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I’m reading a book called The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

Treacle Walker by Alan Garner is a hurlothrumbo of a read, that's for sure. It's a wild world of folk and fantasy packed into a short book that was short-listed for the 2022 Booker Prize. Loved the whole experience. 😊
5� My review of Treacle Walker

I do love a good short story. Alice Munro's How I Met My Husband, like her others, is entertaining and easy to read, but there is always more to think about - good for bookclubs.
4�My review of How I Met My Husband

I finished Prey last night. It was a big of a slog through all the technical info.

Tonight I think I'll start Hercule Poirot's Christmas for the monthly challenge.

I am reading The Wishing Game and listening to The Housemaid.

I’m reading a book called House on Fire: A Novel by Joseph Finder

Whoo boy! Endgame: An Insurgency on Wall Street by Sheelah Kolhatkar is a cracker of a short story about the shortcomings of the Big Guys (my term), and how outsiders are challenging them. The author knows her stuff. Available on NetGalley until May 16.
5� My review of Endgame:An Insurgency on Wall Street

Jussi Adler-Olsen's novel Mercy is also known as The Keeper of Lost Causes. Police prefer to think of them as cold cases, and Danish detective Carl Mørck has been 'promoted' to the basement to reheat them.
4� My review of Mercy

I’m reading a book called The Trouble with Love and Hate by Cat Schield

I’m reading a book called Lost Rider by Harper Sloan

I've resumed The Count of Monte Cristo, and I'm also reading Stories of Your Life and Others, and listening to The Institute.

I finished Roses Are Red. I thought it was ok. I haven't read the previous books in the series, so I didn't get as much out of it as other readers might. It has some really slow spots for me.

About to start Battleshipped.

I’m reading Laughing All the Way to the Mosque by Zarqa Nawaz for the year-long challenge and A History of Burning by Janika Oza.

I finished The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. It was looong! I felt it could have been way shorter. It was an okay read. I didn’t find it stellar despite all the rave reviews it’s been receiving. My review: /review/show...

I'm currently in late 1930s Berlin with a whole heap of jazz players with Half Blood Blues. But it's getting pretty dicey here with the Nazi's opinion on jazz music being degenerate, and half the band are either Jewish or Black Americans. They are thinking of heading to Paris, but WWII history tells me that may not be the best choice...

I'm not disappointed so far with Esi Edugyan's writing after loving Washington Black a few years ago.

Lilisa wrote: "I finished The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. It was looong!"

Oh that is sad. I loved Cutting for Stone although I thought the last 50 pages where not needed really. But a beautiful book. So I'm sad his follow up was not as good

Rusalka wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "I finished The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. It was looong!"

Oh that is sad. I loved Cutting for Stone although I thought the last 50 pages where not needed ..."

Well, I was one of those not bowled over by Cutting for Stone, so maybe you will love The Covenant of Water!

I've finished and I think, the review I wrote yesterday, is the longest, hardest and most emotional one I've ever written.

Saar The Book owl wrote: "I've finished and I think, the review I wrote yesterday, is the longest, hardest and most emotional one I've ever written."

Give us a link so we can read your review, Saar. 😊

The Short Story Club recently read Separating written in 1974 by John Updike. An American couple is deciding how to tell their four teens that they are splitting up. American suburban angst.
4� My review of Separating with a link to the story online.

Pond is a curious meandering through the narrator's mind by Claire-Louise Bennett. Some stories are pointedly funny and self-deprecating, some are dreamy and philosophical.
4.5´Ê5â˜� My review of Pond

PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Saar The Book owl wrote: "I've finished and I think, the review I wrote yesterday, is the longest, hardest and most emotional one I've ever written."

Give us a l..."

Here it is, Patty :)

Review: The Guest Cat

Reading Everville

I’m reading a book called My Father's Son: A Memoir by John Davis

I hope to finish The Key: A Novel today, but at the rate I'm moving that may not happened. I started She's Up to No Good last night on kindle. I wonder who the "she" refers to in the title - the 35 year old protagonist or her 90 year old grandmother. Somehow I think it's the grandmother.

Somehow I always have a couple of books going at once and I become so involved with one that the other gets pushed to the side until I get that library notice telling me I have to give it back in a day or so. I was happily reading The Lincoln Lawyer and then borrowed The Shop on Royal Street. I thought it would be a bit of fluff that I wouldn’t really like but now 70% of the way in, I have to put it aside for a bit before I get that return notice for TLL (only 5 days left on the loan with no renewal). On top of that I also have Hamnet on my bedside table that needs reading for my real life book club. Not enough hours in the day (or night).

