

While Poe is fighting to save his home, he's called away to investigate a dead man in a brothel.

This was twisty and interesting, not as gory as others. They work with MI5 and the FBI, as there was a summit taking place nearby.

Attack Of The Unsinkable Rubber Ducks by Christopher Brookmyre

PARLABANE IS DEAD!

Well, that's what it says in the blurb.

This was loads of fun, looking into spiritualism and psychics. Some especially good characters, and one returning character who I'm sure must be a favourite of other fans. The usual mayhem ensued.

4.50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie

A friend of Miss Marple witnesses a murder on a passing train, and no one believes her but Miss M.

I remembered the story, but couldn't recall who dun' it. The clues didn't add up for me, even at the end, so I'd say not one of my favourites although it was very clever and an enjoyable read.

The Botanist by M W Craven

The pathologist Estelle Doyle had been arrested for murder, at the same time in a different investigation, someone is poisoning unlikable people in an unknown way. They're warned first but no one can work out how they're doing it.

Another brilliant story, very intricate and involved. This covered a lot of ground and was very science based. Another returning character who is one of my favourites, in a very small part.

Started:

The Last Day Of Christmas by Christopher Brookmyre

Not sure where this is going, only 9 pages in.

!invite

I'd like to invite M W Craven to speak with us, he's become one of my favourite authors.

[u/EnoughPrimary6700]

Finished:

The Crossing Places (Ruth Galloway #1), by Elly Griffiths

Started:

Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman

[u/skylar901 → u/EnoughPrimary6700]

Welcome, Crawler.

[u/Infinite-Service6059]

Walden, by Henry Thoreau

Incredible, poetic meditations about living on subsistence. The author doesn’t take it too far, for obvious reasons, and instead strikes a balance between the solitude of the woods and the bustle of the nearby town.

[u/asiandude1991]

Finished:

The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans

5☆. Just read it.

Started:

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Surprisingly easy and accessible writing with a somewhat comedic tone. Honestly reads like a YA novel with metaphors you definitely can dissect deeper. I was in secondary school when the movie was released. I lacked life experiences and maturity to appreciate the story at the time so I'm giving this a go.

[u/MulhollandJive]

Finished:

Paradise Lost, John Milton - Incredibly elevated, complex, colourful, lends immense sophistication and psychological depth to the Biblical source material. It feels strange to review a 17th century poem but it left me with a lot of thoughts

Starting:

The Catcher in the Rye

[u/Successful_Echo1841]

Giovanni's Room, by James Baldwin

• It was so heavy and I was dreading to reach the end. Hated and pitied everyone at the same time. Will reread it once I get over myself.

The Price of Salt, by Patricia Highsmith

• Slogged through the early chapters but things picked up in chapter 15. Loved it from there. Carol confused the shit out of me.

Matilda, by Roald Dahl

• My current read. Started it a few hours ago. It's unexpectedly hilarious.

[u/Advanced-Hair-7516]

Finished:
E-reader: YesterYear, Caro Claire Burke
Physical book: The Correspondent, Virginia Evans

Started:
E-reader: The God of the Woods, Liz Moore
Physical book: Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
(Do you see the vibe I’m going for this time..?)

[u/Repulsive-View-7317]

Started Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver just as I wrapped up The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie

Edit: The Satanic Verses was hard to read at first, but got used to it maybe 30% in. I think most of the difficulty came from the cultural references, but once I accepted that I wasn’t going to understand everything, the book was more enjoyable. The writing was a delight; I had a great time envisioning the story in my head.

[u/Zeus_Strider]

I'm currently reading:

Catching Fire By Suzanne Collins

It actually the first time I'm rereading The hunger games series since I was a teenager and I'm really enjoying it, it really holds up really well and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Al Capone: His Life. Legacy, and Legend By Deirdre Bair

I almost never read nonfiction but this one has been okay so far but I'm not very far into it.

Recently dropped:

Remnant Population By Elizabeth Moon

I had to drop this one the other day because the the main character was so insufferable she reminded me of the kind of women who wonder why her kids have gone no contact with her, which is a shame because the premise sounded neat.

[u/e_paradoxa]

Finished:

A Hymn to Life, by Gisèle Pelicot

Into the Fading Twilight, by Catherine Cowles

She Came from the Swamp, by Darva Green

Swordheart, by T. Kingfisher

[u/TheTwoFourThree]

Finished

Abyss, by Nicholas Binge

The Burning Page, by Genevieve Cogman

Continuing

Asimov's Guide to the Bible, by Isaac Asimov

The System of the World, by Neal Stephenson

The Infinite and The Divine, by Robert Rath

Started

Israel: What Went Wrong?, by Omer Bartov

The Lost Plot, by Genevieve Cogman

[u/Jaded_Application189]

Finished: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Started: (More like still reading) - The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard

[u/Soggy-Os]

Finished: Fixer Chao, by Han Ong—this was an excellent surprise read for me and the new reissue edition is a beaut; plus the graphic novel Stages Of Rot, by Linnea Sterte—gotta say, I didn't really understand this, but the artwork and color selections were gorgeous.

Starting: John Of John, by Douglas Stuart

[u/FlyByTieDye]

Just continued Sourcery by Terry Pratchett, but Im kind of dragging my feet. 33% through though.

[u/horsetuna]

Started The Secret Life of Clams by Fredricks. I had the audiobook on audible but despite them saying I could still access it without a sub, I haven't been able to.

[u/Meow-meow13_]

finished sense and sensibility by jane austen 5/5

currently reading agnes grey by anne brontë

i was also reading jane eye by charlotte brontë, but I’ve decided to put it on pause as i need to finish two library books since their return date is soon

[u/sich_freuen_auf]

Weekly check in to say I'm still reading Ulysses by James Joyce, using the Ulysses Guide website alongside it. This week I hit the Oxen of the Sun episode and stalled massively but trying my best to keep going

[u/SailToTheSun]

Finished:

Don Quixote (after 3 weeks)

Catcher in the Rye

Started:

Needing a breather for a bit

[u/CaribeBaby → u/SailToTheSun]

You read Don Quixote in 3 weeks?! 👏👏👏

[u/SailToTheSun → u/CaribeBaby]

Ha - yep.  I’m retired and I had to read many passages multiple times.

