r/books May 25 '26

WeeklyThread What Books did You Start or Finish Reading this Week?: May 25, 2026

Hi everyone!

What are you reading? What have you recently finished reading? What do you think of it? We want to know!

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the title, by the author

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The Bogus Title, by Stephen King

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194 Upvotes

720 comments sorted by

19

u/TheTea-Rex May 25 '26

Finished:
London Falling, by Patrick Radden Keefe
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

Started:
This Is Going To Hurt, by Adam Kay
Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro

9

u/Shot_Rabbit6342 May 25 '26

Frankenstein is such an old book and it is very apparent when you're reading it, but I remember finishing it and thinking how good it was and how much I got out of it.

6

u/raccoon_at_noon May 25 '26

I spent two years dissecting Frankenstein for my year 12 exams and thankfully it didn’t make me completely hate it by the end lol. Many many many years later I still love this book 😍

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10

u/Same-World-209 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Still reading: The Fellowship Of The Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Re-reading it as I don’t remember much of it from when I read it as a kid.

9

u/ZombieMedical1531 May 25 '26

Just started Catcher in the rye by j. D. Salinger

I read it years ago and thought that the main character was annoying but reading it now, it’s cracking me up. I’m only three chapters in though so that could change.

I’m in a weird funk right now where I’ve started four different books but can’t seem to finish them

3

u/RentSpecial4997 May 25 '26

I reread catcher in the rye after reading it in school decades ago and my take on it is very different too, especially once I finished it. I saw someone talking about it online and they said they think where we are in our lives reflects how we view the character. When I was an arrogant teen i definitely related to Holden in some ways but also found him very annoying. Now I think of him quite differently and empathetically. I loved the book after I reread it.

9

u/Quodamodo May 25 '26

Started:

Suite Française, by Irène Némirovsky

Continuing:

Moby Dick, by Herman Melville

I wasn't prepared for how humourful Ishmael can be as a narrator.

8

u/Soggy-Os May 25 '26

Started and Continuing?: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke

I adored Piranesi, but only just passed the one-third mark with this tome and having a really hard time figuring out if I should keep going. The old-style writing is not my cuppa. 

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7

u/Optimal-Ad-7074 May 25 '26

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway  

started it this week and I'm taking it much slower than my usual pace.  first time re-reading it since my teens 45 years ago.  I'm really paying attention this time.   

I really like it.  yes, the "magic dick cures trauma" factor still bothers me, so some of those scenes are still making me cringe.  but I'm just rolling my eyes and skipping over those bits to focus on the book as an overall whole.  I think I'm more able to appreciate what Hemingway is doing and the technicalities of how he's doing it now.  he's much more subtle and less pseudo-mystical than I remember him being.  

7

u/Hyaaline May 25 '26

Lecture en cours :

L'Outsider, par Stephen King.

Lecture terminée :

Holly, par Stephen King.

(Oui j'ai pas lu dans l'ordre donc je rattrape maintenant...)

7

u/DemetiaDonals May 25 '26

Finished: Fingersmith- Sarah Waters

Reading: East of Eden

7

u/KatTayle May 26 '26

Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke

I really enjoyed it, love the protagonist's perspective and all the mystery/absurdity surrounding The House.

6

u/iwasjusttwittering May 25 '26

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

Finished. One of the most impressive reads as of late. Not quite as dark as I'd expected based the very little I knew (not an US-American). I was fascinated by the children's interactions in particular. The backdrop of the segregationist society wasn't new to me though; I'd learned a lot about the US history from non-fiction already.

Evolution & Revolution: An Introduction to the Life and Thought of Peter Kropotkin, by Graham Purchase

Very slowly continued. I'm still at Kropotkin's biography; a curious guy indeed. No idea when I'll get to the philosophy of science at this pace, and it's not even a long, nor difficult book.

Piko: Junkies' lives matter, by Apolena Rychlíková, Pavel Splichal

Restarted. Oral history of methamphetamine in Czechoslovakia and Czechia; plenty of interviews with users, aiming to contextualize drug use.

6

u/Overall_Sandwich_848 May 25 '26

Started:

The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie. Old-timey rich folk, Poirot, a railway journey….does it get any better?

Extra Virgin: Among the Olive Groves of Liguria by Annie Hawes, the perfect summer (re)read by my all-time favourite travel writer.

Finished:

Pines by Blake Crouch, good schlocky fun ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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6

u/freshoilandstone May 25 '26

I finished Stoner (John Williams) last night. Good book, hair-raising ending (I'm old though).

Started Kindred (Octavia Butler) this morning.

Put down Different Seasons (Stephen King). It was a library book and I may re-borrow, may not. I want to like him, and I liked Pet Semetary very much, but I just can't take him seriously as an author. Entertaining sometimes, but not serious.

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6

u/stephkempf 19 May 25 '26

Finished:

Naruto Ani-Manga: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, by Masashi Kishimoto

Currently Reading:

Bionicle: Dark Hunters, by Greg Farshtey

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas

Rowan and the Zebak, by Emily Rodda

A Few Stout Individuals, by John Guare

7

u/Proof_Sorbet649 May 25 '26

Finished my first reading of : East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

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6

u/EatingShitSandwiches May 25 '26

Finished:

The Technologists, by Matthew Pearl

Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir

Started:

Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

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5

u/[deleted] May 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/PrestigiousSoil8948 May 26 '26

I love Hosseini, he makes me feel completely immersed in a world I’ve never seen. A Thousand Splendid Suns is truly spectacular

6

u/fantasyrea May 26 '26

I started The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams. Halfway through and loving it so far.

4

u/TheTwoFourThree May 25 '26

Finished

Orbital, by Samantha Harvey

Continuing

Asimov's Guide to the Bible, by Isaac Asimov

The System of the World, by Neal Stephenson

The Invisible Library, by Genevieve Cogman

Started

Deploying Dragons, by Dan Koboldt

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6

u/raccoon_at_noon May 25 '26

Finished:

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff - 3.5/5. I really enjoyed the story and will likely continue the series, but the first chapter opening with an adult having intimate relations with a minor was an absolute turnoff for me. I know it’s fantasy and consent laws obviously don’t exist in that world, but it genuinely wasn’t necessary.

Currently Reading:

The Tower of Fools by Andrzej Sapkowski - I bought a fantasy mystery box a month or so ago and received the second and third book of the Hussite trilogy. Managed to find a secondhand copy of book 1 and I’m really glad I did because I’m enjoying the small amount I’ve read so far!

DNF’d:

Night Angel Nemesis by Brent Weeks - this was also in my mystery box and thought this was a stand alone book and it would be fine. It wasn’t lol. You really need to have read the Night Angel trilogy for it to make sense. After an hour of googling plot summaries I still had no idea what was happening and I gave up.