I did finish The Key today. Tomorrow, I will start A Dowry of Blood which is a 2023 release.

I’m reading a book called Pretty Little Killers: The Truth Behind the Savage Murder of Skylar Neese by Daleen Berry

I forgot to update. I'm currently reading Remarkably Bright Creatures for the monthly challenge.

Saar The Book owl wrote: "PattyMacDotComma wrote: "Saar The Book owl wrote: "I've finished and I think, the review I wrote yesterday, is the longest, hardest and most emotional one I've ev..."

Thanks, for the link, Saar - lovely review!

Dawoud/Dawit/David's attempt to get from Eritrea to Israel meant he had to keep changing his identity and left him feeling like black foam, tossed around but never allowed to settle. In Black Foam: A Novel by Eritrean author Haji Jabir, you can see what he's up against. Moving and eye-opening.
4� My review of Black Foam

These inventive Backstories of famous (and infamous) people are an entertaining collection by Simon Van der Velde. The reader isn't told who they are, but there are clues to trigger your memory or send you down your favourite 'research' rabbithole.
4� My review of Backstories

I've been reading Shoulder Season by Christina Clancy and just wishing it would end. If I didn't need it for the annual challenge, I would DNF. Hopefully there is something worthwhile within the pages 🤞

Oh no, I'll avoid that one, Jayme. I'm going to need something for that task too.

I found Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat for that task. It's free through the Audioplus catalogue.

I'm starting Bitter Falls. I want to finish the books I have in that series. There's a 6th book that's been added to it, but I'm going to call it done after the 5th book.

Janice wrote: "...I'm starting Bitter Falls. I want to finish the books I have in that series. There's a 6th book that's been added to it, but I'm going to call it done after the 5th book."

Rachel Caine passed away after book 5. Book 6 still has her name on it with a co-author, but the other author wrote it. I don't know if Caine had it started or an outline or something. I stopped after book 5 too, so I can't even say if the writing is similar. That was a really good series.

Janice wrote: "I found Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat for that task. It's free through the Audioplus catalogue.

I'm starting Bitter Falls. I wa..."

Thank you, Janice! My library has it available and I am switching my book. Life is to short to read Uggh books.

Janice wrote: "I found Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat for that task. It's free through the Audioplus catalogue...."

Added it to my library!

Kristie wrote: "Janice wrote: "...I'm starting Bitter Falls. I want to finish the books I have in that series. There's a 6th book that's been added to it, but I'm going to call it done after the 5t..."

I've decided to not finish Bitter Falls, and call the series done for me even though I own book 5. Each book is just more of the same, and I'm not enjoying them all that much. They make me feel anxious.

I've decided I'm going to read An Unexpected Peril instead. I'm enjoying that series much better.

Janice wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Janice wrote: "...I'm starting Bitter Falls. I want to finish the books I have in that series. There's a 6th book that's been added to it, but I'm going to call it d...

They make me feel anxious."

Sounds like a good call, Janice. There are so many books out there that you would enjoy - hope you're finding some now!

One of my favourites, acclaimed Irish author John Boyne never writes the same thing twice. The Absolutist is a powerful story of the boys who met in the army and fought in WWI in the muddy trenches of France. It is both wonderful and awful.
5� My review of The Absolutist

I finished Battleshipped . It was cute.

My review: /review/show...

Started Cursed .

I'm having trouble deciding what to start next...

Sandra wrote: "I'm having trouble deciding what to start next..."

I think I'm going to give Station Eleven a try.

I finished A History of Burning. I enjoyed this historical fiction by Janika Oza - her debut novel. My review: /review/show...

I’m listening to This Is Happiness, e-reading The French Art of Living Well: Finding Joie de Vivre in the Everyday World, and just started the print edition of Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son.

I’m reading a book called A Merciful Truth by Kendra Elliot

Conspirators on the Dark Web don't need someone to have an internet presence in order to target them. In Aussie author Ashley Kalagian-Blunt's unsettling new book, Dark Mode, anyone is fair game - game as in being hunted for sport. Watch yourself!
4� My review of Dark Mode

Oh I was listening to her on The Bookshelf on Radio National this arvo while I was walking up a mountain. Glad you enjoyed it, she and it sounded interesting.

I am also reading Hello Stranger.