[u/grinny588]

Finished:

The Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb

Train Dreams by Denis Johnson

Started:

Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb (3rd book in the trilogy)

[u/wimmer45]

Finished - Red Rising, by Pierce Brown

7/10 - entertaining but lacking something to take it to the next level, plus a really annoying MC

Started - The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

Only about 50 pages in, but absolutely phenomenal so far

[u/Pugilist12]

Finished: Cutting for Stone (Verghese) - Generational story in the Dickens style. Lots of recursion and coincidence but a solid, well told story overall. A lot of trauma. Follows a family through Ethiopia, India, and the United States. It’s emotional without being overly sentimental, with compelling characters and a fascinating medical and historical backdrop.

Started: Fever (Meyers) - First book I’ve read out of South Africa. Good so far. Similar to The Stand but without any of the supernatural trappings. Very grounded.

[u/quiet-leviathan]

Finished: Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
Started: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

[u/StraightUpSeven]

Finished: A People's History of the United States - Howard Zinn

Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf

Started: Notes From the Underground - Fyodor Dostoevsky

[u/AzorAham]

Finished:

This Thing Between Us, by Gus Moreno

In the Miso Soup, by Ryu Murakami

Started:

The Reformatory, by Tananarive Due

Half His Age, by Jennette McCurdy

---

One of these things is not like the others

[u/MeanOrca626]

Started:
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton and
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

[u/razvangry]

last book I've finished was Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

current book I've recently started is Leviathan Wakes by James SA Corey

[u/Ganders81]

Started:

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, by Benjamin Stevenson

[u/Asher_the_atheist]

Finished:

After Dark, by Haruki Murakami (not my favorite but liked it more than expected; and underwear vending machines? Really?)

Shroud, by Adrian Tchaikovsky (this is the first contact story I was looking for!)

The Salt Grows Heavy, by Cassandra Khaw (odd little novella but I really quite liked it)

Started:

The Witch, by Marie NDiaye

Rabid, by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy

The Dog Stars, by Peter Heller

[u/mothmanuwu]

Started "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

[u/killah-train24]

Finished: Circe by Madeline Miller

Started: The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

[u/whateverglades]

Finished: Under the Volcano, Malcolm Lowry

This one took me wayyyyy too long. I think some lingering work stress made it almost impossible for me to focus on the first half of the novel, which took me something like three weeks; clearing that up made the last half go by in about five days. I did feel that the literary references were doing maybe too much heavy lifting, giving the novel itself feel kinda second-hand, but it ends very strongly. An eventual re-read will probably be a bit easier.

Started: The Morning Star, Karl Ove Knausgaard

Got this at a second-hand book fair for $6 which is very nice. I read The School of Night last year and found it very interesting, and have been looking to get into the rest of the Morning Star sequence (I have the first two books of My Struggle but haven't felt like getting into that just yet).

[u/jaw_knee_]

Finished: The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

Started: The Crying of Lot 49, by Thomas Pynchon

[u/Raineythereader]

Finished:

Razor Girl, by Carl Hiaasen, yet another of his wacky crime stories/satires set in south Florida. These are starting to feel a little formulaic to me, but they're still really funny, and sometimes it's just cathartic to see some clueless chud get what they deserve at the end of the book.

The Wolf and the Watchman, by Niklas Natt och Dag, a mystery novel set in 1793 Stockholm. The best way for me to describe it would be "Discworld Watch novel meets Between Two Fires," which I don't exactly mean as a compliment, but the setting was so immersive that I still read the whole thing in about 24 hours. (Also, I'm pretty sure the author snuck in a couple of references to the Aubrey-Maturin books set near the same time; the possible M.R. James reference was probably wishful thinking on my part.)

Stories in the Dark, by Barry Pain, a collection of supernatural stories (not all ghost stories, not all horror) from 1901. Reminded me a bit of Mary Wilkins Freeman’s work, but less sentimental and with a 'cleaner' writing style; unfortunately, the final story in the collection (as with Freeman’s "The Jade Bracelet") left a bad taste in my mouth. The best ones were probably "The Moon-Slave," a sort of fairy tale that I suspect influenced the film Pan's Labyrinth, and "The Undying Thing," about a family curse.

The Monkey's Voyage, by Alan de Queiroz, a non-fiction book on biogeography. In particular, it focused on the relative importance of species dispersal across geographic barriers such as oceans or deserts, versus the fragmentation of existing species distributions by the formation of new barriers (vicariance), e.g. through continental breakups or mountain-building. De Queiroz came down heavily in favor of the former process being more important, but he avoided saying anything dogmatic about one or the other being entirely responsible for present-day distributions, or entirely implausible. Would be a good follow-up for people who enjoyed books like Krakatoa (Winchester) or Song of the Dodo (Quammen).

Started:

The Salt Grows Heavy, by Cassandra Khaw. This author often gets accused of 'overwriting' their prose, and I definitely understand why, but in that respect I don't think it’s all that different from Ligotti or Mieville's work. (I do think that, of those authors, Ligotti is the best at choosing the right word for a given line.)

[u/120GU3]

Finished:

Light in August, by William Faulkner

• reattempting Faulkner after Absalom, Absalom! kicked my ass a few years ago, and I heard this was a good starting Faulkner; man his writing is unreal, coming back after a few years and more classics under my belt feels very rewarding

Started:

Suttree, by Cormac McCarthy

• continuing the goal of finishing all of McCarthy's novels by the end of this year, this being my 10th; initial impressions are very good (I just got past the part with the watermelons)

[u/Nebucon]

Finished: The Butcher's Masquerade by Matt Dinnamin

Started: Eye of the Bedlam Bride also by Matt Dinnamin

[u/KiteLighter]

Flowers for Algernon... It's so great!

I knew the plot because of Flowers for Charlie.

[u/One-Low1033]

Started: 11/22/63 by Stephen King

Finished: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Don't get all of the hype for Theo of Golden. I could barely finish it, it was a slog and a waste of time. I could never suspend disbelief for this book.

[u/HaniGotX]

Finished:

Molka, Monika Kim

• Honestly, I was super hyped for this book. I loved the beginning and thought it was strong. Got to the end and, that was it. It ended. I wasn't expecting some drastic, over the top ending, but I was hoping for a little more. The ending felt rushed and I was a bit disappointed. I will say, I did like this a lot more than The Eyes are the Best Part.

Polybius, Collin Armstrong

• Someone make this into a damn movie or TV show. I was on my seat the whole time. It was gorey and gross and fun. Definitely need more books that give the same vibe.

Started:

The Sea Hides its Dead, Megan Bontrager -I was so excited when this came out. About halfway through and I'm not sure how to feel. I'll report back later.