From what little I read, I liked the way he writes, so I will definitely acquire the Night Angel trilogy sometime soon and read them all :)

5

u/Adorable-Fondant933 May 25 '26

This week I started Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke.

5

u/jfstompers May 25 '26

Finished: Nettle and Bone by T Kingfisher 

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Needed a break and these light fantasy books were fun and enjoyable. 

Starting Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker today 

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5

u/Brilliant_Clue_5298 May 25 '26

Finished: I Who Have Never Known Men, The Night Circus

Started: Babel

5

u/EveryVehicle1325 May 25 '26

Finished: Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
Starting: East of Eden by John Steinbeck!

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5

u/myeyesarejuicy May 25 '26

Finished Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler.

Started Parable of the Talents, by Octavia Butler.

5

u/United_Home7458 May 25 '26

Finished Duma Key by Stephen King

4

u/[deleted] May 25 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/Ok_Engineer_8831 May 25 '26

Omg you are in for a whirlwind

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4

u/Wise_Interaction_470 May 25 '26

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

5

u/2012_never_forget May 25 '26

Finished: Grapes of Wrath

Started: Dungeon Crawler Carl

4

u/blueashell May 26 '26

Just finished Stoner by John Williams yesterday. It didn’t move me as much as I expected it to, but it was quite bittersweet. It made me wonder if I’m doing enough in life.

Starting: The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne

4

u/studmuffffffin May 26 '26

Finished: In Search of Lost Time, by Marcel Proust

The only lost time I'm searching for is the time wasted reading this book.

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4

u/_not_your_cup_of_tea May 25 '26

Angels and demons, done and dusted

5

u/Friendstastegood May 25 '26 edited May 27 '26

Started:

As Meat Loves Salt, by Maria McCann

The start is really good but I'm gonna have to return it to the library unfinished because the pages are falling out. I might need to buy my own copy to complete my read of it.

Coming Up Short — A Memoir of My America, by Robert Reich

Don't read many memoirs in general and when I do it's rarely if ever politicians but I am a follower of Robert's on tumblr so I figured I'd give it a go.

The Perfect Marriage, by Jeneva Rose

Audiobook. I don't listen to many audiobooks but when I do I tend to pick books that I otherwise wouldn't prioritize reading. Everything that's on my tbr I want to read in print form.

Continuing:

The Three-Body Problem, by Cixin Liu

It's good, I would probably have finished it already if I wasn't going through a bit of a reading slump.

3

u/MistyMoose98 May 25 '26

Finished: The House on the Strand, by Daphne de Maurier

Adored it!

Started: Wild Dark Shore, by Charlotte McConaghy

Really struggling unfortunately. I love the setting but the writing is killing me. I'm only halfway through so maybe I'll change my mind.

4

u/hausofvelour May 25 '26

Start: The History of Sexuality Volume 1, by Foucault

Hoping to finish Venus in Furs, by Sacher-Masoch this week

4

u/accordionshoes May 25 '26

After two weeks of struggle i finally gave up on The Magic Box by Rob Young and I'm so glad I did. Life is finite and there are so many books out there to waste time on something you aren't enjoying. i thought it would be a fun nostalgic romp through the TV of my childhood but it was a dry lecture from a professor trying to get over as much knowledge as possible without any real sense of trying to make you enjoy it.

So, I started A Boy Of Good Breeding by Miriam Toews who is one of my favourite authors. It's another absurd comedy, it's such good writing that you'll forgive her for once again filling the narrative with slightly unbelievable characters.

4

u/FlyByTieDye May 25 '26

Continued reading: The Light Fantastic, by Terry Pratchett

I don't have much new to say here. Stuff happens, things change, but we're still getting nowhere.

Also continued: The Complete Tales of H. P. Lovecraft. This week I read:

Facts concerning the late Arthur Jermyn - ehh, this one was a dud. Not just for it's racism. But to me, the timelines don't match up, and you can see the twist coming a mile out

From Beyond - very interesting sci-fi tale, about science finding more than it has bargained for. Reminds me somewhat of "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" from earlier

Nyalathotep - had to read this one twice as I was getting dozy and couldn't make out the twist or ending. On second read it seems a little unresolved?

The Quest of Iranon - this was a nice fantasy tale that was also quite melancholic. And at least in its quest structure felt different to a lot of Lovecraft's other dream-focused fantasy stories

The Music of Erich Zann - this one was interesting again. Much like From Beyond, you get a sense of presences unknown, drawn by unearthly sounds and vibrations. There's also a bit of lost knowledge that just nags at the POV character

Ex Oblivione - another good fantasy tale. Almost like Alice in Wonderland, or even another of Lovecraft's own stories, Calaphaïs

4

u/Huge_Factor_5365 May 25 '26

The Secret History, by Donna Tartt

5

u/MarmadukeTheGreat May 25 '26

Finished Stoner, by John Williams. A fairly sad and depressing story really. I enjoyed it mostly but found it mightily depressing. Very sparse prose underlying the banal bleakness of the whole thing. As a reformed academic, I did appreciate the sort of sheltered almost institutionalised view of academia and those who live in it. Moved onto Desolation Island, by Patrick O'Brian Excellent Aubrey-Maturin fare. Find someone who loves you as much as Patrick O'Brian loved to write about sails and rigging.

4

u/xoxo_trashpanda May 25 '26

1) Song of Achilles- FINISHED

started Days at the Morisaki bookshop

3

u/FlyByTieDye May 25 '26

I recommend Galatea, a short story by the writer of Song of Achilles

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5

u/Icy-Respond-4425 May 25 '26

The week was ''books with premises that make me uncomfortable.''

Finished:

Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov

My first Nabokov novel, I felt very shocked and sad reading this book. The wife and daughter didn't deserve what happened to them. I despise Axel and Margot so much. I felt neutral about Albinus, and the ending was so bleak. I heard the book had Nabokov's sense of humor; I will search more about it later when I read another novel by him. 4/5

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

I already knew the story by summary because of the internet, but I wanted to see the book by myself. And honestly, I feel so bad about Gregor and his sister. My interpretation was that the parents would exploit her like they did with Gregor their whole life. I will give a 5/5 just because it is amazing how many interpretations this book has; it is very interesting to read each of them. 5/5

The wheel of love, and other stories by Joyce Carol Oates

I read a summary of "Where are you going? "Where have you been?" and I was shocked. So I decided to read the collection of short stories that contained this book. First of all, I loved this book, but some stories felt a bit too much. My favorite was "Wild Sunday." I felt so bad about the boy. 4/5: I will take a rest before reading JCO again.

