BOOK POOL CHALLENGE - FEB/MARCH 2025

[Erica]

Awesome, nice to have you join Samantha :) I'll add those books to the pool tomorrow. Until then, consider them included.

[Angie]

I'm planning on starting with Cherrywood, then either Lonely Castle or Hine Toa.

[Erica]

Book pool is up to date and final. Happy Reading everyone! :)

[Kerry]

I've made a start with Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart. So far so good.

[Erica]

That'll teach me for doing things quickly. I put this comment in last year's thread. Thanks Kat for spotting my error.

As it's Feb 1 you can start logging books you read from the Pool over Feb and March. Please post something like the below so I can tally it up as we go.

Number of books read
Book Title
Rating
Thoughts

[Jennifer]

#1
Sense and Sensibility
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’d seen the movie but I had never read the book. I’m so glad I have! I just loved the language and the etiquette of those times!
Jane Austen drew wonderful characters in this book and she described emotion so well. I loved every delicious word ❤️
An extra pleasure was reading my late mother’s copy published in 1958 before I was born. The pages were like tissue paper.

[Erica]

Great you enjoyed it Jennifer, and how nice you had a special copy to read. Lovely start to the challenge :)
I'm halfway through my book Breath and I'm loving the writing and the tension at times.

[Jennifer]

Sounds great Erica. Glad you are liking it! It’s on my ‘to read’ list 😁

[Erica]

Book #1
Breath by Tim Winton
5*

This is only the second of Winton's books I've read but I can see why he's considered one of Aussie's biggest writers. He really knows how to set a tone and his descriptions are beautiful without being overdone.
I'm not a surfer or an adrenaline junkie haha but for me this book was more about friendship, teenage idols, and facing your fears. Surfing was just the backdrop on which the story was painted.



Next up I think I'll read the Isabel Allende, I love her stories too :)

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I have put a reserve on Rivers of London as it still out on loan. I have started Girls' High which so far has a real 90s NZ feel.

[Kat]

Book 1 for me done.
Martina Cole, Betrayal
Three stars
A little disappointed with this book. I'm a fan of her work but this one was quite repetitive.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

#1
Number of books read - 1
Book Title Girls' High
Rating 2★
Thoughts; Other than the nice turn of phrase & the Kiwisms, it was hard to believe that the same author wrote Portrait of the Artist's Wife the following year. The characters didn't come alive for me at all.

[Erica]

Some hits and some misses to start off the reading. I'll update the book pool scores soon. I'm waiting for the Allende to come in at my library

[Kerry]

Book #1

Title: Nine Coaches Waiting
Rating: 3.5 stars
Not as good as I expected but an entertaining enough romance/thriller set in France.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Kerry wrote: "Book #1

Title: Nine Coaches Waiting
Rating: 3.5 stars
Not as good as I expected but an entertaining enough romance/thriller set in France."

The first time I read this one I wasn't that impressed but I liked it much more the second time around.

[Erica]

Scores are up to date :)

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

#1 Carol
Book # 2 Yellowface
Rating 4.5★
Thoughts; I wolfed this book down in two days. Great points about the book world - Goodreads is mentioned a number of times!

[Jennifer]

#2
Dark Matter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really liked this book. Interesting concept but the multiverse did my head in a bit 😂 I found it quite bleak in parts but it was certainly a good thriller!
I read Blake Crouch’s book Recursion last month. I think I prefer it by a smidge. I would be keen to read more of his books, perhaps after this challenge!

[Kat]

I forgot to post earlier, that I finished Anne of Green Gables. It's one of my mums favourite books, so I have always wanted to read it.

Book number 2 - Anne of Green Gables
4 stars, such a cute read.

[Kat]

Finished this one today!

Kat
Book number 3
The Daughter of the Fens
4 stars

Was a good read, a couple of the characters I found a little annoying, but I enjoyed the historic characters more.

[Jennifer]

#3
Slow Horses
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A classic spy novel which I enjoyed very much. It was full of twists and turns and betrayals. Action and clever feints.
I recommend this book to all those who like spy stories or thrillers.

[Erica]

You guys have been busy!

[Kerry]

Book #2

The Air Raid Book Club
3 stars
Light read centred on a bookseller and her community living in southernmost London during WW2.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Jennifer wrote: "#3
Slow Horses
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A classic spy novel which I enjoyed very much. It was full of twists and turns and betrayals. Action and clever feints.
I recommend this book to all those who like spy st..."

I must get back to this series!

[Kerry]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Nine Coaches Waiting - I liked it much more the second time around.."

I liked her books set in Greece (Moonspinner & My Brother Michael) so will be reading more.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Kerry wrote: "Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Nine Coaches Waiting - I liked it much more the second time around.."

I liked her books set in Greece (Moonspinner & My Brother Michael) so will be reading more."

My favourite is This Rough Magic, but The Moonspinners was really good as well.

[Erica]

I'll update scores tonight :)

[Jennifer]

#4
Yellowface
⭐️⭐️ 1/2

I just didn’t like this book very much but I persisted to the bitter end! I loved R.F. Kuang’s other book Babel but I just didn’t like the protagonist in Yellowface which made it hard-going.