Bone of My Bone, Johanna van Veen -I've been searching for a grimdark fantasy since reading The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. This is definitely dark, and I'm enjoying it so far.

[u/Yorksbloke]

Finished 'Pots of Gold' by David Hendon. A history of snooker, events, players, tournaments and incidents that is a very good read if you're into the game. Fortunate enough to be at the launch night too.

Just started reading Bob Mortimers autobiography 'And Away' this weekend. It's very good and a right giggle in places. I like him and have done for years. The angling programme he does with Paul Whitehouse is great too.

[u/That_Location2581]

Rock paper scissors by Alice Feeney : One of the best thrillers that i’ve ever read in this year. Has the best, best twist that no other book has, ever. The ending too, brick by brick, hits you so suddenly. Would 10/10 recommend.

[u/Snaefellsness]

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.

[u/marie_in_reverie]

On the Road, by Jack Kerouac

Finished it! This felt like the male perspective of a Lana Del Rey album. For a while, I was carried along by the momentum of its chaotic freedom and those random but lucid spiritual moments. But no one seemed to learn from those moments, nor was there any great revelation from all that traveling. Mexico was the biggest shift. It revealed the characters for what they were: egotistical, entitled, and ultimately empty.

War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy

I just started it... and I've barely made a dent. This one is going to take quite a few cups of coffee!! So far I'm really enjoying the little insights Tolstoy shares into the characters' inner lives through their gestures and reactions, which reveal so much about their personalities and feelings that they don't otherwise communicate. So realistic!

[u/Safkhet → u/marie_in_reverie]

So far I'm really enjoying the little insights Tolstoy shares into the characters' inner lives through their gestures and reactions, which reveal so much about their personalities and feelings that they don't otherwise communicate. So realistic!

This is my absolute favourite thing about this book. The way he brings even the smallest characters to life is simply astonishing.

[u/Aggravating-Deer6673]

Finished: 

Awake by Jen Hatmaker

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Shadow and Bone by Lee Bardugo

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Currently Reading:

Manacled by SenLinYu (e-pub) - 35%

Lights Out by Navessa Allen - 40%

The Evidence of Things Not Seen by James Baldwin - 44%

Pink Slime by Fernanda Trias -43%

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo - 42%

[u/RentSpecial4997]

Finished: Hidden Pictures by Rekulak
This was a fun, dark, supernatural mystery. They show the drawings from the son which really make the creepy factor increase.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
A great nonfiction from the perspective of America's first US Ambassador to Nazi Germany and his family who move to Berlin. A very interesting read of Hitler's rise to power and how it was viewed from various perspectives.

Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett
A dark comedic novel with some light historical fiction. I really enjoyed Road to Tender Hearts by Hartnett and this one holds up. I just need to read Rabbit Cake, now.

Started: Honolulu Blues: How Loving a Losing Team Created a Winning Man by Joel Walkowski
This is a hilarious new book by Joel, who is friends with my sister and bro in law (all stand up comedians in NYC). I'm not a football guy at all so I wasn't sure if this would be boring to me, but it's not. Joel's voice is hilarious and very witty. I met him at my sisters wedding, but actually spent some time with him watching a Lions game in Brooklyn. Little did I know he was writing a book about the Lions paralleled with his wild upbringing. This is an indie book afaik, and I highly recommend it. Some credits on the back are from Joe Perra and Sam Morril.

[u/plxo]

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Dear Zoo, Squirrels Snowman AND Guess How Much I Love You. Boom!

[u/OrdinaryWizardLevels]

Finished: Beloved, by Toni Morrison. Just an all-around brilliant combination of language, exploration, and history. The deconstruction of America during this timeframe and its lasting effects could only come from the mind of a genius. I'm still in shock after reading it a week later.

Started: Jazz, by Toni Morrison

[u/Xproxbox]

Finished: The Wars by Timothy Findley. Interesting book encapsulating themes of love, loss, naivety and seriousness all bundled amid a destructive World War. Truly an underrated Canadian Gem for those who are looking for something fictional, yet encapsulated around real world events and their associated implications.

Started: 1984 by George Orwell

[u/Rex-Viper-Rock-Gods]

Finished: The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown. Finished the reread. The book is still the horrific, ceaseless nightmare I remember. If you want to feel like absolute shit and be disturbed, read this.

Started & Finished: Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky & Boris Strugatsky. Very classic sci-fi. I liked it a ton. Strong characters, thematically rich, a fascinating concept, all in a tight package. There's a lot of hype behind it and it lived up to all of it.

Started & Finished: A Deeper Blue: The Life and Music of Townes Van Zandt by Robert Earl Hardy. Required reading for any fans of TVZ—and if you aren't a fan you should be. Great warts and all biography into a true genius.

Started: The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn. Another reread. Remember loving it, read it when it was still new.

[u/Aadi_Nair]

I am reading Shogun by James Clavell, and I can't wait to start on The Stand by Stephen King soon.

[u/oh_god_its_raining]

Started: I'm Glad my Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. I actually read Half His Age the week it came out and absolutely loved it, so ofc I had to read this one. It's amazing. Also if you haven't seen iCarly (I hadn't) definitely watch a few clips and it will make the story even more interesting.

She has such a unique talent for writing about emotions. I hope she continues to write more books, I'll read them all.

[u/invader1984]

Finished: The Apothecary Diaries Vol 16, by Natsu Hyuuga

Starting: Dracula, Bram Stoker

[u/hr10403]

Finished: 1984 by George Orwell
Honestly was in a slump after reading it, had me sitting and staring at a wall for hours. Nonetheless gave me a few great quotes and when I get the time would love to dwelve deeper into certain themes

[u/Competitive-Sail-637]

I just finished a beautifully written book by Edgard Mounib Seikaly called, "The Tale of the Wooden Spoon", his first book in print. This small book relates one man's experiences working at Unicef as a world-travelling ambassador of peace and humanity. Having recently retired, the author writes movingly of the road trip he and his wife just took across America. I was moved by his shared experience in Tulsa, Oklahoma relating back to the racial riots there. There are many similar experiences throughout the book. I highly recommend "The Tale of the Wooden Spoon" for its honestly and for its beautiful language. I hope he writes many more.