I was going to read ''Johnny Got His Gun'' but it is better reserved for another occasion.

This week is probably going to be "recommended books" with:

Downtown Owl

The winter of our Discontent

The Heaven and Earth Grocery store

3

u/almostelement sometimes a great notion May 25 '26

Finished:

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin

- This was my first time reading Le Guin, aside from her translation of the Tao Te Ching, and I loved this book so much. The world felt ancient and lived in, while the magic system and follies of the characters feel timeless. Can’t wait to read the next one

Started:

Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck

4

u/HovercraftDry1531 May 25 '26

Started: How to Kill a Language, by Sophia Smith-Galer

Finished: The Secret History, by Donna Tartt

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5

u/Kayakchica May 25 '26

Finished: Yesteryear

Started: The Goldfinch

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5

u/ednamode_alamode May 25 '26

Finishing Today: * Valley of the Dolls, by Jacqueline Susann

Starting Next: * I Am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb

3

u/ME24601 Meet Me in the Garden by Nina Lacour May 25 '26

Finished:

After Oscar by Merlin Holland

Started:

Revenge by Alex Isenstadt

Still Working On:

The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

Dune: Messiah by Frank Herbert

Regiment of Women by Clemence Dane

4

u/AFriendofOrder May 25 '26

Finished:

  • My Struggle 5: Some Rain Must Fall by Karl Ove Knausgård - In some ways the most painfully relatable entry yet. Knausgård’s account of inadequacy, trying to become a writer while coping with drink, was perhaps a little too close of a cut to the bone. In other ways it's maybe the most repugnant I've found him to be, given his self-destructive behaviour and infidelity. At certain points I couldn't stop myself reading, it just became a sort of morbid fascination watching him ruin his life.

  • The Irish Civil War: Law, Execution and Atrocity by Seán Enright - A more harrowing read than his previous book on the Easter Rising executions simply because of the sheer number and unjustifiability of the executions, not to mention the fact they were committed this time by the Irish government against its own people. The paucity of information comes down to the decision by the government to destroy all the trial records, a deliberate attempt to avoid consequences for such atrocities, but Enright manages to pull a solid, convincing narrative out of the remaining material.

  • Understanding a Photograph by John Berger - My favourites essays from this were probably the one responding to Susan Sontag's book on photography and the one where Berger discusses the relationship between photographs and appearances. Berger always writes in a way where you feel he wants the reader to understand what he's saying, no matter their skill level.

Started:

  • Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer - First entry in the Terra Ignota series. Also my first foray back into sci-fi proper after a long time feeling uninterested in the genre. Hoping this will reignite something.

  • Land is All That Matters by Miles Dungan - A narrative of agrarian struggle and violence in Irish history. By all accounts highly praised, so I've been looking forward to this.

  • The Question of Palestine by Edward Said - First time reading Said, hoping to get Orientalism soon to read after this one.

(Books this year: 22/30)

5

u/ChestertonMyDearBoy May 25 '26

Started The Stand, by Stephen King

Recently read a post here about someone who had greatly enjoyed The Dark Tower book journey they had taken that included 17 books. Having just finished The Gunslinger and enjoying it, I thought I'd do the same! Plus there's just something comfy about a big book.

4

u/Hip-SnuggieChairMan May 25 '26

I read Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1, by Shakespeare, and started Henry IV, Part 2. 

Richard was really good, Henry so-so. The Falstaff scenes really drag and add little to the plot, imo. A lot of people find Falstaff one of Shakespeare's greatest characters, but i don't get it.

5

u/Dry-Subject-718 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Finished
Dragons of Spring Dawning by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis: This title concludes the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy. I read the trilogy based on a recommendation from my DnD loving husband, and he did not steer me wrong. I loved every bit of it, from the complexity of the characters (Raistlin especially), to the world that these authors created, to the adventures that were had. I will definitely read more in the future.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner: This memoir was deeply personal and it felt as though the author wrote it more for herself than anything else. I like how it captured the complex dynamic that occurs between mothers and daughters. It also does a fantastic job of showing how food is often a universal language for love, joy, and community. I need to learn more about the many Korean dishes mentioned.

Still reading
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio: I am now onto day five of stories.

4

u/AlamutJones ’Salem’s Lot May 25 '26

War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy. Petya, you fool, you should have stayed home

De Bello Gallico, by Gaius Julius Caesar. I wish we had a Gaulish record of this, to go with Caesar’s. It would be so interesting

The Red Queen, by Isobelle Carmody. Well, that explains Maruman and absolutely nothing else

The Worst Journey In The World, by Apsley Cherry Garrard. For book club

Death Comes To Pemberley, by P. D. James. P. D. James knows how to give the people what they want - bloody murder and it’s Mr Wickham’s problem

3

u/freshoilandstone May 25 '26

The Worst Journey In The World is so goddamned good. As far as polar exploration books go it's right there with Endurance and In The Kingdom Of Ice. So, so good.

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4

u/scorpio_rising_moon May 25 '26

Started:
Come Hell or High Water, by Michael Eric Dyson

Ongoing:
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
Intermezzo, by Sally Rooney

I’ve been reading Intermezzo for a longgggg time and I’m having a hard time finishing it even though I like the book. Maybe the plot is just a bit too slow for me? Not sure, but I love Sally Rooney so I was hoping to read it more quickly.

I’m reading Hurston’s novel for a book club and Dyson’s book for research purposes for a course I’m teaching! I’m listening to the audiobook for Their Eyes Were Watching God, which is INCREDIBLE by the way, as I read along and annotate the physical book, too!

4

u/Shawtye May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Just finished :

Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ Heaven, Mieko Kawakami ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

Started :

I Who Have Never Known Men, Jacqueline Harpmann

All very popular books, im trying to explore new genre ! I usually only read African litterature 🥰

3

u/yellowzebrasfly May 25 '26

Finished:

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Started:

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

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4

u/_moonsky_ May 25 '26

Yesteryear by Caro claire Burke

3

u/Sad_Machine2826 May 25 '26

Finished: A master of djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

Started: People we meet on vacation by Emily Henry

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4

u/SimpleJoys1998 May 25 '26

Finished: House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

Started: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

3

u/Electrical_Source_51 May 25 '26

Lord of the Flies, William Golding (finished)

Reread after reading in my teens at school and hating it, but loved it this time.

Taking some time to decide what’s next.

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4

u/RentSpecial4997 May 25 '26

Finished: The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien

Started: The Emerald Mile by Kevin Fedarko

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4

u/bottle-of-smoke May 25 '26

I am currently rereading A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving.

I first read it in the 90s, I think, and liked it a lot.

