What are you reading in 2017?

[Paul]

Emma wrote: "I'm currently reading In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park. It's about her life in and escape from North Korea. It's fascinating so far. Not a happy read but an insightful one."

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea is worth reading too Emma.

I am couple of chapters into The January Man: A Year of Walking Britain. Good so far

[Jo]

I agree with Paul about Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea. It was one of our first reads in our Book Club and we still talk about it at every single meeting nearly 6 years later - every member gave it five stars, a feat which has never been repeated.

[Toyah]

About to start The Hobbit. I've only had it several years! I was going to read one of the Tom Holts I've got but not got round to yet but someone reminded me of The Hobbit.

[Paul]

I first read that several millennia ago!

[Wendy]

Just started All the Light We Cannot See Feel as though I'm very late to the party with this one and loving it so far

[Bkwmlee]

Wendy wrote: "Just started All the Light We Cannot See Feel as though I'm very late to the party with this one and loving it so far"


Loved All the Light We Cannot See! It’s one of my favorite books so far this year!

I’m currently reading The Chilbury Ladies' Choir and The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley (both ARCs that I received but hadn't gotten around to reading yet). I just started so haven’t gotten very far yet but enjoying both books so far.

[Annie]

I'm reading Walking Home: A Poet's Journey by Simon Armitage ... just the light relief I needed in a week where the entire family succumbed to the norovirus.

I've come by a USA paperback edition and I much prefer the format.

[Paul]

Oh that sounds horrible Annie. Hope they all recover soon. I liked that when i read it, and have got his sequel Walking Away to read at some point

[Annie]

Paul wrote: "Oh that sounds horrible Annie. Hope they all recover soon. I liked that when i read it, and have got his sequel Walking Away to read at some point"

Thanks Paul. Horrible barely covers it - I wouldn't wish this vileness on anyone - but taking to my bed with a book has been some small consolation.

I notice that in your review of Armitage's book you quote my favourite line: "Prose fills a space, like a liquid poured in from the top”

[Paul]

It is such a wonderful line. Poets seem to write the most amazing non-fiction. have you read Sightlines or Edgelands?

[Louisereviews]

Just started All Fall Down by Tom Bale. Not loving it so far, it's just ok. Got a copy of Poison City by PaulCrilly today and really looking forward to that.

[Bkwmlee]

Just finished The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley, which has a publication date of March 28th. Good book, liked it more than I thought I would given the "gritty" storyline. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bkwmlee]

Just finished The Chilbury Ladies' Choir. Great book, really enjoyed it! Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Paul]

Currently reading The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory and Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters at the moment

[Wendy]

Just starting The Goldfinch what a brick of a book - this may take a little time! Very much enjoying it so far though

[Paul]

Currently reading Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist. Good so far.

[Paul]

Just starting Walking the Americas

[Joy]

I'm reading The Lead Cloak, which was free for Kindle. I'm finding it a really good sci-fi.

[Jo]

Just starting Mad Girl.

[Paul]

Just started Foxes Unearthed: A Story of Love and Loathing in Modern Britain

[Toyah]

I'm just about to start Old Goriot (Father Goriot) by Honore de Balzac for my next book group meeting in May

[Lisa]

I have read some very good books in the past month.

The Nix

"The Nix a Norwegian shapeshifting water spirt. A woman growing up in 1960's Iowa who goes off to college in Chicago during the Democratic Convention and protests. It tells how she is expected to behave and the choices she makes. She settles, has a family and is an unhappy soul. Flash forward to 2011. Her and her son Sam and been estranged for 20 years until she makes front page news for attacking a presidential candidate. Now the story opens up and goes back and forth between Sam and his story growing up, becoming a professor, dealing with a crazy student and escaping into "elves" a video game that takes him away from his life.

This is an engaging story that tells of different people, the choices(good and bad) they make and and even with the pain they can start again."


A Gentleman in Moscow



And my favorite so far this year:
Christodora





And now I am reading two books. I am not far enough into them to tell how they will be.
Crossing to Safety which was recommended to me for the beautiful writing.

and
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales which has been on my TR list for quite some time.