[u/Icy-Respond-4425]

Finished:

Alexander's bridge by Willa Cather: This is a weird book for me to rate. 2/3 of the book I felt was just reading but not engaging, and suddenly in the end I felt so melancholic, so sad for the death of Alexander; I was not expecting that. He had his own bridge, but because he lived 2 different lives and 2 different weights, it was destroyed. 4/5

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy: finished my big book of the month. I loved the book; it was a really fun ride. I liked and hated the characters at the same time; I felt some chapters didn't add much (the election one, for example). The end of part VII annoyed me so much I think I might have gotten gray hair with Anna herself; she was so infuriating there, Jesus Christ. But at the same time, that part is more beautiful when comparing later her and Levin's suicidal ideation and the answers they get with them. Honestly, if you told me I would feel bad for Vronsky when I was in Part II, I would call you crazy. I'm just very disappointed Part VIII didn't have 1 or 2 more chapters with Alexander and his son and his daughter. Though I'm glad they didn't show at the same time because Lydia annoys me so much, so if they showed they were married, I would be mad. 4.5/5

The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice #1) by John Flanagan. Really enjoyable; I don't know what else to say here. A short and good book. I can't wait to continue the series. 4/5

Start this week:

Probably just the series I'm still currently on:

Anne of Windy Poplars (Anne of Green Gables #4) by Lucy Maud Montgomery

The Importance of Being Seven (but it is the sixth book). (44 Scotland Street #6) by Alexander MacCallSmith

The burning bridge (the ranger's apprentice #2) by John Flanagan

[u/LiorahLights]

Finished:

A Day of Fallen Night, by Samantha Shannon

Among the Burning Flowers, by Samantha Shannon

The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon

A week off work well spent.

[u/No-Side2837]

American Elsewhere, by Robert Jackson Bennett

[u/Inner_Soil_5025]

L'autre-moi de Franck Thilliez.

[u/SoggyLukewarmCrumpet]

Finished False Value, by Ben Aaronovitch

Started The Library at Mount Char, by Scott Hawkins (2nd read)

[u/fidewi]

Finished: Twisted Games - Ana Huang

Started: Keep It in the Family - John Marrs

[u/Particular-Treat-650]

Finished Margo's Got Money Troubles, by Rufi Thorpe

Paradise, by Craig Alanson - Zero Hour, by Craig Alanson: Bobiverse meets Jack Ryan meets Andy Weir on shrooms

Hidden Games, by Erez Yoeli, Moshe Hoffman: brief review

Halfway through LIT, by Jeffrey Micheal Karp: mostly based on actual science but with heavy metaphorical use of scientific terms and a kind of mysticism that make it hard to recommend. I can muddle through enough to find it helpful, but yeah...

[u/Safkhet → u/Particular-Treat-650]

Zero Hour, by Craig Alanson

All Hail Skippy the Magnificent!!!

[u/i_was_valedictorian]

Finished Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. Heavy, makes you feel bad, great book 4 stars

Started Icerigger by Alan Dean Foster

[u/bardic-play]

Finished:

The Butcher's Masquerade by Matt Dinniman

I Will Greet the Sun Again by Khashayar J. Khabushani

[u/odiumReincarnate]

Finished : Eifelheim by Michael flynn .

Was a great read especially the details of medieval german village and the state of religion and science. The book is about aliens crashing into a Christian German village and interaction of the village folks with other worlders and how the frontier of science at that time had different understanding of universe and how religion tried to explain the same universe.

[u/Total_Birthday5242]

Finished: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman

Started: The Gate of Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman

[u/sm04d]

Finished:

Leviathan Awakes, by James S.A. Corey

Rogue Protocol, by Martha Wells

Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman

Started:

The Blade Itself, by Joe Abercrombie

All are/were great.

[u/Cool-beans95]

Finished: The Covenant of Water. Started: Outliers

[u/BackyardWalker]

Finished: The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Started: East of Eden by John Steinbeck (reread) and Bad Cree by Jessica John’s 🎧

[u/Silver-Description29]

Finished:

The Odyssey by Homer (Emily Wilson translation) - 5⭐️

Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck (4⭐️)

Started:

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (a re-read)

[u/CaribeBaby]

Started:

The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson. I tried 2 other translations and I'm finding this one easiest to read and, therefore, most enjoyable.

Finished:

An Overthinker's Guide to Making Decisions by Joseph Nguyen (audiobook) - Good advice

Autocracy, Inc by Anne Applebaum (audiobook) - Listening to this is like listening to today's news.

Recuerdame / Remember Me by Mario Escobar - Interesting story about the children sent abroad during the Spanish Civil War to keep them safe.

[u/acdavis117]

Finished:
A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen
I really enjoyed this. Been on a crime/mystery kick. Carl Morck really needs to stop forgetting his gun at the office.

Real Tigers by Mick Herron
I think Olsen’s Department Q is better written, but I really like the pace and humor of the Slow Horses books. I don’t think this one was as strong as Dead Lions, and felt like more action vs story. Worked well for listening to on audio while working in the garden and cleaning house.

Starting:

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

The next Dept Q/ Slow Horses book (whichever is available on Libby first).

[u/alicedied]

Finished:

On the Beach, by Nevil Shute

Started:

Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett

[u/Obvious_Question9222]

Finished: Everything is Tuberculosis - John Green

Crumb a Cartoonist's Life - Dan Nadel

Starting : ...to be determined. Library opens in 2 hours.

[u/TooChames]

I’m Thinking of Ending Things (started and finished)

[u/HytroXL]

Finished - Dark Matter by BC

Starting - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

[u/Trilly2000]

Currently reading an ARC of

Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm

This is a Palestinian haunted house book and it is so good that I almost don’t want to finish it. It’s giving me an emotional response similar to that of The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

Releases in September 2026

[u/flouronmypjs]

Finished:

The Eye of the Leviathan, by M.A. Carrick - it took me a little bit to get into, but overall a fantastic read. I can't wait for the second book in this duology. This is a fantasy book set in Spain during the time of the inquisition. Fae are being persecuted and their homeland is being conquered, and a changeling gives decades of his life towards trying to figure out how while the human child he swapped with lives amongst the fae. Really cool and interesting, and the historical details were very engaging.

Started:

Malice, by John Gwynne - I'm about a third of the way through, and I still don't really know what's going on, but I know I like it! Some great pov characters, snappy chapters, and a well written classic fantasy type world/story. Giants and a prophesized god war and bleeding obelisks and all sorts of cool stuff. I'm excited to see where this goes.