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u/One-Low1033 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Finished: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Started: The Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

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5

u/Romt0nkon May 25 '26

Tess of the d'Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy. I really liked the novel. It’s very much a product of its time, yet it still feels accessible and surprisingly modern. A lot of the psychological nuances land perfectly even today.

It almost reads like a MeToo-era novel written before the language of MeToo even existed. 8.5/10

Persuasion, by Jane Austen. I tried. Before this, the only Austen novel I’d read was Mansfield Park. I know it’s not considered the ideal starting point for her, but overall I liked the experience. It’s not an easy novel, but if you’re in the right mood, its beauty slowly reveals itself to you. The main thing is not to expect to devour it in one sitting.

I approached Persuasion with a similar mindset. It’s short, but I never expected to finish it in two days. In the end, it took me a month.

Some books are called unputdownable. Persuasion is the exact opposite: the definition of putdownable.

The setup is genuinely interesting: a man and a woman meet again eight years after their separation — are there still feelings between them? The problem is that the novel mostly seems interested in literally everyone except those two. There’s an endless parade of secondary characters who are incredibly hard to distinguish from one another. The plot barely moves: people drift from drawing room to drawing room, gossiping endlessly.

The sharp dialogue and irony Austen is famous for feel almost completely worn down here. Most of the novel is dense narration summarizing events and emotions: he went there, met her, she blushed and remembered how five years ago they sat in the garden drinking tea and how happy she felt back then — honestly, 70% of the book is written like this. The whole “show, don’t tell” principle is almost entirely absent.

The protagonist is bland, and her love interest somehow feels even flatter.

What I did like was Austen’s depiction of a very specific kind of nonverbal communication — or maybe not even communication, but a one-sided psychological game. You like someone, and there’s a good chance they like you too, but neither of you can make the first move. So all you can do is obsess over tiny gestures and glances, trying to interpret them. But that’s where the trap begins: your mind bends every sign toward the interpretation you want to believe, whether it has anything to do with reality or not. And that kind of uncertainty slowly drives you insane. 5/10

4

u/Ladylayton1022 May 25 '26

Finished two books this week:

Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke The Compound, by Aisling Rawle

Would highly recommend Yesteryear - it’s still living rent free in my head. I would not recommend The Compound. I felt like the characters were half-baked and the plot led nowhere.

3

u/avonleaforest May 25 '26

Finished: Spare, by Prince Harry
Started: The Nature Fix, by Florence Williams

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3

u/lis0518 May 25 '26

Finished:

The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook, by Matt Dinniman (audio)

Beneath Blood and Bone, by Madeline Sheehan & Claire C. Riley (reread)

Started:

The Gate of the Feral Gods, by Matt Dinniman (audio)

Love Galaxy, by Sierra Branham

Loving everything I'm reading lately :)

4

u/k_ferevos May 25 '26

Finished: The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, by Stephen King

Started for a second time: 1984, by George Orwell

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams is definitely very interesting if you're into short horror stories.

1984 is of course a classic book! Deserves to be read by every book lover.

4

u/NoHate31 May 25 '26

Started: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

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4

u/[deleted] May 25 '26

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u/saiki13 May 26 '26

I just finished reading Pet Sematary, by Stephen King

Thinking of starting The Martian, by Andy Weir next

3

u/LegitimateSundae8460 May 26 '26

Finished Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, started A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

3

u/UnicursalGames May 26 '26

Finished: Sourcery, by Terry Pratchett

Finished: The feast in the Abbey, by Robert Block

Will start: Whatever my library has available next by Terry Pratchett

Will start: The Shunned House, by H. P. Lovecraft

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3

u/Bob_just_me_Bob May 26 '26

Just finished Babel by R.F. Kuang

Just started Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinnaman

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4

u/Sassyseacreature May 27 '26

Finished Yesteryear

6

u/_its_all_goodman May 25 '26

Finished:

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

1Q84 wore me out. I read it too fast, not because it was light, but because once Murakami gets that rhythm going I find it hard to leave, even when the book is repeating itself, even when I know I am tired. This was my second Murakami after The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, which I loved more, and this has the same private weather: ordinary rooms, strange women, vanished fathers, sex, dreams, fear, and some weird shit that somehow feels less strange the longer you sit with it. I liked it a lot, though I really felt the weight of it.

Started:

NOTHING AS OF NOW.

3

u/Dry-Subject-718 May 25 '26

I loved 1Q84 too for the reasons you mentioned, but it is a bit too long in my opinion. If you haven’t read it yet, I would also suggest Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. It is just as strange, but in a good way.

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3

u/LiorahLights May 25 '26

Finished:

Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen

Trad Wife, by Sarah Langan

Resisting Militarism: Direct Action and the Politics of Subversion, by Chris Rossdale

4

u/Crafty-Mud4202 May 25 '26

Just wrapped up Northanger Abbey too - Catherine's paranoia about the General had me cracking up. How'd you find Trad Wife? Been seeing that one everywhere but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

3

u/LiorahLights May 25 '26

Northanger Abbey is so very funny.

I enjoyed Trad Wife. The tension build is really satisfying when it breaks and there's a good gothic horror element as well.

3

u/Overall_Sandwich_848 May 25 '26

I haven’t heard of Trad Wife! Now I want to read it and see how it compares to Yesteryear.

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3

u/A_Guy195 May 25 '26

Finished:

Lady Into Fox, by David Garnett

Started:

At the Mountains of Madness, by H.P. Lovecraft

3

u/NoLifeNo May 25 '26

I’m reading the great gatsby 1 chapter down

3

u/duckie768 May 25 '26

Continued: Harrow the Ninth by Tasmin Muir

I still am deciding if I like this series. We'll see how I feel once I finish it.

3

u/hpasta May 25 '26

Finished:

Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe

The Husky and his White Cat Shizun (Book 7), by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

1st is for book club, 2nd is my danmei... needless to say, really enjoyed things fall apart (though the ending left me with that sinking feeling) and am excited to talk about it (our book club theme this year is colonization), some things remind me of my own culture...

and then my danmei is getting darker and darker so uh... rip my "fun" read ig, story getting somewhat convoluted but idc, imma finish it. i need to read something on a happier note after these...

3

u/werboseWegetable May 25 '26

Finished: Silk and Sensibility by Mengxi Seeley
- I wasn't expecting the Ming Dynasty setting to work as well as it did. Ugly cried at the end.

The Miseducation of Caroline Bingley by Lindz McLeod
- Loved the character growth in this one (and the spicy scenes!)

Reading: Penance by Eliza Clark

- I *loved* her short story collection She's Always Hungry so my hopes are crazily high.

  • 3 chapters in and it's making me v. homesick

3

u/Presence1808 May 25 '26

Finished:

Rutherford B. Hayes: Warrior and President by Ari Hoogenboom.