Onto Orbital next!

[Erica]

Book #2
Of Love and Shadows by Isabel Allende
4*

I think this is the 5th book of Allende's I've read and I've thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I think as I've gotten older I really appreciate her writing style even more. She's an incredible writer.

[Erica]

was Orbital in the Bookpool? I couldn't see it on the list, but did I miss someone's nomination of it? Will have a more thorough look tonight

[Kat]

book number 4
Yellow face
4 stars
It made me quite anxious to start with, but I enjoyed it by the end.

[P.D.R.]

Argh! Saving the library got in the way along with being in the hospital and coping with a couple of funerals.

[Jennifer]

Erica wrote: "was Orbital in the Bookpool? I couldn't see it on the list, but did I miss someone's nomination of it? Will have a more thorough look tonight"

Oh dear. Sorry. I thought it was at one point but it isn't there now!! Sorry. I'll delete my comment.

Embarrassing ....

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

P.D.R. wrote: "Argh! Saving the library got in the way along with being in the hospital and coping with a couple of funerals."

Yikes!

Don't worry p.d.r. this is a stress free challenge. :)

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

#1 here with

Book #3
Rivers of London 3★ Finished 28/2

After a wonderfully funny start, this book tailed off for me. Too crowded, but friends have assured me that Book #2 is much better & my local library has the complete series, so I might carry on.

[Jennifer]

P.D.R. wrote: "Argh! Saving the library got in the way along with being in the hospital and coping with a couple of funerals."
Sorry to hear you have had a challenging time! I hope you are recovering swiftly from your hospital stay <3

[Erica]

And we're into March - half way point of the challenge :) I'm really enjoying what I'm reading so far!

I've updated the scores.

[Erica]

Book #3
Anne of Green Gables
4*

Thoroughly enjoyed this read. Anne is one of the most fun literary characters out there imo :) This probably would've been a 5* read if I'd read it before seeing the tv show Anne with an E (which I loved). I'm looking forward to reading more in the series later this year hopefully.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Erica wrote: "And we're into March - half way point of the challenge :) I'm really enjoying what I'm reading so far!

I've updated the scores."

& I'm back to Of Love and Shadows

'Enjoy' might be to strong a word, but this is one powerful book!

[Kat]

Book 5
Lady Macbeth
Four stars
This was another good book, I enjoyed the mythology of this one!

[Darkpool]

Book 1 (finally on the board)
The Women
five stars!
Interesting, well written, made me want to shout at the characters at times, and now I'm sad it's finished. Thank you to the nominee, and to everyone else who has recommended it

[Stacey-Beth]

I’ve finally finished The Women by Kristin Hannah
Book number 1
Rating 4

For ages I’ve wanted to read this book. I found it very heavy though, which makes sense considering it’s a book dedicated to the women who served as nurses in the Vietnam war.
I found that the book influenced my mood and made me feel a bit raw and low. The way the author was able to make me feel like that shows how well the book was written. I think what made it a bit heavier for me was due to me also being a nurse and so I felt a bit more connected to these women.
I did find the book very predictable, however. I was able to predict so many things in this book that it made it less of an enjoyable read. Good book but glad I’ve finished it. Looking forward to reading a more light and fun book next

[Jennifer]

#5
The Air Raid Book Club
5 stars

I loved this book! It had many elements I like in a book - unlikely friendships, love and loss, a book club and historical fiction to boot! Highly recommended :)

[Erica]

Damn looks like some great reading :) I'll have to add The Air Raid Book Club to my TBR.

I've started Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship that Saved Yosemite and really enjoying the atmosphere of a relatively empty California and U.S wilderness and people "discovering" the wonders of Yosemite Valley.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

#1
Book #4 Finished 05/03
Of Love and Shadows
5★

Beautifully written & powerfully told tale, part of it is based on a true story.

[Jennifer]

#6
Breath
3 stars
The beginning of the book was very dramatic but I think it somehow lost its way. The common thread throughout the book was breath and breathing, as you might expect. I'm not sure why but it didn't grab me. I was a little disappointed. Interesting info about surfing though.

[Jennifer]

Erica wrote: "Damn looks like some great reading :) I'll have to add The Air Raid Book Club to my TBR.

I've started Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship that Saved Yosemite an..."

I played an interesting board game about the John Muir Trail so might add this to my to read :)

[Kat]

Ok, Sorry. I had to give up on A Little Life. I just couldn't get into it. It's slowed me right down haha. So that's a DNF for me.

[Jennifer]

#7
Betrayal
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

A rip-roaring page-turner! It looked like a huge book when I collected it at the library but the print was large and the chapters short. Not quite a 4⭐️ but I liked it.
It was about a crime family with themes of survival, addiction, abuse but also love and family loyalty.

[Angie]

#1
Cherrywood
3 stars

The beginning was good. I liked the shift in time between Edinburgh and Melbourne. I also really enjoyed Martha's character - curious, intelligent and empathetic. But I was left wanting a bit more at the end and felt a few things weren't clearly explained or given an ending.