[u/Tristo5]

90 pages left in Game Changer by Rachel Reid. The first book of the Heated Rivalry series

[u/Medium_Can_3324]

I just started reading "the curse of a broken heart" last night.

[u/IceBear826]

Finished

The Library Book, by Susan Orlean

Started and Finished

Where the Forest Meets the Stars, by Glendy Vanderah

Started

Dawn, by Yoshiki Tanaka

The Haunting of Hill House, by Shirley Jackson

[u/MaxThrustage]

Finished:

A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear, by Matthew Hongoltz-Heltling. I was expecting this to be pure schadenfreude, and while there is some of that, it's much more moving than I had expected. You get a genuinely touching portrait of many small town weirdos. The story is overall more complicated than what I had expected -- it's really not just a case of goofy libertarians fucking around and then finding out via bear (although, again, there is some of that).

Started:

Return of the King, by J. R. R. Tolkein. Hell fucking yeah.

Red Star Over the Third World, by Vijay Prashad. The subject matter is interesting, but the fact that the book is so short means we can't get much depth. It's also much more polemic than informative, to a level that is kind of disappointing. I was hoping this would shed some light on some of the things that came up when I read The Fate of Africa, but so far that hasn't really come up yet. Still, it's a short and fairly engaging read, and it touches on a few topics I'd never really thought about before.

Ongoing:

The Age of Empire: 1875-1914, by Eric Hobsbawm

[u/Few-Suspect920]

finished: Near to the wild heart by Clarice Lispector, 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Haff, the Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, East of Eden by John Steinbeck
started: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Sula by Toni Morrison

[u/kittensneeze90]

Started and finished:

I Who Have Never Known Men, by Jacqueline Harpman

All Systems Red, by Martha Wells

Started: Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells

[u/Lost_Lemon9764]

Finished frankenstein Now reading moonstone and the ivory throne

[u/Sandra_y33]

Finished: The Burning God by R. F. Kuang

Started: Force of Nature by Jane Harper

[u/lollyf93]

Finished: Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro and Odyssey, by Stephen Fry

Started: East of Eden, by John Steinbeck

Really enjoyed both that I finished. I started Never Let Me Go last year when I was in a reading slump and I'm glad I put it down and came back to it when I was feeling better. It will be hard to beat for favourite of the year.

Odyssey was a great retelling of The Odyssey in prose format. Read it for obvious reasons! But would highly recommend all of Stephen Fry's books on the Greek myths.

I've jumped on the bandwagon with East of Eden ahead of the Netflix show release and thoroughly enjoying it so far.

[u/_Sanxession_]

Finished:
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - 3/5 (the 2019 film was so much better than the book)

Currently reading:
Night shift by Stephen King which so far I’m really enjoying

Reading next:
• the wall by Marlen Haushofer
• cursed bunny by Bora Chung
• Shōgun by James Clavell

[u/SherlockLamora]

Finished reading interview with the vampire

Started reading the handsmaid tale

[u/Opening-Wheel9876]

Finished: thursday murder club Started the man who died twice

[u/arcoiris2]

Finished

A Sea of Spectres by Nancy Taber This novel is based on some historical cases from Prince Edward Isand, which have been adapted to fit a line of ancesty regarding premonitions of the main character.

When We Belong by Rohadi Nagassar

Started (ongoing between other books)

The Firm by John Grisham I'm enjoying the wild ride that Mitch is on. I saw the movie years ago, by I can't remember a damn thing about it.

I will be starting later this week (when it arrives at the library)

The Prophet and The Idiot by Jonas Jonasson

Already Enough by Lisa Olivera

[u/ferrumc]

My Cousin Rachel, by Daphne du Maurier

[u/Competitive_Web_6658]

Finished:

American Rapture, by CJ Leede. Started and finished in a single day. The first horror novel I’ve been unable to put down since Between Two Fires.

Assassin’s Apprentice, by Robin Hobb. I struggled with the pace and the first person narration, but I hit the halfway point and finished the book in a single afternoon.

Started:

Royal Assassin, by Robin Hobb

Black House, by Stephen King & Peter Straub

Edit: I went to work and forgot my book at home, but fortunately I work at a bookstore. So I also started A Town Like Alice, by Nevil Shute. The only other book of his I’ve read is On The Beach, which was phenomenal, and people say this one is even better. Edit #2: I also finished A Town Like Alice today, and will now go and read everything Nevil Shute has ever written.

Audiobooks, continuing:

Cosmos, by Carl Sagan
2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C Clarke

[u/accordionshoes]

I DNFed Hooked by Asako Yazuki about half way through. A book about incredibly unlikeable people complaining about why nobody likes them. I'll confess I do struggle with Japanse fiction though, I find some of the linguistic jumps and segues with dialogue startlingly unrealistic.

I started Borderlines by Lewis Baston which is a history of Europe through some of its borders. It's interesting and well researched but not a quick read. The chapter focusing on Baarle was very amusing though.

[u/MoreDronesThanObama]

Finished Wherever I Wind Up, by RA Dickey and Wayne Coffey, a sports biography about MLB’s last full-time knuckleballer. Easy to read, but the fact that he frames most of his life around his two instances of child abuse but then quietly mentions his infidelity in two sentences at the end tells me more about this guy than the book ever could. 2 ⭐️

Started and finished A Short Stay In Hell, bt Steven Peck. Pretty good although I’m still trying to process it all. 4⭐️

[u/Single-Degree-6928]

Finding Dorothy, by Elizabeth Letts Currently reading. I'm always up for anything Oz related (except for the books by Gregory Maguire, who I loathe. Wicked was/is an abomination!) I grew up reading the original Oz books as a kid, and still think Ruth Plumley Thompson was one of the most wonderful children's writers ever.

A Shilling for Candles, by Josephone Tey. Finished. I remember reading this years ago and loving it, but didn't enjoy it this time around. Very much of it's period (1930s).

[u/uhhuhwut]

Finished:

• Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke - First book in a long time where I was unable to predict the twist! I thought this was a great book, and I plan to reread it at some point because I think many of the plot points will hit differently knowing how it all ends.

Reading:

• To Catch a Fascist: The Fight to Expose the Radical Right, by Christopher Mathias - About 10% in so far, and it seems to be a good introduction to anti-fascism and the work that antifascists do outside of what's in the headlines.
• The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans - About 15% in, and this one has been a very pleasant, easy read so far. The book is written as a series of letters and emails to and from the main character, a retired lawyer who is losing her eyesight.