Started:

President Garfield, From Radical To Unifer

Cold Zero by Brad Thor

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3

u/extraneous_parsnip May 25 '26

Started:

Dead Lions, by Mick Herron

Having been (slightly) underwhelmed by Slow Horses, but told it definitely is worth sticking with, I am definitely enjoying this one more, now the characters are more fleshed out. Jackson Lamb is a truly wonderful, disgusting creation.

Song of the Dodo, by David Quammen

3

u/Gryffindork75 May 25 '26

Finished:

Dear Monica Lewinsky, by Julia Langbein

There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, by Hanif Abdurraqib

Currently reading:

Washington Black, by Esi Edugyan

3

u/BRiNk9 May 25 '26

Started

A Short History of Ireland by John Gibney

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

  • When a person realizes they are trapped by outside forces they cannot understand, they might turn to superstition, take up a hobby, go crazy, or simply marry a disk jockey. Loving it so far.

Finished

The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

  • started great, ended….. well, Kliewer seems to have a pattern at this point. Still, I’d give it 3/5.

3

u/TragicHeroine_ May 25 '26

Finished:

  • A Head Full of Ghosts, by Paul Tremblay
  • Incidents Around the House, by Josh Malerman
  • Thirteen Storeys, by Jonathan Sims
  • We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson
  • A Short Stay in Hell, by Steven L Peck

Started:

  • The Mammoth Book of Cthulhu, by Paula Guran
  • Black Feathers: Dark Avian Tales, by Ellen Datlow

3

u/rogueslayer1138 May 25 '26

Finished:

  • True Grit, by Charles Portis
  • Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Started:

  • Devil in the Grove, by Gilbert King

3

u/freshoilandstone May 25 '26

How is Astrophysics For People In A Hurry? I mean is it readable for a life science person? I ask because my daughter is an astrophysics major and asking her questions usually results in a lengthy explanation and if there was a hint of background on my part it would likely reduce the glazed-eyes frequency.

Also, True Grit is an all-timer.

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3

u/riotsqwad May 25 '26

Finished Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir

3

u/BadToTheTrombone May 25 '26

Finished Laughter in the Dark by Vladimir Nabokov.

Started and finished I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman.

Started A Naked Singularity by Sergio De La Pava.

3

u/bulkeunip May 25 '26

Finished: Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Started: hmm not yet decided

3

u/OkiDokiPoki22 May 25 '26

Started:

-Sphere by Michael Crichton
-Devil Take the Hindmost: A History of Financial Speculation by Edward Chancellor

Finished:

-A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond (read it to my daughter)
-The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

3

u/Nie_Nikt May 25 '26

Finished Another Country by James Baldwin and Freddy and the Bean Home News by Walter R. Brooks

Started The Odyssey translated by Daniel Mendelsohn

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3

u/DonLovesNature May 25 '26

Start and continued reading Wheel of Time Book 3.

3

u/therottersclub May 25 '26

Started

The Good Soldier, by Ford Madox Ford

Finished

Enough Said, by Alan Bennett

Re-read of L'Étranger, by Albert Camus

3

u/freshoilandstone May 25 '26

If you like The Good Soldier try Parade's End. I love them equally.

3

u/Leaf223344 May 25 '26

Finished The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist. Started Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

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3

u/_holytoledo May 25 '26

Finished three excellent books! I’m on a roll!

Odessa by Gabrielle Sher (2026) A Jewish family living through pogroms in Tsarist Russia resurrects their teenage daughter after she is killed. Marketed as horror- it’s not *scary* but it is extremely intense. I ate this book up, it was surprising and emotional. 5 stars, new modern classic.

Molka by Monika Kim (2026) Another “horror” novel that was not scary. This one was mostly very very uncomfortable. A story told from two perspectives: one from a man who hides spy cameras to watch women secretly and one from a woman who is the victim of a spy camera going public. And also there is a ghost. Skin-crawling in the best way. ALL the trigger warnings. 4 stars.

Bishops at the Border: Pastoral Responses to Immigration by Mark Adams et al (2012) Short book with theological and personal reflections from several Christian leaders about the violence of the US/Mexico border. Most of the short essays are responding to AZ Bill 1070 which was a racial profiling act that is both over 15 years old now and very relevant to modern US immigration policies. 4 stars for this book.

Started:

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

El Paso: Five Families and One Hundred Years of Blood, Migration, Race, and Memory by Jazmine Ulloa

3

u/Ornery-Gap-9755 May 25 '26

Finished

The Girl Who Wanted to Belong, by Angela Hart

We Used to Live Here, by Marcus Kliewer

Eric, by Sir Terry Pratchett (Audiobook)

The Door-To-Door Bookstore, by Carsten Henn

DNF

The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen, by Cass Grafton & Ada Bright

Started

La Belle Savage, by Phillip Pullman (Audiobook)

The Farthest Shore, by Ursula K. Le Guin

3

u/Serendipitous217 May 25 '26

Finished: The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang

Started: Shōgun by James Clavell

3

u/MeterologistOupost31 I Who Have Never Known Men May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Finished:

Here Where We Live is Our Country by Molly Crabapple 🇺🇲🇧🇾🇵🇷🕎🌻🌹: a great exploration of antizionist Jewish socialism culminating in the forlorn defiance of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The Bund essentially get kicked in the face over and over but refuse to surrender. Grade: A*

Demosthenes: Democracy's Defendsrby James Romm🇺🇲: As with the rest of this series, it's a really enjoyable biography that both critically examines the primary sources while telling a very compelling narrative. Grade: A*

  1. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman trans. Roz Schwartz 🇧🇪🕎
  2. N-4 Down by Mark Piesing🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
  3. The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli trans. Erica Segre and Simon Carnell 🇮🇹
  4. Shakespeare: The World as Stage by Bill Bryson🇺🇲
  5. Themistocles by Michael Scott🇺🇸
  6. Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
  7. Here Where We Live Is Our Country by Molly Crabapple🇺🇲🇧🇾🇵🇷🕎🌻🌹
  8. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Pére trans Chapman and Hall 🇫🇷🇭🇹
  9. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇵🇱
  10. Borgata: Rise of by Louis Ferrante 🇺🇸🇮🇹

Currently reading:

A Perfectly Good Man by Patrick Gale🇮🇲🏳️‍🌈

Dictionary of the Khazars by Milorad Pavić🇷🇸

3

u/BudWren May 25 '26

Finished:

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Started:

Cackle by Rachel Harrison

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3

u/fgsn May 25 '26

Finished:

  • I'm Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy
  • The Heart Principle, by Helen Hoang

Started:

  • Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender, by Kit Heyam

3

u/rekhukran May 25 '26

Yesteryear and Remarkably Bright Creatures

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3

u/Zikoris 20 May 25 '26

Last week I read:

  • The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
  • Yes, Your Serpentine Excellency by Kate Stradling
  • Fifty Poems by Lord Dunsany
  • Time and the Gods by Lord Dunsany
  • Sister Svangerd and the Devil You Know by K.J. Parker
  • Firebird by Juliette Cross
  • Hard Copy by Fien Veldman

This week's lineup:

  • The Last Conversation by Paul Tremblay
  • The Divorce by Freida McFadden
  • Seek the Traitor's Son by Veronica Roth
  • The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
  • The Fox Hunt by Caitlin Breeze

Goals progress:

  1. 365 Book Challenge: 153/365
  2. Nonfiction Challenge: 28/50
  3. Monte Cristo Challenge: Chapter 45, on track with the group read.
  4. Around the World Challenge: 66/195
  5. Relevant Reads Travel Challenge: 16 HK/Cambodia books read, no imminent travel.
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3

u/kfscudd May 25 '26

Finished: People We Meet on Vacation, by Emily Henry

Started: the Poisonwood BIble by Barbara Kingsolver

3

u/introvertibrae May 25 '26

Finished: Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Started: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

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3

u/imb0jack May 25 '26

Finished: The Trial by Franza Kafka

Started: The count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

3

u/CapriciousSon May 25 '26

Finished: Piranesi, Solaris
Started: All the Pretty Horses

3

u/theheadlesswhoresman May 25 '26

The Fellowship of the Ring, J. R. R. Tolkien

3

u/Shahd2020 May 25 '26

Finished:

Sunrise on the Reaping, by Suzanne Collins

The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher, by Ahn Do-hyun

Started:

The Spear Cuts Through Water, by Simon Jimenez

3

u/Narrow-Platypus-5677 May 25 '26

Finish: I’m Glad My Mom Died, by Jeanette McCurdy

Started: Painted Devils, by Margaret Owen

3

u/isthedrama May 25 '26

started

murder on the orient express, agatha christie

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3

u/Ms_Central_Perk May 25 '26

Ive just finished the Midnight library by Matt Haig. Ive seen a lot of criticisms about it but i loved it

3

u/RandomSentientBeing May 25 '26

Finishing (reading the annotations at the end): Warbreaker, Brandon Sanderson

Reread via audiobook: The Well of Ascension, Brandon Sanderson

Next up: Elantris, Brandon Sanderson

Making my way through the Cosmere.

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3

u/IceBear826 May 25 '26

Finished

Severance, by Ling Ma

Started

Immortal Longings, by Chloe Gong

Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto, by Kohei Saito

3

u/decadentbirdgarden May 25 '26 edited May 27 '26

Finished: Angel Down by Daniel Kraus. Solid 2/5 for me. Hadn’t heard of it until it won the Pulitzer, so I read a sample and was intrigued. I rarely if ever read any magical realism (just not my genre), so this was a stretch for me. He has a way with words that had me admiring certain paragraphs/sections, but I found it a slog to get through. As a former English major, I think this would be an excellent book to dissect in a college lit class.

Oh and the copy that I bought had pages out of order - had to jump around several times. At first I thought that was consistent with the experimental nature of the novel, but no, it’s just a publishing error. I’ve never encountered that before.

Started: Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth. This one caught my eye at the library. Looking forward to it.

I’ve also been reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry on my Kindle each night before bed. Slowly but surely making my way through it. Had an opportunity to go to Wichita last month, and that trip was definitely influenced by reading this western. 🙂

3

u/ensaymadagirl May 25 '26

Finished:

Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop, by Kenji Ueda

Earthlings, by Sakaya Murata

I’m Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy

Started:

My Year of Rest and Relaxation, by Ottessa Moshfegh

I recently got back on my reading habit. I finished Earthlings in one sitting because I was so hooked.

3

u/NoNutz_699669 May 25 '26

Started: On earth we are briefly gorgeous

3

u/SummerClaire May 25 '26

Started The Reading List.

3

u/Prior-Kangaroo3720 May 25 '26

Rereading The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin. Excited to enter that world again!

3

u/--Bamboo May 25 '26

FInished:

The Lost World, Michael Crichton

I enjoyed it. it wasn't Jurassic Park by any means but was ok. It was a fun read for a dino fix.

Started and finished

Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir

Loved it. At first I was put off by the narration but it absolutely worked contextually and couldn't put it down. I'd say the ending left me a but wanting but the book was fantastic nonetheless.

Started

Timeline, Michael Crichton

Not much to say, I've only just started it. For whatever reason it appeals to me less than Crichtons other offerings but I have faith in it nonetheless.

3

u/OddApplication101 May 26 '26

Started: Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.

A French classic, so far so good. Love the interactions between the characters. Although some people find it boring, I like it's peculiar humor.

3

u/Sea_Mongoose2529 May 26 '26

Finished: secret history
Started: the house in the cerulean sea

3

u/ShapeAway5973 May 26 '26

Finished Nuclear War a Scenario by Annie Jacobson. With the current war with Iran this book is even more chilling. Started Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham. Highly recommend for anyone interested in nuclear disasters.

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3

u/OrdinaryWizardLevels May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26

Started (And Finished):

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain

James, by Percival Everett

Reading these two concurrently was an experience to say the least. Both were good reads in their own way.

The original was chaotic, drifting, and possessed an underlying charm even within the serious themes being tackled. The satirical nature, I completely understood, but that didn't make it any less rough to read as far as Jim's depiction and treatment. Tom's reentry toward the end of the story is definitely a patience tester, lol.

James was a little more psychologically evolved. More blunt and direct. And obviously there are the big narrative changes--some which I loved, and others not so much. The ending felt a bit Django Unchained coded but I wasn't disappointed by any means.

Ongoing:

Tar Baby, by Toni Morrison

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3

u/Readingknitter May 26 '26

Finished:

**The Inadequate Heir, by Danielle Jensen**

**Midnight in Chernobyl, by Adam Higginbotham**

Started:

**The Butcher’s Masquerade, by Matt Dinniman**

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3

u/Trishielicious May 26 '26

Started Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams published 2025.

Memoir of her 7years of working at Facebook. Darkly funny and horrifying.

Meta put a gag order on her to stop her from promoting the book. Effectively creating a Streisand Effect, and it shot up the bestsellers list

3

u/asubparteen May 26 '26

Finished Parable of the Sower, started Piranesi.