[Bkwmlee]

Just finished The Barrowfields this weekend. Excellent book that is extremely well-written. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Paul]

Big block to read in the next week or so:
The Tidal Zone
Mend the Living
The Peregrine
The Leaping Hare
Hidden Nature: A Voyage of Discovery
The Book of English Folk Tales

[Catherine]

Currently reading 2 books, a challenge and a monthly read, but there are three books I am lining up to read next and which fall in neither category and are:

The Running Hare: The Secret Life of Farmland
Summer: An Anthology for the Changing Seasons
The Pale Horseman

[Jo]

I am reading Homegoing for my Book Club. Had never heard of it before and I absolutely love it so far.

[Paul]

Just starting The Book of English Folk Tales today

[Catherine]

That looks very interesting Paul, I've added it to my tbr

[Paul]

Not helping make it any shorter am I!! Sorry. Was worth reading. Might be one for me to keep I think.

Most of the way through Strange Labyrinth: Outlaws, Poets, Mystics, Murderers and a Coward in London's Great Forest. Very different take on a landscape / natural history book, but good though

[Paul]

Just starting Falcon by Helen Macdonald. Good so far.

[Wendy]

Recently began Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin it's proving to be quite a page turner so far!

[Bkwmlee]

Finished reading a wonderful book yesterday: All the Best People by Sonja Yoerg. Gave it 5 stars and also was able to use it for my A to Z challenge! My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Paul]

Most of the way through Swimming with Seals which has been really good so far.

[Joy]

I'm reading The Last of the Bowmans which is light and entertaining. It reminds me of books I've read by David Nobbs -a similar wry style.

[Paul]

Next block of books to read are:
The Nature of Autumn by Jim Crumley
Pedal Power: Inspirational Stories from the World of Cycling by Anna Hughes
On the Marshes by Carol Donaldson
Wild Kingdom: Bringing Back Britain's Wildlife by Stephen Moss
The Swordfish and the Star: Life on Cornwall's Most Treacherous Stretch of Coast by Gavin Knight

[Pat]

May try the Cornish one. Love that part of Cornwall- off season.

[Paul]

It is a warts and all portrait of the coast and its fishermen

[Jo]

I am reading When Breath Becomes Air and Local Girl Missing

[Paul]

When Breath Becomes Air is very sad.

[Jo]

Paul, I am almost holding my breath, about three quarters of the way through and have been several "hold on to it" moments so far. He writes so well, it's so heartfelt and utterly real without being over-sentimental. Tissues ready for the final stage.

[Paul]

Lucy's tribute is quite special

[Patricia]

Paul wrote: "When Breath Becomes Air is very sad."

I didn't feel the weight of sadness in this as much as I did in Behind the Beautiful Forevers. But, yes, it is very touching and emotional. Like Jo, I found myself almost holding my breath.

[Paul]

Just started Dadland: A Journey into Uncharted Territory, good so far though it does feel a little disjointed

[Mike]

Am writing something about Stefan Zweig for my blog at the moment so have been trying him - Burning Secret, Angst and next I'll try his only full-length novel, Beware of Pity. Feeling so far: he was perhaps not a great writer, but he was certainly a good one.

[Mike]

Joy wrote: "I'm reading The Last of the Bowmans which is light and entertaining. It reminds me of books I've read by David Nobbs -a similar wry style."

I have the Anna Hughes book on order. Looking forward to that. Have just read the American equivalent, Bike Snob: Systematically & Mercilessly Realigning the World of Cycling.

[Paul]

It's All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels by Robert Penn is well worth reading too

[Jo]

I am reading (nearly finished) Before the Fall and listening to Gone Astray

[Joy]

I've just started Be My Enemy, the first I've read by Christopher Brookmyre. And possibly the last. Good grief the man is long-winded! A character's phone vibrates at the top of page 95 and he finally takes the call at the bottom of page 98. The interim is filled with a discussion of the etiquette of mobile use in public and a detailed description of the particular mobile. Can I stand any more?!

[Cathy]

Currently reading The Master by Colm Tóibín, about Henry James. Very good so far.

[Sally]

Joy wrote: "I've just started Be My Enemy, the first I've read by Christopher Brookmyre. And possibly the last. Good grief the man is long-winded! A character's phone vibrates at the top of page ..."

I haven't read this Brookmyre book yet but the first two in this series were very good.