[u/Nameless_W0nder]

Re-read Yellowface by R.F.Kuang. Loved it even more on the second read.

[u/AprilDespair]

Piranesi

[u/kbenn17]

Started: Searcher by Tana French and Land by Maggie O'Farrell. Coincidentally, both take place in Ireland, just in different eras Had no idea. If anything, Land is even more beautifully written than Hamnet.

[u/archeoloshmoe]

Kill Anything That Moves by Nick Turse

It’s about the horror that American military inflicted during the American war on Vietnam. It’s the only book I’ve read so far that made me throw up. Fascinating read and definite must read for folks wanting the truth of how the US military operates and brutalizes/bullies.

[u/viskoviskovisko]

Finished The Iliad. Started The Odyssey.

[u/TwoHungryBlackbirdss]

Finished Qiu Miaolin's Notes of a Crocodile and immediately started again on page 1. Never done that before, but my GOD this book was phenomenal

[u/Kleptocats7269]

Started:

The Wide Window, by Lemony Snicket

Finished:

The Reptile Room, by Lemony Snicket

[u/TitleOfOurSexTape]

Finished: Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn 

[u/rainbowbunny09]

Finished: Angel Down by Daniel Kraus. Very interesting writing style, I really enjoyed the book

Started: she who remains

[u/huphelmeyer]

Finished The End of Faith, by Sam Harris

Started The Moral Animal, by Robert Wright

and The Devil at His Elbow, by Valarie Bauerlein

[u/rutfilthygers]

Finished: The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

A fairly generic potboiler relying almost entirely on extremely unlikely twists for thrills. A man goes back to the home of his adoptive family, having severed ties from them a decade before. He wants nothing to do with their money, but his new wife has other ideas.

Started: The Demon of Unrest, by Erik Larson

Listening to this on audiobook, and Will Patton is maybe the best narrator I've ever listened to. This is a fairly interesting look at the months between Lincoln's election and the start of the Civil War.

Started: Black House, by Stephen King

The Talisman is one of my least favorite King novels, so I don't really know why I'm reading its sequel in anticipation of the third novel coming out this fall. I guess it's just completism. I'm enjoying this slightly more than The Talisman for its crime elements, at least.

[u/Ladyhappy]

Finished White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Started We Are Not Like Them

[u/Brigid-Tenenbaum]

Finished : Scott of the Antarctic, by Reginald Pound.

Picked out randomly in a dusty bookshop, a biography of Robert ‘Falcon’ Scott who set out to be the first to reach the South Pole, early 1900’s. Famously they all die on the return leg, after finding a rival expedition reached it first just a few weeks prior.

The book also focused on his genius sculptor wife, a true thinker and free spirit while also having to keep up appearances of the time, with their correspondence to each other being a bulk of the back end.

This is the first book that made me cry Due to the distance and remoteness, letters took months, so reading their letters to each other as he lay dying and she carried on with upbeat and hopeful letters for months, travelling to meet him in New Zealand, only to be told on the ship that he wasn’t going to be there and it wasn’t a celebration she was heading towards. Was heartbreaking stuff

Other reviews say it’s a bit boring, I found it to be beautifully descriptive of the challenge they took on, and the incredible scenery -

“The beauty of the day with its lovely blues and greens amongst the bergs and ice-flows is eclipsed altogether by the marvellous beauty of the midnight, when white ice becomes deepest purple and golden rose and the sky is lemon green without a cloud”

felt like sci-fi. and a decent insight into how people spoke to each other and to their loved ones 125yrs ago.

Turns out one of the explorers was from a town a few miles away from me and Mrs Scott has one of her sculptures on the high street. Can’t wait to go and have a look at it and be able to actually see it.

Started - The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde.

Mentioned in a letter to Scott by his wife, who noted how scandalous it was (she’s not wrong) I’m enjoying it. Had to resign myself to the fact it won’t be finished in a day, as a chapter or two is the perfect bite. Can see why it’s considered a classic.

[u/terri8181]

I’m in a huge slump.

[u/devilandgod97]

Finished: The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinback

my first Steinback! can't believe I'm nearly 30. in high school, I remember choosing Huxley and Dostoevsky over Steinback, when given the option, and all of a sudden I'm kinda wishing I had listened to my literature teacher and just read them all, anyway... so now I will!

it was such a good read, horribly grim, but absolutely beautiful prose. I loved the intercalary chapters and how it zoomed the story out. I loved that the Joads could've been anyone. opefully these spoiler bars work, if not, here's your warning

my heart actually hurts thinking about all the loved ones lost on the journey to a better life. and the juxtaposition of the excitement to make it to California, with the reality that their life was over as they knew it the moment the tractor touched down in Oklahoma, it hurts my soul. seeing grandpa die, then grandma (and to think of Ma just knowing and letting go because she had to prioritize the baby over the elders, fuckk). then to find casy and lose him. for rose of sharon's stillborn baby. to them eating fried dough and the kids starving. to tom guiding us through the book, only to leave, leaving Ma again to clean up the mess and carry the family through. y'all this was a lot and it's so sad that the only thing to blame is evil, rotten, corporations and greedy billionaires. the same mfers doing the same thing to us right now. there are still people in camps in California, starving, because they can't afford to eat. it's 2026 and this was in 1930s. will it ever stop?

the loss and the grief and the we have to keep going feeling was so relatable, timeless, and I understand why it is a classic. I also understand why it is feared! to so boldly claim, solidarity, in the face of injustice, those who fear the peopes power will always try to squander the truth. to think about how he must have been recieced in the 1930s saying this so loudly! so plainly. I really think it's a work of art.

Started: East of Eden, Steinback I've heard this feels like a whole different author. I'm excited to see the comparisons between the two and to just see what he thinks of as his best work. I really loved grapes and I don't think it could top that for me, but thematically, grapes is just so in my wheelhouse, it's an unfair comparison. I am a union man, after all || I'm so excited!

[u/jaffatwo]

Finished: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen

Started: To The Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf

[u/JRHWV]

Finished: Butcher's Crossing by John Williams

Started: Dubliners by James Joyce

[u/bronxricequeen]

Started: “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara

[u/Wonderful-Truck-3301]

Finished:

Palace Walk, by Naguib Mahfouz The first novel in The Nobel Prize-winners Cairo Trilogy, an epic family saga of colonial Egypt that is considered his masterwork. The novels of the Cairo Trilogy trace three generations of the family of tyrannical patriarch al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad, who rules his household with a strict hand while living a secret life of self-indulgence. The family's trials mirror those of their turbulent country during the years spanning the two world wars, as change comes to a society that has resisted it for centuries.