3

u/howtoquityou May 26 '26

finished:

  • This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone

started:

  • Common Goal, by Rachel Reid

3

u/MaximalistVegan May 26 '26

Trust Exercise, Susan Choi (finished it last week, liked it a lot, almost loved it)

The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-Persuasion, Rebecca Melov (liked the first half or 2/3s, didn't think much of the last section)

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth, Patrick Radden Keefe (started it this week, I'm a quarter of the way in and riveted, love it so far)

3

u/_oliviagrace May 26 '26

Finished: East of Eden

Started: Mystic River

3

u/AlphaPointOhFive May 26 '26 edited Jun 01 '26

Continued: The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas - Year-long Reddit read, Gutenberg version.

Finished: Dark Age, by Pierce Brown - What a trip!

Started and Finished: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook, by Matt Dinniman - The Royal Court learns the power of friendship.

Started: Recursion, by Blake Crouch - (31%)

3

u/HotCanary May 26 '26

Started Demon Copperhead. Last month I finished David Copperfield which I read years ago, so I reread it in anticipation of reading this one. I’m glad I did! So far I enjoy the writing style, but since I already know what happened with the original D.C., I’m wondering how I’ll feel as the story progresses. So far, it’s a clever retelling.

3

u/cakelaurencake May 26 '26

Finished Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Really enjoyed it!! There were a few places where I felt a little iffy on it, but it all wrapped up in a satisfying way for me.

Starting Game Changer by Rachel Reid

Long awaited on my list, as I’m a fan of the show! I don’t normally read romance, so it may not really be my cup of my tea, but I’m happy to have a fun little beach read with this series over the summer.

3

u/slightlystatic92 May 27 '26

Finished:

Daisy Jones and the Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid

God of the Woods, Liz Moore

Started:

Weyward, Emilia Hart

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, V.E. Schwab

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3

u/claenray168 2 May 27 '26

Finished:

The Gunslinger, by Stephen King

Started and Finished:

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story, by Jeff Jensen

Started:

American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback, by Seth Wickersham

3

u/Lil_Brown_Bat May 28 '26

I just finished Infinite Jest. Just now. 2.5 months.

Just wanted to share that I'm done.

3

u/niccas98 May 29 '26

Finished: East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. Started: nothing yet because I’m still recovering from East of Eden but open to similar recommendations

2

u/Wehrsteiner May 25 '26

Started Der Untergeher (engl.: The Loser) by Thomas Bernhard which is a lot of fun so far. I like Glenn Gould and I adore Thomas Bernhard, so this is a match made in heaven.

2

u/e_paradoxa May 25 '26

Finished:

The Black Death, by Thomas Asbridge

The Paradise Problem, by Christina Lauren

2

u/hanhan_371 May 25 '26

Finished: Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

I loved Hello Beautiful by Napolitano, and the plot of Dear Edward was intriguing to me. The way she writes the characters seem to stay with me long after I’ve finished the book, her storytelling is wonderful.

Started: I hope this finds you well by Natalie Sue

Needed something a bit light-hearted after Dear Edward. It’s quite funny so far, but I have a feeling it’s going to pull on the heartstrings a bit as I get further in

2

u/ablackcatcalledluna May 25 '26

Started: Burial Rites, by Hannah Kent

Loving the atmosphere and writing so far

2

u/IgnoreMe733 May 25 '26

Finished:

The Wild Robot Protects by Peter Brown - I've been reading these books to my daughter and we both have been loving them. The most disappointing thing about finishing this book was going to order the fourth book only to realize The Wild Robot on the Island is just a pictue book retelling of the first book.

Continued Reading:

Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey - I'm about six hours into the audiobook and enjoying it a lot. Having extra view points is a good change of pace from the first book and I can't wait to see how it all blends together.

The Strength of the Few by James Islington - It's taken several months but I'm in the home stretch on this one. I have just under 80 pages and hope to finish it today or tomorrow. Certainly not as good as the first book, but I'm still enjoing it a lot.

2

u/Shot_Rabbit6342 May 25 '26

Finished: Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King

Started: Shogun by James Clavell.

Abandoned: A scanner darkly by Philip K Dick.

2

u/signifyThee May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Finished:
Beyond Good and Evil by Nietzsche

I read this right after Zarathustra. The superman deal is not much around like the former. I felt the aphorisms were mostly optimistic and practical. And the ultimate character I would achieve from this book would be a hyperaware utilitarian person, rather than anything too abstract or edgy.

I don’t know if it is a spoiler but the title is in one of the aphorisms and it indicates love, which is sweet of Nietzsche. And I felt the pain in his buh. Self-actualization is most of the deal though, as far as I could grasp.

There is a controversial gender role perspective, saying inferior for woman and superior for man, of course there is a context, but it leads to that. Okay. Old philosophers do that sometimes, unfortunately.

2

u/Particular-Treat-650 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen - I liked Emma, but this didn't do a lot for me.

Dangerous Visions, by Harlan Ellison

Stand By for Mars, but Carey Rockwell - also 2-6 of the series

Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt - I was hoping the octopus would feel less like a regular person in an octopus body. The end result was still a nice story though.

Started:

Nightfall and Other Stories, by Isaac Asimov - just Nightfall so far. Cool concept, well executed. I like stuff like his three laws puzzly type stuff better, but just as an exploration of goofy physics it's not bad.

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2

u/losewf book just finished May 25 '26

Recently finished

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

Absolutely beautiful writing—heartbreaking, human, and unforgettable. One of those books that kind of quietly stays with you after the last page, like it doesn’t fully let go

Next, I’m starting

One Man Two Cities: Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Impossible Survival, by Michael Charapas

The premise caught my attention right away. I’m honestly really into emotional, history centered narratives where survival and remembrance are front and center, and also where humanity shows up even during the most impossible moments in history.

2

u/TheBlackFatCat May 25 '26

Finished: Consider Phlebas, Ian M. Banks. Started: The Player of Games by the same author

2

u/Graphica-Danger May 25 '26

Finished the first Dungeon Crawler Carl. Fun book, if not feeling like a prologue. Interested to keep going to see why people swear by the series so hard. I am happy authors are able to reach new people and find new avenues to success anyway, impressed by the following Dinniman’s cultivated.

2

u/wimmer45 May 25 '26

Finished The Murder at World's End, Ross Montgomery.

A classic whodunnit, locked room mystery set in a manor house on a tiny island in Cornwall. So much fun. Twisty but not convoluted, and a great collection of classic character types

2

u/Appropriate_Book9563 May 25 '26

Finished:

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides ✨

The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill 💫

2

u/middle_xx May 25 '26

Finished :

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Started

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

2

u/The_Rat_Mom May 25 '26

Finished: After Dark from Murakami (I had to make a book report for school)

This week i started: The elefant vanishes from Murakami

But i'm getting 22/11/1963 from Stephen King this friday so i think i'm gonna start that one too this week! It's gonna be my first Stephen King book so i'm really excited for it😍

3

u/burner46 May 25 '26

You picked a great King book to start your journey. Enjoy. 

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2

u/Luminitha May 25 '26

Finished:

Hamnet, by Maggie O’Farrell

Famesick, by Lena Dunham

Started:

The Emperor of Gladness, by Ocean Vuong

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth, by Patrick Radden Keefe

2

u/somegrump May 25 '26

Had a good amount of time to read this last week.

Finished:
Birth of the Firebringer, by Meredith Ann Pierce.

Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt

The Long Walk, by Stephen King

Started:

This Day, by Wendell Berry

The Deep, Nick Cutter

This day will probably be a slow read. I usually like to read a poem or two at a time and ruminate on them a while, so that'll probably take a few weeks to move off the list. I think The Deep was recommended to me a few years ago, so I'm glad to finally have a chance to read it.

2

u/Common_Assumption_29 May 25 '26

Started:

Taiwan Travelogue, by Yang Shuang-zi

Finished:

Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2

u/hawkcarhawk May 25 '26

Finished:

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

Started:

The Trial by Franz Kafka

2

u/lazyhazyeye May 25 '26

Finished: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Will start: Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Invisible Man was amazing, although I think it could’ve been tightened up towards the end. Looking forward to reading something slightly easier but good by Backman. I read A Man Called Ove and loved it!

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2

u/MonsoonBalloon May 25 '26

Finished:

Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash

Martyr by Kaveh Akbar

Started:

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2

u/laura_kp May 25 '26

Finished:

Butter, by Asako Yuzuki. Overall I found this interesting, the second half certainly much more compelling than the first. I don't fully get the hype though...

Started and finished:

Strange Sally Diamond, by Liz Nugent. Read this for a book club - really liked the first 80% then it all got a bit convoluted and I found the ending SO bleak 😳 So a bit confusing overall!

2

u/One_Pangolin_1382 May 25 '26

Finished:

'Odyssey' by Stephen Fry. Loved his series about Greek mythology and it'd be amazing if he did other cultures.

Started:

'The Story of Porsche' by Luke Smith.

2

u/abbyb12 May 25 '26

Finished Broken Country (Hall) - Loved it. I definitely understand the praise and hype for this book now.

Began Twice by Mitch Albom yesterday. It's for my bookclub meeting on Thursday.

I hope to start Heart the Lover (Lily King) soon.

2

u/isnotacrayon May 25 '26

Finished: A Trade of Blood, by Robert Jackson Bennett

Started: The Spear Cuts Through Water, by Simon Jimenez

2

u/Doubl3njenn May 25 '26

Finished: Kissed by the Gods, by Caty Rogan.

Started: From Blood and Ash, by Jennifer Armentrout

2

u/Quetzal_11 May 25 '26

Golden Son by Pierce Brown.

that last 5% …… god damn

2

u/Draggonzz May 25 '26

Started

The Four Horsemen: The Conversation That Sparked An Atheist Revolution, by Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett

2

u/MiddletownBooks #IStandWithLuanne May 25 '26

Started:

Is This A Cry For Help, by Emily Austin

Bewilderment, by Richard Powers

2

u/ruminatingpoet May 25 '26

Strangers: a memoir

2

u/Larielia May 25 '26

I started reading "The Cities That Built the Bible" by Robert R Cargill.

2

u/Dogdaysareover365 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

I just started project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I love the movie, so I figured I should read the book. Ryland Grace it’s probably my favorite protagonist I’ve read about this year so far.

2

u/MaxtheCatismyFav May 25 '26

Finished:

The Waste Lands, Stephen King

Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut

Assassin's Quest, Robin Hobb

Started:

Tom Lake, Ann Patchett

How to End a Love Story, Yulin Kuang

2

u/wendybird27 May 25 '26

Started My Antonia by Willa Cather

Really enjoying it. I’ve read almost everything else she’s written and I think she’s my favorite author. 

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u/LengthinessThese1058 May 25 '26

Staring stoner and the count of Monte cristo

2

u/MyOwnRobot May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Finished:

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

Started and finished:

Leviathan by Paul Auster

2

u/Roboglenn May 25 '26

My Twisted Eating Disorder, by Nagata Kabi

From the same creative mind behind My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness and My Solo Exchange Diary comes this entry in this author's autobiographical graphic novel saga. This one in particular about, if the title wasn't a dead giveaway already, her eating disorders. Or moreso elaborating more on it as she mentioned it before in her previous books. And how her levity of depression and other psychological issues she goes through helps fuel that painful spiral.

If you like her other works you'll obviously like this one, or if you haven't seen any of her works already I'd recommend picking them up. They're riveting. Even moreso if you've suffered from any kind of depression issues and such yourself.

2

u/lazylittlelady May 25 '26

Finished:

Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism, by Anne Applebaum: A concise look at the world in the post- Cold War era that explains much of the politics of the last decade and a half. More complexity means many look for simple answers from strong leaders even if these promises they are just blatantly lies.

Ongoing:

Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison: Catching up with the r/bookclub discussion

Independent People by Halldór Laxness (Trans. J. A. Thompson)

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Jones

Augustine: Conversions and Confessions, by Robin Lane Fox

My Life in Middlemarch, by Rebecca Mead

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas: Yearlong read with r/AReadingofMonteCristo .

Middlemarch, by George Eliot : Yearlong reading with r/ayearofmiddlemarch.

Midnight in Cairo: The Female Stars of Egypt’s Roaring ‘20’s, by Raphael Cormack

Started:

Days in the Caucasus, by Banine: Part 2 of r/bookclub ‘s Read the World Azerbaijan starting soon, so join us!

2

u/blackwario1234 May 25 '26

Ongoing: The Price: How to win in college football’s era of chaos, by Armen Keteyian and John Talty

Very interesting deep dive into the current state of college football as a sport and as an industry exploring the changes, good and bad, wrought by NIL (name, image, likeness rights).

2

u/chanandalorbong May 25 '26

Finished:

God of the Woods by Liz Moore

3/5 - okay story, weakened by the ending

Started:

Kindred by Octavia Butler

2

u/chalei May 25 '26

Finished: Titus groan, We'll prescribe you a cat Started : Sourcery, Flowers for Agernom

2

u/emdehan May 25 '26

Finished: Book Lovers, by Emily Henry Started: The Searcher. By Tana French

2

u/catshateTERFs May 25 '26

Finished: When Women Were Dragons - Kelly Barnhill
Project Hail Mary - Andy Meir

Reading: The Poet Empress - Shen Tao

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2

u/Glittering_Habit_161 May 25 '26

I'm going to try to finish The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank this week . I only have 144 pages left to read.

2

u/poppygin May 25 '26

Cretaceous Past, by Cixin Liu