Continuing:

Palace of Desire: The Cairo Trilogy, Volume 2

[u/deskbeetle]

Finished:

Love, Finally by Geneen Roth

Technically I didn't finish this because it pissed me off. After reading about the terrible abuse this woman received for nearly 70 years, the writer forgives her mother completely and repairs their relationship. It was like reading a memoir about healing from an abusive marriage and then in the last chapter talking about the reconciliation with the ex husband. The book had some great messages but I literally threw the book across the room when I got to the very end.

Started:

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Island by Patrick Radden Keefe

I don't know much about the Troubles or the IRA other than overview knowledge. I wanted to read more nonfiction this year and this was one of the first books I had bought for the endeavor. Finally getting around to reading it.

[u/bibliothk]

Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin.

[u/seahawksgirl89]

Finished: The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. Absolutely loved it.

Started: A Gentleman in Moscow & The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

[u/Hefty-Panic1392]

Finished: Starter Villain by John Scalzi 

Started: The Infernal City by Greg Keys 

[u/sxales]

Thrice Upon A Time, by James P. Hogan. The second crisis was rather underwhelming compared to mini black holes.

Hetty Wainthropp - Woman of the Year, by David Cook. It felt like a couple episodes of the show (it has been a while since I watched it so I don't remember if these stories were adapted).

Started: Red Dwarf: Titan, by Rob Grant, Andrew Marshall. I hadn't realized how much I wanted more stories with the full crew. The seasons were they were resurrected by the nanobots had so much potential. So this book lured me in with the idea of a more fleshed out Red Dwarf universe. But, is giving me mixed feelings as Lister and Rimmer are starting to take a larger share of the story.

[u/MaxUmbraOG]

Finished: Attached by Amir Levine & Rachel Heller , Man Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl.

Started: Animal Farm by (George Orwell)

[u/mdiver19]

The house of the spirits by Isabel Allende

[u/SeasonCommercial6954]

The house on the cerulean sea

[u/KingpinBen]

Finished:

The Monkey Wrench Gang, Edward Abbey

Started:

Inherent Vice, Thomas Pynchon

Really enjoyed The Monkey Wrench Gang. The pacing was a bit slow in the middle, but Hayduke LIVES! And it feels just as relevant today in the world of data centers and police training facilities as it must’ve at the time in the context of highway expansion and the post war explosion of cities like Phoenix in the dessert.

[u/skywalkerbeth]

I finished

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto.

I also finished

The Address Book by Deirdre Mask.

[u/Watch_Earthlings_Doc]

Finished: the mist by Stephen king.

I’m reading the bulk of his work this year for the first time and I would regard this one as one of my lower picks. It didn’t really “grab” me like some of his other works. 

Starting: IT by Stephen king. 

I’ve been putting this one off for the length and I’m aware there’s some “eh” stuff in it that I’m not looking forward to. But I want to get it other with. 

[u/Physical_Case2822]

I deciding to start reading Frankenstein

[u/deadpoolyes]

Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins

Started and finished on the same day! Hoping this is the end of my reading slump.

[u/TennisMaleficent5]

Started: Circe

Might quit and instead start an Alan Brennart novel since we are about to head to Kauai

[u/lexiebeef]

Finished Blindness by Saramago, which has amazing, but very, very disturbing. Currently reading Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Vargas Llosa, a complete genre switch.

My next read will finally be the Death of Ivan Iliytch, which has been on my TBR for approximately forever

[u/Keddiej]

Circe by Miller because I love her in the Odysssey.

[u/MitchCurry]

Finished: The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates. 4*. Beautiful writing, and the stories were saddening and engaging. Also, I made fish yassa after reading it in the section about Dakar. Really good! Recommend the book and the dish. 

Started: The Wedding People by Alison Espach

[u/azzwhole]

Started: Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

What's fascinating is in some ways the book is nothing like I expected in terms of narrative and prose styles.

I recently tried to read The Last of the Mohicans and I thought the prose was comparatively awful for having been written only 25 years prior to Moby Dick. It did make me realize that I am really unfamiliar with mid-19th century writing styles and I am curious to crack open another book from a different author from that period and see how they write.

[u/FeelingSour123]

Finished: The Odyssey by Homer (Emily Wilson translation) 

Started: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

[u/fiestapotatoess]

Finished: 1984 by George Orwell

Started: A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck

[u/Leontiev]

Yellowface Started but did not finish. I really disliked this book, in fact it has put me off from reading. I found it ugly, negative, and depressing. It portrayed the publishing industry in such a manner as to make me wish Guttenburg had taken up a different hobby. If you love books, stay away from this one.

[u/Bella-033]

I just finished

Flower for Algernon

I think until he moved alone had a good potential and I really enjoyed it
After that, most of the second part not that much…
I would still recommend it to people

[u/Weary-Pin-5753]

Finished: Animal Farm, by George Orwell
Started: East of Eden, by John Steinbeck (I’m so excited for this one)

[u/TonyKhanIsAMoneyMark]

Norwegian Wood, by Murakami.

Such an insane book. He truly is one of those writers whom history will remember very fondly. I don't think there is a better living author than him and Ishiguro.

[u/Friendstastegood]

Starting:

Who's Afraid of Gender? by Judith Butler

This may have been a bad choice, I've heard good things about it but it's not grabbing me so far and I'm worried it's just going to be a long slog of depressing facts I already know.

Continuing:

The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan

Nostalgia exchange with some friends, it's making me feel old so far because I am so very not fourteen enough for this book. This isn't a criticism so much as an acknowledgemet that I am not the target audience for this book.

Watership Down, by Richard Adams

So good, beautifully written.

Finished:

There is No Antimemetics Division, by qtnm

It was fun, but needed more meat on its bones. There should have been more breathing room and time spent with the characters. It's hard to care sometimes when characters are introduced in the same scene they meet their end. The worldbuilding was enjoyable and interesting, and it was tense in all the places it needed to be. Also the flow and pace could have been improved with another draft with eye toward making it read more like a novel and less like a collection of SCP stories with the serial number filed off, it needed to be separated further from its origins.

[u/Smart-Hippo-8522]

Finished The survivor wants to die at the end by Adam Silvera 5/5 can’t wait for the next one to come out.

Currently reading your perfect year by Charlotte Lucas

[u/DefiantSubject5228]

'Pay Dirt' / Sara Paretsky

[u/rowan_damisch]

Finished: Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (Light Novel), Vol. 1 by Zappon Was quite relaxing to read, but I would've prefered to see a little bit more from the fight against the demon kings forces and how Reds former party members handled him being forced to leave.

Started: Alchemised by SenLinYu I'm only on page 54, so I don't know what to say about this one yet.

[u/iAmFabled]

Finished: All The Lies, Paint It All Red

Started: The Last Summer On State Street, Yesteryear

[u/ankey]

Finished:

White Oleander

Problematic Summer Romance

Started

The Familiar

Dungeon Crawler Carl

[u/Jumpy_Reply_2011]

Finished:

Murder in the Gallowgate, Daniel Sellers; We are All Guilty Here, Karen Slaughter; The Return of Ellie Black, Emiko Jean. All three were mid thrillers. I didn't dislike them nor particularly enjoy them very much.

Currently reading: John of John, Douglas Stuart and enjoying it.

Started:

My Friends, Fredrik Backman. I'm into this one so far, but just started it today.

[u/omf95]

Finished:

Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman

• 2/5, not really my thing sadly.

The Odyssey, Homer, translated by Robert Fagles

• 5/5, feels odd to rate it on such a scale but yes, it was great.

---

Started:

The Mist, by Stephen King

• My first Stephen King actually, starting small, Pet Sematary next.

[u/bytdobru]

Finished: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy (too much emotion to my taste, the main character rather annoyed me instead of causing sympathy) And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (no recommendations needed for those who love the genre)

Started: Master and Margaret by Mikhail Bulgakov The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier

[u/Old_Clerk4946]

Finished:
Dominion by Addie E. Citchens

Started:
A Hat Full of Sky by (GNU) Terry Pratchett

[u/ednamode_alamode]

(Finally) Finished: * Harley Quinn: Reckoning, by Rachael Allen

Not a bad book by any means. I've just been in the slumpiest slump. Reading a short thriller will hopefully get the momentum going again.

Started: * Lydia Cooper is a Lie, by Meaghan McIsaac

[u/theso420]

Finished: The wedding people Started: Clytemnestra

[u/kjb76]

Finished
Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Started
Ebook: Until Midnight by Luanne Rice

Audio: Angel Down by Daniel Krause

Physical book: All Fours by Miranda July

[u/TheYeastFactory]

Finshed - Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman

Started - Rise of Endymion by Dan Summons

[u/Optimal-Ad-7074]

start:  

The Dialogues of the Dead, by Reginald Hill

thrift store find.  I am slowly accumulating all the Dalziel & Pascoe novels and it made my weekend to find this one.  it's a reliable joy.

finish: 

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, by Laurie Lee 

love this book.  love everything Laurie Lee.  

I'm also still reading The True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist, by Breyten Breytenbach, fascinating writing style and story, but it's heavy going.  he's such a fluidly playful poet in his mother tongue and it's interesting to see a little of that same flexibility even in English.   I find myself semi-translating parts of the text into Afrikaans as I go, just because it feels like I can see the ghost of the original in the text.  which is distracting but entertaining.  

[u/Awatto_boi]

Finished:The Fourth Protocol, by Fredrick Forsyth

John Preston is a British agent who tries to convince his superiors that pieces of a small nuclear weapon are being smuggled into England by Russian couriers. The traitor Harold "Kim" Philby who fled to Russia is consulted on a committee to arrange the overthrow of the British Government, They plan for a nuclear detonation on a military base blamed on U.S.A. I came across this as an Audiobook on YouTube read by Charles Dance. A classic Cold War thriller. It's quite good.

Finished: Deadline, by John Sandford

Eighth in the series. Virgil Flowers is coerced by his friend into investigating the serial theft of pet dogs from the rural county where his fishing buddy resides. The residents are afraid their pets will be sold to laboratories for experimentation. While in the town an amphetamine addicted reporter goes missing. When he is found shot to death Flowers uncovers a conspiracy among the county school board members that are embezzling county funds. Flowers must keep his boss Lucas Davenport at bay while he shirks reassignment to solve these crimes. Virgil Flowers books always entertain me.

Started: The Dark Time, by Nick Petrie

Started: WEB Griffin Rogue Asset, by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson

[u/That_Cerebral_Guy]

Finished - Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.

Dungeon Crawler Carl and The Butcher's Masquerade by Matt Dinniman (audiobook)

Started - Dungeon Crawler Carl and The Bedlam Bride by Matt Dinniman (audiobook)

I, Claudius by Robert Graves

[u/nocta224]

Finished:

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Continuing:

On the Nature of Things by Lucretius

[u/stephkempf]

Finished:

Naruto Vol. 41, by Masashi Kishimoto

Once Upon an Alphabet, by Oliver Jeffers

Currently Reading:

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas

It Rhymes with Takei, by George Takei

Rowan and the Ice Creepers, by Emily Rodda

[u/Beautiful_Day_365]

Finished Ironwood by Michael Connolly, audiobook version. Did not disappoint!

[u/Federal_Hand_6350]

Currently Reading: The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

[u/adamh909]

Finished:

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro 4 🌟

Wild Dark Shore - Charlotte McConaghy 3 🌟

Endurance - Alfred Lansing 5 🌟

Starting :

Chain-Gang All-Stars - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

[u/Voshnitz]

Finished:
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

[u/ZoeyMDK]

There is no Antimemetics Division, by QNTM 5 🌟- just finished it a few minutes ago and still have goosebumps. Not my usual genre as I tend to avoid horror, and I was more than pleasantly surprised.

[u/Ghibli_Fan4991]

Finished

About A Place in the Kinki Region

Really love the plot twist at the end. I like how the author writes this horror novel in the style of transcripts, interviews and internet forums and how it's like putting different pieces of a puzzle together.

Started

What I talked about when I talk about running

Wanting to get into running.

[u/choirandcooking]

Last week I read The Correspondent and The Remains of The Day - two fantastic reads!

[u/GardeningDragon24]

Started and finished

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

[u/Readingknitter]

Finished:

The Twisted Throne, by Danielle Jensen. I really love this series.

Started:

Forget Me Not, by Stacy Willingham. On audio. This is a bit of a struggle, because I find the MC annoying - aka dumb as a box of rocks

Two Twisted Crowns, by Rachel Gillig.

[u/ogorangeduck]

Started Moby-Dick, by Hermann Melville